Gen 105: Final Project: Student Survival Guide

Axia’s educational resources have been a great help to me throughout this course. The three educational resources covered in this course was, Downloading files for use on your machine or portable device, Navigating the University Library, and Identifying key information within articles. Being able to download reading materials onto cell phones, and MP3 players, improves the quality of the educational experience. Axia College provides other technological tools as well, such as: audio appendixes, digital stories, and tutorials. I myself prefer the audio appendixes and digital stories because when I am able to hear things I seem to be able to learn and remember it better. I’m also able to write better notes, and do better on my assignments without having to keep looking back and searching through the reading materials. The University Library has also helped me a great deal during the course. I prefer using it over going to a traditional library because all I have to do is log onto my student website, click on the library tab, then click on the University Library tab, next all I have to do is type in a keyword to the subject I am looking for. The University Library also has a link so you can send a message to a librarian too. So in my opinion the University Library is better than a traditional library because it has all the same things without you having to leave your house. This course also taught me how to identify key information within articles. Look for different fonts, like bold, italic, or underlined words. Also, words that are different colors. Upholding Academic Honesty was something that I will use during my whole college experience. Three educational resources covered in this course are Understanding Axia’s academic honesty policy, Understanding consequences of plagiarism, and Avoiding plagiarism. To find Axia’s academic honest policy, go to the materials tab, and then click on polices at the left side of your screen. It basically states that the students and instructors all agree to use their own work and not to plagiarize. The consequences of plagiarism are pretty simple, you could fail the assignment and the course, get suspended, or even expelled from the University. Some ways to avoid plagiarism are: *Crediting Authors and Sources, you should make notes of your source as you go. *Know the difference between a quotation and a paraphrase. *Use a citation for an acceptable paraphrase. *Understand that a paper that consists primarily of quoted material from other sources is not considered an original work. *Understand that lifting material off the Internet is plagiarism. *Solicit Feedback. *Citing Sources. (Effective Writing Communicating Your Message. ) Setting and Achieving Goals is actually something that I thought I knew everything about, and wouldn’t be able to learn anything else. I was wrong! The three educational resources that were covered in this course were, identifying long-and short-term educational and career goals, How to reach goals despite obstacles, and how an Axia degree relates to goals. I knew what long-term goals meant and what my long-term goals were; and I also knew what short-term goals meant, and what mine were. Identifying both my long and short-term educational and career goals was pretty easy. My long-term educational goal is to graduate from University Of Phoenix with my Associates Degree in Psychology. My long-term career goal is to use my degree to be a drug councilor. My short-term educational goals are to do all my assignments and participation on time and post them on time each week. Reaching my goals despite obstacles is what I need to work on. I need to prioritize my goals. Anticipate any problems that may accrue, and make a list of things to do if those problems to arise so it doesn’t mess with me meeting my goal. Such as, me not doing well in a class for a couple weeks; then for the remainder of that class I will work extra hard, and make sure to bring my grade up. Managing Time Wisely is a topic I’m very glad we covered in this course. The three educational resources are balancing time between courses at Axia, Juggling school, work, and family responsibilities, and Prioritizing and avoiding time-wasters. I’m a single mother of a two year old little girl, so it can get very hectic at my house. Every time I get on the computer to log onto my student website she will jump right in the middle of my computer and me. I usually have to wait until she is asleep before I can do any work. That means I am up most of the time at 3:00AM and 4:00AM and get up with my daughter at 7:00AM or 8:00AM. It’s very hard! There was an activity that we did, it was Appendix F : Time Management Log. The log had from 6:00AM to 9:30PM down the first column, the second was labeled â€Å"Activities†, and the third â€Å"Comments/observations. This assignment really helped me a lot to see what I was spending my time on, and to figure out how I could change that. Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention helped be able to read the materials faster, and understand it too. The two educational resources in this course was Using reading comprehension echniques for successful reading, and Using SQ3R and other study habits. Some reading comprehension techniques for successful reading are find somewhere to read that is quite and you won’t be distracted, make yourself concentrate on what your reading, look ahead in the reading to see what’s next, become emotionally involved with what your reading, and define your reading purpose. SQ3R really helped me with my reading as signments. Skim, Question, Read, Recite, Review. When I have to read something new I use SQ3R. It really helps me to remember and learn the material. Applying Personality and Learning Styles was a lesson I found very interesting. The three educational resources for this course was, Using your personality type for distance learning success, Developing your multiple intelligences, Relating to others who have different personality types and intelligences. My personality type was an organizer, and that helps me in distance learning because I keep everything for each class separate so it’s easier to find, I also keep an agenda with my assignments wrote down for each class, and two dry erase boards one for each class.

Pulse Polio

Pulse Polio Pulse Polio is an immunization campaign established by the government of India in 1995-96 to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio) in India by vaccinating all children under the age of five years against polio virus. This project deals with the ways to fight poliomyelitis through a large scale immunization programme, co-operating with various international institutions, state governments and Non Governmental Organizations. In India, vaccination against Polio started in 1978 with Expanded Program in Immunization (EPI). By 1984, it was successful in covering around 40% of all infants, giving 3 doses of OPV to each.In 1985, the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) was launched to cover all the districts of the country. UIP became a part of child safe and survival motherland program (CSSM) in 1992 and Reproductive and Child Health Program (RCH) in 1997. This program led to a significant increase in coverage, up to 95%. The number of reported cases of polio also declined from 28,757 during 1987 to 3,265 in 1995. In 1995, following the Polio Eradication Initiative of World Health Organization (1988), India launched Pulse Polio Immunization Program along with Universal Immunization Program which aimed at 100% coverage.In 2012, India was declared free of polio by WHO. Key objectives The Pulse Polio Initiative (PPI) aims at covering every individual in the country. It aspires to reach even children in remote communities through an improved social mobilization plan. [1] †¢Not a single child should miss the immunization, leaving no chance of polio occurrence. †¢Cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) to be reported in time and stool specimens of them to be collected within 14 days. Outbreak Response Immunization (ORI) to be conducted as early as possible. †¢Maintaining high level of surveillance. Performance of good mop-up operations where polio has disappeared. †¢India to be polio-free by 2005. [1] Steps involved †¢Setting up of booths in al l parts of the country. [1] †¢Initializing walk-in cold rooms, freezer rooms, deep freezers, ice-lined refrigerators and cold boxes for ensuring steady supply of vaccine to booths. †¢Arranging employees, volunteers and vaccines. †¢Ensuring vaccine vial monitor on each vaccine vial. †¢Immunizing children with OPV on National Immunization Days. †¢Identifying missing children from immunization process. †¢Surveillance of efficacy. Study of its success State specific cases-[1]The Gujarat case- In 1998, in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, immunization officers reported that 98 children out of the total of 2,000 missed the vaccine. Health workers were first prevented from coming to village. Later, when the booths were established and the program did start, lot of parents did not bring their children to the booth. According to them, children from their village developed polio-paralysis even after the immunization. The Bengal Case-[2] Health officers, who visited the village in West Bengal, saw utter discontent amongst the people as they stated that two children contracted the virus after the vaccine.In another instance, parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old child who developed cellulites in the heel were convinced that it had been caused by the vaccine that was given to their child a week before. The doctor who gave the vaccine was forced to pay the entire amount for the child’s treatment. Therefore, the reasons for non-compliance by the people can be anything from lack of attitude to lack of awareness, from vaccinating an ill child to apprehension about the side-effects of polio drops (including fever, loose motion, death, infertility etc. [3] It is found out that poor participation of doctors and nurses, difficulty in maintaining and procuring vaccine, difficulty in procuring vehicles, inadequate support from community members are also reasons why the program has not been completely successful. [4] India free of polio 2012 The last reported case of polio in India was in West Bengal on January 13, 2011. [5] On 25 February, 2012, India was officially struck off the list of polio-endemic countries by the World Health Organization (WHO). [6]

LIVE CELL IMAGING OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS BREACHING THE BARRIER OF Dissertation

LIVE CELL IMAGING OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS BREACHING THE BARRIER OF POLARIZED EPITHELIAL CELLS - Dissertation Example 2.3 Staining with anti-cortactin and phalloidin 15 2.4 Staining with anti-ZO-1 and HOECHST 16 2.5 Extracting GFP and YFP plasmids from C.jejuni for transformations 16 2.6 Transformation of Cj 11168 wt with GFP and YFP plasmids 17 2.7 Scanning Electron Microscopy 18 2.7.1 Specimen preparation for SEM (cultured monolayers) 18 3.0 Results 19 3.1 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy 19 Staining with anti-ZO-1 and HOESCHT 23 Figure 11 (A-D) HOESCHT stains blue to visualise the nuclei and ZO-1 stains green to visualize the tight junctions 23 3.2 Scanning Electron Microscopy 24 3.3 Campylobacter jejuni invasion induces cytoskeletal rearrangement 28 3.4 Campylobacter jejuni invasion causes membrane ruffling 28 3.5 Analysis of wild type and DHtrA mutant C. jejuni by electron microscopy 29 3.2 Campylobacter jejuni invasion is time dependent 29 3.3 Campylobacter jejuni invasion induces cytoskeletal rearrangement 29 3.4 Campylobacter jejuni invasion causes membrane ruffling 30 3.5 Analysis of wild type and DHtrA mutant C. jejuni by electron microscopy 30 3.6 Transformation of Cj 11168 wt with GFP and YFP plasmids 30 4.0 Discussion 31 5.0 Conclusion 34 6.0 References 35 Abstract Campylobacter jejuni is a well known pathogenic bacteria commonly transmitted through contaminated food (Oyarzabal, et al., 2012). Its presence in the human intestinal gut causes disease and is one of the leading causes of gastroenteritis in human beings. By crossing the polarized epithelial barrier in the gut, it leads to increased damage to intestinal tissue although the exact mechanism by which it accomplishes this is not yet defined (Boehm, 2011). As such, the research aimed to determine this through a series of infection studies. Results of the manner in which C. jejuni breeches the barrier of polarized epithelial cells was captured through the use of high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and confocal microscopy, and the results through various strains of the pathogenic bacteria evaluated. The results of the experiments carried out in this study indicated that invasion of an epithelial cell by C. jejuni causes membrane ruffling and cytoskeletal rear rangement. It also shows that invasion by C. jejuni is time dependent and the number of pathogenic bacteria increases with time. It also shows that C. jejuni strains can also undergo transformation with the GFP and YFP in order to ensure genetic diversity and replication. 1.0 Introduction The human gastrointestinal tract has a mucosal cell layer that forms a strong barrier which protects the body from invasion by pathogenic microbes commonly residing in the intestinal lumen (Boehm et al., 2012). This class of bacteria, commonly referred to as enteric pathogenic bacteria, include Salmonella, Shigella, Heliobacter, and Campylobacter among others possess specific properties that enable them to

