Optical Distortions, Inc. Case Study Essay

A contact lens for chickens invented by Optical Distortion, Inc, is probably an amazing tool for farmers to handle their chickens easily. A chicken wearing the ODI lenses has its vision reduced enough to obtain the good behaviors the farmers expected. These good behaviors would significantly reduce cannibalism, which is the main reason for high mortality among chickens. Assuming that a farmer with 20,000 chickens(The target market of ODI lenses is farms which have at least 10,000 birds), he would save 0.21/2*20,000=$2100 per year(Exhibit5)by decreasing allocation for replacing dead birds(the chicken mortality due to cannibalism can be reduced from 9% for debeaked chickens to 4.5% for wearing ODI lenses chickens). Furthermore, reducing chickens’ vision can also lead less trauma and greater egg production efficiency. Another discovery ODI made has promoted the value of lenses as well. ODI lenses had the potential of reducing a farmer’s feed cost. If the depth of feed in troughs goes down from 2’’ to 1’’, 100 birds would reduce 0.78 pounds(i.e. 24.46 pounds – 23.68 pounds)chicken feed per day. Assuming 20,000 birds remaining the same, the expected value of reducing feed cost would help the farmer save 20,000/100*0.78=156 pounds per day. Since $158 per ton=158/2205=$0.072 per pound for chicken feed, this would represent considerable saving of 156*0.072*365=$4080 per year. In order to figure out the expected value of the lenses to farmers, we should also calculate the cost of using ODI lenses assuming 20,000 birds. ODI decided to price the lenses on minimum of $0.08 per pair or $20 per box of 250 pairs. Also, farmers would pay 0.14+0.18=$0.32 per box for packing, order processing and shipping cost. Because a farmer with 20,000 chickens need 20,000/250=80 boxes, the total cost for purchasing ODI lenses is (0.32+20)*80=$1626.(Suppose ODI lenses could be reused for a whole year, and it is unnecessary to figure out insertion cost due to approximately the same labor costs between debeaking and insertion.) It is not difficult to find the change of â€Å"cash flow† after accessing to ODI lenses. â€Å"cash inflow† is 2100+4080=$6180 per year. â€Å"cash outflow† is $1626 per year.

Keynesian school of Macroeconomic

Keynesian school of Macroeconomic thought appeals to me the most. Therefore, it is necessary to outline its main ideas related to monetary and fiscal policy. It is important to know that this theory is based on ideas of famous British economist John Keynes and it is rooted in the 20th century. Keynesian economy claims that mixed economy is the best type of managing fiscal and monetary policies, where special attention is paid to private sector and state. Keynesians doesn’t think that both state and private sector should operate on their own and, therefore, their policy differs significantly from laissez-faire economy. Such idea is the most appealing to me, because I think that every sector should be under thorough control. (Blinder 2003)The next moment to mention is that Keynesians believe macro-level trends are able to dominate over the micro-level of individual behavior. In contrast to classical theory, Keynesians promote an idea that aggregate demand for good is of great im portance in economy and is its main driving force. Speaking about fiscal and monetary policies, Keynesians aim at raising saving in order to lower the demand for labor and products. For example, they stated that there were many ways for the government to ensure effective management of national economy.Instead of paying attention to unbalanced budgets, Keynesian theory suggests countercyclical fiscal policies, â€Å"which acted against the tide of the business cycle: deficit spending when a nation’s economy suffers from recession or when recovery is long-delayed and unemployment is persistently high†. (Blinder 2003) Therefore, the government should solve short-term problems. Also Keynesians think that fiscal stimulus or deficit spending may actuate production. Rather interesting idea is that government should be complementary. And fiscal expansion is possible only in case of slack in labor market.However, Keynesian theory is criticized because of unbalanced view of mone tary policy. For example, it is suggested that their approach to economy is rather collectivist which requires centralized planning and, in such a way, it may lead to totalitarian abuses. Keynesians are more concerned with considerations instead of executing. (Blinder 2003)ReferencesBlinder, Alan. (2003). Keynesian Economics. Retrieved February 15, 2007, from http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/KeynesianEconomics.html

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Summary - Essay Example Also, it is claimed by nationalists that Canadian TV shows are more multifaceted and nuanced. The formation of CBC in 1929 was in response to Royal Commission’s stand that Canadian national identity should have a strong presence on airwaves (radio). A report in 1951 by The Royal Commission on National Development warned dependence on imported programs2. I find it irrational when nationalists compare the best of Canadian programs with the worst of lowbrows in US. A proposal is made of Canada television to be part of ‘middlebrow’3. The idea is that Canadian programs need not be of ‘great’ moral ranking but ‘good’ will suffice so long it can meet the target of satisfying Canadian audience. I find it quite practical and promising. However, for decades, Canadian television even could not meet the objective of good ranking. Even the most professional Canadian series looks quite amateur in comparison to their Hollywood counterparts. Canada has o ffered quite a number of interesting partnerships to HBO as it grew in popularity.

Social Anxiety Disorder Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Anxiety Disorder - Annotated Bibliography Example Social anxiety has a potential of mutating from the initial condition to social phobia which provides a complicated aspect in providing an appropriate treatment. The source establishes the negative consequences of social anxiety and the various aspects that lead to the manifestation of the condition. Consequently, the source puts into perspective the aggressive tendencies that worsen social anxiety. The source effectively discredits shyness to some extent and gives prominence to aggressiveness in causing social disorder. Social anxiety disorder has a number of challenges that are of economic and social nature. The source provides an understanding of the extent to which the disorder causes financial burdens and social disenfranchisement of the people affected. The source provides a discussion on the different issues that constitute social anxiety and the various assessment methods that are employed in correctly diagnosing the disorder. Moreover, the text elaborates on the extent to which social anxiety disorder is sometimes underdiagnosed and the appropriate treatment approaches employed. The marketing journal provides various perspectives that relate to the encounters individuals undergo when selling products. The journal explores the role of fear in causing anxiety in so far as marketing is

The Big Brother Metaphor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Big Brother Metaphor - Essay Example A big brother is to be the representative of the parents in regulating the actions of his siblings to avoid any wrongdoing being committed or any harm befalling them. In the family set-up, the big brother's role goes into action in the absence of the parents. In most cases, big brothers provide protection to their siblings and are always on the watch. In order for them to provide security and protection to their siblings, they would have to be in constant surveillance. They monitor the actions and the whereabouts of their siblings as part of their responsibilities being the eldest male sibling. Thus, a big brother metaphor pertains to the characteristics of a concept which is similar to the actions or roles of the familial big brother at home. Any action involving the same functions or tasks of the eldest male sibling in terms of regulating and monitoring the actions of his other siblings, can be referred to as a big brother metaphor. Surveillance or the monitoring of the actions, responses and reactions of people is considered a big brother metaphor as the purpose of observing people is to check and regulate actions, attitudes and behaviors, as well as to apprehend those who have opposed the set rules and conditions. This surveillance exists in practically all the fields of society in various degrees and magnitude. It exists in politics or government, in public and private corporations, in public utility venues, in schools, in malls and supermarkets and at home. The degree of monitoring varies because of the different purposes and reasons behind the surveillance. The specific purposes or goals may be different, but the general aim is to capture data and images at instances when the targets or those who are monitored are the least suspecting. These instances provide the most natural reactions and tendencies of people which could give way to their true intentions and attitudes. These captured or gathered data and images serve as the basis for formulating means of evaluation or further control. The big brother metaphor is a model for decreasing the privacy of a person or an entity. The invasion of privacy issue or the rights of a person to privacy is an adversary of the big brother concept. In the concept of the big brother metaphor, surveillance is oftentimes done in secrecy to catch the person off-guard or to eliminate any kind of defense. The gathering of information is oftentimes without the knowledge of the person being checked. The person may contest that his or her privacy has been trespassed but privacy laws have excluded certain industries or entities from liabilities. Companies may conduct background checks on newly hired employees, problematic employees, up-for-promotion employees and even those who have or are planning to resign. These background checks serve as a security for the companies in case of future problems arising from the employment of a person, and they serve as bases for hiring or maintaining employees whose personal data are acceptable to the stan dards of the company. The big brother metaphor is also very crucial in the prevention of crimes, with the help of technology. Surveillance through equipment like video cameras, microphones, bugs and audio recorders among others, are important means of crime prevention. Satellites and other more sophisticated technology aid the

Differentiated Instruction in Elementary Math Research Paper

Differentiated Instruction in Elementary Math - Research Paper Example This leaves the teacher with a need to fulfill their educational requirements while tackling a disability or learning capability issue within the classroom. It is here that I will cover what research has proven to be effective, some examples that I have ascertained and how I can implement them in my own classroom setting. There are multiple researches that have been done in regard to differentiated instruction, but I will only be focusing on the examples of what has been shown to be effective and what appeals to me within this research. Keywords Differentiated instruction, interdisciplinary teaching, integrated learning, thematic learning, Universal Design for Learning, Multiple Intelligence Theory, IQ test. Differentiated Instruction Currently, there are more than 4 million students that lack grade-level proficiency in reading and mathematics. One reason for this is their need for individualized instruction, supplementation and modifications to ensure proper cognitive access within the general education curriculum. This need is rarely met, as teachers do not have the training that they need to ensure these lower functioning students are able to benefit from the instruction provided. Part of this issue is that students are coming from increasingly diverse backgrounds, in which the expectations of their parents and the normalcy within the community are at odds with the current schooling methods (Lapkoff &Li, 2007). These current schooling methods are ineffective to a large number of students, because of their diversity, ethnically, culturally and cognitively. These are the students that fall through the cracks, due to the standard approach to education. This, in turn, causes higher rates of drop outs, poorer performance on standardized testing and lower graduation rates. (Lipsky, 2005). The solution is differentiated instruction. According to Tomlinson (2004) differentiated instrcution is â€Å"ensuring what a student learns, how he/she learns it, and how the s tudent demonstrates what he/she has learned is a match for that student’s readiness level, interests and preferred mode of learning.† Literature Review This is particularly important in regards to students with cognitive disabilities. An educator that provides their students with a reduced emphasis on whole-class instruction and an increase in the use of peer-assisted learning, has been shown to heighten students learning abilities, whether considered gifted or not. There have been many studies that also verify the fact that differentiated instruction works much more efficiently than other forms of instruction, but show the reasons why this is not implemented in many schools. They are simply the demands of the teachers themselves to follow a set curriculum and learning sets within a given period of time, leaving many students behind. This has given birth to a creative solution called REACH (Rock, et al., 2008). This type of interdisciplinary teaching is used to highligh t the steps necessary for implementation of differentiated instruction. The acronym stands for: Reflect on will and skill; Evaluate the curriculum; Analyze the learners; Craft research-based lessons; and Hone in on the data. It is imperative that the educator take these steps to seriously

