Cyberbullying An Act Of Aggressive Act - 1466 Words

Bullying can be define as an act of aggressive act that is intentional, Taking force upon someone who cannot defend themselves from an individual or group. Cyberbullying is nearly the same thing as bullying but is done online, using electronic devices such as phones, emails, and social networks. Cyberbullying can happen in many different ways , through phone calls, text messages, blogs, pictures and more. The availability of internet makes it easier for bullying to take place in the long run this can cause numerous problems. The effects of bullying can cause suicides, depression and isolation. Daily around the world kids are getting bullied . Frightened and unable to say what is going on to anyone. There has been novels , movies and†¦show more content†¦Cyberbullying happen 24/7 on phones , laptops , tablets and many other technology things that young people use today. Cyberbullying takes away your privacy, sharing it with others. Four in ten teens have experienced online bullying; girls are twice as likely to be victims and criminals of cyberbullying (Phillips). Girls are more likely to engage in social sabotage of other people (Phillips). Girls have the mindset of trying to be better than others and are willing to do anything to advance them. Boys are more likely to bully girls and other males who are not as confident (Phillips). Boys whether bullying these type of people so things would not happen to them. Cyberbullying is mostly done by 15 and 16 year olds (Phillips). This is age group when teens uses technology heavily. The more people post on social sites and the more they share their information the easier it may be to get attacked by a cyberbully. Cyberbullying is real and often more frightening than face to face bullying (Phillips). Similar to stalking victims can often feel helpless and isolate and ashamed, and not willing to share with friends or parents about what is going on (Shpantzer). The groups feared that they will be restricted from electronic devices if they told parents or that they might overreact (Phillips). This should not keep anybody from telling someone how someone is treating them. Studies have indicated that the number of youth

Religion-Effect of Dispossession on Aboriginals Free Essays

Religion Discuss the connection between the dreaming and the land rights movement. Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the dreaming. The dreaming is a complex concept of fundamental importance to Aboriginal culture, embracing the creative era long past of the ancestral beings as well as the present and the future. We will write a custom essay sample on Religion-Effect of Dispossession on Aboriginals or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Dreaming’s importance to the aboriginal people is emphasised through it providing for the obligations and responsibility of the aboriginal people, and furthermore accounting for their past, present, and future. The dispossession of land of the aboriginal people has led to various problems, including psychological and social issues experienced by communities and individuals, who in the past, have been forcibly removed from their land, their ‘home’. The Land Rights Movement is a movement targeted at recognising the issue of dispossession and progressing towards a. Thus Land Rights Movement, a movement based on the claims by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to repossession and compensation for white use of their lands and sacred sites, became the resolution. The motivation of this movement was ultimately base upon Aboriginal peoples reliance on a sense of spirituality connected to the land. As the movement strengthened, so too did the awareness of the effect of the dispossession, leading to an increase in the movement itself, and also enforcing the Aboriginal people’s sense of spirituality. Essentially, it becomes evident that the importance of the Dreaming was ultimately the reason for, and motivation behind the Land Rights movement. Thus it is needless to say that the Dreaming is fundamental to the Lands Rights Movement. Analyse the importance of the Dreaming for the land rights movement Land rights are of critical importance in relation to Aboriginal spirituality, because the Dreaming is inextricably connected with the land. Therefore the dispossession of Aboriginal native land is also the dispossession of Aboriginal spirituality. The link between the Dreaming, land and afterlife holds significance spiritual importance to the Aboriginal peoples as the land is the resting place for all aboriginal beings. Furthermore each Aboriginal community is connected with the land through their spiritual totems. Specific areas of Aboriginal communities’ have important spiritual meaning for those particular groups of aboriginal people-these are known as sacred sites. What’s caratagoried in ever aboriginal sacred site is the connection to the Dreaming and aboriginal mythology. There are special responsibilities attached to sacred sites such as important ceremonies like weddings and it could be a place of death for an aboriginal elder. The identity of an Aboriginal person is inextricably linked to the land and hence the land is like a mother for the people. How to cite Religion-Effect of Dispossession on Aboriginals, Essay examples

