Case analysis for enterprise rent-a-car Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis for enterprise rent-a-car - Case Study Example By the end of 2010, the enterprise had grown bigger, and became the largest private car rental enterprises with 6,000 rental locations and 850,000 rental cars in service. Since 1994, the enterprise has been the leading car rental company and by the year 2010, it accounted for almost half of the auto rental market with its competitor being Hertz (Busse and Swinkels 2). In order to maximize its profits and ensure quality services to its customers, the Human Resource department decided to employ more employees, most of them being university graduates than any other car rental company (Burns 90). This enables the enterprise to compete other companies since these graduate employees were goal oriented, had good problem solving skills, had good communication and leadership skills, had good customer and sales service skills, they were flexible, and ensured a well-built work ethnic. However, in order to sustain its employees, the company offered an opportunity to develop well-paying careers, if they showed the efforts of working hard and willing to learn new skills. The new trainees earned approximately $35,000 per annum including overtime allowances. However, the Human resource management ensured that the hardworking employees received promotions to better positions and this made the company to appear in the BusinessWeek top fifty places to launch your c areer consistently (Burns 90). Secondly, all the branches of enterprise rent-a-car typically started their operations at 7:30 a.m. to 6:00p.m. This enables the enterprise to serve a large number of customers since the allocated working hours were the working hours for the customers. The company could, for instance, fetch customers to their work location and back home in the evening (Busse and Swinkels 3). The Human Resource staffed offices with the adequate number of employees to manage the allocated fleet of cars.

The Best Accounting Software Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Best Accounting Software Systems - Essay Example The software is best for small and medium-sized businesses because first of all, it prides itself with a very easy to use system where you can do almost all accounting job done from calculating payroll checks with correct federal, state, and local taxes, keep track of employees’ pay records including vacation and sick leaves, produce accurate payroll register reports, calculate and print employees W2, W3, 1099-M at the year-end, create direct deposit files and a lot more! Computer specifications to get the most of the software would be at least 1gb RAM, 600 MB of free disk space, and preferably Windows Server 2003. What is great about this is that prices start at $249 only depending on the package you need (Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Direct Deposit, n.d.) The second alternative to payroll accounting system would be Andica software manufactured by Andica which is suitable for all types of businesses because it complies with the latest government legislation that would be sure to allow payments of salaries and at the same time be able to monitor the deductions by allowing you to do statutory calculations without being an accountant. Also, what is great about this software is that you can immediately view employee data on the screen and would give you an organized file in easy to follow reports. Some of its essential features are as follows: calculation of PAYE, National Insurance Contributions, Statutory Payments such as Statutory Sick Pay SSP, Statutory Maternity Pay SMP, Statutory Paternity Pay SPP, Statutory Adoption Pay SAP, students loan deductions and perform a range of other payroll functions.

Teacher Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Teacher Evaluation Essay Teacher evaluation is a complex process. It is a series of activities and actions that are interconnected and ultimately related to a specific purpose. Day to day, teachers deal with complex problems and from this, they should be evaluated as professionals which means that their standards should be developed by their peers and their evaluation in turn focus on the degree in which they solve professional problems. While not always true, the emphasis of these evaluations should be on their ability to teach and not them as sole individuals, while taking into consideration the involvement of the overall educational process. The general rule of thumb is that the evaluation process typically involves preparation, observation, data collecting, reporting and most importantly, follow-up. Though each of these serves a specific purpose throughout the overall evaluation process, when missing just one, an ineffective evaluation systems being to resonate. Over time, ineffective teacher evaluation systems have become more costly than effective overall strategies. In most cases, teacher evaluation programs contain inferior material because they neither improve a teacher’s instructional skill, nor do they permit the dismissal of incompetent teachers. These points bring into clear perspective the need for effective teacher evaluation policies, and the need for boards and administrators to examine these practices with a view to improve learning opportunities across different situations. Back in 2001, Patricia Hopkins became superintendent of the Five Town CSD and Maine School Administrative District #28 in Camden Rockport with one of her first tasks being to review summative evaluations of all the teachers in the two districts. What she discovered troubled her, but yet this did not surprise her at the same time. As she read through the evaluations, she found that many were full of valentines her word for vague, meaningless praise and largely deprived of constructive criticism or concrete feedback. Hopkins believed that teacher evaluation held great potential to improve instruction, so she set out to eliminate the valentines by strengthening the culture and structures supporting teacher evaluation in district schools (Kane, Taylor, Tyler, Wooten, 2010). In recent years, the spotlight on teacher evaluation has intensified. For myself, this was something of a topic that I initially gave little to no accountability towards until viewing â€Å"Waiting For Superman† this semester. With this inside look into an exhaustive review of public education with it’s methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems, now more than ever is the overall review of teacher’s performance a must in our academic communities. With dissecting that the teacher’s effect on student learning and achievement, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers are beginning to call for boosting the judgment and quality of a teacher’s evaluation. From this, we are starting to see the track record for evaluation and how the increasing consensus that teacher evaluation could play an important part in improving teaching and learning. During the last wave of efforts to strengthen teacher evaluation back in the 1980s, most initiatives died on the spot. This time around, however, there may be cause for more optimism. Key changes in the education world may make it easier for broad-scale improvement efforts to take hold. Moreover, some schools and districts, like those Hopkins leads, have already taken steps to more tightly link teacher evaluation with instructional improvement and increased student learning, along with implementing real consequences for those who perform superbly and for other teachers who perform poorly. Time and again, analyses of summative evaluation ratings of teacher’s show that the vast majority of teachers in any school, district, or state are rated above sometimes well above average (Donaldson, 2009). Although it is possible that all teachers are above average in some schools, there is generally more variation in teacher effectiveness within schools than between them. Thus, any school low performing or high performing, wealthy suburban or under resourced urban is likely to employ more underperforming teachers than its evaluation ratings suggest (Hanushek, Kain, OBrien, Rivkin, 2005). In fact, both principals and teachers believe that