Concept Of Public Administration

The government is set up to help and serve the people of its nation. The primary focus of the government is to provide, protect, and serve its citizens. In order for the government to remain accountable and to be effective, the field of com/public-administration-and-management-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-partnerships-in-terms-of-improving-service-delivery-and-accountability/">public administration was created to provide checks to the citizens to make sure the government is being held accountable. Public administration is defined as † Public administration entails civil servants implementing a specified policy within the confines of a government executive framework.Public administrators ensure that every facet of federal, state, and local public services are offered and executed to help pave the way for the future. † The biggest challenge of being in public administration is making sure that you are being held accountable and doing what is right and not what is popular . First, one the biggest obstacle in public administration is leadership and management in this field. Making sure that a public administrator is someone who is going to do what is right and fair is hard to find.Not only that being a public administrator and making everyone happy is nearly impossible due to the fact that everyone wants different things and plans. Next, the major functions in publis administration are a public administrator must be fair, firm, and consistent. A public administrator must be fair in all instances and cannot have favorites because this create dishonesty and a loss of trust. This can hamper the effectiveness of the organization all together. Next, a public administrator has to be firm.This means that many different people are going to question and ponder their decisions that are made. The public administrator has to be confident in their decision and stand by them. Next, must allows remain accountable and ethical. A public administrator cannot back track or place the blame on someone else if a decision they made does not go well. Next, a public administrator must be consistent. If they do one thing in a situation then when similar situation arises they need to continue to act in the same fashion as they first did.Next, one of the be\biggest obstacles with being in public administration is always making sure you are acting politically correct in context . This becomes very difficult because it seems there is always someone who can get offended by everything someone says or does. This become problematic when comes to dealing with public administration issues. One of the biggest obstacles is holding the government accountable and having intergovernmental relationships. A lot of public administration jobs are used in the sense that they hold politicians accountable for their jobs and the bills they pass.They are suppose to make sure the government is doing their job. † Government policy analysts are responsible for creating progr am policy and then evaluating its effectiveness. Policy analysts introduce pertinent decisions with data sets and hypotheses regarding the possible effects of the proposed policy. Afterward, they critique the results and then make adjustments according to need. † Often times when the government does not meet the demands of the people, it is the public administration field that is held accountable not the politician on why these actions were allowed to take place.The biggest challenges is applying the intergovernmental relations which is the finding of that middle ground of where the people are satisfied that you are holding the government accountable but at the same time making sure the politician is happy and does not wither defund you or fire you because you were holding them too accountable. Finally, when looking at public administration as a whole the biggest aspect is not to get too concerned and overwhelmed by the job given too you. Organizational behavior plays a major role in making decisions and learning how to appease the public.Sometimes public administrators are so concerned with perception they forget to go back to the basics and think like a person. Being in public administration does not or should not mean a bunch of red tape. It should be about providing a service to the people and making sure the people are given a voice. Sometimes, the easiest solution is human relations and realizing that the answers are always in front of us we just have remember that we are people too and rules and regulations do not make society function.Finally, when having to deal with budget restranits it is not always easy to accomplish the necessary goals. In conclusion, public administration is a very demanding job with high risks but great rewards. When looking at the biggest problems with public administration it is clear that with many problems the most important thing is to always be firm, fair, and consistent. By adhering to these rules it allows for a pe rson serving the people to always remain accountable and not to stress if they made the right decision.

Merit: Why Do We Value It? Essay

Louis Pojman has stated three different opposing views about merit in terms of the societal and political aspects of philosophical attributes. The first one being influenced by Homeric culture called meritocracy. The second one guided by desert-based concept. The third one is based on free will and responsibility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meritocracy reveals that how people perceive and individual is dependent on one’s achievements and success, and the status or position that one holds in society. This is accounted for regardless of the moral and belief values that one holds. The desert-based system was rooted from the idea of Immanuel Kant, which opposes the Homeric viewpoint of judgment and regard. The worth of a person is dependent on one’s intentions and moral values, as opposed to success and wealth that determines the worth of a person in the Homeric context. The third one is a more complex take on merit and desert. The interplay of free will and responsibility is the gauge for an individual’s worth. Merits that are granted to people who exude excellence and display quality performance should not at all be awarded to them because one’s talents, abilities, and moral values are influenced by the family, heredity and the environment. (Pojman, 1999)The three aforementioned viewpoints have now become the basis of arguments and debates over the meaning of worth and the basis of merit. At this point, we ask ourselves on which ground do we stand on? How do we perceive the contributions of other people? How do we define excellence? On what grounds should we base the merits granted to other people? Why are merits valuable to us? These are just some of the questions we ask ourselves when presented with conflicting ideas about how we should perceive people’s contributions and the intentions of their actions, and on what grounds should we base the merits that shall be granted to them. The author has expressed his own opinion about the topic of conversation, and according to him, merits are dependent on desert. This ubiquitous idea is based on the concept that we should deserve what we earn because what we earn is dependent on our intentions and actions. Therefore, those who are righteous and honorable should be merited because they deserve it. On the other hand, those who are vicious should be punished based on the intensity of their actions. (Pojman, 1999)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The balance or symmetry in merit and desert should be the ideal principle that governs people in terms of what they deserve due to their way of thinking, beliefs, and actions. However, this ideal notion of merit and desert does not materialize in the state of our world at present. There is too much injustice in society that the idyllic system of merit and desert, or earning what we deserve, is just an idea that we wish our world should be. This system of injustice and precariousness lead us to depend upon Cosmic justice in order to attain the equilibrium between merit and desert. (Pojman, 1999)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This idea of order inspired by Cosmic justice is vindicated by moral truths that were based on the scriptures. Randy Alcorn, who writes for the Eternal Perspective Ministries, explains the interplay between actions and rewards by stating evidences from the Holy Bible. Alcorn stresses that the scriptures support the concept of balance between merit and desert. Rewards are obtained by doing good deeds, and God’s judgments are based on the morality and uprightness of man’s actions and works on earth. Moreover, these good deeds are the basis for the salvation of man. (Alcorn, 2007)   As Alcorn revealed passages from the Holy Bible and interpreted each text in terms of actions, rewards, and punishments, he restated that righteous desert or actions are the things that people do according to desires of God, and these particular actions are the ones which deserve rewards. Alcorn continues to discuss about the significance of rewards in the biblical context. Based on the scriptures, rewards that shall be granted to man are dependent on one’s capacity to remain faithful to the Divine Being. This is because what man chooses to believe and have faith in determine man’s destination eternally. Righteous works and actions give man eternal life. Moreover, these righteous works and actions determine what man shall receive as a reward from God. (Alcorn, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Straying away from the biblical concept of â€Å"we deserve what we earn,† we are going to shift to the views of Kant which strongly supports the desert-based system of granting merits. According to Kant, deeds are worthy of merit. Moreover, desert done as a moral duty is deserving of a reward or a positive appraisal. According to Kant, estimable actions deserve rewards despite the morality or uprightness of an action. This becomes a point of argument between two opposing views of the desert-based system. However, the similarities between Kant’s desert-based system and man’s common view about merits and desert do not differ from one another. (Johnson, 1996)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The commonality between Kant’s desert-based system and the viewpoints of the majority of man is grounded on the need for granting merits to an act that was done according to one’s duty and responsibilities and the morality and uprightness that comes with it. (Johnson, 1996) Moreover, man would not argue that those who conduct vicious behavior should not be given merit, but on the other hand, be granted punishments that are in equal weight with the negative behavior committed. The evaluation of action, according to Kant is based on the intentions and the results of the particular action. The evaluation of action to the ordinary and common viewpoint of man is based on the morality and uprightness of a certain action. The evaluation of action according to the scriptures is grounded on the righteousness of God as revealed in the Holy Bible. References Alcorn, R. (2007). Can We Really Earn Eternal Rewards? Retrieved April 6, 2008, from Eternal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perspective Ministries. Website: http://www.epm.org/articles/earn.html Johnson, R. N. (1996). Kant’s Conception of Merit. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Missouri. Website: http://web.missouri.edu/~johnsonrn/merit.pdf Pojman, L. (1999). Merit: Why Do We Value It? Journal of Social Philosophy. Malden:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blackwell Publishers