Operating Systems and Networking Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Operating Systems and Networking - Coursework Example In 2007, the college diversified its products by introducing legal studies as they opened a third campus in East London. In 2009, XYZ College launched its Open and Distance learning services to 5 study centres to cater for its student fraternity outside London. Currently, the college specialises in finance and law, has 3 campuses in Greater London and 5 study centres outside of London and has more than 200 staff members (including administration and academic staff) and over 2000 students in total across the country. The nature of business in the three campuses is the same. There are administration offices, lecture halls, a library, and a computer lab. There are several designated Wi-Fi hotspots for students with laptops. At each of the five study centres, there is an office, a small library, a computer lab, Wi-Fi hotspot, and several rooms that serve as reading areas for students and also as exam centres. XYZ College faces competition from similar colleges in London that offer course s in law and finance such London Business School, King’s College London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Imperial College London amongst others. Requirement Analysis Keshav (2009) urges that networking involves providing a way of transmitting information from one point to another and providing a mechanism to share available resources. As networks are improved, there two things that change: The speeds of data transmission increases as current network technology is improved and as new technologies are invented in an organisation. New services and products take advantage of the improved network performance andprovide users in the organisation with exciting new applications. The new network design will bring the benefit to improve competitiveness of XYZ College in the following ways: There will be better utilisation of available resources such as printers whereby one central printer will serve the entire department instead of duplicating them in every offi ce. The logical grouping/subnetting of the overall network into smaller networks will optimize its efficiency and availability. This will result to high speeds of data transmission enabling all users to achieve more. It will enable XYZ College to implement new products for its clients. For example the network will have the quality of service required to stream lectures from the main campus and offer video conferencing sessions to students at the study centres. The realisation of this new network will require the following: Hardware: these are the physical devices that will act as nodes in the internetworking. These include: i) Computers - the college already has enough of them. Majority of students also come along with their laptops. ii) Servers – they will provide client stations with access to files, printers, and other shared resources in the  network iii) Routers – they will forward data packets between computer  networks iv) Switches - determine if data packet s should remain on a LAN and transfer them only to the connection that needs them v) VoIP phones – for making calls over the internet vi) Wireless Access Points – for providing wireless signal in Wi-Fi hotspots vii) Printers – they will be one of the shared resources Software: These are the applications that will be running on the hardware to make the network accessible and usable to the users. They include: i) Operating systems e.g. Windows XP, Vista, 7; Linux; Mac ii) Browsers – for browsing the internet e.g. Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategic management - Essay Example A framework of analysis is used whereby the external and internal environmental factors affecting Barclays Bank operation in the retail sector is reviewed. The strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat are presented in order to give a view of the situation prevailing in Indian banking system. Findings and conclusion show that the innovative strategies of Barclays are not sustainable because it is overtaken by the economic crisis which is the main reason for decline of growth. Foreseeable solution is an alternative strategy that the bank should consider to attain growth in the Indian market. Strategic Management The case study of Barclays Bank in India 1. Introduction The purpose of this report is to provide information on the strategic situation of Barclays Bank in India. This will consist of systematic analysis of factors associated with the external environment such as political, economic, social and technological that impacts the operation of the business. By knowing the fact ors that affect its operations, Barclays can align its corporate policies and strategic priorities in the present setting. Barclays Bank entered the Retail Banking system in India on May 2007 and used innovative growth strategies to attract the underserved population of the country. Barclays regarded this sector as a good potential for launching of its innovative products. But there is doubt on whether this strategy would work well under the economic crisis circumstances. The challenges faced by Barclay in pursuing this vision has been difficult, so that an analysis will be done to know if Barclays has succeeded to achieve growth in Indian banking. Barclays Bank is a late entrant to India but considered timing is just right. In an interview with Suresh Gurunani, Head of Barclays Retail Baank , said that it is better to start from scratch because it does not have any â€Å"legacy system† (Boir & Palande, 2007). Why India? India is a emerging market , it offers a wealth of oppo rtunities in trade, technology transfers, and direct foreign investment (Chuan, Li). Further to this, prediction as to the state of India’s economy states that soon enough, it will be one of the countries that will overtake the Group of 7 economies (Hamilton, 2011). Background. Barclay’s Bank mission in India is to offer a unique retail banking service with a vision of increasing customer convenience through innovative products and service offering. Barclays saw the opportunity of growth in the retail banking sector because of the large segment of population that do not go to banks. Barclays used innovative strategies to introduce the bank to the Indians. Its marketing strategy was done in three parts: first, the brand was introduced to create awareness and interest; the second phase was devoted to communication of Barclays as a heritage bank to create trust, and the third is the buildup of the brand suggesting its unique propositions. The business model of Barclays is composed of the following product offerings: The bank offered credit cards like smart budget card, Platinum debit card, seven-year personal loans and Premier League Card. The bank also proposed the â€Å"kudumb† savings account which allowed a family of maximum four people to have a single account that could also be extended to other members of the family like the maid. Their â€Å"No Frills† account has a maintaining average quarterly balance of as low as INR 350 equivalent to $7 only. Personal loans of up to a maximum of 1.7 million INR

The Body in Health, Lifestyle or Sporting Magazines Essay

The Body in Health, Lifestyle or Sporting Magazines - Essay Example The myth about beauty will be broken by revealing the real benefits media enjoy by impacting the values of women. The paper also focuses on identifying ways through which this insecurity can be prevented or remedied. Changing standards of feminine beauty with time The portrayal of women as a marketing object has a long history in media but the trend of extremely thin models is not very old. Earlier, the idea of female beauty was closely linked to her realistically voluptuous body. In the early 20th century, the culture of fashion underwent a shift from the chubby female figure to a thinner fragile look. However, this thinner new female ideal was not really misleading and made women think about taking care of their health. This description of a female figure initially created a healthy trend in common people as they started to incorporate sports activities in their free time to make their bodies healthier and more active. During the mid 20th century, ideal female body image became thi nner (someone like Marilyn Monroe who was a size 14 was considerably overweight as compared with today’s standards). After initial acceptance of this idea, the trend went on following the notion, â€Å"the thinner the better†. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, these underweight models became the representatives of female beauty, which is still the case today. However, with the development of digital imaging techniques, the beauty ideal presented today to young women is more unrealistic and unattainable than ever before. The recent hype for promoting the thin beauty is increasing towards unattainable thin figures, most of the time being artificially â€Å"perfect† which is facilitated by digital tools and computer. In this way, the media can be held responsible for creating stereotyped notions of beauty, being linked with skinny, ultra-slim and very female bodies (Arya, 2009). The myth of beauty Being surrounded by so many media with so many skinny women r aises the question of what actually can be called an ideal or perfect female figure. The description of beauty described by the media seems to be quite similar to a Barbie doll:   a thin and tall figure, always smiling and ready to be played with. The ideal body shape broadcasted by media is actually of the skeletal and underweight woman. The representation of skinny women is supported by media to such an extent that it became the standard for the ideal body for Miss American contests, where most of the contestants weigh much less than 15% of their expected body weight and therefore giving a clear-cut message that it’s ok to be underweight but still you can look pretty (University of California, 2007).

Three Mile Island Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Three Mile Island Accident - Essay Example However, people sometimes become complacent in performing such tasks, particularly routinely tasks. This kind of attitude are the often causes of accidents (Accident Prevention, 2014). In the morning of March 28, 1979, a very serious incident happened in the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. A series of equipment failures took place. It was even compounded by human error which resulted to the exposure and partial meltdown of the nuclear reactors core. Operators did not seem to realize the impact of their actions while solving the problem. They even fail to prevent future complications because of their negligence. But the worst thing was that the people surrounding the area had no idea of the dangers that they are into. It even took several years before the truth came out with the help of the engineers and a robotic camera. This incident may raise a lot of questions. What could have been if this kind of accident was anticipated? If potential hazards were identified before operating the machines? Maybe the problem will not be this serious. What if they asked for help instead of hiding the truth? There could be more knowledgeable people who may offer help. Instead of escaping from the problem, it is better to solve it immediately to prevent further complications. Are the operators really aware of the risks and danger that this accident may give to the people and the environment? Well, they should be but with what happened, it is really hard to say. "Reducing Workplace Accidents: Advice for Employers.† Accident Prevention. European Agency for Safety and Heath at Work Website, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.

The importance of listing and conserving historic buildings Essay

The importance of listing and conserving historic buildings - Essay Example The fight to save particular buildings or groups of buildings is not the fancy of some impractical antiquarian. It is part of the battle for the sane use of all our resources. The visible link with the past that old buildings give us is important both as a fascinating insight into history and as an expression of the relative permanence of civilized society. Conservation to the architect and public alike is not a fad, fetter or curse: it is a necessity which should also be seen as a stimulating challenge. The built heritage being an irreplaceable and finite resource deserves dedicated protection for the enjoyment of current and future generations (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). Buildings possess artistic, technological, cultural and emotive significance not only to individuals but also to the public at large (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). The loss of buildings of architectural or historic significance is a matter of public interest and is hence considered to be a national threat (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). Historic buildings following the law of nature are exposed to decay making it certain that certain buildings are facing the risk of falling into disrepair or becoming redundant (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). However, through proper maintenance such buildings can be made to survive to be witnessed and cherished by many generations (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). The cost involving regular maintenance and repairs is less (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). However, constant neglect will only deteriorate the condition (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). Apathy or deliberate ignorance will only make things out of control and beyond the financial reach of owners (Maintenance and Repair, n.d.). Though modern published figures by the heritage sector indicate more popularity of history and heritage than ever before, some of our most cherished historic buildings at the very heart

Cessnas Logistics System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cessnas Logistics System - Essay Example The process would speed up based on the moods and temperaments of the people involved. It was enthusiasm and cheerleading that drove the supply chain management process, and such could not continue or survive changes in management, not to say that such an antiquated, "boss-centric" way of working would undermine the company's competitiveness in this "modern" age when speed, quality, and devotion to customer satisfaction are what determine the survival of a "modern" corporation. Katzorke realized that the system had to change into one that he called "more rational", i.e., one attuned to the more "modern" way of management that was based on clear goals and the alignment of the efforts of all involved with and towards these goals. This is in contrast with the "traditional" or old-fashioned system whereby following the rules of the game, such as typing up requisition forms, filling them, ordering, producing, delivery, testing, reworking, etc. follow a slow process of iteration that takes time and costs money. Recognizing, at all levels of Cessna's organization, that the business world has changed was the first help that these tools and practices gave the company. Without such admission to change, Cessna would not have embraced the 21 tools and practices of change. Although it was only hinted towards the end of the case, Katzorke must have used the language of money - cost reductions and higher profits - that, fortunately, is timeless and easily understood by everyone in the company. The 21 tools had one over-all goal, which was to rationalize supply chain management, and four objectives or steps that lead to it: driving the best possible supply-based rationalization decisions, accelerating the supply-base rationalization process, improving suppliers' performance, and integrating key suppliers with the company's critical business, manufacturing, and design processes. The first objective meant that the company had to find the best way to change the supply chain management (SCM) system. This it did by outlining clear targets for the whole company and for the SCM system, communicating these simply and clearly to the whole company (using the catchy slogan Cessna 20/20), and securing total buy-in from everyone. This was an important step when effecting change, because unless total agreement is secured, the work of getting things done will slow down, perhaps remain unattained, or even worse, reverse its course once the idea's champion leaves the scene. The use of benchmarking with the Baldridge helped the process along, as it linked the change effort with the image of improving quality and focusing on total customer satisfaction. And to guard against complacency and laziness, stretch goals were set. These were ambitious targets that posed a challenge to everyone to do their best and in a way that was consistent with the objective of giving all of one's efforts. This reminded both workers and suppliers that Cessna wants to build the best planes and that this would be possible only if everyone did their best. There was no room for slackening and third-rate efforts here. The second objective was to accelerate or speed up the process. Having high goals and ambitious targets are good, but if no one lights a fire underneath everyone, those same high goals would be nice to look at and

Any controversial issue of interest to explore Essay

Any controversial issue of interest to explore - Essay Example Some of the well known social media platforms include Facebook, Google+, Wikipedia, Linkedln, Twitter, Pinterest among others. The use of social media as a means of propagating information has attracted divergent views and opinions as some argue in its favour while some feel that social media is not a proper tool for sharing thoughts and other information. Those who are against the use of social media have defended their line of thought on a number of factors which include the fact that social networking reduces face-to-face interaction. The autonomy associated with the virtual world allows people to create a lot of fantasy persona or pretending to be someone else. It thus creates a means through which some people can avoid the realities of life leading to increased cases of mistrust. Someone can easily block or cut off the flow of communication from another person whom they may not share similar views and opinions. Online communication is a tool towards crippling the development of social skills and conflict resolution strategies. Negative opinions toward social media have been supported by the fact that it is a means of fraud or identity theft. The information sent on social media platform can be accessed by anyone who has interest in it even those to whom it was not intended to reach. The information is subject to different interpretations and misunderstanding (Wankel, 34). The aspect of sharing personal information puts people at risk of being defrauded as some criminals have mastered the act of stealing personal details. Hacking presents a major weakness of social media as evident by the increasing cases of accounts and profiles of people being hacked. This leads to serious misdemeanor of identity theft and the process does not need on to be very techno-savvy to be successful but just a little knowledge in technology. Sensitive information such as passwords,