Business Analysis Project Operation

Question: Discuss about the Business Analysis Project Operation. Answer: Introduction In order to execute the business operation in a strategic way, a Business Analysis Plan (BAP) is highly required (Simon-Moya and Revuelto-Taboada, 2016). The prime benefits of the business analysis plan are to offer a clear business analysis approach and an opportunity to the project manager. According to the opinion of Venables (2007), a proper BAP helps to increase the business credibility, so that the business analyst could make more accurate estimates for the project. The current study attempts to evaluate the business analysis plan for the automobile company Volkswagen. While conducting the study financial analysis, strategic analysis of the firm has been analysed by the research associate. Furthermore, a strategic recommendation provided in the study indicates that Volkswagen needs some modification to rectify the strategic errors in the competitive market. Purpose The purpose of the study is to analyse the business plan of Volkswagen with the competitors like BMW and the Merchedez Benz. The analysis of the business plan is highly required to lead the success of the business operation for preserving a sustainable market position. Case context of analysis As per the report of the Automobile sector, the automobile industry is continuously developing in nowadays. The robust growth of the automobile technologies influences the companies to uphold the new technological advancement in the product and business plan. Thus, Venkatesh (2013) stated that the automakers are continuously trying to enable the potential ability as per the product trends. The idea of the autonomous vehicles is too futuristic to represent new developments and enormous opportunities to the global automotive market (Hilman and Mohamed, 2011). Thus, the present situation of the auto industry has inspired the scholars to select the automobile industry in the currents study context. Adding to this, the issues of Volkswagen and the deprived market condition of the firm has influenced the researcher to elect the specific firm. Besides that, it has been speculated that BMW and the Mercedes Benz have a competitive market position across the world. Hence, these two companies h ave chosen for conducting the comparative analysis. Moreover, the growing trend of the automobile industry is the prime reason to select the specific case context for the critical and comparative analysis. Key issues The strategic management issue is considered one of the key issues for the brand Volkswagen. The emission of the air pollutants was happening globally, which indicates a critical strategic issue occurring from the managements end. In the words of Mansouri (2016), the pollutants also involved smog-inducing Nitrogen Oxides, which contributes major respiratory problems and even premature deaths. The lack of strategic alignment has disrupted the innovation of Volkswagen, and the firm failed to manage the climate risk along with the social equity into the overall corporate strategy. Thus, the lack of proper regulation, financial controllability, adequate audit, a disintegration of balance score card and lack of reliance on good governance can be considered the major issues of the brand Volkswagen. Ration related to the chosen companies According to the given case study, it has been observed that Volkswagen has currently faced a crucial situation regarding earning revenue, due to the carbon emission issue with the models. This is one of the major points to select the company to understand the fundamental reason of key issues and the proper mitigation action. Considering the view of Eapen and Annamalai (2014), the leading companies BMW and Mercedez-Benz is creating more new models to attain the concentration of the middle-class customers. This factor has made the situation more exciting as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are luxury car makers for the upper level of customers. Thus, these two car companies have chosen for analysing the individual business plan in the current study context. Key issues: Financial analysis Revenue analysis and forecast Volkswagen Group Malaysia is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, established on 16th February 2006. The headquarters is situated at Wisma in Kuala Lumpur, supported by a 150 strong workforce. According to Millipore (2007), Volkswagen AG is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, selling 9million (Approximate) vehicles worldwide. The brand includes passenger cars, like Audi, Bentley, Porsche, Bugatti and Ducati to name a few. Volkswagen also caters to the low-end customers with flexible price cars and offers other financial services. The revenue of Volkswagen has increased in the year 2015 by a margin of 5%. The increase in revenue is partly due to globalisation and catering to both high-end and low-end customers. The following table can further elaborate the increase in revenue: Volkswagen revenue table Particulars 2015 2014 Change Absolute Relative Sale of vehicle 139990 134627 5363 4% Sale of genuine parts 14625 13642 983 7% Used vehicles and third party product 11106 10090 1016 10% Engine, power trains and parts deliveries 8763 10021 -1258 -13% Power engineering 3769 3728 41 1% Sale of Motorcycles 564 458 106 23% Leasing business 20085 16384 3701 23% Interest and similar income 6755 6375 380 6% Other sales revenue 7635 7133 502 7% Total revenue 213292 202458 10834 5% Graphically the growth of revenue is shown in Table 1: Table 1: Volkswagen revenue table (Source: www.forbes.com, 2016) Revenue of BMW: BMW Malaysia is a joint venture between BMW AG and Sime Darby Berhad. BMW covers a significant portion of Malaysian automobile market. The dealership network comprises 31 outlets in various cities in Malaysia. The revenue of BMW has increased considerably in the year 2015 by a margin of 15% that is 10% more than Volkswagen (Volkswagen growth in revenue 5% in FY 2015). To put BMW in a better financial state and ensures a firm market share (Nepram et al. 2011). The revenue growth of BMW can be shown graphically in table 2: Figure 1: Revenue of BMW (Source: www.bmw.in, 2016) Revenue of Mercedes Benz: Mercedes-Benz is a global automobile manufacturer. Mercedes-Benz is a division of the German company Daimler AG. Benz is known for its luxury vehicles, buses and trucks. The revenue growth of Mercedes-Benz is vigorous and stable, matching that of BMWs. Edwards (2012). States that the growth of income of Benz exceeds Volkswagens revenue growth by 10%. The above statement can be explained further in Table 3: Figure 2: Revenue of Mercedes Benz (Source: www.mercedes-benz.co.in, 2016) Market share growth The Malaysia Automotive Association (MAA) monitors the sales data and market share for all automobile company within its authorised range. Vehicles are ranked according to their sales in units, and the portion of the market it occupies. Volkswagen Volkswagen is currently ranked at 12th position with 6,405 unit's sales. The market share of Volkswagen is currently behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which are at 11th and 10th place respectively, according to the number of units sold by the companies. Volkswagen currently occupies 1% of the total market share in Malaysia. BMW BMW is ranked presently at 11th position with 7,515 unit's sales. The market share of BMW is low compared to Mercedes-Benz, which is at 10th position, with the highest number of units sold compared to Volkswagen and BMW. BMW currently occupies 1.1% of total market share in Malaysia. Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz is ranked at 10th place with 11,034 units sales. Benz occupies the highest percentage of market share in Malaysia, with 1.7% market share. The market share is due to high goodwill, aggressive marketing, and customer satisfaction. The market share of Volkswagen is in the lowest position compared to BMW and Mercedes-Benz, owing to increased competition, changing customer preferences, etc. Profit margins The main objective of an organisation is to earn a profit. The viability and sustainability of a company depend on its ability to earn a profit. To earn shareholders interest, the company's financial statement must show a promise of growth, profitability and stability. Kim et al. (2010) state that, according to the appendix given below, Volkswagen has suffered a major loss in the FY 2015 by a margin of 109%. The main reason for suffering such a loss can be attributed majorly to the increase of operating expense, which are, false interpretation of foreign currency hedging derivatives that has adversely impacted the profitability of Volkswagen. A loss arising from foreign exchange activities is another major cause that has impacted Volkswagen negatively. Termination of agreements has impacted the profitability table adversely, and earning loss on disposal of noncurrent assets is another major factor for suffering a loss in the FY 2015. The above explanation can be graphically represented below as: Figure 3: Profit Margin Volkswagen (Source: www.forbes.com, 2016) The loss from operating expenses can be explained in details in Table 2. Volkswagen Loss from operating expense Particulars 2015 2014 Change Absolute Relative Valuation allowances on receivables and other assets 1674 1150 524 46% Loss from foreign currency hedging activities 5083 1003 4080 407% Foreign exchange loss 3260 1972 1288 65% Expense from cost allocation 695 566 129 23% Expense from termination of agreement 502 193 309 160% Losses on disposal of noncurrent asset 106 105 1 1% Misc. and other expense 8853 2004 6849 342% Total Profit or Loss 20173 6993 13180 188% Table 2: Volkswagen Loss from operating expense Profit Margin of BMW: The profit margin of BMW has increased 6% in FY 2015, since last year, which is good, compared to Volkswagen, which suffered a loss, by a margin of 109% (FY 2015). This is a result of better administrative and operating activities. The profit margin can be graphically represented in the table below: Figure 4: Profit Margin of BMW (Source: www.bmw.in, 2016) Profit of Mercedes Benz: Mercedes-Benz is one of the leading automobile companies in the global market. Benz has a profit margin of 25% in the FY 2015. This is majorly due to low operating expenses (52%) and increased interest income (17%). Volkswagen is in a weak position compared to Mercedes-Benz, simply because in the FY 2015, Volkswagen earned a loss of 16095million, compared to Mercedes Benz that earned a profit of 2571million in the same year. The profit margin of Mercedes Benz can be graphically represented in table below: Figure 5: Profit of Mercedes Benz (Source: www.mercedes-benz.co.in, 2016) Price earnings ratios PE ratio of the firm in 2015 is negative. It shows pessimistic view about the firm. However, the PE remains positive in the previous years. The appendix below shows the PE ratio for last five years. Debt level (gearing ratio) Volkswagen is heavily dependent on loans. BMW and Mercedes-Benz also have debt burden in their overall capital structure. However, Volkswagen is not able to manage the finance cost burden as the firm suffers a loss in FY2015. Cash and any other ratio that are specific to industry ) Current Ratio for Volkswagen AG for 2014 and 2015 is computed to be 1.00 and 0.98 respectively. This shows that the firm's liquidity position is at par with standard industry margin. On the other hand, the same for BMW stands at an average of 0.95 in 2014 and 2015. However, Daimler group enjoys superiority in this segment as the same is approximately 1.17 in last two years. Key issue: Strategic analysis Market and competitor analysis (Porters five forces) Competitive Rivalry: In the Malaysian automotive market, the competitive rivalry is moderate for the brand Volkswagen (De Munck and Ferreras, 2013). In the words of Fitzpatrick et al. (2015), the automotive sector has a greater competitive rivalry in the affordable family car domain. It has been identified that affordable cars have the most significant potential to capture target customers in the Malaysian market. At the same time, for the brand BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the competitive rivalry is same as each other. The government intervention to launch proficient hybrid vehicle is also increasing competitive rivalry for all three brands Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Threat of New Entrant: The new entrant has a higher risk in the Malaysian premium automotive sector (Grundy, 2006). The current recession in the economy is creating troubles on firms like Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz to attain lesser sales volume as compared to the project sales value. On the other hand, the market condition of Volkswagen is crucial due to the ethical and operational issues met by the firm (Mansouri, 2016). At the same time, the threat of new entrant has been found lesser for both the competitors, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, due to the innovative product offerings at a competitive pricing strategy. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of the substitutes is high for Volkswagen in the Malaysian automotive market. The product innovativeness and additional features are getting improved by the competitors. The profit before tax of Volkswagen has been found negative due to the lack of synergy between the invested money and the overall revenue earned in the individual financial year. In this context, Kirstein (2010) stated that the threat of substitute is comparatively lesser for the brand Mercedes-Benz and BMW, due to the introduction of innovative car models in a cheap pricing strategy. Buyer Power: The buyer power is greater for the brand Volkswagen in the Malaysian market. The brand recognition has become weak in the name due to its sustainability issues. On the contrary, Mohan (2012) stated that due to the introduction of C-Class car along with other cheap model cars have enabled BMW reducing the power of the Malaysian buyers towards the brand. Also, Mansouri (2016) also stated that Mercedes-Benz has also increased the revenue up to 15% in the Malaysian luxury car market. Thus, it can be said that the buyer power in the luxury car segment is lesser for the Mercedes-Benz and BMW, as compared to the brand Volkswagen. Supplier Power: The supplier power is greater in the Malaysian luxury car market for the brand Volkswagen. As the current brand value of Volkswagen is comparatively lesser than other rivals, the supplier imposes greater power to the brand. On the contrary, Fitzpatrick et al. (2015) stated that since the name recognition of Mercedes Benz and BMW is higher in the Malaysian automotive market. Thus, the power of the suppliers of those brands will also be lesser. Therefore, the overall competitive analysis indicates that the market growth of Volkswagen could be at a crucial position in the Malaysian luxury automotive market. Operations and organisations (Balance-score card) Financial perspective: Parameters Current scenario Measures Initiatives Operating Expenses The operating expense of Volkwagen is (188%) (Mays, 2015). However, the expense margin of BMW is (6%) and Merchedez Benz is (52%). Volkswagen is targeting to make reduction the operating expenses ratio in the next financial quarter (Jullien and Pardi, 2013). The management of the firm has increased the selection criteria of the recruitment process to improve the employee efficacy. Revenue Growth In the FY 2014, the brand has experienced a market share of 22% (Parente and Geleilate, 2015). In 2015, the revenue margin has dropped up to 5%. However, the revenue margin of both BMW and Merchedez Benz are 15%. Volkswagen is trying to increase the revenue margin by 6% in 2017. The management of the brand has increased the product measures and the reduced the price margin to convince the major segments of the Malaysian market. Customer perspectives: Parameters Current scenario Measures Initiatives Product dimensions Volkswagen has introduced various product dimensions like The New Jetta, The Cross Touram, The Sharan, etc. According to Jullien and Pardi (2013), the Malaysian customers projected better response towards the car models of the competitors. More research and development actions are undertaken to understand the accurate customer criteria regarding the premium car segments. Customer relationship The enterprise has managed to maintain a significant relationship with the customers. The customer retention ratio of Volkswagen is 47% and 57% is for Mercedes-Benz (www.4wheelsnews.com, 2016). Improving the production process to limit the CO2 emission. BMW is improving its CRM (Customer Relationship Measures). Internal Business Process: Parameters Current scenario Measures Initiatives Productivity The Volkswagen has experienced a sudden drop in the profit margin by 1.8% of sales within the first three months of 2014 (www.forbes.com, 2015). The management wants the enterprise to have a 6% profit margin, which is almost double than its 2013 profit margin of 2.9%. The revenue of BMW and Mercedes-Benz is 15%. All the brands have introduced the lean operational process in the production process. Manufacturing Distinction The manufacturing process includes the steps like, body shop, paint shop and assembly room. Reducing the production based errors. Similarly, a control measure is places in each of the work stations to review the manufacturing process step by step. Employee learning and growth: Parameters Current scenario Measures Initiatives Training and development The management includes various vocational training sessions to its employees. BMW is presently training an approximate figure of twenty thousand young employees in all the vocational training. Volkswagen includes an advancement program for the women employees. Hiring professing trainer. Improving the innovativeness through RD The brand has managed to introduce a diversified range of new products within an affordable price margin. In 2016, Volkswagen has introduced two car models, Polo GTi and Volkswagen Tiguan, which has received a huge customer response (www.volkswagen-poznan.pl, 2016). The management has increased the investment on the RD team. The similar approach is taken by BMW and Mercedes-Benz Limitations of Financials models and conventional analysis Limitation of financial models The limitation in analysing financial performance is that the financial analysis is based on historical data. The data is not current; that is the future performance of an organisation cannot be stated for sure, it can only be assumed. One of the major limitations of financial statement is that it is based on assumptions. Limitation of conventional analysis The conventional models are highly controversial by nature (Avlonitis and Indounas, 2007). The attributes evaluated in the methods might not be applicable for all the brand types. Therefore, an exclusive belief on the model might result to an unauthentic conclusion. The industry scenario of each of the firms are different, therefore, the entrepreneurs require understanding the acute framework that mitigate with the brand criteria. Conclusion The firm suffers from loss. Its market capitalisation through huge, loan burden does not allow the firm to manage much of its current assets. The overall outlook in the long run through looks positive, initial and current outlook of the company in 2015 does not seem to be much more investor friendly. The overall market competitiveness analysis shows that the market reputation of Volkswagen is lesser compared to the rivals like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The competitive rivalry, buyer power and the supplier power all three factors are higher for the brand Volkswagen. Thus, the strategic alignment needs to be revised to improve the current market potential of the brand Volkswagen. However, the sustainability issue of the Volkswagen might get resolved in the future in accordance with the improvement of itsstrategic management process. Recommendations Out of the calculation mentioned above and analysis, it is inferred that Volkswagen AG though suffers a loss in the current year, however, its viability in future in strong. Sustainability is not an issue for this automobile giant. Though, a few key performance indicators show a negative trend, however, the future outlook remains bright. However, investors are encouraged to buy the shares of the Volkswagen as the market price as comparatively low as of now. Since the price fluctuates heavily, investors who are interested in short-term prospect, should not go for the shares of the firm. Growth is not an issue in the long run and hence long-term outlook remain solid and strong enough for the firm. Training and Development Programme The goal of the Volkswagen group is to identify and elevate the performance measures in the globally competitive market. Thus, the firm needs to develop the leadership competence, personnel management and the international development programme. It has been speculated that the vocational and professional training programme provided by the management of the firm would help to boost up the employee performance (Hanifah and Mohamed, 2011). In this regards Venkatesh (2013) also added that advancement of women employee would help the firm to increase the revenue margin as the company has less focus in the segment women creativity. As per the report of the different scholars, the particular advancement of female talent is one of the integral elements for the personnel development programme. According to the opinion of Simon-Moya and Revuelto-Taboada (2016), the advancement women training and development programme would help the Volkswagen group to systemise the overall operation. The voice modulation factor of women, which is highly attractive rather than the men segment would also be helpful for the firm to convince the customers. Adding to this, it has been observed that the revenue of the competitors of Volkswagen such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz is 15% respectively in the current financial year. On the other hand, Volkswagen has earned only 5% profit margin, which is very low compared to the rival groups (www.volkswagen.co.in, 2016). Thus, the firm needs some potential strategic planning to increase the revenue margin. Hence, women advancement training programme would be a significant contribution to creating a dedicated team effort for the betterment of the company. Reference: 2015, B.A. (2015) Home. Available at: https://www.bmw.in/en/index.html?bmw=sea_in_BMWBrand_Google_sngclid=CjwKEAjw3Nq9BRCw8OD6s4eI5HASJABsfCIaSNKS1GAq1CDdQP_JiQH4UsXx2IopZmkuk3W0fMaxixoCun3w_wcB (Accessed: 19 August 2016). Avlonitis, G.J. and Indounas, K.A. (2007) An empirical examination of the pricing policies and their antecedents in the services sector,European Journal of Marketing, 41(7/8), pp. 740764. Car production(no date) Available at: https://www.volkswagen-poznan.pl/en/car-production (Accessed: 19 August 2016). Christian, A. (2016)VW brand plans $6.8 billion savings and productivity boost to improve margin. Available at: https://www.4wheelsnews.com/auto/vw-brand-plans-6-8-billion-savings-and-productivity-boost-to-improve-margin-32261.html (Accessed: 19 August 2016). De Munck, J. and Ferreras, I. (2013) Restructuring processes and capability for voice: Case study of Volkswagen, Brussels, International Journal of Manpower, 34(4), pp. 397412. Eapen, M. and Annamalai, S. (2014) A study on job satisfaction among employees in an automobile sales and service company, Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 7(1), p. 15. Edwards, S. (2012). Revenue management: Maximising revenue in hospitality operations. Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, 12(1), 9495. Fitzpatrick, B.D., Nguyen, Q.Q.A. and Cayan, Z. (2015) An upgrade to competitive corporate analysis: Creation of A personal finance platform to strengthen porters Five competitive forces model in utilizing, Journal of Business Economics Research (JBER), 13(1), p. 54. Grundy, T. (2006) Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model, Strategic Change, 15(5), pp. 213229. Hanifah, M.Z.M. and Mohamed, Z.A. (2011) Value configuration through value chain for competitive advantage, J. for Global Business Advancement, 4(4), p. 368. Hilman, H. and Mohamed, Z.A. (2011) Building new competitive advantage through match between specific types of strategic flexibility and sourcing strategy, J. for Global Business Advancement, 4(4), p. 356. Jullien, B. and Pardi, T. (2013) Structuring new automotive industries, restructuring old automotive industries and the new geopolitics of the global automotive sector,International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 13(2), p. 96. Jullien, B. and Pardi, T. (2013) Structuring new automotive industries, restructuring old automotive industries and the new geopolitics of the global automotive sector,International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 13(2), p. 96. Kim, H. S., Brorsen, B. W., Anderson, K. B. (2010). Profit margin hedging. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 92(3), 638653. Kirstein, R. (2010) Volkswagen vs. Porsche: A power-index analysis, International Journal of Corporate Governance, 2(1), p. 1. Mansouri, N. (2016) A case study of Volkswagen unethical practice in diesel emission test, International Journal of Science and Engineering Applications, 5(4), pp. 211216. Mays, K. (2015) New products [New Products],IEEE Microwave Magazine, 16(8), pp. 102108. Mercedes (no date) Welcome to the official website of Mercedes Benz India. Explore the information on the range of vehicles. Available at: https://www.mercedes-benz.co.in/content/india/mpc/mpc_india_website/enng/home_mpc/passengercars.html (Accessed: 19 August 2016). Mohan, A.V. (2012) Internal and external resources for enhancing innovation capabilities an exploratory study based on cases from the Malaysian automobile sector, Asian Journal of Technology Innovation, 20(sup1), pp. 2947. Nepram, D. (2011). State-level value added tax and its revenue implications in India: A panel data analysis. Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, 5(2), 245265. Parente, R.C. and Geleilate, J.M.G. (2015) Developing new products in the automotive industry: Exploring the interplay between process clockspeed and supply chain integration,Industrial and Corporate Change, 25(3), pp. 507521. Simon-Moya, V. and Revuelto-Taboada, L. (2016) Revising the predictive capability of business plan quality for new firm survival using qualitative comparative analysis, Journal of Business Research, 69(4), pp. 13511356. Speculations, G. (2015)Volkswagen earnings review: Revenues and profits are up, but core performance remains weak. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/08/03/volkswagen-earnings-review-revenues-and-profits-are-up-but-core-performance-remains-weak/#2617d55b7a4a (Accessed: 19 August 2016). Strong revenue growth for Millipore (2007). Membrane Technology, 2007(4), 2. Venables, M. (2007) On a roll [automobile industry], Manufacturing Engineer, 86(2), pp. 1819. Venkatesh, R. (2013) Contemporary marketing or temporary marketing? An analysis of present day relationship marketing of Indian organizations, Indian Journal of Marketing, 43(1), p. 31. Volkswagen Ameo - test drive | Volkswagen India (2016) Available at: https://www.volkswagen.co.in/en/models/ameo0/ameo-offer.html?tc=sem-ameo-july16-ameo-ind-google-search textadskw=paidutm_term=101_aamkwid=s|pcrid|98835854433|pkw|volkswagen|pmt|e|pdv|c| (Accessed: 19 August 2016).