Empowering Your Organization Essay

Organizations are about people. People are the most valuable asset that an organization can possess to create success. The development of these people and the ability for an organization to retain talent can be complex. An organization must be organized to communicate and provide the structure necessary for growth and development. They must also have the people within the organization understand their ability to grow and the directions available within the organization for growth. In the industrial age a company was primarily there to provide goods and serves. Many organizational behaviorists at that time focused on getting the most production from the employee. The employee was looked at as a necessary evil in creating the goods for market. We have now realized that people are the foundation that can make or break an organization. The thoughts and actions of the company and the employee are imperative to their success. Retaining top talent is about creating a structure that is conducive to growth and development. Empowerment is important on an organizational level and an individual level. When looking at the dynamics of an organizations empowerment it is essential to recognize the symptoms of disempowerment. Gershon and Straub identified ten symptoms of a disempowered organization. We will look at one case within an organization and four of these symptoms that were evident and describe these dysfunctions. We will then create a plan using Gershon and Straub six values to create an empowering environment. Four Symptoms of Disempowerment Distrust and Cynicism When individuals feel that they must constantly compete for their future a sense of distrust begins to arise. In the case study this organization had weak leaders that did not give others a sense of team involvement. There was constant distrust in coworkers and in management to make the right decisions. Due to the lack of leadership employees felt the need to compete through criticizing and creating blame. Management did not give true direction or provide any plan of action but instead were quick to criticize the actions individuals took in order to compete tasks without direction. Apathy and Burnout The organization in the case study was constantly in a state of change. New projects can be exhausting in themselves. When a project goes beyond the original plan many times companies will use the resources they have and overwork the employee in order to reach plan. This can create burnout and apathy within the workforce. This was the case with this organization, instead of bringing in additional contact workers to assist the company expected employees to work overtime to meet goals. This would involve as many as eighty hours per week. The result was burnout and exhaustion and a general sense of being unappreciated. The personal life of the employees was expected to be put on hold and this creating a general sense of apathy within the workforce. Gossip and back biting poisoning work environment Many times people are the reflection of the environment that they are surrounded by. There is a saying about how weak people talk about other people; this was the case in this organization. Gossip was common place and a reflection of the emotional turmoil of not being able to move within the organization. Management did not stop the personal conflict that was created within many of the groups by gossip and â€Å"back stabbing†. Top talent leaving for better opportunities or work environment Due to the inability to move within the organization and the general atmosphere of distrust and dissatisfaction many of the top talent moved on to better opportunities. The organization was a revolving door and the issue was that the positions available were not backfilled with internal, local talent but instead more â€Å"new† employees were brought in to replace the talent that let the organization. This further fueled the discord and ill feeling of the current workforce. Six Values Applied to Disempowerment Change in anything that we do must first come from the inside before we can change the outside. A great example of this is in losing weight many people choose to go on a quick fix diet plan. This is a wonderful way to reduce the weight in the short term but the person eventually returns to their previous weight. Change must come from the inside through long term changes in the way that they think about food and the long term change in diet. When an organization has the symptoms of disempowerment it is not just from the inability of the individuals internally but from a dysfunctional mindset within the organization. Therefore the organization must perform a metamorphose to change the structure of the company and the mindset of the individuals and management. There are six values that are an essential part of the framework necessary for change within an organization. These six values are self-responsibility, authentic communication, trust, learning and growing, interpersonal process skills and caring. When looking at an organizational level of self-responsibility the empowering organization has individuals that take responsibility for their jobs, team and organization being the way that they need it to be. This is the opposite of the mindset of victimization and an understanding that changes comes from each individual within an organization. If an organization promotes authentic communication it is obvious through observing the individuals and their communication. If the communication is open, transparent, honest and vulnerable then the company is communicating authentically. When observing trust within an organization the first thing that needs to be evident is the ability for individuals to feel safe within the environment. This trust is apparent in the ability of individuals to take risks and tryout new behaviors without risk of reprimand from supervisors. When an organization promotes an environment conducive to growth and learning individuals are challenged to recognize their weaknesses and given the opportunity to learn and develop these skills. The growth and encouragement is transferable to both the employee and the organizational growth. Learning is on a bilateral level through growth of both the structure and the individual. An empowered organization understands individuals as independent and of their own mindset. They champaign the individual and have created process and protocols to resolve personal issues that may arise. The organization is high functioning within their relationships internally and support teamwork and individualism equally. There is a general sense of caring within an empowered organization. Leadership demonstrates genuine caring of the individuals that work within the company. Individuals feel valued and inspired creating motivation to do their best. The Plan To develop these skills within an organization that is lacking these basic values can be challenging. The plan must start with leadership and management having a full grasp of the qualities that create an empowered organization. The first step is to educate management in the skills necessary to create this environment. This cannot be done with a week-long workshop but with concrete training and development over the long-term. Honing and developing the skills on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Removing the â€Å"boss barrier† is an essential part of creating an environment for growth and productivity. The second step is to remove the â€Å"system† barrier. Looking at the process and the policies the current organization and recreating an environment that gives employees the opportunity to develop. Realigning the reward systems and identifying the blocks that disempower change within the organization is essential. The third aspect is to remove the barriers of the mind. This is important in empower both the leadership and the employee. People have a way of thinking about things until you give them the opportunity and the tools to look at things differently. You are basically what you think you are and it takes reconditioning the minds of the individuals within an organization to change. Change happens from within. It is the willingness of the organization to change and the individuals to change that will make a move towards empowerment possible. Motivation to change must be driven by emotions and the key is to find these emotional triggers and create a plan towards growth and opportunity for both the organization and the individual. References Bigelow, D. (2011). Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. Library Journal, 136(9), 95. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2011), Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. SterlingEtbos.2011.c.256p.. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2009). Empowerment Institute: The empowering organization: Changing behavior and developing talent in organizations. Retrieved from http://www.empowermentinstitute.net/index.php/organizational/organizational-empowerment/57-organizational-empowerment Individuals’ Mindset: Empowering the Individual. (2004). Black Book – Reengineering Investment Management & Advice to the Individual, 31-36. Kotter, J. P. & Cohen, D. S. (2002). The heart of change: Real-life stories of how people change their organizations. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Movie Analysis Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis - Movie Review Example featuring weird, surreal experiences and phenomena which are distortions of reality and which probability of occurring in real life is pegged at almost zero. But then this is a smart and clever, head-trip of a comedy where moviegoers’ disbelief is momentarily suspended throughout the movie as they find themselves unwittingly enraptured by the intensity of the story and the acting of the whole cast as well as the fantastic imagery. Moviegoers soon become enmeshed by the palpable reality of its themes of manipulation, voyeurism, identity and the desire to experience being a matinee idol even for a brief instance. Director Spike Jonze and scriptwriter Charlie Kaufman expertly weaves a bizarrely original, wildly imaginative tale of adventure-seeking people crawling through chutes and transforming themselves into modern Alices in Wonderland or Gullivers except that the fantasy world they have rode into is inside the mind of a celebrity which they try to control and appropriate for themselves for their personal, selfish benefits. The movie functionally begins when Craig Schwartz a puppeteer working as a filing clerk in a low-ceilinged office in the 7 1/2th floor of a New York building, discovered a portal behind a filing cabinet. Crawling into the narrow tunnel, he was suddenly whisked into the brain of actor John Malkovich, experiencing what Malkovich experiences as if these were his own experiences. After 15 minutes, he is spewed out and dumped near the New Jersey Turnpike Social psychology is the science that seeks to understand how people’s behaviors, thoughts and feelings are influenced by other people (Schneider et al 2005,p.2). In this movie, 6 principles of social psychology can be utilized to explain the characters or behaviors of one or more of the dramatis personae in the movie and these are the following: 1. The Looking Glass Self- One forms a self-image of himself from the reflections i.e. the judgments or critiques of others. These make

Reflection questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection questions - Essay Example For instance, I will understand and stop getting angry if my grandpa is too slow in doing some things, while my mother rushes me through some activities. This is the factor of age, which makes them perceive time differently. Additionally, if a person is too busy or not, also influences how they experience time. Since my mother has many things to do, she will do her things in a hurried manner, compared to my grandpa, who does not have a busy schedule as my mother’s. The philosophy of existentialism is unique. This holds that all human beings are free and under their own control. To a greater degree, human beings are in charge of their own life. Each person gives meaning to their life and to the different experiences, that life presents them. I concur with this philosophy, since today; there are diverse options to choose from in different spheres. Hence, I consider there is no absolute truth about what life should be and how it should be lived. Different people live their lives differently. While some will love their lives, others might not. Therefore, a person’s experiences in life, and what meanings an individual gives to those experiences, will greatly influence their life, as these will shape their life. This philosophy, I consider it to give some moral lessons. Even though there are things in life, which a person might not control, such as race, upbringing, and place of birth, once a person grows into a reasonable mind, they can capitalize on the things they can change in their life, through making wise decisions, which will improve their life. One of the best argument against immortality bases on the fact that death is a fundamental part of life cycle for all living things. For humans, death is important, as it forms the human experience. If people did not die, it would be impossible to experience some emotions, which are

Comparing English with Persian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparing English with Persian - Essay Example Being a popular and traditional language, Persian did not remain confined to Iran only; rather, it is spoken and understood in few central Asian states along with Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It had enjoyed the status of official language of India from the beginning of the Muslim rule under the Sultanates of Delhi till the fall of Mughal Empire in 1857. Additionally, Persian is aptly viewed as the sweet and melodious language (sheereen zubaan) because of the sophistication and tenderness. Sheikh Sa’di, Farrukhi, Omar Khayaam, Behki, Romi, Iqbal and others are most prominent Persian writers and poets. English: English is the most dominant and popular language of contemporary era, and is spoken in almost all countries of the world at large. The main reasons behind its unabated popularity include the many centuries long rule of the British Imperialism over several Asian and African countries, as well as the technological inventions made by the English spea king nations of the world. Hence, English is being taught as a compulsory language in all parts of the globe. Chaucer, Spencer, Shakespeare, Johnson, Milton, Coleridge, Austen, Keats, Emily Bronte and Frost are the most prominent literary figures of English Literature. STRUCTURE OF THE LANGUAGES UNDER ANALYSIS: Since both English and Persian are written in quite a different way, which share least characteristics with each other. It is partially due to the very fact that the former resembles with French, German and Spanish, while the latter share commonalities with Arabic, Urdu and Turkish languages. The basic structure of both these languages has been analysed as following: SYNTAX: Both English and Persian share the same number of subjects in grammar, which are six in both the languages. Since both English and Persian have first person, second person and third person as addressees, both look taking after one another grammatically. ENGLISH PERSONAL PRONOUNS: SUBJECTS, OBJECTS AND POS SESSIVES Singular Subject Object Possessive First Person I Me My, Mine Second Person You You Your, Yours Third Person He/ She/It His/ Her/Its Him/ Her/It Plural Subject Object Possessive First Person We Us Our Second Person You You Your, Yours Third Person They Them Their PERSIAN PERSONAL PRONOUNS: SUBJECTS, OBJECTS AND POSSESSIVES Singular Subject Object Possessive First Person Mann Mann raa addition of the alphabet meem (?) after every object OR addition of Mann after the object Second Person To/Tu To/Tu Tera/shuma Third Person Ou Ou Ou raa Plural Subject Object Possessive First Person Maa Maa Maa raa Second Person Taan/Shumaa Tu Taan shuma Third Person Ou Eeshaan, aanhaa Ou raa In English grammar, singular first person is described as I, my and me, whereas in Persian, the subject is translated as single word mann, while possessive is translated by adding the alphabet meem (?) after the noun related to the first person. Similarly, the first person singular object is translate d as mann or mann raa (i.e. of or related to me). Similarly, while making plural of first person, the subject we is translated as maa, and for object us, the same maa is generally applied. However, in first person possessive, raa is added to maa, making it maa raa. Similarly, second person is written as tu , shuma and tu or shuma raa in place of you, yours and you