The Milestones and Major Developments in the Early Paleozoic Era Essay Example for Free

The Milestones and Major Developments in the Early Paleozoic Era Essay Understanding the diversity and complexity of life as observed in the current modern days may seem as difficult as defining life itself. The changes, developments, and evolution of the earth and the life forms it holds are all varied and sundry enough which makes it hard to understand without looking back to when, where, and how it all started. History, Geology, Paleontology, and many other branches of Science play a significant role in aiding people to better understand the roots and beginnings of the life seen today. These fields of studies help and serve like windows to the past which make it easier to know what it was like back when the Earth was young and life was primitive. These various disciplines draw attention to where life originated. Knowing the evolution of the earth and life forms can help make people understand what the modern life is made of. While some would see this study as a lame and monotonous venture, it can never be denied that knowledge about the origins of life and the world addresses very common issues like confusions as to how the modern human beings got their form and the very controversial issue as to where actually life came from. Debates and ideological arguments will always be inevitable, but Science got the only factual proofs and pieces of evidence about where life actually started and how it came to its present form from the simplest and most primitive elements. All these can only be understood by studying and looking back at the beginning. Thus, this paper shall discuss one of the most important and most highlighted eras in the history of life and the Earth—the Early Paleozoic Era. The Paleozoic Era The term â€Å"Paleozoic Era† literally equates to the term â€Å"time of ancient life† (Farabee). This is the bracket of time between 544 and 245 million years in the past. The Online Biology Book written by Michael Farabee and sponsored by Estrella Mountain Community College summarizes the major highlights of the Paleozoic Era. A section of the book explains meticulously about this prehistoric period. The Paleozoic era is from the general period when life forms began to spring known as the Phanerozoic Eon. This period has been known to exist about 542 million years ago (Farabee). Phanerozoic Eon consists of three specific eras such as: 1) Paleozoic Era—also known as the â€Å"ancient life† which existed 542 to 251 million years ago; 2) Mesozoic Era—also regarded as the â€Å"middle life† which existed 251 to 65. 5 million years ago; and 3) Cenozoic Era—dubbed as the â€Å"recent life,† which has existed since 65. 5 million years ago up to the present time (Gore 1). The Paleozoic Era appears to be the first period from the Phanerozoic Eon when the earliest complex life forms first existed. The Early Paleozoic specifically can be further divided into three periods such as the 1. ) Cambrian, 2. ) Ordovician, and the 3. ) Sulirian periods. It was during the earlier parts of the Paleozoic era when major advances in biological evolution were dated. The first of such developments and evolutions was that of the Cambrian Explosion. After this highlight came the developments of some group of green algae from the Ordovician period. This development in the early forms of primitive plants led to the evolutions of vertebrates since most plants during that time were found to move from water to land (Farabee). The Cambrian Explosion (544-505 million years ago) The Cambrian explosion during the earliest years of the Paleozoic era has been considered as the most interesting zoological myth there is about the origin of life (Dawkins and Wong 436). This is because this was the period when the earliest known animal and plant life sprang and had left very remarkable pieces of fossils which served as their memoirs for the modern scientists of today. It was during the Cambrian period when primitive life such as Coelenterates, protozoa, poriferans, molluscans, worms, echinoderms, trilobites, tribitmorphs, achaocyathids, and brachiopods were found to rule the animal kingdom (Balisteri et al. ). However, these primitive life forms were seen only in bodies of water. The Early Cambrian period was also tagged as a â€Å"wild time† for animal evolution (Farabee). This was because within the relatively short period of time, a wide variety of body plans among animals have already developed. One of the most prevailing groups of primitive animals during that time was the trilobites. These shallow-marine dwelling organisms lived during the Cambrian period, and through the rest of the period, this group has diversified into other more complex forms of organisms (Balisteri et al. ). However, due to the massive cooling and freezing on most of the Earth’s land during this time, extinction was found very distinct in this period. As to primitive plant life during the Cambrian period, algae was found to be the major group of plant life that existed in this period. These plants were known to have secreted lime-like substances which aid in the development and formation of rocks (Balisteri et al. ). Also, plants were found to have inhabited the lands first before the animals did during the Cambrian period. It was also during this period when the world’s primitive supercontinent, Pangaea, was believed to start breaking apart (Balisteri et al. ). During the Cambrian period, the large continent of the North America moved upward the globe through the equator. Gondwana, which is the largest remaining land mass of Pangaea during that time, divided into what we know today as India, Australia, Antarctica, and South America. The Ordovician Period (505-440 million years ago) The Ordovician period was characterized by the emergence of the world’s earliest volcanoes. This caused the formation of igneous rocks from the produced ash and lava from eruptions (Balisteri et al. ). This period was also marked by the continental submergence. The most highlighted part of this event was the Late Ordovician Flood which caused continents to contract and moved closer to each other. The most popular remain of this great flood as of today is the Atlantic Ocean (Balisteri et al. ). It was also noted that sea levels were generally high during the Ordovician period. However, there were still shallow waters that have been dated and found to have depositions of shallow water carbonated rocks. These were eventually traced through the presence of mudcracks and stromatolites nowadays (Gore 6). When it comes to life form evolution, diversification will best describe the action by the survivor organisms among the many life forms that became extinct from the Cambrian period (Farabee). During this period, the earliest forms of sea vertebrates, such worm-like creatures, evolved (Christian and McNeill 123). These are the creatures were found to be the ancestors of the sharks and common fishes today. These Ordovician marine vertebrates were complete with backbone, limbs, and a nervous system which formed mainly the head. Also, the remaining species that the Cambrian period left like the brachiopods, trilobites and mollusks were reported to undergo a Jurassic evolution. Thus, the first Ordovician marine vertebrates were reported to be armored, jawless, and covered with hard shells (Balisteri et al. ). On the other hand, the development of plants from the earlier group of green algae was also a milestone during this period. Scientific studies of fossils and biochemical proofs show that modern plant species rooted from the multicellular green algae that prospered during the Ordovician period (Cartage. org). Among these green algal groups, Charophytes were found to be most dominant at that time. These algae with the rest of the other algal groups were known to reside within the cool waters of the ocean, but between 500-400 million years ago, some algal groups were found to transfer to land through various levels of adaptations and evolutions which aided them to live outside the waters (Farabee). The Sulirian Period (440-410 million years ago) This period was characterized by the evolution of scorpion-like creatures as large as modern human beings (Christian and McNeil 123). These creatures were known as Euyperiods which were known to root from the extinct family of marine arthropods (Balisteri et al. ). These creatures were averagely 3 meters long and these were known to reside in the seas. Moreover, various other creatures that were abundant in the Cambrian and Ordovician periods have decreased in number during the Silurian period. Some of these animals were the Trilobites. However, the Silurian period was also distinct for the abundance of coral reefs, cephalopods, and jawed fishes that colored up and made the waters alive during this period. The said reefs have covered what people now know as the sea floors of Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie (Balisteri et al.). This period was found to be dominated by the early vascular plants—which developed tiny tubes within their structures to support the transport of nutrients—as well as varieties of insects (Paull). However, both these plants and animals went through specific challenges which threatened their early extinction during that time. These challenges were that of 1) Drying out—plants and animals would have to take sometime to adapt to a new environment like when they transfer from water to land; 2) Gas exchange—respiration also takes sometime to adapt to the change in environment these creatures had to go through; 3. ) Weight support; 4. ) Conduction; and 5. ) Reproduction—the change in environment also has great effects on the reproduction process of organisms. More often than not, the change of environment tends to slow down their reproduction ability (Farabee). In addition, the Caledonian Mountain which is currently found in Canada was found to have started to form through the collision of European and North American plates (Paull). These were the major highlights and developments during the Early Paleozoic era of life and world history. This field of study may appear too complicated and boring for most people to study. However, by going through the facts and amazing discoveries of the life forms of the past and discovering how they come to produce what life is like today, it may seem that studying where the modern life rooted from is indeed an interesting and adventurous ride through both history and science. Works Cited Balisteri, Alex, Ulrike Balisteri, Bernd Bickel, Ron Schumacher, Beate Steger, and Sarah Young. â€Å"History of the Earth.† Think Quest. 1998. 04 December 2008 http://library. thinkquest. org/20886/. Christian, David and William H. McNeil. Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History. California: University of California Press, 2004. Dawkins, Richard and Yan Wong. The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books, 2004. Farabee, Michael J. â€Å"The Early Paleozoic. † On-Line Biology Book. 07 October 2002. Estrella Mountain Community College. 04 December 2008 http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/sciences/Paleontology/Paleozoology/EarlyPaleozoic/EarlyPaleozoic. htm. Gore, Pamela J. W. â€Å"Early Paleozoic Events. † The Earth Through Time. 10 November 2005. Georgia Perimeter College. 04 December 2008 http://higheredbcs. wiley. com/legacy/college/levin/0471697435/chap_tut/chaps/chapter10-01. html. Paull, Gene J. â€Å"Early Paleozoic. † University of Texas at Brownsville. 20 August 2008. 04 December 2008. http://blue. utb. edu/paullgj/geol1404/lectures/early_paleozoic. html.

For those not familiar with this storyline Essay Example for Free

For those not familiar with this storyline Essay For those not familiar with this storyline, Romeo + Juliet is just your average boy-meets-girl, boy-and-girl-fall-hopelessly-in-love, boy-kills-girls-cousin, girl-feigns-death, boy-and-girl-commit-suicide plot. Not one to watch with a box of chocolates and a boyfriend bonfire, but a box of tissues may well be needed. Director Baz Lehrmann chooses to set this epic in Mexico, a perfect modern backdrop for the violent gangland culture Shakespeares script conveys in a modern context. The two families-the Capulets and the Montegues- are beautifully contrasted; the lighthearted Montegues in open Hawaiian shirts, against the tight black clad Capulet boys sporting many gold accessories. These two groups of arch nemeses are, however, united by their mutual habit of openly wearing guns with such flair and style they could easily pass as a fashion accessory, rather than an accessory to murder. In the prologue the role traditionally played by the chorus is adopted by a real life U. S anchorwoman. The prologue is so turned into a news bulletin. You are literally drawn in to the film as the shot slowly zooms in on the television showing the newsreader, before the shot hurtles down a metropolitan street, dragging the audience, with trailing stomachs, behind it. Lehrmann captivates his audience from the outset with a visually stunning repeat of his prologue, utilising imagery from the whole film and conveying the entire storyline in under a minute. Contrary to what you may think, this in fact draws the viewer into the film. The imagery used in the prologue directly links to and supports the words in the scripted opening, and translates them into the modern context. Two houses, both alike in dignity is represented by two giant skyscrapers either side of a road, one bearing a huge sign saying Capulet, the other Montague. As Romeo, Dicaprio shows the full depth of his acting ability. From lovelorn-Did my heart love til now? to murderous Either thou or I or both must go with him and back down again through all the levels of shock, anxiety, and of course suicidal. Clare Danes gives a beautiful portrayal of young innocent Juliet. Her facial expressions are convincing and manage to wordlessly express every feeling perfectly. Her lines are also delivered with huge compassion and emotion. Danes along with Dicaprio shows a huge variety in her performance, keeping a wide audience interested in a script labelled by many as boring. This is not the first time modern directors have messed around with the star crossd lovers. Most notably Bernsteins all singing all dancing West Side Story, but also China Girls and-more loosely- Romeo Must Die. However, this is the first modern adaptation to stick with Shakespeares script. Lehrmann has obviously had to make cuts in the text for the sake of the length of the film, but the dialogue he leaves in is fantastically effective. This spunked up version a timeless classic engrosses a viewer of any age from the outset, and keeps its grip almost complete through to hugely moving finale. Even staunch traditionalists must see that dragging this dusty play kicking and screaming in to a twentieth century riddled with guns, drugs, and rock n roll has revived it in a way no amount of Lawrence Olivier ever could.