teachers are less effective than ratings indicate which ultimately leads to inflated ratings of teachers and this reflects the following problems that seriously limit the extent to which evaluation could improve instruction and achievement. Poor Evaluation Instruments: Systems have tend to emphasize what can be measured, not necessarily what matters. In turn, evaluation instruments have traditionally required evaluators to look for things that they can easily be checked off (such as the neatness of bulletin boards), but that may not indicate high-quality instruction. Limited District Guidance: Districts typically give little direction regarding what evaluators should look for. Instead of providing guidelines or rubrics that detail the substance of evaluations, districts are more likely to set out time lines and explain processes (Koppich Showalter, 2008). Lack of Evaluator Time: Evaluators, usually school administrators, report having insufficient time to conduct thorough and accurate evaluations. As the reporting requirements for schools have increased, evaluator’s time has become even scarcer. Lack of Evaluator Skill: Evaluators often lack specific knowledge about the content areas in which they evaluate teachers, especially at the secondary level. Moreover, professional development for evaluators is not frequent or comprehensive. Lack of Evaluator Moral Fiber: Principals are not always held accountable for conducting rigorous evaluations. A culture of nice pervades schools, suppressing critical feedback and encouraging principals to rate all teachers above average. Absence of High-Quality Feedback for Teachers: Even though teachers express a strong desire for more concrete, detailed feedback, evaluators generally do not provide it after their observations (New Teacher Project, 2009). Few Consequences Attached to Evaluation: Because there is little variation in the teachers summative evaluation ratings, teachers who teach exceptionally well cannot be identified or rewarded. At the same time its difficult to identify, if needed, those who struggle (New Teacher Project, 2009). Despite the deep, longstanding roots of these problems, the challenges might be easier to overcome than they appear. Currently, we know more about the links between teaching and learning than at any time in the past (Donovan Pellegrino, 2003). We know, for example, that explicit instruction in the alphabetic principle is a key component of effective reading instruction (National Reading Panel, 2000; Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998). This knowledge enables evaluators to determine whether such instruction is occurring. In addition, the teacher workforce is undergoing a massive transition as baby boomers retire and individuals in their 20’s 30’s enter teaching. There is some indication that new teachers today differ from the retiring generation (Johnson Project on the Next Generation of Teachers, 2004). Surveys suggest that they are more open to differential recognition and rewards than are their retiring counterparts. Finally, teachers unions, long perceived as a major bar rier to the improvement of teacher evaluation, have shown an increasing openness to collaborating with districts to improve the appraisal of teachers (Johnson, Donaldson, Munger, Papay, Qazilbash, 2009; Weingarten, 2010). Another sign of hope is in the districts that are already making strides and progressing towards tightening the link between teacher evaluation and improved instruction and – potentially achievement. While dissecting the above situation, along with two other districts, I was able to obtain different a better understanding on different steps taken toward mitigating some of the current problems in teacher evaluation. These approaches represent a new direction in evaluation that, if it spreads, can transform teaching and learning. In Ohio, Cincinnatis Teacher Evaluation System exerts an influence on instruction and potential stronghold on student achievement (Kane, Taylor, Tyler, Wooten, 2010). This evaluation system grew out of a 1997 collective bargaining agreement between the Cincinnati Board of Education and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. Through careful study and advice from experts in research and practice, they were able to develop a program for its 58 schools and approximately 2,200 teachers that provides a clear evaluation system and structure that mitigates some of the common problems with teacher evaluation. Using Charlotte Danielsons (2007) framework as a guide, Cincinnati has built its evaluation criteria on 16 standards that are prominent within four specific domains: (1) Planning and Preparing for Student Learning, (2) Creating an Environment for Student Learning, (3) Teaching for Student Learning, and (4) Professionalism. Overall, this system devotes considerable time and resources to providing professional development on these standards. From this, teachers in the district can apply for a three-year term as an evaluator or a consulting teacher. Through this process, teacher evaluators are obligated to conduct three observations, while administrators conduct one of the tenured teachers four formal observations during the comprehensive evaluation cycle, which tenured teachers undergo every five years. Two of the observations are announced, and at least two are followed by post-observation conferences with evaluators. New teachers and struggling veterans are evaluated under a different, but related system. The districts Peer Assistance and Evaluation Program assigns consulting teachers to these teachers; these consulting teachers usually also serve as evaluators for other teachers, but they evaluate new or struggling teachers more frequently. This system reduces the time problem many evaluators face by dividing evaluation responsibilities between teachers and administrators. Each full-time evaluator typically has a caseload of 18–25 teachers. With them focused on evaluating and assisting their peers, these individuals have the time to conduct high-quality evaluations and provide useful feedback to teachers. New consulting teachers and teacher evaluators receive 10–11 days of training before starting their work, where as continuing evaluators receive five days of training each summer. Before their first term, all evaluators and consulting teachers must pass an evaluator certification test that requires them to assess instruction using the systems rubrics and demonstrate their reliability as raters. Over the course of the school year, consulting teachers and evaluators receive two hours of training every other week to review evaluation standards and calibrate scoring. After three years in their role, consultin g teachers and teacher evaluators return to full-time teaching positions, which keep their knowledge of teaching and learning current. Looking at a different approach, some charter schools have also attempted to make teacher evaluation a more powerful tool for instructional improvement. One charter management organization in the northern United States, a successful network of 15 urban schools serving high percentages of low-income and minority children, has done so by deemphasizing formal summative evaluations and focusing instead on ongoing informal evaluation and feedback (Donaldson Peske, 2010). In this organization, teachers receive one-on-one and small-group coaching from administrators on a weekly or biweekly basis, as well as a midyear summative evaluation. The coaching is differentiated according to the teachers needs and aimed at developing teacher’s skills over time. For the summative appraisal, evaluators and teachers complete a same six-page appraisal form that focuses on the organizations â€Å"Aspects of Instruction†, which covers such approaches as differentiation and checking for under standing. Comments on the appraisal do not simply reflect a short period of formal observation, as those of some evaluation systems do. Instead, the document prompts both the teacher and evaluator to reflect on all the work the teacher has done so far for that academic year. Thus, evaluators may draw on all their observations of the teacher—inside or outside the classroom, brief or sustained. This includes not only classroom