U.S. Federal Reserve System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U.S. Federal Reserve System - Research Paper Example Moreover, the system is operating in United States to provide exchange benefits among different regions, to control the money supply and demand fluctuations, to control arising systematic risks in financial market, to fulfill liquidity needs and to manage and supervise banking institutions (News Events, 2009). However, its primary aim is to strengthen country’s economy by taking various active measures. The perfect monitory policies, measures taken to achieve national economic goals will lead to successful economic growth. Moreover, it requires different tools such as discount rate and open market operations in order to influence reserves of private financial institutes. It works as a government’s body and it is associated with several functions. First, it serves as a bank for bank, it involves in various transaction of banks. Whereas, financial institutions borrows money in case of shortage of money. Secondly, it works as a regulatory in buying and selling of securities in an open market and as a government’s bank, it issues U.S currency. Thirdly, as a regulatory agency, it monitors that the rights of consumers are protected, and ensures that things run smoothly in banks. However, the current economic policy is focusing on unemployment and does not include plans to r aise interest rates (Plossers, pp. 1-3). Moreover, the current monetary policy is not working well the decline of dollar is problematic for businesses. Due to the fact, investments are drastically decline whereas; foreign investments are speaking out and divesting (Philadelphia, pp. 2). According to personal opinion, I agree, because Federal Reserve System has extended its lending programs and open market operations by enlarging reserve securities, agency debts, mortgages, and by increasing maturity transformation on balance sheet. Therefore, monitory policies affect economic activities badly. Federal Reserve System focuses on unemployment which is also a major factor but high interest

Building a Catupult Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Building a Catupult - Research Paper Example Range : The range is the distance covered by the ball after launch. The maximum range for parabolic path which the ball covers can be obtained at an angle of 45Â °. The horizontal distance from the point of launch to the point where the ball falls gives the range. 2. Trajectory : It is the path covered the ball, from the catapult after the launch the trajectory of the ball is parabolic. 3. Velocity : The rate of change of displacement is termed as the velocity. For a parabolic path the velocity of ball will be taken as the horizontal and vertical component of velocity at different points. 4. Newton’s three laws are applied in the working of the catapult. The first law states an object continues to remain in its state of rest or motion until and unless an external force is applied. The ball starts motion only after the sling or in our catapult the throwing arm is pressed and released and it stops where the forces due to gravity, air resistance etc. stop the ball. Second law st ates that force is directly proportion to the acceleration of the body and acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass, increasing the mass of projectile or ball will decrease acceleration and force required will increase. Third law states that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, the ball accelerates towards earth, the earth also accelerates due to the ball but the acceleration of earth due to ball is so negligible that it does not have any effect. Future engineering: The length of the arm and the overall size can be adjusted proportionately according to the range required to cover. Apart from this depending on the mass of the projectile that has to be thrown the type of material can be selected that withstands the load. May be more of metal than wood next time I rebuild the catapult. This was scope for building advanced catapults according to our range requirements. For more projects in future I would begin with a study of the history of design of the pa rticular project I choose. I’ll then choose the most appropriate kind of design that suits my requirements. After the necessary mathematical calculations according to the conditions and requirements will start with a rough design .The model can be prepared and tested. Changes will be made accordingly as per the results required till we reach close the desired results. Working in team is always efficient than working individually. The best abilities of everyone in the team come together to give good results .Working with a partner enabled to overcome my areas of weakness and we were able to complement each other’s specialisation. Also operating the model that is the catapult in our current project is not possible to handle alone. Once the catapult is fixed to the launching position it is necessary for someone to check the barrier so that the arm doesn’t slip while the other person launches the ball. Then to keep the record of the range ( i.e. the point where the ball falls and the time it takes) someone has to be there to keep a check. Teamwork was also enjoying and less stressful as the partners always encouraged and monitored continuously each other’s mistakes. The project work has been really interesting as the theoretical concepts became clear as we learned to apply them. This also encourages to take up more projects in future and work together to innovate new ideas. Physics involved in the building of catapult : The velocity

Identify the heightened audit risks areas of James Cropper Plc and Case Study

Identify the heightened audit risks areas of James Cropper Plc and carry out the audit procedures to reduce audit risk to an acceptable level of one area - Case Study Example The converting segment on the other hand offers picture mat boards printable boards and a selection of of laminated and coated papers. The Technical Fibre Products is in charge of non-woven materials used in different areas such as the engineering of composites thermal insulation, fire protection and other insulations. The areas of operation of the company comprise of Europe, United Kingdom, America, Asia, Africa and Australasia having been headquartered in the United Kingdom. Today’s business has been changing with a very tremendous speed. The business world has become constant in that it is changing constantly making it unpredictable, complex and very volatile. This has in turn changed the previous levels of risks increasing them to tremendous levels. The idea of risk now moves along with all business models, making it one of the very necessary evils. The regulators on the other hand have not been able to deliver any reprieve on the same. They have also complicated their regulations in an effort to control all of these changes in the business world. They have also increased their requirements for transparency from the businesses on how they carry out their businesses (PriceWaterHouse Coopers). For any business in operations one of the most important activities that the business needs to keep in touch properly is on the risk assessment process. This process is explained as the systematic process through which one is able to identify and evaluate events that could affect the achievements of the various business objectives both positively or negatively. Such activities could be both from the interior as well as the exterior meaning that this process should be done from both sides. While risk assessment is important, of more importance is the process through which one is able to extract their real value of the businesses. The main challenge with poor administration of risks is the fact that they still pose a major challenge for business is

The Zoo Story Essay Example for Free

The Zoo Story Essay Edward Albee, in his play The Zoo Story, demonstrates his mastery of â€Å"the theater of the absurd. † Through absurdity he manages to bring to light the underlying social norms and limitations upon real human emotion and existence imposed by American culture. Superficially Jerry is the absurd character, but as the one act play progresses it becomes apparent that Albee intends to reveal the very real absurdity inherent in ordinary, everyday discourse and activity—this is provided by Peter. Peter is repeatedly referred to by Jerry as a vegetable; he seems to be vacuous in the sense that he behaves and acts absolutely as he is expected to by the norms of society. He is properly polite and his words are entirely empty; he almost never says what he actually feels, only what he believes it is appropriate to say. The plot is entirely linear, although the dialogue is anything but. Essentially, the play is just about Jerry and Peter as they happen to encounter one another at the park. They speak with each other; then Peter stabs Jerry and leaves him to die. So, the plot is linear in that it merely follows these events in real time as they happen. However, Jerry’s attempted explanations surrounding his life and the events that made-up his day are deliberately presented in a disjointed manner. Jerry seems to have trouble communicating with other animals; yet, we come to realize by the end, that he is far more successful in conveying his innermost emotions than Peter is. His explanation of why he went to the zoo makes no sense to a man who works with words every day—Peter is a publisher. There is no polite or unobtrusive answer to the question of why Jerry went to the zoo; as a result, he honestly tells Peter his lonely and violent motivations. This is why Jerry’s â€Å"zoo story† begins with a description of his apartment complex, and the perverse woman that is his landlord. It is important that this disorderly account of Jerry’s visit to the zoo actually occur in the straightforward structure of a simple conversation in a park: Peter becomes the audience to this unbridled expression of emotion and sin imposed upon his structured life. In a very literal sense, Jerry and Peter are simply animals. They have limitations placed upon their actions just as the animals in the zoo are kept behind bars. While Peter seems wholly content with his restricted position—or perhaps he is unaware that he is confined at all—Jerry seems to bristle at the very idea. To Jerry the orderly functioning of society has prevented him from reaching out to other people in any meaningful way. In this regard, he is rather fascinated by Peter—a man who embodies everything ordinary and artificial. When Peter jumps to conclusions about Jerry’s life he is asked, â€Å"What were you trying to do? Make sense out of things? Bring order? The old pigeonhole bit? † (Albee, 25). By posing these questions Jerry is revealing his interest in the mechanisms of Peter’s thought, but he also seems to be attempting to teach Peter something; to lead him to a conclusion which he has already reached. Jerry wants to reach out and touch Peter, but he cannot be successful until Peter realizes in what way he is restrained. Jerry is an individual type character: understanding his psychology is more important than his actual function in the play. Obviously, he is trying to, and eventually succeeds, in bringing about a change in Peter; but the exhibition of this change is less important than grasping the reason why Jerry wants to succeed. Basically, the play’s purpose is to uncover the psychology of the characters; the audience gets the sense that any structuring of the plot which achieved this would ultimately convey the same messages. Accordingly, Peter is also an individual type character, but this is dependent upon his reciprocal relationship with Jerry. In other words, Jerry and Peter’s particular psychological states are significant in and of themselves, but they require each other’s interaction to fully reveal the gravity of their existences. We could not possibly understand anything meaningful about Peter without Jerry; similarly, Jerry can only be perceived as being erratic or insane once Peter’s perspective is understood.

Children Poisonous Plant

Children Poisonous Plant Poisonous Plants All children are little explorers; they are the best at finding things that us grown ups, never see. I have had experiences with this; my three children seem to find things around the house, which I never see or never thought, would be there. I have my house safety ready for my children or any child that comes into my house, but its not safety ready for their mouths. I dont think that they make a safety device to put on their little mouths, although that would be easier. When my children are outside they love the flowers, vines, plants, and the different kinds of berries, that they see and will find on the ground. I am always telling them that things that are pretty dont mean that they are good, but they are kids. They dont really see danger especially with plants, flowers, and berries. Thats why I think its very important to educate safety about the different types of plants, flowers, and berries with children. Especially, teaching them that all plants arent good plants. There are so many plants, flowers, and berries that are poisonous. I learned things about plants that I hadnt really thought of, before. I researched the different kinds of plants, flowers, and berries that are poisonous; these are the ones that will probably be the most importance for our children to know and to be educated about. Dont take me wrong, as if the others arent important, because they are. All poisonous plants are important to our children as the things in their everyday lives are. The most common Poisonous Plant that my children are aware of is the Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Plant. These are the ones that I educated my children on first. I knew that the other plants, flowers, and all the other berries would be educated on later. I wanted to get the Ivy, Oak, and Sumac out there in the opening for them to understand this better, because just about everywhere we go there is a mess, of one of these three, hanging around, calling out childrens names. I was taught, when I was young, an old saying that I always think of when I see these three plants. I have taught this to my children also. ‘Leaves of three, Let them be.† I was surprised to find a website that actually said the same. This is amazing that after all these years, that this saying is still being said, which is a good thing. Children love rhymes, so I knew this would linger with them for a long time. It works too, because if were out I hear them saying this if there are plants around. One time, my se ven year old, she was playing with her brother and I guess she thought that he was heading toward the plants that were under one of the trees, because she yelled so loud at him. Then I saw her run to him and she was telling him to count the leaves but never touch them. Then I heard her say, â€Å"see thats why you dont touch them.† Thats when I heard them singing the rhyme. â€Å"Leaves of three, Let them be.† The tissues of all these plants contain poisonous oil. This oil is what causes the plants to be so dangerous. If the oil was to ever come in contact with your skin, soap and water should be used as quickly as possible. The smallest amount of this oil on the skin can cause serious problems. From experience, I have seen red blistering patches form on the skin that will spread through out your body. These patches can be very itchy with some soreness. They make some lotions, like Calamine Lotion, that you can use to prevent the spread and dry out what has already been spread. My son just runs past a couple of plants, of the Ivy, in the back yard, and he ends up breaking out all over. My son and I are very much allergic to the Poisonous Plants, Ivy, Oak, and Sumac. We have to get medical attention as soon as possible when we noticed an outbreak. The other Plants, Flowers, and Berries are: Seeds from Apples, the leaves and pits from Peach, Plum, Apricot, Almond, and Cherry, the leaves berries and roots from the Pokeweed, the leaves-not stem from the Rhubarb, Foliage and vines of the Tomato, and Lilies. These are the few that had a surprise on me. There are plenty more to share also like; Aconite, Castor Oil Plant, Deadly Shade, Delphinium, Foxglove, Oleander, Privet, Yew, Autumn crocus, Azalea, Angels Trumpet, Caladium, Daffodil bulbs, Daphne the berries are poisonous, Datura nightshade, Dumbcane, English Holly the berries are poisonous, Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous, Bittersweet, Bleeding Heart, Black nightshade, Darnel, Deadly nightshade, Death Cama, Elderberry roots, Elephant ear-which I never knew, Horse Chestnut, Hemlock, and many more. An accurate list for all Poisonous Plants, Flowers, and Berries can make a nice educated planning for the children to know more about their surroundings. Most of these plants are where our children are. Some of the plants are probably not known to be poisonous, but are. It is very important to start educating the children at a young age, so they will grow with the knowing, that all things arent good for them. There are many ways of getting the young to understand these things. They especially like when they are hands on, with an experiment. Trying somethings like art, touring the outdoors, and/or books are even a hit, with the children. There are several books that talk about poisonous plants on childrens level. Some of the childrens books could be; Dumb Cane and Daffodils: Poisonous Plants in the House and Garden and Moonseed and Mistletoe: a Book of Poisonous Plants. Making learning fun for the child will teach them a lot. Childrens safety, health, and nutrition are so important for them. Making them understand that, in a way that they can understand it, is the joy when working with young children. All the references that I used to complete my paper are included in the footnotes through out the paper.