Animal Characteristics Used in A Dolls House

Animal Characteristics Used in A Dolls House An Analysis of the Significance of Animal Characteristics Used in A Dolls House Reflective Statement Discussion of A Dolls House in class reach me deeply and implored new perspectives on traditional gender roles in different cultures such as Europe in the late 1800s. I relate to Henrik Ibsens humanist work as opposed to A Dolls House being completely feminist. To say A Dolls House is a feminist work would be redundant. Feminism is the fight for the equality of the sexes and Ibsens A Dolls House explores this very theme. Being human is not confined to just being male or female but having characteristics that define an individual. Christines character is a prime example of escapism in the play and the other works weve studied have generally the same motif. In each culture, In this paper, an analysis will be done on Ibsens use of animal characteristics. Throughout the play, the characters Torvald and Nora call to each other and themselves various animals like Lark and Squirrel. On occasion, Ibsens A Dolls House has been referred to as a feminist work and although themes of feminism are present, the overall effect Ibsen makes is a humanist perspective of the characters lives. The significance of animal characteristics shows a development in Noras character and introduces the type of man Torvald is. Ibsen also uses animal characteristics to reveal the deeper relationship between Nora and Torvald. Verbal irony is conveyed through the use of animal characteristics. The play opens with Nora coming upon the stage laden with Christmas gifts for the children, a horse and sword, trumpets and dolls and cradles. Although the items are tiny things, inexpensive and useless it conveys how much love Nora has. She carries also a little bag of macaroons that she hides w hen Torvald questions her about. The initial thought of Nora is she spends exuberant amounts of money and is rightfully called a spendthrift by Torvald. Noras character can be interpreted as charming and dishonest, always flitting, never resting, light-hearted, inconsequent airhead. The entrance of Christines character reveals Noras dark secret and her character no longer seems transparent. Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it. Nora tells Christine that she will be free after she has paid off her debt to Krogstad. her anticipated freedom symbolizes her need to be independent of Torvald. Within that, Nora highlights the factors that constrain her. Although she claims that freedom will give her time to be a mother and a traditional wife that maintains a beautiful home as her husband likes it, she leaves her children and Torvald at the end of the play. One main theme of the play is that t rue freedom cannot be found in a traditional domestic lifestyle. Noras character develops intricately and her understanding of the word free is changes clearly. Nora becomes aware of the fact that she must change her life to find true freedom, and Nora recognizes that freedom includes independence from societal constraints and her ability to examine in depth her own personality, goals, and beliefs.The characteristics of a lark signify that Torvald believes that Nora is small compared to the his perspective. That is like a woman!you know what I think about that. No debt, no borrowing. (Ibsen p. 2) To explore the relationship between Nora and all the other characters one must see that not only did Torvald treat women like children, he also treats lesser men in the workplace as expendable and replaceable. But instead of Krogstad, you could dismiss some other clerk.. He exerts his dominance over others, running over the thoughts and feelings of surrounding humans. Its a sweet little bi rd, but it gets through a terrible amount of money. You wouldnt believe how much it costs a man when hes got a little song-bird like you! Nora express the conclusion she draws from the deep reality of their marriage her view of Torvalds character at the end of Act Three. I have existed merely to perform tricks for you, Torvald. But you wanted it like that. You and father have committed a great sin against me. It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life. Our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papas doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls. I thought it great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it great fun when I played with them. That is what our marriage has been, Torvald. She realizes her life has been a performance and she has acted the part of the happy, child-like wife for Torvald and for her father. Nora sees that her father and Torvald pressured her to behave a certain way and recognizes i t to be great wrong that stifled her development as an adult and as a human being. She has made nothing of her life because she has existed only to please men. Following this realization, Nora leaves Torvald in order to make something of her life and becomes independent of other people. Nora has an underlining care for her husband because she reacts abruptly when Nils tries to blackmail her. She understands how important appearance is for Helmer but she resents the way hes been treating her. How painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald to know that he owed me anything! It would upset our mutual relations altogether. (Ibsen p.9) You dont talk or think like the man I could bind myself to. When your first panic was over not about what threatened me, but about what might happen to you and when there was no more danger, then, as far as you were concerned, it was just as if nothing had happened at all. I was simply your little songbird, your doll, and from now on you would handle it more gently than ever because it was so delicate and fragile. At that moment, Torvald, I realized that for eight years Id been living her with a strange man and that Id borne him three children. Oh, I cant bear to think of it I could tear myself to little pieces! Bibliography A Dolls House Ibsen, Henrik. Global Classics, 1879.

The Inspector in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly Essay -- An Inspe

The Inspector in An Inspector Calls Examine the function and symbolism of the Inspector in the play – An Inspector Calls, and explain how Priestly makes him dramatically effective Throughout the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, by J.B Priestley, the audience sees the role of a mysterious investigator who interrogates a powerful and upper-middle class family: The Birling's. Priestley uses the role of the Inspector to expose the characters in the play, and to put his own views across about the Birling’s and their conservative beliefs. The play was written in 1946 and set in the spring of 1912. This means that the audience would have known the future events (the two world wars). Therefore they are in a position to judge the characters beliefs. At the start of the play, Priestley describes the Dining room, in which all of the acts in the play take place. He writes, ‘the dining room of a fairly large suburban house, belonging to a prosperous manufacturer. It has good solid furniture of the period. The general effect is substantial and heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike’. This tells the audience that the Birling’s are wealthy as they live in a presumably large and expensive house. It also shows that the setting of the play is very formal by saying that the effect of the room is not cosy and homelike. The description of the furniture acts as a metaphor for the family, being ‘solid’ and not loving and affectionate. Priestley writes that before the Inspector enters the lighting, ‘should be pink and intimate’, and that once the Inspector does enter the light should be brighter and harder. Priestly has written this to try and show that no one can hide secrets under the spotlight, and to try and portray ... ...e reality. They stand there guiltily as the play draws to a close. Throughout the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, JB Priestley uses the role of the inspector to try and show how the rich can abuse their position and how community should be respected so that all people can be treated equally. The inspector plays the role of a Freudian analyst, in the sense that he gets people to reveal their inner motivations that are hidden even to themselves. The inspector shows how everyone should live, and we should all respect and value one another. It is not important that he was not a real inspector; he was an example set for everyone to follow. Through the inspector we have been shown Priestley's beliefs on honesty, equality and being just. The inspector has shown that everyone lives in one big community, so we should treat one another with the respect they deserve.

Common Sense Essay example -- essays research papers

Common Sense. By Thomas Paine. Edited with an Introduction by Isaac Kramnic. (New York: Penguin Books, 1986).   	Recently, I acquired a copy of Thomas Paine’s most recent patriotic pamphlet, entitled Common Sense. I was immediately interested in what Paine had to say in his new work, after such powerful previous works, such as The Crisis series. I was nothing less than astonished at how Paine so powerfully conveyed his patriotic message. Paine theorizes a split between England and the colonial states. At the same time as a split is theorized, it would form a union of the colonial states into one country, united into one body on our American principles, no longer under the rule of the British Parliament and its ridiculous taxes and misrepresentation. Paine delivers one of the most compelling arguments I have heard on why there should be a division between the English and the Americans. 	The British Parliament has long been a bane to the colonists in the New World, with the passage of all their "acts" to tax us simply because we are more productive. Paine makes his contempt for the current system of government quite clear early on. "Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for even we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamities is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer." (65) Paine clearly believes that the English government falls into the "intolerable" category of governments. Although a system of government is a required entity in almost any society, there are much better ways to govern a people besides the British monarchal system. Paine discusses how the Parliament is set up as a representation o f the people, but what good is representation in a monarchy? The monarch still has absolute power, even though a system is set up to make it appear as though the people have a say. This lack of true representation instills a lack of trust towards the king in the British subjects. These factors create doubt in one’s mind about the strength of the British government. Paine questions the government saying: "How came the king by a power which the people are afraid to trust, ... ...umstances, a separation between England and America is crucial to the survival of America. The only factor that must be decided is when such a separation should occur. If we look to Paine’s advice, he states: "As all men allow the measure, and vary only in their opinion of the time, let us, in order to remove mistakes, take a general survey of things and endeavour if possible, to find out the very time. But we need not go far, the inquiry ceases at once, for the time hath found us." (100) Paine calls for an immediate separation from the British. As an independent nation, America could be free of England’s tyrannical government, and its absurd monarchy. No longer would we have to suffer the injustices of the British Parliament and their ridiculous taxes. We already have to protect ourselves as a nation, without British support, unless of course the English have some interest in the matter. Why not defend our selves as an independent nation? There is no poss ibility of reparations at this point in time. However, this is the key time to make our stand. If we ever have a desire to become free men, men of our own will and control, we must act now, and declare our independence.

