Westecs Bd Essay Example For Students

Westecs Bd Essay Background of Westecs ®: Westecs ® Ltd. is the largest chain clothing store in Bangladesh. This company started its journey since 1987. There are nine branches of Westecs ® among which six stores are in Dhaka, two are in Syhlet and one in Chittagong. There is one chairman in Westecs ® who regulates all the activities from its head office which is located in Tejgaon. There is one director in each branch who controls the work of the outlets. Each of the stores has 1 or 2 managers motivating their employees in various ways. More than 300 employees are working in the organization. Their competitors are Eastasy, Rex, and other fashion houses and boutique shops. But their main competitor is Pretex. This company is divided into two portions- one is administrative and another one is sales. The administrative sector controls the overall working process of the branch manager, sales manager, and accountant and finance manager. The sales department totally depends on the accountant’s effort and this portion is controlled by the head office. Westecs ® mainly manufacture the brand items such as suits, blazers and official Shirts. We will write a custom essay on Westecs Bd specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The backup of their brand items are imported from different countries. They also sell casual wears of gents, ladies and children. These readymade garments are collected from various sources such as the garments that could not be exported to the foreign countries due to shipment or time difficulty. All the branches of Westecs ® are well festooned and the environment is comfortable and rich. Westecs ® provide a special importance to the customer satisfaction. Almost all kinds of wear that the customers need are found here. They have a future vision to extend their business by exporting their garment products abroad. The hierarchy of management in Westecs ® Ltd. can be illustrated as below: Fig: Organogram of westecs ® Ltd 1. 0 Problem Assessment The executive development process of a company starts with the assessment of the company’s current problem. This assessment of problem is needed specially when there is a discrepancy between some current state of affairs and some desired state, requiring the consideration of alternative courses of action. Westecs ® Ltd. is one of the largest chain clothing stores in Bangladesh. To get this achievement they have maintained certain management policies and practiced some theories to make it an effective and efficient organization though Westecs ® do not have any formal Human Resource department. In spite of all plans and strategies there are some loopholes in every organization. Westecs ® is running their business in somewhat successful manner but there are many problems especially with the Human Resource management such as productivity, skills and personal attributes, employee morale, innovations and training and development- in which sectors they have a lot of opportunities to improve. Here are some problems of Westecs ®, which are effecting in different aspects. These problems are related to recruitment and selection process, productivity, motivation, pay for performance, absenteeism, turnover, organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction, skills, training and development etc. Development in these sections may lead Westecs ® to better productivity and success. 1. Productivity An organization meant to be productive when it achieves its goals and does so by transferring inputs to outputs at the lowest cost. This productivity also implies a concern for both effectiveness and efficiency. By effective, we mean making the right decision and successfully implementing them. The organizational goals that Westecs ® have are- These goals are not specific and difficult rather they are more generalized. Westecs ® is somewhat successful in achieving these general goals, so it can be said that Westecs ® has the effectiveness from such context but to succeed in long run they should have some specific goals which will lead them to higher performance. A company is efficient when it uses its resources wisely an in a cost effective way. To measure the efficiency level, there are some other factors needed to take into account, such as absenteeism, turnover, organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction etc. 1. 2 Absenteeism Absenteeism is the failure to report to work and it causes a huge cost and disruption for the employers. In Westecs ® the absenteeism rate is relatively low. The employees are given altogether 30 days of leave in a year. Though absence have a negative impact on the organization, but Westecs ® consider the situation when employees do not come for illness, fatigue or excess stress. If it is within the allowed 30days leave a year and the employee feels sick Westecs ® does not pressurize their employees to come to the job if they feel sick or excess stress. Because the management of Westecs ® believes that a sick or stressed person can not put his/her 100% attention to their job rather they perform poorly, which in turn may bring poor service to the customer and increase customer dissatisfaction-that finally will impede the image of the organization as a whole. So Westecs ® is efficient enough to manage their absenteeism. 3. Turnover Turnover is the voluntary or involuntary permanent withdrawal from an organization. Westecs ® faces a relatively high turnover rate. This high rate of turnover results in increased recruiting, selection and training cost. In addition, this high rate of turnover also disrupt the efficient running of an organization when knowledge and experienced personnel leave and replacements must be found and prepared to assume positions of responsibility. Westecs ® failed to efficiently manage this high turnover rate. 4. Organizational Citizenship Behavior Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is a discretionary behavior that is not a part of employee’s formal job requirements, but that nevertheless promotes the effective functioning of the organization. To become a successful organization, it needs employees who will do more then their usual job duties and provides performance that is beyond expectations. But in Westecs ®, there is no such employee who performs this Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB). So it is important for Westecs ® to increase the number of employees who will perform Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) for the betterment of the organization. . Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is the collection of feelings that an individual holds toward his or her job. It represents the attitude of an employee rather than behavior. The satisfied employees are more productive than dissatisfied employees. It is a legitimate objective of an organization. In Westecs ® the top level managers and the mid lev el managers have their job satisfaction but the problem with the lower level employees; they encompass relatively less job satisfaction. 6. Empowering People In successful organizations, managers are going considerably further by allowing employees full control of their work. By empowering employee managers are putting employees in charge of what they do and in so doing, managers have to learn how to give up control and employees have to learn how to take responsibility for their work and make appropriate decisions. But managers in Westecs ® do not empower their employees. Thus the employees are incapable of showing responsibilities and making suitable decisions. 7. Stimulating Innovation and change Successful organizations must foster innovation and master the art of change. So to exist in comparative business environment organizations should maintain their flexibility, continually improve their quality and beat competitors with a constant stream of innovative products and services. To do so organizations need managers and employees with high conceptual skills and innovative ideas. But there is lack of such managers and employees in Westecs ®. The managers of Westecs ® also face challenges and unable to stimulate their employees’ creativity and tolerance of change. 8. Coping with Temporariness Today’s management functions became more versatile than ever before for the fast change in globalization, expand capacity and advances in technology. So for the best benefit managers and employees should work in a climate best characterized as temporary. But there is no evidence of temporariness in Westecs ®. Here jobs are not being continually redesigned, tasks are being done by individuals rather than teams, and there is no scope for part time jobs. 9. Pay for Performance Pay for performance is the rewards that are allocated on performance criteria. Westecs ® do not give rewards to their employees on the basis of performance rather they give a general yearly increment to all the employee on the basis of position. Westecs ® also provide two bonuses to their employees. If this pay for performance is introduced, individuals should perceive a strong relationship between their performance and the reward they receive if motivation is to be maximized. Pay for performance can be best applied to the operation workers such as factory workers 10. Recruitment and selection The recruitment and selection process of Westecs ® is very ordinary and simple. News paper is the only medium to advertise for the recruitment. In the advertisement thy only mention the job title and age limit and ask for educational qualification, and experience. For the selection purpose the management conducts only face to face interview and no written test. To select potential people Westecs ® need to develop their recruitment and selection process. 2. 0 Evaluation of the traditional management function: 2. 1 Instituting plans, policies and procedures Westecs’ decision making regarding plans, policies, and procedures is centralized as it is concentrated at a single point in the organization which is its Head Office. .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 , .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .postImageUrl , .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 , .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7:hover , .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7:visited , .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7:active { border:0!important; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7:active , .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7 .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5d0940ae22721c5f2db204fc416f4bb7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: I think that today's society is a half version o EssayIn Bangladesh, there are nine branches of Westecs and every branch has got about 15 to 20 employees. There is a Director, a Manager and an Assistant Manager in each branch who motivate their employees to carry out their activities efficiently. The measure of organizational efficiency includes return on investment, profit per amount of sales, output per hour of labor etc. Westecs’ planning process, policies and procedures are strong enough that enable their activities to be carried out efficiently. Westecs has a superior sales policy of its own. It follows fixed price policy so that customers do not have to bargai n. The company gives several sorts of sales for the customer’s favor as well as to reduce the stocks such as summer sale, winter sale, and special sale and so on. Westecs also provides good service to maintain good relationships with the customers. The personnel in the showrooms show well behaviour and good manner. It offers changes of clothes and refunds of money within 3 days. Westecs sells branded official shirts of its own and as well as blazers and readymade garments and became most successful in these segments and earned huge revenues on sales. Westecs have almost 200 factory employees from whom the company gets efficient output in due time. With their plans, policies and procedures, Westecs Ltd. is successful to carry out the activities efficiently. 2. 2 Organizing job description and understanding the responsibilities The job description lists the duties of a job; the job’s working conditions, and the tools, materials and equipment to perform it. Job content is necessary to develop appropriate selection method and job-relevant performance appraisal system. But Westecs Ltd. has no prescribed job description for the subordinates. After the employees have been selected for the outlets and the factories, they get familiar with the job content through practical experience. The director and manager play a great role to improve the performance of the employees. How the new employees will approach to the customers, how they can help the customers in purchasing things, how they will act when the customers face problems regarding their bought products and the like activities are taught from the observation of the activities of the existing employees and also from the recommendations of the branch director and managers in the outlets. In the factories also the labors learn their responsibility from the senior labors and the factory manager and the supervisor. Though Westecs have no official job description, the new employees are able to find it out not in an effective manner but through observation and practice. 2. 3 Selecting competent employees Westecs’ selection process is quite straightforward. The company offers job in the newspaper for the job applicants. The advertisement consists of the position the company is offering, educational qualification and the experience of the candidates for the managerial positions. For example, this company needs at least a degree for the sales manager. For the outlet personnel and factory workers no job requirement is mentioned specifically. No part-time job and temporary system is available in Westecs. Job candidates appear on a physical interview in the selection process. At first, they face supervisor’s interview for the preliminary selection. There is no written test for them. This interview is based on the IQ of the candidates and some sort of situational basis questionnaires. The company requires those candidates who have good spoken capability in English for the outlets. For the factories, they need experienced or capable workers. After the primary selection, the candidates sit for another interview with the chairman and branch directors for the final selection. Not all the candidates that Westecs selects and recruits are adequately oriented and trained. There is no systems approach to training for developing the performance of the employees. The employees learn from their practical works and the observation of what other employees do. In the factory, there are machine operators who instruct the new workers in operating the machine. By this way workers are getting trained in Westecs which is not an efficient and adequate way. 2. 4 Fair and equitable pay rates Westecs strictly maintains International Labor Law in terms of paying the wages. They pay the salary to the employees within the month and no dues occur. The outlet staffs and factory workers get a good starting salary which is around tk. 3000 to tk. 4000 and there is a year to year increment. The branch manager, sales manager, finance manager all get a reasonable salary. In addition, all the employees get yearly tk. 5000 for medical expense. They also obtain incentives which include festival bonus two times a year. Women are given 66 days maternity leave with pay. From these extra benefits and advantages which the employees are getting, they feel that their pay rates are equitable and fair. But Westecs does not increase the salary of the employees on the performance basis. It rather focuses on seniority. 