Skills and Strengths of a Nutritionists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Skills and Strengths of a Nutritionists - Essay Example Service orientation is the third skill that is necessary for any nutritionist (Anthony, 2006). Whereas employment is based on how much is offered for the position, it is equally necessary for one to be motivated by the desire to serve that the hunger to gain wealth. A needier place is the hospital where the patients feel helpless and their life lies deeply on your hand to serve them without having to consider what you get out of it. As a nutritionist is such a setting, one should be actively looking for a way to offer help to other people. My driving force has always been the desire to serve others and not the gains associated with my service. This skill suits me for a hospital where I will be in a better position to help others who are in need. Fourth is time management which involves managing both one's time and that of others. A chain of activities occurs in a hospital which calls for the need to properly manage one's time so that one does not inconvenience others. A proper time s chedule should be laid down and be followed strictly to improve the efficiency of service. Speaking is also a necessary strength in this practice (Proper, 2009). This skill enables one to convey information to others by talking to them. Speaking to people gives one a platform to convince them to do what is right. In speaking, a nutritionist is able to give advice to both the medical professionals, patients and their families. I have demonstrated a proven ability to effectively communicate verbally to people.

Macro8C Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macro8C - Essay Example In order to close this gap, the governments needs to take some expansionary fiscal policy i.e. increase government spending and/or reduce taxes. If only government spending is to be considered, At the end of your presentation, the president decides that any change in government expenditures would be politically unpopular at the moment, so she asks you how she might solve the same problem with a tax change instead. What change in taxation will you recommend? Be specific and show all of your work. Since there is a recessionary gap, the government would need to reduce the taxes. An increase in tax would mean lesser income available to spend. As the goal is to increase aggregate demand, taxes would need to be reduced. Cutting taxes will increase disposable income, which will stimulate consumption with multiplier effects & expanding output and employment. This implies that taxes need to be reduced by an amount of $ 500 in order to close the recessionary gap. So, it takes a larger deficit to get the same stimulus with a tax cut than it would with increased government spending. Suppose that a balanced budget amendment forces the president to match each dollar increase in government spending with an equal offsetting dollar increase in taxation, and each dollar decrease in federal spending with an equal decrease in taxes. Would fiscal policy be weakened, or even rendered useless, by such a law? Why or why not? The fiscal policy is not rendered useless as there is still change in GDP. If we look at the overall effect, the balanced budget multiplier allows us to close the gap without an increased deficit or decreased surplus. If, however, the recessionary gap to be closed is large, it would imply that the government needs to increase spending by a large amount, and also increase taxes by an equally large amount. This may not be very popular with the people and the government may be reluctant to enforce such a measure due to political

Globalization and Culture Global Mlange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization and Culture Global Mlange - Essay Example He explores the culture thoroughly as the geological barriers have been removed by the technology and migration of people today. He started off with the definition of globalization which may differ from the common meaning of it. Other people consider globalization to be a single perspective only wherein the main focus is on the business side or the expansion of the corporate world. In reality, globalization is a multidimensional process wherein culture, politics, economics and social dynamics are all factors that shape the face of globalization. They may all differ from one another and can be very distinct, but they all mingle and affect globalization (Pieterse 14). The changes then bring about the huge impact on the culture of people around the world. Pieterse particularly focused on culture as it contains the values, beliefs, and norms of people that affect the social dynamics. He then attacks the current cultural change with a concept of mà ©lange as he distinguished it from the common perspectives of multicultural existence like homogenization and clash of the civilizations. Homogenization, as the word implies, pertains to the oneness or uniformity in any particular thing which means cultural homogenization is the presence of uniform culture. It is attributed to the advancement of businesses around the world. Some people pointed out that corporations and businesses like the franchise fast food chains together with capitalism drive the world into a cultural homogenization. They also call it Mc Donaldization as named after the largest fast food chain in the world (Pieterse 51-55). Perhaps it is maybe the cause of the homogenization as the brands and endorsements of big businesses affect the lifestyle, norms, values, and beliefs of people. The cultural change then follows as the businesses expand.

Four Things To Do to Increase One’s Level of Contentment and Happiness Essay Example for Free

Four Things To Do to Increase One’s Level of Contentment and Happiness Essay The learned Viktor Frankl contends that â€Å"chance decides what happens but we decide how to take it† (cited in Southwick, et. al. , 2006, p. 162). For someone who has been through the most tragic circumstances of human existence, Frankl is surely someone who knows pretty well how happiness is to be pursued in one’s life. While it can be argued that happiness is a state of human living which cannot be singularly defined, we – human persons that we are – nevertheless know what brings it about or how it affects our general take of life. Pursuing Happiness All throughout One’s Life The basic thrust of this paper is to argue that our state of contentment or happiness is something that we human persons can always choose to pursue. By adopting Frankl’s philosophy, we can say that a person can always choose the path towards happiness against the backdrop of different life circumstances and issues that come with one’s lifespan development. First, one can always choose to discover his or her crafts, potentials and talents as a way to appreciate one’s giftedness and uniqueness. This is a very potent element that contributes well to one’s happiness; and this usually happens during one’s late childhood and adolescent stages. The discovery of our uniqueness gives us a sense of who we are. But even when, for instance, one is not gifted enough, one can still discover certain strains of uniqueness to be appreciated. This is crucial because it can give us an initial taste of our sense of directedness and purpose. Second, a person needs to choose the kind of relationships that work in order to attain a level of happiness as well. This is especially true for those who are at the early adulthood stage. Growing up, it would be normal to feel that we need someone to complete us; and finding that suitable someone is notably crucial for this stage. Many people end up either unhappy or miserable because they did not either take the courage to pursue a person whom they love or feel powerless to break free from relationships that just do not work. But finding true happiness is about choosing the right relationships that could nurture, and not defeat life. Third, in order to secure happiness, one must always face life-crises with a brimming sense of optimism. This surely is a case of no little importance, as it is not uncommon to learn that many middle-agers suddenly lose their sense of meaning at a time when life-crises emerging from home and workplace start to take their toll. Crises, it needs to be remembered, cannot be avoided. But they are defining moments that can either make or break us. Increasing one’s state of happiness during these poignant moments therefore necessitates a commitment to hope – i. e. , one faces life problems with a sense of optimism. If one can face problems convinced that he or she can successfully get out of it, then it is like facing a battle half-winning it already. Fourth, one can look at his or her life under the lenses of accomplishment and gratitude so as to be happy. This especially applies to those who are in the twilight of their lives. When one becomes bitter every time he or she looks back at the past, it effectively robs a person with a sense of contentment and happiness. Instead, looking back at life with eyes fixed on the accomplishments and blessings that one has done or received in his or her life surely elicits an incomparable sense of contentment, happiness and pride. Conclusion This paper therefore concludes that a person is always empowered to make a choice in order to increase his or her level of contentment or happiness. In any lifespan development or stages, the choice to uphold sense of happiness is always a concrete possibility; i. e. , we can always choose to discover one’s giftedness, choose the relationships that could make us happy, choose to face life-crises with hopefulness and choose to be thankful in our lives. In the final analysis, it must be ultimately argued that we are the ones responsible for our own happiness.