The Chosen Essay -- Essays Papers

The Chosen The Chosen, a fiction novel written in 1967 by Chaim Potok, is about two young Jewish boys and their friendship. It takes us along with them on their journey from adolescence to adulthood. They face many conflicts, and through those trials the author makes his readers think more deeply into life’s true meanings. The novel was set in New York during the Second World War. Since the main characters are Jews, this period of time is very significant. Not only were the Jews persecuted during WWII, but New York was also close to a military base, which made it a prime target for bombing. Even the setting has an underlying sense of tension. One of the protagonists in The Chosen is Reuven Malter. Reuven is an orthodox Jewish boy. He is a very smart and diligent student. His father, David Malter raises Reuven alone in Brooklyn, New York as his mother has already passed away. Reuven has glasses, brown hair and eyes, and dresses in the typical orthodox manner. A plain boy, he has a bright mind and a very caring soul. The other protagonist in the novel is Danny Saunders. Danny is the son of a very devoted Hasidic Jewish tzaddik. However, Danny is not a very enthusiastic Hasid. He has earlocks, grows a beard, and wears the traditional Hasidic outfit, but he doesn't have the reverence for it that he should. Danny is a genius. His religion forbids him to read literature from the outside world, so he struggles with his thirst for knowledge and the restraints that have been put on him by both his father and his religion. He lives with his father, mother, older sister, and younger brother in Brooklyn as well. The first antagonist is Danny. He and Reuven had many difficulties. They resolve their problems in the course of the book, but at the beginning they hate each other. Their religious views are also very opposite. Once they overcome their differences, they become best friends. Reb Saunders is the second antagonist. A Hasidic tzaddik, he led his people into freedom in America. Reb has strange ideas on raising Danny. He believes that silence will teach Danny compassion and give him an understanding for pain. He does not talk to his son about anything but the Talmud. Loving and respecting each other immensely, Reb and Danny just never get a chance to express their feelings with one another. Reb holds Danny back and do... ...alizes that he can’t expect to keep such a genius in the cage. Reb finds out about Danny’s plans for the future, and although they contradict the way he would have wanted Danny to continue with his life, he agrees to let Danny decide for himself. Satisfied as a father, Reb says, â€Å"†¦I had to make certain his soul would be the soul of a tzaddik no matter what he did with his life.† Once Reb has given his son freedom, Danny remains faithful to his religion and, although he is not as devout, goes out into the world. Throughout this novel, there is an underlying force of prejudice. The two different Jewish sects are prejudiced against one another. Alongside, WWII also has a lot of prejudices locked up in it. The Zionist and anti-Zionist movements were prejudiced toward each other and many of these examples are found in the novel. Reuven Malter narrated The Chosen. This gives it a youthful perspective. It is very descriptive. Potok used many detailed vocabulary words to communicate his point. A lot of figurative language helps develop analogies and insights, as well. The Chosen is a very insightful novel about the Jewish culture and the trials that come with growing up. The Chosen Essay -- Essays Papers The Chosen The Chosen, a fiction novel written in 1967 by Chaim Potok, is about two young Jewish boys and their friendship. It takes us along with them on their journey from adolescence to adulthood. They face many conflicts, and through those trials the author makes his readers think more deeply into life’s true meanings. The novel was set in New York during the Second World War. Since the main characters are Jews, this period of time is very significant. Not only were the Jews persecuted during WWII, but New York was also close to a military base, which made it a prime target for bombing. Even the setting has an underlying sense of tension. One of the protagonists in The Chosen is Reuven Malter. Reuven is an orthodox Jewish boy. He is a very smart and diligent student. His father, David Malter raises Reuven alone in Brooklyn, New York as his mother has already passed away. Reuven has glasses, brown hair and eyes, and dresses in the typical orthodox manner. A plain boy, he has a bright mind and a very caring soul. The other protagonist in the novel is Danny Saunders. Danny is the son of a very devoted Hasidic Jewish tzaddik. However, Danny is not a very enthusiastic Hasid. He has earlocks, grows a beard, and wears the traditional Hasidic outfit, but he doesn't have the reverence for it that he should. Danny is a genius. His religion forbids him to read literature from the outside world, so he struggles with his thirst for knowledge and the restraints that have been put on him by both his father and his religion. He lives with his father, mother, older sister, and younger brother in Brooklyn as well. The first antagonist is Danny. He and Reuven had many difficulties. They resolve their problems in the course of the book, but at the beginning they hate each other. Their religious views are also very opposite. Once they overcome their differences, they become best friends. Reb Saunders is the second antagonist. A Hasidic tzaddik, he led his people into freedom in America. Reb has strange ideas on raising Danny. He believes that silence will teach Danny compassion and give him an understanding for pain. He does not talk to his son about anything but the Talmud. Loving and respecting each other immensely, Reb and Danny just never get a chance to express their feelings with one another. Reb holds Danny back and do... ...alizes that he can’t expect to keep such a genius in the cage. Reb finds out about Danny’s plans for the future, and although they contradict the way he would have wanted Danny to continue with his life, he agrees to let Danny decide for himself. Satisfied as a father, Reb says, â€Å"†¦I had to make certain his soul would be the soul of a tzaddik no matter what he did with his life.† Once Reb has given his son freedom, Danny remains faithful to his religion and, although he is not as devout, goes out into the world. Throughout this novel, there is an underlying force of prejudice. The two different Jewish sects are prejudiced against one another. Alongside, WWII also has a lot of prejudices locked up in it. The Zionist and anti-Zionist movements were prejudiced toward each other and many of these examples are found in the novel. Reuven Malter narrated The Chosen. This gives it a youthful perspective. It is very descriptive. Potok used many detailed vocabulary words to communicate his point. A lot of figurative language helps develop analogies and insights, as well. The Chosen is a very insightful novel about the Jewish culture and the trials that come with growing up.

