Leader ship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Leader ship - Assignment Example Leadership is the backbone of the organization. Leaders of an organization are given the mandate of seeing into it that all the organizational operations run smoothly to ensure organizational success. Barnard (1938) defines leadership as the capability of the superior to influence the behaviour of subordinates and convince them to follow a particular strategy. Leaders should inspire confidence to their followers. Various theories have been associated with leadership and have been applied to solve difficult management issues arising in organizations. Individuals in leadership positions must posses’ vast knowledge of social behaviour of individuals or teams within the organization (Robins & Judge, 2010, p. 597). Leaders are innovators and change facilitators. Leaders are concerned with the planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting. Leadership Theories/Concepts There are several leadership theories that have been proposed. They include great man theory, trait theory, behavioural theories such as the managerial grid, theory x and y, contingency theory and many others. The various leadership styles include; participative leadership, transformational leadership, situational leadership and many others. Some leaders think more about their employees than themselves. Others are more committed to their work and have excellent communication skills. For every organization to be successful the leader should show commitment to his work, communicate effectively and motivate employees to perform their tasks (Hassan & Shaw, 2012). The trait theory assumes that individuals have natural traits that help them become leaders. They believe that these merits are inheritable. These traits include intelligence, conduct, sociability, commitment, devotion, determination and perseverance and other inherit abilities (Gorman, 2004). Situational theory argues that leaders arise from different situation in individuals’ face in life. The lead ers are expected to adjust and adapt to new circumstances to be able to deal with the new situation. The path goal theory deals employees motivations so as to enable them achieve the set goals and objectives (Gorman, 2004, p.82). According to this theory leaders have the ability to improve employees’ motivation by clarifying the goals and providing the resources necessary to ensure improved employee performance and achievement of the desired goals. The contingency theories are an expansion of the situational theories. They are based on categorizing various components which can be used to foretell of the best and effective management technique to be applied in a given situation (Hassan, 2009). The Fiedler contingency model proposes that for effective group performance the leaders’ approach must match with the situation, which gives leaders some control. Fiedler tried to establish whether a person is task-oriented or rapport oriented using the LPC scores. He further iden tified three dimensions, which could be used to determine effective leadership (Robins, & Judge, 2010, p. 522). These include leader-member relations, which involves individuals levels of confidence, trust and respect individuals had in their leaders, task structure, which involves the structured and the unstructured degree of job assignments position power which measures the degree of influence a leader has in relation to

Project Management - Teams, Leadership, & Negotiation [sap5] Essay

Project Management - Teams, Leadership, & Negotiation [sap5] - Essay Example Project teams develop plans required for scheduling activities, estimating costs and making decisions on resources of work to be accomplished. Project teams revise plans of every project phase in its life cycle. These constitute people and other resources needed in executing various plans. It provides services, products and the results of the project. For instance, implementing processes take into account development of project teams, managing and directing project team, carrying out quality assurance, selecting sellers and distributing information. Project progress is measured and monitored so that project teams meet the desired objectives. The staff and project manager determines progress against plans through taking corrective action. This phase includes performance reporting, where stakeholders identify significant changes keeping the project on track. The project is formally accepted and administrative activities such as project files archiving, contracts closure, documenting of lessons learned and receipt of formal acceptance of work delivered and

Block Buster Entertainment Case Study

Block Buster Entertainment Case Study Blockbuster is one of the world leading companies that provide video, DVD rental and games. It has grown more than 8500 stores franchised worldwide that bring Blockbuster as one of gigantic in rentable home entertainment. It also has more than 40,000 titles that can be choosing by consumers every day. In the year 2000, Blockbuster begins to explore the Pay-Per-View market and well establish in the 2001 [Cases in Crafting and Executing Strategy]. Leading market position- Blockbuster is the worlds largest video rent chain, with about 9,000 company-owned or franchised stores in 25 countries including US. In the United States and its territories Blockbuster has 5,194 stores operating under its name. Of the 5,194 stores, 939 were operated through its franchisees. One of the largest competitors of Blockbuster, the Movie Gallery, owns and operates approximately 4,575 stores in the US and Canada, which is less than what Blockbuster, owns only in the United States. Blockbuster has 2.2 million online subscribers, including 2.0 million paying subscribers in the fiscal year of 2006. The strong market presence enhances the brand name image of the company and helps in attracting new consumers and as a result increasing the market share. Strong merchandise sales division- Blockbuster has the strongest merchandise sales division. Beside the rental business Blockbuster is strong on the merchandise sales, which include sale of movies and games. In addition to sales of new movies and games blockbuster has positioned some small merchandise like popcorn candy etc. next to the check out counter so people waiting on line are more likely to purchase those merchandise. Total access program.- Blockbuster has generated an online subscription program that allows consumers to have easy access to their preference of movies. This is an Internet based subscription that allows customer to rent a DVD by mail and offers more varieties of titles than the store offers. Through the Total access program, Blockbuster enhanced and integrated its in-store and online rental business. Blockbuster continues to focus on offering programs that are an alternative to the programs offered by mass merchant retailers and other online subscription service providers. Strong brand equity-Blockbuster has 3,166 stores operating under the Blockbuster brand name internationally because of its strong local brand awareness (Finance.yahoo.com). The company operates under XTRA-Vision brand name in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Also they offer free-standing under the Game Rush brand name in Canada, Ital, Mexico and Denmark. The companys strong brand name gives it an advantage of successfully introducing newer services and increasing its market share. Blockbuster, has about 40% share of domestic rental market and a globally recognized brand, is the leading provider of rentable DVDs (Full report). Let us take a closer look at each components of marketing mix and various strategies that Blockbuster is currently using to achieve its vision. Product Blockbuster is known for its movie renting and also now has video games and products available. Blockbuster also has option for buying DVDs as well as video games. It is also trying to get extended movie rights for International and making deals to have high volume of movies available at any given time. Price- Blockbuster had different services offered for various prices. The price for in-store movie rental is about $4.32 for new and old movies for x amount of days. The online movie services are as follows The company uses different approaches to acquire new and retain existing customers. In response to Netflixs online rental program, Blockbuster deployed its own version of online rental program. Moreover, the company went one-step further by offering the exchange of the online movies against more at the local stores. Customers find it convenient and a quick method to swap, and Blockbuster acquires the much needed flow of customers in and out of the stores. Recently, the company also went through two different types of store remodeling tests. One of them is called Rock the Block, which is for the technology-savvy customers who are comfortable using kiosks and interactive displays. The other one is called White Tornado, which also includes new paint, carpet, fixtures, and lower-hanging shelves for a different look and appeal. The prototype test stores results reflected an increase of 7% to 12% in revenues (Gruenwedel). Another aspect of this business is high price-elasticity. Consumers can easily switch to another product (from a different source) without losing quality or some other attribute. They also have a choice of acquiring the same product from redbox for one-fourth the price. To overcome these challenges, the company employs different methods to add value for the economic profit. These include rewards programs and online marketing with coupons, and are created based on the psychology of consumer behavior. For example, the rewards program offers one free movie after every five rentals, and one free older movie with every paid rental on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (when the traffic tends to be slow). Finally, all employees are trained and expected to offer best possible customer service to the customers; this is critical in retaining the existing customers and earning new ones through word of mouth. Blockbuster is very active in building community relations. The companys community mission states: At Blockbuster, our community relations activities are designed to: Utilize corporate and employee resources and talents to benefit the communities we serve by supporting organizations which impact children/families, reflect a film/video focus or fulfill specific company operating objectives related to diversity and employment (Blockbuster Community, 2008). Similarly, the organization is committed to providing diversity through each phase of the business. The size of the organization and market share are also important social trends for both the company and the stockholders/shareholders. Although the value of Blockbuster decreased over the years, the value of a stock depends entirely on the economic profits that investors expect a company to produce in the future. Past profits matter only because they play a role in creating expectations about future performance (Boyes, 2004, 51). The financial results of the company reflect profits for the four consecutive quarters, after years of reported losses; therefore, the value of stocks is expected to increase. Perhaps the most important political trend for a company is to get involved in a merger or acquisition. Blockbuster had attempted to acquire Hollywood in 2005, but Hollywood entered into the merger agreement with Movie Gallery (Fran Finnegan Company, 2008). In April 2008, Blockbuster proposed a merger with Circuit City (Blockbuster merger, 2008). Facing legal actions in the business would be another aspect of political trends. Blockbuster has faced numerous lawsuits in the past including being sued over no late fees in 2005 by consumers, and over using the online rental model by Netflix in 2006. The legal department (of the company) works diligently to handle these and similar legal and political issues as they arise. In the online DVD rental channel, Blockbusters competitor Netflix has forced it to pursue a cross-channel strategy. Blockbuster has been able to successfully leverage its physical storefront presence with its Total Access program which allows customers to have DVDs sent to their house and exchange them at the actual store (Blockbuster.com). This synergy has allowed Blockbuster to actually earn a twenty cent profit in the first quarter. (Motley Fools Website Blockbuster Eats Brains) The current in-store strategy and requirement is to focus more on the retail items, and push the sale of impulse purchase products. There are rumors that the company would be pulling away from the rental, and would only be offering the new retail movies and games. This would certainly be an interesting change, and Blockbuster stores would become more like Game Rush stores.