Interreligious Dialogue free essay sample

Dialogue with respect to theological pluralism Statistics show that most of the world’s population is affiliated with some type of religion, with Christianity and Islam encompassing slightly over 50% of the population. Though interreligious dialogue is beneficial in gaining a better understanding of another’s religion, is it possible to hold one’s religion as being the absolute truth while engaging in an open interreligious dialogue with another religion? Many spiritual people will tend to be theological exclusivists, because a lot of the religions are divided and differ in many ways from one another, but they must accept the values and beliefs of other people if they are to remain truly faithful to the conviction of their traditions. Interreligious dialogue in a broad sense is being in communication with someone of a different religion to increase the understanding of one’s own religion or tradition as well as others. Since half of the world’s population is either Christian or Muslim, we will take a look into the differences these religions shares. We will write a custom essay sample on Interreligious Dialogue or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One of the main issues is developed in Klostermaiers book, In the Paradise of Krishna. It exemplifies some of the differences religions tend to hold, such as the discussion between Muslims and Christians on where the role of Jesus stands in Senestant 2 connection to God. Muslims agree that Jesus was an important figure and served a purpose as a great teacher of righteousness, but fail to see his true connection with God the Father. They claim that he is only a prophet sent by God but not equal to God. The position Klostermaier takes on Jesus, or ‘Son of Man’, is that he is the movement towards God in every being. He is what ultimately allows for us to have a relationship with God. The Son of Man only makes use of two basic distinctions: My Father on the one side everything else on the other. He doesn’t judge people based off of other people’s judgment or the rules set by man, rather he judges people based on their relation to the Father. Klostermaier also wants us to recognize that Christ is not an ‘avatara’. There were many people before Jesus’ time who were sent on this earth to save God’s people from particular calamities that were caused by mankind. Those people were very important because they were chosen by God to do his will. Noah’s obedience to God’s command to salvage humanity by building an arc to withstand the flood or Moses standing up to the Pharaoh and allowing his people to be set free are just a few instances of God’s sons who assisted in salvation. Saying Jesus is the ‘Only Son of God’ is putting a limitation on the abilities of God and not recognizing his full power. It also confuses the Muslim sect because of their belief that God sent many people throughout history who were a source of deliverance from any disaster that was occurring at the time. They are referred to as prophets therefore Jesus must also be a prophet and nothing more. Instead, he wants us to look at Christ as the movement to God Senestant 3 that will grant us ultimate salvation. He is the deciding factor that will determine whether we will enjoy eternity in the promise land or feel the wrath of God as we torment in hell. A second main issue in the book is dialoguing on a daily basis with familiar and unfamiliar religions. Before dialoguing with other people, it’s crucial to have a great understanding on your own religion. It’s very important to study and learn what your beliefs are founded upon, although it’s very time consuming and doesn’t aid in spiritual progress. While it is good to study and familiarize yourself with the religion you are currently practicing, it is also beneficial to converse with others about your religion as well. People tend to only see what’s on the surface because they are uneducated and misguided on certain areas and fail in attempting to delve deeper to find the true meaning of things. As you enter into dialogue with someone of an opposing religion, you must be very open-minded and unbiased to allow each other to learn things that aren’t obvious at first glance. It allows for a different perspective of who you think you are and helps you identify if you’re living and acting according to your beliefs. It’s also important to have inner dialogue with yourself. Meditating and reflecting on the impact our religion have in our lives and in our hearts. Is the essence of Hinduism and Christianity or any other religion we profess just words coming out of our mouths or does it directly impact our lives and allows us to live in peace and unity? These are the questions we must ask ourselves in helping to determine if we’re living in fallacy and wasting our time, or if we’re in accordance to Senestant 4 our beliefs. A starving old Brahmin talked about four kinds of people praying: â€Å"some pray that God should preserve their wealth, others that God should give them wealth. Those who asked for heavens were better; but those who neither had nor wanted riches and did not ask for heaven, but only wished to serve God for his own sake, they were the best. †(Klostermaier 95) Those people who only wished to serve God know of his magnificence and splendor and being connected to that will enhance their spirituality and respect for man and not traditions. This allows anyone from any religion to become like brothers and sisters. â€Å"If we insisted on our theologies – you as a Christian, I as a Hindu – we should be fighting each other. We have found one another because we probed more deeply, towards spirituality. †(Klostermaier 99) A third issue in the book is the idea of three persons in one God. Many established religions view God as being absolute and indescribable because of how minute we are compared to God. Other religions are able to grasp the physical nature of God and give him attributes and qualities which can only be possible if this God was visible. However, Christians hold the position that God is both of these things and can go between each form when necessary. This is seen by God revealing himself through his son Jesus Christ. Through him we’re able to become attached and have understanding of where our beliefs lie. When other religions look at Christianity, they view it as a religion without any real philosophy and that â€Å"it has taken its teachings from everywhere and justifies them by claiming to possess the only true revelation, to Senestant 5 dispense the only salvation† (Klostermaier 29). Therefore they see it as being immature when relating to religion. They even go as far as saying they’re uneducated on their religion therefore they can’t hold intelligent conversations and go in depth on the various issues that involve religion. I found this to be very true because as a Christian myself, I attempted to discuss religion with one of my atheist friends. After a few minutes went by, I realized I didn’t know as much as I thought. It led me to examining what I believed in and why. Towards the end of the conversation, I grew more respect for people who weren’t adapted to a particular religion and understood there’s a lot that can be learned from them. It showed me the unimportance of the different sects of religion and only claiming to a religion without close examination of it will lead to immaturity and idiocy. As a Sikh professor in Klostermaier’s book says, â€Å"Religion cannot be proved by logic – religion is inner experience. †(Klostermaier 31) This inner experience is affirmed through meditation as well as the various acts of people around you whom you have no association with. When looking at theological exclusivism versus pluralism, it is confusing as to whether they are relevant in deciding whether to converse with people of different religions. Looking only at theological exclusivism, it is the theological position that holds to the finality of the Christian faith in Christ. The finality of Christ means that there is no salvation outside the Christian faith. By definition, exclusivism seems to be self-contradictory. It contains the fact that Senestant 6 human beings are limited in the amount of knowledge they have and are unable to understand the infinite(God) to its fullness. However, followers of this concept are not restricted in believing that they are the only people that have the ability to be connected to God. They look at people of other religions as being infidels, not actually having a religious belief. They also claim to be the ones most devoted to God, when in all actuality; they are just followers of religious doctrine, created by man. Though the Bible was created by man, it was said to be created through spiritual guidance of the Most High. Every religious person who looks at the Bible sees it as being full of truth, which by nature is exclusivist. So everyone who follows the rules and guidelines the Bible have set in place is partially exclusivist. Since the Bible is considered as be exclusivist, it is only right to dwell on some of teachings it talks about. It talks about a God, who is full of mercy and compassion, one who loves all of his children and continues to love them through all the sins they have committed and continue to commit. It is a God that loved us so much that, â€Å"he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. † (Stoughton 897) A God of this nature does not sound like a God that will only come to save those who believe in Christ. Although that was his only ‘begotten son’, they are many people who do not have the opportunity to believe in such a religion. This can be caused by the way the person was rought up, or where the person was brought up, in which case Christianity was not the religion of choice. They are also instances of when someone dies prematurely and does not Senestant 7 have the opportunity to have a true relationship with Christ Jesus. These people shouldn’t be and are not exempt from the sanctifying grace of God. Th is is a God who created all of mankind in his image and likeness, so that everyone will have the ability to be saved. â€Å"God must be seen at the center of religions / The pluralistic contention is that all religions are fundamentally the same though superficially different. (Hick 42) The pluralist believes that the world religions are true and equally valid in their communication of the truth about God, the world, and salvation. This is also backed by the Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions, which says that other religions possess â€Å"validity and truth in their own right / These religions are understood as different cultural reflections or expressions of the same divine reality and as such constitute legitimate ways to God† (Larousse 437). This seems to make the most logical sense because we are not sole-bearers of the truth. We were only created to praise and give worship to the Almighty. Since this is true, we will all have our own understanding and interpretations about who God is, what our place is in this world and why we were created, and the steps in receiving salvation. At the core of our beliefs we hold the same truths, but slightly differ in minor details. Some examples are the day in which we should attend mass or how often we should pray. Yes these things are important and are what gives meaning to our life, but God only requires us to recognize who he is and the impact he has in our lives. By whatsoever way men worship Me, even so do I accept them; for, in all ways, O Partha, men walk in My path. † Senestant 8 (Bhagavad-Gita 4. 11) God is evident in all religions that have him in its center. As long as his followers stay true to the doctrine their religion provides, God will have favor on them. Many of the religions out there share these commonalities so they should be treated with equa lity when evaluating their doctrine with respect to God. In the sense of interreligious dialogue, the idea of being a theological exclusivist is irrelevant. It does not bring anything meaningful to the table when people of two different religions come together. Rather it would just be hurtful banter between the opposing religions and nothing worthwhile will be accomplished. Since by definition, an exclusivist can only view their religion and belief as being the only one which holds the absolute truth, to deviate from this by indulging in conversations that can potential alter that belief is dangerous and when placed in a position like that, mockery will be imminent. The only way the strengthen interreligious dialogue is through a pluralist outlook. They both go hand in hand, in that a pluralist will be very open to dialogue. This will increase their knowledge of not only the other person’s religion but also one’s own, since they both stem from the same root. Senestant 9 Works Cited 1)Goring, Rosemary, Frank Whaling, John Marshall, and David Brogan. Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions. Edinburgh: Larousse, 1994. Print. 2)Lopresti, Matthew. INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM: A Philosophical Critique of Pope Benedict XVI and the Fall of Religious Absolutism (Matthew LoPresti) Academia. edu. Hawaii Pacific University Academia. du. Hawaii Pacific University. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. . 3)Marbaniang, Domenic. Theology Of Religions: Pluralism, Inclusivism, Exclusivism  « Earthpages. org. Earthpages. org. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. . 4)Bhagavadgita. Lewiston, N. Y. [u. a. : Edwin Mellen Pr. , 2010. Print. 5)Klostermaier, Klaus, and Antonia Fonseca. In the Paradise of Krishna: Hindu and Christian Seekers. Ph iladelphia: Westminster, 1969. Print. 6)Hick, John. God and the Universe of Faiths : Essays in the Philosophy of Religion. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1988. Print. 7)NIV Bible. London: Hodder Stoughton, 1997. Print.