2. 5 Leadership role of managers Leadership is the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals. Brach managers, factory managers, supervisors and other associated managers of Westecs serve as a leader towards achieving the goals of the organization. The managers advise many potential and useful instructions that the employees carry out efficiently. The employees have to stay almost all day long in the outlets that becomes no longer challenging for them. It increases boredom and reduces motivation. Thus the job turns into a dull and uninteresting one for the employees as they suffer from overroutinization of their work. There is no real arrangement of amusement for the employees in the organization. For example, there is no opportunity of job rotation for the employees. The periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another is job rotation. There is also a lack of job enlargement and job sharing in Westecs. Job enlargement is increasing the number and variety of tasks that an individual performs results in jobs with more diversity and job sharing is an arrangement that allows two or more individuals to split a traditional 40-hours-a-week-job. These handfuls opportunities are ignored in Westecs which would facilitate the employees with great deal. But employees are given tiffin two times a day-a little tiffin in the morning and heavy one in the afternoon. Westecs also assures transportation to facilitate the women employees. 2. 6 Interpersonal relationship among employees Interpersonal relation in organizations can be a primary source of need satisfaction for many people. For people with a strong need for affiliation, high-quality interpersonal relationships can be an important positive element in the workplace. People who support one another and who work well together can accomplish much more than people who do not support one another and who do not work well together. Another outcome is conflict- people may leave an interpersonal exchange feeling angry or hostile. These all can occur during the communication between people in the organization. Westecs’ decision making is centralized and all the decisions regarding plans, policies, procedures, selection, recruiting and so on that are to be accomplished are decided centrally in the head office. For that Westecs holds a meeting among its chairman, directors and managers on monthly basis. It lifts up the interpersonal relationship of the top management. Oral communication, which means face to face conversation, telephone calls and other situations in which the spoken word is used, occurs in Westecs in terms of interpersonal communication. The employees state their problems and other things to their boss through telephone or conversation. There is no process of written document for communication. 3. 0 Development Needs Motivation is one of the most frequently researched topics in OB; it leads the employees’ performance. Though Westecs ® established in 1987, but it cannot retain its employees for longer periods of time for its dysfunctional motivational program. ? Motivation through job Design-it is a key determinant of individual motivation and ultimately organizational success. Westecs ® have to shift their form of boring, tedious job to the form of an interesting job, so that employees can add zest and meaning to their professional life. To do this, top management has to impose job rotation, which will motivate through diversifying the employee’s activities. Here the employee will rotate to another job, usually at the same level. It will be benefit for the organization, because a wide range of skills give management more flexibility in scheduling working and adapting to changes. Job enrichment can be another effective way to increase the employee’s freedom and independence, provide feedback so an individual will be able to assess his or her own performance. By establishing direct client relationship with their employees and internal client as well as external, expanding job vertically and last but not least, opening feedback channels will motivate the employees of Westecs ®. Thus the employee’s skill variety, job feed back, autonomy and task significance will be upgraded. ? Motivation through rewards- rewards and benefits are a significant portion for motivating employees. Job performance and satisfaction can be improved by properly administered rewards. Though Westecs ® is providing some rewards to its employees that ensure equitable distribution, but it does not foster positive expectations which work as a barrier to its path of the improvement. ? Pay-for-performance- Pay-for-performance is a practical application for motivating employees. .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 , .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .postImageUrl , .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 , .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2:hover , .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2:visited , .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2:active { border:0!important; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2:active , .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2 .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u07db2421b45f0020295e5fedc75a11e2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Feng Shui EssayFrom expectancy theory we know that, an individual will give maximum effort and upgrade performance, if his or her performance appraisals lead to organizational rewards. Thus besides giving annual salary and two yearly bonuses, they can introduce sales commission, skill-based pay, merit pay. Hence the employer has to make sure that those who give a little extra get a little extra. They have to shift their compensation plan on nonperformance factor, such as- seniority or job title to performance factor. These will encourage employees to work harder and smarter that will enrich the company’s productivity. Motivation through Employee participation- If em ployees participate on the goal setting process, decision making as well as designing and implementing organizational changes, employee turnover will be low and productivity will be high. By implementing quality control circles, open book management (sharing key financial data and profits with employees who are trained and empowered). Though this OBM is a bold break from traditional management, but through this employees will know how company’s action affect its success and bottom line, learn to interpret reports and how to control costs. In addition, then employees can make changes for success of the firm. In today’s globally competitive industrial environment, employer must focus on their employees’ performance management. To improve Westecs ® performance management process, it has to set goals, monitor and feedback ongoing performance. ? Assign specific goals- according to goal setting theory, we know that employees who are given specific goals usually perform better than those who are not. Westecs ® have to translate their organizational and departmental goals into specific goals for each employee. Their goals should include target dates or dead lines and quantitives terms. ? Ongoing performance monitoring- Westecs ® can use computer based systems that measure and then email progress and exception reports based on the previous progress towards meeting his or her performance goals. ? Ongoing feedback-employees of Westecs ® have to include face to face and computer based feedback regarding progress towards goals. The turnover rate in Westecs ® is comparatively high, especially middle and low level employees. Thus firms have to take some initiatives to reduce it. Flexible Work Hours-Flexible work hours can be an effective way to cut of this problem. In this process, employees have to work a specific numbers of hours a week but they are free to vary the hours of work within certain limits. It will allow employees some degree of freedom. By introducing part time facility, firm can increase productivity, eliminate tardiness and reduce over time expense. ? Job Sharing-Job sharin g can be another way of reducing turnover. It allows two more individuals to split a traditional 40 hours a week job. To implement this, Westecs ® have to introduce part time facility in its firm. It increases flexibility. Thus employees will motivate to work, their satisfaction will be increase as a result the rate of turnover will be decreased. Empowering: In Westecs ® employees have no full control in work – related problems. To improve their empowerment Westecs ® has to create some following steps. They are- ? Task significance: In this case Westecs ® has to assign more works to the employees and increase the responsibility of the manager. Decision making should be pushed down to the operating level, where the workers are being given the freedom to solve work related problems. They should empower their employee through decentralization and self- managed training. ? Managers should encourage their employees to participate in work- related decisions. Stimulating Innovation: WESTECS ® has no stimulating innovation process. But they have to provide these techniques for the flexibili ty, continually improve their quality and beat their competition to the market place with a constant stream of innovative products and services. The challenge for the mangers is that they have to stimulate their employees’ creativity and tolerance for change. †¢ Process reengineering will be appropriate to solve this problem, because it requires managers to undergo training to learn new technical skills and redefines job. As result managers of different branches can reconsider how work would be done . they will be able to evaluate every process. As a result, it wills hence creativity, productivity of the employees. Temporariness: In WESTECS ® there is no temporariness that means no part time employees are not work here. For this reason people skills are decrease and no experience people are not get a job. So WESTECS ® has to create temporariness that is helpful for the workers that they update their knowledge and skills continually to perform new job requirements. They have to follow the following steps- ? Workers should need to update their knowledge and skills to perform new job. ? Westecs ® should employ more part time employees than full time employees. Communication: Communication is the transference and understanding of meeting. The interpersonal communication of WESTECS ® is oral communication. They meet to each other monthly, quarterly or yearly. They have no written communication. In oral communication the message has to be passed through a number of people and it is the distortion of the message. ? So WESTECS ® has to create a written communication which includes memos, letters, fax transmissions, electronic mail, instant messaging, organizational periodicals, notices placed on bulletin boards. It is tangible and verifiable. ? In oral communication they should meet each other once in a week. WESTECS ® follows a chain communication network which means that the main decision made by chairperson and then the decision are coming through step by step employees. It is time consuming. WESTECS ® has to follow the all channel communication network that save the time and any employee can connect to each other solve the problems. 4. 0 Replacement Needs RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS: Recruitment is the first step to finding the appropriate job candidates. Through newspaper advertisement they recruit people. In every advertisement job description (document outlining role expectations and requirements for a specific job) should be written. While constructing advertisement Westecs ® have to specify job description. The employment interview has a central role in the selection process. Then do not follow any specific rule to select the candidates. By following below steps they can increase their efficiency in selection process. ? From unstructured interview they have to shift t heir interview process in structured form, where the process will based on job duties, requirement critical for job performance. To find ideal candidates, employer should based four types of questions- situational questions, job knowledge requirements, worker requirements questions and job sample questions. ? For higher level positions, they can include written test and performance. Written tests include tests of intelligence, aptitude, ability, interest and integrity. Behavioral description interview(BDI) is more effective executive for general managers and executive positions ? The two best known performance- simulation tests are work sample tests and assessment centers. Work sample tests creating a miniature replica job to evaluate the performance abilities of job candidates. An assessment center is a set of performance- simulation tests designed to evaluate a candidate’s managerial potential. Training and Development: WESTECS ® does not give any training to the employees. They have to provide a training and development program. Training, which tend to be more narrowly focused and oriented toward short- term performance concerns. Development, which tends to be, oriented more toward broadening an individual’s skills for the future responsibilities. Training and development is the combination of activities used by organizations to increase the skill base of employees. WESTECS ® has to create some training skills that improve their employee’s performance. They are- †¢ Basic literacy skills: They have to provide basic reading and math skills for their employees. †¢ Technical skills: This skill is important for two reasons- new technology and new structural designs. †¢ Interpersonal skills: This includes learning how to be a better listener, how to communicate ideas more clearly and how to be a more effective team player. Problem- solving skills: This would include activities to sharpen their logic, reasoning and problem- defining skills as well as their abilities to assess causation, develop alternatives, analyze alternatives and select solutions. It also introduces self- management teams or implement quality- management program. †¢ Ethics training: It would be effective because it help employees to re cognize ethical dilemmas and to become more aware of the ethical issues underlying their actions and it reaffirms an organization’s expectations that members will act ethically. WESTECS ® has also provide some training method which is classified as formal or informal and on- the- job or off- the- job. †¢ Formal training is planned in advance and has a structured format. †¢ Informal training is unstructured, unplanned and easily adapted to situations and individuals for teaching skills and keeping employees. †¢ On- the- job training includes job rotation, apprenticeships, understudy assignments and formal mentoring programs. But it often disrupts the workplace. †¢ So in that case company has to invest in off- the- job training. Another effective formal training should be individualized to reflect the learning style of the employees. It includes reading, watching, listening and participating. CHAIRMAN MANAGING DIRECTOR Manager Production div. Manager Marketing div Manager Administrative div Manager Finance Accounting div. Staff/ Assistance Staff/ Assistance Quality Control Manager Sales Mgr. Sales Mgr. Marketing Mgr. Officer Officer Of ficer Supervisor Supervisor Staff Staff Staff Staff/ Assistance Staff/ Assistance

