A Body And Mind Dichotomy, Or Cartesian Daulism - 1617 Words

In short, subscribing to a body and mind dichotomy, or Cartesian Daulism, provides us with some unique situations. Firstly, those seeking sexual reassignment surgery – whatever that entails – does not call for justification as to the type of surgery they choose, other than their own need as dictated by their minds. This means that one’s innateness is determined by one’s mind, and as such, is not open to external denunciation. This is to say that there is no way to invalidate one’s thoughts, or one’s mind. The moment a stated declaration of one’s identity is made, aside from finding inconsistencies with their statements, their testimony as to their identity stands. This means that innateness is one’s thoughts, feelings, and desires, and thus, identity. And as such this identity is only discernable by expression thereof. In other words, the only way to know what one’s innateness entails is to attend to their expressions, to what they think and feel. Secondly, in trusting one’s account of their thoughts, feelings, and desires, it allows for anyone experiencing any state of unease to make the same claim. Any person can make the claim that they are experiencing a dysphoria that needs to be remedied through surgery. For in giving prominence to the mind, one surgery can become equivalent to another, assuming that the state of mind is the same. This would, or rather could make, say breast implants, just as vital to one’s identity as transsexualism, providing that they can articulate

Back In The 1600’S Slavery Was Brought To The United States

Back in the 1600’s slavery was brought to the United States to help aid in the production of crops. We have come a long ways since then through our government system to help provide a more riotous and free system, the land of the free. Slavery ended and racism has declined but today there still exists a different type of slavery and this is known as human trafficking. Many call sex or human trafficking the modern day type of slavery because people are forced to work for another person mostly by selling their body. According to the United Nations and their protocol signed by more then 80 countries sex/ human trafficking is the â€Å"recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use†¦show more content†¦After having sex with this male he convinced her to have sex with other men to prove her love, which is how her tragic story began. He forced her to continue selling her body and became her â€Å"pimp†, otherwise known as owner in sex trafficking, and then shipped her off to Atlanta where Sex trafficking is a huge business. Traffickers will often â€Å"use recruiters to spy out needy youth by frequenting their typical locations† and will present themselves as â€Å"compassionate boyfriends who offer to help minors escape from an abusive home or harsh living conditions on the streets† (Reid, 2014) which is exactly what happened to the victim from the CNN interview story. Some girls are forced to have sex with as many as 40 men within a day stated the victim. Local news stations just want the public to become more aware of the potential dangers that residence face within these large cities as well as suburbs. According to interviews with the victims they say that these criminals like to deal within big cities because it’s easier to hide and move around. Places that are used to traffic will be places such as barbershops, massage places, meeting at motels and m any other types of cover-ups. Awareness will make the public more skeptical and intelligent to signs beforehand. There has been several studies conducted on the victims of sex trafficking and how they are affected by this traumatic experience as wellShow MoreRelatedThe Economic Effects of the Slave Trade on Africa, Britain, and America1398 Words   |  6 Pagesbut, unfortunately that is not the question. The question is: what made the world go round in the early 1600’s? Surprisingly, just like the world today money made the world go around back then also. One major difference is that in today’s world machines do all of our dirty work, back then it was all up to the slaves. Finding the perfect slave was a challenge to the colonists. First, there was the indentured servants, second, came the Indians. However because Indians and indentured servants couldRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Slavery1128 Words   |  5 PagesSlavery is one of the most inhumane acts the world ha s ever known. Africans were kidnapped and forced into slavery by Europeans; they were separated from their families and forced to work on plantations. They were placed in unbearable conditions and the prevalent racism attached onto this system fueled the mistreatment and oppression of black people for years to come. The origins of the widespread African slavery in America as we know today started in early colonial America when people needed cheapRead MoreRace Relations During The Early Colonization Of America1608 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough the centuries race relations have played key roles in shaping our nation from the early colonization of America till now. American race relations started in early 1600’s when the English settlers arrived. We see the English arrive in North America where they attempt to establish themselves. Unfortunately the continent was already inhabited by native americans they called â€Å"Indians† because they believed at the time they were i n the Indies. Moving forward in the 17th century the colonist andRead MoreSlavery And The Civil War958 Words   |  4 Pagesblood in slavery so that many parts of America could become prosperous and recognized in the world†, this is quote from Josephine Baker, one of America’s early prominent black performers. Slavery, which will be discussed in greater detail, affected Africans kidnapped from their homeland and brought to the Americas to be sold and forced to work in horrible, vile, disgusting conditions. Slavery was also a great economic boosts for the United States due to cotton, however, overtime slavery began toRead MoreHow Slavery Has Changed Today s Modern Society1324 Words   |  6 Pagesdo you define slavery in today’s modern society? The word slavery sparks up heated conversations. The idea that all humans were born with their own rights, no matter what race or class they were in, was not prevalent during the early developmental stages of America. There has always been slaves throughout the history of man, dating all the way back to the 1600’s until today’s day in age when it is no longer legal but still seems to prevail. There are still cases in which slavery still exist butRead MoreEssay about Slavery in the United States1044 Words   |  5 Pages Slavery in the United States In the history of the United States nothing has brought more shame to the face of America than the cold, premeditated method of keeping black people in captivity. People from England who migrated to America used many different methods to enslave black people and passed them down through the children. These methods wereRead MoreHistory Of The United States Before The Civil War1600 Words   |  7 PagesShaquanna Patterson December 6, 2015 HIST 2303:03 An Unfree Exchange: 1600-1800 The history of the United States before the Civil War is not only a history of democracy, freedom, and constitutional rule, but also one of slavery. By the time colonial America started buying and selling captured Africans, black slavery had become an institution in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in South America and the Caribbean islands. The discovery of raw sugar and rum in the Caribbean created a lucrative opportunityRead MoreChains : On The Neck1179 Words   |  5 Pageskeep doing it. This is what occurs in the historical situation known as slavery. In slavery, the person working or performing a task is doing so against his/her will or desire. He or she simply cannot choose to stop. Slavery doesn’t have to involve two or more subjects. It can involve one person, thanks to their complex human brain. One person can force themselves to keep doing something even though they may not want to. Slavery, then, is the forced submission of a person to act or do something acco rdingRead MoreThe Dangers Of Discrimination Is Not Just An Issue Of The Past1588 Words   |  7 Pagesto this injustice. Does the world ever think African American men are in trouble because their lives are on a risk because of their skin color? It began with slavery which was around the 1600’s when blacks were shipped to white people to have them work, clean, numbers of years, that ended on December 18, 1865. Since the beginning of slavery the world has been falling apart and continues to do so until this day. The black and white americans in the past and even today have vastly different views ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Upon The Burning Of Our House 1279 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica has had strong core values based in Christian theology, European traditions, and Western ideals and morals. The Christian religion (and its many varying tendrils) has helped unify our nation for centuries. The founders of what is today the United States of America came over to this conti nent avoiding persecution for their religion from European powers. While there have been plethora wars and struggles across Europe over religion, thankfully they have never showed their face in America, although

Annotated Bibliography Business Communication †Free Samples

Question: Discuss About The Annotated Bibliography Business Communication? Answer: Introducation Based on this paper, it is important to understand the communication concept in companies. The author compares definitions of communication concepts using different business-related communication disciplines (Mazzei 2013, 216), including corporate communication, public relations, marketing, and organizational communication. Mazzei has also used a review as a methodology to understand the concepts in different business disciplines. The findings considered in this study identified the convergence of communication. Despite the findings, the study bears significance limitations. For instance, the author failed to attach high value to the results in the field of communication from various points. This is because; every discipline provides specific connotations to communication. Nonetheless, the paper seems relevant to the topic of study as the author has compared business related communication disciplines. Therefore, the use of a multidisciplinary approach and polysemic communication has added value to this concept paper. Abugre, J B, 2011, Appraising the Impact of Organizational Communication on Worker Satisfaction in Organizational Workplace, Problems of Management in the 21st Century, vol. 1, p. 7-15. In this article, Abugre has highlighted the significance of communication in many businesses, as it stimulates worker satisfaction. The journalist has assessed organizational communication and related impacts on employees in the workplace. The author has further used quantitative survey in examining the information for this study. With the help of the chi-square test, Abugre has managed to answer the research question and hypothesis (Abugre 2011). In fact, the author has affirmed that good leadership communication behavior is critical in maximizing workforce productivity thus recommending it to the formal sector to boosting the morale of workers. The journalists findings are relevant to the subject because they add value to the study. The managers and other targeted audience can use the results to introduce an efficient organizational communication in the business. Myers, K K Sadaghiani, K, 2010, Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials Organizational Relationships and Performance, Journal of Business and Psychology, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 225-238. In this article, Myers and Sadaghiani have demonstrated the stereotyping of Millennials in the workplaces thus making them unmotivated, self-centered, disloyal, and disrespectful. This exposes the widespread issues regarding communication with Millennials thus affecting the organizational performance. With stereotyping effect, Millennials have found it knotty to establish a strong relationship with co-workers. The journalists have reviewed the purported characteristics and positive attributes of Millennials. The findings of Myers and Sadaghiani show that Millennials are inspired through teams and frequent and open communication. These work groups are motivated with communication technologies. To this effect, the management should consider encouraging workplace interaction by valuing communication. These findings are relevant to the field of study thus befits the expectations of supervisors and managers in handling Millennials and promoting teamwork culture. Akindele, D O, 2012, Enhancing Teamwork and Communication Skills Among First Year Students at the University of Botswana, TESOL Journal, vol. 6, pp. 2-15. In this article, Akindele has explored how the first year students manage teamwork and overcome conflicts associated with group activities. According to the author, it is important to foster interpersonal, communication, conflict management, and leadership skills in the first year students using teamwork(Akindele 2012). Through the team, the students would understand the significance of writing and research skills related to group mini-projects. The author used about 70 students as a study sample. The findings show that teamwork was beneficial to students as it enhanced conflict management and interpersonal skills, built confidence and self-esteem, and leadership skills among students. To this effect, this study adds value to the research. References Abugre, J B. 2011, "Appraising the Impact of Organizational Communication on Worker Satisfaction in Organizational Workplace", Problems of Management in the 21st Century, vol. 1, pp. 7-15. Akindele, D O. 2012, "Enhancing Teamwork and Communication Skills among First Year Students at the University of Botswana", TESOL Journal. vol. 6, pp. 2-15. Mazzei, A. 2013, A Multidisciplinary Approach for A New Understanding of Corporate Communication, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 216-230. Myers, K K Sadaghiani, K. 2010, "Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials Organizational Relationships and Performance", Journal of Business and Psychology, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 225-238.