The Song Dynasty :: essays research papers

The Song Dynasty The Song dynasty lasted over 300 years, from 960 to 1279. Their history is divided into two periods of Northern and Southern Song. The Song period was one of China's most peaceful and prosperous era. However the Song government was corrupt and weak.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Song Dynasty, or Sung Dynasty was a period in which the Chinese government was very weak. In the beginning General Chao K'uang-yin, also known as Sung T'ai Tsu, was forced to become emperor in order to unify China. Sung T'ai Tsu created a national army under his direct control. He, and only he had control of the military. Once he had passed away his less competent successors were unable to keep the military under control, the military increasingly lost prestige. The weakening of China's military, coincided with the rise of strong nomadic nations on the boarders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the same time of the military's loss of prestige, the civil service rose in dignity. This was an examination system that had been restored in Sui and T'ang and was further elaborated and regularized. Selection examinations were help every three years at the district, provincial, and metropolitan levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Only 200 out of thousands of applicants were granted the jinshi degree. This was the highest degree and appointed on government posts. From this time on, civil servants became China's most envied elite, replacing the hereditary nobles and landlords.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Song dynasty only extended over to the parts of earlier Chinese empires. The Khitans controlled the northeastern territories and the His Hsia controlled the northwestern territories. The Song emperors were unable to recover these lands so they were forced to make peace with the Khitans and the Hsi Hsia. They gave massive amounts of payments to the barbarians, under these peace terms, it depleted the state treasury and cause heavy payments on taxpaying peasants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About 100 years after the Songs first started ruling over China, their government started to go through a major decline. Officials that held important government positions were corrupt. Wealthy merchants that became rich from foreign trade found ways to avoid paying taxes. The peasants began to rebel when the heavy taxes were placed on them. The Song Dynasty had a lot of problems, in 1069 Emperor Shen Tsung appointed Wang An-shi as chief minister. Wang was a scholar who studied earlier Chinese governments. Wang noticed the corrupt government and made huge reform in the government. His reforms were based on the text of 'Rites of Chou'. Wang tried to get honest, intelligent officials by improving the university system. He made civil examinations more practical and reformed the merit system to reduce corruption among government officials.

Philosophy of Religion Essay

In this paper, I will evaluate the argument Richard Swinburne offered in support of theism. I will first explain the distinction between regularities of co-presence and regularities of succession and why their understanding is necessary in understanding Swinburne’s argument. After this, I will present the arguments I have derived from the passage given, derived from Swinburne’s book. I will then proceed to identify the issues that determine whether his is a sound theory or not by explaining the premises Swinburne bases his argument on, and conclude by giving reasons why I think these objections succeed. Richard Swinburne bases the argument he offers in support of theism on regularities of succession by first stating that prior attempts by philosophers and theologies of the eighteenth century to prove the existence of God failed because they largely based their arguments on regularities of co-presence. The distinction of these regularities, according to Swinburne, is that while regularities of co-presence are patterns of spatial order at a specific instant in time, regularities of succession are the simple patterns of behavior exhibited by objects because of the external influence by the forces of nature. For example, the orderliness of the various organs within the human body and how they perform in perfect synchrony to complement each other’s functionalities is a regularity of co-presence. Regularities of succession are based on empirically derivable laws of interaction. The action of attraction and repulsion that occurs within the sub-atomic particles within an atom, and how these forces end up determining the formation of matter by biding many atoms together is an example of a regularity of succession. Swinburne offers the natural balance of the universe brought about by the mutual attraction of planetary bodies with respect to the distance between them and their weights as an illustration of the action of regularities of succession. The following is an outline of Swinburne’s argument in favor of theism. All objects within the universe, living or dead, always behave strictly according to the laws of nature (1). This is not however sufficient enough to be the basis of concluding that theism is true. There is a need to establish the cause of regularities of succession. All regularities of succession exist due to the operation of scientific laws (2), but the most fundamental regularities cannot be given an empirical explanation, and since for the purpose of this argument they must be explained anyway, this explanation must be based in the rational choices of free agents. A dancer’s movements are determined by the rhythm of the tune he or she is dancing to, and this being a regularity of succession is proof that all regulations of succession must have an agent. Similarly, an agent must be responsible for the harmony exhibited by the universe as it behaves according to the laws of nature. The universe is so harmonious and it is very wide, the powers of the agent controlling it must be very immense compared to those of the dancer who, with the freedom of choice, moves in synchrony to the rhythm of a tune (3). The most fundamental of scientific regularities, which are regularities of succession, cause other regularities of succession, and even these most fundamental regularities must have a causative agent. There can be no better explanation to the most basic regularities of succession, so we conclude that an agent bestowed with power and intelligence just like men but at a much higher degree is most likely responsible for their action, thus the proof of theism. Swinburne attributes the existence of regularities of succession to an ultimate causative agent. In his argument, he draws a comparison between the rational choice of a free agent in the simpler term and the much more complex operation of the universe, which he himself portrays as very puzzling. In his argument, infinite attributes are assumed to be simpler than infinite attributes. Furthermore, the agent controlling the universe, if its operation is similar to the exhibition of regularities of succession by simpler free agents like men, must also have had a cause. He fails to explain the cause of this agent and his argument in proof of theism contradicts itself, making it unsound. The premises Swinburne raises are largely valid until the conclusion. A reader of his work will find premise one true since scientific research has empirically established the laws of nature which define the action of objects thus making premise (1) believable. It is true, taking human beings as example that regularities of succession are exhibited as the result of rational choice. A dancer will not move to the rhythm of a tune without having made the choice to dance, and this cause-effect approach makes premise (2) very coherent. If then a being is rationally controlling the universe, his powers must be very immense making premise (3) a convincing conclusion developed from the first two premises. Swinburne argues for theism by equating simpler attributes to complex attributes. In premise (3), he inductively derives a higher probability that God exists, but as with all probabilities, any outcome is likely. Simpler attributes to the actions of objects are not given an explanation to why they are true. Swinburne fails to claim that he proves the existence of God is more probable than his non-existence. He builds his argument on the causation of regularities of succession by more fundamental regularities, but fails to give an explanation for the most fundamental of these regularities: that an immensely powerful agent is rationally controlling the universe. There is thus sufficient ground to successfully object to his argument. In this paper, I evaluated an argument Richard Swinburne offered in support of theism. I first explained the distinction he creates between regularities of co-presence and regularities. I then proceeded to explain his argument and the reasons why it is valid. After this, I considered the reasons a person would choose to think that the premises he based his argument on are true and finally presented my objection to the argument by identifying and explaining why premise (3) is not necessarily valid. My conclusion was that Swinburne did not offer a sufficient reason to believe that theism is true. ? Works Cited Swinburne, Richard. â€Å"The Argument from Design†. Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology of Contemporary Views. Ed. Melville Y. Stewart. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1996. 233-246.