Magnetic Reversal of the Earths Poles

Magnetic Reversal of the Earth's Poles In the 1950s, ocean-going research vessels recorded puzzling data based on the magnetism of the ocean floor. It was determined that the rock of the ocean floor had bands of embedded iron oxides that alternately pointed toward geographic north and geographic south. This  was not the first time such confusing evidence had been found. In the early 20th century, geologists had found some volcanic rock was magnetized in a manner opposite to what was expected. But it was the extensive 1950s data that prompted a widespread  investigation, and by 1963 a theory of the reversal of the earths magnetic field was proposed.  It has been a fundamental of earth science ever since. How the Earths Magnetic Field Is Created The earths magnetism is thought to be created by slow movements in the liquid outer core of the planet, which consists largely of iron, caused by the rotation of the earth. Much the way  the rotation of a generator coil creates a magnetic field, the rotation of the liquid outer core of the earth generates a weak electromagnetic field. This magnetic field extends out into space and serves to deflect solar wind from the sun. The generation of the earths magnetic field is a continuous but variable process. There is a frequent change in the intensity of the magnetic field, and the precise location of the magnetic poles can drift. True magnetic north does not always correspond to the geographic North Pole. It also can cause the complete reversal of the earths entire magnetic field polarity. How We Can Measure Magnetic Field Changes Liquid lava, which hardens into rock, contains grains of iron oxides that react to the earths magnetic field by pointing toward the magnetic pole as the rock solidifies. Thus, these grains are permanent records of the location of the earths magnetic field at the time the rock forms. As new crust is created on the ocean floor, the new crust solidifies with its iron oxide particles acting like miniature compass needles, pointing to wherever magnetic north is at the time. Scientists studying the lava samples from the bottom of the ocean could see that the iron oxide particles were pointing in unexpected directions, but to understand what this meant, they needed to know when the rocks formed, and where they were located at the time they solidified out of liquid lava.   The method of dating rock through radiometric analysis has been available since the early 20th century, so it was an easy enough matter to find the age of the rock samples found on the ocean floor.   However, it was also known that the ocean floor moves and spreads over time, and it was not until 1963 that rock aging information was combined with information about how the ocean floor spreads to produce a definitive understanding of where those iron oxide particles were pointing at the time the lava solidified into rock.   Extensive analysis now shows that the earths magnetic field has reversed about 170 times over the last 100 million years. Scientists continue to evaluate data, and there is much disagreement over how long these periods of magnetic polarity last and whether the reversals happen at predictable intervals or are irregular and unexpected. What are the Causes and Effects? Scientists do not really know what causes the reversals of the magnetic field, although they have duplicated the phenomenon in laboratory experiments with molten metals, which also will spontaneously change the direction of their magnetic fields. Some theorists believe that magnetic field reversals may be caused by tangible events, such as tectonic plate collisions or impacts from large meteors or asteroids, but this theory is discounted by others. It is known that leading up to a magnetic reversal, the strength of the field declines, and since the strength of our current magnetic field is now in steady decline, some scientists believe we will see another magnetic reversal in about 2,000 years.   If, as some scientists suggest, there is a period during which there is no magnetic field at all before the reversal occurs, the effect on the planet is not well understood. Some theorists suggest that having no magnetic field will open the earths surface to dangerous solar radiation that potentially might lead to global extinction of life. However, there is currently no statistical correlation that can be pointed to in the fossil record to verify this. The last reversal occurred about 780,000 years ago, and there is no evidence to show that there were mass species extinctions at that time. Other scientists argue that the magnetic field does not vanish during reversals, but merely grows weaker for a time. Although we have at least  2,000 years to wonder about it, if a reversal were to occur today, one obvious effect would be mass disruption to communications systems. Much the way solar storms can affect satellite and radio signals, a magnetic field reversal would have the same effect, though to a much more pronounced degree.

OVARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

OVARY - Essay Example During menstrual cycle there is multiple changes takes place side by side in ovary and uterus therefore on this basis menstrual cycle can be studied separately as ovarian cycle and uterine cycle. Menstrual cycle basically helps to prepare uterus for pregnancy every month and if uterus don’t receive a sperm, all of the changes that has taken place ends up in shedding of uterine epithelium accompanied with bleeding which is known as menstruation. Follicular Phase: During fetal life immature ovum trapped into primordial follicles. At puberty these primordial follicles begin to mature. Follicular phase starts from the end to menstruation, with the maturation of few of the primordial follicles under the influence of follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), releases from anterior pituitary gland. Only one of them reaches full maturity while others remains atretic. Mature follicle at this stage called as Graffin follicle. Griffin follicle is an oval structure having three layers namely from within outside are, granulose cells, Theca Interna and Theca Externa. Follicular fluid fills the whole griffin follicle. Theca Interna is the primary source of estrogen hormone. As the follicle becomes mature it swells up and ready to release ovum. This phase extends from day 1 to day 13 of menstrual cycle. Ovulation: This is the day 14 of the menstrual cycle accompanied by the rupture of matured griffin follicle and the release of ovum in abdominal cavity which is later picked up by the fimbrae in the fallopian tubes to travel to uterine cavity. This phase is due to the raised levels of luteinizing hormone. Luteal Phase: This phase extends from day 14 to day 18 characterized by the conversion of empty griffin follicle in a yellow lipid filled cells called luteal cells and hence corpus luteum. Corpus luteum is the primary source of progesterone which is responsible for of the changes in

Real life research Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Real life research - Coursework Example When a company conducts qualitative research through a focus group, the company is attempting to do research by having the moderator in focus group record everything that is the side in the focus group. The chosen forms of research were the appropriate forms of research for this study. Today focus groups can be conducted on the Internet. If the researchers had done a quantitative study, the researchers would have found out how the customer’s feel about the brand image. A quantitative research study will give researchers a general idea of what a customer thinks about a brand, or a company into. They can’t see the research study on what, how, where, and when. So, into a native research study the researchers could’ve found out what the customer’s like most about the brand, where the customers shop most for the brand and when they shop for it. One can measure the success of the campaign in the sales figures. If the campaign brought in more revenue than prior to the campaign and the campaign is, then determined a success. If the campaign only brought the same amount of revenue as before the campaign would not be so much of a success. However, if the company takes what was and changes the brand, and images the company will undoubtedly become a success

A Woman’s Place Essay Example for Free

A Woman’s Place Essay â€Å"Don’t read so much, he said, don’t study; get yourself good and tired out with homework, take exercise. He believes that her troubles would clear up if she got married. He believes this in spite of the fact that most of his nerve medicine is prescribed for married women. † The primary theme of Meneseteung by Alice Munro is the role of women in times of Victorian traditions and standards. The narrator, who is never identified, explains tasks and qualities that differentiate a real, marriageable woman from an outcast from society. The main character in this story is Almeda Joynt Roth, a respectable woman who has become famous in her small town for her poetry book. She has earned respect and admiration amongst others in the town for her works, but has also been criticized as a woman’s literary ambitions were thought to be hobby rather than vocation. Roth yearns to marry Jarvis Poulter, an idea that the rest of the town supports. Even Roths doctor, who prescribes nerve medicine to help Roth with her sleeplessness, says she would be much happier if she were married. However, Poulter does not find Roth to be a suitable wife and does not pursue her as such because she does not demonstrate the qualities that defined a marriageable woman of the times. The story, then, is not just about the role of women in the society but also about a lonely woman, an outcast of traditional society, and her search for companionship. Roth suffers from insomnia and goes to the doctor to get medication to help with her sleeplessness. The doctor suggests that Roth busies herself with things that are not considered womanly such as studying and writing. Her writing is considered an asset to the community, but not totally accepted as a woman is expected to marry and have a family. The town paper, the Vidette, which contains articles that would often be considered libelous by modern standards considers her young and fit enough to bear children, physically speaking she is marriageable material. The doctor suggests that she wear herself out by performing housewife tasks such as cleaning and exercising so that she may sleep. He also discourages her from reading and writing, as it is not required of her to do these things to ulfill her position in society. He suggests that marriage would solve most of her problems, though the medication he prescribes her is primarily prescribed to married women. The doctor is prescribing a remedy to her problems by becoming a housewife, while also prescribing medication that is given to housewives to treat the very condition she, as a single woman, had come to ameliorate. In the society portrayed in Meneseteung marriage is considered to be a cure-all for many of women’s problems. Why, asks the narrator, has Roth remained unmarried for so long? The narrator suspects that it is partly down to her desolate disposition. A caliginous personality is not one that is considered attractive and people tend to avoid developing social ties to her. Weighed down by burdens such as the loss of her family Roth is a loner with reading, writing, and the hopeless pursuit of Jarvis Poulter as her only aspirations in life and generally just does as she pleases. She dreams of marrying Poulter, an idea that the whole town supports, but he never showed an interest in her as she did not fit the imagine of a marriageable woman of the times. Despite this the narrator portrays Roth to be less of the â€Å"reckless hedonist† and more like a â€Å"tormented artist,† suffering as a result of her art. It is her particularity that makes her an eminent writer, but also not considered suitable to be taken as a wife. Women in this story are portrayed as weak and in need of men. One night, Roth is awoken by a drunk, abused woman at her fence. She is frightened and rushes to Poulter for help, and this is shown as being the first time in the story that she behaves like a typical woman of her time. She is no longer the poised, confident woman that Poulter has come to know her as and is attracted to her desperate vulnerability. Poulter was not attracted to her when she was poised and confident but once he had seen that she was weak, helpless, and in need of him he felt drawn to her as she finally fit the stereotypical image of a woman. Poulter deals with the drunken woman in a cruelly and insensitively and upon seeing this Roth loses interest in him. Poulter asks her to church and she declines and the two never pursue a relationship. Despite being portrayed as weak and in need of men, women are not powerless in marriage. One of a woman’s primary roles is to â€Å"create their husbands† by â€Å"ascribing preferences† to them. â€Å"This way, bewildered, sidelong-looking men are made over, made into husbands, heads of households. † Roth cannot see herself doing this, which urther separates her from the society in which she lives. After her rejection of Poulter’s interests Roth retreats into the vivid aberration brought upon her by the doctor’s nerve medicine and meets her death after becoming the target of menacing youths’ malevolent tormenting. This quote from the doctor, which I have chosen as the most profoundly meaningful, shows the thinking of the times. Women we re to marry to solve their own problems as well as to solve the problems of their husband. This short story is about a woman who is different from the social norm and her search for companionship and stability in her own life, as well as how breaking the norm had its own consequences. Her obsession with reading and writing, which was said to be more suitable as a hobby than profession, set her aside and earned her respect within her community while at the same time driving a wedge between her and a normal life because she did not spend her life marrying, becoming a wife, becoming a mother, and spending her days cleaning and caring for her family like a typical woman of the time. When Roth became vulnerable she became like every other woman and Poulter finally saw her as a possibility for marriage but his actions revolted Roth. The incident with the drunken woman disgusted her into a solitary existence with just her and her hallucinations brought on by the nerve medication prescribed by the doctor. The doctor suggested that by marrying, Roth would not require this medicine despite it being most commonly prescribed for married women. So, then, Almeda Roth could not live with herself as a normal woman yet not being a typical woman is what eventually led to her demise.