Of Mice and Men-the American Dream free essay sample

Before the action of the story begins, difficult circumstances have robbed most of the characters of these wishes. Curley’s wife, for example, has resigned herself to an unfulfilling marriage with someone whom she does not love because of her mother. What makes all of these dreams typically American is that the dreamers wish for untarnished happiness and for the freedom to follow their own desires. The reality is, that during the Great Depression the unemployment rate along with the Dust Bowl made having the American Dream un-realistically impossible. George and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm became more likely as time went on throughout the story which caused a great deal of hope within the small group of characters. Candy is a much older man, who fears unemployment. He too dreams of a better life. Candy explains to the George and Lennie how he hasn’t much time left before he’s canned’ with no place to go. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men-the American Dream or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Candy offers a large sum of money to the two and asks only to live there until he dies. George and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm became more likely as time went on throughout the story which caused a great deal of hope within the small group of characters. George and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm, would enable them to sustain themselves and most importantly offer them protection from the intolerable world. Their journey, which awakens George to the impossibility of this dream, sadly proves that the bitter Crooks is right: Such paradises of freedom, contentment, and safety are not to be found in this world. Hopes and dreams serve as the Main Plot.

The Dialogue of Phaedrus The Crises of Love and Inquiry

The Dialogue of Phaedrus The Crises of Love and Inquiry Introduction Plato outlines important lessons in the Dialogue of Phaedrus. The extract from the book, Plato: The Collected Dialogues philosophically examines the experience of falling in love. Philosophically, Plato, through this conversation draws people’s attention to crucial issues underlying love (Hamilton, 475). For instance, Plato indicates that the people an individual loves depict a clear expression of the humans’ personal fortitude.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Dialogue of Phaedrus: The Crises of Love and Inquiry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The book, Plato: The Collected Dialogues presents a comical and philosophical analysis of the concept of falling in love. In his conversation with Phaedrus, Plato presents a typical scenario regarding issues surrounding the act of love. In particular, the human soul is examined. There is a critical evaluation of the obvious interplay b etween the soul and mind. Additionally, a person’s body is also included in this interplay. Specifically, this relates to the issue of love and relationships. There are also vital lessons drawn with philosophical implications that require examination. This discussion describes the root of the crisis and its remedy with observance to the dialogue of Phaedrus. Furthermore, it examines how the Plato’s Socrates assisted Phaedrus to comprehend the crisis of love and inquiry. Notably, the application of themes is critical in this role. Lastly, the paper analyses Plato’s comprehension of the human soul. Foundation of the Crisis and Remedy Principally, this discourse resonates as a tough piece. This is because it defies the basic conventional judgment of a discourse. The conversation between these two personalities ensues along the renowned Illissus River. This is where Phaedrus and Socrates met. They had their speeches, debate and daily in the same venue. Phaedrus eman ates as the leader of the particular speech for the initial instance. However, in the course of the dialogue, crucial issues about Phaedrus bosom friend, Lysias emerge. The consequent speeches by Socrates are depicted to potentially overpower and rebut Lysias’ allegations so intrepidly. As a result, the Phaedrus remains overwhelmed by Socrates power. Due to this, Phaedrus evidently misses his logic and presence throughout the entire conversation. An example of a strong claim is eminent. For instance, Phaedrus wonders â€Å"how madness seems indispensible to pursue potentially everything† (Hamilton, 475). A closer analysis reveals how cunningly Socrates engages Phaedrus in the tussle of logic. As indicated in the book, Plato: The Collected Dialogues, (477), Socrates questions Phaedrus. He asks that, â€Å"And should I not deem the conversation of you and Lysias a thing of higher import, as I may say in the words of Pindar, than any business? Observably, these sentiment s from Socrates stir Phaedrus to conceal vital information in the dialogue.Advertising Looking for critical writing on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is obvious that Socrates overtly orientates Phaedrus into several mysteries associated with love. Phaedrus appears to be an infatuated young man with an intended lover called Lysias. There is an eminent revelation of Lysias constant flattery of Phaedrus. This flattery as indicated, concerns the interest or consideration of the constant discourse. In his opinion upon reading the works of Lysias, Phaedrus considers her the best. In fact, in actual terms, he refers to her to be the â€Å"the ablest writer of [the] day (Hamilton, 500). The relationship between Phaedrus and Lysias is important. Together with the intrigues that surround this relationship, a philosophical base of the crisis comes into the limelight during the conversation. The major crisis pre dominant is obvious. Phaedrus, a young and open man, is considerably enchanted by fraudulent and deceptive love. An informed evaluation reveals that Phaedrus’ enchantment renders him a useless critical thinker. This is because he potentially becomes unable to draw lucid differences notable between the ingenuity of the dialogue. Perhaps, this challenge or crisis forms the basic ground for analysis. This inadequacy is well explicated by Socrates. From the highlights given by Socrates, it is obvious that Phaedrus lacks the competency to overpower his infatuation. Phaedrus has to transform this infatuation approach to the general life. Specifically, this implication in the dialogue considerably pertains to his intended love affair or relationship with Lysias. The manner in which Phaedrus reports issues within the dialogue also creates a basis for the actual crisis. For instance, he indicates how a handsome boy was tempted, but not by a lover.† Furthermore, Phaedrus reiterat es that surrender must be meant to a person who is not in love. Rather, his view is that surrender should be for the one who is in love. Generally, a philosophical and critical analysis of the Phaedrus’ postulations indicates great deviations and points of weaknesses (Hamilton, 495). The indulgence of the two principalities in the conversation in this trying moment may be indicative of his remedy. Phaedrus needs a deep insight and coaching on the issues of feelings, love, relationships, and their implications on one self. Therefore, Socrates presents crucial remedy approaches to the problem of individuality facing Phaedrus his counterpart. Socrates provides this remedy through elaboration of his basic analysis of Plato’s comprehension of the human soul. According to him, there is an evident interplay between the soul and mind in leading the human body. This cannot be avoided in any circumstance, including those of falling in love.Advertising We will write a cus tom critical writing sample on The Dialogue of Phaedrus: The Crises of Love and Inquiry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More How Plato’s Socrates Help Phaedrus Understand Crisis of Love and Inquiry through His Own Understanding of the Two Related Philosophical Problems and Themes Socrates helps the troubled Phaedrus. Basically, Socrates does this through his philosophical understanding of Plato’s methodic inquiry of crisis of love. Socrates uses the logic of the mind and soul to impart a sense of control in Phaedrus. Through this action, Socrates helps to protect Phaedrus from the lure of Lysias for sexual advances. Socrates achieves his aim by the application of several repetitions of the similar arguments. Socrates advises Phaedrus about the dangerous implications eminent if Lysias is really not in love with him. In his proposition, if this is the case, then any union between Lysias and Phaedrus will remain to be an incompetent g ood. As he philosophically reiterates, â€Å"it is the madness of love that complicates physical liaisons when they are red hot† (Hamilton, 508). Socrates warns that such situations also make issues unpleasant. This is, particularly, during the cooling periods of the love affair. Socrates makes Phaedrus understand Lysias’ witty kind of seduction. Furthermore, he warns Phaedrus that this witty seduction might particularly strike him into the heart. As Socrates states, this situation is likely to emanate from Phaedrus fear as well as fury. In the dialogue, it can be observed that Socrates assists Phaedrus to visualize the reality and his typical individuality. He helps Phaedrus to see that his intentional love with Lysias is more dishonest in its grip of the merit of love. This is because; it is nothing but a despondent bit of rhetorical foolishness. The thing at stake for this young man is the opportunity to know the reality of love. Phaedrus’ inability to differ entiate precisely the philosophical as well as the rhetorical points of Lysias explanation might most probably dictate the things he gets to be aware of. On the other hand, as demonstrated by Socrates, it might also dictate the things he might be incapable of knowing about love and Lysias. Analysis of Plato’s Perception of the Soul There is a presentation of an application of the understanding eminent from Plato’s perceptions on the human soul. The basic fact underlying this understanding is that the soul remains as a central dogma in the control of human logic. Evidently, there is presentation of the sophrosyne, the wanton or hubristic soul and the mantic soul that pertains to rational sanity. By the application of the understanding of the temperance or rational desire, Socrates warns Phaedrus of the eminent danger (Hamilton, 517). He stresses on the application of rationality and principality in the examination of an individual’s feelings or emotions. As appli cable in this context, Phaedrus is advised to use his rational soul to direct his emotional logic and mind control. This is, particularly, with reference to the seductive advances from Lysias.Advertising Looking for critical writing on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The application of mantic soul of rational sanity as potentiated by Plato is critical in wading off emotional foolishness. Socrates accordingly applies this explanation to direct Phaedrus in this dialogue. Plato, in his understanding of the soul, warns the public to be wary of the wanton or hubristic soul of irrational desire. He indicates in his explanations that this leads into dangerous relationships, decisions or actions that may be costly. Hamilton, Edith; C. H. E. Plato: The Collected Dialogues. S.l: s.n., n.d. Print.

