Managing resources in a business context Assignment

Managing resources in a business context - Assignment Example Employment Tribunals and UK Fleming (1992) pointed out that forming a tribunal can help employees to seek justice from legal authority which can protect their interest. According to common employment law rule, employers or companies are vicariously liable for any sort of torts they have applied on employees. But, definition of employment tribunal covers large areas such as physical harassment, payment delay or no payment, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, racial discrimination etc. In such context, Brodie (2007) has given the example of the case Hamlyn v. John Houston & Co [1903], where court has given the verdict that employers should bear equal responsibility for losses or profit made by employees. Weekes (2004) gave the case example of Kooragang Investments Pty Ltd v. Richardson Ltd [1984]; wrongful act of employees can even cause harm to reputation of the organization. It is evident from the above argument that role of Employment Tribunals is hotly debated topic among res earch scholars. In UK, employees can go to Employment Tribunals only for three reasons such as 1- unfair dismissal of the employee, 2- any kind of discrimination conducted by the employer on employee and 3- unfair deduction of payment (UK Government, 2013a). Lee (2001) and Selmi (2000) pointed out those issues like sexual harassment or gender based discrimination have been long ignored by Employment Tribunals. Same is the condition with UK Employment Tribunal where there are no separate provisions for gender based discriminations. However, the tribunal uses following procedures to settle down disputes between employee and employer. Claim Presentation & Response Employees need to submit the completed claim form to tribunal office located in England and Wales or Scotland. Location of the tribunal office is decided as per the location of the business or employer which has violated the legal norms regarding employee management. Tribunal office can reject the claim of the employee or nul lify the validity of the dispute if the claim has not made through claim form or the claimant fails to provide information regarding his/her identity (UK Government, 2013b). After receiving the claim, the tribunal office sends the response form to claimant in order to specify detail description of the dispute and the claimant has to return back the response sheet within four weeks. Case Management & Decision There are various steps before the dispute proceeding reaches the stage for case management phase but discussion of these cases is beyond the scope of this paper. During case management phase, judges in the Employment Tribunal ask lawyer for employee and employer to bring evidences which can substantiate their argument. Both employee and employer get 14 days prior notice to appear in the tribunal panel. Employment Tribunal has the authority to disclose any document regarding the case and has the authority to remove false evidences or irrelevant parties from the case (UK Governme nt, 2013b). It is duty of the employee to report about wrongdoings of employer within 90days of the incident otherwise the claim will be rejected. Number of hearing in the case management phase is decided by the judges in the Employment Tribunal. However, at the end of the case hearings, judges of the tribunal announce the decision regarding the case. The decision of the Employment

Marketing Concepts Essay Example for Free

Marketing Concepts Essay Therefore the customer wins and so does nokia, as nokia once again are satisfying the need of support their customers request and In Conclusion, Marketing isn’t just a posh name for selling; in fact selling is part of the marketing component. It is the process of communicating; selling is the delivery of a product to the potential customer, converting them into actual customers. Whilst it can be assumed that marketing is a posh name for selling, the difference that separates both areas is evident through simple definition and actual process. In order to sell, the consumer must want, need and afford the product, therefore without the process of research, development and catering to the consumers needs, (Marketing) Selling would not be as profitable. An organisation that fails to provide marketing will allow itself to be a business that is hoping to simply sell its products by having it available, assuming the consumers will purchase its product. Whereas an organisation that adapts the marketing concept, caters for the consumer’s wants, needs, price range, customer service, through the research of its objective and the development of these objectives, along with achieving the business goals of the calculated profit it ‘Intends’ to make prior sale. Using the example of Nokia, it is clearly evident that an organisation can only obtain worldwide success through the power of marketing. Should Nokia simply release products to a store without communicating with its consumers, the organisation would be no better off than a market stall that is ‘attempting’ to Sell its products. Instead, Nokia markets its brands and as a result has successfully pre sold its brand with complete knowledge of its consumers wants and needs. For example Nokia markets and provides products for its Personal and Business consumers where as an organisation selling phones, would simply have a range ‘for sale’. Finally, marketing is the process of identifying a need and communicating a message relating to satisfaction of the need through a product to its customer. The marketing process informs the market of who you are and what you do, whilst the sales process begins when a formal offer for services has been made, and concludes when the offer is accepted or rejected. In Conclusion, Marketing isn’t just a posh name for selling; in fact selling is part of the marketing component. An organisation can improve its marketing activities through implementing the marketing concept as this will: * Develop key competencies of knowledge, experience, commitment and communications * Develop strategies through overcoming areas of weakness or threats by competitors through understanding the needs/wants of their customers * Maintain the organisations vision, focus is crucial for the development of objectives and the achievement of these objectives * Allows an organisation to Define, Develop and Deliver Customer Value which in turn will create greater customer loyalty leading to profit creation

Themes of Ordinary People by Judith Guest :: essays research papers

There are many themes that occur and can be interpreted differently throughout the novel. The three main themes that stand out most are healing, communication, and relationships. Ordinary People starts off already in a broken world. Buck has died, and Conrad has already attempted suicide, therefore, healing is a main focus throughout the book. Beth and Calvin’s marriage is also very rocky and they together are trying to see if things will work out by healing and saving their relationship. Judith Guest shows the journey through Conrad’s life and his progress to becoming completely healed. Beth and Calvin’s relationship is also monitored and in the end just goes downhill by Beth leaving. Lack of communication and poor communication is a big problem in the novel. Beth thinks she and Conrad have poor communication. This is clear when Beth gets mad at Conrad be cause wasn’t the first to know that he quit swim team. Calvin and Beth have communication issues too. They always have different views on things. Beth wanted to go on vacation and Calvin thought it was best to stay home until Conrad is settled again. Calvin wants to talk about everyone’s problems when Beth feels it’s best to move on, and forget about the past and only think about the future. Their lack of communication to agree on things turns their marriage from good to bad and Beth ends up leaving Calvin and Conrad. Relationships are a major issue in the book. Beth and Calvin’s, and Calvin and Conrad’s are the two main relationships that have problems. First off, Beth and Calvin have a very poor relationship from lack of communication. They both have different views and the just really never click anymore. Calvin tries to go to Dr. Berger for advice and in the end their marriage crumbles and Beth leaves the family. Calvin and Conrad don’t have a very strong relation ship in the beginning because Calvin wants to sit around waiting for Conrad to heal and feels he‘s never good enough for Conrad, and Conrad just wants to go back to his regular life he had before and he also never really appreciated his dad.

William Wordsworth

Describe similarities and differences between â€Å"I wandered lonely as a Cloud† by William Wordsworth and the extract from The Grasmere Journals by his sister Dorothy Wordsworth. Comparison must include comments on the, language, imagery, genre and audience of the two texts. â€Å"I wandered lonely as a Cloud† by William Wordsworth is a lyric poem focusing on the poet's response to the beauty of nature. A lyric poem presents the deep feelings and emotions of the poet rather than telling a story or presenting a witty observation.This is also seen on the language of the poem as W. Wordsworth uses personifications when he starts by comparing himself to a lonely cloud. Another personification and metaphor is when W. W compares the daffodils to a crowd of people and further more dancing humans. He starts his poem with a simile Alliteration: lonely as a cloud (line 1). Simile: Comparison (using as) of the speaker's solitariness to that of a cloud (line 1). Personification: Comparison of the cloud to a lonely human. line 1) Alliteration: high o'er vales and Hills (line 2). Alliteration: When all at once (line 3). (Note that the w and o have the same consonant sound. ) Personification/Metaphor: Comparison of daffodils to a crowd of people (lines 3-4). Alliteration: golden Daffodils (line 4). Alliteration: Beside the Lake, beneath the trees, Personification/Metaphor: Comparison of daffodils to dancing humans (lines 4, 6). The speaker humanizes the daffodils when he says they are engaging in a dance.

Books of the Bible

The book of Luke is considered to be a gospel in the New Testament. The main people discussed in the book are Mary, Jesus and Joseph. This book describes the birth of Jesus which is the main theme. The audience of this book would have appealed to all intelligent gentiles and to any believer. The gospel of Luke does not disclose who the author is of these documents. The historical content leads us to believe this gospel was written a few years before 62 AD. This book narrates the story of events from Jesus birth to his ascension.This was written to provide a historical account of events which the write divided into three stages, John the Baptist, Jesus the earthly ministry and third the life of the church after Jesus’ resurrection. All while stating that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The book of Revelation The book of Revelation is considered to be an apocalyptic genre. This book is the final book of the New Testament. The main character if Jesus himself, which this book expl ains his journey through the years.Many of Jesus’ challenges were discussed in this book during his struggle to reclaim his world, as the message was the end of days is near. The author of this book was credited to John the apostle, he states they were directed to the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4). John was given orders to deliver messages to each of the churches to warn them as well as encourage them to repent before judgment day. Those who chose to follow would be rewarded and those who did not would endure the consequences. The book of ActsThe book of Acts in the New Testament is considered to be a narrative genre. The book of acts is a continuation of the book of Luke. Due to the narrators changing voice and person it creates a problem to confirm the authorship of the text. The book describes Jesus’s journey to spread the gospel throughout the world by the twelve apostles. The two main characters listed in this book were Peter and Paul the apostles. The f irst 12 chapters of this book discuss Peter while the remaining book is devoted to Apostle Paul.The book reviews how the disciples not only healed but end up persecuted for being believers and followers of Christ. Eventually it goes on to describe how Paul is placed in jail due to preaching the word of God. The book of Romans The book of Romans is considered to be an epistle genre in the New Testament. This book appears to be written around 57 or 58 AD. The main theme of this book was Paul’s journey of speaking to the Roman people of what would happen if they did not follow God’s path.The main character of the book Paul struggled to convince the Romans to convert being they were Gentiles and were not Christians. Paul continued to speak Gods way including writing numerous letters to describe their futures if they could have by following God’s way. As Paul believed and tried to teach that there is only one way to have an external life and that is through Jesus. Th e book of Ephesians The book of Ephesians is also an epistle in the New Testament, believed to be written by Paul to the Church of Ephesus around 61 AD.While Paul was in prison he had time to reflect and found that Christ came to united himself with man. This book details the letters composed by Paul that reference the different relationships that we have in life. His letters discussed not only relationships between husband and wife but those between Jesus and his believers as well. Paul preached in his letters to maintain compassion with others regardless of their background and to hold hast. Paul’s message was that Christianity was for all men, for whom all may enter, but it is only by grace, through faith in Christ. Books of the Bible The Book of LukeThe book of Luke is considered to be a gospel in the New Testament. The main people discussed in the book are Mary, Jesus and Joseph. This book describes the birth of Jesus which is the main theme. The audience of this book would have appealed to all intelligent gentiles and to any believer. The gospel of Luke does not disclose who the author is of these documents. The historical content leads us to believe this gospel was written a few years before 62 AD. This book narrates the story of events from Jesus birth to his ascension. This was written to provide a historical account of events which the write divided into three stages, John the Baptist, Jesus the earthly ministry and third the life of the church after Jesus’ resurrection. All while stating that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.The book of RevelationThe book of Revelation is considered to be an apocalyptic genre. This book is the final book of the New Testament. The main character if Jesus himself, which this book explains his journey through the years. Many of Jesus’ challenges were discussed in this book during his struggle to reclaim his world, as the message was the end of days is near. The author of this book was credited to John the apostle, he states they were directed to the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4). John was given orders to deliver messages to each of the churches to warn them as well as encourage them to repent before judgment day. Those who chose to follow would be rewarded and those who did not would endure the consequences.The book of ActsThe book of Acts in the New Testament is considered to be a narrative genre. The book of acts is a continuation of the book of Luke. Due to the narrators changing voice and person it creates a problem to confirm the authorship of the text. The book describes Jesus’s journey to spread the gospel throughout  the world by the twelve apostles. The two main characters listed in this book were Peter and Paul t he apostles. The first 12 chapters of this book discuss Peter while the remaining book is devoted to Apostle Paul. The book reviews how the disciples not only healed but end up persecuted for being believers and followers of Christ. Eventually it goes on to describe how Paul is placed in jail due to preaching the word of God. The book of RomansThe book of Romans is considered to be an epistle genre in the New Testament. This book appears to be written around 57 or 58 AD. The main theme of this book was Paul’s journey of speaking to the Roman people of what would happen if they did not follow God’s path. The main character of the book Paul struggled to convince the Romans to convert being they were Gentiles and were not Christians. Paul continued to speak Gods way including writing numerous letters to describe their futures if they could have by following God’s way. As Paul believed and tried to teach that there is only one way to have an external life and that i s through Jesus.The book of EphesiansThe book of Ephesians is also an epistle in the New Testament, believed to be written by Paul to the Church of Ephesus around 61 AD. While Paul was in prison he had time to reflect and found that Christ came to united himself with man. This book details the letters composed by Paul that reference the different relationships that we have in life. His letters discussed not only relationships between husband and wife but those between Jesus and his believers as well. Paul preached in his letters to maintain compassion with others regardless of their background and to hold hast. Paul’s message was that Christianity was for all men, for whom all may enter, but it is only by grace, through faith in Christ.