A Critical Analysis of Recruitment and Selection Methods

Executive Summary Duxton Hotel Wellington began its life as the Plaza International Hotel that opened in 1987. The hotel was renamed and rebranded in June 2000. Situated in the heart of the Harbor Capital of New Zealand, 170 Wakefield Street, Wellington. There are 198 employees who employed by Duxton Hotel. Our group interviewed Anne Bellman who is Human Resources Manager of Duxton Hotel. Anne gave us much information about the methods of recruitment and selection of their hotel. Like if they need recruit a position, they will recruit internal first and they concentrate on external too (internal and external are nearly balance). They recruit on website, because it is cheap and popular medium. And many people can have chance to apply. They also use Employment Recruitment Agency. Although agencies are very expensive, they can save time and provide excellent suitable candidates to Duxton Hotel. For selection methods, Anne told us they usually use structured interview because they think it is equally to the applicants to answer the same standard question. Further they use Reference Checks too. Reference checks are a low-cost and save time method. I suggest Duxton Hotel use multiple interviewers can be advantageous, for their individual biases and stereotypes may cancel one another out. Because there are only 2 people do the interviewer. And I also advise them use some logo on the ads on the web. Don’t recruit internal when they recruit some too senior position. Sometimes the reference can’t s show the employee real ability and personality. Duxton Hotel should have a checklist to evaluate the selection methods. The various methods of recruitment and selection all have benefits and drawbacks, and the choice of a method has to make in relation to the particular vacancy and the type of labour market in which the job falls. Table of Contents Executive Summary Table of Contents 1. 0Terms of Reference†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 2. 0Procedure 1. Primary Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2. 2 Secondary Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 3. Findings 1. Introduction of Duxton Hotel†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 2. Recruitment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 3. Selection†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 4. Analysis and critical Commentary 1. Recruitment Methods†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 1. Internal Recruitment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 2. Advertise on Web†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 3. Recruitment Agency†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 2. Selection Methods†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 1. Structured Interview †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 2. Reference Checks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 5. Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 6. Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 7. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦13 Appendix 1— 4 MEMO To: Jacqui Campbell, Lecturer of Human Resource Management From: Nina Bu Date: 28th August 2003 Subject: A critical analysis of the recruitment and selection methods used in a large or medium sized organisation 1. 0 TERMS OF REFERENCE This assignment is requested by Jacqui Campbell, Lecturer of Human Resource Management. Its purpose is to analysis the recruitment and selection methods used in a large or medium sized organization and to make appropriate recommendations. This assignment is due on 28th of August 2003. It is submitted by a group primary research, but secondary research and writes by individual. Nina Bu wrote this report individually. 2. PROCEDURE 1. Primary Research On 14th of August 2003, an interview was conducted with Ms Anne Bellman, Human Resources Manager of DUXTON HOTEL Wellington. Three digital recorders were used during the interview. 2. Secondary Research 2. 2. 1 City library & Massey Library books 2. 2. 2 Internet websites 2. 2. 3 The hand book of Duxton Hotel 3. 0 Finding 3. 1 Introduction of DUXTON HOTEL Duxton Hotel Wellington began its life as the Plaza International Hotel that opened in 1987. In 1992 the hotel was bought by Mr. George Ishiyama. Mr. Ishiyama set about refurbishing the hotel to its present standard, ensuring its growths and development. He owned the hotel until 2000 when Duxton Hotels International purchased it. The hotel was renamed and rebranded in June 2000. Duxton Hotel situated in the heart of the Harbor Capital of New Zealand, 170 Wakefield Street, Wellington. 2. Recruitment Our group interviewed Anne Bellman who is Human Resources Manager of Duxton Hotel. From the interview, we know each position has a different cost associated with recruitment. If they were replacing a manager then they would put an advertisement in the newspaper, that costs about $1000,and also put on â€Å"seek† website as well, so in total maybe $2000. If they uses an agency and pay a fee, the cost is about $6000. To replace a person, the cost is different because there is a training cost, including the time of other people. The average cost is about 2. 5% of the annual salary of the person—sometimes 2 or 3 times that if the position is really important. We chose the job group is Front office manager. So Duxton Hotel paid $120 for the web advertisement for one month, and paid $6,000 to an agency to recruit a suitable front office manager. Duxton Hotel has policies on recruitment and the main policy is they advertise internally first—Hotel Situations Vacant Board, this is to promote career progression. They have an EEO policy. They look at someone’s CV on the basis of what they can do, and not their sex or country of origin. For a job like housekeep attendances, they advertise internally and see if people have a friend or daughter, cousin etc. Then advertise in â€Å"free newspapers† so many people have a chance to apply. If the role were more supervisory then they would first look internally to see if they could promote someone. If they want to recruit a manager, even to a role like Front Office Manager then they still need to use Employment Recruitment Agency, for example, TMP, Candidates Personnel, Terrence Cox (an agency specializing in hospitality) because there are not many people who have that ability. Duxton Hotel does use the web to advertise because it is more cheaply compared to using an agency. As part of the fee they can keep the advertisement on the web for 4 weeks and this means many people have the opportunity to see it. It becomes more and more popular to use the web because fewer people buy newspaper now. Anne measure they analysis each position on a â€Å"case-by-case† basis. They look at where they got the person from, for instance, newspaper, web, agency or internally. There is a balance between internal and external. Agencies are very expensive so they only do that once or twice each year. They look at why one method was less successful. Maybe it was the language they used, or the logo, the words were not attractive enough. They mention the days of the week are best for advertising. Normally that is Wednesday and Saturday for newspapers. There are not many checks from outside for EEO policy. Nobody really audits them, but they rely on â€Å"self-checks†. They look at how honest they were, and they want to be â€Å"seen† as a â€Å"good employer† so they need to make sure people know they demonstrate EEO. If they didn’t do it then people would find out and contact their supervisor or manager. Anne said they would try them best to let the employee feel at home. On average they would advertise 25 times per year (2 per months), including advertising on the web, through the newspaper, or at the student job research. This is an industry where staff turnover is high so that is one reason they have so many advertisement. Another reason is because sometimes they are very busy and they just need more people. Number of applicants depends on the position, i. e. , some position quite popular then maybe up to 30 and it is normally around 15. For some hard position, they maybe only get 5 people interested. Now they are advertising for a Front Office Manager which the job group we focused. They have about 10 applications at the moment from the web and about 6 applications from Employment Recruitment Agency. The number depends on the position and how attractive it is. 3. 3 Selection The selection method of Duxton Hotel is interviews and they use Structured Interviews, so everyone is asked the same questions. Anne would do first interviews and then â€Å"shortlist† people for a second interview. This methods is used for more senior positions and they normally shortlist down to 2 or 3 people and meet assistant manager or someone more senior. Then they make a decision based on that. They always have 2 people interviewing each applicant so they can discuss it afterwards. They are Anne and the manager of the department if there are lots of applicants they are interviewing, then they (the interviewer) fills in a form about each applicant, so they can remember what happened in the interview. Examples of questions Anne asked during the interview. Generally they would tell the applicant about their hotel and the chain of hotel. They would then tell them about the position and the department. After that they would give the applicants a copy of the job description. So they spend the first 5-10 minutes trying to make the interviewee feel more relaxed (maybe also service them a cup of coffee) and giving them information about the hotel and the job. Then some questions Anne would ask is why they applied for the job and what do they know about the hotel. They would also ask the applicants to talk about their previous work experience. Hence they can â€Å"get a sense of† how well they communicate. Anne mention how well they can describe something and whether they can make it interesting. Further ask them questions about their strengths focus. Anne use a format like â€Å" tell us about a time when you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tell us a story†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Anne uses work experience, personality and communication ability–criteria to measure candidates. They want to know if applicants confident in talking with other people. Anne can understand more about them by asking them questions like how they dealt with difficult customers in the past. And questions about working under pressure are also vital. The criterion is how they present themselves–do they look after themselves, for example, their hair and their clothes. Anne does a â€Å"reference check† too. They would call the candidates’ previous employers to see if they would recommend them. Anne always do reference checks and never offer a job before they do that. Sometimes they check the qualifications too. For the successful applicants, Anne would phone them and see if they still want the job. Anne will tell them the salary and starting dates, and who they will be reporting to, and tell them what kind of information they will need to give the hotel: like bank account details and IRD number. For unsuccessful applicants, Anne normally uses a letter, but for second interview applicants she sometimes will call them. Anne said she should have a checklist but they don’t have it, so they don’t really evaluate. 4. 0 Analysis and Critical Commentary Human Resource Management involves the productive use of people in achieving the organization’s strategic business objectives and the satisfaction of individual employee needs (Stone, 2002, P 4). HRM is getting the right people who have the right skill into the right place at the right time. Manager use recruitment and selection, to attract and hire new employees who have the abilities and skills to achieve the strategic goal. Good HRM demands that organizations have well-defined EEO objectives and policy. Duxton Hotel have EEO policy requires fair treatment for all members of the community and the elimination of discrimination. It means candidates should be treated fairly irrespective of differences in race, sex, nationality etc. 4. 1 Recruitment methods The definition of recruitment is the process of seeking and attracting a pool of qualified candidates for a job vacancy (Stone, 2002, P174). There is numerous ways in which Duxton Hotel can find employees to fill their job vacancy. They have application form (see Appendix 2). They advertise internally first, advertise on newspapers and website, use Employment Recruitment Agency etc. . 1. 1Anne advertises internally first–Hotel Situations Vacant Board, it is to promote career progression. It is extremely advantageous for you to be able to offer upward mobility your internal people. While Anne said their Internal and external recruitment is a balance (half-half). Why? Because everything has two aspects, the internal recruiting ha s advantage & disadvantages. |Advantages |Disadvantages | |Employee is familiar with the hotel |A limit ool of applicants | |Motivation current employees |Stifle creativity and innovation | |Hotel can save money to advertising |Infighting for promotions | |Less time consuming |System can become bureaucratic | |Hotel know employees honest, reliable |No new talent into organization | In contrast, external recruiting has benefit: new skills, knowledge, methods, wider choice of applicants, and good advertisement for the hotel. When organization is in trouble and performing poorly, external recruiting is often relied on to bring in managerial talent with a fresh approach. 