Anton Chekhov - Biography and Profile

Anton Chekhov - Biography and Profile Born in 1860, Anton Chekhov grew up in the Russian town of Taganrog. He spent much of his childhood quietly sitting in his fathers fledgling grocery store. He watched the customers and listened to the their gossip, their hopes, and their complaints. Early on, he learned to observe the everyday lives of humans. His ability to listen would become one of his most valuable skills as a storyteller. Chekhovs YouthHis father, Paul Chekhov, grew up in an impoverished family. Antons grandfather was actually a serf in Czarist Russia, but through hard work and thriftiness, he purchased his familys freedom. Young Antons father became a self-employed grocer, but the business never prospered and eventually fell apart. Monetary woes dominated Chekhovs childhood. As a result, financial conflicts are prominent in his plays and fiction. Despite economic hardship, Chekhov was a talented student. In 1879, he left Taganrog to attend medical school in Moscow. At this time, he felt the pressure of being the head of the household. His father was no longer earning a living. Chekhov needed a way to make money without abandoning school. Writing stories provided a solution. He began writing humorous stories for local newspapers and journals. At first the stories paid very little. However, Chekhov was a quick and prolific humorist. By the time he was in his forth year of medical school, he had caught the attention of several editors. By 1883, his stories were earning him not only money but notoriety. Chekhovs Literary PurposeAs a writer, Chekhov did not subscribe to a particular religion or political affiliation. He wanted to satirize not preach. At the time, artists and scholars debated the purpose of literature. Some felt that literature should offer life instructions. Others felt that art should simply exist to please. For the most part, Chekhov agreed with the latter view. The artist must be, not the judge of his characters and of what they say, but merely a dispassionate observer. Anton Chekhov Chekhov the PlaywrightBecause of his fondness for dialogue, Chekhov felt drawn to the theatre. His early plays such as Ivanov and The Wood Demon artistically dissatisfied him. In 1895 he began working on a rather original theatrical project: The Seagull. It was a play that defied many of the traditional elements of common stage productions. It lacked plot and it focused on many interesting yet emotionally static characters. In 1896 The Seagull received a disastrous response on opening night. The audience actually booed during the first act. Fortunately, innovative directors Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danechenko believed in Chekhovs work. Their new approach to drama invigorated audiences. The Moscow Art Theatre restaged The Seagull and created a triumphant crowd-pleaser. Soon after, the Moscow Art Theatre, led by Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danechenko, produced the rest of Chekhovs masterpieces: Uncle Vanya (1899) The Three Sisters (1900) The Cherry Orchard (1904) Chekhovs Love LifeThe Russian storyteller played with themes of romance and marriage, but throughout most of his life he did not take love seriously. He had occasional affairs, but he did not fall in love until he met Olga Knipper, an up-and-coming Russian actress. They were very discreetly married in 1901. Olga not only starred in Chekhovs plays, she also deeply understood them. More than anyone in Chekhovs circle, she interpreted the subtle meanings within the plays. For example, Stanislavski thought The Cherry Orchard was a tragedy of Russian life. Olga instead knew that Chekhov intended it to be a gay comedy, one that almost touched upon farce. Olga and Chekhov were kindred spirits, though they did not spend much time together. Their letters indicate that they were very affectionate to one another. Sadly, their marriage would not last very long, due to Chekhovs failing health. Chekhovs Final DaysAt the age of 24, Chekhov began showing signs of tuberculosis. He tried to ignore this condition; however by his early 30s his health had deterorated beyond denial. When The Cherry Orchard opened in 1904, tuberculosis had ravaged his lungs. His body was visibly weakened. Most of his friends and family knew the end was near. Opening night of The Cherry Orchard became a tribute filled with speeches and heartfelt thanks. It was their was of saying goodbye to Russias greatest playwright. On July 14th, 1904, Chekhov stayed up late working on yet another short story. After going to bed, he suddenly awoke and summoned a doctor. The physician could do nothing for him but offer a glass of champagne. Reportedly, his final words were, Its a long time since I drank champagne. Then, after drinking the beverage, he died Chekhovs LegacyDuring and after his lifetime, Anton Chekhov was adored throughout Russia. Aside from his beloved stories and plays, he is also remembered as a humanitarian and a philanthropist. While living in the country, he often attended to the medical needs of the local peasants. Also, he was renowned for sponsoring local writers and medical students. His literary work has been embraced throughout the world. While many playwrights create intense, life-or-death scenarios, Chekhovs plays offer everyday conversations. Readers cherish his extraordinary insight into the lives of the ordinary. ReferencesMalcolm, Janet, Reading Chekhov, a Critical Journey, Granta Publications, 2004 edition.Miles, Patrick (ed), Chekhov on the British Stage, Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Still-Life Photography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Still-Life Photography - Assignment Example rounds such as a simple painted wall or a huge sheet of colored or white paper depicting two wedding rings is a perfect example of a shot that highlights subtle ways to enhance the grandeur of keeping things simple. Sometimes contrasting backgrounds with mild tones also influence shades for a lasting output. Tiny objects don’t require a backdrop as much as they need a surface for placing the items for creating an ideal look. In most cases, black velvet is mostly preferred as it is well known to absorb enormous light and turns the surface into a solid black. When it boils down to lighting, not many of us can look at having studio lights for creating that effect which is highly expensive. It is possible to choose lighting within budget and utilize it to the maximum effect to create a perfect impression. I have also sensed that by blocking out the natural light from my room using curtains has enabled in gaining absolute control over my subject. Dim or bright lamps can work wonders for creating a standard and effective output. Back lighting creates an enormous depth to the shot and adds substantial interest to the subject much more than front or side lighting. A combination of rays from natural light and that of the lamp draws a visual appeal with far-reaching and astonishingly positive

Essay about the play Our town Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About the play Our town - Essay Example The play delivers useful life lessons relevant to any generation. simple life of the people in the town with the milkman and the newspaper boy delivering milk packets and paper. The town people spend their time eating their meals, working in town, doing household chores, gardening, gossiping, going to school, attending choir practice and gazing at the moon light. The play also introduces another character called Simon Stimson, a church organist who is mostly drunk and looks troubled. Others could only feel sorry for the man but couldn’t help him out of his situation. The first part of the play gets over with Rebecca chatting with her brother George. The second act begins with the marriage proposal between George and Emily. The Stage manager explains how their romance bloomed 3 years before when George was the captain of base ball and Emily was elected student body treasurer and secretary and how both would meet after school at the soda shop and how one day they revealed their love for each other. The Final act happens in a cemetery 9 years after Emily and George’s marriage where a dozen people sit on the chairs arranged in rows. They are all dead people of the town. Among the dead are civil war veterans who fought to keep the United States united. Also among the dead are Mrs. Gibbs who died while visiting her daughter, Wally Webb who died of appendix while being young, and Simon Stimson who hanged himself because of worldly troubles. The act then displays a funeral procession of Emily Webb who died while giving birth to her second child. The spirit of Emily walks away from the living and joins the dead and sits next to Mrs. Gibbs. They talk about how people live their lives grieving about their troubles. The dead are no longer emotionally connected to their feelings of love or hatred, joy or sorrow. They seem to be looking into the future waiting for the

Child minders Essay Example for Free

Child minders Essay My competitors are likely to be; Child minders offering full day service provide the main source of competition, with over 70,000 registered in the UK today. Many parents are attracted by the individual care a child minder is often able to give their child and the service is regarded as cheaper and more flexible than the day nursery. Family members remain the most popular choice for childcare, with well over half working parents opting for this informal option, largely because they cannot afford other care, or they cannot find a suitable service. Playgroups and cri ches offering occasional or seasonal care are both popular choices for slightly older children. However, parents working full time are still more likely to opt for the day nursery. On the yellow pages Web site there are 33 competitors listed, but most of them are in the same position as you, trying to start up. This is shown as in last years yellow pages there is only one competitor listed. A company called leapfrog though is a national chain; there are 14 of their nurseries spread across the midlands. There are roughly 39 in England. Training There are various childcare courses available and you should have gained a relevant qualification before you start running a nursery, so sally wont be able to start straight away. Training can be very flexible to suit you, based on full or part time courses at different levels. Local further education colleges will have lists of courses that will be appropriate for you which include N. V. Q. s, G. N. V. Q. s, H. N. D. s and H. N. C. s amongst other options. Qualifications for those working in early years education, childcare and play work fall within the occupational and vocationally related categories. You could get a NVQ in Early years care and education. Location In East Anglia there has been a 44% decrease in failing business. However this information is not all that reliable as it may say that in 2002 there has been 24 business failures, it does not say how many businesses started. If 25 businesses started and 24 failed, the figure is not at all impressive and it shows that lots of businesses failed. However if their were 100 businesses that started and 24 failed, than the figure shows that under a 1/4 of businesses failed, which is impressive. Peterborough is located 80 miles (128 kilometers) north of London and 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Cambridge. The city benefits from frequent high-speed train services on the main East Coast rail line. Adjacent roads such as the A1 (M), A14 and A47 provide swift access to the national road network. There are rapid connections with major airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, East Midlands and Birmingham. Peterborough is within easy reach of major East Coast seaports such as Felixstowe, Harwich and Hull so exports and imports will be easily done. Peterboroughs GDP (gross domestic product) per head of population (the total rate of output divided by the resident population) is the highest in the East of England with a figure of i 13,673. The figure i received from research for the total of Englands GDP per working person is 572. 68 to 2 decimal places. However this seems unrealistic considering Peterboroughs is over 13,000. After a little more desk research i found the average weekly wage to be  444. 3, thus making the average yearly wage roughly 23,103. 6. Knowing that GDP is different to wages i will now try and find out the average yearly wage for peterborough so i have some results to compare, by doing this i will find if their is a lot of money being earned in the peterborough area compare to England. Still i cannot find the answers so i have nothing to compare. The theft rate in Peterborough is very high compared to Huntingdon. 28. 6% of 1000 vehicles are broken into in Peterborough; in Huntingdon it is only 9%. The population and households are very similar. Finance There are many different sources of finance that sally could use to finance her business. One of these is a bank loan. The advantage to this is you get a large amount of money and you dont have to wait for it. The disadvantage is that you have to pay more back than you borrowed. Investment is another source of finance, this is when you have people give you money to put into your business, but they get a percentage of the profit. The advantage of this is that you receive a large amount of money