Student Servival Guide

Student Servival Guide Free Online Research Papers INTRODUCTION With the help of Axia College, I have gained an exceptional amount of knowledge and several new tools that will help me throughout my academic career. This is my survival guide, designed to help me achieve success while attending Axia College and covers six main areas of information covered in this class. This student survival guide will help me get the most out of my distance learning education. USING AXIA’S EDUCATION RESOURCES Axia College provides wonderful resources to help students keep up with the continuous advancements in distance learning. The University Library is one of the most important resources that are available to the students. This library has numerous search engines, databases, and multiple help features that make researching easy. In The Center for Writing Excellence, there are two vital tools, Plagiarism Checker and Writepoint, which are very valuable and help students in every aspect of their college career. In addition to these exceptional tools are the online books that accompany each class. These items can be easily downloaded to any home computer, laptop, or even a Blackberry. This allows students to access their course documents virtually anywhere, giving them the ability to study whenever and wherever they feel the most productive. Even though Axia College is an online learning environment, and all items are readily available, sometimes students like to have a printed copy of certain information like the course calendars and the course syllabus. UPHOLDING ACADEMIC HONESTY Upholding academic honesty is not difficult at all to understand and do here at Axia College. Simply put, do not submit work written by anyone else as your own, including web-based information. If you need to use someone else’s words within the text of any of your assignments you must properly cite the work that you are directly quoting or even paraphrasing. The Center for Writing Excellence offers the ability to check writing assignments for plagiarism, helping you to avoid turning in assignments that may contain unintentional plagiarism. If you do not properly cite the information, you run the risk of having part or all of that assignment thrown out and receiving a zero. Consequences for plagiarism are severe and can lead to expulsion from Axia College. Therefore, it is extremely important that you cite all your references and any text or thoughts that are not your own. SETTING AND ACHIEVING GOALS Setting and achieving goals will be important throughout any students’ online learning experience. You should try to make sure your goals are attainable and realistic. It is easy to set them according to hopes, but if they are not met, they can cause feelings of depression or loss of your self-esteem or both. It is important to set short-term goals that contribute to the success of your long-term goals. Long-term goals are goals that will take some time and perseverance to accomplish. This may include anything from graduating, to obtaining the position you want at work, or buying a home and starting a family. If you are able to, write down each long-term goal, and then break them into smaller short-term goals so that you can easily track your progress and to help keep you focused on the goal. This will also help you to maintain your path to your ultimate long-term goal, even if a problem should arise. It is also helpful to have some one around who supports and encourages you to keep going, and even occasionally reminds you of your goal to help keep you focused. I personally try to keep in mind the reason I set my goals in the first place. Whatever the reason, you can use as a motivator to help you achieve your goals. One of my long-term educational goals is get my associates in Psychology and Axia College helps break that down into classes and weeks which can be viewed as short-term goals. MANAGING TIME WISELY It is important to learn the skill of time management so that there can be an equal balance of school, work, and personal life. Managing time wisely is important to all students, but especially to a student in an online learning environment. There is no one to remind you of an assignment or to make sure you complete your schoolwork. In addition to attending online classes, some students are also full-time parents and full-time workers. This means that it is imperative for us to plan time in our day to ensure our schoolwork will be completed on time. As an online student, I find that managing my time can be difficult at times. I try to map out my days or weeks in order to cover all of the posts, reading materials, participation and attendance posting requirements. However, this is something that I struggled with in my first two classes, missing a few posts for discussion questions and turning in a few assignments late. Now I know that I will have a better understanding of how to manag e my time more wisely than before. One of the biggest lessons I had to learn is to enjoy a reward after completing a task instead of rewarding myself before a task is completed. FOSTERING READING COMPREHENSION AND RETENTION When it comes to reading, you can look for key words, take notes, or scan depending on how you interpret the information. The point of reading is to understand what you have read when you are finished. One way of doing this is the SQ3R method, which stands for survey, question, read, recite, review. This can help save time for some people by not having to reread information they do not understand, and help them to have better understanding of the information they have just read. Personally, I do not use the exact technique while reading but a variation on it. I do not survey the text because I find that I would rather read some parts of the text and not others, so I read, sometimes recite and then ask myself questions about what I just read to have an understanding of it. I also only really become emotionally involved with the reading if it pertains to something in my life that I can relate to personally. APPLYING PERSONALITY AND LEARNING STYLES Knowing your personality type and learning style is necessary in any learning environment. Because my main intelligence is Visual Spatial, I can more easily remember information if I relate it to a picture instead of words and color helps me remember information as well. I try to keep this in mind when I approach new information, projects, and homework. In my personality assessments, I fit in to the Giver category, which means I am a people-focused individual and I deal with things according to how I feel about them. When relating to others who have different personality or learning styles being able to stay open minded in very important. You never know when you can learn something new or have someone teach you a different perspective on how to learn something. Taking part in Discussion Questions and communicating helps each student determine which learning style is best for them. Knowing my personality and learning styles will allow me to take everything I need to learn and mold it into ways that will be most effective for me. This was and will be helpful in my exchanges with fellow students and in the workplace. CONCLUSION Looking back on all the information that I have learned over this first block of classes I can see a difference in my study habits, time management and goal setting. In addition, in taking the first two classes here at Axia College, I have a better understanding of the importance of taking input from other classmates and instructors. In developing this guide, I have outlined things that will help me throughout my academic career, from being able to manage my time effectively, taking time to developing goals, upholding academic honesty, and fostering reading comprehension and retention these new and improved skills will help me in getting through school and life successfully. Research Papers on Student Servival GuideStandardized TestingAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Hockey GameThe Project Managment Office SystemEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHip-Hop is ArtBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfGenetic EngineeringPETSTEL analysis of India

Assisted Suicide Essay Example

Assisted Suicide Essay Example Assisted Suicide Essay Assisted Suicide Essay ASSISTED SUICIDE 1 Physician Assisted Suicide Maureen Dippel PHl-103 Karan Kart October 22, 2012 ASSISTED SUICIDE 2 THEISE My thesis is about Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). I find this subject to be very important to me. There a lot of pros and cons on the subject Physician Assisted Suicide. INTRODUCTION Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) is perhaps the most compelling and clinically relevant mental health issue in palliative care today. The desire for death, the consideration of suicide, the interest in PAS, and the relationship of these issues to depression and other psychosocial issues appear to be a paramount importance.(Breitbart, William, MD and Rosenfeld, Barry, D.,PHD) DEFINITIONS OF ASSISTED SUICIDE Suicide accomplished with the aid of another person, especially a physician. The deliberate hastening of death by a terminally ill patient with assistance from a doctor, family member, or another individual. Assisted suicide is helping a person to end his or her life by request to end suffering. Euthanasia, is a broad, generic term meaning help with a good death.(Humphry,Derek(2006) WHERE IS IT PERMITTED In the United States assisted suicide is currently legal in the states of Oregon, Washington and Montana. Assisted suicide is specifically prohibited in many of the states including Wisconsin. ASSISTED SUICIDE 3 In 2007, major legislative attempts to legalize assisted suicide were defeated in Hawaii, Vermont and California. Some of the other countries that permit assisted suicide are, The Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain (The Prime Minister of Spain is calling for assisted suicide to be legalized), Australia, New Zealand, Columbia and Luxembourg. OTHER COUNTRIES What is happening to elderly persons in hospitals and nursing homes has alarmed public opinion in several countries. In hundreds of cases there have been clear indications that medical personnel acted to cause or at least hasten old peopleâ„ ¢s deaths. Some of the other countries that are doing it are Britain, Austria and the Netherlands. (Fenigsen, Richard, MD, PHD). The Swiss Supreme Court recently issued a decision stating that chronically depressed and mentally ill people have the right to assisted suicide. DEPRESSION It is well known that health care professions fail to recognize depression amount of the mentally ill. In 2007, none of the forty six Oregonians who died by lethal ingestion were evaluated by a psychiatrist or a psychologist. ETHICAL ASPECTS OF PAS By making PAS available, some people will be pressured into accepting assistance in dying by their families. Some people wish to die because they are suffering from clinical ASSISTED SUICIDE 4 depression. This is another argument in for or of strict control to confirm that a patient requesting aid in dying is of sound mind. SHOULD IT BE PERMITTED When it is an issue that concerns human life is an important one deserving our attention and opportunities where the different perspectives may be herd. The question of PAS made legal by the government is a question of a citizenâ„ ¢s freedom to control when that citizen would like to end his or her life. CONCLUSION In many states here in America there has been assisted suicide even though it is illegal. I feel that is not the answer. Today with all the technological advances that doctors and hospitals use can help to make someone commutable. Opponents argue that it violates the fundamental physician duty to protect human life. (Friend, M. L., Mn.Rn). I feel if God put you here he will take you when he is ready. I do know that some religions find it to be forbidden. I have really mixed emotions on this subject. Do we really have the right to help someone to end their life or do we let them suffer ASSISTED SUICIDE 5 REFERENCE: assistedsuicide.org/definitions Author: Derek Humphry wrtl.org/assistedsuicide hospicecare.com/Ethics/physician-assisted-suicide-htm Author: William Breibart, MD., and Barry D Rosenfeld, PHD Fordham University http://proquest.ashford.com Author: Mary Louanne Friend, MN,RN. Springer Publishing Company 2011 http://debatewise.org/debates