instruction but also non-instructional contributions to teams and committees they hold responsibility towards, along with the school as a whole. With all of this taken into accountability, teachers reported spending three to five hours preparing these documents and another 90–180 minutes debriefing with their evaluator (Donaldson Peske, 2010). With having generally more flexibility than traditional public school, the charter organization enables administrators to spend considerable time observing, evaluating, and coaching teachers by keeping the teacher to evaluator ratio quite low approximately six teachers to one administrator. The organization has also strategically aligned personnel to handle certain administrative tasks so that principals can focus on instruction. Furthermore, an operations team handles facilities management, budgeting, certification, and ordering. In turn, a dean of students manages student behavior challenges, an intervention coordinator organizes school wide data and testing, and in some cases, an executive assistant coordinates activities with teachers and students and fills in where extra help is needed. The organization lives by the principle that, as one teacher noted, Feedback is a gift. A key part of professional development focuses on training teachers and leaders to have difficult conversations, which sometimes occurs during the evaluation of debriefs. One principal explained that her school has adopted specific norms such as staying on your side of the net and not stepping over and making claims on the other person that helps to depersonalize potential disagreements. Another principal said that in the process of hiring teachers, he deliberately gives them critical feedback on their demonstration lesson to see how they handle constructive criticism (Donaldson Peske, 2010). Evaluators receive training in how to deliver feedback in such a way that their suggestions will be implemented. They learn to give concrete and specific feedback that teachers can immediately respond to. Evaluation and coaching sessions deliberately focus on one or two major issues a teacher needs to work o n and are anchored in student data, often the organizations benchmark assessments. This ultimately narrows the focus on changes that teachers need to make to be effective. Finally, the Five Town CSD and Maine School Administrative District #28, under Patricia Hopkinss guidance, have also strengthened their evaluation systems (Kane, Taylor, Tyler, Wooten, 2010). Hopkins notes, I have seen a shift. People arent just saying you’re doing great. Theyre posing questions and making recommendations to help inform teacher’s efforts to improve instruction. This shift has come about in large part as a result of the districts efforts to solve one typical problem of evaluation systems lack of evaluator will. Early on, Hopkins decided to increase evaluator’s accountability for completing high-quality assessments. First, she posted a calendar in her office showing the names and due dates of all teacher evaluations throughout the district. This calendar enabled her to keep track of and follow up with evaluators during the school year. Administrators must conduct at least two observations each year for first and second-year teachers and one every third year for teachers on a continuing contract. The evaluations themselves are based on both these observations and such factors as promptness and accuracy of reports and evidence of professional growth. With this in place, administrators in turn meet with teachers before and after the observations and evaluations to help clarify the outcomes. Second, Hopkins and the assistant superintenden t began to informally observe all first and second-year teachers in the district. This practice of providing another set of eyes helps school-based administrators to be more critical. In some cases, Hopkins said, the informal observation led to additional observations of teachers and more in-depth conversations with administrators. Lastly, Hopkins has required principals to share their draft evaluation reports with assistant principals and vice versa before the post observation conference with the teacher. This sharing has enabled administrators to clarify their expectations, maintain consistency with one another, and ensure that their commendations and recommendations for improvement are appropriate.

Effective Utilization Of Human And Other All Resources Management Essay

Effective Utilization Of Human And Other All Resources Management Essay Developing effective management skills to deal with specific desire challenges and problems of every organization is the urgent need of many businesses and organizations in the global competitive environment, continues changing of technology and environment. The new tendency of training and development of successful organizations over the world today is developing effective skills in dealing with specific challenge of their own organization to reach their own goals and objectives in the new organization that characterized by networked, flat, flexible, diverse, global organization. Effective Management Skills to help people and organization improving their own effectiveness and efficiency. Globalization and continues developing technology shows we are in a period of intense competition.  Proper management is vital in these complex environments.  The quality of manager and effective management styles can determine the culture of the organisation, the productivity of its staff, and, ultimately, success or failure. A manager should have the ability to direct, supervise, encourage, inspire, and co-ordinate, and in doing so facilitate action and guide change.   Managers develop their own leadership qualities and those of others. Management utilizes planning, organisational and communications skills.   These skills are important in leadership also, but even more so are qualities such as integrity, honesty, courage, commitment, sincerity, passion, determination, compassion and sensitivity. An effective manager of an organization should have the following skills. Creative Problem Solving Skills: Describing and analyzing a problem. Identifying causes of a problem. Developing creative options and choosing the best course of action. Implementing and evaluating effective and efficiency of the decision. Communication Skills: Listening skills. Presentation skills. Feedback Skills. Report writing skills. Conflict Management Skills: Identifying sources of conflict functional and dysfunctional conflicts. Understanding personal style of conflict resolution. Choosing the best strategy for dealing with a conflict. Developing skills in promoting constructive conflicts in organization and teams. Negotiation Skills: Distinguishing distributive and integrative negotiations, position and principle negotiation. Identifying common mistakes in negotiation and ways to avoid them. Developing rational thinking in negotiation Developing effective skills in negotiation that benefits all parties involved. Self-Awareness and Improvement: Understanding the concept of self-management. Evaluate the effectiveness of self-management. Developing creative and holistic thinking. Understanding the importance of emotions in works as well in self-development. Understand of self-motivation. Effectively managing self-learning and change. There are certain other qualities required for a good manager to manage his staff. Planner A Manager has to take a long-term view; while a team member will be working towards known and established goals, the manager must look further ahead so that these goals are selected wisely. By thinking about the eventual consequences of different plans, the manager selects the optimal plan for the team and implements it. The manager ensures that work is not repeated nor problems tackled too late, and that the necessary resources are allocated and arranged. Provider The Manager has access to information, which the team needs. The role of a manager is important because authority, which the manager holds uniquely within the team and the manager, must exercise the power for the benefit of the team for the effective productivity. Protector   In any company, there are problems, which can deflect the work force. The