Study On A Skills And Learning Statement

Study On A Skills And Learning Statement The purpose of this statement is to summarize and reveal what I have learnt from working on this project and the skills gained from it. This statement is to conduct a self assessment of my research work and to show my strengths and weakness on my findings. The skills and learning statement is also important because it shows how RAP is prepared and it is necessary in order to achieve BSc. (Hons) graduate degree. The SLS is based on four questions: What I learned from the meetings with my Project Mentor, including the presentation that I gave to my Project Mentor. Before I made the decision to work on the research and analysis project, I made sure that I went through the other topics carefully. The main reason for my decision was because, I found that, the research and analysis project was straightforward. I learnt several things from the meetings with my mentor but the most positive of them all was that I realised I am a self-directed learner. The First Meeting Before walking into the first meeting with my project mentor, I made sure that I had with me a pen and a journal. The benefits of a journal are countless but the main reasons that I decided to keep one at hand were so I could write down any questions I may have to ask my mentor and jot down brief notes from discussions or conversations that we would have. From the very first meeting, my mentor introduced and emphasised on self-directed learning. He explained the impact it would have on my development, knowledge and skills and because of this; I decided to find out what my learning style is. Throughout all the meetings, I worked alongside other students; we discussed the importance of time and different ways in which we could use the time we had in meetings usefully. The discussions I had with my mentor were mainly based on my thoughts and ideas. He asked me how I felt about my ideas, how would I incorporate my ideas into my project and if I thought they were of a high-quality. One important issue that I learnt about was time. When I walked in for my first meeting I was a few minutes late and because of this, my mentor started working with another student. I realised from this incident that I would have to manage my ACCA studies. My mentor made clear the importance of time management and how it would affect my report if I did not allocate my time correctly. Because I was not always punctual, I lost a lot of time and a lot of my research ended up being conducted in a small space of time. Another point that my mentor constantly stressed upon throughout the meetings was critical evaluation and critical analysis. To give myself an idea about critical evaluation, I took it upon myself to read material that was critical. Once I had read the material, I read through my own report and found that it needed critical analysis aspects. I found myself modifying it on countless times and was very aggravated when I realised I hadnt referenced it accurately either. I decided to read up on some research books and began adjusting my report. The Second Meeting The second meeting consisted of discussions about my ideas and research. Throughout the meeting my mentor encouraged me talk about my ideas and this helped me make informed judgements. I believe researching information is a lot more beneficial because I felt like I was doing everything myself instead of having handouts and websites in front of me. The Third Meeting By this meeting, I had almost finished my project. I approached my mentor to organize the third meeting. In that meeting, the mentor identified my mistakes and other weaknesses in the report. I asked him how I could remove those mistakes and improve on the weaknesses. When he explained those to me, I noted down the points to ensure my projects was perfect. This helped me to improve the RAP further. The Fourth Meeting The Fourth meeting consisted of a PowerPoint presentation; I was excited about it as I had not done a presentation like that in the past. Before I started preparing the presentation, I checked up online how to use Microsoft PowerPoint and prepared a practise presentation. Overall, I feel like I learned a substantial amount of information from the meetings with my mentor. They provided me with different opportunities to discuss my ideas and thoughts and let me experience something new. The fourth and final meeting ended with my mentor asking me what I would say to prospective students about the research and analysis project. What I would say to prospective students would be that when I started this project, I wasnt very eager about independent learning but by the end of it I found myself appreciating it more and more. I value learning new things and like discussing new ideas with others and from the meetings, I feel a lot more confident and ready to take on other projects. How well I felt I answered the research question? I believe I answered the research question very well however it is important to understand that because I only had secondary data and no primary data, my analysis and evaluation was solely based on that. I do believe though that if I had access to Morrisons intranet and was able to evaluate both customer and employee opinions then my answer would have been in more depth and my data would have also been more reliable. It is important to take into account that if I did have approval to access the companies intranet, to collect primary data, that it would have taken me a lot more time, time that I could not really lose. Moreover, I believe that at the moment my skills of acquiring primary data and conducting primary research are not quite satisfactory. The main source of information that my data was based upon was Morrisons and J Sainsburys plc Annual reports of 2008, 2009 and 2010. In order for me to have answered the question in more depth, I would have needed multiple sources of data from one particular source that would have established my findings to be correct. I believe that with time I will improve my skills however it is important to remember that there will always be limitations when it comes to collecting information. In general, I believe that my answer was reasonable and that my research report was informative. How I demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills during the project work. I demonstrated my interpersonal and communication skills in many different ways during the project work. When writing my report, I made sure that it was clear and concise. I read through it to take care that it had a rational flow of arguments and that it was logical. One important point that I kept it mind was that I only included relevant facts as there was a word count that needed to be adhered to. I found this a little difficult as I had a tendency to write on about unrelated facts that didnt answer the question. When speaking in front of my mentor and fellow students I felt that no-one had any difficulties understanding me and I had no trouble understanding the feedback given by my mentor to me. One problem that I found was that, when asked about my feelings and ideas, I wouldnt express myself effectively, to resolve this issue I started writing questions in my journal so that I could ask my mentor and get the answer that I needed. By doing this, I got the answer that I needed and my ideas and thoughts were cleared as well. From the discussions with my mentor and students, I realised that it is very important to ask the right question as this helps obtain more information for both the other students and myself and helps the mentor understand that everyone understands. Another way in which I demonstrated my interpersonal and communication skills was by showing that I was listening to both my mentor and other students. I believe that by listening and giving everyone a chance to voice their opinions helps build good relationships with others. Listening is all about decoding and receiving information. Through my mentor meetings, I learnt that effective listening not only helps reduce the effect of noise distortion, but it resolve problem by encouraging understanding from someone elses view point. However I did realise that by not showing that I understood verbally may have gave my mentor the idea that I did not understand the answer he gave me, in order to prevent this I started to give him eye contact and replies rather than nodding my head. The PowerPoint presentation was the next stage, I was very excited about it however as it was my first I practised it many a times in front of friends, family and also by myself as I decided to memorise the whole presentation. I realised that this was very difficult later on as I started to forget some points, however I remembered that when I looked through the websites for help that they had recommended speaker notes for referencing. This helped a lot and I was able to give an informative presentation to my mentor. I believe that the other students had no trouble understanding me as I had no trouble understanding them. If any of the students had a problem then we were able to discuss our concerns and help each other. I demonstrated my interpersonal skills by showing respect to the other students and to my mentor. I know I can further improve my skills and by doing this it will benefit my academic studies and employment position. How has undertaking the RAP helped me in my accountancy studies and my employment role? I have found many differences in the reflective and analysis project and my ACCA studies. ACCA is formerly based on lectures and giving an exam which is based on the knowledge acquired on a particular subject. RAP on the other hand only required me to use the knowledge and skills that I had and use them accordingly. By becoming an independent learner I have realised that I can obtain information without attending lectures. As my mentor never instructed me to do anything I was forced to research and use my already acquired skills and knowledge. In my past ACCA studies I was to memorise concepts and ideas and then apply them where necessary but now that I have completed this report I am able to combine my own knowledge and skills with it. This is very important and also a very useful to skill to behold, one which I will be using in future exams. Finally, I believe that the knowledge and skills I have acquired from completing this report will not only help improve my career prospects by opening avenues which were previously outside my realm of opportunity but will also help in my personal life.

Is fate a factor :: essays research papers

Fate is the power that is supposed to settle ahead of time how things will happen. Romeo and Juliet lives were ruled by fate. Even though they thought they should be together fate had different plans for both of them. Fate did not rule in their favour. A large part of the beliefs for both Romeo and Juliet involved fate. They believed in the stars, and that their actions weren't always their own. Romeo, for example, Act1 scene4 line107-113 says, "Some consequence yet hanging in the stars...by some vile forfeit of untimely death. But he that hath the steerage over my course Direct my sail." He's basically saying to his friends that he had a dream, which leads him to believe that he will die young because of something in the stars, something that will happen. He ends with "he that hath steerage over my course" which implies that he does not have control over his life if he looks to another power above himself to direct him. He does not feel that he is the one who makes decisions; it is all a higher power with purpose. Romeo says he is in love with Rosaline, who did not return these feelings. A servant of the Capulet's was sent to invite people on a list to a party that the Capulet's were throwing. While Romeo babbled on about his life with Benvolio and kinsmen. Romeo bumped into this servant who asked him to read the list. Rosaline's name appeared which got Romeo to agree to go the party. This sets everything up for the Romeo and Juliet. They met at the party and fell deeply in love with each other. They realize later their identities, but they are in love and won't let their names get in the way of that strong emotional bind. Fate had an immense impact in this scene. Another example of fate was after Romeo killed Tybalt because of Tybalt killing Mercutio in a sword fight. After Romeo kills Tybalt he shouts, Act3 scene1 line136 â€Å"O, I am fortune’s fool!" Here Romeo understands the full impact of this tragic event on his future and how everything started to deteriorate after he met Juliet.

Shramik Bharti Essay --

Sharmik Bharti is a nonprofit organization registered on the 15th of Oct. 1986, under Societies Registration Act of 1860. It is situated in Vikas Nagar of Lakhanpur, Kanpur and works for both urban and rural communities. It believes in building a true democratic society. Eradication of poverty, empowerment of women, welfare of children and community’s capacity building are its main goals. The organization now has more than 90 full time professionals and 150 community based volunteers striving hard for the betterment of 125 slums and 11 blocks of Kanpur and Dehat districts of Kanpur. The early years of its inception were very genuinely spent in identifying the problems of the community and their root causes. Right from 1986, the organization was working along with the people and for the people to better understand their priorities and the needs of the community. Based on these findings, there emerged Self Help Groups for the empowerment of people. These groups became one of the core strengths of Shramik Bharti and worked for the slums of both rural and urban areas of Kanpur. Importance was given to the creation of sanitation infrastructure and the introduction of health care facilities in these areas. From then onwards, there is no look back for Shramik Bharati. It had taken up many useful activities for the betterment of the people and the community. To cite a few, reclamation of waste land for generation of livelihood, establishing partnerships with support organizations to cater to the needs of the society, respecting people’s choices and assisting them to improve upon those areas etc. To achieve their objectives and goals Shramik Bharti focuses on three core areas... ... This program of the Shramik Bharti is the charity based and is supported by Helpage. Under this project, till now more than 51 senior citizens who don’t have proper livelihood and shelter are taken care of. Shramik Bharti appointed a five member committee to support such people and fulfill their basic day today needs. Grassroot Democracy: Our country is still facing certain socio economic challenges. To overcome these, community based organizations need to go hand in hand with the public organizations both at rural and urban levels. Shramik Bharti strongly believes in this principle and working hard to attend the challenges at grass root level. Thus, Shramik Bharti as a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization is striving hard to build a strong community where there are no traces of poverty and women are empowered to handle their own lives with immense confidence.

PETA Campaigns Look to Turn Carnivores Green Essay -- Animal Rights

Vegetarianism, PETA touts it as a cure-all for obesity in their ad campaigns calling for folks to ditch meat and eat plant-based meals. This series has been going on for well over a decade but really seems be picking up speed these past few years when they began pairing US celebrities with vegetables be it in fancy dress made of different vegetables or bare naked amongst bushels of their favorite edible plant. Along with the fit bodied celebrity and their vegetables, there is a message included, an offer of free vegetarian recipes if you visit their website. The message is clear PETA wants us to stop eating animal meat and they are willing to use fit body celebs and free recipes to do it. I think these ads are effective strategies for swaying consumer who is always looking for the next big thing to be a part of that involves a celebrity spokes model. The latest print ad to come from PETA is the provocative Angela Simmons print ad, in which she can only be described as being Eve of Eden in all her nude glory. The ad stating that eating Meat is a Sin, this may be more tuned toward religious carnivores but the visual is definitely aimed toward those who enjoy a teasing naked woman, because the ad is nothing less than sexy. Her dark hair spilling forth loose and wavy over her shoulders hiding bare breasts, her right hit turned out a chain of ivy laid along it; most prominent is her smooth, young face almost a reflection of the beautiful red apple she holds just beneath her chin in her right palm, while the heel of her left hand rests gently against her cheek. Her arm is raised and slightly twists, winding its way up through her hair, reminding me of a serpent, I believe this to be an intentional subliminal bit withi... ...ebsites to bash companies who mistreat their livestock. These methods are directed toward the consumers who, without this type of advertising would ever realize there was a problem or even what PETA was. So in the end PETA’s envelope is pushed by the consumer because the consumer thinks and is influenced by advertising; and the more attention getting the advertising is, the more likely the consumer is to pay attention and be swayed to your side of the table if it is an ad campaign they (the consumer) can relate to and quite frankly nearly every consumer can relate to sexy. Works Cited n.d. PETA.org. Vegetarian 101. n.d. . —. Veggie Love. N/A November 2011. . n.d. PETA.org. Veggie Love. N/A November 2011. .