Exploring the Yellowstone Supervolcano

Exploring the Yellowstone Supervolcano Theres a powerful and violent  menace lurking under northwestern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, one that has reshaped the landscape several times over the last several million years. Its called the Yellowstone Supervolcano and  the resulting geysers, bubbling mudpots, hot springs, and evidence of long-gone  volcanoes  make  Yellowstone National Park  a fascinating geologic wonderland. The official name for this region is the Yellowstone Caldera, and it spans an area about 72 by 55 kilometers (35 to 44 miles)  in the Rocky Mountains. The caldera has been  geologically active for  2.1 million years, periodically sending  lava  and  clouds of gas and dust into the atmosphere, and reshaping the landscape for hundreds of kilometers.   Yellowstone Caldera is among the  worlds largest such calderas. The caldera, its supervolcano, and the underlying magma chamber help geologists understand volcanism and is a prime place  to study first-hand the effects of hot-spot geology on the Earths surface. The History and Migration of the Yellowstone Caldera The Yellowstone Caldera is really the vent for a large plume of hot material that extends hundreds of kilometers down through Earths crust. The plume has persisted for at least 18 million years and is a region where molten rock from Earths mantle rises to the surface. The plume has remained relatively stable while the North American continent has passed over it. Geologists track  a series of calderas created by the plume. These calderas run from the east to northeast and follow the motion of the plate moves to the southwest. Yellowstone Park lies right in the middle of the modern caldera. The caldera experienced super-eruptions 2.1 and 1.3 million years ago, and then again about 630,000 years ago. Super-eruptions are massive ones, spreading clouds of ash and rock over thousands of square kilometers of the landscape. Compared to those, smaller eruptions and the hot-spot activity Yellowstone exhibits  today are relatively minor. The Yellowstone Caldera Magma Chamber The plume that feeds the Yellowstone Caldera moves through a magma chamber some 80 kilometers (47 miles) long and 20 km (12 miles) wide. It is filled with molten rock that, for the moment, lies fairly quietly below Earths surface, although from time to time, the movement of the lava inside the chamber triggers earthquakes. Heat from the plume creates  the geysers (which shoot superheated water into the air from underground), hot springs, and mudpots scattered throughout the region. Heat and pressure from the magma chamber is slowly increasing the height of the Yellowstone Plateau, which has been rising more rapidly in recent times. So far, however, there is no indication that a volcanic eruption is about to occur. Of more concern to scientists studying the region is the danger of hydrothermal explosions in between major super-eruptions. These are outbursts caused when underground systems of superheated water are disturbed by earthquakes. Even earthquakes at a great distance can affect the magma chamber.   Will Yellowstone Erupt Again? Sensational stories crop up every few years suggesting that Yellowstone is about to blow again. Based on detailed observations of the earthquakes that occur locally, geologists are sure that it will erupt again, but probably not  anytime soon. The region  has been fairly inactive for the past 70,000 years and the best guess is that  will remain quiet for thousands more.  But make no mistake about it, a Yellowstone super-eruption will happen again, and when it does, it will be a catastrophic mess. What Happens During a Super-Eruption? Within the park itself, lava flows from one or more volcanic sites would likely cover  much of the landscape, but the bigger worry is ash clouds blowing away from the site of the eruption. Wind would blow the ash as far as 800 kilometers (497 miles), eventually blanketing the mid-section of the U.S. with layers of ash and devastating the nations central breadbasket region. Other states would see a dusting of ash, depending on their proximity to the eruption. While its not likely that all life on earth would be destroyed, it would definitely be affected by the clouds of ash and the massive release of  greenhouse gases. On a planet where the climate is already altering rapidly, a additional discharge would likely change growing patterns, shorten growing seasons, and lead to fewer sources of food for all of Earths life. The U.S. Geological Survey maintains a close watch on the Yellowstone Caldera. Earthquakes, small hydrothermal events, even a slight change in the eruptions of Old Faithful (Yellowstones famous geyser), provide clues to changes deep underground. If magma starts to move in ways that indicate an eruption, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory will be the first to alert surrounding populations.

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Personal Statement - Essay Example My university gave shape to my passion. This is where I began to explore the various dimensions of psychology. After completing the course on research methods, I could realize what I’m really interested in and I decided I must definitely contribute to my passion by doing thoughtful researches. From that time, Research became my obsession. And now, I have over a year of research experience at the University of Cincinnati. I have worked on three main projects dealing with Self-disclosure guided by-------, Self-objectification of women with the support of Dr. Rachel Kallen, and Asthma and smoking cessation under the supervision of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. My prime duties in the project included screening and scheduling participants, running participants through study protocols, entering and managing data relevant to the project. With a profound understanding of the concepts in Psychology, I could achieve a high GPA of 3.87. Acknowledging my academic achievement, I was included on the Presidents or Deans list every quarter .I was also invited to join Sigma Alpha Pi after they witnessed my leadership skills in organizing several volunteer activities. I lead an activity called â€Å"Touching Lives Short-Term International Missions Summer, 2006† at Curitiba, Brazil. My objective was to provide social interaction to children to promote emotional well-being and to assist with the distribution of provisions to impoverished community children. I offered mentorship to these children as well as distributed provisions to impoverished communities. In the activity carried out for Jail Ministry for Hamilton County Justice Center, I received an overwhelming response and it was a self fulfilling experience. I also had the opportunity to lead child-oriented religious services and to teach arts and crafts to illustrate concepts and promote creativity in children at Children and Youth Ministry. My interest in psychology also extends in the area of

Intro to Mngt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Mngt - Essay Example Management is a generic term which can be applied to anything undertaken. It could be management of any kind of task. While business pertains to larger entity and usually involves more resources consumption, more manpower utilization and ultimately broader scope. Management usually requires more clerical and on the paper activity while business may be conducted in aloofness from the on the paper procedures and documentation. Business can be that of commercial level and outdoor activities. Management at the same can be applied to businesses while the term is non exclusive one towards management. In other words, each has their own domain yet management being implementable to business, while the latter may not be implementable to the former. Classical Approach of Management came to fore at a time when the industrial development rose up and the need was felt for making use of the industrial environment in a better way. As a result different modes of classical approach were introduced which are vis a vis: Each has given flexible options in their own way and have improved the manner in which businesses were being conducted in past. The proponent of this theory was F.W. Taylor (Raju & Parthasarathy 2004). While scientific management approach is reliant on the technical knowledge and based on that knowledge the execution according to the desired manner. In a collective way, these three models have paved way for the current state of managerial development and the fruit being extracted from it in form of high productivity and satisfaction of all the stakeholders. Bureaucratic management model was more focused on public administration and the working and governance of the controlling lines such as political and line management. its traces can be stretched back to 18th century and the pioneer behind this idea was Max Weber. Out of these three, administrative management provides more options, for the mere reason that it takes

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 54

Case Study - Essay Example This will help in determining how the function focuses the dynamism of the course work. This leads to the determination of accountability measures. I will let students know how I will measure the success rates and share awareness of what they will work towards. This helps them avoid a drift off from the objective. It is helpful to rewrite the measures on clear understanding and referring back to them. Establishing group norms and agreements gives each student a choice to contribute while providing accountability for all. Even though, the class approaches are used with most adult groups, using them on children inspires more friendly norms while offering students opportunities of growth. Children based on their ages might foresee things such as respect for each other and respective idea. Several mechanisms support successful collaboration of the student goals and child welfare prospects. Some unfortunate consequences lead students to ostensibly serve systems to receive inadequate education services. Focus groups help in advancing education goals while students learn how systems within classrooms work collaboratively. The approach reports the successful practices and barriers for the identification of participants affecting the educational principles functioning in the lives of children under my care (Montiel 282). One of the barriers is shared individual accountability for the work while the groups allow wholesome assessments. It is prudent to complete individual tasks and reconvene to expedite the sharing of individual works and synthesizing information. Accountability is one of the factors of working groups where the teacher finds effective and creative ways in monitoring multiple groups that work within the classroom (Montiel 284). The assignment rules are helpful, and students work to analyze the education objectives. Collaborative learning method allows the students to learn through ways that stakeholders come together. This element

Family of murdered schoolgirl meets UK gov't Article

Family of murdered schoolgirl meets UK gov't - Article Example The report revealed that Dowler family members of a murdered 13-year old girl named Milly Dowler in 2002 met with Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and was demanding the resignation of News International's chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, who was spearheading the report of the incident during that time. The gist of the report indicates that â€Å"the scandal exploded last week when it was reported that the newspaper had hacked the phone of the 13-year-old murder victim in 2002 -- even as her family were frantically searching for her. The tabloid's operatives reportedly deleted some messages from the phone's voicemail, giving the girl's parents false hope that she was still alive†. The article likewise provided information that Brooks had no knowledge of the alleged phone hacking. The scandal paved the way for the closure of the New of the World weekly paper after a remarkable 168 years’ span. Further, the Associated Press was revealed to advise that th e $19 billion negotiations currently being forged to take full control of the British Sky Broadcasting, a satellite broadcaster, has been jeopardized by the incident. As acknowledged, â€Å"Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is responsible for dealing with the proposed bid, said he would seek advice as to whether the scandal raises questions over whether News Corp. is "fit and proper" to hold a broadcasting license†. ... news sites have reported the scandal and the public is entitled to be given full transparency to issues that touch on ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility. The Associated Press was cited to aver that â€Å"the 80-year-old Murdoch, the News Corp. CEO, has publicly backed News International's chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, who led News of the World when its reporters committed some of the most egregious ethical lapses† (Associated Press, 2011, par. 16). The news organizations are expected to adhere to the highest standards of adherence to ethical codes and moral discipline due to the nature of the service they provide to the public. Transparency and truth are the ultimate considerations when reporting incidents, despite the controversial natures of the events. Not only do the public expect reports to be delivered in the most objective manner, free of biases; but more importantly, all personnel connected with news organizations must be committed to ethical codes of conduct and responsibility to society. There is some disagreement in terms of Murdoch’s public view of support for Brooks who is still being questioned and investigated in terms of full knowledge on the phone hacking incident. As the Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, Murdoch should have exercised objectivity and maintained a neutral stance while the case is being investigation. By initially publicly supporting Brooks, despite their years of business relationship as colleagues, any compromising outcome could add injury to the situation. Further, I agree to the need to closely evaluate the move of according full control for Murdoch to own and operate the BSB. Crucial stakeholders such as investors and the public are more entitled to a corporate governance health-check of the board in the