Understanding Social Exchange Theory

Understanding Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory is a model for interpreting society as a series of interactions between people that are based on estimates of rewards and punishments. According to this view, our interactions are determined by the rewards or punishments that we expect to receive from others, which we evaluate using a  cost-benefit analysis  model (whether consciously or subconsciously). Overview Central to the social exchange theory is the idea that an interaction that elicits approval from another person is more likely to be repeated than an interaction that elicits disapproval. We can thus predict whether a particular interaction will be repeated by calculating the degree of reward (approval) or punishment (disapproval) resulting from the interaction. If the reward for an interaction exceeds the punishment, then the interaction is likely to occur or continue. According to this theory, the formula for predicting the behavior of any individual in any situation is: Behavior (profits) Rewards of interaction – costs of interaction. Rewards can come in many forms: social recognition, money, gifts, and even subtle everyday gestures like a smile, nod, or pat on the back. Punishments also come in many forms, from extremes like public humiliation, beating, or execution, to subtle gestures like a raised eyebrow or a frown. While social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist George Homans, who wrote about it in an essay titled Social Behavior as Exchange. Later, sociologists Peter Blau and Richard Emerson further developed the theory. Example A simple example of social exchange theory can be seen in the interaction of asking someone out on a date. If the person says yes, you have gained a reward and are likely to repeat the interaction by asking that person out again, or by asking someone else out. On the other hand, if you ask someone out on a date and they reply, â€Å"No way!† then you have received a punishment that will probably cause you to shy away from repeating this type of interaction with the same person in the future. Basic Assumptions of Social Exchange Theory People who are involved in the interaction are rationally seeking to maximize their profits.Most gratification among humans comes from others.People have access to information about social, economic, and psychological aspects of their interactions that allow them to consider the alternative, more profitable situations relative to their present situation.People are goal oriented in a freely competitive system.The exchange operates within cultural norms.Social credit is preferred over social indebtedness.The more deprived the individual feels in terms of an act, the more the person will assign a value to it.People are rational and calculate the best possible means to compete in rewarding situations. The same is true of punishment avoidance situations. Critiques Many critique this theory for presuming that people always make rational decisions, and point out that this theoretical model fails to capture the power that emotions play in our daily lives and in our interactions with others. This theory also undercuts the power of social structures and forces, which unconsciously shape our perception of the world and our experiences within it, and play a strong role in shaping our interactions with others.

What You Need to Know About the Crusades

What You Need to Know About the Crusades The medieval Crusade was a holy war. For a conflict to be officially considered a Crusade, it had to be sanctioned by the pope and conducted against groups seen as enemies of Christendom. Initially, only those expeditions to the Holy Land (Jerusalem and associated territory) were considered Crusades. More recently, historians have also recognized campaigns against heretics, pagans, and Muslims in Europe as Crusades. How the Crusades Began For centuries, Jerusalem had been governed by Muslims, but they tolerated Christian pilgrims because they helped the economy. Then, in the 1070s, Turks (who were also Muslim) conquered these holy lands and mistreated Christians before realizing how useful their goodwill (and money) could be. The Turks also threatened the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Alexius asked the pope for assistance, and Urban II, seeing a way to harness the violent energy of Christian knights, made a speech calling for them to take back Jerusalem. Thousands responded, resulting in the First Crusade. When the Crusades Began and Ended Urban II made his speech calling for Crusade at the Council of Clermont in November, 1095. This is seen as the start of the Crusades. However, the reconquista of Spain, an important precursor to crusading activity, had been going on for centuries. Traditionally, the fall of Acre in 1291 marks the end of the Crusades, but some historians extend them to 1798, when Napoleon expelled the Knights Hospitaller from Malta. Crusader Motivations There were as many different reasons for crusading as there were crusaders, but the single most common reason was piety. To crusade was to go on pilgrimage, a holy journey of personal salvation. Whether that also meant giving up virtually everything and willingly facing death for God, bending to peer or family pressure, indulging bloodlust without guilt, or seeking adventure or gold or personal glory depended entirely on who was doing the crusading. Who Went on Crusade People from all walks of life, from peasants and laborers to kings and queens, answered the call. Women were encouraged to give money and stay out of the way, but some went on crusade anyway. When nobles crusaded, they often brought huge retinues, whose members may not necessarily have wanted to go along. At one time, scholars theorized that younger sons more frequently went crusading in search of estates of their own; however, crusading was an expensive business, and recent research indicates it was lords and elder sons who were more likely to crusade. The Number of Crusades Historians have numbered eight expeditions to the Holy Land, though some lump the 7th and 8th together for a total of seven crusades. However, there was a steady stream of armies from Europe to the Holy Land, so it is nearly impossible to distinguish separate campaigns. In addition, some crusades have been named, including the Albigensian Crusade, the Baltic (or Northern) Crusades, the Peoples Crusade, and the Reconquista. Crusader Territory Upon the success of the First Crusade, the Europeans set up a king of Jerusalem and established what is known as the Crusader States. Also called outremer (French for across the sea), the Kingdom of Jerusalem controlled Antioch and Edessa, and it was divided into two territories since these places were so far-flung. When ambitious Venetian merchants convinced warriors of the Fourth Crusade to capture Constantinople in 1204, the resulting government was referred to as the Latin Empire, to distinguish it from the Greek, or Byzantine, empire they had claimed. Crusading Orders Two important military orders were established in the early 12th century: the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar. Both were monastic orders whose members took vows of chastity and poverty, yet they were also militarily trained. Their primary purpose was to protect and aid pilgrims to the Holy Land. Both orders did very well financially, particularly the Templars, who were notoriously arrested and disbanded by Philip IV of France in 1307. The Hospitallers outlasted the Crusades and continue, in a much-altered form, to this day. Other orders were established later, including the Teutonic Knights. Impact of the Crusades Some historians particularly Crusades scholars consider the Crusades the single most important series of events in the Middle Ages. The significant changes in the structure of European society that took place in the 12th and 13th centuries were long considered the direct result of Europes participation in the Crusades. This view no longer holds as strongly as it once did. Historians have recognized many other contributing factors in this complex time. Yet there is no doubt the Crusades contributed greatly to changes in Europe. The effort of raising armies and providing supplies for Crusaders stimulated the economy; trade benefited, as well, especially once the Crusader States were established. Interaction between the East and West affected European culture in areas of art and architecture, literature, mathematics, science and education. And Urbans vision of directing the energies of warring knights outward succeeded in reducing war within Europe. Having a common foe and common objective, even for those who didnt participate in the Crusade, fostered a view of Christendom as a united entity.   This has been a very basic introduction to the Crusades. For a better understanding of this extremely complex and greatly-misunderstood topic, please explore our Crusades Resources or read one of the Crusades Books recommended by your Guide.

Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theme - Essay Example The theme applicable to her story is the importance of developing a strong sense of one's own identity and personal strength, despite challenges and difficulties in life. The essay aims to proffer justifications for the theme of developing a strong sense of identity to enable Ying-ying to regain the life she had, not only for her personal benefit, but more so for her daughter, Lena. Ying-ying’s story through the Moon Lady presented her vivid remembrance of the particularly special day when she was merely four years old and her nursemaid prepared her for the Moon Festival. The depiction of her character was so accurate in portraying a strong sense of fiery identity, always curious, on top of things and wanting to get her way. Despite being told to stay put or to observe traditional norms, Ying-ying defied everything as she narrated running after dragonflies, climbing to the rickshaw with her mother (instead of her amah), running through the length of their boat, watching a bird catch fishes, and falling into the water to be lost during the height of the Moon Festival. With all the commotions, the experience of being lost coincided with the metamorphic loss of her personal identity and strength as the fear that enveloped her during the experience transformed her life to silence and as she failed to relay her wish to the Moon Lady: to be found.

Maritime Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Maritime Economics - Essay Example In the Shipping Industry, many Ship owners have been resorting to strategies like concentration to sort out the problem that are occasioned by freight rate fluctuation. This concentration has allowed them to maximize their market shared, reduce the cost per volume and remain in competition for the industry leadership. There has been a fluctuation demand for shipping services that is also faced with a fluctuation in supply of the shipping services themselves. (Hoffman, 1998, p. 1) On the demand side, many Shipping firms have believed that the best strategies for concentration will be realized when the merge the ships in order to gain from economies of scale. To that end there have been a series of mergers and acquisition that have lead to an oligopoly of the top 20 leading shippers owning over 50% of the industry business. (Hoffman, 1998, p. 1) The beginning of 1990s saw the formation of Alliances in the World lines. The progress so far has been 10 big groups controlling more than 65% of the volume transport. With a target of lowering the shipping rates, the millions of containers have been criss crossing the high seas from one port hub to the next with the world inflation also at their trail. It has been estimated that the biggest ship can transport more than 8.700 TEUs. The figure in Exhibit 1 below shows the trends of container ship mergers that were lead by motives of economies of scale. (Hoffman, 1998, p. 1) Exhibit 1.Effects of demand for technology on the shipping rates Adopted from Drewry Shipping Consultants, Post Panamax Containerships, London, 1996. Data for 2000 is an ECLAC forecast. (Hoffman, 1998,

Four Theoretical Approaches to Metaphysics Essay Example for Free

Four Theoretical Approaches to Metaphysics Essay There are four theoretical approaches to the metaphysics and they include Dualism and the theory that what exists on can do so on two levels the physical or the mental. The next approach is Materialism which theorizes that everything exists on a physical level. Then there is the Idealism approach which states that everything that exists is mental or spiritual. Finally, there is Alternative Views which theorizes that what exists in neither mental nor spiritual but believed that what exists is both, which means that what exists is neutral. In the Materialism theory of metaphysics it is said that everything is made of some kind of structure that are now called atoms. These atoms are governed entirely by physical laws and are thought to make up everything that we know and see. There were and are still many men in the scientific community that feel this way, but the most pronounced one was named Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes implied â€Å"clearly that all things are made of material particles and that all change reduces to motion. † (cite) His theory states that everything is matter in motion to include an individual’s thought process. Hobbes goes into detail about how this process works and called it perception or sense. His way of describing it is the fact that things have different properties and that the properties do not really exist. The properties of an object are based on what we perceive them to be. We perceive a rose to be beautiful, smell nice, and have red pedals. Those properties according to Hobbes are all based on perception and the rose does not actually have any of these traits. â€Å"The things that really are in the world outside us are those motions by which these seemings are caused. (cite) Hobbes describes perception as motion from the outside effects the motion of the inside of a person. The motion on the outside affected the motion on the inside and leaves a lasting effect after the motion is complete or dispersed then the motion that remains behind on the inside is left as a memory. The motion that is still on the inside is a perception and in turn is the root cause for thinking, imagination, and memory. As humans we describe this reaction by assigning words to these perceptions and Hobbes labeled that as reasoning. The way that people reason is nothing sort of â€Å"adding and subtracting of the consequences of general names. † (cite) The easiest way that this can be explained would be to refer it to a computer. The hard drive is considered as the movement on the inside and the keyboard and mouse as the outside. The hard drive is made up of a disk and magnet and works by taking the disc and spinning is around at a rapid pace. Next the magnet is moved around to encode the data to the hard drive. This whole process is done through movement and if stationary there is nothing that can be done to retrieve or store information. First to store or retrieve information an external source of movement needs to happen. Movement from the outside was represented as a keyboard and mouse. The keyboard and mouse which is movement from the outside affects the hard drive which is the movement from the inside and vice versa. Now that movement has been represented the reasoning of information needs to be considered. Now we understand what movement effect movement means we can now address the fact of reasoning and perception. All of the information that the computer takes in needs to go somewhere and needs to be retrieved again. The computer makes sense of all the data by assigning numbers to all of the data so that it can be retrieved again. This aspect would be considered our perception which is reasoning which as Hobbes stated before is our thinking, memory, and imagination. Now some people would argue that Hobbes theory does not take into accounts decision making and other voluntary actions, but he does go into detail about how that process works. Hobbes addresses the finer points of the decision process by stating that every decision or movement starts of as an â€Å"endeavor† which was caused by perception. He then breaks it down even into two groups consisting of desire and aversion. When the endeavor is toward something then it is considered a desire and when it is away it is considered an aversion. We associate desire and aversion with words like love and hate or good and bad. So according to Hobbes the basic principle of our decision making is like a magnet. Let’s look at the magnet that is in the computer and affects the hard drive. Sometimes data can be corrupted and the information will not take to the hard drive. The process of corrupt data being entered from the outside can be considered as an aversion. Now any information that the system lets in can be considers as desire. If that did not make sense then lets look at a magnet in general. A magnet has a positive and a negative side. Anything that is attracted to the positive side can be considered a desire and anything that is repelled by the negative side can be considered an aversion. In the recent years there has been some advancements in technology that allows us to uncover the mysteries of the universe. Scientists have found matter that is smaller than atoms and they are calling them subatomic particles. It has been discovered that these particles make up every aspect of the universe and are comprised of some type of energy that is connected with everything else. After this discovery a lot of scientists are rattled about their theory and if Materialism is really the right type of metaphysical theory to go with. However, this does not completely rule this theory out it just seems like that needs to some changes or tweaks to the way that we think about Materialism.

The Gift I Cherish :: Personal Narratives Turkey Essays

The Gift I Cherish Right before Haldun went back to Turkey, he gave me a good luck charm that he brought here from home. The good luck charm was a hand made gift Haldun had received from his parents before coming here. I thought that this was the greatest thing ever, especially coming from one of my best friends. To make any sense of this, I would have to go back about nine months ago. It was the first day of school when I had my study hall in the cafeteria, I noticed a student which resembled an adult in his late 20’s. I knew he couldn’t be over 21 so I knew he couldn’t be in his late 20’s. he had hair over his ears, and a scruffy beard. I didn’t know him but I knew the people he was sitting with, so I proceeded to walk over to the table and say hi to the kids that I knew. The next day I also noticed him in my Government class. I had already sat down so I didn’t get to sit next to this anonymous person. So the next day in government, I made it a point to sit next to him and I did. I proceeded to introduce myself and we got to talk for a little and it was obvious he was foreign, but from where remained mysterious. He also told me his name was Haldun. After a few classes we got a chance to know a little bit about each other and I found out he was from Turkey. I also saw him in the weight room and we started talking a lot more. It was fun talking to him so I could always make fun of his English because it was so poor. The one day after we both finished lifting I saw him waiting at the school exit, so I asked if he drove and he said that he drives in Turkey but he isn’t allowed to drive here in America. Then he said he thought he missed the activity bus and he would have to wait for the next one to arrive. So I then told him that I drive and I could take him home.

Lab Safety Essay

Lab safety is very important if you are going to work in a science lab. First off, you need the right equipment and you need to read the signs of each machine or are you are working in, so you can see what safety gear you will need to put on. First off, if you are going to work in an area involving fire, you should wear something non-flammable or an apron to protect yourself and your clothes. you should make sure that there is a fire extinguisher near by. If you nsee a flask symbol on something, that means that there is glass in that area. That is why you should never wear open toed shoes, or if any glass breaks or falls of the table, you have a lower risk of stepping on it and getting it stuck in your foot. When working around chemicals or acids, you should always wear safety goggles. If you happen to get some in your in eyes, it will most likely sting very badly. You will need to rinse your eyes under some water for about 15 minutes to get all of the chemicals out. If you see a hand symbol on something, that means you should wear heat resistant gloves. You will most likely need to wear them, because you will be touching something with a very hot temperature and you could badly burn yourself. When ever working with an electrical device, never use it near water. First of all, you could badly electricute yourself, and it could also start a fire which could be disasterous. That is what you need to do to be safe in the lab. You must use all of those required items. If there is an accident, you should get help immediatly.