book report- my sister my sorrow Essay -- essays research papers

Book Report â€Å"My Sister, My Sorrow† by Bebe Faas Rice, explores the natural human reactions to death, sickness and love. It delves into sibling rivalry, adolescent fear and stereotypes and gives insight into how beautiful the world seems when your life is on the line. â€Å"Leukemia is one of those diseases that creep up on you suddenly and catch you by surprise† ‘The story revolves around her thoughts and feelings towards friends, family, the meaning of life, depression, love, jealousy, cancer, etc. During the course of the book, the reader begins to understand much about what type of Leukemia it is that Beth has. Explained by the author in lame-mans terms, it becomes simple and enjoyable. Facts and story line fuse together to make an interesting chapter. â€Å"My toothbrush in the morning looked like an accessory to a suicide attempt† the signs of cancer are explained to the reader in an interesting, informative way. Beth explains all the emotions that she feels, she doesn’t leave anything out. As the reader goes through the pages they actually understanding the feelings and the emotions that are being explained. The way she tries to explain grief to the reader is through what she sees â€Å"I’ll never forget that night, with Mum out in the kitchen, sobbing as she scraped the carrots for dinner. Artists and sculptors usually depict grief as a heavily veiled figure leaning on a tombstone, but they’re wrong. What grief really is, is a middle-aged woma n with a carrot parer in one hand, la...

Faustian Deal in The Woman in White, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and D

The Faustian deal and subsequent fall is a common theme throughout literature, and with each new iteration sheds increased light on the character of the individual and of society. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson are all texts which exhibit the Faustian deal and descent, complete with Doctor Faustus and Mephistopheles counterparts. Sir Percival Glyde, Dorian Gray, and Dr. Edward Hyde are all characters who are ultimately lead to their moral downfalls by their respective Mephistopheles counterparts. Specifically, the characters of Sir Percival Glyde, Dorian Gray, and Dr. Henry Jekyll fulfill and contrast the Faustian archetype, who are aided in their moral descent by their Mephistopheles foils, Count Fosco, Lord Henry Wotton, and Mr. Edward Hyde respectively. The characters of the different novels will be compared against one another and a discourse about what their varying motivation s reveal about their respective moral compasses will be conducted. Among other vices the characters exhibit, vanity plays a prime part in their individual development. Vanity is a detriment on the individual, and serves as a driving force behind the three character’s motivations, ultimately leading to their respective downfalls. At its core, the Faustian deal is a contract between an individual who aspires to be or achieve a type of greatness and a devil who enables the individual to do so at a severe cost. There are different versions, including the original German legend, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust and Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus. Most typically, as in the case of the titular Faust of leg... ...pr. 2014. Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. 2nd ed. New York: Signet Classics, 2010. Print. Puhvel, Martin. "Mephostophilis's Manipulation of Faustus." English Studies 71.1 (1990): 1-5. Literary Reference Center. Web. 02 May 2014. Sanyal, Arundhati. "Taboo in The Picture of Dorian Gray." The Taboo. Ed. Harold Bloom and Blake Hobby. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2010. 147-56. Print. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. New Lanark: Waverley, 2008. Print. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ed. Joseph Bristow. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Yirinec, Jennifer A. "Re-Envisioning the Faust Legend: Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and Richard Burton and Nevill Coghill's Doctor Faustus" Literature Film Quarterly 41.1 (2013): 67-76. Literary Reference Center. Web. 03 May 2014.

Witchcraft in Salem Essay -- Salem Possesed Witchcraft Witch Trials Es

Witchcraft in Salem In the past, the word Salem has always been somewhat synonymous with the infamous witch trials. Thanks to works such as Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible†, many people find it hard not to envision a community torn apart by chaos, even though Miller’s play was not so much about the witch trials but instead a commentary on the rampant McCarthyism going on at the time he wrote it. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, however, see a very different picture when the Salem witch trials are mentioned. Rather than overlook the â€Å"ordinary† people living in the towns in which they write about (in the case of Salem Possessed, the town of Salem, Massachusetts), they instead take the instance of the witch trials of 1692 and springboard from them into a detailed inquisition into the entire history of the small village of Salem; or, in their own words, Boyer and Nissenbaum have â€Å"exploited the focal events of 1692 somewhat as a stranger might make use of a li ghtning flash in the night: better to observe the contours of the landscape which it chances to illuminate† (xii). That is to say, the authors strive to show how the witch trials were not simply a completely spontaneous event, but rather a long, horrible process by which individuals were singled out, tried, and executed in order to vent emotions of hostility towards change. The way in which the authors go about this, however, is in a somewhat difficult to comprehend style that goes back and forth between the years, forcing one to rethink all the facts thus far each time a new chapter is introduced. In addition, the authors tend to focus mostly on the social and economic aspects of witchcraft, with little to nothing as far as further explanation of the actions of the women accused. In the year 1692, the small farming village of Salem, Massachusetts saw a social phenomenon that would propel the village into the history books: the calamity that was witchcraft. The witch trials were initiated whenever three young girls, Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, and Ann Putnam were caught performing fortune telling rituals in the woods, trying to gather information on what type of man would be best for them. Soon thereafter, the girls began experiencing hysterical fits, prompting Betty Parris’s father, Reverend Samuel Parris, to call in the authorities to confirm the cause of the girls’ symptoms. ... ...rought into the case would treat it as though it were a completely rational occurrence. But then again, this is perhaps more of a fault of my own than of the authors. In the end, Salem Possessed did indeed leave me with more of an understanding of the events that took place in Salem Village, even though that understanding did seem a little shallow, as I felt it only focused on one aspect of the whole. But regardless of my unpleasant viewpoint on said novel, Mr.’s Boyer and Nissenbaum have done an admirable thing by taking the Salem witch trials and examining them by today’s standards. By going strictly from church records and personal accounts, the authors have brought a whole new light to what was once percieved as a purely tyrannical act of prejudice against seemingly random people, letting the public know that it was in fact a calculated attack on many ‘radical’ individuals. And, while the book did occasionally fall short on offering a complete picture of the events, it was still a fairly succinct guide to the economic factors involved with the village of Salem and its â€Å"fifteen minutes†, as it were, a nd as such would be reccommended to history buffs around the world.