Research Synopsis Format Essay

Savings form an important part of the economy of any nation. With the savings invested in various options available to the people, the money acts as the driver for growth of the country. Indian financial scene too presents a plethora of avenues to the investors. Though certainly not the best or deepest of markets in the world, it has reasonable options for an ordinary man to invest his savings. One needs to invest to and earn return on idle resources and generate a specified sum of money for a specific goal in life and make a provision for an uncertain future. One of the important reasons why one needs to invest wisely is to meet the cost of inflation. Inflation is the rate at which the cost of living increases. The cost of living is simply what it cost to buy the goods and services you need to live. Inflation causes money to lose value because it will not buy the same amount of a good or service in the future as it does now or did in the past. The sooner one starts investing the better. By investing early you allow your investments more time to grow, whereby the concept of compounding increases your income, by accumulating the principal and the interest or dividend earned on it, year after year. The three golden rules for all investors are: †¢Invest early  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Invest regularly †¢Invest for long term and not for short term This project will also help to understand the investors facet before investing in any of the investment tools and thus to scrutinize the important aspects of the investors before investing that further helped in analyzing the relation between the features of the products and the investors’ requirements. Who is investor? An investor is a person or entity that purchases assets with the objective of receiving a financial return. The assets an investor may buy range widely, but include stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, and collectibles (e.g. art). The portfolio of an investor commonly includes a variety of assets that balance the rewards and risks of each investment. An investor is distinguished from a speculator, who seeks to make quick, large gains from price increases on risky assets. Generally, an investor has a longer time horizon for achieving a return, which may include regular cash payments from the income the asset generates, capital appreciation from the rise in the asset price, or bo Standing on the threshold of the economic revival of the Indian economy where the recovery and growth are already knocking at our door to usher the new order with a note of optimism. The potential of India as a market and as a manufacturing base continues to attract more and more interest of the world at large. Undoubtedly, lot of development is taking place in the investment pattern of the economy and its multiplier impact would be there to be witnessed over a period of years. Investment scenario is changing very rapidly. Emergence of modern instruments of investment like Mutual Funds, Systematic Investment Plan, RBI Bonds, and Infrastructure Bonds proves to be a better option for the investors in comparison to the old instruments of investment such as fixed deposits, savings, recurring deposits etc. This project deals with the thorough study of these modern instruments in respect of their returns, liquidity, and tenure & safety aspect etc.

Movie Tehcniques

Film, what do you think of when you hear that word? A motion picture is simply a series of still pictures shown quickly so they stimulate motion. But a film can be so much more than that. It can tell a story, inform people of news, or educate. A film can surprise, aggravate, and inspire the imagination. Some of the necessary skills to analyze how images are constructed, how they create meanings, and how they affect us help us to better understand film as a whole. Throughout the class we watched several films each displaying some different techniques used throughout the films.These techniques help provide a dynamic approach to discover the different meanings that the viewer can receive from the film. In Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. made in 1924, the specific film technique that best stands out is mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene is the composition or what’s in the scene or frame. This technique includes long take, long shot, and moving camera. A specific example of a scene f rom the film that illustrates mise-en-scene is when Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton) is riding on the handle bars of the motorcycle that the theater manager, Gillette (Ford West) is racing around through town on (154).Sherlock Jr. is unaware that Gillette has fallen off and he is performing crazy stunts while on the handle bars with no driver. One of the extreme stunts that he performed is when the motorcycle appears to cross a bridge that is open so it looks like he could plummet to the ground, but just as he is crossing the gap two trucks pass underneath him filling the gap and he safely makes is across. From this account, this powerful scene shows mise-en-scene perfectly. The camera is taking a long take which means that the camera is taking a single unbroken shot that can be moving or stationary.In this case the camera is moving with the action which shows moving camera. The scene also fills long shot which is a shot that shows the full human body, and the camera is also showing the background behind Sherlock Jr. while he racing around town performing crazy stunts. This technique is used to help keep this silent American comedy interesting and the audience intrigued throughout the performance that Sherlock Jr. is presenting. In Sergei Eisenstein’s 1926 film, Battleship Potemkin, the specific film technique that stands out is montage.Montage is different than mise-en-scene instead of long take, long shot, and moving camera it is a sequence of quick shots, showing a condensed series of events. The individual shots put together to cause and emotional or intellectual reactions to the audience. Eisenstein believed that film montage could create ideas or have impact beyond the individual images. He wanted to represent perceptions powerfully more than emotions directly (172). A specific example of a scene that illustrates montage very well is the Odessa Steps scene.In this scene, the Tsar’s soldiers march down a seemingly endless flight of steps in a rh ythmic, machine like fashion. While walking down the steps they are shooting into the crowd of town’s citizens creating a traumatic massacre. There were several victims including an older woman trying to stop the soldiers but she is stabbed with a knife. The next shot is of a young boy that was killed and his mother was protesting for them to help her because her boy had been hurt, but they didn’t even listen and shot her.The next shot flashes to a mother holding onto a baby carriage but she is shot. As she falls to her death she knocks the carriage down the steps. The camera continues to show the carriage tumbling down the stairs and then zooming in on the wheels of the carriage and it quickly plummets down the steps. During these main shots, there were quick shots of other town citizen’s dying and scurrying to get away. This seven minute scene just showed complete and utter chaos.Montage is used for the Odessa Step scene because it allows Eisenstein to manipul ate the audience’s perceptions of time by stretching out the crowd’s flight down the steps. The rapid progression and alteration of images in the sequence gives the audience just a piece from a dreadful nightmare. This sequence of montage sets up the audience to rise up against oppression and the Tsar government. In Orson Welles 1989 film, Citizen Kane, the specific film technique that stands out right from the beginning is mise-en-scene.As explained earlier mise-en-scene is what the director decides to put into the film frame such as lighting, the setting, costume, and the movement and actions of figures appearing within the film. The scene that shows the most powerful and significant mise-en-scene is the first flashback scene set at Charles Foster Kane’s (Orson Welles) childhood home. The scene begins showing Kane in the background, while in the foreground, his parents (Mary and Jim Kane) and Mr. Walter Parks Thatcher (George Coulouris) are discussing his futu re.Kane appears visually trapped within the frames of a window, foreshadowing the way in which he will be â€Å"trapped† into Mr. Thatcher’s guardianship. During the scene, they show a close up of Kane’s facial expression and they fade out to reveal the sleigh, Rosebud, which he was happily playing with moments before. The beginning scene of the flashback of Kane’s happy childhood being given into the hands of Mr. Thatcher illustrates mise-en-scene very well. The scene provides a great example of deep focus, which is the drama within the frame.The director focuses on the foreground with his mother signing the papers, the father in the middle by the door, and young Kane outside the window. The use of mise-en-scene keeps the audience intrigued into who Kane was referring to when he was dying and asked for rosebud. They continue to use long take, long shot, and at the end the moving camera reveals what Rosebud was. By not revealing that Rosebud was the sled from his child hood right from the beginning, the audience stays curious as to who Rosebud really was.In Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s 1951 film, Singin’ in the Rain, the specific film technique that stands out is mise-en-scene. When mise-en-scene is applied to film it means everything that is present before the camera, which includes arrangement of props, actors and sets. During the entire film, mise-en-scene was shown through performance of the main characters Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds), Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) and Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor). These characters would often express their emotions through song or dance.One example of a scene that shows mise-en-scene thoroughly is when Don Lockwood performs the song, â€Å"Singing in the Rain. † The scene starts with Don Lockwood kissing Kathy Selden on the doorstep of the house. This starts off as a long shot before zooming into a close up of the two kissing and they are both under Lockwood’s umbrella, which is a crucial prop for the entire scene. There is a constant rain throughout the scene, which is acknowledged by Kathy who states â€Å"This California dew is just a little heavier than usual tonight,† before she goes back inside.Don then waves away the waiting taxi which has been visible since the start of the scene. Don begins to sing the opening of â€Å"Singing in the Rain. † He then shuts his umbrella and begins dancing down the street, filled with a mixture of houses and shops with displays on the window. Don interacts with almost all of the props like the light pole on the sidewalk and the puddles of water on the road. Two people rush past him hiding under a newspaper, while he dances around them giving them a cheerful wave.Throughout his performance, Don carries an umbrella as some kind of dance partner, and at one point using it as an air guitar. This technique is used in the movie to allow the audience to use the pe rformance to perceive different perceptions and meanings of the images and sound. Mise-en-scene in this specific scene with Don creates a different effect, leaving the audience with a feel good moment. Everyone lives in a different reality and that is why people enjoy watching films. They give insight into the worlds of others.Film directors do their best to portray their characters’ lives and make them as believable as they can. They do this through the different film techniques to help describe the way that meaning is created throughout the film. Many help set up the realism with costumes, setting and performance, while others use a series of quick shots to condense space, time and information. Even though film is just a story or event recorded by a camera as a set of images, when shown to an audience the meanings created helps them to better understand the films overall.