Does international law function effectively Essay

Does international law function effectively - Essay Example If we expand the definition to include nation states and simplify it somewhat we can say that any particular act can be seen as a crime if the international community defines it as such3.This is clearly the state of affairs when one examines the current state and the historical foundations of international law where crimes were said to be committed when countries broke agreements with each other, went back on treaties signed with groups of other nations, ignored international decisions or behaved in a inappropriate manner4 for a nation that wishes to be integrated into the larger global cooperative system that is currently taking place in the history of civilisation5. While this may show that international law and regulations have failed, it cab be shown that the law itself has not failed rather it is application of the law which has missed the mark completely. As a basic element of civilized living, it seems that the idea for not breaking any rules and following the law is ingrained into the members of a group simply because without respect for and agreement on certain rules, a society could completely fall under anarchy. To maintain laws, there is also the intimidation of punishment linked to breaking the laws but if a country or a ruler of a country knows that they can get away with it then it would be unlikely that they would continue to follow the law without incredible self restraint6. Even on an individual level, a society where certain powerful members or the elite play give little regard to the laws of the collective, the society can eventually get to a position where the law is utterly powerless and in many ways, this idea certainly applies to the global arena7. As there are lawgivers and lawbreakers in the global arena, there are also people and organisations responsible for keeping the law. In a city, town or country, it is relatively easy to enforce the law mainly because jurisdiction issues are not present. However, in the case of

Family of murdered schoolgirl meets UK gov't Article

Family of murdered schoolgirl meets UK gov't - Article Example The report revealed that Dowler family members of a murdered 13-year old girl named Milly Dowler in 2002 met with Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and was demanding the resignation of News International's chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, who was spearheading the report of the incident during that time. The gist of the report indicates that â€Å"the scandal exploded last week when it was reported that the newspaper had hacked the phone of the 13-year-old murder victim in 2002 -- even as her family were frantically searching for her. The tabloid's operatives reportedly deleted some messages from the phone's voicemail, giving the girl's parents false hope that she was still alive†. The article likewise provided information that Brooks had no knowledge of the alleged phone hacking. The scandal paved the way for the closure of the New of the World weekly paper after a remarkable 168 years’ span. Further, the Associated Press was revealed to advise that th e $19 billion negotiations currently being forged to take full control of the British Sky Broadcasting, a satellite broadcaster, has been jeopardized by the incident. As acknowledged, â€Å"Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is responsible for dealing with the proposed bid, said he would seek advice as to whether the scandal raises questions over whether News Corp. is "fit and proper" to hold a broadcasting license†. ... news sites have reported the scandal and the public is entitled to be given full transparency to issues that touch on ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility. The Associated Press was cited to aver that â€Å"the 80-year-old Murdoch, the News Corp. CEO, has publicly backed News International's chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, who led News of the World when its reporters committed some of the most egregious ethical lapses† (Associated Press, 2011, par. 16). The news organizations are expected to adhere to the highest standards of adherence to ethical codes and moral discipline due to the nature of the service they provide to the public. Transparency and truth are the ultimate considerations when reporting incidents, despite the controversial natures of the events. Not only do the public expect reports to be delivered in the most objective manner, free of biases; but more importantly, all personnel connected with news organizations must be committed to ethical codes of conduct and responsibility to society. There is some disagreement in terms of Murdoch’s public view of support for Brooks who is still being questioned and investigated in terms of full knowledge on the phone hacking incident. As the Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, Murdoch should have exercised objectivity and maintained a neutral stance while the case is being investigation. By initially publicly supporting Brooks, despite their years of business relationship as colleagues, any compromising outcome could add injury to the situation. Further, I agree to the need to closely evaluate the move of according full control for Murdoch to own and operate the BSB. Crucial stakeholders such as investors and the public are more entitled to a corporate governance health-check of the board in the

Key Events and Timeline of General Electrics Assignment

Key Events and Timeline of General Electrics - Assignment Example Data collected by State Information Centre for the sales of washing machine from January to October 2010, sales of domestic market shoots up to 25.17%. Increase in urban consumption is also emphasis. Consumption rate is drastically improved and future structures are under planning. Operational profit of GE Consumer &Industrial is 2.1% and revenue is 6.1%. They sell home appliances, industrial equipment and other services related to them (Brooks, 2009). General Electric Company or GE is a multinational company in New York, headquarter is in Fairfield. Company is providing their services in four major sectors. These sectors are Energy, Industry, Technology setup, Capital Finance and last but not least are Consumer. According to Fortune ranking, GE in 2011 is the sixth largest organization is US and also ranked on 14th position for the most profitable setup. The other ranking of 2011 are Interbrand ranked them on 5thfor best global brand, Newsweek gives them 82nd position for green company, Fortune gives them a title of most admired one and kept them on 13th rank and Fast Company rate them as 19th rank in innovative company. In 1890, Edison General Electric Company comes in market by the owner Thomas Edison. In the same year Charles Coffin also host the flag for Thomson-Houston Electric Company. The increase in number of competitor introduces new patterns and strategies. In 1892 the merger of both companies, Thomson-Houston Electric Company and Edison General Electric give the emergence to General Electric. The integration of company takes place in city of New York. Canadian General Electric also came in to being in same era (Shim and Siegel, 2008). The future plans of GE are to introduce new ap pliances and technology which reduce the consumption of energy. Energy refers to electricity. Global Research section of GE makes management strategies to control the use of electricity by consumers in home and industry sectors. Many of the research programs want to help the customers globally and face all the challenges gifted by environment. Researchers of GE are studying the techniques to implement systems that will use smart appliances. The efficiency will increase in grid of power-transmission. We can consider any home having multiple electric appliances like washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, air conditioners and other are working simultaneously will affect the power consummation on overall basis. Consumer will go to pay less as compared to consummation because of proper management control on out of electricity (Tennent, 2008). The basic aim of GE is to introduce such technology in market which is efficient in electricity usage and reduce the use the emission of gree nhouse gas footprints in air. Key Events-GE Timeline 1876 First laboratory in New Jersey opened by Thomas Addison. 1892 Edison General Electric (formed 1890) and Thomas Houston (formed 1879) merged to for m The General Electric Company 1932 GE Credit corporation formed 1942 First American Jet Engine developed by GE 1981 Jack Welsh becomes CEO 1985 GEnie developed 1989 CNBC Developed 1996 Genie is sold out 2001 Honeywell and GE merger 2003 GE acquires Transamerica finance 2004 Partly acquires Vivendi Universal, and fully, InVision technologies 2006 Acquires IDX and Zenon environmental systems 2007 Acquires Microwave data systems, Smiths Aerospace and Vital Signs 2011 NBC sale to Comcast completed by retaining 48% share. Source: www.ge.com General Electric Company Business Model: General Electric