Performance Management

2. 1. 1. Literature survey and details on Performance management The central part of Performance management is rating employee’s performance as synergy. Performance management is the process through which managers ensure that employee’s activities and outputs contribute to the organization’s goals [1]. The main requirements of the process are to know what activities and output is desired, to observe whether they occur, and to provide feedback to help employees meet expectations. While taking feedback from different sources, managers and employees identify performance problems and try to resolve those problems. It provides an opportunity for the employee and performance manager to develop goals and jointly create a plan for achieving those goals. Development plans contributes to organizational goals and the professional growth of the employee. Performance Management being the most critical area of human resource management, the department relies on evaluation results in determining the soundness of much developmental decision, which have direct impact on the business surplus. The Process of Performance Management Figure 2. 1 Process of Performance Management [2] Purpose of Performance Management [2] 1. Strategic purposes – To achieve the business objective of an organization, effective performance management plays a vital role. Performance management does this help by linking employee’s behaviour with the organizational goals. It starts defining what the organization expects from each employee and at the same time it measures the performance of each employee’s to identify either the expectations are met or not. Depending upon performance measurement, the organization can take corrective action such as training, incentives or discipline. Performance management can achieve strategic purposes on the following condition. * When performance measurements are truly linked with the organizational goals. * When the goals and feedback about performance are communicated to the employees. 2. Administrative purpose – It is the way where organization uses the system to provide information for day to day decisions about salary, benefits and recognition programs. Decision making related to employee retention, termination for poor behaviour, hiring and layoffs are supported by erformance management. As the administrative decisions are supported by performance management, the information in performance appraisal can have a great impact on the future of individual employees. 3. Development purpose – It serves as basis for developing the employee’s knowledge and skills. When the employee’s met expectations they become more valuable. Employees get aware of their strength, weakness and areas of improvement by feedback of effective performance management. Tools of performance management [3] . Performance and development reviews 2. Learning and development 3. Coaching. 4. Objectives and Performance Standards 5. Competency and competencies 6. Measurement Pay 7. Team based work 8. 360 degree appraisal 9. Performance problem solving Criteria for effective performance management [1] Figure 2. 2 criteria for effective performance management [1] The aim of the performance management should be achieving employee behaviour and attitude which supports the organization goals, strategy, and culture. If the organization strategy changes the human resource personnel should help the managers assess how the performance management system should change to serve the new strategies. Example: – If a company emphasizes customer service, then its performance management system should define the kinds of behaviour that contribute to good customer service. Focus of Performance management [2] 1. Performance improvement 2. Employee development 3. Satisfying the needs and expectations of stakeholders 4. Communication and involvement Conclusion In today's management scenario Performance appraisals have become a tool of much importance. With the help of objective and fair HR practices, Performance management can prove to be the best. The outputs of which could be used for Organization development rather than for mere employee efficiency improvement. If challenged casual and subjective appraisals will not be able to stand the test of fairness and legality. Firms are thus being forced to emphasize a participative but joint management by objectives followed by a participative, joint-periodic appraisal, to bring more clarity into the system. Performance Management 2. 1. 1. Literature survey and details on Performance management The central part of Performance management is rating employee’s performance as synergy. Performance management is the process through which managers ensure that employee’s activities and outputs contribute to the organization’s goals [1]. The main requirements of the process are to know what activities and output is desired, to observe whether they occur, and to provide feedback to help employees meet expectations. While taking feedback from different sources, managers and employees identify performance problems and try to resolve those problems. It provides an opportunity for the employee and performance manager to develop goals and jointly create a plan for achieving those goals. Development plans contributes to organizational goals and the professional growth of the employee. Performance Management being the most critical area of human resource management, the department relies on evaluation results in determining the soundness of much developmental decision, which have direct impact on the business surplus. The Process of Performance Management Figure 2. 1 Process of Performance Management [2] Purpose of Performance Management [2] 1. Strategic purposes – To achieve the business objective of an organization, effective performance management plays a vital role. Performance management does this help by linking employee’s behaviour with the organizational goals. It starts defining what the organization expects from each employee and at the same time it measures the performance of each employee’s to identify either the expectations are met or not. Depending upon performance measurement, the organization can take corrective action such as training, incentives or discipline. Performance management can achieve strategic purposes on the following condition. * When performance measurements are truly linked with the organizational goals. * When the goals and feedback about performance are communicated to the employees. 2. Administrative purpose – It is the way where organization uses the system to provide information for day to day decisions about salary, benefits and recognition programs. Decision making related to employee retention, termination for poor behaviour, hiring and layoffs are supported by erformance management. As the administrative decisions are supported by performance management, the information in performance appraisal can have a great impact on the future of individual employees. 3. Development purpose – It serves as basis for developing the employee’s knowledge and skills. When the employee’s met expectations they become more valuable. Employees get aware of their strength, weakness and areas of improvement by feedback of effective performance management. Tools of performance management [3] . Performance and development reviews 2. Learning and development 3. Coaching. 4. Objectives and Performance Standards 5. Competency and competencies 6. Measurement Pay 7. Team based work 8. 360 degree appraisal 9. Performance problem solving Criteria for effective performance management [1] Figure 2. 2 criteria for effective performance management [1] The aim of the performance management should be achieving employee behaviour and attitude which supports the organization goals, strategy, and culture. If the organization strategy changes the human resource personnel should help the managers assess how the performance management system should change to serve the new strategies. Example: – If a company emphasizes customer service, then its performance management system should define the kinds of behaviour that contribute to good customer service. Focus of Performance management [2] 1. Performance improvement 2. Employee development 3. Satisfying the needs and expectations of stakeholders 4. Communication and involvement Conclusion In today's management scenario Performance appraisals have become a tool of much importance. With the help of objective and fair HR practices, Performance management can prove to be the best. The outputs of which could be used for Organization development rather than for mere employee efficiency improvement. If challenged casual and subjective appraisals will not be able to stand the test of fairness and legality. Firms are thus being forced to emphasize a participative but joint management by objectives followed by a participative, joint-periodic appraisal, to bring more clarity into the system. Performance Management Every organisation aspiring to achieve success by extending its wings from the mother country to a host country has to put into consideration certain pertinent issues that govern assimilation of the organizational culture into the existing political and socio-economic structures of the host country. The fundamental is an organisation aspiring to put up a new site in a foreign country, that is, China. Based on the survey and group discussion findings, the Managing Director seems to make assumptions that can dearly cost the organisation its success. For instance based on issues to do with the organizational background, the Managing Director has to put into keen consideration issues like the differences between China and the UK in terms of political structures, socio-cultural and economic issues, geographical advantage among others. For example every country has a political structure that differs from others in a way though by some aspects there could be some similarities. Another issue is the socio-economic structures which work together with the political system of a country. A country with capitalistic principles is totally different from a country whose system embraces communism. An organisation from a capitalistic country (with a capitalistic orientation) will find problems operation in a host country that embraces communism. This is because it has to source for manpower from the country and the success of an organisation is majorly determined by the dedication of the personnel or manpower. Therefore the Managing Director is expected to put into consideration these factors. Maybe to ensure progression of the organisation culture and way of operation, certain key positions have to be occupied by experts from the mother organisations to aid steer the branch into prosperity. The geographical location of an organisation is crucial in determining its success. This will be taken to refer to advantage or benefits it reaps by being close to other powerful economies or near an extensive market which would ensure obvious success. This might not be a serious issues since fundamental in UK wound reap similar benefits as fundamental China because both offers good market. However, issues to do with purchasing power, tastes and preferences and also cultural issues that determine whether the immediate population will accept the products offered or not should be considered. Other issues have to do with the quality of manpower in China compared to UK since it would be cheaper to work with local manpower than imported expertise. This is due to effects cost of production which might affect the profitability of the organizational operations. About the survey carried out and the group discussions held I would say that this was a smart move to seek to understand crucial issues concerning activities in the organisation, attitudes and perceptions of the personnel. Picking on the findings I would say that the parameters used were the most appropriate. They touched most of the crucial issues concerning the relationship between the management and the employees. Thorough, investigation would be required to ascertain the claims posed by the employees. On technology the managements should ensure utilization of modern technology to better productivity rather than surveillance and monitoring and manipulation of employee activities in the firm to the advantage of the management and at the expense of employee convenience and satisfaction. This would boost trust and help cultivate a culture of hard work, efficiency and effectiveness at work. On health, any screening or medical tests should be designed in a way to erase the already conceived idea of discrimination. It should be done in a way that will convince the employees that it is for further privileges in health care facilities offered by the organisation. If no health care service or privileges are offered the organisation will lack a way of convincing its employees. On morale, as much as the company appeals for unity it should cultivate the same by making the employees feel part of the organisation. A situation whereby the management is detached from the rest of the organisation the senior personnel enjoys privileges and opportunities that the juniors and other employees do not, staff morale is expected to be low. All programmes should be aimed at motivating the employees to work and hard since they feel part of the system. Too much bureaucracy would temper with proper running of the organisation’s productive processes. On communication, there should be constant contact between the management and the employees. As cited earlier too much bureaucracy stagnates processes. The employee would be bored and demoralized if all the time they have to communicate their views, they have to pass through a long process and through intimidating situations. The senior management is supposed to keep moving around not exactly to monitor operations but to create a friendly atmosphere between the management and the employees. Cultural change in an organisation is only achieved by ensuring structures are put up to achieve the set goals. The management should feel socially responsible to the employees. The goals set should be achievable and the organisation should provide an enabling environment to help the employees achieve the set objective. The manner in which this survey was conducted was proper for problem solving and ensuring changes in the culture of the organisation. An organisation grows and for it to attain progress in its growth it has to employ proper strategies in role administration. Proper communication, good leadership and organizational skills boost the morale of the employees a great deal. Good leadership and utilization of proper channels of communication ensures enhancement of self-confidence among the employees. Think of a situation whereby employees are viewed as desperate people who have no choice other than to keep on working there. The managers use intimidating language and they keep commandeering the employees every now and then. There is not direct contact between the juniors and the seniors. This makes the employees shrink back, never express their views and opinions and that would be a looming disaster in the organisation. At times it even leads to strikes or go slows. Lack of accountability by the management is another indicator of poor organisation leadership. Transparency and accountability are leadership skills, every manager must have. Employees are grown ups and they should always be let to know why things happen the way they do in the organisation. They should be kept aware of the progress or problems and challenges experienced by the organisation. Still