How HRM orperate within any oraganisation Essay

Introduction to the assignment The aim of this assignment is to see how Human Resources operate within any organisation, and why it is important to have effective Human Resource Management. There are many things such as, Human resource planning, Recruitment and Selection and Training and Development which helps a company to achieve its objectives. For a business to achieve its objective it must have the right number of employees with the right qualification and training to meet the needs of the company. The Human Resources department of a company will check if an employee has the right qualification and training to carry out its job. 2.0 Introduction to the company J Sainsbury plc is the 12th largest food retailer in the US, and strong regional player, with 185 stores. It has interests in financial services and property. The group comprises Sainsbury’s Supermarkets and Sainsbury’s Bank in the UK and Shaw’s Supermarkets in the US. 2.1 Background history John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury founded Sainsbury in 1869. They opened their first small dairy shop at 173 Drury Lane, London. Drury Lane was one of London’s poorest areas and the Sainsburys’ shop quickly became popular for offering high-quality products at low prices. It was so successful that further branches were opened in other market streets such as Stepney, Islington and Kentish Town. By 1882 John James Sainsbury had four shops and had plans to expand his business further. He opened a depot in Kentish Town, northwest London, to supply this growing chain and, built bacon kilns, which produced the first Sainsbury brand product on the same site. It was also in 1882 that John James opened his first branch in the prosperous suburb of Croydon. This shop sold a wide range of ‘high-class’ provisions and was more elaborately decorated than the earlier shops. Between 1890 and 1900 Sainsbury was very well known store. It was making high profits that it managed to treble its branches from 16 to 48. The branches were increasing rapidly that by end of 1994 they had 360 stores in Britain 2.2 Location Sainsbury is a big food store, which operates in different countries. It has opened 25 new stores, extended 27 and refurbished 90 adding 889,000 sq ft of sales area to the network. 2.3 Product Sainsbury sells wide range of foods and other household products. Sainsbury’s quality food is a priority for their customers and a key component for their brands. They have invested in their food ranges and during the year they have improved or developed over 3,200 products. Their own label sub brands are again amongst the best in the UK. For over 130 years Sainsbury’s supermarket has been committed to supporting British farming. They have a policy of buying British and labelling it as a British product. They sell over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6 billion worth of British food each year. Sainsbury is able to find out the advantages and the disadvantages of its home brand products by testing them before launching it into the market. This helps them to make a decision whether or not to launch it in the market. By testing the products they are now able to serve the best quality foods to the customers. This being an advantage will make the customers come back again and again to the store. 2.4 Profit As Sainsbury has managed to provide shareholders with good, sustainable financial returns and have an outstanding shopping environment as well as excellent customer service, it has made a tremendous profit over the past few years. For example: * It made 14 per cent underlying profit before taxation growth for the group after 2 years of decline and 10 per cent underlying operating profit growth for their supermarkets in the UK after 3 years of decline in 1996. * In the UK supermarket business, Sainsbury has achieved sales growth of 6.3 per cent excluding petrol (Easter contributing 0.3 per cent). This was Sainsbury’s best performance in over a decade. * Sainsbury’s current market share in London is 36 per cent. * Sainsbury’s saving of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250 million will be reinvested in enhancing the customers offer, building sales and improving their operating margins. * More local supermarkets are opened in different places. 2.5 Customer service To listen to customers view and react quickly, Sainsbury trains their colleagues every 6 months to develop their abilities and Skills to do their job properly. Every year Sainsbury does one or two surveys to find out customers view about the business. By doing that they are able to see what customers want and how they can grow more into the market. For example in 2000 the data for Birmingham stores showed customers wants more longer opening hours, so instead of opening at 9am, they now open at 8am and closes at 10pm instead of 8pm. Another big thing that Sainsbury did to get more customers to the shop with them is that, they joined campuses that are already involved with the community and environment. There are many people who are interested in the community and the environment, so they will be shopping with Sainsbury more as they will also be helping the community and the environment. 3.0 Human resource management One of the most important tasks that involves personal department in a business is Human Resource Management (HRM). A business is only likely to achieve its objectives if its employees are used effectively. To do this the business should ensure that the Human Resources are planned successfully. Managing the performances of the employees is necessary to enable a business to function adequately. By accomplishing this, the business can ensure that the business remains competitive and find it easy to attain its objective. When HRM existed for the first time there were few changes in the organisation, like: * Companies realised that employees would only work their best for the company if the company gave the priority to meet the personal needs and objectives of its employees, instead of seeking to get the best out of employees just for the sake of the business, i.e. to help it to achieve its objectives. * ‘People work’ was not just the responsibility of the ‘personal’ department. It is the responsibility of all managers in an organisation – supported by specialists. The managers carry the responsibility for recruiting, selecting, appraisal and training in an organisation with employees rather then a specialist in a centralised HRM function. * HRM was given more status in the organisation, instead of being something carried on at lower levels of the organisation. HRM is now recognised as a key ‘strategic’ area of the organisation (e.g. one that needs to be given a high priority in organisational planning involving senior managers). Human Resource Management is a very important department with in any organisation as it plans ahead for the company. E.g. selects and recruits the right type of people (matches with the person specification) and train and develop their skills. 4.0 Human Resource Planning 4.1 Introduce HRP Human Resource Planning or personnel function of an organisation covers a Varity of activities. The term ‘Human Resources planning’ has largely replaced the old-fashioned word ‘Personnel’, which was used in the past. Human Resources Department need to forecasts how many and what types of employees it needs now and in the future. It also involves matching up the right type of employees to the needs of the business, and using them effectively, as well as developing their skills in order to meet the goals of the organisation. To do this they need a good understanding of the labour market in an area where they operate. In order to meet the organisation’s aims successfully, it needs to know how to use the past information to predict on how many employees are need in the future and to identify the means of using people in the most effective way, also to identify any problems that are likely to occur (for example, when recruiting the ‘best’ employee), and find ways to solve the problem which are identified. For instance, if a France-based retailing organisation decides to expand in to Germany and Italy, then it will need to identify: * The skills and competence it will need the new employees to have. * How many people with these capabilities it will able to recruit. * Ways of helping the employees to develop their requirements skills and also train them to do that. Human Resources deals with many other factors associated with employees. These includes: * Human resource or workforce planning * Recruitment and selection * Promotion and transfers * Appraisal and termination of employment * Disciplines * Rewards and conditions of employment * Working conditions * Career development and welfare * Wage bargaining There are two types of planning. One is called short term planning and the others are called long term planning. Short term planning is aimed at the immediate needs of the business, such as filling vacancies, which is left. Long term planning will try to plan for the future. For example, if a company was aiming to change its production techniques in the next few years, it would need to plan the number of employees, training needed and perhaps the incentives and motivation that workers would require. 4.2 Purpose of HRP There are four main reasons for HRP. 1. To encourage employers to develop clear links between their business plans and their HR plans, so that they can integrate the two more effectively. 2. The organisation will be able to control employee’s costs and the number of employees who are employed easily and effectively. By doing this it will allow the business to have the right number of employees for each departments. 3. It allows the employers to build up a skill profile for each of their employees, who will help the employers for the employees and to keep it as a record. 4. It creates a profile of staffs (related to gender, race disability), which is necessary for the operation of an equal opportunities policy. 4.3 Benefit of HRP If HR planning works properly, then the out comes will be†¦ * Employees will be doing challenging works, which will help them to motivate and stimulate. The result of this will help the business achieve it objectives. * It will raise ‘peak training’ sales if employees are already selected and ready to work under pressure during sales. * Staffs do over time if it is only necessary. * Staffs are properly qualified and trained. This will allow the employee feel comfortable with the job, which means the work will be done quickly and properly. * The company is more able to meet the changing demand from its customers and it is more suitably able to meet business objectives that it is set. 4.4. How HRP aids businesses to meet their objectives To meet company’s objectives, the company should: * Employ more people to do specific jobs. * Train more employees to get specific skills, which are needed, for them to carry out their job to do the specific job. * Employ people at a specific time of the year. E.g. during summer holidays. * Give bonus to employees if they do well to encourage them to do better then before. * Sets specific deadlines for employees to consider if they are capable of working under pressure. 4.5 Processes involved in HRP In HRP there are four stages involved. They are: 4.5.1 Stock taking This allows the business to find out if quality and quantity of an employee is available to the organisation. It uses the following techniques to find out: * Jobs analysis – this means getting all the information, which is accessible about all the jobs that are available in the organisation, and to think about what duties are involved in each these jobs and how it should be carried out. The solution for this is to find the job description and the person specification for the job. * Skills audit – this is a survey to find out the skills, qualifications and experience of all the existing employees. * Performance review – this involves looking at the performance in all employees in order to: – Identify their potential – Identify where they need more training. 4.5.2 Forecasting supply This is where it asks the question ‘how many employees are needed in the future?’ To answer this question the business looks at the internal and external sources of labour by looking at labour turnover. There are three ways of calculating employee’s turnover. These are: Annual labour turnover index = this is sometime called the ‘percentage wastage rate’. It tells what percentage of workforce is left in a year. This is how it is worked out: = Leavers in a year Average number of staff employed during the year There are two problems with this method. They are: * It tells nothing about the length of service of the people who are left. * It does not say how many people are left from each department. Stability index = this gives a good idea of how long an employee is going to stay with the business. If employees are not going to stay for a very long time in a certain department, then it can be pinpointed and investigated by using the below method. = Number of stuff employed with one year’s service on a certain date Number of staff employed exactly one year before This method maybe a more useful indicator, but it still does not tell how many employees are left from each department and why? Bowey’s stability index = this looks at the actual length of service and calculates a stability percentage. = Length of service in months over a two year Period of all current staff added together Length of service in months over a two year Period if all staff had worked for the full two years 4.5.3 Forecasting demand for employees This means asking question ‘ how many people will we need today? Tomorrow? And in five years time’. As this is a difficult question, the managers from Human Resources Planning department looks at the factors such as following forecasting demand for employees:. * The organisation’s trading and production patterns * Demand for their product * Technological and administrative changes * Capital investment plans * Acquisitions, divestments and mergers * Product diversification 4.5.4 Implementation and review The organisation must regularly review their Human Resources planning to see if it is processing effectively. For example, has a new recruitment drive been effective in recruiting the right number and the right quality of people? The organisation must also look at all the various environmental factors, which might affect the supply and demand for labour. This involves collecting information on social, political, industrial, legal and technological changes, also finding out what their competitors are doing. 4.6 How internal and external staffing information is used to plan Human Resources within a business Internal staffing information is used to plan Human Resources within a business. It talks about the following points: 4.6.1 Stability The company needs to know how stabile the organisation is. If it is less stabile then they need to figure it out why, so they can make sure it is more stabile in the future. 4.6.2 Performance result The organisation will collect all the information on level of performance of their employees, to see how they are doing by quantitative or qualitative form. It is very important to get the performance result right to achieve the company’s targets. 4.6.3 Number of employees in particular job categories This figure will give an over all numbers in an organisation that already have certain categories of skills. 4.6.4 Existing numbers of staffs employed Checking how many people they are employing and finding out the reasons why they tend to leave the job after certain time, also to see what is actually wrong with certain departments and how it could be improved. 4.6.5 Age distribution and length of service It is very important to have an age balance between young and old people who work within the organisation. This is because if most of the workers are old then there is a chance of them retiring or even passing away, which makes the organisation left with no sufficient, experienced workers. However if there are all young people then they may not stay for long as they may find a new job. This is why it is important to have an age balance. 4.6.6 How many vacancies are there at the moment? The company needs to know how many people they need to employ now and in the future, plus the qualification that is required for that job. 4.6.7 Average time taken to fill a vacancy The organisation needs to know how long it takes to fill up a vacancy so in the future they can predict the length of time for an advert to be advertised for.by doing this they will able to find out if they are spending enough time filling vacancies. 4.6.8 Promotion potential It is important for the organisation to know how many employees have the skills to be promoted and how long it’s going to take them to be fully trained for the job. 4.6.9 Sickness If employees are having too many sick days then it needs to be tracked down to see whether they are really sick or just took a day off to socialise and called it as a sick day. If it’s not tracked down then some employees might take advantages of it, which will make difficult for the organisation to achieve its objectives. 4.6.10 The skills available It is good to identify the current skills each employee has and how many of these skills are transferable to the new job when they get promoted. 4.6.11 Skills analysis The organisation has to make sure they employ the right type of employees with the right type of skills. To do this they need to assess their present skills and future skills, which will be needed in the future. In order to plan Human Resources within a business, external staffing information is also used. The external labour market for any particular organisation is made up of potential employees, locally, regionally or nationally. There are some issues that affect the size and nature of these labour markets. 4.6.12 Competition for labour As there are few people with specific skills, it makes it hard for the employers to employ people as competitors my also want to employ them with better service and money. Therefore Human Resources department has to think the best ways in which this could be done. 4.6.13 Education and training Human Resources need to look and recruit the right type of people with the right education background, as education and training also affects the number of employees coming into the labour market and their skills. 