manager should be there to guard against these and to protect the team. If a new project emerges which not given an impossible deadline. If someone in your team brings forward a good plan, you must ensure that it receives a fair hearing and that your team knows and understands the outcome. If someone is in your team has a problem at work, you have to deal with it. Inspires a Shared Vision An effective manager is often described as having a vision of where to go and the ability to articulate it. Qualities of a Manager A manager has to direct, inspire and motivate his men at work. He has to clearly set forth the objectives for them and inject in them enthusiasm to achieve the objectives. He has to be a competent person in the area of his specialization. He must be a man of open mind, moral and emotional integrity and capable to understand and solve problems. It is difficult to give an exhaustive list of all traits and qualities which go to make a successful manager. However, some of the important traits contributing to the success of managers are as follows: Ability to think It is difficult to think and think clearly and purposefully. Ability to think in clear terms and with definite purpose in view is a must for a manager to succeed. He must be able to think rationally. Broad vision A manager must be able to take into consideration the overall effect of his functioning on the company as a whole. Sectarian view, thinking in terms of my department, is not conductive to the smooth working of the company. Therefore, a manager must take a comprehensive view of each of hia action. Clear Expression One of the functions of a manager is to direct his subordinates. It means he must communicate with them. Effective communication depends upon clarity of expression. Even the best conceived idea or instruction is worthless unless it can be communicated effectively. Therefore, Technical Ability Though a manager need not be a technician, it is necessary that he possesses the necessary degree of technical competence relating to his field. This would help him to handle his subordinates effectively. Technical skills are more important at the supervisory level. Human Relations skills Human relation skills refer to ones ability to work well with others on a person to person basis and to build up cooperative group relations to accomplish organizational goals. A manager must keep in mind that he has to lead his subordinates and not to drive them. He should possess adequate knowledge of the factors and forces which go to ensure good relations, motivate people for best of their performance and generate cooperative and competent human behavior. Good Communicator The ability to communicate with people is the most important skill by managers and team members. The Manager is also the teams link to the larger organisation. He must have the ability to effectively negotiate and use persuasion when necessary to ensure the success of the team and project. Through effective communication, manager support individual and team achievements by creating guidelines for accomplishing tasks and for the career advancement of team members. Enthusiasm If Managers are negative they bring staffs down. Manager with enthusiasm, with a bounce in their step, with a can-do attitude. Many people tend to follow people with a can-do attitude. Enthusiastic Managers are committed to their goals and express this commitment through optimism. Competence Managers will be chosen based on their ability to successfully lead others rather than on technical expertise, as in the past. Having a winning track record is the surest way to be considered competent. Expertise in management skills is another dimension in competence. The ability to challenge, inspire, enable, model and encourage must be demonstrated if managers are to be seen as capable and competent. Ability to Delegate Tasks Trust is an essential element in the relationship of manager and his or her team. You demonstrate your trust in others through your actions how much you check and control their work, how much you delegate and how much you allow people to participate. Cool Under Pressure In a perfect world, projects would be delivered on time, under budget and with no major problems or obstacles to overcome. A leader with a hardy attitude will take these problems in stride. When leaders encounter a stressful event, they consider it interesting, they feel they can influence the outcome and they see it as an opportunity. Team-Building Skills A team builder can best be defined as a strong person who provides the substance that holds the team together in common purpose toward the right objective. In order for a team to progress from a group of strangers to a single cohesive unit, the leader must understand the process and dynamics required for this transformation. He or she must also know the appropriate leadership style to use during each stage of team development. The leader must also have an understanding of the different team players styles and how to capitalise on each at the proper time, for the problem at hand. Communicate the big picture   If you want your employees to work hard and be committed to your business, you have to keep them in the loop. Open communication helps foster loyalty and gives employees a sense of pride. It helps them understand how their work contributes to the companys success. Delegate work and responsibilities Some employees, share their workload with them and assign the work according to peoples strengths and weaknesses, and let employees develop their own good work habits and abilities. Help employees set goals Setting deadlines and goals helps keep employees focused, busy and motivates them to do their work. Talk to each of your employees about the companys goals, and work with them to set individual goals directly linked to your businesss mission. Make sure employees understand their professional growth path in the company. Recognize problems It is impossible to know about personality conflicts, lagging productivity or other problems in the office if you have your head in the sand. If you notice a change in an employees work habits or attitude, try to get to the root of the problem before it starts affecting the rest of your staff. Organizational Ability A manager must be a good organizer. Ability to organise well is a quality of a vital importance to make a successful manager. Dynamic Personality A manager must possess the desire to move ahead, to introduce change for better, to do something new. He must always look for doing something bigger and better. Emotional Stability A manager must be able to keep his personal likes and dislikes away from his organizational responsibility. It means that in solving the business problems of his company, he must not allow his personal feeling to influence his decisions. This requires stable emotional feelings. Integrity A manager must enjoy the unshakable confidence of both his superiors and subordinates. Botha as a person and in his actions, he must be known as a person of high moral integrity. He must remember the saying that it is not enough to be good, one must also appear to be good. Roles of a Manager Management is the effective utilization of human and material resources to achieve the enterprise objectives. The human resources or people use material resources such as machines, materials and money. It is for the management to ensure that people use material resources in the most efficient manner. Only then the objectives of the enterprise could be achieved. For the effective utilization of resources, the workers may be given adequate instructions and training. They must also be properly motivated so that they work with devotion and loyalty for the achievement of organisational objectives. For this, every manager guides and direct the efforts of a group of persons in the organisation. He defines the objectives of his group keeping in view the overall objectives of the enterprise. Each member of the group is assigned a specific task so that the targets of the group as a whole may be achieved. This is necessary for achieving the objectives of enterprise. Some of the characteristic that are common to most of the managers are as follows: Managers spend a major portion