Gaskell North and South Essay Example for Free

Gaskell North and South Essay Gaskell’s ‘North and South’, set in Victorian England, is the story of Margaret Hale, a young woman whose life is completely turned on its head when her family moves to northern England. As an outsider from the agricultural south, Margaret is initially shocked by the aggressive northerners of the dirty, smoky industrial town of Milton, but as she adapts to her new home, she defies social conventions with her ready sympathy and defense of the working poor. Her passionate advocacy of the lower classes leads her to repeatedly clash with charismatic mill owner John Thornton over his treatment of his workers. While Margaret denies her growing attraction to him, Thornton agonizes over his foolish passion for her, in spite of their heated disagreements. As tensions mount between them, a violent unionization strike explodes in Milton, leaving everyone to deal with the aftermath in the town and in their personal lives. Gaskell’s novel could certainly be described as a social commentary; England at the time was extremely class-conscious, yet In almost all cases, Margaret does not so much choose sides as acknowledge mutually dependent and beneficial relationships. Though her family has very little in the way of money or assets, her family roots are in the gentry, yet when the family is moved up North to Milton, Margaret befriends and socializes with both ends of the social spectrum, mill owners and workers. Margaret is even capable of initiating a friendship of sorts between worker and owner, Higgins and Thornton even come up with a plan together to provide a canteen for the workers to get hot food. Differences in life in the South and life in the North are compared and contrasted often in a very subtle fashion, as are the differences in values and class structure. It is also very interesting to note that the difficulties of the lives of the impoverished factory workers are highlighted, however the difficulties faced by the factory owners are also presented. Through Margaret, Gaskell is able to transcend social class and at the same time create a hero amongst the industrial poverty of Milton, she acts in a way that would have been unconventional and frowned upon at the time for the good of such people as the Higgins family. When she is seen bringing a basket of food to the house during the workers strike, her peers condemn her at a dinner at the Thornton’s. Highlighting both the differences between northern and southern culture and the clashes between social conscientiousness. It could be said that ‘North and South’ is a novel defined by the resolution of binary conflicts; Margaret Hale is presented with a number of divisions of sympathy, between industrialists and the working class, between conflicting views of Mr.  Thornton, and even between her conflicting views of her own intelligence. Nancy Mann, in her essay â€Å"Intelligence and Self-Awareness in ‘North and South’: a Matter of Sex and Class† stipulates that the novel â€Å"concentrates on a crucial problem of the development of the novel in the nineteenth century, the relationship between abstract intelligence and self-awareness, and the ways in which this relationship may be affected by factors of sex and class†(1). What Mann is saying is that Gaskell is successful in throwing off the conventional boundaries of the classic romantic Victorian with all its feminist connotations and persuasions and has created a character that transcends the constraints of class and what is proper to actually do some good in her new environment. Gaskell’s most prominent social explorations however come in the form of contrasts. For example Margaret’s relationship with the Higgins family, especially Bessie, both nineteen years old when they meet, one healthy and the other gravely ill can be seen as a dramatic comment on class iniquity. Gaskell uses Bessie as a dramatic device in the novel to draw Margaret and her father closer, a task some literary critics consider to be so well done that Bessie is often discounted from the actual story. She is also a device to show the plight of the working class woman, Bessie is even described by one critic as ‘the most extensive portrait of a factory girl in the mainstream industrial novels, and as such, she reveals the political and economic tensions surrounding working class women'(2). Even Margaret says â€Å"Bessie’s comments address the specific problems of working-class women, problems that both unions and the middle class have an interest in ignoring. Even when Bessie’s religious beliefs and her questioning of unionism are considered she is very revealing, Margaret sees her as having â€Å"a politics of her own† which both reveals her sense of disenfranchisement from the ongoing struggle between masters and men and presents the most telling evidence in the novel of the iniquities of the class system. Something else that has to be considered in this scenario with Bessie as a dramatic tool towards Gaskell’s social commentary Elizabeth Gaskells North and south: A National Bildungsroman. Victorian Newsletter 85 (1994) Briefly traces the emergence of and critical debate on the industrial novel, noting the industrial novels have been read largely in relation to male working-class history, not in relation to female working-class history or to the emerging nineteenth-century womens movement. The critic also goes on to stipulate that the comments on the patriarchal foundations of both Chartism and the union movement makes a case for the need to consider Marxist and feminist issues when considering the issues raised in north and south. He goes on to suggest that by placing her heroine, Margaret Hale, between North and South, Gaskell attempts to bring to the surface the unconscious bifurcations that produce class and gender ideologies and that because the novel is both a Bildungsroman as well as an industrial novel it acquires unusual dimensions in both categories(3). Feminism also plays a big part in Gaskell’s novel, through her three main characters, Margaret, Thornton and Higgins Gaskell shows a struggle for growth and indicates what the future of society may hold for people in similar situations and how society can grow as a whole. When the novel is examined as a debate on class and gender issues, the amount of time the characters spend arguing about word choices, definitions and analogies it is clear that almost all interactions in the novel are affected in some way by gender or class, even in language, every term that comes under debate is changed with class or gender import(4). With this much importance forced upon the character’s class and gender by their social environment a reader is certainly inclined to read the novel as an exploration into the Victorian class system rather than a conventional love story of the time. Even in Margaret’s romantic capacity as a woman, her gradual sexual awareness of John Thornton and their Marriage at the end of the novel is more understandable to read in a more feminist light than a romantic one. In marrying Thornton Margaret enters into a mutually equal relationship, one where her influence and goals will be felt as well as his, through Margaret, Gaskell subtly reveals the new directions women are taking toward independent action and freedom(5). However at the same time recognizing that the changes she undergoes are in no way revolutionary and that though the conflicting ideas of obedience and freedom are not completely settled by the end of the novel, at least one woman has emerged into responsible adulthood and has claimed her part in deciding the terms of that settlement(6). What is most interesting about this novel is that all the elements of a romantic novel are there, but it is written in a way that turns the readers head from the sentimental pride and prejudice Esq. prose and makes them focus on the environment and its social deficiencies â€Å"through this story of social rejection and Christian compassion, Gaskell charges her culture to replace what she sees as a rigid and reductive old testament ethic of charity(7). This idea of a old to new change in a religious sense is also backed by Gaskell’s own Unitarian background, her father was a Unitarian minister, as was her husband, Margaret’s father in the novel itself is also a minister it could even be suggested that Gaskells beliefs provided her with an alternative vision of society and code of behavior(8) the importance of Gaskells religious beliefs and Unitarianism can be found in many aspects of the novel, not least that Unitarianism believed in the cultivation of the intellect regardless of sex, she found the religious authority to challenge the patriarchal subjugation of women, especially those who failed to fulfill their designated role in society. It is ironic to think; in a period nearly defined by its theological doubt, Gaskells spiritual faith authorizes her revolutionary vision(9). When Mr. Thornton, without further verbal explication, proposes to Margaret in a â€Å"strange and presumptuous way† at the end of the novel, we see the proper structure of an intimate relationship, both sides respect each other’s power while Thornton refuses to impose a political hierarchy. This is emphasized by the exchange over the flowers, which he bought as a token of her independent self, which is a revolutionary idea in itself at this point in history and conversely, gives rise to his second comment referring to marriage as possession, saying he had â€Å"no hope of ever calling her mine†, and the second refutation of such terms. Although the novel does not strive at any point to be romantic at the expense of the real issues that Gaskell tackles in the way people lived at the time, their unspoken resolution to marry signifies the resolution of the novel the binding of two genders, halves of England, social classes, and individuals, into one. In conclusion Gaskell is very successful in going further than any of her peers in actually exploring deficiencies in Victorian culture and society, although the main components of a classic love story are there, Margaret opts for the conscientious, religious option at every turn making the novel more a serious social commentary than anything else. Gaskell’s religious persuasion adds to this in that it allows her to transcend the class system and her constraints as a woman in Victorian England to address these problems under the banner of religion.

Critical Thinking And Reflective Thinking

Critical Thinking And Reflective Thinking Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skilfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference. Critical thinking   in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes   is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking. Critical thinking can be seen as having two components: 1) a set of information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behaviour. It is thus to be contrasted with: 1) the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information is sought and treated; 2) the mere possession of a set of skills, because it involves the continual use of them; and 3) the mere use of those skills (as an exercise) without acceptance of their results. Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skilful manipulation of ideas in service of ones own, or ones groups, vested interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fair-mindedness and intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually, though subject to the charge of idealism by those habituated to its selfish use. Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought. Its quality is therefore typically a matter of degree and dependent on , among other things, the quality and depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with respect to a particular class of questions. No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavour. Another Brief Conceptualization of Critical Thinking Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts to reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way.   People who think critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathically.  Ã‚   They are keenly aware of the inherently flawed nature of human thinking when left unchecked.   They strive to diminish the power of their egocentric and sociocentric tendencies.   They use the intellectual tools that critical thinking offers concepts and principles that enable them to analyze, assess, and improve thinking.   They work diligently to develop the intellectual virtues of intellectual integrity, intellectual humility, intellectual civility, intellectual empathy, intellectual sense of justice and confidence in reason.   They realize that no matter how skilled they are as thinkers, they can always improve their reasoning abilities and they will at times fall prey to mistakes in reasoning, human irrationality, prejudices, bi ases, distortions, uncritically accepted social rules and taboos, self-interest, and vested interest.   They strive to improve the world in whatever ways they can and contribute to a more rational, civilized society.  Ã‚   At the same time, they recognize the complexities often inherent in doing so.   They avoid thinking simplistically about complicated issues and strive to appropriately consider the rights and needs of relevant others.   They recognize the complexities in developing as thinkers, and commit themselves to life-long practice toward self-improvement.   They embody the Socratic principle:   The unexamined life is not worth living, because they realize that many unexamined lives together result in an uncritical, unjust, dangerous world. ~ Linda Elder, September, 2007 Why Critical Thinking? The Problem Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated. A Definition Critical thinking is that mode of thinking about any subject, content, or problem in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skilfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them. The Result A well cultivated critical thinker: raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely; gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.   (Taken from Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, 2008). Available from : www.criticalthinking.org/aboutct/define_critical_thinking.cfm Both Critical Thinking and Reflective Thinking Critical thinking and reflective thinking are often used synonymously.   Critical thinking is used to describe: the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcomethinking that is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions when the thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particular context and type of thinking task. Critical thinking is sometimes called directed thinking because it focuses on a desired outcome. Halpern (1996). Reflective thinking, on the other hand, is a part of the critical thinking process referring specifically to the processes of analyzing and making judgments about what has happened. Dewey (1933) suggests that reflective thinking is an active, persistent, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed form of knowledge, of the grounds that support that knowledge, and the further conclusions to which that knowledge leads. Learners are aware of and control their learning by actively participating in reflective thinking assessing what they know, what they need to know, and how they bridge that gap during learning situations. In summary, critical thinking involves a wide range of thinking skills leading toward desirable outcomes and reflective thinking focuses on the process of making judgments about what has happened. However, reflective thinking is most important in prompting learning during complex problem-solving situations because it provides students with an opportunity to step back and think about how they actually solve problems and how a particular set of problem solving strategies is appropriated for achieving their goal. Characteristics of environments and activities that prompt and support reflective thinking: Provide enough wait-time for students to reflect when responding to inquiries. Provide emotionally supportive environments in the classroom encouraging re-evaluation of conclusions. Prompt reviews of the learning situation, what is known, what is not yet known, and what has been learned. Provide authentic tasks involving ill-structured data to encourage reflective thinking during learning activities. Prompt students reflection by asking questions that seek reasons and evidence. Provide some explanations to guide students thought processes during explorations. Provide a less-structured learning environment that prompts students to explore what they think is important. Provide social-learning environments such as those inherent in peer-group works and small group activities to allow students to see other points of view. Provide reflective journal to write down students positions, give reasons to support what they think, show awareness of opposing positions and the weaknesses of their own positions. Reflective Thinking Reflective thinking involves personal consideration of ones own learning. It considers personal achievements and failures and asks what worked, what didnt, and what needs improvement (Given, 2002). It asks the learner to think about her own thinking. Reflection is the key that opens the door to understanding ourselves in relation to core ethical values (Beland, 2003, p.15). Similarly, Lickona states that moral reflection is necessary to develop the cognitive side of character -the important part of our moral selves that enables us to make moral judgments about our own behaviour and that of others (Lickona, 1991, p.229).   This type of reflection enables learners to gain self-knowledge, to demonstrate their understanding of worthwhile moral values, take on the perspective of others, to reflect on why some actions are morally better than others, and to consider alternatives and consequences of actions. Whether reflection is verbal, written, or drawn it is a key strategy for learning and a major tool for character education.   Brain research suggests that brief periods of downtime aid in association, consolidate learning, and imprint memory (Jenson, 1998 as cited in Beland, 2003, p.38).   Reflection can be done through journal writing, keeping a daily diary, essay writing, drawing, and talking in pairs. Reflection can follow a peer discussion. Reflection can be in response to a journal prompt about a character in literature. Reflection on compelling literature and narratives help us bridge the struggle to gain an understanding of the ideas and reasoning of others. Reflection aids the learner in making connections between the moral and social issues in the story, the struggle of the stories characters, and their own struggles to lead a moral life. Reflection can occur in response to academic work and as a follow-up to a cooperative activity when students are asked to reflect upon how well their group did or did not work together. It can be used to review the day, as a follow-up for class meetings, as part of goal setting, and as part of a service learning activity. Students can reflect upon an authentic issue faced by students and the school community such as the impact of cliques, academic honesty or improving sportsmanship.   Reflection can be used in a number of ways that ask students to think about and respond to the learning. Teachers can model reflection by sharing their own learning regarding a moral issue.   This shows students that character development is a life-long journey and that, in this pursuit, it is the effort and the striving toward an ethical life that is important. (Beland, 2003, p.16)