uss indianapolis :: essays research papers

USS Indianapolis The USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 15 November 1932. The ship served with honor from Pearl Harbor through the last campaign of World War II, sinking in action two weeks before the end of the war. On 30 July 1945, while sailing from Guam to Leyte, Indianapolis was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-58. The ship capsized and sank in twelve minutes. Survivors were spotted by a patrol aircraft on 2 August. All air and surface units capable of rescue operations were dispatched to the scene at once, and the surrounding waters were thoroughly searched for survivors. Upon completion of the day and night search on 8 August, 316 men were rescued out of the crew of 1,199. We believe we were hit by two torpedoes, one around frame 8 or 10, because the bow was blown off forward around ten. Another one [torpedo] around frame fifty. We believe that they were large torpedoes, that they were running close to the surface, because none of us believe the magazines blew up, that is the only way we can account for the flashes of flame through the ship. He was able to aft on the starboard side, although badly injured, he didn't get to the main engine room, No. 2 engine room, where he found No. 2 engine had lost vacuum and that was shut down. He did talk to somebody in No. 1 engine room. They told him that apparently the main steamline going through the port side of the forward engine room had been knocked loose. They had no steam and asked for instructions. All power all lights were lost forward. The fact that the [torpedo] hits were there, at least we think they were up forward, are borne out by the fact we have almost no Marines who were reported in that section of the ship. We have not a single steward's mate and their compartment was up there and we have very few officers that were in their rooms at the time of the explosion. So we believe all of those people were killed almost instantly. It's inconceivable that you can't get a message off or that we didn't get a message off. However, we do know that we were in the water about 107 hours, therefore, next time we think that we would like to have a positive means, in case we went down, of somebody saying, "They're gone", somebody with us and tell the outside world about it. uss indianapolis :: essays research papers USS Indianapolis The USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 15 November 1932. The ship served with honor from Pearl Harbor through the last campaign of World War II, sinking in action two weeks before the end of the war. On 30 July 1945, while sailing from Guam to Leyte, Indianapolis was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-58. The ship capsized and sank in twelve minutes. Survivors were spotted by a patrol aircraft on 2 August. All air and surface units capable of rescue operations were dispatched to the scene at once, and the surrounding waters were thoroughly searched for survivors. Upon completion of the day and night search on 8 August, 316 men were rescued out of the crew of 1,199. We believe we were hit by two torpedoes, one around frame 8 or 10, because the bow was blown off forward around ten. Another one [torpedo] around frame fifty. We believe that they were large torpedoes, that they were running close to the surface, because none of us believe the magazines blew up, that is the only way we can account for the flashes of flame through the ship. He was able to aft on the starboard side, although badly injured, he didn't get to the main engine room, No. 2 engine room, where he found No. 2 engine had lost vacuum and that was shut down. He did talk to somebody in No. 1 engine room. They told him that apparently the main steamline going through the port side of the forward engine room had been knocked loose. They had no steam and asked for instructions. All power all lights were lost forward. The fact that the [torpedo] hits were there, at least we think they were up forward, are borne out by the fact we have almost no Marines who were reported in that section of the ship. We have not a single steward's mate and their compartment was up there and we have very few officers that were in their rooms at the time of the explosion. So we believe all of those people were killed almost instantly. It's inconceivable that you can't get a message off or that we didn't get a message off. However, we do know that we were in the water about 107 hours, therefore, next time we think that we would like to have a positive means, in case we went down, of somebody saying, "They're gone", somebody with us and tell the outside world about it.