Ralph Lauren Strategy Paper Essay

Module 2: Mission, Goals, and the Strategic Management Process The mission of Ralph Lauren is to provide quality product, bringing different worlds together and inviting people into their dream and vision (McAllister, 2012). They are the true innovators of lifestyle advertisements that tell a story and the first to create stores that encourage customer participation in that lifestyle (McAllister, 2012). Ralph Lauren has 3 major goals: †¢ Build and extend the brand by uniquely showcasing the world of Ralph Lauren through advertising and marketing. The Ralph Lauren Company also plans to expand and extend the Ralph Lauren lifestyle through new products, in new categories, and in new parts of the world. (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005) †¢ Keeping its specialty retail is also extremely important. Polo continues to increase the amount of exclusive or limited-distribution product in its Ralph Lauren stores. They also plan on making significant advances in how it operates its retail stores by adding experience and strength to the leadership of the specialty retail group and coupling it with the right merchandise and marketing support. (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005) †¢ Expanding its international presence so that they can broaden their reach through increasing direct brand ownership and control with new specialty retail store openings. (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005) Yes, the firm has long–term goals that might become challenging. For instance, expanding internationally especially in Europe has been challenging. Sales in Europe have shown little growth, therefore; Polo Ralph Lauren is currently finding new ways to reduce costs through changes in its infrastructure. (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005) Polo Ralph Lauren’s main strategic plan to grow the company is creating new stores because it makes up for almost one-third of its revenues. Creating new stores is a part of intended strategies because the company carefully plans where they want their store according to the amount of business the company plan on acquiring in a particular area. (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005) Module 3: External Analysis In the macro environment, Ralph Lauren Corporation has and will be impacted by all the changes that will occur. In the macro environment the company is impacted by the political, economical, sociocultural, technological, ecological and legal factors. Political factors are the actions of government that can influence the behavior and decisions of firms. These factors can have a direct impact on the way businesses operate. In the United States business firms face more regulations then other nations (Viking, 2009). According to (Viking, 2009), employee rights in the United States have a large effect on business, and with the apparel industry requiring much labor and work employee laws are significant. Employee laws are minimum wage, over time, benefits and health and safety regulations. This means Ralph Lauren has to pay employees at least minimum wage and for overtime worked. The company has to offer benefits to full time employees and follow OSHA regulations when it comes to safety. Also the company has to adhere to trade regulations when importing and exporting goods overseas. Economic factors impact the economy. Some ways Ralph Lauren can be impacted economically are through growth rates, interest rates, and levels of employment, price stability and currency exchange rates. (Viking, 2009) states that for the apparel industry in the United States, such as Ralph Lauren, the future does not look promising. Wage and salary employment in the apparel industry is expected to decline which leads to lost jobs over the period. The Decline in employment can be attributed to increase in imports, new automation machinery, and cost-cutting pressure from increase global competition (Viking, 2009). Along with this the economy is in a recession, which means high unemployment, hi gher taxes on every one and low incomes (Viking, 2009). With this most families cannot afford the prices that Ralph Lauren has to offer. Sociocultural factors are society’s norms, cultures and values. This may impact Ralph Lauren because the company has to learn the demographics of different areas. The demographics show the different characteristics and attributes of people so companies such as ours can understand the buying power of the people. When the company learns this information they can determine whether or not products will appeal to customers and how many potential customers for these products might arise. Also with the growing trends of people and different styles Ralph Lauren has to make various pieces to fit all their needs. Technological factors capture the application of knowledge to create new processes and products. With new technology the apparel industry’s productivity has been given a boost. There has been an increase in automated machinery that has improved production and manufacturing facilities such as Ralph Lauren Corporation (Viking, 2009). Now they have new faster computerized sewing machines in order to make production go faster. Also new computer software has been a big plus for Ralph Lauren because now that can create and design new garments with no problem (Viking, 2009). Along with this technology allows them to be able to market their clothes online through their website which ralphlauren.com. This way people can get what they want through technology. Ecological factors concern broad environmental issues such as the natural environment, global warming and sustainable economic growth. Ralph Lauren can be impacted by these factors because the company manufactures cotton clothing. With cotton it comes from various vendors, but in order for it to grow it has to have a good environment to grow in. If farmers don’t get good weather then crops may be lost and there will be no clothes for Ralph Lauren. Lastly, Legal factors capture the outcomes of the political processes and court decisions. Because Ralph Lauren is a highly noted fashion designer he is hit with lawsuits and legal issues all the time. They had to sue US Polo Association for infringement on their brand (Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, 2010). Another popular brand, Levi Strauss sued Ralph Lauren because they had similar stitching in their jeans. Also Ralph Lauren along with twenty one other major companies was sued over having sweatshops and knowing of their wrongdoings (Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, 2010). With the five forces model we can learn about the nature of completion for our company. To begin Ralph Lauren is faced with the threat of new entrants into the industry. With the rise of different trends there will always be a threat of new entrants into fashion retail. This task will be difficult and expensive because of the degree of Ralph Lauren. The company has overpowered the fashion industry by selling popular designs and creating the best styles (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005 p. 12-13). The threat of substitute products plays a big role in Ralph Lauren’s marketing strategy. Some of the company’s competitors try to market and sell new and different styles in order to increase demand, while other companies try to copy the designs of Ralph Lauren (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005 p. 12-13). So the company remains a well-known fashion designer of quality clothes and expands into other markets in order to compete. Ralph Lauren is a brand name that appeals to consumers and is very profitable. Then the bargaining power of buyers also tells the nature of competition for Ralph Lauren. The customers of the company know that when buying the company products they are buying quality. Although these brands are quite expensive, they are sold at a cheaper price at retail outlets. This bargaining power is good for consumers who have a smaller spending power than others. The bargaining power of suppliers is a bit vast for Ralph Lauren (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005 p. 12-13). Reason being they require a lot of supplies for operating the business, and get lots of bids from sellers of fabric and packaging. Also providers of cotton and other fabrics lead to a result of competition with suppliers and the company chooses the vendors with the best reasonable price (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005 p. 12-13). Lastly in the five forces model rivalry among existing firms shows the nature of competition in Ralph Lauren. According to (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005 p. 12-13) the company has several competitors, but has managed to keep a large portion of the market by introducing new designs and going into new markets. Ralph Lauren is growing and gaining more overseas retail stores. And with new technology and online retail sales, the company has gained more sales opportunities and increased development of online marketing (Johnston, Watkins, & Wright, 2005 p. 12-13). Competing with a company such as Ralph Lauren can be a difficult task. Companies in the fashion industry have noticed that this competition is hard to do. In the apparel industry along with Ralph Lauren there are other strategic groups that exist. These groups are Liz Claiborne, Jones Apparel Group, and Tommy Hilfiger. The Liz Claiborne Company is the leading competitor of Ralph Lauren. They manufacture name brands such as Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand Jeans, and Kate Spade. They have expensive brands like Ralph Lauren. Liz Claiborne is so close in competition to our company that they had revenues of $3.984 which is $1 billion less then Ralph Lauren (â€Å"Ralph Lauren’s Rivalry,† 2010). Jones Apparel owns brands such as Nine West and Easy Spirit. Their revenue was $3.6 billion which is $3 billion less than Ralph Lauren (â€Å"Ralph Lauren’s Rivalry,† 2010). Tommy Hilfiger has been Ralph Lauren’s biggest competition for twenty years. Sales began to decline because the brand wasn’t becoming as popular as the leading competitor. They had revenue sales of $3.4 billion which is $5 billion less than Ralph Lauren (â€Å"Ralph Lauren’s Rivalry,† 2010). Most of these products now are in retail stores and in private boutiques. According to (â€Å"Ralph Lauren’s Rivalry,† 2010), Tommy Hilfiger wants to try and compete with other high end fashion designers by moving away from the mainstream.

Critical period in language development Essay

The concept of a critical period is well in nature. In human beings there seems to be a critical for the first language acquisition. Research shows that any human who is not exposed to any language before puberty, becomes completely unable to the syntax of their first language later in life. From my personal experience I have learnt that any individual who learns their first language at infancy and later (at puberty) gets to move from their motherland to foreign land where no one speaks their language, no matter how long these individuals stay from home they can never forget their mother tongue. Accent may change but they will always remember their first language Here is another practical example to prove that there is a critical period in language development. I happen to be living in Africa; my bosses are Italians (man and wife) they have had to learn English and Kiswahili for easy communication with the locals. They have a five year old baby. When the baby is with her parents they always speak in their first language; when she is left behind with the nanny she is spoken to in Kiswahili all the time. The nanny knows no other language apart from her mother tongue and Kiswahili. This baby has been looked after by this same nanny since she was born. At the age of three a teacher from America was employed to teach this girl. She knew no other language but English. Now look at this closely; the baby is now very fluent in two languages; her first one Italian and her second one; Kiswahili. She is so fluent that she corrects her parents on it! She seems to be doing just fine in English for the last two years she has been taught. Interestingly her teach who is very interested in learning Kiswahili asks her enough times to translate to her in English what has been said in Kiswahili by colleagues. I would say that all depends with the stage at which the language was introduced to an individual. The stage in life. †¢ Kiswahili is a language for the East African state and some of the West African.

Understanding the Business Competitive Environment

When designing a new strategy for the company, a firm must fully analyze the respective competitive environment in order to come up with decisions that are beneficial. A company must take into account even the minutest details regarding the competitors to understand the factors driving the success of the competitors. PEST analysis, SWOT analysis and Michael Porter’s 5 forces analysis are some ways that develop an understanding of the success of the competitor firms (Porter, 1998). Some questions are given below which help the companies to understand the importance of their expertise and their operations. . How strong is the team of the members at the competitor firm? A firm must focus on their own team and work towards the exploitation of expertise of these members. The other firm may perform well because of their specialization in that field. However, at your company you should make your team strong to gain a competitive edge. 2. What are the practices (operations) adopted by the competitor firm? This helps the firm to gather knowledge on the procedures and methods adopted by the competitor firms. This knowledge helps the company in making its processes efficient in order to stay ahead in the industry and also so that the firms practices can become a benchmark. (Withrow, 2006). 3. What markets or market segments your competitors serve? This question helps the firm in realizing the markets that are being catered and the markets that can be tapped. If the company focuses on itself, it can capture the market of its competitors and create a loyal customer base for itself (Withrow, 2006). 4. What are the competitor’s products/ services prices and promotion strategy? This helps in gaining an insight about the strategies that the companies adopt in order to capture the market. The firm must focus on improving its strategies of cost cutting and adopting to the technological changes so that it can remain ahead of the competition. (Ward, n. d. ) 5. Why customers buy from your competitors? The answer to this question tells about the added value that customers receive as a result of using the competitor products. The firm must focus on providing best services to the customers so that they remain loyal.

Creative Spark Talk Analysis Essay

Creativity is a subject that is very disputable amongst psychologists. Psychologists have argued on a definition for the word creativity for many years now. Regardless of what most psychologists chose to think now, most believe that it is a creative act no matter big or small that is unusual and most likely become very useful to society. The video I watched was by John Bohannon and dancers from the Black Label Movement. The name of the video is tilted â€Å"Dance vs. PowerPoint†, a modest proposal and was filmed at TEDxBrussels, which was also posted in November 2011. John explains in this video how one of his friends tried to tell him about a science experiment and just simply couldn’t. His friend finally explains what the experiment was about to John, and then he tells his friend that â€Å"Maybe next time if you had dancers to try to better explain it will be much easier. He then tells his friend that numerous scientists have started using dancers to describe many d ifferent scientific things simply because it is more sufficient. Dancing PHD is the group of scientists that have started using dancers to explain various things. He starts to explains why it would be more productive to use dancers and instead of PowerPoint presentations. John then gives an explanation on how it is a waste of cash, eventually getting rid of PowerPoint and replacing them with dancers. John even expresses that by using this method even the government could better explain things, therefore making it more understandable to our fellow Americans. Such as things like why are we invading other countries? The talk that Mr. John Bohannon describes does prove a valid point and it does throw a light on some of the stages of creativity. He has done his proper research and makes it very clear on why his solution to PowerPoint could be very productive. John showing more creativity thinking beyond the box, he even has some dancers performing while he is talking so that he quickly proves his point. Curiosity and imagination were used to determine a resolution because dancers would’ve seemed incredible before seeing the actual presentation. Mr. Bohannon was obviously eager to know and see how dancers worked and once seeing it all in motion he ha d a better interpretation towards it. Without his imagination, and thoughts of how dancers and different situations could be put together John would’ve never come up with something as this genius idea. He definitely had to put in a lot of effort, plenty of time and eventually will have to put his ideas on paper to see it active. Sometimes the mind can be very tricky which can make it very hard to put thoughts onto something concrete but once has it will be all worth it. Sharing with the world a different view of things benefits everyone and there will be many key facts from it. From my personal experience PowerPoint’s are easy but can definitely end up being very boring. Even when I was in the military I have had to sit through plenty of them and that got old very fast. Now attending College I also had to put them together and present them. Personally I think the dancers could work better to describe a certain subject or topic but not all the time. Don’t get me wrong some topics should just be left as power points but using dancers on some matters or discussions may be easier to explain. Using dancers could truly benefit in society as a unit then kids in elementary co uld learn easier and this would allow them to use their curiosity and imagination more often. Without having creative minds surrounding us continuously thinking, we would not be the society we are today. We might even live in a different country or the country we do live would’nt have developed the way it did. Numerous people minimize their thinking skills and say no to thinking more than they claim they need too. Each and every person is one of a kind and if they share their thoughts and ideas they could potentially benefit our society as a unit. Doing the least just to get by and not continuously thinking of better and simple ideas only hurts yourself and you are minimized to what you can accomplish. Reference Bohannon, J. (2011, November). Dance Vs. Powerpoint, a modest proposal. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/playlists/11/the_creative_spark