Lyrical Analysis of The End :: essays papers

Lyrical Analysis of The End The night they recorded "The End" would always remain a significant moment for Jim Morrison. After everyone finally went home for the night he couldn't stop thinking about. He climbed an eight-foot-high wooden gate, somehow got back into the studio. He was breathing hard as he took off his shoes and jeans and shirt. Naked he grabbed a large sand ashtray and threw it. Then he pulled a fire extinguisher from a wall and sprayed the foam all over. He hosed the whole place down, especially in the area where the band was. Jim Morrison knew he would get no rest that night until he quenched the fire he had lit in the studio. He was drunk but he knew enough about himself to know it was the only way he would get any peace. What he may not have known is that the real fire he started that night was on the inside, where it could never be put out. "The End" tells of the impending end of a love affair quite possibly by murder. Its an eleven minute psychosexual epic done entirely in one chord (E). The song is an incredible achievement in music, there's nothing that can even come close to what was done with "The End", in terms of the rhythmic and melodic variation backing a complex story line. It builds to an effect of mood rather than a sequence of events. Morrison's masterpiece was almost pure poetry, which probably remains the single most astounding track the doors ever recorded. Jim Morrison uses words as much for their emotive effect as their meaning. The song suggests rather than states a mind filled with fears of sex, violence and death. Its the imagery more than the meaning of the words themselves that gets the message across. The imagery is terrifying-"the snake is long" and he's "old and his skin is cold." A symbol of evil if combined with images of sex and death. After a "Roman wilderness of pain" we take on an even more treacherous journey. The journey to paradise where all things are possible can be accomplished by giving your final destination to the driver of the "blue bus". The promise of wisdom for those who are willing to go to the "ancient lake." But the wisdom is sad, hopeless forbidden knowledge-the knowledge of evil.

Research Proposal Essay

1TITLE An assessment on how product branding effects consumer purchase decisions in Food Market Chain Group (FMCG) goods and durable goods. 2BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Branding is a vital element in a business. Without a brand, retailers may be confused or give the customers the wrong products, while the customers have to explain in detail the type of products they want to fully satisfy their needs and wants. It can therefore be assumed that a brand acts as a sign, name or symbol for products and services. The main aim of a brand is to identify the products or services of a seller or a group of sellers and differentiate an offering of a seller from that of its rivals (Kotler, 2003). In recent years, brand played a significant part in the market as the marketers added value to the brand to make it more preferable compared to other brands in the same market segment. For example, when quality rice is mentioned, most people will think of Tastic rice. This is just one of the successful branding strategies 3STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The purpose of the study is to know the effect of brand elements on customer purchasing decision. The brand elements are brand image, brand association, brand name, brand logo and brand awareness. The findings from the literature and the primary data shows that brand elements have significant impact on customer purchasing decisions as well as the success of the retailer. It is common knowledge that the customer’s choice is influenced by many surrogates of which the simplest of them all is the brand name. Products offered by the retailer may be equally satisfying but when the consumer is satisfied with some brand he or she is not willing to spend additional effort to evaluate the other alternative choices. Once he or she has liked a particular brand, the customer tends to stay with it, unless there is a steep rise in the price or discernible better quality product comes to his or her knowledge which may prompt the consumer to switch the brand. Companies spend a lot of money and time on the branding and thus it needs a careful evaluation on the effect of branding on consumer buying behavior. 3.1RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The above examples show that some customers prefer one brand over another even though that brand is more expensive. Price may not be the important factor while the psychological factor may be greater, for instance .Therefore, the research aims to achieve the following objectives: * To establish if any relationship exists between branding and consumer’s purchasing decision. * To identify the major aspects of branding that influence the consumers’ purchasing decision. * To examine the consumers tendency to recommend brands and its effects on purchasing decisions of their friends and family. * To establish the changes in the relationship between branding and consumers’ purchasing decision when other factors such as price are introduced. * To understand the choice of the customer on whether it is branded or non-branded goods. 3.2RESEARCH QUESTIONS The study will answer the following research questions: (a)Does any relationship exist between branding and consumer purchasing decision? (b)What are the major aspects of brand elements that influence consumer purchasing decision? (c)To what extent do consumers tend to recommend brands and the effects of consumer purchasing decisions on their family and friends? (d)How do other factors such as price when introduced affect the relationship between branding and consumers’ purchasing decision? (e)Is the choice of the customer branded or non-branded goods? 3.3Significance of the study To theory The research will help in a way because it equips readers with the requisite knowledge about how brands and their elements affect consumers’ purchasing decisions. Readers can learn through the suggested recommendations provided by the researcher hence they can be able to make wise purchasing decisions during shopping. Therefore it helps to bridge the gap in areas not being addressed and also to advance knowledge in product branding and consumer purchasing decisions. To practice The recommendations from the findings of the study may assist retailers in the Food Market Chain Group (FMCG) to effectively brand products that help them gain a competitive advantage by influencing consumers on their purchasing decisions. Therefore the research enlightens companies in the FMCG on not to spend a lot of money and time on branding and thus it helps them to careful evaluate on the effect of branding on consumer buying behavior. To self The research is conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirements to acquire a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Degree in Retail Management. The research also equips the student with the relevant skills and knowledge which he will acquire during the research. 3.4Limitations The following are the limitations envisaged in the carrying out of the proposed research: a)Availability of resources The researcher is a full time student with limited financial resources therefore it is a challenge to obtain the required material for the research. Money is needed for typing, printing and travelling costs to gather the required information. To cut costs the researcher will use questionnaires to collect data in order to cut expenses. b)Access to information The type of research will mainly depend on available information from leading retailers in the FMCG. Some of the Branch Managers may consider the information confidential depending on the aspects of branding asked to them by the researcher. They may fear that the information will be used against them by their competitors. Therefore the researcher will assure the information will be used for academic purposes only. c)Time constraint The research is running concurrently with final year semester courses therefore the time may be inadequate considering other important and competing academic commitments. Therefore to balance the forces the researcher will use a small sample of the population to save time. 3.5Delimitations The study will be carried out at leading retail supermarkets especially TM and OK supermarkets. The research is limited to the leading supermarkets because they offer all kinds of product brands. The respondents will include customers and employees of the retail outlet. 3.6Definition of terms Brand The name ,term, design and symbol that allow consumers to identify the goods and services of a business and to differentiate them from those of the competitors ( Jones and Hall 2008 ) FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) The industry includes food and non-food everyday consumer products that are usually purchased as an outcome of small-scale consumer decision so they are heavily supported ( advertising ) by the manufacturers. Customer Refers to a person, organization or other entity that buys goods or services from a store, person or other business. 4LITERATURE REVIEW 5 METHODOLOGY The sub heading outlines the techniques that are to employed by the researcher to collect the relevant data and its subsequent analysis.Haralambos (1992) postulates that methodology is concerned with detailed research methods through which data is collected and analysis of data are used. It discusses the research design ,target population and respective sampling techniques ,data collection methods and the research instruments. 5.1 Research design Fisher (2004) defines research design as the specification of methods and procedures for acquiring the information needed to structure or solve the problems.The function of a research design is to ensure that the evidence obtained enables us to answer the initial question as unambiguously as possible.Dawson et al (2002) postulates that a research comprises of redefining problems and is thus ,an original contribution to existing stock of knowledge making for its advancement.Therefore searching for information and presenting it is the job of the researcher. The qualitative approach is the best research methodology which leads to a better understanding of how product branding affects consumer purchasing decisions. The qualitative approach includes questionnaires, observations and interviews. Interviews will allow the researcher to probe the respondents for more information. Saunders et al (2007), notes that survey design is a popular and common strategy in business and management research. 3.2Study Population Frankel and Wallen (1996) highlights that the study population includes all individuals whom the researcher is interested in getting information from and making conclusions. They further explain that study population consists of those subjects whose characteristics are similar to those of the in the sample and one makes conclusions from the sample drawn from this study population. In this study a population will refer to TM supermarkets specifically in Harare, Gweru and Karoi.O.K supermarket Gweru can also be included for the research to be effective and also to cut transport costs to the researcher. 5.3Sampling Allison, Scott and Russel (2001) stress a sample as a group of subjects whom the researcher collected information. A sample is a small part of the population which has the same characteristics of the population. The concept of sample arises from the inability of the researcher to test all the individuals in a given population (Castillo 2009). Sampling is therefore a process of selecting group(s) of subjects for a study in such a way that the individuals represent the larger group from which they were selected. The main decision which the researcher has to make is to whether go for a census or sample research. The sample was selected on a random basis that avoids bias and makes the findings more representative and credible. According to Kothari (2007) census means each and every element which forms part of the research will be investigated and sample means few elements which represent the entire research would be investigated. Practically it is not possible to conduct a census. Hair (2003) defines sampling as a process of selecting a relatively small number of elements from a larger defined group of elements so that the information gathered from the smaller group allows one to make judgments about the larger group. Sampling Techniques a) Random Sampling Method Basically there are four methods of sampling under random sampling. Simple random sampling is a method, which ensures that each element of the population has an equal chance of being selected to become part of the sample (Peatman 1947). Systematic sampling is when elements are chosen from the population at a uniform interval that is measured in time, order or space. Saunders et al (2007) describes stratified sampling as involving the dissection of a population into groups of strata along some dimension that uniquely distinguishes each stratum from the rest and is relevant for the information sought after. Stratified sampling involves dividing the population into strata, with each stratum having relatively homogeneous elements. Once the strata have been identified a simple random sample is selected from each stratum separately, the sample corresponding to the proportion of elements in each stratum. Stratified sampling is used when the population is thought to consist of a number of smaller subgroups or sub populations such as male/female, different age/ethnic / interest groups, which are thought to have an effect on the data to be collected (Allison et al; 2001). Cluster sampling involves splitting the population into groups called clusters and is usually used when the population covers an area that can be divided by regions (Allison et al; 2001). The sample elements are then chosen from the different clusters to come up with one sample. b) Non Random Sampling Non-random sampling can be done through four ways, which are convenience, quota, judgmental and snowball sampling. Convenience sampling is where the sample is drawn for the convenience of the researcher. Convenience sample only includes those subjects that are immediately to hand (Allison et al; 2001). Quota sampling is where the respondent selection is in the same ratio as found in the general population. Judgmental sampling includes elements thought to be representative of the population and in this case the researcher attempts to come up with sample using judgment and the amount of error depends on the expertise of the researcher. Snowball sampling is commonly used when it’s difficult to identify members of the desired population (Saunders et al; 2007). The researcher adopted a non- probability sampling method because of limited resources at her disposal since it is based on available elements. Only operational managers and departmental heads of short term insurance brokers firms were targeted. Views were also taken from assistant insurance brokers. Sample Size According to Saunders et al (2007) the sample size is determined based on a 95% confidence rate interval, an estimate of margin of error and the total population which the sample was to be drawn. A general rule of thumb is to always use the largest sample possible. The larger the sample the more representative it is going to be, smaller samples produce less accurate results because they are likely to be less representative of the population (Wood and Haber 1998). The selection of respondents will the sample more representable of the retail sector and the findings credible. 2 questionnaires will be distributed per each retail supermarket. 5.4Instrumentation 4 Research instruments and Data collection For the purpose of this study, the researcher employed the survey design in which data was collected by way of questionnaires and interviews. This was done to ensure more internal validity of the research. According to Cohen and Manion (1980: 280), â€Å"the use of two or more methods in data collection is referred to as the triangulation method† The data sources can be divided into primary and secondary data sources. 3.4.1 Primary Data Primary data is that first-hand information collected directly from public. The data obtained through primary means usually accurate and provides more reliable information about the subject investigation. When primary data sources are used, data is acquired from the main source and is not derived from any pre-existing research. The primary data sources the researcher used in doing this research were (a) Questionnaires (b) Personal Interviews 3.4.1.1Questionnaires According to Saunders et al (2007) a questionnaire is a technique of data collection in which each person is asked to respond to the same set of questions in a predetermined order. Brian White (2000) postulates that a questionnaire is regarded as a series of questions; each one providing a number of alternative answers from which the respondents can choose. The questionnaire was used as this enabled the researcher to gather as much data as possible since the question was in both standard and open ended questions. Advantages (a) Questionnaires are cheap and the researcher does not incur high travel and accommodation expenses. They are printed on bond paper which is not costly though and need not to be necessarily colorful. (b) They provide anonymity of respondents and thereby giving assurance of their confidentiality. (c) Questionnaires are a relatively quick way of receiving a response. In some instances, the researcher had to wait while the respondents filled in the questionnaires and some of the questionnaires had to be collected a day after they had been dropped. (d) They avoid interview bias. Personal questions are often more willingly answered as the respondent is not face-to-face with the interviewer Disadvantages (a) As questions cannot be complicated, and need to be simple and straightforward, the richness of information that is sometimes collected with other methods is lost. (b) You may not receive a spontaneous answer as respondents may discuss the questions with others before completing the questionnaire. As all questions are seen before they are answered, the answers cannot always be treated as independent. (c) Respondents gestures and facial expressions could not be observed as these are essential communication signs that can effectively be used to evaluate responses. (d) The targeted respondents may not complete the questionnaire. For instance, a busy manager may ask a personal assistant to complete it on their behalf. Personal Interviews The targeted interviewees were busy people due to the nature and demands of their roles in their organizations therefore the researcher did not carry as many interviews as the number of questionnaires that were distributed. Appointments were made with respondents prior to interviews. Since the interviewees were busy with other company commitments, the researcher had to save on time and used a structured approach where a set of prescribed questions for the interview were set. Advantages (a) The real benefit of an interview is that you are face-to-face with the interviewee and thus any misunderstandings are cleared immediately. (b) In addition to the above benefit, also during the interview the researcher can re-word or re-order the questions if something unexpected were to happen. (c) The interviewer can encourage the respondents to answer as fully as possible and check as appropriate, that the question is correctly understood. (d) Response rates are usually higher than for other methods of questionnaire administration (e) Materials that need to be shown to respondents can be properly presented Disadvantages (a) They are time consuming, taking into consideration the length of the interview, the time taken traveling to and from interview and notes revision. (b) Interviews are subject to bias as some interviewees may tend to please the interviewer and as a result may not tell the truth. (c) Relatively costly time wise and in monetary terms. Secondary Data This refers to information from sources other than the main source, whereby some intermediate agent has compiled data or information in their own research and has now presented it as some part of a bigger study. This proved to be the most helpful method and thus accounts for much of the data used, especially in the literature review and the analysis sections of this research project. The Internet The internet unarguably forms the most endowed ‘library’ ever. The researcher accessed e-journals, e-books and works by other scholars and organizations via the internet. With ease, the researcher could check both technological and legal developments in electrical safety of other countries. Some of the questionnaires were sent to respondents via e-mail. Advantages (a) Provides the researcher with current updated information (b) The Internet is user friendly and provides the researcher with all referencing and cataloguing done electronically. Disadvantages (a) Internet speed and efficiency is dependent upon how congested the network server is and the higher the congestion, the slower it will be to retrieve information there from. (b) The internet is vulnerable to the virus risk. Computer viruses can easily corrupt documents before or after the researcher completes his work. Textbooks and Journals The researcher made reference to numerous text books and journals on competitive advantage. These journals and textbooks showed the researcher the different views of writers from all over the world. Data analysis and presentation Data collected from both primary and secondary sources will be analyzed and presented through tables, pie charts and graphs.