of their time in achieving coordination between human and non-human resources. Managers do much work at an unrelenting pace. Managerial tasks are characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation. Managers prefer live action- brief, specific, well-defined activities that are current, non-routine, and non-reflective. Managers prefer oral to written communication. Managers maintain a vast number of contacts, spending most time with subordinates, linking them with superiors and others in a complex network. It has observed that managing involves certain functions. While performing these functions, a manager has to play multiple roles. A role consist of the behavior patterns displayed by a manager within an organisation or a functional unit. Henry Mintzberg identified ten basic roles performed by managers at all levels from foreman to chief executives and classified them under three heads: interpersonal, informational and decisional. These roles describe what managers actually do. Interpersonal Roles: The first set of behaviour concerns interpersonal roles, which include the following: Figurehead: Executive managers perform a number of ceremonial duties such as representing their firm at public affairs and overseeing official functions. Lower level managers have ceremonial duties as well, perhaps on a lesser scale, including attending employees customers. Leader: This encompasses a range of duties suggested earlier including motivating workers, guiding work-related behavior, and encouraging activities that help achieve organisational objectives. Liaison: Managers find themselves acting as liaison between groups and individuals which are part of, or come in contact with, an organisation. This liaison role is important for establishing contacts with suppliers, coordinating activities among work groups, and encouraging harmony needed to assure effective performance. Informational Roles Informational roles are concerned with communication among individuals and groups, but, managers must also be skilled in gathering and using information to help make effective decisions. They should be able communicators who can transmit information and articulate decisions. Mintzbergs three informational roles are as follows: Monitor: Managers monitor activity, solicit information, gather data, and observe behaviour. Well-informed managers are prepared for decision-making and can redirect behavior to improve organizational performance. Disseminator: Here communications are reversed. Rather than receive information, managers transmit information. Obviously, this is a crucial aspect of management. Subordinates, superiors and managers of similar work groups rely on timely of information disseminated with clarity. Spokesperson: Top executives find themselves more involved as spokespersons than lower-level managers. A firms policy on competition, its philosophy customer care and its commitment to safety are topics common in executive speeches. However, managers at all levels are spokespersons who may be called upon to represent their groups. For example, when department heads meet to discuss operating budgets, they must be prepared to present information and support budget requests of their respective departments. Decisional Roles Mintzberg identified four roles within the list of his behaviour set. These are as follows: Entrepreneur: In recent years, entrepreneurs have been identified with the commitment to innovation. Managers in complex organisation act in entrepreneurial way, by constantly trying to improve their operations. They seek new ways of using resources, new technologies for enhanced performance, and new systems of organizing human resources. Disturbance Handler: This may be the best understood role of managers because they have always had the primary responsibility for resolving problems. It may also be the most stressful role as managers seem to find themselves constantly faced with disturbances that threaten the harmony and effectiveness of the organisations. Resource Allocator: The third role links planning and organizing functions and organizing functions. Managers must plan to meet their objectives and distribute resources accordingly. There will never be sufficient time, money, materials, or manpower to accomplish all that is expected, so resource allocation offers involve carefully assigning scarce resources. Negotiator: The allocation process bears on the role of negotiator. When scarce resources must be shared among many operating units, managers with superior negotiating skills will have advantages over others. However, negotiating extends to many managerial activities both inside and outside the firm. Purchase manager. For example, negotiates material prices and terms. Personnel manager negotiates union contracts. Negotiating, of course, doesnt mean conflict but it does imply face to face bargaining between managers and employees to resolve problems or formulate performance expectations. The ability to recognize the appropriate role to be played and to change roles readily is a mark of an effective manager. However, it may be concluded that at lower level, some of the decisional roles and informational roles are more important whereas at the top level interpersonal roles and decisional roles are of greater significance. At the middle level of management, informational roles are found to be more common. Effective dealing of Problems The first step in dealing with a problem employee is to identify the trouble. Many times, a simple, honest talk with an employee will dissolve issues such as occasional tardiness or minor attitude problems. Coaching requires a manager to work one-on-one with problem employees or to assign another employee to work with the employee to overcome their shortcomings. The mentor should provide the employee with feedback and solutions for improving their performance. Coaching requires patience and a substantial time investment, but it can help modify an employees behavior. Poor performance Poor performance is not always due to a lack of skills; the employee may simply be disorganized or sloppy. These habits can usually be corrected with proper guidance. If performance difficulties relate to a lack of skills, consider coaching or additional training. Job incompatibility In some cases an employee becomes a problem because their skills arent compatible with their assigned tasks or regular duties. In this case, offering the employee additional training or assigning them a different set of tasks is usually the most appropriate course of action. Sloppy work When you notice that, an employee has made some errors, point out the mistakes to the employee and monitors their work more closely. If the problem persists, speak with the employee and detail the most serious examples of problems with their work. Remember to remain positive and focus on how important the employees contribution is to the company. Create an effective message Consider the specific informational needs of executives, middle managers, supervisors and employees, and tailor your message to fit each audience. An effective message should also explain how your employees ´ day-to-day duties directly affect the companys performance and should touch on the values and pride of the employees. A direct, face-to-face interaction can help reinforce positive attitudes inspire employees and help them adapt to the change. Listen to your employees Employee feedback is critical in managing change. Holding focus groups with employees is a great way to gauge reaction and monitor the progress of change. You also can encourage employees to provide feedback through email or the company intranet. Communication is the cornerstone to successful change management. Talking to your employees is not a one-time event, and you need to reinforce your message by communicating early and often. To be an effective manager you must know yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses, and those of the people around you.   You must know your objectives and have a plan of how to achieve them.   You must build a team of people that share your commitment to achieve those objectives, and you must help each team member to achieve their best which will be able to attain a common goal.