The Soft-Beverage Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Soft-Beverage Industry - Essay Example From this essay it is clear that  soft drink industries as have been noted are those firms that develop, manufacture, and market the carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. The main industries in the current market are the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo (Hooley and Saunders. These two occupies the largest share of the market then they are followed by Dr. Pepper, who holds a moderate amount of market share.   These companies operate on a global scale and have markets in more than 200 countries globally. The soft-beverage has a very wide scope of operation and in the United States; the industry generates revenue amounting to approximately $28 billion annually according to the report by IBIS World.This study discusses that  despite the continued success in the soft drink industries, the companies is also being faced with challenges that have led to a heavy decline in their sales, especially among the United States consumers. It is noted that the volumes of soft drinks being sold i n the United States markets have been on the decline since 1998 due to the fall in its consumption in the country. The fall has been from its peak in 1998 at 864 eight-ounce servings to 675 servings in the year 2013, and this represented a general drop in the sales volume of about 22%. Crowther notes that the huge drop has been attributed by the sudden change in the consumer tastes and preferences in the country.  

Kansas city History museum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Kansas city History museum - Research Paper Example what was formerly the Conservatory, the Carriage House where the previous owner’s daughter Loula Long Combs displayed her trophies from being a famous equestrienne, and the Corinthian Hall, which is a four-story residence housing seventy rooms. At present, both the Carriage House and Corinthian Hall are closed to the public for renovation (Leathem nd Smith 8). Still, even if there are active renovations going on, the site is still open daily to accept visitors. Visitors need only go to the Museum Visitor Center so the museum can provide guides for visitors who are knowledgeable in the history of Kansas City and the family background of the previous owners of the land. At the StoryTarium, there is frequent showing of films with historical value, like Bad Blood, which is a classic pre-Civil war film.  Around the museum property, there are colorful informational sections showing the expected outcome of the renovations being done at the Carriage House and the Corinthian Hall. There are regular picnickers who frequent the place to stay at the open areas and just enjoy the sight of Kansas City’s cityscape. The long’s residence was completed in 1910 and the family lived there for 24 years. Robert Long’s two daughters were already married and living in separate homes, while his wife died in 1928. When Robert Long passed away in 1934, a two-day auction was held. After that, nobody occupied the house until five years later when the Kansas City Museum Association formed the museum in 1939 and held its grand opening in May 1940. Kansas City earned the property’s title in 1948, and in 1967, tax collection was established to fund the museum’s operations. In 1980, the property was listed under the National Register of Historic Places. The museum’s staff is comprised mostly of dedicated individual volunteers of the Musettes and the Women’s Division. They worked tirelessly in education, fundraising, exhibits, and collection development either on-site or within the

Logical Fallacies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Logical Fallacies - Essay Example Furthermore, the expression â€Å"Ultraboost† falsely implies that the shoe automates individuals to run yet we know that people use energy to move. Therefore, the advertisement gives false and unachievable hope. The third ad is from Nike’s website but still, targets sports people. Nike air zoom structure 19 claims that it is so fast with not shaking hence increasing stability. Fundamentality, the message aims at convincing sports persons that the shoe provides suitable cushioning, which enhances stability during sports activities. However, the stability it claims to offer is in not clear. For instance, can it be stable against fire or severe knocking of stone? Furthermore, the expression â€Å"so fast† refers to something in motion. The audience cannot explicitly understand what â€Å"so quickly.† is, some may interpret it that the shoe possesses the locomotive power that makes wearers run while using them. In conclusion, the three advertisements aim to convince sports individuals to use their shoe brands. Both Nike and Adidas present the products on the basis that they facilitate locomotion, especially running and stability aspects of sports. However, the messages contain errors that might cause misinterpretation. In other words, target audience might buy the products for the wrong reason if they do not think through the advertisement statements well. In brief, the message spread across portrays the audience as individuals who run, use a lot of energy, and require stability as well.

Human Trafficking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Trafficking - Assignment Example Under the federal rule, coerced work is a harsh outline of trafficking people. Most victims of human trafficking are taken for labor purposes. For example, some could be recruited to run errands in construction sites. Others, especially children could be taken for home servitude, sexual use or labor. Human trafficking for sexual purpose is common and most children, close to 70% are trafficked for sexual exploitation (Gozdziak & Bump, 2008, 6). The stern types of trafficking individuals are distinct. One, sex trafficking: in this case a profitable sex act is induced by power, coercion and fraud in which the individual is pressurized to perform such act. The other form human trafficking is through the recruitment, transportation, provision, or getting the person for work via the use of fraud or pressure with the aim of subjecting him to involuntary servitude. In addition, a person is also subjected to peonage or slavery (Armaline et al. 2013). However, human trafficking can also happen in work circumstances such as home servitude, immigrant farming and labor in a person-like plant. Whether an action falls in the description of trafficking is based on the kind of labor for the victim and the use of force and coercion to get or retain the work. The exception is that the human trafficking covers the utilization of small children for profitable sexual actions even when there is no fraud or force (Armaline et al. 2013). Human trafficking also involves individuals who are detained against their will to pay off arrears. A victim’s original accord to tour or do the work does not permit the boss later limit the individual’s liberty. In addition, the agreement should not also let the employer restrict the worker’s liberty by use of threats or force to get refunds. In the United States, the full measurements of the challenge of human trafficking are hard to gauge. However, it is clear that human trafficking is a key basis

COMPUTER RESEARCH PAPER (YOU PICK TOPIC) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

COMPUTER (YOU PICK TOPIC) - Research Paper Example Our way of life, due to the technology provided by this advancement, will never be the same. It is fascinating that although a majority of people are familiar with computers, the concepts behind how they actually work have not been duly given emphasis, especially on how computer memory works. According to Hamacher, et.al. (1990), â€Å"memory is the part of the computer that holds data and instructions for processing. Although closely associated with the central processing unit, memory is separate from it. Memory stores program instructions or data for only as long as the program they pertain to is in operation.† Most people have interchangeably used memory with other terms such as primary storage, primary memory, main storage, internal storage, main memory, and RAM (Random Access Memory) (Pfleeger 2000). However, it is important to note that memory has many classifications or types, of which RAM, falls under it. Hard disks provide large quantities of inexpensive, permanent storage. Because storage space on a hard disk is so cheap and plentiful, it forms the final stage of a CPUs memory hierarchy, called virtual memory. The next level of the hierarchy is RAM. Accordingly, Tyson emphasized that â€Å"a computers system RAM alone is not fast enough to match the speed of the CPU that is why you need a cache. Caches are designed to alleviate this bottleneck by making the data used most often by the CPU instantly available. This is accomplished by building a small amount of memory, known as primary or level 1 cache, right into the CPU.† CPUs with diverse features differ in speed and accessibility of containing a specific amount of data or information. Those CPUs which are faster and more powerful need quick and easy access to large amounts of data in order to maximize their performance. Frenzel (2004) averred that â€Å"if the CPU cannot get to

Research Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Argument - Essay Example Admittedly the various crimes for which execution was the verdict have been brought down in recent times. Also the methods of execution (quartering, boiling, and impaling to name a few) have been made less barbaric in the recent years. However whether death penalty should be allowed a place in our law at all is a much debated point. Two thirds of the countries around the world have completely abolished capital punishment for any crime. Many countries have even abolished it as late as 2008: Uzbekistan for one did so on 1st January 2008. The European Union is also firm in its stand against death penalty. Currently though 60 countries retain the use of the same for certain crimes like premeditated murder while others retain death penalty but have not executed anyone within a span of 10 years (â€Å"Death penalty: Abolitionist and Retentionist countries†). The United States has been under fire from various fronts regarding the large number of executions since 1976, the year during which death penalty was reinstated in the country. The support in the nation against death penalty is steadily on the rise. Yet there is a strong belief among quite a large population that the only punishment fit for a person who has taken the life of another is death itself and no less. A legal scholar, writes, â€Å"Abolitionists appear to value the life of a convicted murderer or, at least, his non-execution, more highly than they value the lives of the innocent victims who might be spared by deterring prospective murderers.† (van den Haag). In certain cases like that of Timothy McVeigh, where the convict shows no remorse for his heinous crimes it seems like death penalty is the only fitting verdict that can be pronounced. Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to death and executed on 11 April 2006 for the attack on a federal building in Oklahoma. He was responsible for the death of 168 individuals, including 19