4. 1. 2 Duxton Hotel does use the web to advertise, because it is very cost effective compared to using an agency. Website is the web address or location of an organization (Stone, 2002). The web site for Duxton Hotel is www. duxton. com. Now Duxton Hotel posts their vacancies like front office manager via their own Web site. For example, position is front office manager, job description is to ensure maximum yield and profitability from the rooms inventory, requirements is he/she must have at least five years experience in a first class hotel, and a natural leader, key responsibilities is to provide statistical & financial reports for the general manager as request and the date of applications (more details please see Appendix 3). In the last seven years, the Internet has really had an impact on business. Like Anne said nowadays the web becomes more and more popular but fewer people buy/read newspaper. And advertising on the Internet is not expensive, so they can just use $120 keep the ad on the web for 4 weeks (24 hours a day), we can image this means many people have the opportunity to see it. So when an human resource manager do an actual recruiting plan for the hotel, he/she should includes Internet advertising as part of the media mix, along with newspaper ads, agency and so on. In general, the higher the education level and the greater the past employment responsibility, the greater the likelihood a candidate will use the Internet as a tool. 4. 1. Recruitment agencies specialize wholly in recruitment and generally keep an up-to-date database of experience potential employees. They take the time out of advertising, interviewing and selecting candidates, and can hand the client a ready-made employee to fit the client’s job specification. Duxton hotel uses Employment Recruitment Agency, because for Front Office Manager, there are not many people who have that ability. So they need to pay $6000 for that to the agencies, i. e. TMP, Candidates personnel, Terrence Cox which is an agency specialising in hospitality. From that we know, Employment agencies can be effective in generating job candidates in some fields. The agency’s effectiveness is largely a function of how well it understands the organization and the requirements of the specific job. Using agencies is expensive and usually not cost-effective for low-level and low-paying jobs. In contrast, most opening at the senior management level use executive search firms as part of their recruiting efforts. It is important to establish a good relationship with the professional recruiters you use; they can provide excellent candidates and save you a lot of time and effort. . 2 Selection methods The definition of selection is the process of choosing the candidate who best meets the selection criteria. (Stone, 2002, P174) Many organization uses selection methods like this graph show: SELECTION 4. 2. 1 Duxton Hotel concentrates on structured interview and references for selection. Structured interview in which interviewers ask a standard set of questions of all candidates about qualifications and capabilities related to job performance To determine who has the best claim to a position and thus will be selected for further consideration (e. . second interview), candidates are short-listed on the basis of their job application, work samples, interviews or reference. In a structured interview, Anne asks each applicant the same standard questions. At the beginning of the interview, they spend the first 5-10 minutes trying to make the applicants feel more relaxed (maybe service them a cup of coffee) and giving them information about the chain of hotel and the copy of job description. In my opinion, Anne did very well. One reason is because the candidates will feel nervous when they sit the interview. An effective interviewer should take candidates at ease, address they feel comfortable, have water, coffee, or soft-drinks available, and help them feel as welcome as possible. And then encourage people to be open in their communications, talk candidly. Another reason: it is important to remember that the interview has a two-fold purpose: to find out whether the applicant is suitable for the particular job, and to give the applicant information about the firm and the position which is vacant. Anne then ask why they applied the job and what do they know about the hotel. Because of this, Anne can know if the applicants have done some homework, testing their interests. And also ask them to talk about their previous work experience, Anne mention how well they can describe something and whether they can make it interesting. Further using a format like â€Å"tell us about a time when you (deal with a different client) †¦Ã¢â‚¬  to know candidate’s strengths. These questions are important to Duxton Hotel because this is a â€Å"customer service† industry. Communicate with people is very important. Question asked must be job related, under EEO legislation, irrelevant and private unnecessary question may lead to charges of discrimination. Many Human Resource Manager feel structured interview are fair to applicants, because they are same question. Anne feel structured interview method is quite successful for selecting. However, I think the interview should be improved at one point. That is Anne told us they always have 2 people (Anne and the manager of the department) interviewing each applicant so they can discuss it afterwards. If there are lots of applicants they are interviewing then they fills in a form about each applicant so they can remember what happened in the interview. Even when structured interviews are used, but, there is always the potential for the biases of the interviewer to influence his or her judgments. It is important for interviewers to be trained to avoid these bias and sources of inaccurate perceptions as mush as possible. Duxton Hotel just has 2 people do the interviewer. They may be cannot avoid the effects of biases and stereotype. So at this point, Duxton Hotel needs to improve. 4. 2. Anne said they also do a â€Å"reference check†, they would call the applicants previous employers to see if they would recommend them and sometimes also check the qualification. Duxton Hotel always do reference checks and never offer a job before they do that. This is a good selection method for Duxton Hotel. Reference check is one of the most commonly used predictors of future job performanc e (www. ask. com). References are usually supplied by a former employers or professional colleague who knows the applicants’ skills, abilities, or personality attributes such as motivation, leadership and personal skills. References are often used at the end of the selection process to confirm a decision to hire. There are two benefits for using References. o References are best for evidence of attributes that cannot be easily assessed in an interview, either due to impression management (e. g. interpersonal skills) or the unrealistic setting (e. g. reliability, honesty). o References checks are not too costly or time-consuming. References are usually only checked for short-listed applicants. In fact, some former employers are reluctant to provide negative information in references sometimes makes it difficult to interpret what a reference is really saying about an applicant. 5. Conclusions The correct recruitment and selection of new employees is just as important as finding the right person for the job. â€Å"Better recruitment and selection strategies result in improved organizational outcomes. † Says DDI (Development Dimensions International), Ph. D. So HRM recruit and select candidates is the more effective task for the organization. We interviewed the Human Resource Manger of Duxton Hotel, Anne Bellman. I discussed some methods of recruitment and selection using by Duxton Hotel. 5. 1 Recruitment methods 5. 1. 1 Internal recruiting is manager turn to existing employees to fill open position. The employees familiar with the hotel, managers have considerable information about their skills and increase employee moral. 5. 1. 2 The availability of New Zealand focused Internet recruiting sites is growing rapidly. Putting the advertisement on the Website is cheap and many people will have a chance to read the advertisement. . 1. 3 Employment Recruitment Agency is also used by Duxton Hotel. Because Front Office Manager is a senior position, not everyone has that ability. Although agencies are really expensive, they can save time and provide excellent suitable candidates to Duxton Hotel. 5. 2 Selection methods 5. 2. 1 Structured interview is commonly used by Duxton Hotel. They think it is fair to the applicant, because th ere are same standard question. However, there are only 2 interviewers, so maybe they cannot avoid the effect of bias. 5. 2. Reference checks are a low-cost and save time method, so it is very popular in Duxton Hotel, too. The various methods of recruitment and selection all have advantages and disadvantages. Whatever recruitment and selection methods the organization choose, remember that the objective is to attract people who suit the job vacancy. So be as open and as informative as possible. 6. Recommendations 6. 1 Duxton Hotel recruits front office manager internally firstly. I don’t think it is a smart idea. Because one drawback of internal recruitment is limit to number of applicants, the other is stifle creativity and innovation. Maybe they can recruit someone from the inside to replace the position, but maybe his/her former task will get problem. So I suggest Anne should concentrate on external selection totally for a too senior position in the future. 2. Duxton Hotel do advertisement on Website, it is really good method. While depending the advertisement, they only put Job position is Front Office Manager, and the detail of job description, requirements and key responsibilities. I think it is not â€Å"catchy† enough for attracting people. They should put some attractive Logo on the web to encourage people apply. 3. Using multiple interviewers (at least 3 people) can be advantageous, for their individual biases and stereotypes may cancel one another out. Now there are only 2 interviewers in Duxton Hotel to select new employees. 4. Anne said they always do reference checks and never offer a job before they do that. However, sometimes some former employers are reluctant to provide negative information in references. So Anne should not believe all the comments of the references, she should concentrate on the employees’ real work ability. 6. 5 Duxton Hotel should have a checklist to evaluate the success of their selection methods. Then they can check whether the method is useful and improve the methods in time. 7. References Black, J. S. , & Porter, L. W. (1999). Management: meeting new challenges (1st ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Chambers, H. E. (2001). Finding, hiring, and keeping peak performers: every manager’s guide (1st ed. ). Cambridge: Perseus Books Group. Gilberison, D. W. , & Stone, R. J. (1985). Human resource management: case and readings (2nd ed. ). Roseville: McGraw-Hill Book Company Australia Pty Ltd. Jones, G. R. , & George, J. M. , & Hill, C. W. L. (1998). Contemporary Management (International Ed. ). U. S. A. : Craig S. Beytien. Stone, R. J. (2002). Human resource management (4th ed. ). Milton: John Wiley & Sons Torrington, D. , & Hall, L. (1998). Human resource management (4th ed. ). Herefordshire: Prentice Hall. www. ask. com www. duxton. com Appendix 1: Interview Questions 1. How much does your company cost for each job (Front Office Manager)? 2. Do you have policies for recruitment internal or external? How do you practice? 3. What methods do you use to recruit for this particular job group? 4. Do you have application form? . Have you considered advertising on the web? 6. Why are these methods used? 7. How do you measure the success of the methods? 8. Equal employment opportunities are a significant issue for recruitment policy. How do you make sure you do EEO for recruitment in your organization? 9. Could you tell us the number of positions advertised in a year, the number of applications received for each position and time from closing date to offer of position? 10. How do you identify where your applicants are coming from? †¢ What selection methods do you use for this job? Interview-what types of interview? †¢ Panel – who is on the panel? How many? †¢ Structured – could you please give us some examples of questions that you ask? 11. What criteria do you use to measure candidates? 12. Do you usually use reference checks for selecting people? 13. How do you inform successful and unsuccessful applicants? 14. How do you evaluate the success of your selection methods and recruitment methods? ———————– Background information Interviews References Work samples Assessment Centres Psychological Tests