In a World of Pay: Human Resource Management Essay

Pay rates have always been an important issue when it comes to hiring workersespecially when dealing with professionals whose talent and experience are highly soughtin the job market. In our case study, we will be discussing the difficulties and challenges of hiring expatriates which in this case will be revolving around pay. The case is about theproblems that arose at a German software Company (Typware) when the managementdecided to hire Anne Prevost whom they consider to be an ‘intelligent careful strategist.’Anne is generally agreed to be the perfect match for the job but the rate which Anna isrequesting for the job is causing controversy at Typware because some other workerssuch as Jurgen Mehr (Head of Typware European Marketing) feel threatened by theamount the new hire will be receiving. Case DescriptionThis case illustrates a german software company’s inability to effectively compile afair compensation package for the hire of an american ex-pat. Renate Schmidt, the headof human resources at typware, is faced with a dilemma of how much to offer AnnePrevost. Thomas Gutschein, the CEO of typware, has made it clear that Anne is a neces-sary strategic acquisition. Many managers, including the European head of marketingJurgen Mehr, have expressed discomfort and/or threatened by the high salary proposedfor Prevost. Schmidt has no reference in determining a fair ex-pat package as this is therst time in Typware’s history that they hire an outsider to work at HQ. Schmidt facesproblematic issues, one being that Typware does not use a uniform pay scale and overthe past decade many executives have received up to 30 percent extra salary based ongeographical circumstances. Having researched the employee salary les and not ndingany help from them, Schmidt calls in a favor from Rainer Barth. Barth, her contact at aconsulting rm, helps her compile a list of questions that need to be asked in order to geta more accurate idea of how Prevost’s salary will be determined. Finally, the last issueneeded to be stressed is that Prevost has another offer on the table and Typware needsto act fast if they are to successfully lock in this asset. Case Study: In a World of Pay2Section 2Problem Statement:Stafng and Job Analysis:Typware’s recruitment and selection process does not have a clear  job assessmentsystem evidenced through the hiring efforts of Anne Prevost. HR Activity in Theory:Stafng and Job Analysis:†A World of Pay,† the article discussing Typware’s employment methods, focusedtoo much on Prevost’s strengths as a candidate. Though she may have been a great as-set to the company she previously worked for, the duties she would have if she chose togo with Typware were not clearly specied. When hiring, the characteristics of a vacancyneed to be dened in order to recruit a suitable employee. Typeware’s assessment sys-tem focused m ore on keeping Prevost away from the competitors rather than paying at-tention to the job analysis. Obtaining more organizational effectiveness within the company, with regard tostafng and assessment systems requires recruiting and selecting more strongly basedon job analysis rather than the general qualications of an applicant alone. A clear jobanalysis addresses the job description and recruitment methods of a hiring company, re-sulting in a more structured approach to hiring international employees. First, Typware must clarify its job descriptions to improve human resource planningwithin the company. By facilitating more detailed job analyses, the efciency of ndingpotential candidates for vacant posts will be raised substantially. Wages and salary ad-ministration can be restructured because payment can be more strongly based on thefulllment of employee duties rather than trying to compete with wages on the interna-tional job market. The fact that Renate Schmidt needed to call Prevost a second time foranother line of questioning indicates the poor job description and HR information, be-cause such questions could have been known prior to the rst interview with proper jobanalysis. Once the job analysis is claried, the recruitment process can be broadened. Bybroadening the methods by which recruits are sought, applicants can be more readilyfound, no longer leaving Typware with the tough choice of whether to hire just one indi-vidual or not. Typware will likely have several candidates to ll the vacancy, leaving inter-national applicants with less room for bargaining their salary and compensations. Case Study: In a World of Pay3Two methods with which Typware can expand its recruitment sources are via theinternet and through employment agencies. Recruiting electronically would grant Typwarea large source for nding more talented recruits that meet the job specications. Typwarecould place the vacancy on its own website, granting public access to anyone who is in-terested in the company. This method leaves Typware free to give a clear job descriptionso that there is a larger chance to nd suitable applicants for the post. If electronic va-cancies fail to bring the desired results, Typware can recruit through employment agen-cies. A private employment agency would be responsible for lling higher posts, like theone Prevost applied for. The employment agency would look for people who may still becurrently employed and help to maintain condentiality between the employer and thecandidate. Typware’s receiving of applicants internationally brings on the added challenge oftrying to formulate a standard for hiring internationally; for example, Schmidt received in-formation indicating that four other multinational companies in Germany did not have setpolicies or standards yet. Due to the lack of an international hiring structure, the efciencyof the recruitment and selection for those other companies was greatly hindered sincecompensations and salaries became all the more difcult to balance. In the best interestof Typware and surrounding companies, Typware should formulate an international hiringmethod, which they can implement in almost any international applicant situation. Analysis & Implementation:Stafng and Job Analysis:If Typware were to implement the proposed stafng changes with regard to stafngand job analysis, there would be some added costs such as getting a web designer, orpaying for a headhunter. However, the added benets greatly outweigh the cost. The hu-man resources activities to be implemented include ensuring clear job descriptions, di-versifying recruitment methods, and formulating an international hiring structure. Schmidt’s task as the head of human resources for Typware is to ensure a  clear jobanalysis within the company at all times. Assuming she has a team reporting to her, shemust stress to its members the importance of a detailed job analysis. She should reviewsome of the job analyses from her team to ensure that the description is clear cut. In do-ing so, Schmidt produces more effective negotiations and interviews with potential em-ployees. The recruitment methods can be diversied in various ways. Two methods whichseem to most closely t Typware’s vacancy predicament are electronic recruiting and us-Case Study: In a World of Pay4ing private employment agencies. Recruiting electronically requires some technologicalexpertise, but considering Typware is a software company, that should not be an issue. Typware can utilize its own employees for web design by placing the job and the job de-scription on the company website. The benet of placing the job advertisement on thecompany website is that the applicants who visit the website are more likely to knowsomething about the company. Also, the applicants they would receive are more likely tobe closer in accuracy to the advertised post, because since it is the company website,Typware can feel free to make a detailed job description. Then, looking into private em-ployment agencies would fall into the department of Schmidt and her team. They wouldneed to nd a highly spoken private employment agency so as to ensure that they receivereturns on their nancial investment. Beyond that, after the team has contacted theagency, the responsibililty of nding a suitable candidate for Typware is left to the agency. Formulating an international hiring structure has quite a few complexities. Appli-cants such as Anne Prevost would most likely look into the potential extra costs of taxrates, ination, benets, and oating currencies. Accommodations such as schooling fortheir children, health care, social security, housing, and culture shock also need to be ac-counted for. To meet all these needs in salary and benets would mean a salary that is nolonger within equal range of their peers. Renate Schmidt can discuss ncancial optionswith a local private school, so that Typware’s international employees will not need somany added benets. Health care and housing can also be worked out in a similar fash-ion, thus helping to further reduce  costs. The costs really start to add up when there is noplan worked out at all beforehand. In the best interest of the company, Typware shouldorganize at least a minimal structure for hiring international employees to aid in more ef-fective stafng through exemplar y job analysis. Case Study: In a World of Pay5Section 3Problem Statement:Diversity of Workforce and Employee Rights:The lack of a diversity policy and the absence of concern for employee rightscauses dissatisfaction within the workforce. HR Activity in Theory:Diversity of Workforce and Employee Rights:In In a World of Pay the characters are faced with many common dilemmas thatcause problems or at the very least delays for processing new or existing candidates. Wewill be explaining, then applying diversity in the workforce and employee rights in rele-vance to the issues at hand. Equal employment compliance refers to the laws and regulations of a country inwhich a company operates. It is important for companies to identify with the well knownEEO or Equal Employment Opportunity movement started in the US. This is relevant be-cause of the ways countries and companies are evermore intertwined, creating a vastblend of cultures, setting the grounds for discrimination. Equal employment compliancehelps to avoid discriminatory scenarios. Diversity is one of the components of that policyand stipulates that an employee’s salary and benets are not to be determined or effectedby his/her race, national or ethic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, mari-tal status, family status or disability. Typware’s CEO seems to have little or no concern forequality amongst his employees, which causes great concerns. Equality in the workplace promotes a company culture that cares for its people. Itcreates an atmosphere where people want to work, there is courtesy and respect, peopleare listened to and trust and integrity are main aspects in which your staff