Marketing channel proposal for bank of America Essay

Marketing channel proposal for bank of America - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that marketing channels are important to a firm’s distribution objectives. The first is specialization and the second is contractual efficiency. The principle of specialization refers to the assignment of distribution tasks to firms that possess the necessary expertise. The paper presents the opening a 200 branch retail network embedded within the BS network. The marketing channel has two important parts: the physical distribution structure that moves a product from the manufacturer to the consumer or user and the consequent marketing structure that is established as a part of the channel of distribution to ensure the manufacturer that all marketing objectives are accomplished. The primary marketing objective of Bank of America is to profitably reach as many potential consumers of their products as soon as possible. The bank branch remains a viable and important delivery channel for retail banking customers and is the primary locatio n for new product sales. The Bank of America still expresses a need for the traditional bank branch. The advantages of a retail bank branch are security, branch business productivity and continuity, financial transactions, risk management, compliance with new regulations and preserving customer trust by building customer trust. Moreover, a bank branch can implement multiple sales promotions the whole year through sales contests and incentives; and special promotional deals (e.g., discounts offered during a specified period of time). Pull promotions are directed at end-use customers and are designed to encourage them to request a product from channel members such as wholesalers, retailers, or both. OPTION II. Utilising an internet only channel for its current account product. An internet only channel is an electronic marketing channel which enables clients to use banking and other financial services by employing various information technologies with no need for a direct contact with a bank clerk. This electronic banking is faster, better and cheaper.Bank of America can build a whole marketing strategy around high technology and quality. The issue of quality is a goal and a bond among all corporate functions. To exploit commitment opportunities, the bank can preempt its competitors. The business, however, has to be especially wary of environmental changes that can erode the value of its early investments. Size is beneficial only when there are compelling advantages to being large, such as economies of scale, scope, or experience. Advantages through preferred access to resources, information, or customers can give a business a sustainable advantage that is independent of Bank of America will inform their clients of the time schedule within which they can order individual services and the time of execution of orders for each individual state-of-the-art electronic marketing channel. Consequently, there will be trade-offs. Greater convenience increases security risks, and greater complexity reduces convenience. OPTION III. Adoption of the current MBNA model which focuses on the telephone as the core channel for its credit card, loans and insurance services. The challenge for banks is to create value and to retain control over their customers. Telephone service is crucial for banks. Telephone service enables wire transfers, automated clearing house transactions, automated teller machine transactions and inquiries, remote processing, and teller terminals located in branches but connected to an off-site host computer. It also fosters the numerous bank functions that rely on voice connections. However, the telephone as a core service and marketing channel for the bank suffers from specific weaknesses. One, when there is no electricity, there is no telephone service. Second, telephone outages which result from natural disasters can cut off bank transactions for a given period of time. In order to improve customer service, the bank can offer

Sources of Funds for Businesses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sources of Funds for Businesses - Assignment Example Owners’ investment: - This is funds generated from the owner's savings, they are pillars of many small businesses.   Owner’s investments are used in most cases where your business doesn't have the assets to invest. Retained earnings:-This source of funds is only obtainable for a business which has been in operation for more than one year. It’s an easy source of internal funding because this is when returns made are reinvested back into the business. It’s a medium to a long-term source of funds. Debt Collection: - A business can increase its funding by collecting debts from their debtors, however not all business has debtors thus this form is not applicable to all businesses. It’s a short-term source of funding a business. Bank Overdraft:-This is where a financial institution permits an entity to take out additional cash than it has in its savings. This means that a company may still write cheques even with no money in their accounts. It’s a short-term source of funds and can be very expensive if used over longer periods (Gregoriou, Kooli & Kraussll, 2007). Hire Purchase:-This technique allows a business to get assets without the necessity to pay larger amounts. Involves paying the first deposit and even payments for a certain period; it’s a medium-term source of funds Mortgage:-This is a credit held on the property, payable in installments over a particular period of time usually 25 years. After the final payment, a business will officially own the property. It’s a long-term source of funds. Corporations can rely on both internal and external sources of funds because both have their advantages and disadvantages. However, many corporations today rely on external funds due to the following reasons Most business needs finances to grow. Even companies with greater returns cannot rely only on reinvested earnings to finance their operations. Hence, a business is required to secure bank loans, partner with other companies or any other way to raise external funds. (Smart, Megginson & Graham, 2010).  

If I Could Tell You Essay Essay Example for Free

If I Could Tell You Essay Essay TimeTime, said to be eternal, possess neither a beginning nor an end. Yet however there is a fixation on being able to measure it in years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds. Trying to save time with new technology, manage time with multi-tasking activities. All in the hopes of giving meanings to the past, present and future. The past is able to been seen but not changed, today is in the present yet still unpredictable, and tomorrow is not guaranteed. If I Could Tell You by W. H. Auden is a villanelle much like others using rhyme, repetition, and meter, that revolve around the main idea of the continuity time and its unforeseeable nature. The rhyming of the alternating ending lines, â€Å"Time will say nothing but I told you so† (1) and â€Å"If I could tell you I would let you know† (3) keep the rhyme scheme which stays on the central themes. â€Å"Time will say nothing but i told you so† shows that time keeps going, because this is a statement. Although the things of the future are unforeseeable, it is guaranteed that in the end the only one who will know what will happen is Time. â€Å"If I could tell you I would let you know† show how unforeseeable Time is. Auden knows that he can not see into the future, which is why he says â€Å"If I could †. These two phrases depict the speakers understanding of the continuity of time even though he shows to have a desire to know ahead of time what to do before certain events. The villanelle itself has a rhythm as a whole through periodical thinking. The beginning shows how Time does not wait for anything or anyone, â€Å"nothing but I told you so†. He later goes on to question Time in the second stanza and if we should fight back, which is why he says â€Å"weep when clowns put on their show† and â€Å"stumble when musicians play† which are juxtapositions since these actions are not likely given the circumstances. The third stanza shows the shift as he begins to understand that Time is necessary and things have to happen for a reason, â€Å"the winds must come from somewhere†. In the fourth stanza his train of thought is nearing a conclusion as he begins to wonder if not only do things have to happen, but are they meant to happen for the greater good, â€Å"Perhaps the roses really want to grow†. The ending shows Audens maturity throughout the villanelle and ends with â€Å"If I could tell you I would let you know † stating that Time is out of his hands, but it is acceptable and if there was anyway he could help, he would. Throughout the villanelle, time is personified and introduced to the reader as an unreliable character, through. Auden blames Time for unwanted changes in life, and he repeats the line because he observes that all changes, even those that are unintentional, come with Time. The repetition of Time at the end of the stanza rather than the beginning or end display how eternal time is. The first part of each stanza question Time, but all ends with â€Å"Time will say nothing but I told you so†, explaining that whatever Auden thinks or observes, will all be part of the past in the future. Much like poetry as a whole, used to express emotion and speechless opinions, the villanelle is almost perfect fitting for the theme of time. A villanelles structure alone portrays almost a near exhibition of time. Through the first five stanzas, a villanelle is predictable with tercets although the last stanza is a quatrain. This depiction could be metaphorical that time can be planned although in the end, everything may not come to together as hoped. The meter only emphasises this metaphor more by breaking the alternating line in each of the tercets before at the end. Audens desire to be able to match time is emphasized by the repetition of two phrases by the structure of the poem, which in itself helps portray the author’s idea about times continuity and its unforeseeable nature.