on leadership the employees should be encouraged to exploit their full potential. Means should be provided for self exploitation and the organisation should encourage the employees to be committed to their work. Patriotism, commitment and loyalty to the organisation will not be brought about by a whip, rather it will be a product of good governance in the organisation. Staff or employee motivation is the ultimate goal that can be achieved by an organisation. When proper communication is done and other good leadership skills are inculcated in the management circles, then morale will be boosted among employees of the organisation and a motivated labour force can make tremendous achievements. The benefits an organisation can derive from good governance and proper communication include a committed labour force. Employees will have their minds geared on achieving organizational goals. Secondly the organisation will not have to replace employees when they run away from the organisation. It will also not incur more cost in training new employees or staffs. Employees will not absent themselves on flimsy grounds just to get off the boring place and employees will not suffer from stress related complications due to working under tight conditions. Morale will be boosted and everyone will feel obligated to ensure the success of the organisation. The employees are also likely to unleash their full potentials leading to high creativity and innovativeness and therefore the organisation will incur low costs of acquiring expertise from outside. This ensures also quality production and all these combined will reduce the cost of production and boost profits. This creates a culture that is value based, organizational ethics are adhered to and conflicts are minimized. Generally, this enhances unity of purpose and all the employees are geared towards achieving a common objective. If the management considers this, it prevents a looming management disaster. No organisation can progress without putting these factors into consideration. Fundamental should undertake expansion programmes by cultivating such a spirit. It does not matter what socio-economic set up employees come from; all human beings work efficiently and effectively where managers of work are realistic and reasonable. A work force that embarks on stress management cannot ensure progress in an organisation. Every organisation has a culture. Organizational culture has much to do with the values held dear by the organisation, the attitudes of both the management and the employees and the general behaviour of the workers in the organisation which is a manifestation of the values upheld and embraced by the organisation. Let us dissect this issue of organizational behaviour. Behaviour is shaped among other things by motivation. A motivated work force feels proud of their work places and the organisation. They will report to work early and they will have a reason to buy a couple of minutes in the organisation later after day’s period of work elapses. They keep talking about the organisation and would love to be associated with it. Behaviour is also influenced by work performance. An organisation that has hit the headlines for its performance makes the employees feel proud of it. Even other companies envy it to cross over to it by offering better remunerations. An organisation that offers equal opportunities and allows juniors to enjoy privileges enjoyed by the seniors will have employees who are motivated, proud and committed. A well motivated work force exhibits good group dynamics. An organisation has different operations and departments. Each section works as a group and all the sections work as one achieving great heights. Behaviour is a product of the culture of an organisation. Culture in an organisation is developed through strategies. This involves unity of purpose, team work, problem solving, creativity and innovation, profit maximization, accountability among other things. An organisation with a good culture ensures first of all team work spirit is inherent in its structures. This most assuredly enhances quality, effectiveness and efficient productive processes, better human resource development and allocation of resources which boosts its publicity. Team spirit also ensures that the work force is receptive to other better ideas. New issues keeps emerging in trade circles and a non-receptive labour force would cause a serious failure in productive processes of an organisation. A culture that is aimed at problem solving one of the best fault finding, pointing accusing fingers at people only results to more chaos. Man is to error though it should not be deliberate. But whenever a problem arises among the employees or if at all differences arise between management and the employees it should be tackled in a manner that it would result to a settlement of the dispute. I would recommend the Fundamental for working towards this end. A good culture also ensures an integrated and collaborative training and learning. This imparts similar skills at all levels and ensures effectiveness and efficiency at all levels. Opportunities should always be equitably distributed and on merit so that employees are also encouraged to their best. Of great importance is development of communication systems within the organisation and between the organisation and the outside which is the society. An organisation publicizes itself by ensuring proper flow of information. This is besides quality products and proper waste disposal. Though our main interest is human resource development all these issues come in to determine organizational performance. There are myriad of ethical issues concerning firms or organisations. However, we will embark on ethical issues concerning human resource management. Failure of an organisation to ensure ethical working conditions could definitely lead to failure of organisation to achieve its goals. For instance work force that is forced to work in risky areas and in pathetic conditions will not deliver. For instance it is unethical to put workers in a section of production where machines produce a lot of noise and you fail to provide ear masks. It is also unethical to put worker in unhygienic conditions. Working environment should ensure safety and high health conditions. Remuneration should be properly done. It is unhealthy to seek certain favours as a manager inorder to promote or offer certain privileges. It is also unethical to force someone to compromise their cultural and religious values. All employees manhandling juniors by management and general failure by management to communicate effectively to the juniors is unethical. It is worth noting that loopsided decision making is not in accordance to the corporate or business’s code of ethics. All organisations should ensure that ethical issues are adequately addressed to ensure organisational’s success. Performance Management CMIChartered Management Institute Diploma in Management and Leadership UNIT S8003 – Performance Management Julie RowcliffeNovember 2012 Task 1 A. C. 1. 1 Explain the links between Individual, team and organisational objectives A. C. 1. 2 Identify the selection of and agree individual and team objectives A. C. 1. 3 Identify and agree areas of individual and team responsibility in achieving objectives Introduction Edinburgh College is going through major change at the moment with the merger of 3 Edinburgh College’s coming together.Our new principal is in place and is currently setting the new management structure and organisational objectives for the next 5 years. Edinburgh College must find alternative ways of securing income due to huge cuts made from the Funding Council. The Government has made a commitment to provide 25000 apprenticeships throughout Scotland for 16 – 24 years old but predominantly 16 – 19 year olds. There is a huge pressure from the Gove rnment for College’s to engage in these programmes which will in turn bring new funded money into the college which will soften the shortfall from the Funding Council.Using the 7 stages based on â€Å"Plan-Do-See† (hand out from Annette) I will discuss and identify Task 1 1. 1 Check Vision 1. 2 Establish Vision 1. 3 Check Vision 1. 4 Establish Vision 5. 1 Self Appraisal 5. 2 Performance appraisal 5. 3 Confirm appraisal results 5. 1 Self Appraisal 5. 2 Performance appraisal 5. 3 Confirm appraisal results 2. 1 Draw up preliminary strategic objectives 2. Create strategy map 2. 1 Draw up preliminary strategic objectives 2. 2 Create strategy map 4. 1 Check Progress 4. 2 Find ways for improvement 4. 1 Check Progress 4. 2 Find ways for improvement 3. 1 Specify Performance Indicators 3. 2 Set Weight 3. 3 Specify and distribute initiatives 3. Agree on performance goals 3. 1 Specify Performance Indicators 3. 2 Set Weight 3. 3 Specify and distribute initiatives 3. 4 Agree on pe rformance goals Job analysis Job analysis Job appraisal Job appraisal Vision Clarification 1. 1 Check Vision With a new college and new principal and changes to the way funding is granted to college’s, there must be a new vision put in place. . 2 Establish Vision To increase and provide opportunities for 16 – 19 year old Modern Apprenticeship programmes across a wide range of vocational areas. For Edinburgh College to succeed in doing this we must diversify into new areas to help this area grow. The government is driving their commitment for college provision for 16 – 24 year olds; therefore the college cannot ignore this directive from the Government. From a college aspect this has potential to draw several million pounds direct from the Government.Strategic Objectives establishment 2. 1 Draw up preliminary strategic Objectives As Modern Apprenticeship Coordinator I must set clear objectives and ensure each individual involved is clear of their role to achieve these Objectives. These objectives include, ensuring contract are filled with apprentices, ensuring tutors and assessors provide excellent training and mentoring to â€Å"keep them on board† which in turn will achieve the objective of full funding claimed and brought into the college. 2. Create strategy Map A strategy map represents how an organisation creates value. A strategy describes how an organisation can create sustained value for its shareholders, customer and communities. Using Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton STRATEGY MAPS THE COMPLETE SUMMARY would help me set clear Strategic Objectives Performance goal establishment 3. 1 Specify Performance Indicators The goal is to ensure all apprentices achieve their qualification and maximise full funding available. 3. 2 Set WeightI would meet with assessors individually and put in place a performance goal agreement. I would use Skills Development Scotland’s benchmark % rate to monitor performance. 3. 3 Specify and d istribute initiatives I would meet with all staff involved and ensure full clarity of responsibilities was understood. As MA Coordinator I would survey on going initiatives and look at development of new initiatives and distribute any new initiatives with full discussion of all staff. 3. 4 Agree on Performance goalsI would meet individually with assessors confirm what was expected to be achieved and set quarterly targets and meetings to discuss these goals, this would link up with their performance goal agreement. Monitoring and coaching 4. 1 Check Progress We have internal verifiers (IV’s) within the department who check all apprentice portfolios monthly; we also have external verifiers (EV’s) who come into the college every 6 months to ensure we are delivering in line with the awarding body rules. This helps to ensure we are delivering high quality training.I meet regularly with IV’s to discuss individual apprentices which allows me to see progress. 4. 2 Find ways for improvement I would observe staff’s work, listen carefully to staff and their views and questions and give them feedback on ways of improvement, possibly mentoring another assessor if there is a weakness in an area that another excels in and close regular meetings to provide support. Performance appraisal 5. 1 Self Appraisal I would collect performance records from various sources look at achievement rates and prepare performance results and supporting documents. 5. 2 Performance AppraisalI would have a one to one meeting with individuals do discuss performance and would use SDS’s benchmark % performance to calculate how successful their performance is this again would be linked back to their performance goal agreement. 5. 3 Confirm Appraisal results This would be done in a one to one meeting with recorded notes of appraisal results and feedback with any actions required. Job Appraisal These are carried out by way of Staff Development Reviews (SDR’s) or Performance Development Reviews (PDR’s) these are used for staff with income responsibilities within Edinburgh College.These reviews are carried out yearly by managers and their staff, objectives and goals are measured from the previous year where they were set and are looked at and graded as; achieved, partially achieved or not achieved. Job Analysis At this stage, the essence of jobs (accountabilities) within an organization is clarified, and major activities and necessary capabilities are defined to achieve such accountabilities. This would be done by looking at job descriptions and work activities within that role. Task 2 A. C. 1. Identify the need to create an environment of trust and support with others A. C. 2. 2 Identify the causes of conflict and describe strategies to minimise or prevent conflict As MA Coordinator it is my role to ensure staff feel supported and clearly understand their roles within the department. To create an environment of trust thee must be exc ellent communication by way of regular meetings, encouragement, and giving recognition for achieving goals which is a motivational factor from Herzberg’s motivators and hygiene factors, (Herzberg – The Motivation to Work 1959).This allows for a more harmonious working environment as everyone is clear on their own individual responsibilities and goals. As a manager I must present information clearly, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding. Conflict can arise when there is lack of clarity in roles or staff do not understand fully what is expected of them, equally there are other factors which can cause conflict which can be a direct effect of bad communication between myself and staff or lack of training, poor supervision, working conditions which are hygiene factors ofHerzberg’s motivators and hygiene factors. Using the chart below taken from Pathways to Management and Leadership, Diploma in Management Unit C45 I will show an example of how conflict can arise and ways of preventing this. The right skills and the knowledge| +| Motivation to do the job| +| The necessary resources| =| Objectives Achieved| Clerical in The funding Unit has responsibility for checking apprentice quarterly reviews are completed properly and sent out to employers on time in line with SDS rules. These reviews are sent on to employers to show how apprentices are progressing with college training.One to one training given to clerical from MA Coordinator explaining what is required. Clerical already deals with outside Training Providers reviews therefore her experience and knowledge of what is required is essential to reviews being completed accurately and within time deadlines. | +| Receiving positive feedback and comments from employers shows this is a worthwhile exercise and not just a ‘tick box’ exercise. This makes the clerical feel this is a valuable job worth doing. A new rule was brought in by SDS that they required to see any absences recorded on the review form.MA coordinator communicated this to the assessor and tutors who carry out the reviews through an e mail but only some read the e mail and this was not put in place in time for the next set of reviews. I then spoke to the clerical and explained this in a casual conversation but the clerical did not realise this had to start immediately. Reviews were then carried out and sent out to employers without this information. This caused conflict between me and the clerical as she felt she hadn’t been properly/officially told about this.We agreed monthly one to one meetings would be set up to go through the review process and ensure this did not occur again. MA Coordinator took full responsibility for this not being implemented when it should have been. It was also agreed to hold monthly meeting with assessors and tutors to ensure all were made away of the ever changing rules SDS create and although e mails should still be sent this could not be th e only form of communication with such important matters. | +| MA Coordinator secured 10 hours of extra clerical help to manage this process.This was done by putting a business case forward to the Vice Principal and HR. | =| Objective was achieved as quarterly reviews were sent on time to employer and apprentice. These are recorded on spreadsheet and copies kept in apprentice portfolio. Employers happy to see progress at college and SDS compliance rules were met. | Task 3 A. C. 2. 