Mind and Matrix Essay

Epistemology is the nature of knowledge. Knowledge is important when considering what is reality and what is deception. The movie â€Å"The Matrix† displays a social deception in which Neo, the main character, is caught between what he thought was once reality and a whole new world that controls everything he thought was real. If I were Neo, I would not truly be able to know that I was in the matrix. However, it is rational to believe that I am in the matrix and will eventually enter back into my reality later. The proof that that I can know that I am in the matrix and that I will return to reality comes from the responses of foundationalism, idealism, and pallibalism. To begin, foundationalism is the essence of what we are certain of. Many philosophers argue on the basis of foundationalism to find out where knowledge begins. This will help determine if Neo would be able to know or not know if he is dreaming up the matrix or in fact that it is reality. The popularity of foundationalism starts with Descartes. He challenged the previously popular skepticism. In Descartes Meditations he discusses many issues relating to the question of â€Å"where does knowledge come from? † His main arguments appear in his dreaming argument. He first begins by stating 1. I often have perceptions very much like the ones I usually have in sensation while I am dreaming. Then he goes on to say 2. There are no definite signs to distinguish dream experience from waking experience. These two premises lead to the conclusion that 3. It is possible that I am dreaming right now and that all my perceptions are false. This shows that there is no real way to know to know anything. Descartes add to his argument using foundationalism. â€Å"‘Throughout my writings I have made it clear that my method imitates that of the architect. When an architect wants to build a house which is stable on ground where there is a sandy topsoil over underlying rock, or clay, or some other firm base, he begins by digging out a set of trenches from which he removes the sand, and anything resting on or mixed in with the sand, so that he can lay his foundations on firm soil. In the same way, I began by taking everything that was doubtful and throwing it out, like sand †¦ (Replies 7, AT 7:537)’ (Lex, Newman)†. This explains how foundationalism works; you must remove all of your doubt to advance to the foundationtion of which you are sure of. This is called the method of doubt. Once you know what you are sure of, you can build up knowledge from there. Many wonder how we can wonder we are not dreaming. Some agree that you cannot feel pain in a dream, but others say they have. The argument that dreams are not related to memory is strong because most people do not remember their dreams. Descartes explains that in a dream you can feel as if you are using all of your senses, but they seem to be more vague than when awake. Descartes struggles with the dream issue until he comes upon his conclusion. â€Å"‘I now notice that there is a vast difference between [being asleep and being awake], in that dreams are never linked by memory with all the other actions of life as waking experiences are. †¦ But when I distinctly see where things come from and where and when they come to me, and when I can connect my perceptions of them with the whole of the rest of my life without a break, then I am quite certain that when I encounter these things I am not asleep but awake. (Med.6, AT 7:89-90)’ (Lex, Newman)†. This dream argument attributes to how we can know anything. For Neo’s sake it helps him decide weather he is really in the matrix or not. In addition to foundationalism proving that knowledge is built up from what we are certain of, idealism plays an important role of arguing that all reality is in the mind. Descartes’ argument for idealism explains how knowledge of reality is possible. He goes through the process of using an example like a pen and justifying its existence. There are 3 steps to this process: 1. I know I perceive the pen. 2. To exist is to be perceived (Berkeley). 3. I know the pen exists. Another philosopher, Berkeley, argues esse est percipi, which translates to â€Å"to be is to be perceived†. This means that if you are perceived you exist and the same thing goes for reality. There are issues that argue against idealism; one of these arguments is that we have no conception of unperceived matter. As soon as you perceive it you can conceive it. The only problems with this argument are the fact that many people perceive the distant path. An example of this is the â€Å"Big Bang† theory. Also the perception of the atom and distant galaxies furthermore cause a problem. So idealism still stands strong. Neo’s perception of the matrix exists so therefor Neo believes that the matrix is real. Yet there remains one more response to furthermore prove that Neo is rational to believe he is in the matrix. This is the response to Pallibalism, the theory that knowledge does not require certainty. This response goes about saying that we are certain of our minds and our own existence. Neo has knowledge of the matrix, but there is no certainty with his knowledge. Noe is able to perceive the surroundings around him in the matrix and he can be sure he is not dreaming, but he can not know for sure if the matrix is truly real. The case for this is that he could be just a brain in a Vat in a giant virtual reality. Another example similar to â€Å"The Matrix† is â€Å"The Trueman Show†. In this case it is a local deception rather than a social deception. Pallibalism agrees with foundationalism and idealism in the fact that knowledge is an abstract notion and the only thing that one can be certain of is them selves. Clearly then, foundationalism, idealism, and pallibalism all fit together to prove that Neo can not be certain of the matrix, but only himself. Also it further explains how it is rational for him to believe that the matrix exists through his perception of the matrix and the knowledge he obtains when he is there. The growth of knowledge in Neo’s mind is possible what is his deception. The more he perceives could possible be more he is deceived. What we know about reality is all in our minds and if we can only be certain of ourselves and our own existence then the reality that we perceive and conceive does exist. So the answer is yes, Neo can know that he is in the matrix, but this does not necessarily mean the matrix exists. As far as Neo knows the matrix does exist and that he will return to what he thought was his reality later, knowing that there is more than just his world. Works Cited Newman, Lex, â€Å"Descartes’ Epistemology†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 1999 Edition), Edward N, Zalta (ed. ), URL= http://plato. stanford. edu/archives/spring1999/entries/Descartes.

An Introduction to Personal Responsibility

†¢ Define personal responsibility and what it means to you.†¢Explain the relationship between personal responsibility and college success.†¢Include a preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in your education.I. Introduction a. personal responsibility :1. Personal responsibility begins inside and moves outward. 2. We have to begin with ourselves and take responsibility for our thoughts, choices, actions and reactions. Then we can be responsible for the circumstances we create in our world. 3. When you believe something or someone else is responsible for your problems and the resulting solutions, that exact thought is the first problem to solve when it comes to taking personal responsibility. b. what it means to me:1. Taking care of my family 2. Taking care of my job 3. Taking care of my studyIl. Primary purpose for educationThe relationship between personal responsibility and college success. a. Personal responsibilities:1. Having something in your care to take care of. It is your responsibility that your kids get taken care of on a daily basis 2. Taking Responsibility for Your Own Actions. b. college success:1. Students have to learn to take responsibility for their education. 2. With college come the skills needed to be successful. 3. Every student who enters into a college level program needs to bring some very useful skills with them.Ill. Adult learning stylePreliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in your education. 1. Attending college is taking personal responsibility for your education. 2. Time management and proper organization serve not only in planning for education success but also in aspects of life. 3. With and a higher education we have a better salary then without. 4. To be successful in educational endeavors its necessary to act as a personally responsible student. 5. Students are Responsible for Their Own Educational Future.IV. ConclusionAccepting personal responsibility can have life changing affects.

Voc wk 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Voc wk 7 - Essay Example In these cases, the consultant is looked at as an expert. The career coach seems to expand the role of the career counselor by combining several types of consulting processes. Career coaches put themselves in mentoring roles with their clients and they seem to be more business oriented. Some of the things that career coaches do is guide a client towards making better career goals, help them create strategies to make more money and make them more valuable to their boss (Simpson, 2006). In using these models with clients, I would concentrate on helping my clients identify their strengths and weaknesses using career coaching. This would help the client take more control of their own career needs. As a consultant, I would work with groups rather than individuals because it seems that groups and organizations are more conducive to consulting. When comparing the roles of a career counselor in consulting, coaching, and supervision, there are many distinctive similarities and differences. The focus of these three is similar in that they all work with people. With consulting and coaching, the client is more important. In supervision, the focus is on the counselor and their performance. In consulting, the focus is on developing a plan that will help the clients personal functioning. Coaching is more action oriented than the other two and is focused on specific interventions for specific clients. The goals of the three roles are to provide feedback in some way. As a consultant, the role is to "advise and educate" (Simpson, 2006, p. 247) the consultee. In coaching, the coach engages actively with the client to identify their skills, goals, and talents to show them how to maximize their potential. In supervision, the supervisor provides feedback to the counselor to help them improve their skills to better serve their clients (Simpson, 2006). When looking at the examples, both consulting and coaching worked directly with professional clients who wanted to

The Olympus corporate scandal of 2011 Research Paper

The Olympus corporate scandal of 2011 - Research Paper Example From the research it can be comprehended that a corporate body has a distinct legal status and has characteristics and liabilities that are separate from those of its members. It has the right to exist for indefinite period of time. New corporations are created after having them registered and their main purpose is to conduct business and commerce. A corporate body can be owned by two or more individuals who form a partnership with an agreement among themselves to share profits and losses in a pre-determined ratio. A partner can have limited or unlimited liability. A limited liability partner is one whose responsibility for company’s debts is limited only to the amount of his capital contribution. Unlimited liability means when a company is declared bankrupt, then the partner’s personal assets can be seized to clear the debts. All corporate bodies have some common purposes. A corporation garners the interests and funds of its owners to serve the interests of the public. It shall ensure fair profits for its partners but not by endangering the stake of other shareholders. Every corporate body needs to satisfy the needs of the current generation and at the same time must have an insight into the needs of future generations. A corporate body must perform its activities in a legal and ethical manner. The success of a corporate body depends mostly upon the performance of its management personnel. The management should apply proper strategy and innovations in their performance to bring in more profits on a sustained basis for the organisation by improving the performance of the employees and also by encouraging efficient contribution by those who contribute. Performance management works in combination with corporate management in service

MGT499 - Strategic Management Mod 4 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGT499 - Strategic Management Mod 4 SLP - Essay Example nd the overall Starbucks experience warrants an analysis of how well the company manages its internal strengths and weaknesses by optimizing its core competencies and developing its weaknesses that will allow it to achieve its company mission and objectives. One of the biggest strengths of the company lies in the dedicated and exceptionally skilled workforce who is well trained. Company strategy has always been to reward excellence of employees and Starbucks is today among the best companies to work for as per Fortune 500 ratings and Financial Times ratings. With attractive fringe benefits, stock option plans and high wages and salary scales, the Starbucks refers to its employees as partners, promoting commitment and loyalty and this is one of the key resources of the company which is hard to imitate due to â€Å"social complexity† involved ( Barney 1991). The company utilizes this strength in many ways. It has used the service staff’s skills in customer care and overall enthusiasm to create an in store atmosphere that is cozy, friendly and home like that they have branded it as the â€Å"third place† in life. The regular customers are called by name and the Baristas of Starbucks outlets remember their usual drinks. Such customization has been at the cornerstone of Starbucks success. Another internal strength is the Starbucks special SWOT team specializing on stores opening. They have an excellent track record of location scouting and opening new outlets in cost effective and speedy fashion. This strength has allowed the company to make right location decisions and the use of in-house design and fabrication teams has allowed Starbucks to cut costs in outlet openings and also maintain the unique Starbucks ambiance in line with company expectations. Optimization of this strength has allowed the company to drive its expansion plans aggressively. Financial strength and low costs is strength. This is achieved through large scale roasting and milling facilities,