The Coral Reef

The Coral Reef Free Online Research Papers The marine organisms which took most interest to me were coral reefs, due to the fact I’m from the east coast and more so island oriented also that I am Haitian/Jamaican. The climate is tropical and the waters are full of coral reefs and vibrant organisms within the water. The perception is that coral reefs are not living organisms and do not really have life. According to Rob Nelson from thewildclassroom.com/biomes/coralreef.html Many biologists consider coral reefs to be more diverse and productive than their land equivalents. Corals are the only animals other than humans that are capable of building structures that can be seen by space. Mostly found in warm waters, they cannot survive in temperatures lower than 18 °C Coral reefs are the most diverse and beautiful of all marine habitats statedhttp://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/coralreef.html Coral reefs also are home to various breeds of marine life ranging from moray eels, to a hammerhead shark. They are a means of food for many of the larger prey that feed off bait fish like plankton or herring. Corals are members of the phylum Cnidaria also including jellyfish, comb jellies and sea anemones. Coral reef is not only a house center for other animals in the ocean but it is actually made from dead animals, broken rock that over time has fused together. So coral reef is actually a living recycling system The construction or birth of corals is through the process of Bio-Erosion The structure and the architecture of the reefs result from interactions between the processes of growth and erosion. Have been found to Growth and erosion of the coral reef ensue the structure of the reefs. As the coral reef is created there is also a coexisting process of destruction by physical, chemical and biological agents that are constantly at work. Because they are constantly at work the agents prevent the development of further coral reefs. The agents responsible for the erosion of the reef often are stronger together then they would be alone. Two processes involved in bioerosion are the chemical dissolution of the substrate resulting from the action of the acid substances and the mechanical abrasion of the substrate. Cyclones are destructive of the coral reef especially when the substrate is weakened by the activities of erosive organisms. During the erosion it releases dissolved CaCO3 into the envi ronment that is re-used by the productive organisms both in this form and in the particulate form which results in the production of the bioclasts which are part of the reef sedimentation resembling a recycling process There was a period in time where there likely hood of coral reef hung in the balance. El Nino, the shift in ocean currents also had an effect on global warming, which could cause major drought and floods. Mass Bleaching has also had a major impact on the lives of coral reef. Because of the rise in ocean temperatures large amounts of coral reef have been severely bleached which cause more damage while still in the healing process. Coral reefs are useful to the environment and people in numerous ways. For example, they Protect shores from the impact of waves and from storms; Provide benefits to humans in the form of food and medicine; Provide economic benefits to local communities from tourism. Also an estimate valued the world’s coral reefs at $30 billion. However human activities such as overfishing, water pollution has been the deterring factor of the 10 percent loss of coral reefs globally. Including these tragic events an additional 15 percent has been lost because of warming of the surface ocean, and the climate change which will be the catalyst factor to further destroying the reefs in times to come. These environmental features also lead to more â€Å"bleaching† of the reefs. Limestone an element produced also by coral reefs will be preserved well in geologic records. Modern coral reef organisms and communities have evolved over the past 40-55 million years.A significant coral found mostly in tropical waters is the jewel stone/jewel toe / Honeycomb Coral better known thru its scientific name Porites. The porites species is within the kingdom Animalia, phylum Cnidaria, class Anthoza, family Porittidae and genus Porites. Found mostly in the Pacific region including Fiji, Tonga and Hawaii Islands, Porites coral grows within water Seventy-two to seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit. Porites feeding mechanism is just as other stationery plants which use the sun, through the process of photosynthesis. The Porites species also filter feeds on plankton a few times a week in the evening They can grow up to six meters then spreads. Being that it’s a nocturnal organism it doesn’t fully spread itself till night. The Porites usually come in color shades of b rown, yellow, and green. However with the exposure to UV the coral sometimes shows colors of blue, pink, and purple. When taken into human captivity the coral demands special care. Today’s reef community is living veneer over these limestone accumulations that may be tens of meters thick, According to â€Å"Pew Center on Global Climate Changes†. We as humans should appreciate the beauty of these magnificent organisms not only by viewing them, but also educating ourselves on deterring preventions. Research Papers on The Coral ReefGenetic EngineeringBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andOpen Architechture a white paperPETSTEL analysis of IndiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanThe Project Managment Office System19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Definition and Examples of the Figures of Speech

Definition and Examples of the Figures of Speech The figures of speech are the various rhetorical uses of language  that depart from customary construction, word  order, or significance.  Figures of speech, Gleaves Whitney has observed, are  all of the ways in which human beings bend and stretch words to heighten meaning or create a desired effect (American Presidents: Farewell Messages to the Nation, 2003). Common figures of speech include metaphor,  simile, metonymy, hyperbole, personification, and chiasmus, though there are countless others. Figures of speech are also known as figures of rhetoric, figures of style, rhetorical figures, figurative language,  and schemes. Although the figures of speech are sometimes regarded as simply  ornamental additions to a text  (like candy sprinkles  on a cake), in fact they serve as integral elements of style and thought (the cake itself, as Tom Robbins points out). In the  Institutes of Oratory  (95 AD), Quintilian says  that  the figures, used effectively, are exciting to the emotions and give  credibility to our arguments.   For examples of the most common figures, follow the links at The Top 20 Figures of Speech. Also see Examples and Observations below. For definitions of well over 100 figures, visit The Tool Kit for Rhetorical Analysis. Examples and Observations An integral part of language, figures of speech  are found in oral literatures, as well as in polished poetry and prose and in everyday speech. Greeting-card rhymes, advertising slogans, newspaper headlines, the captions of cartoons, and the  mottoes of families and institutions often use figures of speech, generally for humorous, mnemonic, or eye-catching purposes. The argots of  sports, jazz, business, politics, or any specialized groups abound in figurative language. Most figures in everyday speech are formed by extending the vocabulary of what is already familiar and better known to what is less well  known.(Merriam-Websters Readers Handbook.  Merriam-Webster, 1997)The Figures as Ways of Seeing- The vast pool of terms for verbal ornamentation has acted like a gene pool for the rhetorical imagination, stimulating us to look at language in another way. . . . The figures have worked historically to teach a way of seeing.(Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 2nd ed. University  of California Press, 1991)- The most excellent ornaments, exornations, lightes, flowers, and formes of speech, commonly called the figures of rhetorike. By which the singular partes of mans mind, are most aptly expressed, and the sundrie affections of his heart most effectuallie uttered.(Henry Peacham, The Garden of Eloquence, 1593) Language Is Not the Frosting, Its the CakeIf, as Terence McKenna contended, the world is actually made of language, then metaphors and similes (puns, too, I might add) extend the dimensions and expand the possibilities of the world. When both innovative and relevant, they can wake up a reader, make him or her aware, through elasticity of verbiage, that reality- in our daily lives as well as in our stories- is less prescribed than tradition has led us to believe. . . .Ultimately, I use figures of speech to deepen the readers subliminal understanding of the person, place, or thing thats being described. That, above everything else, validates their role as a highly effective literary device. If nothing else, they remind reader and writer alike that language is not the frosting, its the cake.(Tom Robbins, What Is the Function of Metaphor? Wild Ducks Flying Backward. Bantam, 2005)The Plasticity of LanguageThe figurings of speech reveal to us the apparently limitless plasticity of language itself. We are confronted, inescapably, with the intoxicating possibility that we can make language do for us almost anything we want. Or at least a Shakespeare can.(Arthur Quinn, Figures of Speech: 60 Ways To Turn A Phrase. Routledge, 1995) SchemesThe Greeks called them schemes, a better word than figures, because they serve as persuasive tricks and rules of thumb. While Shakespeare had to memorize more than 200 of them in grammar school, the basic ones arent hard to learn. . . .Figures of speech change ordinary language through repetition, substitution, sound, and wordplay. They mess around with words- skipping them, swapping them, and making them sound different.(Jay Heinrichs, Thank You for Arguing. Three Rivers Press, 2007)Figures of Argument and Figures of StyleWe consider a figure to be argumentative if it brings about a change of perspective, and its use seems normal in relation to this new situation. If, on the other hand, the speech does not bring about the adherence of the hearer to this argumentative form, the figure will be considered an embellishment, a figure of style. It can excite admiration, but this will be on the aesthetic plane, or in recognition of the speakers originality.(Chaim Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca, The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation. Translated by J. Wilkinson and P. Weaver. University  of Notre Dame Press, 1969) Figures of Speech in EconomicsFigures of speech are  not mere frills. They think for us. Says Heidegger, Die Spracht spricht, nicht der Mensch: The language speaks, not the human speaker. Someone who thinks of a market as an invisible hand and the organization of work as a production function and her coefficients as being significant, as an economist does, is giving the language a lot of responsibility. It seems a good idea to look hard at the language.(Deirdre N. McCloskey, The Rhetoric of Economics, 2nd ed.  University of Wisconsin Press, 1998)Figures of Speech and ThoughtThe real nature of the relation of figures to thought is very generally misunderstood. The majority of rhetoricians treat of them as mere ornaments, which render a discourse more pleasing, and which may be used or rejected at pleasure. Some writers- as, for example, Lockecondemn their employment in works intended to convey knowledge and truth; they are pronounced inventions, which serve only to insinuate wrong ideas, move the passions, and mislead the judgment.But instead of being inventions of art, they are the natural, and therefore necessary and universal forms, in which excited imagination and passion manifest themselves. The young and the old, the barbarous and the civilized, all employ them unconsciously. Languages in their earlier state are highly figurative; as they grow older they lose their natural picturesqueness and become collections of lifeless symbols. These abstract forms are regarded by rhetoricians and grammarians as the natural and ordinary forms of speech, and so they describe figures as departures from the usual forms of expression.(Andrew D. Hepburn, Manual of English Rhetoric, 1875) Figures of Speech as (Metaphorical) Dance Moves[Figures of speech] are like the steps a ballet dancer might perform as part of a longer routine: for instance, pirouette (spinning on tiptoes), grand jetà © (jumping  horizontally with legs extended backward and forward),  and chassà © (sliding with legs bent). These dance moves, like the figures, are units of performance:  we can point to them, describe  how they are formed, and judge whether they are executed effectively or not. There are no rigid rules about how they might be combined or incorporated into a broader performance. Like dance moves, the figures of speech are  vehicles for managing interactions between performer and audience while shaping  the latters perceptions of what they see or read. They are also already in circulation and thus  part  of a general repertoire for performance. For this reason, they carry meanings and values that exceed an individual performers use of them. In other words, they come w ith baggage- most of it positive, but some negative.(Chris Holcomb and M. Jimmie Killingsworth,  Performing Prose: The Study and Practice of Style in Composition.  Southern Illinois University Press, 2010) The Lighter Side of Figures of SpeechRocket: I have a plan! I have a plan!Drax: Cease your yammering, and relieve us from this irksome confinement.Peter Quill: Yeah, I’ll have to agree with the walking thesaurus on that  one.Drax: Do not ever call me a  thesaurus.Peter Quill: Its just a metaphor, Dude.Rocket: His people are completely literal. Metaphors are gonna go over his  head.Drax: Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too  fast. I would catch it.Gamora: Im gonna die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy.(Guardians of the Galaxy, 2014) Pronunciation: FIG-yurz uv SPEECH