Simul8 in Supply Chain

[pic] PLYMOUTH BUSINESS SCHOOL COURSEWORK COVERSHEET GROUP WORK NAMES and NUMBERS of students in the group (2 Students): 1. El-Iraki, Youssef (10448517) 2. Badr, Noureldin (10445226) MODULE CODE: MBM5204 MODULE NAME: Logistics, Supply Chains, Systems and Methods Lecturer: Professor Dongping Song DEADLINE : 11th February 2013 WORD COUNT: 1,657 By submitting this piece of assessment the group confirms that all the work is thoroughly and adequately acknowledge and referenced, and has been completed in accordance with the University and Programme Regulations.Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction3 2. 0 Current Simulation Model3 2. 1 Clock Options3 2. 2 The warm-up period3 2. 3 Results collection period4 2. 4 The number of trials used4 2. 5 Results analysis4 3. 0Pooling Resources5 3. 1 The impact of pooling resources5 3. 2 Comparison between initial model and pooled model6 4. 0Usefulness of Simulation Model in Business Context6 4. 1 Simulation and decision making6 4. 2 Researcher Recommendat ion8 5. 0 Bibliography9 6. 0 Appendices:11 1. 0 IntroductionSimulation is one of the three quantitative analysis solutions and it is essential in logistics decision making (Ghiani, et al. , 2004). Simulation model can answer what if questions in existing system as for this case, the business needs to know and evaluate performance if two warehouses and four drivers can be pooled to compare the results and the influence of the supply chain performance, in order to give an optimal supply-production-distribution system decisions. The researchers used SIMUL8 program to run the simulations and draw the predictable models needed. . 0 Current Simulation Model 2. 1 Clock Options The business is working daily from Monday till Friday by which the shifts are starting from 9:00 till 17:00 (8 hours/day), and the time is set up in hours to monitor the start time and the length of each day. 2. 2 The warm-up period The warm-up period is crucial when building up simulation for manufacturing models, b ecause there is no work-in-progress in such industries at the beginning of the process (Concannon et al. , 2007).Robinson (2007) stated that there are various methods to determine warm-up period in the simulation model such as the model of run-in for a warm-up period until it reaches a steady state and then the data are deleted and the model of a realistic initial condition at the start of the run. The first model was taking into consideration when determining the warm-up period and has shown that the warm-up period is 280 hours. It is worth adding a 20% to the normal warm-up period as a safety margin (SIMUL8, 2013).The table below shows the exact warm-up period after running and monitoring the simulation model. Figure (1): Warm-up period [pic] 2. 3 Results collection period The result collection period is usually chosen to reflect an appropriate operating period. In this model the period set to 1600 hours = 40 weeks. The researchers decided to choose 40 weeks as statistically n ? 3 0, it is important to use large sample size to be more accurate and it is necessary to produce results among variables that are totally different (Freeman, et al. , 2010). 2. 4 The number of trials usedAfter running the simulation model, it was important to generate the results required to help the company analyse the output data accurately. The more trials used, the more accurate the results will be. Approximately 3000 trials for both initial and pooling models are conducted to give sufficient accurate results needed for the company. 2. 5 Results analysis Appendix (2) illustrates the results that conducted after running the simulation of model 1. The average time in system is 110 hours due to many reasons in the supply chain which affects production plan that lead to poor delivery performance.Although the main objective of any manufacturer is to decrease lead-time in order to satisfy customer and achieve better delivery performance. Driver’s performances are 91% and they are considered as an important resource to deliver finished goods to end customers at the right time. The waiting percentage of the available vehicles is set to be 2% which cannot be considered as a factor that hinder the efficiency of customer delivery. However, the working percentage of vehicles can be enormous factor that affect customer delivery.As shown in appendix (2), vehicles are only operating at a 79% of its total working ability. Since the warehouses hold finished goods and is considered to be an inventory, therefore it is crucial to minimise the capacity of the warehouses to achieve greater financial success. Appendix (2) shows that the average queue size of both warehouses is nearly 16 units whereas the maximum capacity of the warehouses is 50 units, thus the capacity of the warehouses are efficiently used. Average queue time of the available warehouses is another factor that must be taken in the prior considerations.An average of 34 hours is spent to deliver orders from w arehouses to customers and this can be nearly 30% of the whole time spent in system. The rule of thumb declares that once the goods are manufactured, it must be delivered as quickly as possible to reduce storage costs and to satisfy customers. Pooling Resources 3. 1 The impact of pooling resources Pooling resources is a possible method to improve service performance without adding any other resources. Pooling help to reduce the variability of data collection, however pooling of customers adds variability to the system and no efficiency will be gained (Vanberkel et al. 2010). Furthermore, it helps to reduce the average queue time in system for the products; it is optimal to schedule the shortest job first and to give priority to short jobs (Downey, n. d. ). Thus, it can reduce inventory holding period and costs. This method used in the model is called FIFO (first-in first-out). 3. 2 Comparison between initial model and pooled model 1- There are dramatic changes after pooling warehous es, the queuing time dropped from 34 hours to 15 hours while queue size decreased from16 units to 15 units.As a result the average time in system declined from 110 hours to 88 hours, thus it can lead to better customer service, saving storage costs and save time as well. 2- After pooling the drivers, it has influenced the waiting times of the vehicles to increase slightly from 2% to 2. 4%. While driver’s utilisation has improved significantly to rise from 91% to 93%, therefore drivers after pooling can respond quickly and flexibly to customers. Usefulness of Simulation Model in Business Context 4. 1 Simulation and decision makingThe simulation model can help the real-world companies to provide efficient production and distribution systems as stated by Tunali et al. (2011). SIMUL8 has become the preferred tool as it brings solutions for production planning and scheduling to thousands of engineers that have complex supply chains and distribution systems such as Chrysler, GM, Fo rd etc. (SIMUL8, 2013). SIMUL8 is easy to use and support numerous critical decisions making every year because it enables to create accurate and flexible output more rapidly.Moreover, it helps bridging the ERP gap by creating new and feasible production plans (Concannon et al. , 2003). Analysis and assessment of business processes; development of what if scenarios and export to implementation platforms, such as workflow management and ERP systems are the key advantages of simulation modelling, because it enables the integration of these functions easily and more accurately (Verma et al. , n. d. ). As a result, decision making can be easily overtaken and this is the reason why thousands of companies use simulation modelling to optimise their supply-production-distribution systems.Chrysler saved $5 Million by using Simul8 software which helped them to identify the best performance and bottleneck lines, thus it assisted them to slow it down. Simul8 also reduced the manpower on these a ssembly lines which have saved $ 600,000 per year as labour costs. On the other hand, the researchers could not identify the best performance and bottleneck lines because it needs Simul8 professional software which is used in real world companies and the need of historical data is crucial to be more realistic when identifying the bottlenecks in the supply-production-distribution systems (Simul8, 2013).The researchers used Simul8 education software in this case and they found out after pooling warehouses and drivers, significant results are achieved such as reducing inventory (from 16. 7 units to 15. 5 units) and the time of finished goods spent in the warehouse was also decreased significantly (34. 5 hours to 15. 9 hours). As a result, the lead-time dropped from 110 hours to 88 hours. Furthermore, driver’s utilisation increased from 91. 1% to 93. 6% after pooling the resources (drivers).Thus, the business could react more responsively to customers and achieve enormous financi al success because of their drivers’ flexibility (Velverde et al. , 2000). According to McLean and Leong, simulation models can help manufacturing and operational departments to determine which new technologies need to be used, organise labour shifts and materials management required for each production stage and modelling of supplier relationships (McLean and Leong, 2001). Table (1): Usefulness of Simulation Model Usefulness of the Simulation Model | |Business Context |Current Simulation Model | |Support the operation of supply chain through â€Å"what-if† |A trial of approximately 3,000 runs were conducted to compare the available | |manufacturing model |results | |Perform capacity planning analysis |Available capacities for warehouses in the initial model were set to 50 each, but | | |it was planned to pool both warehouses together to have a capacity of 100 which | | |delivers enormous results.Maximum batches for trucks and availability% of drivers| | |were set which helped for planning the distribution process of the model | |Establish the required resources for production and material |Determine and manage the required raw materials needed for assembling the product | |handling |(How many raw materials needed from each supplier) it can also be set on which | | |statistical distribution used to supply these values materials as the simulation | | |runs | |Ability to evaluate overall firm performance |Every stage of the production and distribution process are evaluated such as | | |working%, waiting%, utilisation of drivers, queue sizes, queue times, etc. As a | | |result, this can elp evaluate the performance of the company and assist the top | | |management in taking the right decisions | 4. 2 Researcher Recommendation By using SIMUL8, the researcher suggested to add value to the company even after pooling their resources which affected in significant results. The researches created new model and recommended to add one more vehicle with the same amount of resources that are available (drivers, warehouses) to compare with the previous results. The following table shows even more effective results as customers received their orders in less than the time spent by using only 2 vehicles.It has also shown that driver’s utilisation increased significantly from 93. 2% to 97. 9% and this is due to a huge reduction in waiting times of drivers. Finally, warehouses queue size and queuing time have decreased to meet nearly the maximum efficiency by which slight amount inventory holding and very tiny amount of time is spent inside the warehouse where most of the finished goods are ready for delivery to customers once arrived. Table (2): Results of adding extra vehicle [pic] 5. 0 Bibliography †¢ Concannon, K. Elder, M. Hindle, K. Tremble, J. and Tse, S. (2007) Simulation Modeling with simul8. [online] Available at: < http://www. visual8. om/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/simulation_modeling_with_simul8_web. pdf > [Accesse d on 26th of January 2013]. †¢ Concannon, K. H. , Hunter, K. I. & Tremble, J. M. (2003) SIMUL8-Planner: Simulation-Based Planning and Scheduling. [online] Available at: < http://ieeexplore. ieee. org/stamp/stamp. jsp? arnumber=01261593 > [Accessed on 28th of January 2013]. †¢ Downey, A. B. (n. d. ) Using queue time predictions for processor Allocation. [online] Available at: < http://www. cs. huji. ac. il/~feit/parsched/jsspp97/p-97-2. pdf> [Accessed on 27th January 2013]. †¢ Freeman, J. , Shoesmith, E. , Anderson, D. R. , Sweeney, D. J. & Williams, T. A. (2010) Statistics for business and economics. 2nd ed.Hampshire: South-Western Cengage learning. †¢ Ghiani, G. , Laporte, G. and Musmanno, R. (2004) Introduction to logistics systems planning and control. Chichester: Wiley. †¢ McLean, C. and Leong, S. (2001) The Role of Simulation in Strategic Manufacturing. [online] Available at: < http://citeseerx. ist. psu. edu/messages/downloadsexceeded. html > [Accessed on 30th of January 2013]. †¢ Robinson, S. (2007) A statistical process control approach to selecting a warm-up period for a discrete-event simulation. European Journal of Operational Research [online], 176 (1). Available at: < http://ac. els-cdn. com/S0377221705005643/1-s2. 0-S0377221705005643-main. pdf? tid=65d0a6b8-6edb-11e2-94b5-00000aacb35e&acdnat=1359990116_8f49ecb58acc4020e744141def925d90 > [Accessed on 26th of January 2013]. †¢ Simul8 (2013) Warm-up Time. [online] Available at: < http://www. simul8. com/support/help/doku. php? id=gettingstarted:techguide:warmup&do=show > [Accessed on 26th of January 2013]. †¢ Simul8. (2013) Chrysler projected to save $5 million using SIMUL8. [online] Available at: < http://www. simul8. com/our_customers/case_studies/chrysler_line_balancing. htm > [Accessed on 28th of January 2013]. †¢ Tunali, S. , Ozfirat, P. M. & Ay G. (2011) Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory. Setting order promising times in a supply chain networ k using hybrid simulation-analytical approach: An industrial case study. 9, (9), p. p 1967 – 1982. [online] Available at: < http://ac. els-cdn. com/S1569190X11000888/1-s2. 0-S1569190X11000888-main. pdf? _tid=9efcdf7a-6a48-11e2-a658-00000aab0f01&acdnat=1359487271_e121e9fba1ca576f0e980d12317a80a9 > [Accessed on 29th of January 2013]. †¢ Valverde M. , Tregaskis O. & Brewster C. (2000) International Advances in Economic Research. Labor Flexibility and Firm performance. 6, (4), pp. 649-661 [online]. Available at: < http://link. springer. com. up3xt5ae3w. useaccesscontrol. com/article/10. 1007/BF02295375 > [Accessed on 31st of January]. †¢ Vanberkel, P. T. Boucherie, R. J. Hans, E. W. Hurink, J. L. & Litvak, N. 2010) Efficiency evaluation for pooling resources in health care. OR Spectrum [online], 34 (1), pp. 371-390. Available at: < http://doc. utwente. nl/67543/1/memo1902. pdf > [Accessed on 27th of January 2013]. †¢ Verma, R. , Sharma, A. & Gupta, A. (n. d. ) Role of Simulation Modeling in Business Process Re-engineering. [online] Available at: < http://simvehic. com/admin/rpapers/Role%20of%20Simulation%20Modeling%20in%20Business%20Process%20Reengineering. pdf > [Accessed on 28th of January 2013]. 6. 0 Appendices: Appendix (1): Initial Simulation Model [pic] Appendix (2): Initial results [pic] Appendix (3): Pooled Simulation Model [pic] Appendix (4): Pooling Results [pic]