Homicide Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Homicide - Case Study Example This paper cover what happens in a typical homicide case, the people involved in the homicide case and the duties they carry out. The court of law also plays a major role in a homicide case as discussed in this paper. This paper emphasizes on the fact that in every homicide case what is very essential is the evidence as this will lead the investigators to track out the suspect. If an evidence sample is contaminated or destroyed by bad weather conditions, for example, sunlight and rainfall; then the evidence will be destroyed, and no case can be carried out. It is crucial in every homicide case for the evidence to be protected at all costs. Homicide is the unlawful killing or murder of a living human being committed by another human being with intent to cause major harm or to kill. Depending on the case it may or may not be a criminal action. For example in the case of a defense strategy, after a comprehensive investigation the homicide may not be ruled out as a criminal act. After ev ery homicide incident, a methodical investigation should be executed so as to know the core cause of the demise as this is also in accordance with the protocol. A crime scene is a place set aside by the police force because an illegitimate action or activity took place there. A crime scene provides evidence of the events that took place in that area, the sequence of events, the time the crime took place, evidence from the suspect in the form of personal effects of the suspect and the evidence from the scene on the suspect. The main principle of a crime scene is to find the key evidence so as to provide investigative and interpretive leads. The crime scene in this homicide case study is a major parking zone next to an isolated forest. The forest where the body was discovered also acts as a crime scene. Blood is at the parking area, and a trail leads to the forest where the body was disposed off. The blood on the described areas acts as crime scenes; they give a definite proof that th e crime took place there. From the photographic evidence; the victim was murdered at the major parking zone and later on dragged in the forest zone. Evidence that the victim was murdered in the parking area is the blood deposit as it seems some time passed before the victim was dragged in the forest; this is based on the photographs one can notice two blood stains from it. One blood stain has dried up while the other one is still fresh as compared to the first stain. From the crime scene, there is also blood splatter, seems the victim was trying to resist whatever was going on. The crime scene is as well near the victim’s residence as seen on the crime scene sketch map (Hess & Orthmann, 2010). The management for the synchronization of a homicide investigation depends on the Criminal Investigation Department/ Division. This is an agency that deals with the major crimes section. It is a division of the law enforcement force. The conclusions concerning a homicide case together w ith the proper presentation of the evidence gathered is a communal duty of the complete police force department. The investigative steps and strategies involved in this homicide investigation so as to obtain the correct evidence are described below; the people involved in the crime scene as well as the duties they perform so as to protect the crime scene are also explained in a precise manner as follows: The first person to arrive at a homicide scene is a responding police officer. The initial responding officer must be very swift in arriving at the crime scene as delays may result to fundamental observations, witnesses, evidence going unnoticed. The duties and responsibilities of the first officer at

An Action Plan for Cushy Armchairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

An Action Plan for Cushy Armchairs - Essay Example Even though Sampson had new ideas and plans to change the operations in the company, it was soon found out that her directives were not being met by the company units across the world. A message that she sent to all managers in her company draws zero response and proves that she is not at the helm of affairs of the company. Â  There could be many reasons as to why Sampson had to face issues as Cushy Armchairs. The foremost issue of importance is that Sampson is trying her hand at change and that all employees, irrespective of their status and positions, will have a tendency to resist change. It is also important to note that she has taken charge in an Asian country where gender-specific issues are important when taking orders. Hence she should not expect that her orders will be easily accepted as in her country in Asian regions. Sampson was also seen as making an effort to centralize operations of a company whose operations were already decentralized. The stress of centralizing operations and the importance given to a central administration in her email would have turned opinion against her. Finally, email is not considered as an official form of communication in most part of the world, and hence her email could either have been discarded as a piece of informal communication or there is even the chanc e that the communication never got across to the right people because of lack of knowledge in operating computers or because of a lack of IT infrastructure. Her communication also lacked credibility and accountability since she did not ask for acknowledgment of her communication. Â  It may be argued that resistance to change could be the major issue that would have prompted managers in the company to resist the orders listed out by Sampson. The fact that the founder of the company was being replaced is itself a recipe for discontent within the company.

Energy security and energy securitization Essay

Energy security and energy securitization - Essay Example The inequality in regard to the energy sources available has caused severe conflicts among states worldwide, a phenomenon which was made particularly clear since the 1970s, the period of ‘oil shock’ (Bhattacharyya 2011, p.463). The above conflicts have led to the increase of risks in relation to the management of energy. Energy security has become a critical issue for all countries around the world; countries, which have developed strategic alliances within the international community, have been able to respond more effectively to the needs of energy security; for example, the case of the European Union (Checchi, Behrens, and Egenhofer 2009). The various aspects of energy security, as related to the energy securitization, are examined in this paper. The review of the literature published in the specific field proved that it is rather difficult for countries to meet all the requirements of energy security; moreover, energy security has been often used for promoting other interests, especially for serving the economic interests of individuals or institutions. The management of energy security should be based on the relevant principles and rules established by the international community. 2. Energy security and energy securitization 2.1 Energy security – characteristics and role Different approaches have been used in the literature in order to explain the context of energy security. In accordance with Tufa (2008) energy security can be described as ‘a reliable supply of energy at a sustainable cost’ (Tufa 2008, p.6). It seems that cost and reliability are two critical factors for defining energy security within the international community. This fact is verified through the definition of energy security given by Muller-Kraenner (2008); in accordance with the above definition, the energy security is considered as ‘the provision of reasonably priced, reliable and environmentally friendly energy’ (Muller-Kraenner 2008, p.4 ). It is noted that the term energy security may incorporate different elements in countries worldwide. For instance, in countries that are major oil producers, energy security reflects the ability of these countries ‘to maintain the security of demand’ (Tufa 2008, p.6). From a similar point of view, the term energy security can be used in order to describe the efforts of a nation to keep the price of its energy – related products low. On the other hand, Sovacool (2011) notes that energy security is related to the ability of a country to respond to its energy needs, so that: a) no problem would appear in regard to the survival of the specific nation (Sovacool 2011, p.78), b) the welfare of the country would not be threatened (Sovacool 2011, p.78), even if the characteristics of threat in the above case are not clearly described and c) the risks in regard to the management of energy sources within a country are minimized (Sovacool 2011, p.78). It is clear that the efforts to promote energy security are not standardized in countries worldwide. There are countries that consider energy security as a need justifying the development of severe conflicts; other countries seek for

Glass Artist Josh Simpson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Glass Artist Josh Simpson - Essay Example As a matter of fact, Cady carried one of his planets on Space Mission Columbia in 1995. Josh's New Mexico series are also well known. They consist of representations of the night sky in the desert - blue, black and gold hued - showing swirling galaxies and constellations. (Seekers Gallery Website) As he himself states, Josh gets his inspiration from the medium - glass when heated to high temperatures moves fluidly like honey. It has a radiance and translucence, which he finds inspiring. But it's not merely artistic vision that Josh requires to produce this work. Scientific and technical precision (knowing the hows of working with glass and at what temperatures it can be manipulated) the ability to work in uncomfortable and potentially dangerous conditions (the high temperatures of the furnace and the danger of something blowing up) and even physical strength are required, as solid glass spheres are heavy. One of the heaviest planets that Josh has fashioned is 85 lbs, which, the Artist, in The Glass Talk Radio interview states is with a Commercial University. Another of his planets, weighing 50 lbs is displayed in the Yokohama Josh Simpson Sphere Museum. (Simpson Website:Video) Josh has received a commission from the Corning Museum of Glass, New York, for a planet of 100

Alternative Energy Essay Example for Free

Alternative Energy Essay Alternative Energy whether used for transportation or utilities such as generating electricity for home or business is a very significant subject going on right now because of the benefits it would provide for us, such as environmental, economic, job security and energy security. I believe alternative energy would be beneficial to our society, especially if it is used in transport; there is many other better, leaner and reusable energy sources out there, for example fuel for vehicles pollutes the air and yet can be changed by using a more natural source that doesnt create as much pollution if not any If we were to experiment more with the usage of natural elements, without mentioning that it would be cheaper for all of us in the long run. Evidence Despoiling nature to get at the tiny trickle of oil we have left wont make any significant difference in what we pay at the pump not now and not ever. And it wont make our country any less dependent on foreign fuel. Our thirst for oil is bad for national security, bad for our economy and bad for the environment, America needs to say no to pumping up Big Oils profits and yes to forging a new clean energy economy. -Build the Clean Energy Economy, www.nrdc.org ?(accessed Feb. 25, 2009). The nation is finally realizing that the solutions to these twin crises are linked. That is because nearly everything that is good for the environment and practically everything that is good in the fight against global warming is a job. We can power America through this recession by repowering America with clean energy. We can create millions of jobs that will make our people wealthier and the Earth healthier. (Jones, 2008) The U.S. renewable energy resource base is vast and practically untapped. Available wind energy resources in 12 Midwestern and Rocky Mountain states equal about 2.5 times the entire electricity production of the United States, Complete elimination of CO2 could occur as early as 2040. Elimination of nuclear power could also occur in that time frame. (Makhijani, 2007) Biofuels can provide a number of environmental advantages over conventional fossil fuels-most notably a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since the transportation sector accounts for about a third of total U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide (an abundant GHG), cleaner transp ortation fuels can play an important role in addressing climate change. -Environmental Benefits of Biofuels, www.doe.gov ?(accessed July 8, 2008) Solar power is a prime choice in developing an affordable and feasible global power source that can substitute fossil fuels in all the worlds climate zones. The solar radiation reaching the earths surface in one year provides more than 10,000 times the worlds yearly energy needs, with the right product, therefore offering customers the type of added value they are looking for, coupled with innovative marketing technologies such as solar electricity should be able to compete with grid power in industrialized countries.- Solar Generation: Solar Electricity for Over One Billion People and Two Million Jobs by 2020, www.epia.org, ?Sep. 2006. Counterarguments It is estimated that there is enough oil and natural gas offshore and in non-wilderness and non-park lands in the United States but currently ruled off-limits for production by the federal government to fuel 50 million cars and heat nearly 100 million homes for the next 25 years. -â€Å"PuttingAmericasEnergyResourcesto Work, www.exxonmobil.com,?June 2008. Taking into account the EIAs [US Energy Information Agency] projected increases in electricity demand, the renewable sector would need to grow 19% per year for 22 years consecutively to meet U.S. demand by the year 2030. Clearly, these targets are overly ambitious and impractical The government cannot create wealth or jobs; all it can do is take from Peter to pay Paul, opening up a job in green industry A by eliminating one in fossil fuel industry B. (Murphy, 2008) We want to be very clear: solar cells, wind turbines, and biomass-for-energy plantations can never replace even a small fraction of the highly reliable nuclear, fossil and hydroelectric power stations. Claims to the contrary are popular, but irresponsible. (Patzek, Pimentel, 2005) The use of corn for ethanol has led to major increases in the price of U.S. beef, chicken, pork, eggs, breads, cereals, and milk a boon to agribusiness and bane to consumers, as global population soars to 8 or 9 billion toward mid-century, and a s we burn more grain as fuel, shortages and production costs could cause grain prices to skyrocket, taking food from the mouths of the worlds poorest people. (Pimentel, 2008). The suns energy is too widely dispersed and the land area required to collect it too vast for solar to become a large-scale power source. The suns energy is too widely dispersed and the land area required to collect it too vast for solar to become a large-scale power source, he solar problem is that no matter how you design the system it will always be inefficient and capture only a small, uneconomical amount of solar energy. (Leher, 2005) We can come to a conclusion that there are many viable alternate sources of energy that we can and should use to supply our energy needs other than fossil fuels and coal, but if we really want to change the energy we use, we need to make a dramatic change. Even if at a first impression we might think it is more expensive to switch to Alternate energy for transport, imagine how it would be like to have cars that don’t need gas to run, in the long run it would be beneficial not only to our wallets but also to our environment, if we really want a change we should start investing in alternative energy now.