Change Management Processc

Task: You have been asked to oversee a major change management process in your organisation (fact or fictional). Write an essay of about outlining how you would manage this change. In your essay you must address the following key points:   †¢ Outline the change that is going to take place;   †¢ What approach you will take in managing the change;   †¢ What are the key elements that you will have to manage during the change process?   †¢ What approaches will you use to measure the success of the change process?   †¢ What will be your approach to incorporating the learnings from the change process into future change management activities?    Change management is defined as the process of changing various aspects of an organization or a company, such as production procedure, employee performance, the work environment of the employees and many others. An organization has many different aspects to deal with. Sometimes some of an aspect may cause harm to the organization. Then it is severely necessary to change that particular aspect. There are three steps of bringing any change to the organization. First, the problems need to be identified by the management, then the problem or the issue should be properly analyzed, and the source of the problem should be identified, and finally the final step is to solve the problem with required skill and confidence. The change management is one of the most important aspects of running an organization successfully. Many organizations including some large scale organization had bankrupted just because of lack of change of the required issues. Similarly for an health care organization, the issues should be avoided by adopting proper change. At the period of getting some changes in an organization, at first, the management of the organization has to search the faults of the organization, here a health care organization (Change management, 2007). After that, the problems are needed to be sorted out and then the finding problems are come to know how these problems can be overcome. The management of a health care organization always needs to be perfect and to serve to people properly. So if any problems to the organization come where it can’t get as profit as it got at the previous time, it may take some changes over the working process of the management. Through the way of getting the output, the process of change project would point out the problems relevant to the up gradation of software and hardware equipment, improvement of personnel training; empowerment of employees has extra motives and environment of the workplace (Pugh & Mayle, 2009). To begin the changes the management needs to have some agreement like th ese changes would never get a change directly to the organizational culture as it could meet resistance and smell failure in a very short period. So the pointed problems of the company are needed to get an eye over it. A health care organization or hospital depends upon different factors such as, the communication between hospital management and the patient as well as their family members, the proper use of the surgical equipment, the procedure of medical examination and many others. Other than that, updated hardware and software equipment is also important to the organization. Then it comes to the efficient and skillful work of the workers or employees of the organization (Greener & Hughes, 2006). How the fresher workers can be more efficient to their job, it comes under the eye of training period of the trainees. So the training of the fresher workers' is much important to get more benefitted. Management of a health care organization provides trainers for training the new joiners of the company as they can give them more responsibilities and get more profit than what they are getting right now. When these all new joiners get over their training period, they will be more experienced and skillful from what they were at the first day of joining. But these all problems would get changes without affecting the organizational culture of the company because the changes of the organizational culture can reach to the root of the company and it can give positive and negative both kinds of effects to the organization. Another problem that can be taken under changes is an environment of the workplace which is a major and effective problem of an organization (Hughes, 2007). The communication between the management and the workers must be more pleasant. Similarly the communication between the management or the workers and the patient and their family members must be nice. Thus if there is any problem with the communication, it should be modified or changed.   After the findings of the problems of the health care organization, there will be some approaches to the higher authority of the company. The communicational approach is one of the most valuable approaches to the management (Hughes, 2007). Communication between the leaders and their employees' should be friendlier for the improvement of the outcome of the given project. If the understanding between the management and the health care workers does not meet converges to the ultimate aim the output of the work won't be beneficial. Another point of approach is up gradation of the medical examination procedure. Backdated equipment gives an output to the respect of the given input, but more updated equpment gives a better performance to the respect of given one. The medical examination procedure is synchronized to the benefit of the organization, so it is very important to get changes in case of examination procedure as well as (Victor & Franckeiss, 2002). In the event of this change, the a pproach to the authority should point on time. Time is very important to an organization as they want to have a maximum job to the respect of minimum time. So this is what every organization needs from their employees to get benefited of to the respect of time. If a company gets more performance by the respect of time, the management will get more profit. So the up gradation of the hardware and software equipment will squeeze the working time. Employees can provide maximum output in respect of less time (Victor & Franckeiss, 2002). There is another approach to the management of the organization which will be polite environment at the workplace. If the fresh workers can get polite behavior, friendlier attitude from the trainers they can understand their job more frequently and this can give more benefit to the company. As the new joiners will follow their job more successively, they can provide their performance soon. So the trainers of the management should be more polite in nature and friendlier to their trainees. When a new joiner won't get scared to ask his or her trainer about their queries they will be close to their service more easily. So these are the approaches which can be put in front of the management to update their job strategies. So the approaches will be based on communication between leaders and employees, time management which could run the company more frequently with the help of updated hardware and software equipment, polite behavior and friendlier environment in the workplace, understanding attitudes of the trainers towards the trainees. These all could be beneficial to the organization (Maruca, 2006). Now the key elements or the factors which should be changed for the management of the company has been discussed earlier (Lewis, Passmore, & Cantore, 2011). For getting a better outcome the management of the organization should pay attention to the aspect of updating hardware and software equipment of the company, inspire the workers to do their job in more efficient and better method, making a good and motivational environment for the fresher workers of the organization. These are the key points or elements need to be managed during the period of getting changes in the organization. When the workers get a refreshed environment, they can perform in a relaxed mind and give the most skillful job to the management. So the management should reserve a separate time to make refreshment to the workers of the organization (Calvez & Guà ©nette, 2003). As they are getting a time of food, they can relax at that time and get the energy to perform better. Like this, the environment of the workpl ace should be lighter as the employees would be able to do the most skillful job at the place where they are working. There is another finding of a problem on the backdated technological versions of the working equipment of the company. At first, the old versions of the medical examination equipment should be removed. After that management should put an eye on the new versions of the technology, and then they will appoint some workers to find the ultimate equipment what the organization needs (Murrell & Meredith, 2000). Then the management will get that updated equipment to the company and let their experienced workers put a try on those. If the experienced workers can perform better job through the innovative technology adaptation, the company will spare other workers to work with that new version equipment. The performance of the workers will get higher, and company will get maximum profit in minimum time. Next there comes the communication gap between the trainers and trainees. I n the maximum cases, the communication between trainers and the trainees are not so smooth that is why the post-training period performance of the most of the employees are not so well (Schermerhorn, Osborn, & Hunt, 2000). The atmosphere of the training period should be friendlier towards the trainees. The relation between trainees and trainers should be more refreshed as the trainees can clear their queries through a peaceful mind and after they reach to their post-training period, they will be able to perform a better job. These are the key elements of the problems which should be given more attention at the time of changes.  Ã‚   The above-mentioned issues or problems severely harm the organization or the company. Thus to run the health care organization successfully some changes must be taken by the management of the organization (Kerber & Buono, 2007). Suppose if a company is constantly getting negative remarks from the patient or their family members then there must be some problem with their service. In that case they to be more creative and more satisfactory towards their patients. The better is the satisfaction of the patients the more will be the profit of the organization or the company. There are various approaches to the management of the change process. The organization or to be more precise the management have to be more conscious towards various aspects of the organization. For example the training process of the fresher employees, the work environment of the employees, the communication between the management and the patients and their family members, hardware and software development of the com pany and so many (Peppers & Rogers, 2011). The training process of the fresher employees is one of the basic requirements in the way to develop the business of the company. If there is any problem in the training process then in future the employees will have to face some problems regarding their work. That means it is the responsibility of the management to provide the most experienced trainer for the training process. Another important thing is the duration or time of the training. Every employee does not have equal merit, so sufficient time should be given to the fresher to know the process of the work. This is how the employee can gain required skill and confidence to deal with their job. The communication between the trainer and the employee should be pleasant and nice. Otherwise, it may cause disobedience of the fresher employees (Finch, 2011). Other than these aspects there are many another aspect to which the management should pay attention, like the work environment of the employees. The leader of the company as well as the human resource manager must be motivating and supportive towards his employees. The management should also look after the basic requirements of the employees. Suppose an employee is working