Levels of strategic management and their uses

Levels of strategic management and their uses There are three levels of Strategic Management. There is the Corporate Level, the Business level and the Functional Level. These levels are depicted as under: For each level a certain set of questions arises or rather there is a function for each level while framing strategies for the entire business. Corporate Level: What business(es) should the company be in? Business Level : How should the organization compete in the environment? Functional Level: How should the organizations resources be best employed to support its strategy? This article is dedicated to the business level strategies that are being adopted by managers of different firms so that their business has a competitive advantage over their competitors in the highly volatile market. Business Level Strategy The first step for divisional managers is to develop a model thatll allow a company to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors in the market . They must take into consideration the following: STRATEGIC CHOICES Customer needs Product Differentiation Customers needs are changing and the firm must be able to innovate and differentiate their products and services from their competitors. Customer group Market Segmentation A company needs to group customers based on the importance of difference in their need and preference. As such a company has three alternatives: The company may not recognize that different groups have different needs and moves ahead in serving the average customer. The company may choose to market segment into different states and develop a product that suits the needs of each segment. The company can recognize market segments and choose to cater its products and services only to one market segment. Deciding on Distinctive Competencies A company must decide the distinctive competencies it must pursue to satisfy customers needs and groups. In making a business strategy choice, a company must decide how to organize and combine its distinctive competencies to gain a competitive advantage. CHOOSING A GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGY AT THE BUSINESS LEVEL Choosing a generic competitive strategy at the business level implies choosing any of the following approaches: Cost Leadership/ Low cost Differentiation Focus All businesses can pursue regardless of whether they are from the manufacturing sector, service sector, or nonprofit organizations. They can be pursued in different types of industrial environments. Each of the generic strategies results from a companys persistent and consistent choices on its product, the market, and distinctive competencies Overall Cost Leadership Establishing a cost structure that allows a firm to provide goods and services at a lower unit cost than its competitors Strategic Choices The cost leader does not even try to be the innovator The cost leader positions his products to appeal to the minds of the average customer The ultimate goal of a cost leader is to increase his efficiency and lower his costs. Advantages If competitors charge similar prices, the cost leader achieves a much superior profitability The cost leader is able to charge a price lower than his competitors. If there are powerful suppliers , the cost leader is less affected by increase in prices of inputs If there are powerful buyers, the cost leader is less affected by a fall in price of inputs Purchases are done in huge quantities to increase bargaining power over suppliers The ability of reducing price to compete with other substitute products Low prices are a barrier to entry of potential competitors. Disadvantages The competitors may lower their cost. The competitors may copy the cost leaders methods. The overall cost leadership strategy carries a risk that the cost leader, the single minded desire to reduce costs, may lose right to changes in customer tastes. Differentiation Differentiation strategy refers to the differentiated companys ability to satisfy a customers needs. A company must create a product that customers perceive as distinct in an important way If customers pay the higher price charged for a product( higher than the price charged by cost leader), it means that customers believe the product-differentiated qualities to be worth the difference. Strategic Choices Focus on Quality, innovativeness and responsiveness to customer needs Strives to differentiate itself from competitors. Segments the market into many different niches Concentration on the organizational functions that provide the source of differentiation and competitive advantage Advantages Customers become loyal and develop brand loyalty Price increases can be passed on to customers Powerful buyers will be easy to find because the product is distinct and therefore there is increase in revenues. Differentiated products and brand loyalty are barriers to entry of potential competitors. The threat of substitute products is minimized and depends on competitors ability to meet the needs of the customer. Disadvantages It is difficult to maintain a long-term distinctness in the customers eyes. Competitors can quickly imitate the companys products. Application of Patents and first-mover advantage are limited It is difficult to maintain a continuous premium price Overall Cost Leadership Differentiation Strategy There are some businesses that pursue models of the overall cost leader and differentiator simultaneously Strategic Choices Limiting the customer options can reduce the cost of production and marketing costs A company can reduce costs by adopting the JIT inventory model. This inturn improves quality and reliability The internet has proved to be of immense help to marketers as they can engage in e-commerce to advertise and sell their product. These products are often in huge production in countries with low labor costs. Focus Strategy The focus strategy is basically serving the customers needs of specific market segments. The location of specific customers eg: The people from the North-East love to eat pork. Whether the customer is a spend-thrift or is a type of customer who saves. Another differentiation would be in terms of quality seekers. After identifying and choosing a specific market segment, a focused company positions itself using either a Low-cost or differentiation strategy. When a company focuses on one group of customers, it is said that the company is adopting either a focused cost strategy or a focused differentiated strategy. Advantages The focuser is protected from its competitors to the extent that it can cater its products or services that they cant. The buyers cannot get the same thing from others therefore the focuser has power over them. Once brand loyalty has developed in the minds of customers, the new entrants threats is limited Substitutes will pose minimal problem once the customer develops loyalty towards the product. The changing needs of customers are better tracked by the focuser. Disadvantages With regards to powerful suppliers the focuser experiences a disadvantage because it procures in small volume at high costs and therefore cannot pass the cost along to its loyal customers A focuser may have to incur more costs since it is procuring at low volumes It is tough for a focuser to maintain its niche because of changing customers desires and speedy technological changes. Competitors especially the differentiators will try in their best way to compete for the focusers niche that has been developed. Now, let us focus on companies that adopt different business level strategies to gain a competive advantage over their competitors. Coca-Cola The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola) is a manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverages and syrups, including fountain syrups. It manufactures and sells non-alcoholic beverages, carbonated soft drinks and various varieties of non-carbonated beverages. It is operating in every continent namely North America, Africa, South Asia and the Pacific, Europe, South America and Asia, Eurasia and Middle East. Products bearing the Coca-Cola trademark are being marketed in over 200 countries all over the world. This company follows a business level strategy-namely the differentiation strategy. It spends huge amounts of money in promotions and advertisements in order to differentiate their offerings and create a unique image for its cola products. The Coca-Cola company has been successful in differentiating its products from its customers and thereby gains a competitive advantage over them. Amreteck Group Amreteck Group (AG) is a pharma service company that is specializing in arranging investment funds/investors, financing and is supporting different mergers for the pharmaceutical companies in the United States and several countries in South East Asia. Amreteck Group helps companies to export their products in Least Developed Countries (LDC) and also assists in locating local distributors and the products registration process in full completion. Amreteck Group is involved with several local Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies to capitalize on the countrys low cost environment. AG is adopting the overall low cost strategy to find new ways in production cost reduction, new product development that can be manufactured at low cost and marketing managers to search for ways of cost reduction in-order to be able to attract customers. Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation is associated with the automotive industry. Its automotive operations include the design, manufacture, assembly and sale of passenger cars, recreational and sport utility vehicles, minivans and trucks and parts and accessories for these creations. Toyota is pursuing a combined cost leadership and differentiation business level strategy. Toyotas production system is actually the most efficient in the world as reported. This superior efficiency of Toyota gives the company a low cost strategy in the global car industry. Simultaneously Toyota is able to differentiate its products from its competitors. This superiority gives the company a leeway to charge premium prices to its elite models. Nestle Nestlà ©, todays worlds biggest food and beverage company has factories in almost every country in the world. Nestlà ©s existing products grow through continuous innovation and dedicated renovation while maintaining a balance in geographic activities and product lines. Nestles priority is to bring out the best products to people, wherever they are depending on their needs throughout their lives. Nestlà © believes in creating and maintaining a long-term commitment to the health and well being of people in every country in the scope of its operations. Nestle follow the business level strategy-namely the differentiation strategy to reduce the risk of complexity of supply chain and lower attractiveness for discounters. PepsiCo,Inc PepsiCo, Inc. is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world. The companys principal businesses include Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker Foods. Pepsi Co strictly follows the differentiation strategy. Their ability to continuously and sincerely innovate is their competitive advantage. Pepsi looks for opportunities to capitalize on the value of their prestigious brand of products by developing new and innovative products. Pepsi is able to fill consumption gaps, clearly identify the consumers changing needs and contribute to create both healthier and indulgent choices, thus bringing more enjoyment to their lives. Wal-Mart Stores Wal-Mart stores (founded in 1945) are a US retailer and are reportedly the largest retailer in the world as of 2009. This store which was originally started by Sam Walton is grouped into Division One (Discount Stores, Supercenters and Neighborhoods Markets) and SAMs Club. This retailer is pursuing the overall cost strategy to find new ways in reducing the costs of the products that are being displayed in their shelves. Wal-Mart Stores critically negotiates with its suppliers for low priced items to bring forth their Everyday Low Price philosophy. Being a huge market player, Wal-Mart is able to dictate the pricing of products so much so that it led to the bankruptcy of its competitor K-Mart. Its other nearest competitor Target is forced to offer products that were not offered in Wal-Mart because it could not compete with Wal-Marts prices. Wal-Mart Stores is pursuing and adopting its strategy successfully and is able to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors through continuo us low pricing of its products.