4.7 How does Human Resource Planning operate within Sainsbury? Sainsbury needs organised and effective human resource planning as it is one of the biggest food store in the world. When ensuring the workforce is planned effectively, Sainsbury’s Human Resources Planning department need to consider their external labour market information. If there is a job available then Sainsbury’s Human Resource Planning department first looks at its existing staffs to see if they are willing to do extra work or if they want to get promoted. This will reduce the amount of training that is needed, which will save money for the company. If no one is found inside the business then Human Resources Planning department looks outside the business-externally. Sainsbury has many stores across the country, but focusing in London where there is generally a low unemployment rate, it will be difficult for Sainsbury to fill in the vacancy. When Sainsbury looks for quality workers, it considers the problem of low unemployment rate which they may have to face, so they interpret a strategy to make sure they are able to employ the right people for the job. If they do not plan things ahead then they won’t have an effective workforce, which will stop them from making sales. To get quality staffs from other companies, Sainsbury could offer prospects that they do not receive in their current job such as, high wages, staff discounts, bonuses, pensions and training opportunities. If their current job does not give all this then it will be an advantage for Sainsbury, as more workers will come to them. Sainsbury normally employs people during the busiest time of the year like, Christmas times and summer holidays. Sainsbury knows that they will get people during these times because during these times there are students who are looking for jobs for pocket money and for experience. Sainsbury also knows there are some times of the year that they can not recruit people like after Christmas, during January and February when many young people return back to school, college or university. Sainsbury has different age range for recruiting people; it is from 17-40 yrs old. It believes by having different age range of employees will help the business to be more effective. By this I mean, young people can give better ideas as they just came out of education and some may know the present world well. Also by having young people, the company could pay them less as they are just working for their pocket money, and not for the family. As well as young people, old people will also be able to give good ideas, as they are more experience about the job. 4.8 The importance of Sainsbury interpreting any relevant labour market information It is important for Sainsbury to see if they are interpreting any relevant labour market information, so that the company can gain the most out of their employees in order to make it a very successful company. They may look at the transport development around them, how well the competitors are doing and the wage rate around the area. For Sainsbury the state of the local labour market is more important then what is happing nationally or regionally, as they are the main people. Sainsbury needs to know how well the transport is around them. What I mean by that is, if there are good facilities of transport for the employees then they will be more wiling to work for Sainsbury rather then another company who does not have good transport facilities. It is not easy for the organisation to provide good transport facilities for everyone as everyone comes from different places. To solve this problem, Sainsbury tries to recruits staffs from local area, as it also helps workers be on time. However you cannot always find good worker from the local area so, as well as recruiting from the local area it also recruits from other areas. The workers who live quite afar Sainsbury provides them free travel card (if the live too far), or pays certain amount of percentages for their fair. If other companies fall or closes down then Sainsbury can take staffs available as long as the staffs know their job. Sainsbury looks at the wage rates around the area to see if they can offer this wage or a better wage rate to try and force the better staff to join them. As well as employing people Sainsbury has to keep in mind the ways they can grow in the market. Basically it is important for Sainsbury to interpret labour market information and quickly attract the best recruits away from rivals to grow. 4.9 How has Sainsbury used labour market information for HRP purposes If Sainsbury does not regularly follow up the labour market information, then like other companies it runs the risk of falling behind. This is why it is important that HRP department within Sainsbury to continually review the labour market information to find out the supply of labour market which is available. This can be done by internal supply (within Sainsbury) or external supply (the local shops, regional or national labour markets). As soon as Sainsbury collects all the labour market information it needs to interpret so it can have effective employees. When they are interpreting they should look at things like what are the skills available, the number of employees within one department, promotions and etc. When HRP department interviews people they need to see if the employee has qualification and training opportunities (which can be found from the labour market information). They need to do this because the education and training opportunities available will affect the numbers of people coming in to the labour market and their overall skill level. 4.10 How relevant labour market trends relate to the ongoing HRP of Sainsbury To employ better employees for the future and to know how and when to recruit them the HRP department needs to look the labour markets trends. For example, if the local unemployment rate is high then Sainsbury will find it difficult to employ people. To over come this problem Sainsbury will need to provide better services than other companies such as, high wages. Sainsbury can also employ people if a company closes down, as there will be people who do not have any jobs. For HRP is to be successful, it continuously needs to look at the labour market trends and use the trends to plan the best way to recruit them and when to recruit them. 5.0 Recruitment and selection 5.1 Introduction to recruitment and selection Recruitment and selection are closely tied. Selection is the process of choosing people to work in an organisation. The selection should attempt to: * Get the best people within existing budget,-that is, those with the most appropriate skills, experience and attitudes. * Select people who will stay with the organisation for a reasonable time. Recruiting and selecting process happens when: * The business grows * Changing job roles within the business * Filling vacancies created by resignation. Retirement or dismissal * International promotion. When the process is happening the personal department will aim to attract the ‘best’ candidates for the job, and then choose the most suitable. If the wrong person is recruited, then this can cause problems for the business. For example, if the person leaves because they find the job too boring or too difficult then there will be extra administration costs for the personal department. The business will face extra costs for advertising, interviewing and training. There will also be a settling in period until the new employee has learnt the job. To make sure the ‘best’ person is chosen, businesses must be clear about: * What the job entails; * What qualities are required to do the job; * What rewards are needed to retain and motivate employees? * When to advertise * Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the job application, curricula vitae and letters of application. * How to shortlist candidates. 5.2 Purpose of recruiting and selecting There are many reasons why recruiting and selecting process takes place. Below I have mentioned the reasons. * Filling vacancies created by resignation. Retirement or dismissal. * Less works to be done for the group. What I mean by this is when a colleague leaves the job, the work he/she did is shared between the other colleagues who worked with them in the same department. * If there is right number of employees then the work will be done faster, which means they will not be behind in any work. For example, the company will be able to launch the product on the expected date if there are more staffs. * If there are more staffs then the business will get an edge on their rivals. * Company will able to expand. 5.3 Benefits of effective recruitment and selection If the recruiting and selection goes well then there will be number of benefits to the business. Like: * The profit will increase for the business, as they will be selling good quality products. * The punctuality of the product being launched into the market will increase, as they will be doing it on time. – Working effectively. * The standard of the product will be better, as they will be motivated and keen for the business * Customer service will increase. For example, if there are more employees then the customers will be served/helped more quickly, which means there will less waiting time for the customers. * Motivates existing employees who prefer working with ‘quality staffs’. * Employees are more likely to stay with the company if recruiting and selection is properly done (matches with the job specification). * If right quality candidates are selected in the first place then it saves time for training and development and also money * Company’s objective is met more efficiently and easily if there are ‘good quality employees’ * Less training and development will be needed if a ‘good quality employee’ gets promotion, as they are more adaptable and flexible to the change. 5.4 Consequences of poor recruitment and selection If the recruiting and selection turns out to be poor then the company will have a loss in the business like: * The standard of the service and product will be poor, as the ‘new’ employee won’t have much interest for the organisation. This means there will be lateness in launching the product into the market. * The profit of the company will decrease, which will make the company’s rival go ahead of them. This will make the growth of the company decrease, and make it difficult for it to grow again. * The company will be behind on its product’s schedule (finishing the task on time), as employees will be working slowly and less effectively. * The company will not get many contracts, as they will be not meeting deadlines, as there is lack of interest for the company. * Company will have a bad reputation if they keep on missing the deadlines. * Employees will be leaving jobs quickly, which means there will be more costs to repeat the recruitment and selection process. 5.5 Processes involved in recruitment and selection function There are numbers of functions involved when recruiting and selection process occurs, like: 5.6 Factors, which should be considered in planning to fill a vacancy and carrying out interviews 5.6.1 Filling a vacancy There are many reasons why a vacancy needs to be filled. Like: * A new job may be available due to the expansion of the organisation * Someone has died * Someone has retired * Someone has been dismissed * Someone has left for personal reasons * Someone is promoted * A new department has opened There are other alternatives that could be carried out instead of filling a vacancy to save money for the organisation. These are: – Making more use of machinery/technology – Restructuring of the work each employee has – Giving overtime to the current employees – Employing part time staffs. If the above alternatives do not work or if the manager thinks the vacancy needs to be filled then they can look for candidates internally (with in the business) or externally (outside the business). 5.6.2 Carrying out the interviews There are number of factors which could be taken into account when carrying out interviews. The interview should be conducted around a simple plan and be based on a number of questions against which all candidates should be assessed. The interview should happen in a good suitable place, such as a warm, quite, ventilated room. Also have a friendly receptionist who will inform the candidates what is expected from them. During the interview the interviewer should ask all the important questions which are needed for them to decide the best candidate, and make notes on what they answer, plus any other relevant answers. There are other ‘dos and don’ts’, which the interviewer should keep in mind. Like: * Introducing self to the candidate. * Adopt a suitable manner, show respect and to be friendly * Making sure the interview is not interrupted. * Conducting the interview at an unhurried pace. * Encouraging the candidates to talk by using ‘open’ questions such as: ‘Tell me about your last/present job†¦..’ ‘What do you find interesting in†¦..’ * Concentrating on those areas, which are not fully covered by the application form. * Making sure the candidate has no further questions at end of the interview and knows when the decision will be made, e.g. within seven days. 5.7 Key recruitment documents There are number of key recruitment documents which are needed to be taken in concern while the recruitment process happens. Such as: * Job description. If the job description is not right or if it does not have enough information then they wont exactly know why they are recruiting the candidates for and also the candidate will not know what the job requires if he/she is selected for the job. * Person specification. If there isn’t a person specification or if it does not have the write words to describe an ideal candidate, then they will be recruiting the wrong people. This could lead to further recruitment and selection cost for the process to happen. * Advertisement – where and how it’s going to be advertised. Like is it going to be internally or externally. If its externally then in what type of media? What sort of information will be included in the advert? Giving wrong information or not enough information could cause a problem for the business. For example, if only ten people applied for the job, the business will find it difficult to recruit if all candidates unsuitable for the job. * CV/Application form. Should be able to shortlist them and write to the best candidates for an interview. * Psychometric and aptitude test. These tests are carried out to see whether individuals have the right sort of personalities or dispositions to carry out particular types of work. * Confirming letter. After a suitable candidate is selected, a letter should be sent out to them confirming the place. * Refusing letter. Letting the other candidates know that they have not got the job. 5.8 Analysis of Sainsbury’s key recruitment documents-if there is quality of information in relation to the purpose of each. Sainsbury uses all the above recruitment documents, but there are few documents, which need to be changed. For example, the application form is too long (there are some questions which are irrelevant) and has less space to write the answers. Also there are some questions, which are not being asked like, it does not have any questions about health or any contacts for emergency. The emergency contact could be asked later on, but it makes it a lot easier if it is asked in the application form. For instance, if it’s difficult to contact the person to tell them that they have an interview (maybe because they have changed their number) then there is possibility to leave a message on the other number. By having too long application form, which has some irrelevant questions, can make people change their mind about applying. Also having less space for the answers could be disadvantage for the organisation, as the organisations will not have enough information about the candidate to decide whom to call for an interview. The job description draws up an over all picture of the main task that is required for a job. An existing jobholder draws up Sainsbury’s job description rather than the line manager or a staff from the HR department. The disadvantage to this is, the existing jobholder will only write about the job from their point of view. Only about the tasks they can carry out. Also they are likely to exaggerate on their task and ability or effort needed when carrying out the job. However there is a chance of the job description being accurate as it’s an existing jobholder. (They know what is involved in the job). If a line manager does it or someone from the HR department it does not always mean the job description is always correct. The line manager or the person from the HR department may not be clear on some job, so they may miss out some details, which will make the job description not completely true. Therefore I believe the existing jobholder and the line manager or the person from the HR department should discuss the main points, which needs to be carried out about the job together and than the job description should be written up. By discussing the main points means, the job description will have all the main tasks that are required to carry out the job and also, the it will be an accurate job description. Different job descriptions are written different but all job description has the basic following features as well as other features. ~ The job title ~ Location of the job ~ List of tasks involved ~ Main purpose of the job ~ Pay and benefits ~ A brief outline of the organisation does There is one other main feature that I believe Sainsbury should include in their job description that they do not add. That is: The standards that the jobholder is required to achieve Everyone wants to achieve something from whatever job they do so they can take that to their new job or use it latter on their life. 5.9 Is Sainsbury successful or failing on Recruitment and Selection? In the past few years Sainsbury has made a good progress as they have taken recruitment and selection very seriously. They made sure that they do the job description and the person specification correctly and include all the points, which are needed to be included. Also they made sure they picked the best candidate who is perfect for the job. This is because from the past they have realised that if there is a mistake in one of the steps of the recruiting and selection process then it could have an effect on the business. For instance, the outcome of selecting wrong candidate for the job could affect the growth and the profit of the business. Plus there will be an extra cost to go through the recruitment and selection procedure. Sainsbury could have had better outcome for recruitment and selection if they improved their application form, as more people would apply and it would be a lot easier for Sainsbury to recruit in the future. Also by having good job description, as that will be beneficial for the employee and the employer, as they will know what the job requires. 6.0 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 6.1 What is training? In training there are planned activities, which are designed to make positive changes to the performance and other behaviour (including the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, beliefs, values and attitudes). Training can be broken down into number of elements: * Traditional training. Training to promote learning of specific facts and content, which enable improvement in job performance, such as technical skills training. * Education. The act of acquiring knowledge, skills and understanding, usually in school, college or university. * Vocational education. Somewhere between educational and traditional training (e.g. apprenticeship training). * Management training. Activities design to improve managerial competence. * Organisational development. Activities designed to change the way in which individuals operate within an organisation (e.g. to help them to work better with the changing culture of the organisation, perhaps through teamwork development). 6.2 What is development? While the training process is happing the employee develops its existing skills as well as its new skills in the way it best suits for individual need. However, the organisation needs to support the individual effectively in developing him or herself. For the organisation to find out if the individual development is successful, the employee does appraisal with the individual, where the individual shows or say how much improvement they have done. Sometime meeting the company’s objectives by using the skills that they have developed can also prove it. The starting point in the development process is normally when each employee puts together a personal development plan (PDP). The personal development plan includes the following: * The individual’s goals and aspirations. * An outline of the resources, methods and supports required to achieve these goals. * An indication of a time period for achieving these goals. * An indication of how these goals will be recognised by others. The personal development plan is then discussed with the line manager or the team leader of the organisation to get advice on how to carry things out and how to get the resources, methods and supports (e.g. the opportunity to go on training courses, opportunity to try out new work, etc.). There are different training methods and activities such as: * Induction training. * Mentoring. * Coaching. * In-house training and external training. * On-the-job training. (OJT) 6.3 Purpose of training and development Training involves employees being taught new skills or improving skills they already have. The outcome of employees improving their skills and abilities has number of benefits to the organisation and to the employees. Like * The business will overall its objectives such as increasing profit. * It will have more flexible work force which will help the organisation every way. For example, they will achieve the objectives more quickly. * At the same time they will get the work done quickly and produce better quality products, as they will be using new technology machinery more effectively. * It will increase job satisfaction for employees, which will motivate them and well-motivated workers are more likely to be productive. * It should reduce injuries if the employees are trained in health and safety procedures. * It can improve employee’s chance of promotion. * It will enable the company to work more efficiently * It will reduce the cost of recruitment and selection, as well trained employee will be willing to stay with the organisation longer then a non-trained employee. * It will increase customer service, productivity, sales and profit. 6.4 The benefits of training and development There are number of major benefits that flow from training and development, such as: * Effective training and development would improve competitiveness of an organisation, as well as improving its productivity and customer service. * The long-term benefits of training and development outweigh the short-run cost. For example, it will reduce recruitment cost. * A skilled worker will carry out the work much quickly and effectively then an unskilled worker. 