Guilt, Suffering, Confession and Redemption in Crime and Punishment Ess

Guilt, Suffering, Confession and Redemption in Crime and Punishment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   "You keep lying!" screamed Raskolnikov, no longer able to restrain himself. "You're lying, you damned clown!" And he flung himself on Porfiry, who retired to the doorway, but without a trace of panic. "I understand everything, everything!" He approached Porfiry. "You're lying and taunting me so Ill give myself away-" "You can't give yourself away any more than you have already, Rodion Romanovich, old man. Why, you've gone into a state. Don't shout, I'll call my men, sir!" (Dostoyevsky, 34) No humane person with any values is able to commit a heinous crime without some feeling of guilt or remorse afterwards. Slowly, this guilt festers and eats away at one's conscience until the point of escape, reached by confession, thus leading to salvation. Throughout Dostoyevsky's Crime and. Punishment the main character, Raskolnikov is stricken with guilt and suffering that eventually lead to his confession and redemption motivated by many forces. Crime and Punishment is the story of a young "intellect", Raskolnikov, who develops a superman theory. In his hypothesis, he felt that certain men were extraordinary and could commit unethical acts without punishment or a guilty conscience. In his case, he wanted to rid the earth of a parasite through the vicious slaying of an old pawnbroker, Alyona, and her sister, Lizaveta, in order to gain money so that he could continue his studies and to see if he was truly extraordinary. Was he truly the Napoleon that he thought he was? Could he walk over people with no regard for their feelings or sufferings as Napoleon had? (Literary Criticism, 68) "He is obviously no superman or Napoleon, but didn't get enough fre... ...ut its overwhelming power and the fact that it made such a painful impression on readers that those with strong nerves fell ill and those with weak nerves had to give up reading it. (Kjetsaa, 183) Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations. New York, New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. New York, New York: New American Library, Inc., 1968. Gale Research Co. Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism. Detroit, MI 1984, Vol. 7. Kjetsaa, Geir. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, A Writer's Life. New York, New York: Viking Penguin Inc., 1987, Magill, Frank. Masterplots. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Press, 1976. Terras, Victor. Handbook of Russian Literature. New Haven, CT; Yale University Press, 1985. Timoney, John. Speech on Crime and Punishment. Mt. Holyoke College, November 10, 1994.

The Food of the Gods Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

The Food of the Gods For over 2000 years, chocolate in its many forms has been enjoyed and its effects have been exalted. It was believed that the Mexican god Quetzalcoatl left the cocoa tree for the people. The Aztec emperor Montezuma is reported to have consumed 50 goblets of chocolate a day. It is called "the food of the gods," literally, as a translation of Theobroma Cacao, the cacao bean. (1). Such a title must imply that chocolate has some naturally occurring superior quality. Why else would we crave it so much more than other foods? For many people, nothing can take the place of chocolate when a craving hits. Chocolate and cocoa have very complex chemical properties and many components. Among the most researched components of chocolate which are thought to have an effect on craving and addiction are fat, theobromine, caffeine, and salsolinol. (2). Fat and sugar are substances naturally craved by the body, and thus although they may play a role in the allure of chocolate, they cannot be responsible for its appeal over other sweets. The caffeine in chocolate is sometimes implicated as part of its addictive properties. However, the amount of caffeine contained in one ounce of chocolate is about 5-35 milligrams, compared to the 140 milligrams found in a cup of brewed coffee. This does not discount the idea that caffeine plays a role in the appeal of chocolate, more likely it compounds the effect of other components. (3). Theobromine, similar to caffeine but present in larger amounts in chocolate, is less potent than caffeine yet still may retain stimulatory effects in large amounts of chocolate. Concentrations of theobromine vary in different chocolate products, and its effect on humans through chocolate has not... ...e.com/chocolate.htm 3) Does cocoa have caffeine in it?, International Cocoa Organization. http://www.icco.org/questions/caffeine.htm 4) Theobromine: Chocolate's Caffeine Cousin . http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/?once=true& 5) In vitro pharmacological activity of the tetrahydroisoquinoline salsolinol present in products from Theobroma cacao like cocoa and chocolate.. http://hub.elsevier.com/pii/S0378874100002919 6) Naloxone, an opiate blocker, reduces the consumption of sweet high-fat foods in obese and lean female binge eaters . http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/61/6/1206?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=drewnowski&searchid=QID_NOT_SET&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX= 7) Psychological and Physiological Characteristics of Sweet Food "Addiction". http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/40004278/ABSTRACT

Bedouins

The term ‘Bedu'in the Arabic language refers to one who lives out in the open, in the desert. The Arabic word ‘Badawiyin'is a generic name for a desert-dweller and the English word ‘Bedouin’ is the derived from this. In ancient times, most people settled near rivers but the Bedouin people  preferred to live in the open desert. Bedouins mainly live in the Arabian and Syrian deserts, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and the Sahara Desert of North Africa.There are Bedouin communities in many countries, including Egypt, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq in the Middle East and Morocco, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya in North Africa. Altogether, the Bedouin population numbers about 4 million. The Bedouins are seen as Arab culture’s purest representatives and the Bedouins continue to be hailed by other Arabs as â€Å"ideal† Arabs, especially because of their rich oral poetic tradition, their herding lifestyle and their traditional co de of honour.The Egyptians refer to the Bedouins as ‘Arab', but Bedouins are distinct from other Arab’s because of their extensive kinship networks, which provide them with community support and the basic necessities for survival. Such networks have traditionally served to ensure safety of families and to protect their property. The term ‘A'raab' has been synonymous with the  term ‘nomad' since the beginning of Islam. The Bedouins are recognized by their (nomadic) lifestyles, special language, social structures and culture. Only few Bedouins live as their forefathers did in camel- and goat hair tents, raising livestock, hunting and raiding.Their numbers are decreasing and nowadays there are approx. only 5% of Bedouins still live as pastoral nomads in all of the Middle East. Some Bedouins of Sinai are still half-nomads. Bedouins have different facial features