How to write an essay? Essay

Writing an essay Define the context of your essay. The context is the scope of the essay. What are you being asked to write about? The context can include multiple parameters including: Topic. Sometimes your teacher or professor will give you a prompt that you’re required to use. If you do get an option to pick your own topic, then choose something that you genuinely want to become an expert about or something you feel passionate about discussing. Format. The length of the essay, the way the pages are put together and the presentation all matter. Follow the rules exactly as your teacher gives them to you so that you don’t lose points. Audience. With whom are you trying to communicate? Do you want to persuade your teacher, your peers or a college admissions committee? You’ll need to tailor your writing to the correct audience. Types of Essays Narrative Narration is telling a story from a certain viewpoint, and there is usually a reason for the telling. All narrative essays will have characters, setting, climax, and most importantly, a plot. The plot is the focus of the story and is usually revealed chronologically, but there are sometimes flash forwards and flash backs. In writing a narrative essay, remember to: Include sensory and emotional details, so the reader will experience the story, not just read about it Have the story support the point you are making, and make reference to that point in the first sentence. Write in the first or third person Descriptive Descriptive essays have text which describes traits and characteristics of people, objects, events, feelings, etc in intricate detail. Whatever is being described will be thoroughly examined. For example, if you were describing roses, you would explain: Where they come from What they look like What colors they are How they grow and smell When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader’s senses and emotions. For example, you could say, â€Å"I got sleepy† or describe it like this, â€Å"As I was waiting for Santa, my eyelids began to get heavy, the lights on the tree began to blur with the green branches, and my head started to drop.† The second sentence gives vivid details to make the reader feel like he is there. Exposition Expository essays can compare, explore and discuss problems, or tell a story. An exposition essay gives information about various topics to the reader. It: Informs Describes Explains In writing an exposition, the text needs to: Be concise and easy to understand Give different views on a subject or report on a situation or event Explain something that may be difficult to understand as you write your essay. Remember that your purpose is to explain. Argumentative In an argumentative essay the writer is trying to convince the reader by demonstrating the truth or falsity of a topic. The writer’s position will be backed up with certain kinds of evidence, like statistics or opinions of experts. The writer is not just giving an opinion, but making an argument for or against something and supporting that argument with data. To know how to write an essay in an argumentative way, you have to research and backup what you say in the text. Learn by Example When learning how to write an essay, sometimes the best way to learn is to look and analyze essay examples. Following are excerpts from narrative essays: â€Å"Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather difficult to pick on that leaves me with the fabled â€Å"warm and fuzzy feelings.† As the daughter of an Air Force Major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I have visited the monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest, stood on the edge of the Grande Canyon  and have jumped on the beds at Caesar’s Palace in Lake Tahoe.† â€Å"The day I picked my dog up from the pound was one of the happiest days of both of our lives. I had gone to the pound just a week earlier with the idea that I would just â€Å"look† at a puppy. Of course, you can no more just look at those squiggling little faces so filled with hope and joy than you can stop the sun from setting in the morning. I knew within minutes of walking in the door that I would get a puppy†¦ but it wasn’t until I saw him that I knew I had found my puppy.† â€Å"Looking for houses was supposed to be a fun and exciting process. Unfortunately, none of the ones that we saw seemed to match the specifications that we had established. They were too small, too impersonal, too close to the neighbors. After days of finding nothing even close, we began to wonder: was there really a perfect house out there for us?† The following is an example of a famous narrative written by John Updike, â€Å"Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu†: â€Å"The afternoon grew so glowering that in the sixth inning the arc lights were turned on–always a wan sight in the daytime, like the burning headlights of a funeral procession. Aided by the gloom, Fisher was slicing through the Sox rookies, and Williams did not come to bat in the seventh. He was second up in the eighth. This was almost certainly his last time to come to the plate in Fenway Park, and instead of merely cheering, as we had at his three previous appearances, we stood, all of us, and applauded.† Following are excerpts from descriptive essays: â€Å"Like his twisted feathers, his many scars, the reliable old owl chose the gnarled, weather-beaten, but solid branch often—it being a companion to the wise alone with the night and the last branch to creak in the heaviest wind. He often came to survey the fields and the clouds before his hunt, to listen to the steady sound of the stream passing through reeds under the bridge, while combing his feathers for the unwanteds—whatever they might be.† Here is a descriptive essay about a first visit to a favorite diner written by a student at Roane State Community College:†When entering the door at Lou’s, two things are immediately noticeable: the place is rarely empty and seems to consist of a maze of rooms. The first room, through the door, is the main part of the restaurant. There is another, rarely used, dining room off to the right. It was added during the oil well boom of the seventies. Through the main dining room is yet another room; it guards the door leading into  the kitchen. This room contains the most coveted table in the place. The highest tribute Lou can bestow on anyone is to allow them access to seats at this table. This table is the family table; it is reserved for Lou’s, and her daughter Karen’s, immediate family and treasured friends.†

Blackwater in Pakistan Essay

According to the article â€Å"Blackwater (Xe): The Secret US War in Pakistan†, written by: Andrew Hobbs, Kelsea Arnold, Brittney Gates, Elaine Wellin and Peter Phillips, within a covert forward operating base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), members of the elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they target suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives inside and outside of Pakistan. They write about how the CIA doesn’t have the resources to have a secret operative plan so they enlisted Blackwater to do their dirty work. Blackwater said that they did not have any operations in Pakistan, other than the one employee that is performing construction oversight for the US government. But Blackwater’s founder, Erik Prince, told Vanity Fair that Blackwater works with US Special Forces in identifying targets and planning missions. A former senior executive of Blackwater even confirmed that Blackwater is in fact working with the CIA and JSOC. In 2009, there were reports that the CIA agency director, Leon Panetta, had cancelled any affiliation with Blackwater. He stated that they were two separate â€Å"beasts†, the CIA and Blackwater, and that Blackwater was a parallel operation to the CIA. But having stated all of that, Blackwater is real and there have been reports and footage of Blackwater operations in Pakistan to this very day. The Blackwater operations have first been noted in 2007 and there hasn’t been any physical evidence that their operations in Pakistan have been shut down. In the heart of a base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command, there lies an operation run by Blackwater. Blackwater runs a covert ops-type operation to plan assassinations on suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives in and out of Pakistan. They, Blackwater, state that they do not have any operations inside of Pakistan while there is plenty of evidence that they are in fact in Pakistan and operation with the CIA. Erik Prince, Blackwater’s founder, even told Vanity Fair that Blackwater was working with the US Special Forces. He stated that Blackwater was helping the US Special Forces by identifying targets and planning missions. Vanity Fair even published a photo of a Blackwater base near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. This also contradicts the statement that Captain John Kirby, the spokesperson for Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a newspaper called the Nation, that they don’t have any contracts to do that work for them. They don’t contract that kind of work out. They rather do it themselves. Blackwater was trying to cover up what they were doing in Pakistan. Blackwater previously stated that they do not have any other operatives working in Pakistan other than the one overseeing construction for the US Government. What Erik Prince said to Vanity Fair contradicts the whole statement. He stated that Blackwater has some affiliation with the US Special Forces. The JSOC, which has a base in Pakistan, is part of the US Special Forces. One would reason that if Blackwater has some ties with the US Special Forces, they would be working with the JSOC as well. A former senior executive confirmed that Blackwater is in fact working in Pakistan for the CIA and JSOC. He also confirmed that Blackwater has a facility in Karachi and has personnel stationed elsewhere within the borders of Pakistan. Leon Panetta, the CIA agency director, said that the CIA has cancelled any affiliation with Blackwater. This means they had some affiliation to begin with. Something was going on in Pakistan, and Blackwater was somewhere in the mix. By stating that the CIA had canceled their affiliation with Blackwater, he basically said that the CIA had worked with Blackwater. But even if he said that they had canceled working together, there is no physical proof that they stopped operation together. There have been mountains of proof showing that Blackwater is in Pakistan while there are none about Blackwater leaving Pakistan. Vanity Fair published a statement by Blackwater’s founder and a photo of Blackwater in Pakistan. Proof that Blackwater left? None. There is no benefit of doubt when it comes to war, so same goes to this. Blackwater’s first contact with the CIA dates back to 2002. The covert program in Pakistan dates back to 2007. While Blackwater’s presence is not really visible, it’s basically Blackwater through JSOC. Blackwater’s operations in Pakistan are not done through the State Department contracts or publicly identified defense contracts so they stay on the down-low. Two separate beasts. † That’s what CIA agency director Leon Panetta says about Blackwater and the CIA. The evidence is against him, however. Blackwater’s presence in Pakistan is showing, even if the CIA and Blackwater are trying to hide it. There are cracks in their defense. Blackwater’s founder even contradicted himself by stating that Blackwater was working with the US Special Forces. There is a photo in Vanity Fair of a Blackwater base stationed in Pakistan. A former senior executive of Blackwater confirmed all of this and more. He said that Blackwater was working in Pakistan for the CIA and JSOC. He also said that they had a faculty in Karachi and personnel stationed elsewhere in Pakistan. The covert program in Pakistan dates back to 2007, so there is documentation of Blackwater being in Pakistan. There is so much proof against just some â€Å"he said, she said† statements. Blackwater is alive and kicking in Pakistan. Blackwater is just trying to hide itself from the public eye. There is no use for them to hide, the world knows they’re there.