Performance Management Cycle Properties

Performance Management Cycle Properties The performance management cycle is a premiere technique used by many companies to guide their performance management system. It is regarded as a continuous, future oriented and participative system; as an ongoing cycle of criteria setting, monitoring, informal feedback from supervisors and peer, formal multisource assessment, diagnosis and review action planning and development resourcing (Bach1999; Williams 2002). The Performance Management cycle involves a continuous learning process as stated by Kaufman, R., Thiagarajan, S., MacGillis, P.1997 Performance is not a one shot process, it is ongoing. The continuous improvement and quality management process is vital. An organisations survival depends on it to be done correctly and consistently. Though the above authors identified that it is a continuous process Bach1999; Williams 2002 went on to say that it is far more than a simple process, there are many facets of this cycle. The Performance Management cycle comprises of planning, monitoring, developing, rating and rewarding and back to planning again Neely (1998), but on the other hand, many view performance management to be one step process of appraising the individual only, but as the following cycle explains there is more to performance management than appraising. This cycle provides a framework to help organisations and employees better manage the process of performance management which aids in the future success of the organisation. This research will analyse each aspect of this cycle to assess how it relates to the processes being used at AATT. Performance Management Cycle PLANNING The first step of this continuous cycle is to plan. Planning entails developing and setting performance objectives. Armstrong (2004:488) defines objectives as what organizations, functions, departments and individuals are expected to achieve over a period of time. It is important that company values and goals used as the basis for goal setting be understood and communicated to all employees and managers. Objectives, or goals, are the foundation for good performance. These objectives are used to provide a well thought-out approach to the achievement of the desired performance level for individuals and teams. Employees are usually involved in the planning process, this helps them understand their goals of the organization, what needs to be done; why it needs to be done and how well it should be done. Many companies involve their employees in the process so they can identify and understand the required behaviours. This enables the company to produce plans to meet the objectives of the company and enhance the knowledge, skills and competencies, also reinforcing desired behaviours. This was reinforced by Ducker (1954), He stated that the planning process typically done by senior managers should be prepared by all employee, they should partake in the strategic planning process which would give the employees a sense of ownership and responsibility to fulfil their objectives. Drucker (1954) also contradicted his statement by saying managers are responsible for achieving results. However the researcher is of the opinion that the planning phase should not be left to the managers alone as the employee are the lifeline of an organisation and careful planning and involvement of the employee will encourage them to work along their seniors to foster a successful company. An analysis will be conducted to identify whether this step currently is being enforced at AATT and if the result of this is clear and concise objectives. Monitoring Monitoring entails continuously measuring performance and its effectiveness in achieving the organisation set objectives in the planning process. It also allows the company to update and refine any current and future demands which may arise. This enables the organisation to stay on the right part. During the monitoring phase, its important to keep notes. Document both positive and negative performance issues, and make notes consistently throughout the performance management cycle. Specific instances should be looked at when employees meet and exceed expectations, and when they fall short of performance goals. These notes should be objective, job-related and accurate, focusing on behavior and void of personal option and emotion. Based on these findings the supervisor will be able to identify the employees strengths and shortcomings. The shortcomings are then addressed in the developmental stage of the performance cycle. Development At the development stage the developmental needs of the employee are assessed and addressed. This phase focuses on the improvement of current knowledge and skills and also on the development of new ones. This improvement is done via coaching; training and giving assignments that challenges the employee to take on more responsibility which improves their skills and ability. At This development stage many companies offer training and developmental opportunities to their employees but on the other hand some companies completely disregard this stage of the performance management cycle as they see it as the employees responsibility to further their development and also they avoid the costliness of training programs. The researcher will look at how AATT assess and implements this phase and the employees reactions to implemented training programs. Appraising This phase of the cycle is most synonymous with performance management. It is regularly regarded as the only step in performance management, though this is not the case. At this phase in the cycle the employee is assessed on their performance. When used correctly, performance appraisals can be powerful career development tool and help a company retain its current workforce by boosting performance and morale. According to Flippo (1984) performance appraisal is the systematic, periodic and an impartial rating of an employees excellence in the matters pertaining to his present job and his potential for a better job. As stated this phase enables the company to measure the employee performance and assess if they are meeting the objectives set out at the planning phase, it also allows the company to identify the employee weaknesses, strengthens, and opportunities for further development/ promotion. He also went on to point out that it should be unbiased, this is of great concern for many e mployees as they something feels that the evaluator is prejudiced and they cannot highlight their concerns. The following factors are critical for an effective performance appraisal, these are: proper documentation, Clear cut objectives and goals, Simple understandable evaluation format, evaluation technique, communication and feedback. Picket (2003 pp 237-240) states that the performance review continues in many organisations despite evidence that it has the potential to be one of the most effective management tools in the entire kit. However, according to Steers and Black (1994), performance appraisal is one of the most important and often one of the most mishandled aspects of management. This scenario is one of great concern considering the importance of the evaluator to the success of the appraisal process; Imundo (1993 p158) stated that it is an inherent responsibility of those in managerial positions to pass judgment on what employees do with respect to meeting job requirements. He went on to say While individual employees are responsible for their own performance, it is supervisors who should shoulder overall responsibility for the performance of the unit under their direction. In light of the above, in todays organisation many managers have little or no training concerning the evaluation of employees. As a result of this lack of training supervisors are not equipped to provide proper assessment and effective feedback. Therefore sometimes employees are left up to the own initiative to manage their department and personal performance. Recent studies suggest that organizations fail to conduct effective rigorous, skills-based training and rater training with their managers (Fink, and Longenecker, 1998). Torrington and Hall (1991) stressed that appraisers need training on how to appraise and how to conduct appraisal interviews. However, many organisations stray from this and they provide the manager with the appraisal forms and instructions on how to complete the form and the rating schemes. This procedure currently utilized by organisations underhands the appraisal process. However, Bacal (2001 p 201) states that: Performance appraisal isnt about the forms. The ultimate purpose of performance appraisal is to allow employees and managers to improve continuously and to remove barriers to job success, in other words, to make everyone better. Forms dont make people better, and are simply a way of recording basic information for later reference. If the focus is getting the forms done, without thought and effort, the whole process becomes at best a waste of time, and at worst, insulting. Bacal highlighted that the mundane process of form filling is not what an appraisal is all about, you have to look at the bigger picture which is the successful attainment of the organisations strategic objectives and the success of the organisation. There are many techniques and methods to performance appraisal such as the traditional methods and the Morden methods. These are highlighted below: Traditional Methods Description Morden methods Description ESSAY APPRAISAL METHOD BEHAVIORALLY ANCHORED RATING SCALES(BARS) STRAIGHT RANKING METHOD HUMAN RESOURCE ACCOUNTING METHOD PAIRED COMPARISON 360-Degree-Performance-Appraisal Method CRITICAL INCIDENTS METHODS Management By Objectives(MBO) Method FIELD REVIEW CHECKLIST METHOD GRAPHIC RATING SCALE FORCED DISTRIBUTION The researcher will assess the above methods and examine the different approaches and methodologies which relates to Performance Management at AATT. If these factors are adhered to, they assist the company in formulating strategies for the employee future promotion and rewards. Rewarding The final phase in the cycle is rewarding. At the rewarding phase, the employee or team is recognized and acknowledged with regards to their ability to attain the organisations set objectives in the planning phase. These rewards may be monetary, non-monetary, such as praising the employee for a job well done, and promotions. The researcher will assess if and how AATT determines reward. What Should organisations manage? The most widely recognized and implemented approach to measure performance is the Balanced Scorecard Approach. This is now widely used as a strategy development and execution tool .This approach was developed by Kaplan and Norton (1992, 1996), it provides a system of aligning business actions to the vision and strategy of the organization, improving internal and external communications, and monitoring organization performance against strategic goals it focuses on measurement and evaluation using criteria that will provide a balanced view rather than using only the financial criteria. The four perspectives which Kaplan and Norton recommended that managers assess their employees on are: The financial perspective -This perspective measures the financial outcomes of the organisation. These may include profits, new commercial business ventures or it can be result based. The customers perspective An organisation success depends on their customers, as such, this perspective measures the customers satisfaction and their perception of the organisation. The data collected allows the organisation to gauge if they are effectively satisfying their customers needs and if there is a need for further improvement. The internal business perspective This perspective focuses on the organizations critical internal operations which enable the organisation to attain customer satisfaction. It includes the infrastructure, long and short term goals and objectives, organisational procedures, and human resources. The innovation and learning perspective This perspective cover the organisations ability to innovate, learn, and improve. This links directly with the values of the organisation. For the Balanced scorecard approach to be effective the manager should have the capability to observe and take note of several instruments and measures concurrently. It is frequently stated that one of the main benefits of the Balanced Scorecard, is that is translates strategy into action. However, despite its popularity Norreklit (2003) questioned the existence of a causal relationship between the different perspectives, the fact that this system does not address the needs and wants of all the stakeholders of a company; and the lack of theory behind the scorecard concept. Notwithstanding this criticism the balance scorecard approach has proven to be an appropriate tool to address the organisation performance and if the four perspectives are properly assessed in the end the company and their stakeholders will benefit from their success. As part of this research the researcher will use this universally known model to assess the performance measurement system at AATT. Performance management as a motivational tool. Understand each individuals motivations and triggers can assist an organisation to motivate their employee to perform at their maximum potential. Performance management is constantly associated with theories of motivation. There are several written motivational theories in literature, with the most popular being; Taylor (1890, 1911) Scientific Management, Maslows (1954) needs hierarchy theory, Locke and Ladham (1968, 1990) goal setting theory, Herzbergs 1957 two-factors theory, and Vroom 1964 expectancy theory. Frederick Winslow Taylor (1890, 1911), put forward the idea that workers are motivated mainly by pay. His Theory of Scientific Management argued that workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control; therefore managers should break down production into a series of small tasks. Workers should then be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as possible on one set task. Workers are then paid according to the number of items they produce in a set period of time- piece-rate pay. As a result workers are encouraged to work hard and maximise their productivity. However this approach became repetitive and insulting to the workers as they felt like they were being treated like human machines. This theory is often linked to Macgregors two fundamental approaches to managing people, theory X and theory Y, namely theory X which speaks to employees being self-serving, unwilling to take on responsibility and essentially only working for money. It follows an authoritarian management style. On the other hand theory Y speaks to a participative management style saying work is as natural as rest or play, without the threat of punishment people will work to pursue organizational objectives and people accept and seek out responsibility, which is what the performance management cycle is all about, including the employee in the process. Elton Mayo went against those theories saying that workers are not just concerned with money but could be better motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work. This factor was ignored by Taylor. Mayo introduced the Human Relation School of thought, which focused on managers actively communicating to their employees, and treating them as individuals who have meaningful opinions. His theory most aligns with the paternalistic management style and incorporates elements of the performance management cycle, whereby employees are encouraged to give their opinion and work alongside management. Abraham Maslow (1954) in conjunction with Frederick Herzberg 1957 introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s, which focused on the psychological needs of employees. Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. These are identified in the figure below. It is a bottom up approach, he identified that if certain need cannot be met the person will not be motivated to move on to the other level. Whereas, Hertzbergs two-factor theory are hygiene factors and motivator factors. Hygiene factors speak to the need for a business to avoid unpleasantness at work. If these factors are inadequate for employees, they therefore can cause discontent at work. Hygiene factors include: Company policies and administration Wages, salaries and other financial remuneration Quality of supervision Quality of inter-personal relations Working conditions Feelings of job security Motivator factors are based on the individual need for personal development. When they exist, motivator factors actively create job satisfaction. If they are effective, then they can motivate an individual to achieve above-average performance and effort. Motivator factors include: Status Opportunity for advancement Gaining recognition Responsibility Challenging / stimulating work Sense of personal achievement personal growth in a job There are similarities between Maslow (1954) and Frederick Herzberg theories; they both suggest that needs have to be satisfied for the employee to be motivated. However, Herzberg argues that only the higher levels of the Maslow Hierarchy (e.g. self-actualisation, esteem needs) act as a motivator. The remaining needs can only cause dissatisfaction if not addressed. (Motivation in theory n.d.) These motivational theories can be applied to a wide range of management functions, but these will be used by the researcher to fulfil her objective of determine the Performance Management process as it relates to the motivation of employees in the workplace and how it is implemented in the organization and the impact it has on the motivation of employees. This chapter outlined literature key to the researchers study of performance management as it relates to AATT. The following chapter will address the methodologies the researcher will utilize to ascertain her objectives. Drucker, P., The Practice of Management, Harper, New York, 1954; Heinemann, London, 1955; revised edn, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007 The Economist Guide to Management Ideas and Gurus, by Tim Hindle Flippo, E. B. 1984. Personnel management. 6th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. Steers, R.M. Black, J.S. 1994. Organizational behaviour. Ed. ke-5. New York: Harper Collins. Grote, R.C. Grote, D. 2002. The performance appraisal question and answer book: a survival guide for managers. AMACOM. Les Pickett, (2003) Transforming the annual fiasco, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 35 Iss: 6, pp.237 240 Armstrong, M Baron, A 2005, Managing performance: Performance management in action. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Weiss, Tracey B., and Franklin Hartle, Reengineering Performance Management, Breakthroughs in Achieving Strategy Through People, St. Lucie Press, Boca Raton, 1997. Pg 3-6 Kaufman, R. (1997). A Strategic Planning Framework: Mega Planning. In Kaufman, R., Thiagarajan, S., MacGillis, P. (Editors), The Handbook for Performance Improvement. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer Co/Division of Jossey-Bass Laurence S. Fink, Clinton Oliver Longenecker, (1998) Training as a performance appraisal improvement strategy, Career Development International, Vol. 3 Iss: 6, pp.243 251 Douglas Maxx, Robert Bacall. 2001. Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews 2/E. McGraw-Hill Professional p 201. Neely A., Adams C. and Kennerley M, (2002), The Performance Prism: The Scorecard for Measuring and Managing Business Success, London, UK: Financial Times Prentice Hall Norreklit, H. (2003), The Balanced Scorecard: What Is the Score? 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