by which they can be distinguished from other Egyptians and also they generally dress differently. The Bedouin men wear long ‘djellabaya' and a ‘smagg' (red white draped headcover) or ‘aymemma' (white headcover) or a white small headdress, sometimes held in place by an ‘agall' (a black cord).The Bedouin women usually wear brightly coloured long dresses but when they go outside they dress in an ‘abaya' (a thin, long black coat sometimes covered with shiny embroidery) and they will always cover their head and hair when they leave their house  with a  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœtarha' (a black, thin  shawl). Traditionally a woman's face was hidden behind a highly decorated ‘burqa'ah' but this is now only seen with the older generations. The younger generations cover their face simply with their ‘tarha' (shawl).The Bedouins have a rich culture and their own Arabic ‘Bedawi’ language, which has different dialects depending on the area where they live. In former days they emphasised on the strong belief in its tribal superiority, in return to the tribal security – the support to survive in a hostile environment. ‘The Bedouin' is aristocratic and they tend to perceive the Arabian nation as the noblest of all nations, purity of blood, way of life and above all noble ancestry. They often trace their lineage back to the times of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and beyond.The first converts to Islam came from the Bedouin tribes and therefore (Sunni) Islam is embedded and deeply rooted in the Bedouin culture. Prayer is an integral part of Bedouin life. As there are no formal mosques in the desert, they pray were they are, facing the Ka’aba in Mecca and performing the ritual washing, preferably with water but if not available they ‘wash’ with sand instead. ‘The Bedouin' is generally open-minded and interested in what is going on in his close and far surroundings since this kind of knowledge has always been a vital tool of survival.At the same time, the Bedouins are quite suspicious and alert keep ing a low profile about their personal background. Modern Arab states have a strong tendency to regulate their Nomadic lifestyle and modern society has made the traditional Bedouin lifestyle less attractive, since it is demanding and often dangerous, so many Bedouins have settled in urban areas and continue to do so. The Bedouin people are faced with challenges in their lifestyle, as their traditional Islamic, tribal culture has begun to mix with western practices.Men are more likely to adjust and interact with the modern cultures, but women are bound by honour and tradition to stay within the family dwelling and therefore lack opportunity for advancement. Today unemployment amongst Bedouin people is very high. Only few obtain a high school degree and even fewer graduate from college. However, for most people the word Bedouin still conjures up a much richer and more mysterious and romantic  image.. THE ORGANIZATION OF BEDOUINS SOCIETY Until today the ‘clan organization' is t he basis of the Bedouin society.Every ‘Bayt' (tent) represents a family and the connected families form a clan (‘Aela'). All  members of the same clan consider each other as of one blood (‘Dam') and the spirit of the clan demands unconditional loyalty to fellow clansmen. A number of kindred clans form a tribe (‘Qabilah') with its own land. The clan is represented by an elder or the eldest, choosen by its members, who is powerful but has no absolute authority. In major affairs he must consult with the tribal leader: The ‘Shaykh'.In most of the Bedouin tribes, the leaders (Shaykhs) are picked for their wisdom and judgment. In others, such as the Allegat and the small Hamada tribe, leadership passes from father to eldest son. You could say, that the Bedouin is a born democrat who meets his ‘Shaykh' with respect but on equal base†¦ The ‘Quabilah'  is a union of extended families  and is the major family unit. It is a kinship structure of several generations that encompasses a wide network of blood relations descended through the male line.In the past, the ‘Quabilah'  provided its members with economic security and protection (land, labour and water are tribal property), but today with the loss of the Bedouin’s traditional livelihoods, the ‘Quabilah' is less able to fulfil all these functions but it still serves as a major source of identity,  psycho-social support and social status. The ‘Bayt' and the ‘Aela' are the basic social and economic unit of the Bedouin society, but the leaders of these units generally form a council of elders, directed by the head of the ‘Quabilah'.The smallest family unit of parents and children and the tribe are closely bound by extensive mutual commitments and obligations, such as ‘Hamula', the bringing of gifts. This social network of the Bedouins is underpinned and maintained by a deeply ingrained system of values and expectations that govern the behaviour and the relationships of the members. In practice, age, religious piety, and personal characteristics such as generosity and hospitality, set some men above others in the organization of the group. The ‘Shaykh' traditionally exercises authority over the allocation of pasture and the arbitration of disputes.His position is usually derived from his own astute reading of the majority opinion. He generally has no power to enforce a decision and therefore has to rely on his moral authority and the concurrence of the community with his point of view. In a  sense, the Bedouins form a number of ‘nations. ‘ That is, groups of families are united by common ancestry and by shared territorial allegiance. The exploitation and defence of their common territorial area is effected through a universally accepted system of leadership.For centuries, these â€Å"nations† of Bedouin tribes and their leaders operated in the ecologically and politically shi fting landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa. Only in the course of the twentieth century has their traditional flexibility and mobility been checked. Factors foreign to their universe have damaged the territorial mainstay of their societies, necessitating the adoption of new bases of identification with their ‘nations' and its leaders. THE KEY VALUES The key values of the Bedouin society are harmony, kinship solidarity, honour  and hierarchy.The Bedouins emphasize cooperation, adaption, accommodation and family cohesion. Individuals are expected to show loyalty and responsibility to the collective, to place its good above their own and to follow the rules and commands of those above them in hierarchy. The Bedouins have a collective attitude to just about everything: work, money, family, feuds; you name it and the Bedouins will take a collective position because of their highly developed sense of community and tribal loyalties. Family comes first, second and third; f or them blood is definitely thicker than water.Their strict code of honour dictates proper behaviour for all members, men, women (see:   MARRIAGE AND FAMILY   ) and  children and to live according to its (many) rules, like a healthy person always stands up  to greet an older person, they  always greet all  starting with the person on their right  hand and moving on against the hands of the clock to the rest, they always start serving the person on their