6.5 Processes involved in training and development There are two types of training and developing processes. They are on-the-job training (internal training) and off-the-job training (external training). There are different training methods and activities such as: * Induction training. Induction is the process of introducing new employees to their place of work, job, new surroundings and the people they will be working with. Induction also provides information to help new employees start work and generally ‘fit in’. * Mentoring. Mentoring involves a trainee being ‘paired’ with a more experience employee. The trainee carries out the job but uses the ‘mentor’ to discuss problems that may occur and how to solve them. * Coaching. Coaching involves providing individuals with personal coaching in the workplace. The person who is doing the coaching role will already have coaching skills. The coach and the individual who is being coached will identify development opportunities that they can work together on. For example, ways of tackling jobs, ways of improving performance, etc. The coach will do continues feedback on how this is progressing to the individual’s manager. * In-house training and external training. In-house training happens inside the organisation and external training is where employees are sent away from the organisation to do the training. * On-the-job training. (OJT) takes place when employees are trained while they are carrying out an activity, often at their work place. * Off-the-job training. This takes place outside the organisation. For example, in a training centre, which is not inside the organisation. 6.6 The key aspects of Sainsbury training and development programme Sainsbury has many different training programs on offer for all its employees. It gives training from the very first day that the employee joins their company. The type of training they give in the beginning is called ‘induction training’. This is given to introduce the employee to their place of work, job, new surrounding and the people they will be working with. It gives other training programs throughout the year depending on the employee’s job and the amount of skills they already have. During the year when ever a employee feels they need training to help them carryout the job (and they can prove it to the manager that they need to -carryout training) then this can be arranged. One of Sainsbury’s policy for all its employees is to carryout a training program twice a year to help them to develop their existing skill or learn a new skill as technology keeps changing. For example, there maybe few functions added to the till so all the retailers that work in the till will need training on how to use these functions. There is not exactly a common training method that Sainsbury uses because depending on the employee’s job, training is carried out. Sainsbury cannot do all its training programs internally (within the business) or externally (outside the business) as Sainsbury may not have the equipments to carry out some programs and it will be waste of Sainsbury’s money to send the employee on external training if the training can be carried out within Sainsbury. 6.7 The importance of its involvement in the performance of Sainsbury Training and development is a big part of Sainsbury. Without efficient training and development Sainsbury would not achieve its objectives. Sainsbury believes that the customers are the most important assets of the business; so in order to keep the customers happy, it must have prepared employees to help them immediately. To have prepared employees, it needs to train them effectively, as it will help the business to move forward and achieve its objectives. This is why Sainsbury has increased their training from 14% to 18%. This means they are spending more money on training then they did before. The outcome of spending more money on training and development has increased their turnover by 6%. Even though they are spending more money like à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 million a year on training and development, they are still receiving around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½28-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½32 million a year, which is a good thing as there is a chance of them making profit and becoming more competitive. 6.8 Is Sainsbury successful or failing at training and development? Sainsbury believes training and development plays a big part, for them to achieve their objectives. Effective training encourages the employees to stay motivated and carry out works to their best level, also when the employees realises that the organisation is doing them benefits (teaching them new skills or improving their existing skills), it will encourage them to stay in the organisation for a long period of time. By taking the above point in mind Sainsbury has increased their training by 6%, this means Sainsbury is making more profit then ever. The sales has increased to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½28-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½32 million a year. They are achieving their objectives more efficiently and increasing their turnover every year. This means Sainsbury’s training and development is successful. However there are some points which needs to be considered to stay successful in the future, such as doing training twice in a row, if they did not find the first training very helpful. This could be very expensive for the business, but to have an effective training and to achieve the business’s aim it has to carry it out. 7.0 Performance and management 7.1 Performance and management introduction A business needs to manage the performance of its employees effectively if it is to remain competitive. It does this by using the following methods: * Performance reviews, including appraisal – it is a process of evaluating performance systematically and of providing feed back on which performance adjustments can be made. To have an effective organisation, the organisation sets out a mission statement identifying the overarching aims of the organisation, then the value statement. From the mission statement and the value statement the business sets objectives for the organisation and for individuals. From there everyone can be monitored and will be able to measure their performance. * Self-evaluation – finding the best way of carrying out the job and at the end of the job evaluating the outcome. * Peer evaluation – evaluating everyone’s performance in the team while carrying out the project to see if everyone is carrying out the work and are they doing it right. * Target- setting for individuals and groups – setting a target depending on the unit or the department they works for. By setting the target it helps the team to get the work done faster to helps it to meet the organisation’s objectives. * Measuring individuals and group output/production – measuring individual’s output and group’s output to see how they are doing and if they should be rewarded. By rewarding employees it encourage them to do much better outcome in the future. 7.2 Purpose of performance management The major purposes of performance management are to: * Define the specific job criteria against which performance will be measured. * Measure past job performance accurately. * Justify the rewards given to individuals and/or groups, thereby discriminating between high and low performance. * Define the experience that an individual employee will need for his or her ongoing development. These development experiences should improve job performance and prepare the employee for future responsibilities. 7.3 Benefits of performance management There are number of benefits for effective performance. They are: * As employees are told about their strength, they are more motivated about the work that they carry out. By having motivated employees the company invests time and money in their personal development. * It allows the company to identify employee’s weaknesses and attempt to eradicate problems. * It allows the workforce to focus on how to meet the business’s objectives, as they will be more motivated on the work. 7.4 Processes involved in performance management The stages are: 7.5 Motivational theories Motivation is the levels of commitment individuals have to do and what they are doing. Work place motivation is concerned with commitment to an organisation, its objectives targets. The ability to motivate people comes from a greater awareness understanding of individual’s behaviour patterns. It is also aided or hindered by style of management used within an organisation as well as the structural parameters designed by senior management. Many theorists have attended to discover the perfect solution to keep staff motivated. While discovering the solution they have found that one solution would not suit all employees so the skills of a good manager is to use a Varity of techniques to motivate all kind of staffs. There are four major theories with motivational techniques and each one is linked to a different style of management. They are: 7.5.1 Scientific management – Frederick Taylor (1856 – 1915) Taylor believed that people were alike and their motivations were relatively simple, and their managers could program the workers’ actions. Scientific management is associated with developing ‘scientific method’ of organising work. As people did not work hard as they could and got less paid, the amount of products, which was being produced was very low and the quality was very poor. So Taylor came up with the following methods that he thought could improve the matters. They are: * Pay them more money (give bonus for each piece of work). This will keep them motivated and encourage them to work hard. * Properly trained managers should run organisation and supervise employees effectively with firm but fair disciplinary methods. * Employees should be properly trained, through what he called ‘scientific management’, to do specific tasks effectively. * Employees should be properly selected through tests and interviews to make sure they are right for the job. His methods hardly involved brainwork. The work was already designed in such away that it required minimum thoughts. For example, McDonald’s employees do not have to think, they simply have to follow instructions and serve the customers. 7.5.2 Theory X and Y – Douglas McGregor (1906 – 1964) McGregor came up with theory X and Y. He thinks that every employee should be put into one of these theories to help the managers to know what kind of employees he/she has in the organisation/department. Theory X shows * The average person is lazy and has an inbuilt dislike of work. * Most people have to be persuaded, controlled directed and threatened with punishment to achieve goals. * Security of environment is important. * The average person will avoid any form of responsibility and needs good supervision to carry out work satisfactorily. Theory Y shows * Work is natural activity and can be enjoyable. * People will willingly apply their skills if committed to organisational objectives. * Their commitment should be recognised and be rewarded. * Personal development is very important and additional responsibility will be welcome. After knowing the ‘Theory X’ group the manager can keep an eye on those employees behaviour and see if they make any improvements. After knowing the ‘Theory Y’ group the manager can be assured that the work is being done is satisfactory due to the employees being interested in their work. Therefore the employers do not have to do constant supervision to see if the work is done. 7.5.3 Frederick Herzberg â€Å"two -factor theory† (1923-91) From Maslows theory Hezberg found out that people go to work for many reasons, but not just for monetary rewards. He came up with two groups of factors, which affects employee’s motivation. They are motivation factors and hygiene factors. In motivation factors there are elements, which make employees work harder. These are known as satisfiers. They are: * Recognition of effort and performance. * The nature of the job – does it provide employee with the appropriate degree of challenge? * Sense of achievement. * Assumption of responsibility. * Opportunity for promotion and responsibility There are elements that do not make employees work hard as well as having elements which does make them work hard. They are called hygiene factors. Also known as dissatisfiers. These are: * Autocratic or arbitrary company policy and administration. * Low pay. * Poor working conditions. * Antagonistic relations between different levels of employs. * Unfriendly relationship with hierarchy. * Unfair management and supervising practices. * Unfair treatments of employs. * Feelings of inadequacy. * Impossibility of development and growth. The dissatisfiers plays simpler role to the satisfiers. Even though the satisfiers are the most important elements to encourage employees to work hard, it needs good dissatisfiers to motivate workers by satisfiers. 7.5.4 Abraham Maslow – â€Å"Hierarchy of needs† (1908-1907) Maslows theories are based on meeting peoples needs in the workforce. He believes that people need to be treated as individuals. Everyone has needs and wants, and these vary according to personality. Wise employers will benefit more by meeting the needs and wants of their employees, as this will reduce conflict. The below table shows the needs and wants of an employee. Needs Wants Achievement of special talents, interesting and varied work. Personal goals achieved, e.g. owner of business, challenging activities. Good at job, appreciated by management and status recognised. High role in company, in charge of many staff, prestige. Working with colleges, part of departmental/social activities. Harmonious team working, sports and social clubs/ benefits. Secure on permanent basis, routine task, and safe environments. Important role in organisation, long-term contract, highly rewarded. Comfortable resources, e.g. heat/lights/snacks and up-to-date equipments More luxurious furniture, own office, sophisticated equipment. Maslow has identified a range of needs that where largely hierarchical in nature. This must be met in the correct order (from bottom to top of the pyramid) to meet employee’s needs. Self- Actualisation Self-esteem Love Safety and security Basic * Self-actualisation – this is concerned with personal development and individual creativity to achieve one’s full potential. In order to meet these needs at work, individuals need to be provided with the opportunity to use their creative talents and abilities to the full. 7.6 How might Sainsbury’s approach to performance management be influenced by motivational theory? Depending on employees Sainsbury uses McGregor’s theory (theory X and Y) and Maslow’s theory (the hierarchy of needs) Sainsbury uses McGregor’s theory X and Y depending on how employees work and what department they work in. For example, Sainsbury’s managers uses theory X on employees who work on the till to serve the customers. They have to be closely monitored on their behaviour, such as lateness and absenteeism. Also if they are carrying out their job properly – are they using the right formula to serve the customers? On the other hand employees in other department (e.g. marketing department) do not need close monitoring as they work hard and gives the manager a strong trust that the job will be done by the deadline. If Sainsbury used theory X on the wrong people (e.g. people who work in the marketing department) then Sainsbury will find it difficult to achieve their objectives as these employees would not feel motivated, which wont encourage them to work hard. They may end up leaving the job which will increase the cost of HRM. Sainsbury uses Maslow’s theory as well as using McGregor’s theory. This is because it believes this theory will help the employees stay motivated by meeting their needs (pay them enough to survive). The outcome of this will keep the employees happy and therefore they will concentrate on their work and do their job better then what they would do if they were unhappy. If the employees are happy and do their job then Sainsbury will achieve their goals easily. 7.7 The relationship between training and development programme and performance management within Sainsbury Performance management helps the company to realise if it wants to do well in the market and achieve its objectives than it will need to train and develop its employees so that they can carry out the job effectively. Effective training and development will make the employees do their job to the best of their ability and to the high standard that Sainsbury expects. If a worker is not trained then they will find it difficult to carry out their task, which will be a disadvantage to the business. Due to the modernisation of today’s society and technology, the workers have to be trained and developed. Otherwise they will be behind with the society and technology, which will make it difficult for the business to achieve its objectives. After training and development, the employee meets with their manager for an appraisal to ensure if training and development was effective and if further training and development is needed. This shows that both of the department is needed (T&D and PM). Once the weakness of an employee is spotted through appraisal, training could be carried out to overcome the weakness. 7.8 Is Sainsbury a success or failure in performance management Through out the years Sainsbury was successful in performance management for the following reason: * Appraisals were carried out four times a year to motivate their employees to work hard. * From appraisal training and development was carried out to help the employees to improve within their role in the company. * Managers used ‘theory X and Y’, as well as using Maslow’s theory (the hierarchy of needs). These theories were used depending on how employees worked individually. 8.0 Conclusion To ensure that the company can make effective use of working with Sainsbury the Human Resourcesmanagement (HRM) has to contribute to a number of factors, which would improve the competitiveness of the business. For example: * HRM has to plan ahead to recruit employees, so that Sainsbury is not short of employees and therefore this will save time and money for corresponding company. * By planning ahead the corresponding company can be certain that the appropriate person is selected for recruitment. This is also beneficial for Sainsbury, as this will save them a great deal of time and money in the short run and the long run. * Insufficient training and development of Sainsbury’s staffs could cause the business to lose customers, sales and reputation of the business. Also ineffective training could cost Sainsbury money with no gain against their competitors. * Lack of appraisals may cause Sainsbury’s employees to leave the job and look elsewhere, as they see little or no career progression. 8.1 Identification and evaluation of the potential conflicts between HRM activities within Sainsbury Conflicts can arise in the following ways 8.1.1 Data protection Human Resourcesdeal with and stores huge amount of personal information on each employee, such as salary, sickness record, absences, etc. How much information can be given out about a person without their permission to the Tax Authorities and Social Security. The local Camden will have a Data Protection Register. This will set out all the items of Data in categories that they use and for what purpose, so they are not accused of breaking the Act. 8.1.2 References Human Resourceswill be asked to give references about their employees, and conflict can arise if a person has been absent a lot of times. If this was a serious operation, then the record will look a lot different then if the person missed few days. Individuals would have to give permissions before any information could be passed on about their Tax Credits. 8.1.3 Laws and procedures Human resource has to comply with various laws, such as, employment law, equal opportunities, race relations, etc. If a Senior Management Team, or the Sales Floor Managers wants an effective employee to be moved then conflicts can arise in a profit making business. 8.1.4 Profit (bottom line) One of the main objectives for Sainsbury is to make profit. Conflicts can arise when the benefits of the HR function cannot be measured in recruitment, employee relations, training, motivation etc. 8.1.5 Resources Different HR department (recruitment, training and appraisal) uses various resources and does the work slightly differently. This could cause conflicts, such as, the failure of one department could jeopardise the success of the others. For example, if recruitment and selection does not succeed for any reason then the whole HRM is a failure