Case Analysis: Profitability of Wendy’s Chilli Essay

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s restaurant, opened his first restaurant on November 15, 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. Dave was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 2, 1932. He was adopted at six weeks old by Rex and Auleva Thomas. Dave moved from state to state with his father when his mother passed at the age of 5. At the age of 12, Dave obtained his first job at a restaurant in Knoxville. Thus, he began his love for the restaurant business. At the age of 15, Dave dropped out of high school to work full time in the restaurant business. While working full-time at the Hobby House restaurant, Dave met Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC). In 1962, Dave was offered the opportunity to turn around four failing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Columbus, Ohio. Utilizing his past experience, Dave turned the restaurants around, sold them back to KFC, and immediately became a millionaire all at the age of 35. He then co-founded Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips. Dave again capitalized on his experiences in restaurant management when he decided to establish his own restaurant. Since hamburgers were his favorite food, Dave decided to start a restaurant that would serve a quality hamburger without a 30 minute waiting period. Named for his eight year old daughter, Dave started Wendy’s. In order to focus on quality and remain competitive, the menu was limited to four basic products excluding beverages. The product line included hamburgers, chili, french fries, and Wendy’s Frosty Dairy Dessert. Wendy’s hamburgers patties consisted of ? pound of 100 percent pure domestic beef, served as a square shaped patty rather than a round shaped patty, and served â€Å"hot ‘n juicy† in accordance with individual customer orders. The french fries were sliced slightly longer and thicker from high quality potatoes and cooked in specially-designed fryers to allow the inside to be cooked without burning the outside. Wendy’s Frosty Dairy Dessert is a thick blend of vanilla and chocolate flavors and must be served with a spoon as a dessert rather than a straw. Wendy’s chili is the fourth basic menu item. Whenever the cook overestimated customer demand, beef patties stayed on the grill beyond the recommended time. This caused the beef patties to be well done. To avoid customer dissatisfaction, Wendy’s used the â€Å"well done† beef patties that had been refrigerated from the previous day and could not be served to customers. Each eight ounce serving contained about a quarter pound of ground beef. Wendy’s chili is prepared by the assistant manager or an experienced crew member using an original recipe. The labor cost for the assistant manager and crew member is listed in Table 1. The cost to prepare the chili is listed in Table 2 below. Table 3, illustrates the direct cost associated with the production of chili. Table 1. Labor costs for assistant manager or a crew member to prepare chili in 1978 Table 2. Ingredients and costs in 1978. Table 3. Direct cost for 1978 In the event of a shortage of overcooked patties, beef patties were cooked for the sole purpose of inclusion in the chili. In order to prepare a pot of chili, it took 10 to 20 minutes of preparation time. This process required chopping the meat into small pieces, adding the other ingredients and stirring the batch six times. Sixty percent of the total annual sales for chili occurred during the months from October to March. The chili product has the lowest gross profit margin. The 1978 labor and additional direct costs are listed in Table 4 below. Table 4. Cost of Chili Preparation, Overall Cost of Chili and Profit of Chili. In November 1979, Wendy’s became the first national restaurant chain to introduce a Salad Bar on the menu. Initial test marketing of the salad bar concept had been successful. This innovative idea also posed a dilemma. If Wendy’s was to follow their limited menu concept, the salad bar would potentially replace chili since it had the lowest profit margin on a full cost basis. Then, management would be faced with containing the cost of the overcooked patties that resulted from overestimating customer demand and cooking too many hamburgers. While hamburgers comprised 55 percent of total sales, chili sales comprised of five percent of total sales. The chili was most popular between the months of October through March. During these months, 60 percent of the total annual chili sales occurred. Management was faced with deciding which product would be best to sustain long-term profitability. Wendy’s revenues were derived from the sales made from company-owned restaurants, from royalties paid to the company by owners of franchised restaurants, from fees paid by the owners of franchised restaurants for technical assistance and from interest earned on investments. By 1978, Wendy’s operated 1,407of restaurants. Of this number, 1,119 stores were owned by franchisees. Franchised stores were built to a uniformed specification and were not located within the same market areas as company-owned stores. Most restaurants were located in urban or densely populated suburban areas; a large volume of customers was a primary factor for Wendy’s success. Each franchisee paid a $15,000 fee for technical assistance prior to the opening of a restaurant for services such as site selection, construction plans, initial training for owners and staff members, advertising materials, national purchasing agreements and operations manuals. For 1978, company-owned stores generated 84. 13% of revenue, royalties generated 12. 65% of revenue, technical assistance fees generated 1. 87% of revenue, and interest from investments generated 1. 35% of revenue. The income statement from Moody’s is listed in Table 5 below (Moody’s, 1980, p. 1565). Table 5. By focusing on a product differentiation marketing strategy, quality food, quick service and reasonable prices, Wendy’s was able to achieve its financial success and to grow rapidly at a time when the fast-food industry appeared to be saturated. The adoption of the limited menu concept also contributed to this success. Having a limited menu concept allowed Wendy’s to concentrate on the quality of a few menu items and allowed Wendy’s to quickly prepare a meal to the customer specifications. The limited menu concept does not allow for changes in consumer preferences nor does it allow Wendy’s to compete with other fast food restaurants serving items such as chicken. In 1970, Wendy’s broke new grounds by opening a second restaurant with a unique feature. This restaurant featured a drive-thru window with a special grill within the pick-up window. Wendy’s was able to achieve success in their drive-thru window concept, because their product was served fresh from the special grill within a short span of time. While other restaurants offered a standard product through their dive-thru window, Wendy’s differentiated their concept by offering a product that was prepared fresh to the customer’s specifications. Therefore, the product delivery time did not increase when preparing the order as requested by the customer, whether in the dining room or through the pick-up window. Wendy’s used a product differentiation approach for their hamburgers. By marketing the hamburgers as a square patty rather than a round patty, Wendy’s was successful in advertising their hamburgers as â€Å"old-fashioned. † Wendy’s also cooked each hamburger in a manner that provided a customized hamburger for each customer quickly and at a reasonable price. Innovations have been the key to Wendy’s growth. Their innovative style of management has made Wendy’s a leader in the fast-food industry. By catering to young adults and adults, Wendy’s has attempted to create brand loyalty among their target customers. Wendy’s recognized the dynamic needs of their customers and consequently offered a dining experience that emphasized quality food, fast and friendly service within a setting that is common throughout all their restaurants. Wendy’s has made growth a priority in their strategic plan in order to achieve high employee retention and satisfaction rates. According to Doorley and Donovan, â€Å"employee satisfaction rises when a company grows, probably because people experience new challenges and are excited about being on a winning team (Swanson, 2001). † The introduction of a salad bar will contribute to a diversification strategy that will also augment their innovative approach. Chart 1. Sales comparison of Wendy’s and competitors. Quality was a foundational component in the first Wendy’s restaurant. This was due largely to uncompromising passion for quality by the founder, Dave Thomas. Quality still remains the top priority in the food, people and service industry. The mission statement of Wendy’s is: â€Å"To deliver superior quality products and services for our customers and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships (Wendy’s, 2004). † The vision statement of Wendy’s is: â€Å"to be the quality leader in everything we do (Swanson, 2001). † This core value has guided the organization and helps to define the corporate culture and distinguished Wendy’s from the competitors. Business Creations recommends Wendy’s pursue adding salads to their limited menu concept; however, this should be done as a menu item rather than as a Salad Bar concept. Since Wendy’s has placed a high emphasis on quality, a Salad Bar concept introduces various risk factors which may cause dissatisfaction among the customers. Risk factors such as foreign objects falling into items on the Salad Bar and the food area remaining sanitized are just two of the risk factors. Also, the Salad Bar concept would require additional labor to replenish the stock. To maintain a consistent standard, Wendy’s should prepare the salad and sell the item as a pre-packaged menu item. We also recommend Wendy’s further evaluate removing chili from the menu in the 128 restaurants in the southern states during the summer months since sales decrease to 40 percent during this time frame. Excess beef patties can then be used as a topping for a salad, such as a Taco Salad. References: Hoover’s fact sheet. (2003). Retrieved from: www. hoovers. com/wendy’s/–ID__11621–/free-co-factsheet. xhtml, www. hoovers.com/sonic/–ID__13112–/free-co-factsheet. xhtml, www. hoovers. com/krystal/–ID__15659–/free-co-factsheet. xhtml, www. hoovers. com/burger-king/–ID__54531–/free-co-factsheet. xhtml, www. hoovers. com/mcdonald’s/–ID__10974–/free-co-factsheet. xhtml on May 2, 2004. Moody’s OTC Industrial Manual. (1980). New York, NY: Moody’s Investors Service, 1565. Swanson, B. (2001). â€Å"New strategic plan combines the best of Wendy’s and Tim Hortons. † Wendy’s Magazine. 13. â€Å"Wendy’s strategic plan†. Retrieved from www. wendy’s-invest. com on May 2, 2004.

Poetry Analysis of Common Grounds Essay Example

Poetry Analysis of Common Grounds Essay Example Poetry Analysis of Common Grounds Paper Poetry Analysis of Common Grounds Paper It was clear that It wasnt a poem about Ewing created equal, but about how people do share that common ground with people they may not have wanted to grow up like. The title Common Ground clearly Indicates that there Is a common bond between people. The deeper meaning would be that people are all connected by their blood and their family ties, and the purpose of this poem Is to express that for the reader. Theres a saying that we all end up Like our parents, and that Its unavoidable, and I think this poem goes along with that saying. The first stanza gives out a general Idea that all of our blood keeps us mumping: its the reason why we live and why we have a story to tell or parents to grow up after. We all have bones that speak in the language of death because we are all eventually going to decay. All of our flesh thins with age and becomes wrinkled. Then Coffer does something strange and mentions, through your pores rises the stuff of your origin. Our origins are whats inside of us, and eventually it is all going to come back out, and its going to be the same with everybody. The second stanza narrows down the authors meaning to her own experiences. She now has her grandmothers mouth, that speaks of pain and deprivation that she has never herself known. While both stanzas have a calmer and more serious tone, I think the second one is what really makes the reader think and creates a darker atmosphere, because it ends with the lines, like arrows pointing downward to our common ground, which indicates that we are all going to eventually die, and we will all go through that, no matter what. This poem definitely makes me feel connected, especially in the first stanza, with the common ground that I already see in myself tit my grandparents. The tone, as I already said, is more serious and almost dark I get the mental image of an aging woman in front of the mirror, pulling and poking at her face and wondering who gave her what gene, and whether or not she approves of It.