1 Evaluate and assess individual and team performance against objectives A. C. 2. 2 Identify methods of providing feedback to individuals and teams on performance A. C. 2. Explain recording systems for performance assessment for individuals or teams Using SMART objectives (Performance Management Key Strategies and Practical guidelines, Michael Armstrong) allow me to look at how we can achieve our main objective within the Funding Unit, which is to ensure the contracted places allocated to Edinburgh College are fulfilled and the contract value met. Element| How does the objective include this element| Specific| To fulfil contract places granted by the government and ensure full contract value is met. Measureable| This is measured by the amount of apprentices that are started on the Modern Apprenticeship programme within the college and also measured against the monetary value on the contract. | Achievable| This is achievable by assessors and MA Coordinator engaging with employers and selling the Apprenticeship programme to them. | Relevant| This is extremely relevant as the college is pressurised through the Government initiative to commit to 25,000 apprentices across Scotland in 2012. The funding council see this as a way of colleges bringing in income to cover for the shortfall of funding from the funding council. Timescaled| Contracts from SDS are bid for on a yearly basis, March to March. If contracts are not fulfilled colleges are in danger of losing this income. | In order for t he target to be met assessors must understand when units need to be achieved with apprentices so this can be converted into monetary value. This process involves assessors, tutors and me. Using a complex spreadsheet (see below) which holds information on the qualification the apprentice is following, the monetary value against each individual as this iffers depending on qualification, the actual month these must be achieved and the overall performance of the contract can be assessed using this spreadsheet. SDS has an online system called Corporate Training System (CTS) that all Training Providers must use to record and claim all progress on apprentices. SDS set % Performance benchmarks that must be met to allow future contracts to be secured. This is another way I can monitor performance of the contract. This is based on new starts and leavers to achievers.I send the spreadsheet weekly to assessors prior to our weekly meetings to discuss the progress of individual apprentices and lo ok at any potential apprentices who are not achieving. I would arrange a meeting between me the assessor and apprentice to try and find ways of supporting the apprentice, the offer of extra support through means of Edinburgh College’s Student Support Services are often taken up by apprentice with various tools to help assist them, e. g. extra time on exams or extra material given to help self study.Good performance management is achieved through all parties ensuring that: Staff know what is expected of them, every one clear about goals and works towards them, objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time related), a system exists to accommodate day to day performance feedback (spreadsheet above) and Staff Development Reviews are used to help self development and improve performance. The spreadsheet records performance of each individual which in turn shows me how each assessor and apprentice is performing. Another form of performance assessment cou ld be the 360 degree (http://cipd. o. uk/factsheets/360-degree-feedback. aspx) assessment which allows for performance feedback for a person, team, or organization by many of the people who work with a person or team in that organization. When employees receive feedback only from their managers, they act on limited information. If employees receive feedback from other co-workers — a 360 ° feedback assessment — they gain a more complete picture of performance. Using this method I could adopt questions for the apprentice, assessor and myself to look at how they see themselves performing.This could allow me to analyse each score and discuss any issues before the problem arises. For example a question on how an apprentice thinks he is progressing could show different to how an assessor perceives this. TASK 4 A. C. 3. 1Explain a performance improvement cycle A. C. 3. 2 Discuss the indicators of poor performance A. C. 3. 3 Evaluate methods that support performance improvem ent There are many different variations to the performance improvement process, but most follow a version of the PDCA cycle: plan, do, check, act.The â€Å"plan† part involves identifying the nature of the problem, obtaining the resources to fix it and determining the best way to implement change. The â€Å"do† part is the actual changing of an existing process. The â€Å"check† part involves measuring key performance indicators to ensure that the new process is performing as expected. The â€Å"act† part includes making changes to the change in order to make the underlying process as efficient as possible. Using the management cycle (Performance Management, Michael Armstrong) below works as a continuous process to manage performance. Plan Plan Act Act Review Review MonitorMonitor Plan – To ensure all places on the SDS contract are filled within the one year time frame given by SDS Act – Meet with tutors and assessors to discuss their input, commitment and responsibilities Monitor – Achieved through monitoring of new starts on MA programmes Review – Look at ways of reviewing this with regular assessor meetings Part of the assessor’s responsibilities is to recruit apprentices and find suitable employers willing to employ them and allow them to attend college to achieve their qualification. As MA Coordinator I was aware one of the new assessors was not achieving targets and goals set.Several meetings had taken place between me and the member of staff and he eventually indicated lack of time and full understanding of SDS and MA rules were hindering his achievement rate, he also indicated he felt I did not give him enough information to carry out this aspect of his role. He brought up a situation where he had recruited an apprentice who was 20 and the contract only allows 16 – 19 year olds, he felt he should have been made aware of such a relevant rule. He also felt uncomfortable about speaking to employers as he sees this as a ‘sales pitch’.I had given him a set of the SDS rules and wrongly assumed he would read through these and ask any questions he was unsure of but due to time constraints he had not done this. I recognised a need to spend more time with this assessor and look at ways to ensure he was aware of all rules to enable him to achieve his goals. I set up regular meetings between myself and a more experienced assessor, which allowed the experienced assessor to share good practice and tips with this member of staff. I organised for the assessor to shadow the more experienced assessor on going out and visiting employers.I also set up staff development with our commercial department who have a sales aspect responsibility within the college; he worked closely with one of the sales staff on going out visiting employers and seeing firsthand how to enhance his sales skills. I introduced an information sheet which the assessor could take with him to employ ers which gave him a starting point when going into speak with employers. I also introduced a financial bonus scheme to both employers and apprentices as I recognised employers had no real incentive to take on apprentices.Within 1 month or setting this up the assessor had filled all his places on his programme. TASK 5 A. C. 4. 1 Discuss the organisations disciplinary and grievance procedures A. C. 4. 2 Identify the role of the manager in both the disciplinary and grievance procedure A. C. 4. 3 Summarise the key aspects of legislation that applies to an organisations disciplinary and grievance procedures Disciplinary rules and procedures help to promote orderly employment relations as well as fairness and consistency in the treatment of individuals. Disciplinary procedures are also a legal requirement.Disciplinary rules tell employees what behaviour employers expect from them. If an employee breaks specific rules about behaviour, this is often called misconduct. Employers use discipl inary procedures and actions to deal with situations where employees allegedly break disciplinary rules. Disciplinary procedures may also be used where employees don’t meet their employer’s expectations in the way they do their job. These cases, often known as unsatisfactory performance (or capability), may require different treatment from misconduct, and disciplinary procedures should allow for this. http://www. acas. org. uk) Within Edinburgh College the Grievance and Disciplinary policy was updated in January 2010 and will run through to January 2014 this is approved by the Joint Trade Unions and Senior Management. (See appendix 1) In Edinburgh College all line managers have a responsibility to deal with Grievance and Disciplinary matters. In many cases formal disciplinary action can be avoided if the line manager tackles the problem with their staff as quickly as possible, e. g. poor timekeeping, poor relations with colleagues, improper use of telephone and or inte rnet etc..This could be improved through discussion rather than through formal disciplinary procedures. Problems dealt with early enough can be ‘nipped in the bud’ if acted upon firmly and fairly with the emphasis on counselling the individual that their behaviour is not up to the standard and must improve. Although informal the meeting must be recorded along with what was discussed at the meeting and any agreement reached. If however the employee is not satisfied with the outcome then formal procedure should be initiated.If formal procedures need to be initiated there are 2 stages within Edinburgh College’s Grievance and Dispute Policy and Procedure that must be adhered to, firstly Stage 1 where the employee should submit a formal, written statement of the grievance (appendix 2) to their line manager. If this relates to their line manager it should be given to the next senior manager. A meeting will take place within 5 working days, if another meeting is require d after this, it should also happen within a 5 days of previous meeting. The employee will be notified in writing within 5 days.If agreement is not reached the employee will be advised of their right to appeal the decision in terms of Stage 2 of this Policy and Procedure. Stage 2 will only be initiated if a resolve was not found. The employee would then submit a written appeal to the Principal within 10 working days of the outcome from Stage 1. All previous documents will be available for the Principal and employee prior to the meeting. Once the Stage 2 meeting has taken place the outcome will be notified in writing to all parties no later than five working days.The Principals decision will be final. On 6 April 2009, the new ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures came into force. The current legislation on dismissal and grievance procedures introduced in 2004 was replaced by a far simpler, but not legally binding code. The new Code will provide guidance for e mployers and employees to handle disciplinary and grievance situations that arise in the workplace. â€Å"Employers and employees should always endeavor to resolve disciplinary and grievance matters informally in the workplace.The Code provides a standard of reasonable behaviour to help them to do this,† says Lauren Harkin, Solicitor in the Employment Law team at Lemon&Co Solicitor. However management within an organisation will adhere to statutory rules and lawyers would argue the interpretation (quote from Scott Charles Forbes, solicitor, Miscarriage of Justice Organisation) To summarise Disciplinary and Grievance procedures are frameworks which provide clear and transparent structures for dealing with difficulties which may arise as part of the working relationship from either the employer’s or employee’s perspective.They are necessary to ensure that everybody is treated in the same way in similar circumstances, to ensure issues are dealt with fairly and reas onably, and that employers are compliant with current legislation and follow the Acas Code of Practice for handling disciplinary and grievance issues. Disciplinary procedures are needed to: * let employees know what is expected of them in terms of standards of performance or conduct (and the likely consequences of continued failure to meet these standards). identify obstacles to individuals achieving the required standards (for example training needs, lack of clarity of job requirements, additional support needed) and to enable employers to take appropriate action. * enable employers and employees agree suitable goals and timescales for improvement in an individual's performance or conduct. * try to resolve matters without recourse to an employment tribunal. * act as a point of reference for an employment tribunal should someone make a complaint about the way they have been dismissed.Grievance procedures are needed to: * provide individuals with a course of action if they have a com plaint (which they are unable to resolve through regular communication with their line manager). * provide points of contact and timescales to resolve issues of concern. * try to resolve matters without recourse to an employment tribunal. References | Appendix 1| Appendix 2| Armstrong, M (2006) Performance Management Key Strategies and Practical Guidelines| Existing Motor Vehicle Projection Sheet 2012 – 2013|Forbes, SC Solicitor, Miscarriage of Justice Organisation| Harkin, L Solicitor in the Employment Law team at Lemon ; Co Solicitor| Herzberg, The Motivation to Work 1959 http://www. acas. org. uk| http://cipd. co. uk/factsheets/360-degree-feedback. aspx| Kaplan, R S and Norton, D P, Strategy Maps The Complete Summary| Pathways to Management and Leadership, Diploma in Management Unit C45 | The 7 stages based on â€Å"Plan-Do-See† (hand out from Annette)|