Managing your professional performance Essay Example for Free

Managing your professional performance Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION Personal development planning (PDP) is a process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own development in a purposeful way through learning and experience. (Jackson, 2001) Everyone has desires and aspirations in life. To go about achieving goals and success in one’s life, it is vital to jump start and implement a very own personal and professional development plan. Every individual will have their own interpretation of personal development. For me, it is a lifelong personal growth and learning progress not only in building on self awareness and enhancing on skills and professions but also to achieve spiritual growth. 2.0 ANALYSE PERCEIVED DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MODULE 2.1 Personal Vision and Mission Vision Statement: â€Å"To become an effective and respected General Manager in the hospitality industry; helping to enhance the performance and continuous improvement within the business and extending excellence service to the customers.† Mission Statement: â€Å"I will strive hard to work my way up the ladder with continuous learning and development of knowledge, skills and experiences and at the same time, maintaining good work ethics and relationships with people around me.† MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE Philosophy: I always believe that if one does not have the passion towards something, one won’t achieve success in it. We may be inspired to do something, but to be successful in what we are doing requires great effort and determination. Just like the saying from Thomas Alva Edison (1929 cited in Sommers 2012, p184) â€Å"Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration†. If no effort is put in, there’s just no way that we can achieve success in life. 2.2 Status When I have chosen hospitality as my career, I knew it is a field that differs from the others which it requires not only basic hospitality knowledge and skills but also industry experience. Therefore, along with my studies I have held several part time positions as a waitress, promoter, sale executive and even a part time tuition teacher to gain career-related experience. As soon as I completed my diploma studies, I undergo my industrial training and continue on as a full time employee working as a guest experience executive with Le Meridien Hotel before I further my degree in order to gain broader knowledge and real-world experiences. Throughout these years so much has happened. Everyday I’m facing with new challenges and obstacles in work, with many ups and downs. I have learned to be patient; looking at things from different perspective and creatively dealing with different types of human being. All these working experiences have developed me a sense of competence and build up my self-esteem. Also, I’m more aware of the attitudes, skills and experiences that required for further career development and seizing the opportunity to gain insight and learn more about myself. MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE 2.3 Self Assessment I have made an assessment of my own personality and capabilities in certain key skill areas in order to anlayse my strengths and weaknesses as well as to review on the gaps that I could further enhance for my long-term career prospects. (a) Personality Personality test is vital in helping me to understand my inner self and review on areas that could be improved for better self development to achieve future career success. I have taken the big five personality tests which could review on my level of sociability, friendliness, work ethic, calmness and creativity. (Please refer to appendix 1 – The Big Five Model of Personality) The result indicated that I am a person who is well organised, relatively social and tends to consider the feelings of others. However, weak in handling emotions and tend to be conventional. (b) Career Motivation According to Robbins (2001 cited in Tan and Amna 2011, pp73-94), motivation is a needs-satisfying process, which means individuals will strive to achieve goals when their needs are satisfied by certain factors. It is highly important for me to understand my career motivation in order to achieve a more fulfilling and productive career. And based on the career motivation test that I have taken, I realized for me to ensure a long term job satisfaction; my career motivational needs are recognition and long-term reward. (Please see appendix 2 – Career Motivation Test) This enables me to reflect and decide on the type of organisation My ex-manager exercises a range of leadership approaches as shown in the table above and deploys them appropriately according to different situations. Instead of practicing only one or few of the leadership approaches, her way of leading and levels of control towards the team is moving along the continuum which from being an autocratic leader to a democratic leader. MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE 3.1.4 Different Styles and Different Stages When I first joined in the organisation, I was really not used to her way of managing as I was being ordered and instructed on things to do without having the freedom to do according to my way. Whenever I questioned on the task that I was performing, her reply is always the same â€Å"Just follow and do whatever I told you, soon you will understand why.† Until a period where I saw other teams were doing the same tasks as mine but different way of performing; and they ended up screwing up the tasks made me realized her intention was to train me on the right way of doing things. After gaining some period of working experience, she presented a list of suggestions and solutions; and allowed me decide on my own based on my analysis and past experience. And as soon as she had faith on me and the team and having confidence in our abilities, she allowed us to develop ideas and decide on action to be taken. As in overall, when the team is immature or new, she will practice the styles more towards to the left-hand side of the spectrum. By contrast, when the team is skilled and motivated, she will practice the styles that are more towards to the right-hand side of the spectrum. Her shifting in leadership styles from being autocratic to democratic at different stages has inspired me and made me understand that a great leadership is not necessary to be consistent with the forms of leadership, but being able to apply the right style at the right situation. ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE and influence followers’ perceptions, and eventually smooth the path in achieving common goals. 3.1.6 Conclusion I truly believe that there is no one â€Å"best† style of leadership. Different leaders will have their own interpretation of what is called a good leader and with different approaches to leadership. To me, to be a good leader, first is to become a good follower, which I truly agree with the saying from Mark Wagner (2010) â€Å"Great Followers make the Best Leaders†. In my opinion, a great leader needs to be developed through experience and learning; learned from observation, listening, hearing and doing. A leader may be is naturally born, but a great leader is definitely made. Page 21 of 41 ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE 3.2 COMMUNICATION (Activity 4) Communication is a simple yet complex activity in which can be defined as a twoway process of reaching mutual understanding through verbal or nonverbal means. (Business Dictionary, n.d.) It is an important facet of life which plays a vital role not only in personal interactions but also in business communication. 3.2.1 Importance of Effective Communication In the daily personal interactions, effective communication could help oneself to deliver the information along and get the desired respond or need. It could also help to build up good relationships with the people around through better understanding and avoiding from arguments and misunderstandings. Effective communication could also build up individual’s’ self-esteem as they are able to present themselves well and express their thoughts and feelings. Effective communication is also a key to success for every organisation, leader, manager, and employee. It is vital for an organisation to build or strengthen the relations with internal and external stakeholders and ultimately, achieving business goals and missions. Following table highlights the importance of effective communication in business: Consideration Understands human nature Emphasize positive pleasant facts, visualizing reader or listener’s problems, desires, emotions and responses. ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE Courtesy Strengthen relations Not only thinks about receiver but also valuing his or her feelings. Use polite word and gestures, being appreciative, thoughtful, tactful, showing respect. Source: Managementstudyguide.com, 2012 3.2.3 Reflection Throughout this activity, I found out that it wasn’t easy to get everyone to be in the same level of understanding of the information that I have been delivered. Different people tend to have different interpretation and understanding towards my explanation of the visual ‘poster’. I was struggling in expressing my own thoughts and ideas effectively towards the entire class. Also, I realized the same scenario happened in my previous workplace when I was expressing or explaining something to different people. My words are often misinterpreted or misunderstood; and eventually lead to ineffective job performance. My weakness in delivering message is causing me great difficulty to communicate effectively especially in the workplace. Out of the 7C’s above, I realized I am somehow lack of the 2 C’s – completeness and concreteness. I often simplify my expressed thoughts and ideas without any further explanation and supporting facts. Perhaps this is the issue which leads to the misinterpretations due to having an unclear and ineffective communication. Therefore, it is essential for me to look into how I could craft effective communications and further develop on my communication skills. Page 24 of 41 ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE 3.2.4 Communication Skills The act of communicating involves verbal and nonverbal components. (Rod and Suzanne, n.d.) Both of these components are interrelated which are vital to deliver clear and concise messages; and receive correct and understand messages sent by the others. Therefore, these two aspects of communication skills should be enhanced as a whole to ensure effective communication. (a) Verbal Verbal communication includes both oral and written communications. (Rod and Suzanne, n.d.) There are numerous verbal communication skills such as speak with confidence, think before you speak, don’t talk too much and so on. And, I found it that there are certain verbal skills that I could enhance and worth mastering based on my communication weaknesses, which are: (i) Learn the art of listening Listening someone effectively enable us to gain valuable information and greater understanding of the others’ point of view. One of the key improvements that I would require is to stay focus or pay attention on the message delivered to gain a deeper understanding of another’s thoughts. Remain clearheaded is also another key area that I need to further enhance by truly listen to someone’s perception and controlling emotions when it comes to sensitive and emotional topic. (ii) Be clear and concise I should avoid wordy expressions and learn to choose my words; state out my point of views as clear as possible and as briefly and succinctly as possible. I Page 25 of ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE should train on this daily while communicating with family members, friends, colleagues and relatives; and gain feedbacks from them for better improvement. (b) Nonverbal Nonverbal communication can be described using body languages which involve facial expression, body movement, gestures, eye contact, voice, space and more. (Rod and Suzanne, n.d.) Following are the list of tips that could help me in enhancing my nonverbal communication skills: Always make eye contact while communicating with people. Exhibit appropriate facial expressions and affirmative head nods. Avoid distracting gestures and actions. Be mindful of personal space while communicating. Do not invade personal space by getting too close or confuse communication by being too far away. Source: IILM, 2012, p90 3.2.5 Conclusion Communication is not just a simple daily activity but it comes together with skills and techniques where individuals need to learn and acquire them in order to perform daily tasks and work effectively. To me, it is the most highly valued skill out of all professional skills as it plays a vital role in all aspects of personal and professional lives that would last for a lifetime. (Word Counts: 1436 Words) ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE 4.0 DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT A personal action plan is a detailed schedule of key activities which set by an individual in order to accomplish personal goals. (Carnes, 2010) Based on my vision and mission statements as well as the identified development needs, I have set a list of goals to be achieved into short-medium terms in the next fifteen years; starting from year 2013 till 2027. 