relates to eachother. Furthermore everyone benets when the workplace is fair and equitable, and peo-ple feel valued. Analysis & Implementation:Diversity of Workforce and Employee Rights:In a  World of Pay a lack of Equal Employment Compliance compromises policiesfor hiring foreigners and integrating them into the headquarters. This stirs up inner ofcedisputes between Jurgen Mehr, Typware’s European head of marketing, and RenateSchmidt, head of human resources. It is of utter most importance that Typware quicklyCase Study: In a World of Pay6revises it’s internal policies to match those set forth by the countries in which they oper-ate, primarily Germany. In the case they are looking to draw up a proposal for one candidate. Thus a minorinfringement, if at all, on their local policy. Typware is based in Germany where the lawsare generally more favorable for the employee, meaning that once Anne Prevost is hiredlocally she will be entitled to a variety of benets and advantages non-existent in standardUS contracts. This a point to be noted when her arrangement is drafted. Typware wouldnot be disputing any of the existing German legal framework as a result of hiring AnnePrevost. Although this is the surface case, the underlying problem is a lack of equal em-ployment policy structure. On a note, the institutions governing equal employment op-portunities in Germany are ranging from legislative and administrative institutions tocourts and tribunals to workers’ and employers’ organizations such as the Biebestrat. In the case Renate Schmidt discovers that female and minority employees madeless then their white male counterparts. This is not only demoralizing and damaging tothe spirit of the workforce but it also conicts with the legislatures of the country. In notcomplying with the country’s equal employment compliance laws, Typware could ndthemselves involved in serious legal action against them. Renate Schmidt needs to takea rm ground in her talks with the CEO and explain the importance of implementing astrict pay grade system. As shown by current trends, the company need to re-structure their policies tomatch that demanded by the country. The implementation of such a pay grade systemwould benet them in various ways. One way is that it would bring them up to code onequality and employee rights. Another is it would prevent outburst like the one Renateexperienced with the German CIO who found out  his Japanese counterpart was paiddouble his salary. Typware needs to adopt new policies and treat all their employees with equality andshow a concern for their rights. In doing so, they gain a competitive advantage on theirglobal market and can continue to grow. While engaged with other HR activities they canformulate templates to process and recruit the right people for their organization. This willfacilitate their ability to correctly asses talents and consequently provide fair salary andbenets packages in line with market practices. However, if they fail to established a uni-formed pay scale and comply with the laws of the country they will suffer irreparable in-ternal damages that will lead the inevitable downfall of Typeware. Case Study: In a World of Pay7Section 4Problem Statement:Compensation and benets:†¦it appears that typware’s inability to update its compensation and benet systemhas resulted in a chaotic situation as evident by the issues arising from the hire of AnnePrevost. Compensation and benets:The use of benets by employers can be categorized into two main aspects whichcan be either as an inspirational tool to motivate employees to be more active in carryingout their tasks or it can be a form of compensation for a job well done. Benets can bedescribed as a payment made in recognition of a workers commitment to an organization. In relation to the case study, one of the major HR issues that faced Renate Schmidt wasbased on the fact that the company does not have a stipulated benet program. This isbecause the employee benet program would have provided a guideline for Renate todraft up benets for the proposed new hire; Anna Prevost. The irrational nature of Typware’s pay system has resulted in benet disparities anda difcult salary system. Such disparity like female and minority employees of Typwarereceiving less pay when compared to their white male counterparts is obviously one ofthe main reasons Jurgen Mehr is not taking the hiring of Anna Prevost lightly. This is be-cause he feared that  if a female employee will start with a salary close to his, she mightearn more than he does in the future. In his words â€Å"This isn’t fair, and it’s humiliating.†Jurgen Mehr is not just troubled because she is a new hire but it is a ‘she’ and also a for-eigner, which also brings us back to EEO. Nowadays, organizations tend to be institutionalizing benets such as savings planand pension because these are part of employment package that attracts employees andhelps the organizations to retain the good employees. However, Typware seems not tohave paid attention to these issues, because their benet system has not been updatesfor sometime. The importance of benets program to employees has become very signi-cant these days because when employees do not feel an appreciation for their commit-ment to an organization, there is a high possibility that they will withdraw that commit-ment and in some cases might leave the organization. This is based on a simple logic that†when you appreciate things that people do, it motivates them to keep on doing so.† Ineffect, benets have become part of organizational practices because it plays a signi-Case Study: In a World of Pay8cant role in helping employers retain good employees and encourages performance im-provement. Performance management:Theories and performance appraisal systems have developed as means to meas-ure employee’s performance at the work place, but none have been able to provide anaccurate assessment of employee’s performance. However, the importance of appraisalsystem can not be overlooked because they have proved to be good in detecting em-ployee’s strengths and weakness. Performance management can be dened a â€Å"meansthrough which managers ensure that employees’ activities and outputs are congruentwith the organizations goals.†1 One of the main purposes of performance management isto develop employees’ who are effective at their jobs. This is because when employees’are not performing as well as they should, performance management seeks to improvetheir performance. It appears that since Typware launched its aggressive campaign in the internationalmarket in 1996, little or no steps have been taken to promote employee development. Lots of emphasis has been paid to issues surrounding pay, with little or no steps towardsperformance management which is signicant for awarding of benets. In addition, Re-nate’s statement ‘it will make others who have been with us for a long time feel that wedon’t care about them’ is a clear indication that the organization lacks important HR activ-ity. Such HR activity includes human resource development and performance manage-ment. Also important when considering the performance management, is the link be-tween performance management and the organizations strategies and goals. This is be-cause nowadays systems such as the performance planning and evaluation system areconstantly being used to bridge the link between performance management and organi-zations strategies. Performance management and evaluation (PPE) system can be de-ned as â€Å"any system that seeks to tie the formal performance appraisal process to com-pany’s strategies by specifying at the beginning of the evaluation period the types andlevel of performance that must be accomplished in order to achieve the strategy.†2Case Study: In a World of Pay91Ibid p 3302Ibid p 332Section 5Reactions:1. What did the student think at the on set of the case?The case prompted some interesting issues in the global work place. It alsoshows how sometimes those in charge are not always fully capable, and muststrongly rely on their employees. The case also illustrates how a globally competitive company can go foronly a short time without identifying with the local legislation before it catches upto them and causes serious problems within the organization. This case reects on how organizations deal with HR issues such as paywith regards to hiring new employees. The organization has repeatedly violatedsome of its compensation and benet program by offering expatriates abroad extrabenets. This in turn resulted in a chaotic situation at the headquarters with em-ployees storming the ofce of Head of Human Resources to demand for equalbenet. 2. How did they feel about the key characters in the case?The CEO, Thomas, seems to fail to address the core issues, especially inregards to  formulating a more stable pay structure. The problems from the paystructure trickle down and cause a chain effect of problems within the company, aswas shown through the complaint of managers, and the efforts of trying to hireAnne Prevost. Furthermore, Anne Prevost is not the key to solving Typware’s problems asthought by the CEO. She is a valuable asset only if the core issues are correctionswiftly and re-structuring of the company occurs. Renate Schmidt showed some good reasoning in a tight situation. She wasable to sort out the larger issues within the company and had a well structured ap-proach to issues. She usually dened the issue, and tried to nd some precedenceon it rst. Then she would go through contacts to see who could help her achieveher set goals. The animosity we feel from Jurgen’s reaction to an American is a clear re-ection of how employees will treat each other when the work atmosphere is notfair and equitable. Case Study: In a World of Pay10Renate who is the head of human resources is faced with the challenge ofincorporating the demands of Anna Prevost (potential new hire) into the organiza-tion’s ineffective HR policy. The HR policy is ineffective because they lacked a sta-ble salary system. 3. What is the student’s opinion about the relevancy/application of HR activity In aWorld of Pay?Given the fact that the organization lacked an effective HR activity such aspay, it has resulted in a difcult situation with regards to drafting up an organiza-tional benet program for the proposed new hire (Anna Prevost). Such programswould have provided a guideline and minimized the amount of work to be done byRenate for the hiring of Anna Prevost. In a World of Pay showed how important HR activities are in preventing suchissues from arising. Had Typware more strongly followed set HR activities, thenthey could have minimized the amount of work involved to  rectify the larger issuesat hand. However, Typware did not follow HR activities closely enough and theirfailure to do so led to numerous problems within the company. Case Study: In a World of Pay11