in a room where there is no fan. Naturally it would not satisfy the employee who will ultimately harm the company. The hardware and software development of the company is also a very important factor. The management of the organization or the company must recruit employees who can successfully develop the hardware and software systems of the company. For example in most of the large-scale industries, including some renowned health care organizations the head of the company operates the database of each and every employee. Thus, if there is a problem with a database system, it might harm the security of the organization (Baldoni, 2005). These are some approach that the company or the organization should take to get rid of any downfall of the comp any. Change management is something that always includes a cause and an effect. The basic causes for which the changes must be taken are already discussed in above paragraph (Kessler, 2013). If there is the cause, there must be an effect. Here also, there is a great effect of the change process which is obviously benefactor for the health care system. A health care system or a hospital is a place where people come to get rid of their physical problems, thus a health care by adopting the mentioned changes can serve the people in a much better way. It may also be considered as the advantages of the required changes. If a organization is having some problem with any of its aspect, naturally it must be changed or modified (Arsenault, 2004). The process of changing various aspects is also mentioned. In totality, the main effect is the betterment or the improvement of the organization or the company. If the company is having any problem with its training procedure, taking the above-mentioned st eps can cause helpful to the fresher employees. If there is any issue regarding the patient satisfaction of the hospital, the process of service must be changed or modified. It will result in positive remarks or feedback of the patient and their family members, and if the patients are satisfied with the service, the organization will surely be benefited. If there is any problem with the work environment of the employees or employee satisfaction, the company or the organization will be harmed (Topolosky, 2000). To prevent this problem the leaders, human resource manager and the whole management of the organization have to be influential as well as supportive towards the workers of the company. If the communication between the workers and the management is good, there will be a pleasant and nice working environment. As a result, the whole organization will be benefited and the workers or employees of the organization will get a better environment to work which will be satisfactory eno ugh to them. Not only these but there are also some other advantages of bringing some required change to the company. Like if the database system of the company is strong or if the controller of that database system is efficient and dedicated towards their work the, the management will be able to secure their company. The recruiting process as well the human resource manager must be loyal and dedicated towards his job. This will provide the organization with a lot of efficient workers or employee. The leadership of the organization, being one of the most important parts, should be changed or modified by their requirements. The main perspective or the point of the essay is to bring out the reasons, for which the change is needed, the changing process of the selected aspects and the benefits it will provide to the organization or the company as a whole (DR.K.VANITHA, 2012).  Ã‚  Ã‚   The above essay is all about change management in a health care organization, its cause, and effect to a particular organization or community. Organizational development is something that depends on each and every sector of a company including its service procedure, employee performance, the efficiency of the leaders, patient feedback and many. The issues that harm these sectors are already mentioned in the above passage including the approaches that should be taken to develop the company as a whole. If a health care organization successfully maintains these ways of change then it will surely be able to get rid of some issues. Since few decades, the lack of change management has caused severe harm to many renowned and well-settled companies including some hospitals. Similarly, some organization has also managed to develop their working process and business successfully with the help of change management. Thus, change management is always very important for an organization or a compan y as a whole.   Arsenault, B. (2004). Adapting to Change.  Journal Of Ambulatory Care Management,  27(3), 237-241. Calvez, V. & Guà ©nette, A. (2003). An approach to change management.Thunderbird International Business Review,  45(5), 629-636.   DR.K.VANITHA, D. (2012). Customer Relationship Management on Customer Satisfaction. Greener, T. & Hughes, M. (2006). Managing change before change management.Strat. Change,  15(4), 205-212. Harrington, H., Conner, D., & Horney, N. (2000).  Project change management. New York: McGraw Hill. Hughes, M. (2007). The Tools and Techniques of Change Management.  Journal Of Change Management,  7(1), 37-49.   Kerber, K. & Buono, A. (2007). Enhancing Change Capacity. Client-Consultant Collaboration and Emergent Change. Kessler, E. (2013).  Encyclopedia of management theory. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE. Lewis, S., Passmore, J., & Cantore, S. (2011).  Appreciative inquiry for change management. London: Kogan Page. Looking for an answer 'who will do my essay for cheap', .com has the perfect solution for you. We boast highly skilled and talented 3000+ essay writers , who are committed to providing needed essay help to students in Australia. They resolve students' academic problems and make sure students are well-equipped to write a good quality essay. Hence, students don't need to waste their time in searching, 'who will write my essay at cheap ', instead they pay for the best essay help services at .com. You are required to write a researched argument essay that convinces persuades the reader of your position / stance. This is an academic, researched and referenced do... Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to elaborate the factors which are considered by individuals before selecting an occupation. Choosing an occupati... Introduction With the increase enhancement in the field of technology, it has been considered essential by the businesses to implement such technology in their b... Executive Summary In a merger & acquisition, role of an HR has emerged as a very critical function. At each stage of merger and acquisition process, HR plays a s... Introduction In this competitive business environment where every business organization is trying to attract the customers of each other, it becomes essential for ... 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Creative writing - 'Otherness' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Creative writing - 'Otherness' - Essay Example I looked at her stern eyes and said, "he keeps it in the case that he carries with him to shop every day." Laila jo said nothing as tears dropped down her cheek. She knew like me, this was not the life she deserved but she didnt ask me about the plan any further. That night as we sat to eat our dinner, Laila did not speak at all. Rasheed went with his own narration of the days event, listened to the radio and went to sleep. I felt the chill in the air and my eyes refused to rest. I was feeling immensely alert and with every gunshot outside, I became all the more vigilant. Suddenly, I heard a thud and a cry and rushed upstairs. As a climbed the stairs, thousand thoughts crossed my mind but the sight of blood numbed me once and for all. Lying on the pool of blood was Laila jo...Rasheed had the gun in his hand. Aziza was crying her lungs out sitting by the side of her mother. I rushed to Laila jo and found blood oozing from her throat. Her eyes were wide open and for a fraction of a second I thought she was alive. I cursed myself for hatching that plan to her. I should not have confided to her. This was all due to me. A harami by birth, I deserve all the pain I suffer, But Laila jo? She was not a harami? At such a tender age she suffered so much! I should have killed Rasheed myself! o Allah! why is it that you take away everything that is dear to me! what have I done to be punished so hard! Rasheeds constant blows on my back felt nothing compared to the pain I was feeling in my heart. He was trying to separate me from my child but I will not let him have his will. I would not leave my child, she needed me. But a distant cry reminded me of the girl I had orphaned. Aziza I am your culprit! I am to be blamed for all that you would suffer in your life! My heart felt heavy and the throat sore. The sound of Laila jos voice was ringing continuously in my head. Aziza climbed down from the bed and sat by my side holding her

Sony Playstation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sony Playstation - Essay Example â€Å"The Playstation was released in 1994 and enjoyed great success, mainly because of the company's strong financial back enabling it to market the PS widely and its ability to get hundreds of developers to license games for the console† (Sony Playstation n.d., para. 3). Sony Playstation turned out to be an instant success, and Sony offers a large variety of games obtainable with it. At the same time, as a beginner to the gaming manufacturing, Sony was, and still is, a customer electronics giant. The study here includes branding and competitor analysis of Sony Playstation. The PlayStation 2 version made by Sony also has online gaming abilities to engage any player personal across the earth with the help of a cable adapter attached to the back of the PS2, which connects an Ethernet port for the console to attach to the Online Community that every software game can access. â€Å"Before the release of the PlayStation, Sony had never held a large portion of the videogames marke t. It had made a few forays into the computer side of things, most notably in its involvement with the failed MSX chip in the early 80's, but it wasn't until the advent of CD-ROM technology that Sony could claim any market share† (History of the Playstation 1998). ... If you can create effective branding, then it can make your business appear to be much bigger than it really is† (What is Branding? 2009). Sony PlayStation is presently in transition phase. PlayStation 3 and PSP had faced some tough time. The playstation is considered as market leader in the entertainment category, the various kind of the features that are inbuilt in the playstation are the gaming, playstation network, multimedia support, connectivity and the various updates in the software. It can be played also online, The multi media game platform doesn’t look good on the PS3, The Sony playstation has many of the studios under the own clutches, and they add on more of the software and the hardware updates for the playstation.The name sony playstation provide gives much happiness and chill to people, the CD-swallowing monster and the multitap have added much as the catalyst to the branding and promotion. â€Å"The company's future relies on the PlayStation 3 and the t echnology that comprises it. Originally slated to launch spring 2006, the PlayStation 3 release was delayed until November because its two most exciting pieces of technology weren't ready -- the Cell processor chip and the Blu-ray drive† (Ohannessian 2006). Sony has the brand identification and advertising ability to generate new product group and revive full-grown ones. We can grant the example of its Walkman brand. â€Å"Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is predicting brisk sales, even though the launch may have missed some holiday shoppers. A successful debut would help the company offset the rest of its struggling business. Sony projects a loss of more than $1 billion for the fiscal year through March 2012, which would be its fourth straight annual