Differences in Spanish and English Spelling

Differences in Spanish and English Spelling If you can spell in English, you have a head start with spelling in Spanish. After all, thousands of words are English-Spanish cognates, words in both languages that are spelled identically or similarly because they share common origins. For the English speaker learning Spanish as a second language, most of these words pose little problem in spelling, as the differences between the two languages usually follow regular patterns. Below are listed the most common regular differences in spelling as well as a selection of words whose differences dont fit these patterns. The emphasis here is on words that are likely to cause spelling problems, not ordinary differences in the languages such as radio for the English radium and dentista for dentist. Differences in Prefixes and Suffixes English -tion as the equivalent of Spanish -cià ³n: Hundreds of words fit this pattern. The English nation is nacià ³n in Spanish, and perception is percepcià ³n. Use of inms include inmadurez (immaturity), inmaterial, and inmigracià ³n. Use of trass include trasplantar and trascender. However, there are many Spanish words where both tras- and trans- are acceptable. Thus both trasferir and transferir (transfer) are used, as are both trasfusià ³n and transfusià ³n. Differences in Specific Letters Avoidance of k in Spanish: Except for a few Greek words (such as kilà ³metro and some words of other foreign origin such as kamikaze and various place names), Spanish cognates of English words with a k usually use a c or qu. Examples include quimioterapia (chemotherapy) and Corea. Some words are spelled both ways: caqui and kaki are both used for khaki, and both bikini and biquini are used. Lack of th in Spanish: Cognates of English words with a th usually use a t in Spanish. Examples are tema (theme), metano (methane), ritmo (rhythm) and metodista (Methodist). Avoidance of y as a vowel: Except for some recently imported words such as byte and sexy, Spanish usually doesnt use y as a vowel except in diphthongs, so i is used instead. Examples include hidrà ³geno (hydrogen), dislexia , and gimnasta (gymnast). Use of cua and cuo instead of qua and quo: Examples include ecuador (equator) and cuota. Dropping of Englishs silent letters: Commonly, the h in English words is dropped in the Spanish equivalents, as in ritmo (rhythm) and gonorrea (gonorrhea). Also, it is common in modern Spanish to not use ps- to start words. Thus sicolà ³gico is used for psychologist, although the older forms such as  psicolà ³gico are still used. (The cognate of psalm is always salmo.) Use of ess include especial, està ©reo, escaldar (scald), escuela (school), and esnobismo (snobbery). Use of f for the English ph: Examples include elefante, foto, and Filadelfia. Other Common Differences Avoidance of double letters in Spanish: Except for recent words of foreign origin (such as express), the use of rr and, less commonly, the use of cc (where the second c is followed by i or e), Spanish generally doesnt use double letters in English cognates. Thus the English libretto is libreto in Spanish, possible is posible, and illegal is ilegal. Examples of rr or cc in cognates include accià ³n, acceso, and irrigacià ³n. One Spanish word that doesnt fit this pattern is perenne (perennial). Avoidance of hyphenation in Spanish: Hyphens arent used as much in Spanish as they are in English. An example is that while some styles of English uses hyphens in words such as re-edit and re-encounter, Spanish does not in the equivalents: reeditar and reencontrar (the latter of which can also be spelled as rencontrar). Simplification in Spanish: A number of words, particularly ones whose English spellings come from French, have more phonetic spellings in Spanish. For example, bureau is burà ³ and chauffeur is chà ³fer or chofer, depending on the region. B and V: B and V have identical sounds in Spanish, and there are a few words where the English and Spanish cognates use opposite letters. Examples include govern and gobernar, and Basque and vasco. Words that dont fit other patterns: Following are some other easy-to-misspell words that dont fit any of the above patterns. The Spanish word is in boldface followed by the English word in parentheses. Note that in a few cases the Spanish word doesnt have the same meaning, or has other meanings, than the English word listed. abril (April)adjetivo (adjective)asamblea (assembly)automà ³vil (automobile)billà ³n (billion)caà ±on (canyon)carrera (career)circunstancia (circumstance)confort (comfort)coraje (courage)coronel (colonel)diciembre (December)à ©nfasis (emphasis)erradicar (eradicate)espionaje (espionage)etcà ©tera (et cetera)femenino (feminine)garaje (garage)glaciar (glacier)gorila (gorilla)gravedad (gravity)huracn (hurricane)Irak (Iraq)jamà ³n (ham)jeroglà ­ficos (hieroglyphics)jirafa  (giraffe)jonrà ³n (home run)lenguaje (language)mensaje (message)millà ³n (million)(canyon)mà ³vil (mobile)noviembre (November)objeto, objetivo (object, objective)octubre (October)pasaje (passage)proyecto (project)septiembre or setiembre (September)siniestro (sinister)subjuntivo (subjunctive)tamal (tamale)trayectoria (trajectory)vagabundo (vagabond)vainilla  (vanilla)yogur or yogurt (yogurt)

Marketing Plan on Counterfeit Protection Company Essay

Marketing Plan on Counterfeit Protection Company - Essay Example s of Difference 9 1.11 Positioning 10 Marketing Program Strategy and Tactics 11 1.12Product Line 11 1.13Promotion 12 1.14Price 12 1.15Place 12 2.Implementation Plan 13 1. Introduction (The Challenge) 1.1. Organization and Services Counterfeit Shield’s main focus will be on prevention and locating sources of counterfeit items. This business to business services main goal is to seek out counterfeit items for a company that desires to do so. This in turn will increase their profit potential. Agents that work for the company will operate for fee, throughout the country and local area. As reported by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development it was said that over 400 Billion US was lost worldwide due to pirated goods and counterfeit items. This represents a huge market for some form of protection of designer goods for companies. A basic example for how the company will operate will be a company seeking to stop the counterfeiting of there products. They will come to us and report the problem. After the problem is logged and payment is received for the service or a planned commission is setup, an investigator will search out all the areas and online sources in which that product existences in a potential for counterfeiting. A comprehensive analysis will be done. After that, sources of onsite locations will be verified with logging all important information. A report will be drawn up from all this and will be either handed over to in house attorney for prosecution or given to the company for their handling of the matter. Situational Analysis This section of the marketing plan tries to examine the context and the developments in any company. The three major elements such as customers, companies and competitors will be analyzed in this section. Company... From this research it is clear that Counterfeit Shield’s main focus will be on prevention and locating sources of counterfeit items. This business to business services main goal is to seek out counterfeit items for a company that desires to do so. This in turn will increase their profit potential. Agents that work for the company will operate for fee, throughout the country and local area. As reported by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development it was said that over 400 Billion US was lost worldwide due to pirated goods and counterfeit items. This represents a huge market for some form of protection of designer goods for companies. A basic example for how the company will operate will be a company seeking to stop the counterfeiting of there products. They will come to us and report the problem. After the problem is logged and payment is received for the service or a planned commission is setup, an investigator will search out all the areas and online sources in which that product existences in a potential for counterfeiting. A comprehensive analysis will be done. After that, sources of onsite locations will be verified with logging all important information. A report will be drawn up from all this and will be either handed over to in house attorney for prosecution or given to the company for their handling of the matter. The main goal of Counterfeit Shield is to search for and attract those companies that want to protect their products from counterfeiting. The company’s sole objective will be to combat counterfeiting of the products for the companies approaching Counterfeit Shield.

Sociopolitical Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sociopolitical Paper - Essay Example vel will require to use a lot of time and resources in studying the pros and cons of the car and even more time in changing the existing road safety laws and having to formulate new ones on manufacturing, production as well as distribution. This will lead to political implications both negative and positive. The automotive industry owners will also need to get new manufacturing equipment, seek scientists and software technocrats to install the technology or use billions in purchasing the technology from Google with the returns not being felt for several more years. The first users have to incur the high cost of production through the high price of the vehicles. The impacts are acceptable. The future stakeholders are the consumers and the automotive industries that have to bear and meet the high costs of production as well as the laws changing. However, even though the initial costs may be high, the returns in the long run will be worth it with the numerous benefits these cars are promising to bring to the human generation. The government is bound to adopt the technology because in the long it will save lives and billions of dollars in road repairs and other infrastructure that are constantly damaged by road accidents, it will save on money used when drivers are arrested and charged for traffic violation among offences in relation to cars and roads. The consumers will adopt as it will save on insurance money, expenses of car repair and traffic violation as well as letting people text while still driving. When people adopt the technology and view its advantages, the other stakeholders will benefit in increased profit through mass production due to high demand. The engineers are concerned with making the car as safe as possible as their main aim is to reduce the human loss and health problem brought about by accidents. The engineers are therefore concerned with adding as many safety features as possible while at the same time ensuring the cost will not be too much

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Research Paper Example The way in which this peril was met builds the basis of current admiration for the struggle of Black vote—a struggle fuelled by the sacrifice of those who were murdered, beaten, or injured by a white supremacist attitude. This research paper discusses the history of the Black vote in the United States. The Black Struggle for Voting Rights Recognition that Blacks already voted prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was presented in the famed Dred Scott resolution in 1856 wherein a Supreme Court dominated by Democrats stated that Blacks â€Å"had no rights which a white man was bound to respect; and that the Negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit† (Jaffa 286). Justice Benjamin Curtis, the only non-democrat, opposed that statement and showed a long documentary history to prove that numerous Blacks in the U.S. had frequently practiced citizens’ rights—that numerous Blacks during the American Revolution â€Å"possessed the franch ise of [voters] on equal terms with other citizens† (Muhammad 17). States that guaranteed and safeguarded the rights of Blacks to vote in the 18th century were New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, and Delaware. Pennsylvania and Massachusetts also guaranteed the Blacks’ right to vote in their constitution. Indeed, a Black Republican, Robert Brown Elliott, asked in 1874 (Middleton 109): â€Å"When did Massachusetts sully her proud record by placing on her statute-book any law which admitted to the ballot the white man and shut out the black man? She has never done it; she will not do it.† Because of such legislations, early American cities had a larger number of Black voters than Whites; and when the suggested American Constitution was presented to the people in the latter part of the 18th century, it was approved by both White and Black voters in several states (Barton para 4). However, this is not to suggest that every Black was granted voting rights; free Blacks, excluding those in South Carolina, were allowed to vote but slaves were prohibited to exercise voting rights. But in several states this was insignificant, because many individuals and groups persevered to abolish slavery during the American Revolution (Fauntroy 62). Even though Britain had disallowed the eradication of slavery in the colonies prior to the Revolution, as autonomous states they had the power to abolish slavery, just like what happened in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. In addition, Blacks in numerous states were not only granted voting rights but also rights to participate in public affairs (Barton para 5). In Alabama, 99 Blacks were voted for the State Legislature, 127 Blacks for Louisiana’s Legislature, 50 Blacks for South Carolina’s, and 42 for Texas Legislature (Barton para 15). These Republican governing bodies acted immediately to guarantee and safeguard the right to vote for Blacks, ba n segregation, and grant Blacks access to juries, law enforcement, public transportation, and so on. At a time when majority of southern Democrats had not yet approved the vow of fidelity to the U.S. and thus were not allowed to vote, they still tried to threaten and get in the way of the endorsement of Blacks’