right hand first  (even if this is a child) and then the rest moving against the hands of the clock, etc. Breaking any of these rules means  real trouble.The (semi)nomadic lifestyle  is demanding and that's why the  children are expected to assume a considerable amount of responsibility in order to help their families survive. Although modernization has changed their lifestyle somewhat, emphasis is placed on teaching children to carry on traditional ways of life and the advancement of modern technology is so far not considered important to children’s education. ‘The' Bedouin people are known to be very polite and honest. They prefer not to say bad things or be the bearer of bad news. MARRIAGE Marriage for Bedouins has both religious and social significance.From  an  Islamic perspective, marriage legalizes sexual relations and provides the framework for procreation. From a social perspective, it brings together not only the bride and groom but also their families. Women  are protected in the Bedouin code of honour. A man who is not closely related to a woman is not allowed to touch her in any way, not even so much as to brush his fingers against hers while handing her something. To do so is to dishonour her. Likewise, in some tribes, if a woman brings dishonour to herself, she shames her family because honour is held not by individuals but by the whole family.The loss of a woman's honour, her ‘ird', is extremely serious amongst the Bedouins. Bedouin men and women en joy the freedom of choosing their partner. Nevertheless,parents can put sufficient pressure on their children to arrange their marriage. If there is no father to speak for the girl/woman, a brother or other male relative will speak for her. If a male from the family doesn’t agree with the choice of a spouse for his daughter, sister or even cousin, he is able to stop the wedding according to Bedouin Law.There is an engagement period for about a year or more, during which the Bedouin boy/man can visit the girl/woman at her family (and most rarely they will be alone) where they can talk, share views and expectations and get to know each other. If the engagement  does not work out, the ending of the engagement should be done in a way, that there is no shame or blemish on the other (family). Therefore pressure from parents or family should be handled very careful and tactful. BEDOUIN FAMILY he three-generation extended family is the ideal domestic unit.Although this group, avera ging between nine and eleven persons, may sleep in  more than one tent or in more than one house, its meals are generally taken together. The newly formed nuclear family of husband and wife tends to remain with the larger domestic unit until it has sufficient manpower and a large enough income (herd) to survive on its own. On occasion, a combination of brothers or patrilineal cousins will join forces to form a single domestic unit. Children and infants are raised by the extended family unit.Parents, older siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all take part in the rearing of the young. By the age of 6 or 7, the child begins to take on simple household tasks and soon thereafter becomes a full working member of the family. Adolescence is hardly recognized; by the early teens, at the age of 16 or 17, the individual is accepted as a full  member of Bedouin society. The Bedouins are patrilineal. Their names consist of a personal name, the father's name,  the agnatic gra ndfather's name and the great grandfather's name.Women retain their name and father's family name unchanged  after marriage. There are distinctive terms for kin on the mother's side and kin on the father's side. All terms indicate the sex of the person designated. The smallest residential unit (‘Bayt') is named after its senior male resident. However, unlike settled peoples,  most Bedouins are also members of larger patrilineal descent groups which are linked by agnation to form even larger lineages and sometimes even tribal confederations. RELIGION AND TRADITIONSThe Bedouins (and Muslims in general) variously believe in ‘Jinn' (the presence of spirits), some playful and others malevolent, that interfere in the life of humans. ‘Hasset' (the envious, evil  eye) is also very real to the Bedouins and children are believed to be particularly vulnerable. For this reason, they often had protective amulets attached to their clothing or hung around their necks. In Is lam the existence of ogresses and monstrous super naturals is postulated, known as ‘Maleika Al Ard' (Kings of the Earth) and Bedouins believe they are sometimes met by lone travellers in the desert.There is no formal clergy in Islam and no centre of ‘priests'. Every Muslim has its own direct relationship with Allah. Bedouin societies have no formal religious specialists. They traditionally arrange for religious specialists, called ‘Shaykh' or ‘Sjeikh', from adjacent settled regions to spend several months a year with them to teach the young to read the Qur’an. A rural or settled religious specialist that Bedouins seek out for curative and preventative measures is called a ‘Gatib'. This is not the same as the ‘Hakim', which is a Bedouin doctor/healer is, who specializes in herbal and traditional healing. ) In addition many Bedouins tend to have ceremonies and rituals including elaborate celebrations of weddings, ritual naming of newborn infa nts and the circumcision of children (boys universally, girls frequently but this is less common nowadays because in the mosque is preached that this is in contradiction with the teachings of the holy Qur'an). According to Islam  Bedouins ritually slaughter a goat or a sheep when a child is born.Bedouins call this ‘Foo-ela' and their family is invited to eat the prepared meat together. Bedouins of southern Sinai who are influenced by Sufism (Islamic mysticism) also celebrate the Prophet's birthday and carry out ‘pilgrimages' to the tombs of (local) saints. They only  worship Allah and these journey's are more important to consolidate the ties to the tribe and the tombs serve as a meeting place. Death and traditions Islamic tradition dictates the practices associated with death. The body is buried as soon as possible and always within 24 hours.Among some Bedouin groups, an effort is made to bury the dead in one place (‘Maghebr'), although often it is impossible to reach it within the strict time limit imposed by Islamic practices. Funeral rites are very simple and Bedouins mark their graves with exeptional simplicity, placing an ordinary stone (or unmarked board) at the head of the grave, where family regularly place a fresh leaf of a palm tree. When they visit the graves, they take off their shoes and say a prayer, after which they sit around the graves and eat fruit.Children playing around the cemetery always get a (sweet) treat from the visitors. Healing HOT SAND BATH They put their selves in the sand when theyfeel pain in their bones or the whole body, to let the sand lick the pain and bad fluids out of the body CAMEL MILK The Bedouins take camel as their friend. They have Camel Milk to cure diseases like Hepatitis C, stomach pain, sexual disability, digestion and immunresistancy. Half il bar are herbs from the desert cleaning the kidneys Handal is a kind of fruit from the desert we put for some time under your heel. It helps against r heumatism.