Infrastructure Developments Essays - Hong Kong, Geography Of China

Infrastructure Developments Essays - Hong Kong, Geography Of China Infrastructure Developments The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) link roads of Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao The HZMB is of special strategic value in further enhancing the economic development of Hong Kong, Macao and the Western Pearl River Delta region (Western PRD). It will significantly reduce the cost and time for travellers and for the flow of goods between Hong Kong and the Western PRD, accelerating the economic integration of the PRD and its neighbouring provinces, and increasing its competitiveness. Construction of the project has started in December 2009 for completion in 2017. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) will be 26-km long, running from the terminus in West Kowloon to Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou with significantly reduced journey time. More importantly, it will become part of the 16,000 km national high-speed rail network now being developed in full steam, fostering closer economic ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. Upon completion of the railway, the travelling time from Hong Kong to Beijing and Shanghai will be shortened to about 10 and 8 hours respectively. Construction of the project has commenced for completion in 2018. Besides the cross-boundary endeavours, the government has undertaken other large-scale infrastructure projects to improve the local transportation system, promote long-term development for arts and culture, and provide quality living space to citizens. As to the extension of the mass transit railway system, the West Island Line, the Kwun Tong Line Extension and the South Island Line (East) have been opened; while the Shatin to Central Link is expected to complete in 2021. The government has also announced the Railway Development Strategy 2014, providing a framework for planning the further expansion of Hong Kong's railway network up to 2031 to cover areas inhabited by about 75% of the total population and about 85% of job opportunities. Besides, a cruise terminal has been developed at the former Kai Tak Runway, with two alongside berths, well equipped with supporting facilities to accommodate the concurrent berthing of two mega cruise vessels (with gross tonnage of up to 220,000). As the busiest cargo gateway and one of the 10 passenger airports in the world, the Hong Kong International Airport needs an expansion since the existing two-runway system will reach its full capacity soon, according to the Hong Kong Airport Authority. The construction of the Three-runway System has started in 2016 for completion in 2024, with the commissioning of the new runway expected in 2022. Turning to the port, the government has released findings of the Study on the Strategic Development Plan for Hong Kong Port 2030 and the Preliminary Feasibility Study for Container Terminal 10 at Southwest Tsing Yi. The findings reveal that container throughput in Hong Kong will continue to see growth in the coming years. In order to cope with a projected future increase in throughput up to 2030, it is necessary to enhance the handling capacity of the existing container terminals and related infrastructural facilities, which include upgrading Stonecutters Island Public Cargo Working Area to a modern container handling facility for ocean-going or river trade vessels, enabling the River Trade Terminal to become a terminal for both ocean-going and river trade vessels, providing additional barge berths at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals to relieve congestion caused by the increase of river cargo throughput, and making better use of land and other facilities around the terminals to enh ance operational efficiency and accommodate future growth in transhipment. HKSAR Transport and Housing Bureau. (2008). Study on Transport Linkage between Hong Kong and Pearl River West. Retrieved from thb.gov.hk/eng/policy/transport/issues/cbt_3.htm HKSAR Highways Department. (2010). Project Benefits-Transportation. Retrieved from hzmb.hk/eng/benefits_transportation.html Brian, G. (1987). Built Environment , Vol. 13, No. 2, Tourism and Regional Development, pp. 68-72 HKSAR Highways Department. (2010). Project Benefits-Economic. Retrieved from hzmb.hk/eng/benefits_economic.html