The Use Of Performance Management In Hr Business Essay

The Use Of Performance Management In Hr Business Essay Performance management is a topic that cuts across traditional HRM boundaries, as it also has implications for employee development. Performance Management is seen as a dimension of employee resourcing and performance monitoring and review as part of the appraisal process. In many organisations, formal, systematic procedures are introduced to regularly assess employee performance, usually involving, at a minimum, an interview between a manager and an employee, with documentation of recorded performance. One major reform being undertaken in the public service is the development of a performance management system. Its primary aim is to improve performance by focusing on key areas of activity of the Ministry/department, teams and individuals through on agreed framework of planned goals, objectives and standards. 7.3 DEFINITIONS Noe et al. (2008) define performance management as the process trough which managers ensure that employees activities and outputs are congruent with the organisations goals. (This definition emphasises the need for performance management to be aligned to the strategy of the organisation). Performance management can be defined as a strategic and integrated approach to delivering sustained success to organisations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors (Armstrong and Baron, 1998). 7.4 MEANING OF PERFORMANCE Bates Holton (1995) pointed that performance is a multi-dimensional construct, the measurement of which varies depending on a variety of factors. They also state that it is important to determine whether the measurement objective is to assess performance outcomes or behaviour. Kane (1996) argues that performance is something that the person leaves behind and that exists apart from the purpose. Bernadin et al. (1995) are concerned that performance should be defined as the outcomes of work because they provide the strongest linkage to the strategic goals of the organisation, customer satisfaction and economic contributions. The Oxford dictionary defines performance as the accomplishment, execution, carrying out, working out of anything ordered or undertaken. Performance is about doing the work as well as about the results achieved. Performance can therefore be regarded as behaviour the way in which organisations, teams and individuals, get the work done. Campbell (1990) believes that: Performance is behaviour and should be distinguished from the outcomes because they can be contaminated by system factors. For Brumbach (1988), performance means both behaviours and results. Behaviours emanate from the performer and transform performance from abstraction to action. Not just the instruments for results, behaviours are also outcomes in their own right the product of mental and physical effort applied to tasks and can be judged apart from results. From this definition, we can conclude that when managing the performance of teams, and individuals, both inputs (behaviour) and outputs (results) need to be considered. This is the so-called mixed model (Martle, 1995) of performance management which covers competency levels and achievements as well as objective setting and review. 7.5 PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT What, in your opinion, is the difference between Performance Appraisal and Performance Management? Noe et al (2008) emphasises that Performance Appraisal is only a component of Performance Management as it involves the administrative and relatively isolated duty of measuring aspects of an employees performance. Performance Management is a broader concept than Performance Appraisal in that it provides not only for the measurement of performance, but the defining of performance according to organisational goals as well as the provision of performance feedback. Performance Appraisal (Performance Measurement Specification of Performance Criteria Performance Feedback Performance Management (Noe et al, 2008) 7.6 FEEDBACK Feedback is a method of communication, usually face-to-face with another person where the desired outcome is normally: Improved work performance. A maintenance of performance. A change of behaviour. To make another person aware of ones behaviour upon others. Performance Management is strategic in the sense that it is concerned with the broader issues facing the business if it is to function effectively in its environment, and with the general direction in which it intends to go to achieve longer terms goals. It is integrated in four senses: Vertical integration linking or aligning business, team and individual objectives. Functional integration linking functional strategies in different parts of the business. HR integration linking different aspects of HRM, specially organisational development HR development and reward. The integration of individual needs with those of the organisation, as far as this is possible. Activity 1 (i) Differentiate between Performance Appraisal and Performance Management as you see it in the local context. (ii) Discuss the importance of feedback in the management of performance. 7.7 PURPOSE OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Performance Management is a means of getting better results from the organisation, teams and individuals by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and competence requirements. It is a process for establishing shared understanding about what is to be achieved, and an approach to managing and developing people in a way that increases the probability that it will be achieved in the short and long term. It is owned and driven by line management (Armstrong, 2001). Activity 2 (i) Based on your experience of performance management within the organisation in which you work, what do you think is the purpose of Performance Management? Performance Management has three essential purposes: Strategic purpose. Administrative purpose. Developmental purpose. Strategic purpose A Performance Management system serves to link employee performance to the overall organisational strategy and organisational objectives. However, research has shown that very few organisations utilise Performance Management in a manner which supports the strategy of the organisation. The strategic purpose may be achieved through designing evaluation mechanism which define employee performance in terms of organisations strategy and goals. Achievement of the organisations objectives. Increased productivity. Increased profit. Motivation of employees. Administrative purpose Performance Management systems provide information which assists organisations with administrative decisions relating to issues such as salary administration (pay rises), lay-offs and promotion (Noe et al, 2008: 348). Pay related pay (increment, bonus). Developmental purpose Performance Management systems provide information about employee strengths and weaknesses and in so doing, identify employee development needs (Noe et al, 2008: 348). Identify Training Needs Activity 3 (i) Discuss the purposes of performance management in your organisation. 7.8 APPROACHES TO PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Hereunder are the approaches to Performance Management: The comparative approach. The attribute approach. The behavioural approach. The results approach. The quality approach. The multi-rated approach. Note: The different approaches to Performance Management have their own strengths and weaknesses. 7.8.1 The Comparative Approach The comparative approach measures an individuals performance by comparing his/her performance to the performance of others. Three techniques adopt the comparative approach: Ranking : Supervisor ranking his subordinates from best performer to worst performer. Forced Distribution : Where employees are ranked in groups. 3) Paired Comparison : Where the supervisor compares every employee with every other employee in the work group, giving an employee a score of 1 every time he/she is considered to be the higher performer. Activity 4 (i) Discuss the comparative approach to Performance Management in your organisational context. 7.8.2 The Attribute Approach This approach focuses on the identification of employee attributes (knowledge, skills, attitude and experience) necessary for the organisations success. The employee is measured against these attributes. This approach includes techniques such as: Graphic Rating Scales : Where the supervisor rates the subordinate on particular traits and characteristics. Mixed Standard Scales : Where the supervisor rates the subordinate against relevant performance dimensions. Activity 5 (i) Describe the attribute approach to the Management of performance in your organisation. 7.8.3 The Behavioural Approach The behavioural approach defines behaviours necessary for effective performance in a particular job. In assessing performance, managers identify the extent to which a subordinate has exhibited the required behaviours. Example: (i) Behavioural Observation Scale. (ii) Assessment Centres. 7.8.4 The Results Approach This approach is based on the belief that results are the one best indicator of how a subordinates performance has contributed to organisational success. Results-based techniques include: Management by Objective (MBO) where goal setting is cascaded down throughout the organisation and the goals become the standard against which an employees performance is measured. Productivity Measurement and Evaluation System (PROMES) which involves a process of motivating employees to higher productivity. Balanced Score cards which may be used to manage the performance of individual employees, teams, business units as well as the organisation itself. The appraisal considers four related categories: Financial. Processes. Customer. Learning. The balanced score card enables managers to translate organisational goals into business unit, team and individual employee goals for each of the above categories. 7.8.5 The Quality Approach The focus of the quality approach is on improving customer satisfaction through a customer orientation and the prevention of errors. The design of a quality-based performance management system should focus on: The assessment of employee and system factors. The relationship between managers and employees in solving performance problems. Internal and external customers in setting standards and measuring performance. Using a number of sources to evaluate employee and system factors. Activity 6 (i) Enumerate the essential issues of quality based performance management system in relation to an organisation of your choice. 7.8.6 The Multi-Rated Approach Many organisations adopt a 360-degree feedback approach to performance measurement where information on an employees performance is not only provided by the employees immediate supervisor, but by those people whom he/she deals with on a day-to-day basis (eg. customers, co-workers, subordinates, suppliers, contractors, consultants). (Snell Bohlander, 2007: 343). This approach allows employees to receive an accurate view of their performance as different people see different things. (Snell Bohlander, 2007: 343). This approach usually involves the administration of a questionnaire to a number of people with whom the employee interacts, in which they indicate how well the employee performs in a number of behavioural areas. (Noe et al, 2008: 497). 7.8.6.1 Strengths of the 360-degree Feedback Approach As the employee is appraised from multiple perspectives, the approach is more comprehensive than other approaches. The information produced is of good quality. There is an emphasis on internal and external customers as well as the team. Bias and prejudice is lessened as the appraisal is not dependent on one persons view alone. Feedback from people other than the manager contributes considerably to an employees development. 7.8.6.2 Weaknesses of the 360-degree Feedback Approach It is a complex system in that numerous appraisals need to be combined. It can be intimidating, resulting in resentment on the part of the employee being appraised. Appraisals from different individuals may be different and confusing. Considerable training is required to ensure that the system works as it should. Employees could undermine the reliability of the approach through colluding in terms of the appraisal which they are to give each other. 7.9 SUMMARY [ In this Unit, the definition and meaning of Performance Management has been explained. The purpose of performance management has been enumerated. The approaches to performance management have been discussed in details.