SHIPPING FINANCE , MANAGEMENT AND LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SHIPPING FINANCE , MANAGEMENT AND LAW - Essay Example 126). The company ignores the fact that clients prefer fuel-efficient vehicles. The problem relates closely with lack of innovation in the company. The management does not have structures in place to encourage and embrace innovation form from employees (Eichhorn, 1997, p. 28). The situation remains unique considering the fact that other competitors give special attention to innovation. 5 Gas and oil remain expensive with no signs of prices coming down because of the increasing stability in the producing zone in Asia and other parts of North Africa. Consumers now prefer smaller cars, yet Chrysler does not major in their production. In addition, Chrysler does not have an established international network to sell its products abroad. The biggest market is domestic (Mullaney, 2007, p. 4). 9 Statistics shows that sales continue to decline from 2008 where the company recorded a 22 percent drop in auto sales. Furthermore, the price of steel continues to rise steeply. Reports from the consumer survey agencies ranked Chrysler one of the fifteen countries with the worst quality. The other threat emanated from the decision by Daimler-Benz, a German automobile company acquiring Chrysler in 1998 developing a new company dubbed DaimlerChrysler (Silva-Risso, 2008, 19). The aim was to develop a new plan of action that focuses on improved product quality, better design, and higher productivity. The two companies wanted to achieve these through sharing parts and design models (Ebling, 2001, p. 72). By the end of the 2006 trading period, the performance of the company disappointed shareholders with the shares falling to ten percent. The fall generated from a threat developed by the company by choosing on a manager without the qualities of managing the company in the current contempor ary market. Poor and obsolete shape of the factory adds to the poor quality of the products and lack of innovation at the company. The CEO failed to bring together a

Anatomy of a Olympic Team Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Anatomy of a Olympic Team - Research Paper Example Unfortunately, the British Swimming Team turned up with only three medals, rather than the expected target of five to seven medals. This paper is all about researching and analyzing the various factors related to how the British Olympic Association’s systems and culture, the external influences on the team, individual athletes’ characteristics and the overall elements influencing the team, had an impact on the performance of the British Swimming team. From this analysis, one can discover how successful the British Swimming Team has been in achieving its targets, satisfying its swimmers’ needs, and preserving its team’s survival on an international level (Parliament UK 2010; Pullbuoy 2012; Swimpsych 2012). One of the first things related to this analysis that should be considered is the goal that the British Olympic Swimming Team was aiming to achieve; a target of five to seven medals for the 2012 Olympics. This goal was not an unrealistic one, as it was ba sed on various statistics. For instance, the number of finalists that had qualified for the Games was almost four times the number of finalists that had qualified back in the 2000 Olympics. Also, if the average number of medals won by the British Swimming Team in global swimming events in the last nine years is considered, the number comes up to approximately five. Furthermore, the number of swims was greater than it had been since 1992 and it is noted that 40% of the swimming team had swum faster in 2012 than in 2011. These statistics, along with the record of the highest number of swimmers in Britain’s Olympic history to qualify for the finals, prove that, in theory, a target of five to seven medals was certainly a realistic one. However, even though there were promising signs about the team completing the target, issues have been raised concerning the level of performance achieved. True, the statistics stated above are not the only factors that can control the team’ s performance. Nevertheless, the performance of individual swimmers can certainly be controlled; estimates were made using the best swimming times of individuals in relays from 2006, 2007 and 2012-2012. If, hypothetically, it is assumed that a swimmer can produce their best time in the heats, semis and finals, it was found that only 4 out of 49 swims produced personal best performances, while 8 out of 49 swims produced textile best times. This low quota of best times rightfully proves that the British Swimming Team was not sufficiently prepared, resulting in it facing a high level of difficulty. Had it been so, the results of the 2012 Olympics would have been greatly improved, as their targeted goal was an easily achievable one (Pullbuoy 2012). Another aspect that should be considered is the characteristics of key swimmers in the Great Britain Swimming Team. The team has a record breaker in their midst, in the form of Michael Jamieson, a first class Scottish swimmer. He won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics after competing in the 200 meter breaststroke and has broken the British record at least 3 times. His skill set comprises mainly of the breast stroke technique and the butterfly technique. Jamieson’s coach, David McNully, speaks highly of him and is always on his toes to help Jamieson improve his technique. Jamieson has always been taking swimming seriously, always improving and very self-motivating. They might not have done so well in the 2012 Olympics, but with Michael Jamieson in

What is the evidence for the Big Bang Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What is the evidence for the Big Bang - Essay Example The primary focus of the essay is to capture the essence of the Big Bang theory and present to the reader evidence that proves that the Big Bang notwithstanding its flaws is still the most accepted theory that explains the evolution of our Universe. There is both, observational and mathematical evidence that corroborate the validity of the assumptions of the Big Bang Theory. To a curious mind gazing up from down below, the truth about the origin and evolution of the cosmos might still look like the hazy fleeting stars that sit millions of light years away. It was not just the tension-gripped scientists at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) who tried to uncover the mysteries and validate the theories of the origin of the universe with the large hadron collider experiment. From the breakthrough Hubble made to the particle accelerator at CERN, the question of the origin and evolution of the Universe continues to remain pivotal in cosmology and the mind of every human bein g. One theory pertaining to the evolution and origin of the Universe that has emerged as a demigod in cosmology is the Big Bang Theory. Largely accepted, evidenced and validated the Big Bang theory has, for over a century now, been the centre point of almost all experiments and studies pertaining to this topic. The purpose of this paper is to establish the validity of the Big Bang through scientific evidence.... billion years ago, the Universe erupted from a single point of energy, wherein all matter that exists today was condensed in that tiny speck which exploded with an inconceivable force. This force sent outward splattering chunks of the Universe which created billions of galaxies and galactic bodies that exist in our Universe. The essence of the theory, however, is that the Universe has reached its current state by expanding rapidly from an extreme condition of density and temperature and to this day continues to expand and cool. Bound by human imagination and understanding it is difficult to comprehend what the Big Bang must have been like. It could have been nothing like hydrogen explosions today as there was no space or time prior to the Big Bang, in fact, space was created as the singularity expanded and formed the Universe. Rapid cooling caused atoms to form which later clouded together to form galaxies. The theory rests on the cosmological principle that the Universe is homogenou s and isotropic. Vesto Slipher, Lemaitre and Hubble were the founding members of the Big Bang Theory. 2.1. Misconceptions About the Big bang Theory It is commonly believed that there was an explosion that erupted and consequently created the Universe. However, evidence that has been collected and validated over the past century does not exactly prove or disprove this. The Universe can be imagined as a balloon continuously stretching to create space. Another common misconception pointed out by German cosmologist Rudolf Kippenhahn, regarding the theory is the negation of the concept of singularity. It is believed by some that there was a cosmic egg existing in space, however, there was no space or time before the Big Bang and both were in fact created after the Big Bang. Esteemed cosmologist

MEDIEVAL WARFARE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MEDIEVAL WARFARE - Essay Example Certainly, masculinity is not exhibited only in terms of the nature of the combat, which generally involves brute force. Rather, critical aspects of the Full Metal Joust such as characterization continue to be an area where masculinity works most. Taking the season 1 of the Full Metal Joust as a case study, it would be noted that out of a total of 16 contestants, over 70 percent of the number were males (Froissart, 1346). This shows a preconceived knowledge and idea in the minds of the ordinary person on the street of how masculine medieval warfare was and thus the need to preserve it as a masculine venture. The second instance or example has to do with the fact that there is a general stereotype that depicts males as combative and agile in defense as compared to females. This stereotype has created a misconception that Full Metal Joust should be a thing for the males and that females should find themselves associated with certain less violent and combative ventures. Some pundits have linked the masculinity and stereotype involved in medieval warfare and other popular media to even the custom used by candidates, which they believe are always designed to appear masculine. This way, it is barely impossible to differentiate between a male and a female if they are both clad in their medieval warrior custom. In the whole idea or system of medieval warfare, it would be noted that much emphasis is given to some weapons over others. Technically, it could be said that this strategic approach has been taken due to the roles that selected weapons play in bringing about victory to warriors. To this effect, bow, arrow and spear have been given much attention whiles others like the sling have been sidelined. Two factors that could possibly account for reasons for this development has to do with the reaching ability of some of these weapons in the event of combat and the portability of the weapons for swiftness. On the reaching ability of