International Relations Term Paper Writing Guide

International Relations Term Paper Writing Guide International relations is a broad subject area with interrelated topics focusing on politics, economics, sociology, anthropology, and human rights, among others. Suppose this semester’s units in international relations focus on politics and economics, your professor is likely to assign you term paper assignments that require you to analyze international relations from a specific angle or examine the causes and effects of current events, trends, and policies. Therefore, your international relations paper should focus on choosing the right theme for the term paper to ensure you develop a high-quality international relations assignment. Your professor may assign you a term paper to assess your ability to grasp content, your level of understanding of concepts in international relations, your ability to synthesize theories in international relations studies, and your level of using concepts for applicability purposes. If your assigned term paper focuses on the analysis of internat ional relations, your lecturer may require you to analyze the relations between two economic regions or countries. In case of the latter, your analysis may focus on a discussion of the entire international system, patterns of current military alliances, or the distribution of power across regions. International relations essay topics focus on the interaction between nations and other social, political, and economic dynamics that affect interactions between countries. Regardless of this semesters area of concentration in your international relations field of study, understanding the common and most essential elements in writing your term papers is important. Term papers involve a wide range of mechanics and dynamics that should be met in every single writing. This guide provides you with significant international relations term paper writing prompts and tips on how to select topics for your international relations term paper, basic pre-writing tips, the importance of thesis statements and how to formulate them, and the recommended structure of a term paper. Follow the guidelines to ensure you meet your professor’s expectations and adhere to term paper writings recommendations. Basic Term Paper Pre Writing Tips Most students think that composing their term paper is the hardest part of the writing process. You may be among this lot and you are probably wondering from where to start your writing process. This guideline provides six practical prewriting steps that you need to consider before you begin writing your international relations term paper. The discussed steps will become vital the higher you go in your education ladder and will help you improve your writing skills tremendously. Free your mind of any stressful events and occurrences. Term paper assignments give students intense stress because of the need to perform well in the paper, lack of adequate time, and inadequate knowledge of the term paper writing process. In this case, take a moment to breathe your anxiety out and to ensure you are focused on your term paper research and writing process. Plan ahead. An effective term paper will require a lot of planning. The planning is multifaceted because it involves planning the topic you will write about, the ideas you need to incorporate in your paper, and the sources that will justify your claims. Besides planning the topic you are going to write about, you should create a timeline to give you benchmarks to help you to stay on schedule. Brainstorm. Before you settle on one idea or a single topic for your term paper, take time to think of ideas in international relations that interest you. Thinking of current events, gaps in literature, and explore lecturer notes to open your mind to new possibilities that may form part of your term paper. Any ideas that come to your mind, in this step, are important and should be considered for evaluation. Explore your ideas. The brainstormed ideas form an important start to your research process. You may need to conduct preliminary research based on your ideas to develop appropriate topics for your term paper, develop useful ideas and arguments, and identity sources you may need to support claims you make in the term paper. A simple online research or review of international relations books and journals may help you generate topics and term paper ideas. Make an outline. Outlining refers to mapping out your ideas and arguments in a logical manner. The outline will ensure your ideas are presented coherently and bring out an appropriate structure and content for your term paper. Besides, it will help ensure that your drafting process proceeds smoothly and your term paper is concise and coherent. Step Away. Preparation for the term paper writing process and the actual compilation should occur separately. In this case, take at least an hour after constructing your ideas into a draft. Stepping away provides you with objectivity and a fresh attitude that allows to visualize errors you might have made when defining your ideas, selecting a topic, or crafting your draft. Appropriate Methods to Select a Topic for Your International Relations Essay Brainstorm for ideas. Select a topic that interests you. You may need to respond to the following questions to help you generate ideas for your international relations topic. Do I have a strong opinion on a current issue affecting international relations? Have I encountered recent news feeds that have piqued my interest or made me anxious about certain aspects of international relations? Do I have a personal issue or interest that I would explore in the field of study? Is there an aspect of the international relations class that I am interested in learning more about? Research background information. Once you have generated your ideas, it is time to conduct research on background information concerning your ideas. In this case, you can read journal articles on two or three topics you are considering. You could also search for information on the internet or discuss with peers about current issues affecting chosen aspects of international relations. Conducting research provides you with a summary that enables you to obtain an overview of the topic and see how your generated ideas relate to broader issues. You may also find words that are commonly used to describe an international relations topic. Focus on the topic. Focusing on a topic occurs after you have settled on a probable term paper topic. You should focus the identified subject matter by keeping it manageable in a way that it is not too narrow or too broad. If the topic is too broad, you can use geographical, time, discipline, or population limiters to narrow it down. Conversely, use expanders based on timelines, specific areas of study, population, or region to broaden the topic. Define your topic as a focused research question. Formulate research questions that will guide you when searching for information on the chosen research topic. The research questions not only help in identifying aspects of the topic that should be incorporated on a topic but also help in analyzing the direction your term paper is likely to take. The next step involves formulating a thesis statement. Tips from Our Writers to Help Your Formulate a Thesis Statement for Your Term Paper The thesis statement of your term paper should tell the intended audience how your paper will interpret the significance of the international relations subject matter under discussion. It should also provide a roadmap for the entire paper; this implies that it should tell the reader what to expect from the term paper. If your term paper topic is based on a question, the thesis statement should provide direct answers to the question. A thesis is: Often an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. One that makes a claim that others might dispute. Is one or two sentences sentence at the end of your conclusion. Writing a thesis statement is a lengthy process that occurs after you have developed an argument on any topic, collected and organized evidence, and looked for possible relationships between known facts. Once you have gathered all the necessary information, you can now develop a working thesis. However, you can alter the thesis statement along the way when necessary. Besides, a thesis statement should be strong enough to convince the reader and achieve the objective of your term paper. To evaluate the strength of your term paper, you should ask the following questions. Does my thesis statement answer the study questions? Ensure you re-read the question prompt for your term paper after constructing the thesis statement to maintain the focus of the paper. Does my thesis statement present a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis statement simply states facts, it is not strong enough. It should not also provide facts that cannot be challenged or disagreed with. Is my thesis statement specific enough? Your thesis statements should not be too vague. If it is too vague, try making it specific by limiting its scope or explaining why you take a certain position. Does my thesis statement pique the reader’s interest? Does my thesis statement pass the â€Å"how and why?† criteria? If you feel your readers may ask they why and how questions after reading the thesis statement, then it is too open-ended and lacks appropriate guidance. How To Structure Your International Relations Term Paper The main elements that make up a term paper’s structure include an introduction, body, and conclusion. Introduction. Many students, even the seasoned writers, struggle when writing the introduction part of their term papers. The question that lingers on their mind is â€Å"in what way do I write term paper introduction?† This is an important question since the introduction is an important part that captures the interest of the reader and provides an overview of the paper. Several aspects should be considered before working on your term paper. They include: The background information for your paper and the appropriate literature review. The general statement of the research and discussion issue, as well as the purpose of your work. The thesis statement, which is the last and the most significant sentence of the introduction part. Working definitions for terms that may not be common in the international relations field of study. The general background information provided in the introduction provides a brief summary of what has already been done on the chosen international relations topic and shows the gaps in research that you intend to fill. The introduction should be clear and precise and should constitute at least 10% of the term paper. However, the length may vary depending on the term paper topic, its scope, and its length. Body. The body section is the most extended part of the term paper. It presents the paper’s arguments and provides facts, statistics, and information that serves as supporting evidence for the provided claims. The logical organization of body paragraphs is of uttermost importance in a term paper. Each paragraph presents an important theme or argument and should begin with a topic sentence. If your term paper is long, the body section can be subdivided using subheadings based on thematic topics. However, the subheadings should not be abrupt. Rather, they should provide a smooth transition from one section to another. Conclusion. The conclusion is the last main part of a term paper as it provides a summary and evaluation of the whole work and states how the work can benefit from further investigations. You should restate your thesis statement using different words and make any necessary inferences that conclude your paper. Recommendations are often necessary for international relations term papers. If your paper requires one, you can input recommendations at the conclusion section or you can present them as stand-alone texts. Post-Writing Tips The post writing tips in any term paper refer to review of the paper to ensure it is free of errors. You should conduct your review at the word, sentence, and paragraph level to ensure you have accurate wording, appropriate sentence structures, and effective presentation of paragraphs in a coherent and logical manner. A different aspect of proofreading involves referencing; in this regard, ensure you cite any borrowed sources you use in your term paper.

XYZ Counseling Agency Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

XYZ Counseling Agency - Case Study Example This is evident from the fact that the company has employed a policy that categorically prohibits any kind of violence. Employees at XYZ Counseling Agency who have violated these rules in the past have been disciplined, but no employee’s services have been terminated for such conduct. Given that XYZ Counseling Agency does not discriminate against employees on the basis of sex, religion, race, age, or sexual orientation, employees are expected not to create an offensive, hostile or threatening environment (Szwajkowski, 1996). The company also believes in providing the highest standards of customer relationship and earns its clients by providing superior services and not through unethical, problematic or offensive business practices. XYZ Counseling Agency believes in developing credibility with its clients by meeting its commitments. The company recognizes that if commitments are not met, client trust is damaged. The fact that Chuck was hired as an anger management consultant implies that he was expected to set an example by keeping his temper in control instead of behaving in the manner that he did not only with Wilbur but also with another client a week ago, whom he had grabbed by the arm. The company is a counseling agency and any instance of such behavior will create negative propaganda that will do immense damage to its credibility in the market. Beating up a client during a counseling session is not acceptable under any circumstances, especially when the very purpose of his visit to the center is to get relief from the emotional or psychological hardships that he is suffering from. Instead of being empathetic with the client for his weak emotional state, Chuck chose to beat up Wilbur, who is a client that the company is obliged to treat with utmost concern and empathy. Given that XYZ Counseling Agency has a  specific policy in place against violence and all employees are signatory to such policies at the time of being hired, the  company is within its legal rights to terminate Chuck’s services with immediate effect. It is apparent that Chuck has a past record of engaging in violence at the workplace, which is evident from the fact that he was fired from a counseling job five years ago for having become violent with a client.

The affect of income and family structure on child education in the Annotated Bibliography

The affect of income and family structure on child education in the United States between 2000 and 2014 - Annotated Bibliography Example There is a direct correlation between attaining good education and raising the socioeconomic status of a family. This can be explained by a simple example of Ivy League Colleges. Ivy League colleges are most expansive colleges throughout the world and the fact is the graduates of these colleges are most sought after and are the highest paid employees. People having low socioeconomic status cannot go to these colleges similarly, they cannot raise their socioeconomic status by the rate the graduates of these colleges can. For the people who have low socioeconomic status, the mandatory provisions for a child are food, clothing and shelter; education is not mandatory but a secondary provision, if, allowed by the income of the parents. Another factor whether may or may not effect child education is the family structure. Family structure means the orientation of the family, whether the family is supported by single parent or both the parents are supporters. It also includes a blended family which is stepchildren and biological children living under one roof. Ginther and Pollak did a research in 2004 by analyzing the data obtained by NLSY (National Longitudinal Survey of Youth) and PSID (Panel Study of Income Dynamics) to examine the effect of family structure on child’s education. They concluded that family structure has no substantial effect on child’s education; the educational outcomes were same for single parent families, two-parent families and blended families. They concluded that in blended families the mother is the balanced entity who distributes all resources equally in her children, even if the father in the unequal distributor of the resources between his step children and biological children. Nuclear families are traditional families and the parents almost always distribute the resources equally between the children. In this research, many factors such as stress and