4.1 FIVE-YEAR ACTION PLAN Plan period: From 2013 to 2017 (Age 22 to 26) Goals to be achieved: 1. To be a Front Office Manager I have got two years working experience as a guest experience executive in the hotel industry and several part time working experiences in the related fields. My next stage will be looking forward to be a front office supervisor; and then strive hard to work my way up to the next level which is to be a front office manager within these five years. 2. To travel every year Ever since I finished primary school, I have not been to anywhere out of the country, as I am committed to my study and work. And to be frank, I can’t really remember when is the last time I traveled, most probably is when I was in the age of 12. I want to turn this around; and I want to go on vacation or travel abroad every year to gain a different perspective of the world. Lifetime ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE ï‚ · From industry expertise, managers, supervisors and colleagues through sharing of industry knowledge and experiences. Personal Observations and Experiences ï‚ · The daily working experiences also known as the firsthand experiences enable me to gain awareness and up-todate hospitality-related service and knowledge. Year 1 – 2013 (Age 22) Basically my plan in 2013 is to return to my previous workplace right after I finished my degree course in between April to May. I have been offered a position by my ex-manager, working as a guest experience supervisor or called it as a front office supervisor starting in June. Throughout the whole year, I have planned to take different training programmes or courses to overcome my weaknesses, enhance my professional skills, gain additional knowledge, build up self esteem and develop self competencies. The examples of training programmes include the â€Å"360-Degree Leadership Skills† training course, â€Å"Creativity, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making† training course, and â€Å"Personal and Professional Effectiveness† training workshop. Also, I am seeking for work-life balance, and I will plan for at least an oversea trip probably in the year-end; which it is also one of my personal goals.ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE Year 2 to 5 – 2014 2017 (Age 23 to 26 ) These four years are going to be hectic years as I will be striving hard to work my way up to the next position level. I will apply for Starwood Leadership Development Programme which is a hands-on-three-year training programme to prepare myself to be a future leader; enhancing every aspect of my personal and professional skills, knowledge and experiences. From time to time, I will also keep myself up-to-date of the hospitality or related industry knowledge through a wide variety of resources as listed in the action plan. I will also constantly look up for courses or training programmes to help me to further improving my professional skills and knowledge. And hopefully by 2017, I could achieve my first career goal which is to be a front office manager; utilizing my skills, knowledge and experiences gained to help the organisation in enhancing the performance and continuous improvement within the business. Page 31 of 41 ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE 4.2 TEN-YEAR ACTION PLAN Plan Period: From 2018 to 2027 (Age 27-36) Goals to be achieved: 1. To be a Director of Rooms Division (By Year 2022, Age 31) My next goal to be achieved after being a Front Office Manager is to be a Director of Rooms Division after five years. I planned to apply for cross training or internal transfer programme to the housekeeping department for at least two years to learn and get more exposure about the overall rooms operation. 2. To be a Hotel Manager (By Year 2027, 36) My next goal to be achieved after being a Director of Rooms Division is to be a Hotel Manager after five years; before moving forward to the next position level which is the General Manager. I planned to gain experience and exposure to all hotel departments and different functions to gain more in-depth knowledge and integrated experience of how the entire hotel operates. 3. To get a Master’s Degree (By Year 2019, Age 28) Also, one of my ten-year goals is to earn a Master’s Degree on a part-time basis to acquire broader knowledge and skills to keep myself a competitive edge over the others. Keeping me on the edge of developments with constant professional skills improvement and keeping industry knowledge up to date is also one of my life time plans. Personal Observations and Experiences The daily working experiences also known as the firsthand experiences enable me to gain awareness and up-todate hospitality-related service and knowledge. Cross Training Programme – Housekeeping Department ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE Year 1 to 5 – 2018 2022 (Age 27 to 31) Basically my plan after achieving my first career goal is to get a Master’s Degree major in hospitality management on a part-time basis over two years duration. This enables me to stay competitive in the industry as there is a growing in demand for higher education qualifications in the hospitality industry especially for the higher level positions. Also, I will participate in certain soft skills training programmes or courses to further improve and enrich myself such as stress management and emotional intelligence training workshops. Constantly updating the industry knowledge through a variety of sources is also one of my to-do-lists to keep myself stay alert about the industry changes, spot threats and opportunities early on, and make better business decisions. After planning to work for two years as a front office manager, I plan to get myself involved in cross training programme in housekeeping department to gain integrated experience and knowledge on how the entire room division operates. This can be an important stepping stone for me to move onto the next career level. Besides, I will also take up the Certified Professional Coach (CPC) Programme to enhance my mentoring and coaching skills to elevate myself to become a better leader. This programme not only able to help me to become better coaches in my own professional and personal lives but at the same time also improving better cross functional interaction and efficiency in the organisation. And expecting by 2022; all the plans, efforts and determination that I have put in could help me in achieving my second career goal in life which is to be a Director of Rooms Division. Page 36 of 41 ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE Year 6 to 10 – 2023 2027 (Age 32 to 36) Gaining integrated experience in all hotel departments through cross training programme is going to be my next plan after being a Director of Rooms Division. This cross training is going to take about three years duration to six different departments with six months each which include food and beverage, security, engineering, sales and marketing, finance and revenue, and human resource departments. This programme is extremely important for me in achieving my next career goal as it enables me to expose, learn and gain an in-depth knowledge and experience on how the entire hotel runs. And expecting by 2027, I could achieve my third career goal in life which is to be a Hotel Manager. Other than just focusing on maximizing my career achievement, I also aim to buy a home latest by 2024 in the age of 33 and build up a happy and healthy family. Not to forget also to ensure a balance of my work life; go on vacation or travel abroad probably in every year-end to relax and gain a different perspective of the world. 4.3 Contingency Plan Reviewing on the action plans regularly is essential to keep track of my progress in achieving my personal and professional goals. However, situations may change at times due to sudden or unexpected circumstances or perhaps desires may change as time goes by. Therefore, adjusting goals and plans are necessary when the situation calls for it. Following are the contingency plans of the five and ten years development plans by identifying the possible breakdowns: Page 37 of 41 ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE 1. Extension of Timeframe An extension of time is essential when the goals are unable to be achieved within the timeframe perhaps due to unexpected circumstances. For example, my aim to purchase a house by the age of 33 might need to be extended in the case that I am facing financial difficulties at that moment. The cross training programme to all hotel departments might also need to be extended from three years to four years if I can’t gain my desired result and knowledge from all the departments within the targeted timeframe. 2. Seek consultation from industry expertise Seeking advice and consultation from industry expertise such as managers and directors is required if I don’t gain the desired or enough skills and knowledge from the training programmes and workshops. Often the view, opinion, experience and knowledge share by the expertise could help me to gain a better insight into the required skills development. 3. Online Professional Development Taking up online development courses are my backup plan instead of attending training programmes or workshops during the case of having limited time in completing a thousand of tasks in daily life; causing me couldn’t fulfill my development plans within the targeted timeframe. This backup plan would be more flexible and convenient for me especially in a hectic working environment. However, I would still prefer participating in training workshops as I will get the chance to get involved in a variety of activities such as role plays, group Page 38 of 41 ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE dynamics, games and more; which could help me in gaining a better understanding and insight of the professional skills development. 4.4 Future Plan My next career aim after being a Hotel Manager for about five years length of duration is looking forward to become an effective and respected General Manager in the hospitality industry which is also my vision in life. My career development will not just stop at this stage after achieving my vision; but will continue on to set another vision and goals to be accomplished in the rest of my life. I will continue to emphasize on maximizing my career potential and achievement through ongoing development of professional skills, knowledge and experience. Besides taking up different skills training courses and participating in training programmes to further enhance and enrich myself, I will also seek advice from the industry experts to achieve a better result in career achievement. Not to forget also to constantly reviewing and evaluating the action plan and self development; and look for ways to further enhance personal and professional performance. Besides, one of my future plans is also to contribute to the best of my ability towards the community not only on behalf of the organisation but also for my own sake. Example of contributions include participating or working with the local or international charities and adopting green approaches such as choosing more Page 39 of ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE environmentally viable alternative power supplies, integrating the consideration of environmental concerns into decision makings, promote environmental awareness, reducing waste through reuse and recycling activities and more. Conclusion To me, personal and professional development is a journey that never ends. It is a lifetime and ongoing process in developing professional skills, knowledge and experience as well as in achieving personal and spiritual growth. I truly believe that personal growth and development is completely within my hands which requires not only strong determination and self discipline but also having a positive, can-do attitude and thought that are vital in driving me to success. And based on my philosophy of success, I will definitely put in great effort and determination in everything I do; strive hard to achieve every single goal that I have set in life. (Word Counts: 1869 Words) (Total Word Counts: 4184 Words) Page 40 of 41