My father had told me that I should consider first my budget

I am so excited in buying my first car. Can’t wait to drive it! As I was browsing through catalogues and asking friends and family I’ve learned that there are factors that I have to consider in purchasing a car. I thought it was as easy as buying a chocolate bar at the store. My father had told me that I should consider first my budget. What’s the budget I’ve allotted for my car? It was only then that I had thought about it. It seems that my budget won’t match the car I’ve dreamed of buying.So my father told me to think of the other factors, such as, look for a car that would fit my budget. Next is the quality of the car, like the engine and the body; and lastly are the features of the car. What I did was look through the catalogues and brochures again. Write on a piece of paper the features I like and the kind of engine that fits my lifestyle. On the other side are the features of the cars I’m looking at. Cross out the things that I d on’t like, and left out what I like and the things that match them.It was only then that I was able to choose the car that I’ll be purchasing. But there are three choices left, which I really have to think about and consider. I again consulted my father about it to finalize my decision. He told me to go and check out the cars that are in my list, â€Å"Once you’re there and check them you’ll know which one is for you. † And I did went to check the cars out. I wasn’t able to see the third choice for when I saw the second car I knew it was for me.As if it was calling me, when I approached it to check out the seats, the interiors and engine, I didn’t waste any time at all and spoke to the car salesman. That afternoon I negotiated with the salesman and was able to purchase the car less than my budget. I felt so accomplished and victorious. The salesman told me to go back after a few days for the car. I called my father while I was walking out of the office, telling him what happened. He was just laughing while I was talking.I kept on talking as if I didn’t hear he was laughing on the other line. When I was finished he said, â€Å"That’s what I was telling you. Now you know what I was saying. And I can say that you’re too proud and happy that you were able to purchase your first car on your own. † When I heard that I just nodded and said, â€Å"Thank you very much, Dad. I love you. † It was such a fulfilling feeling that, I won’t forget that experience. I go with the same process every time I would purchase something. I’ve learned a lot from my father.

Describe the Different Forms of Disguise and Deception That Feature in Twelfth Night Essay

Shakespeare’s play ‘Twelfth Night’ is a comedy centred on a main theme of disguise and deception. The elements of both bring confusion to the characters creating comical situations throughout the play, also adding a lot of dramatic irony to entertain the audiences through the ages. There are many different types of disguise and deception in the play, most are used for the comical effect, but one deception in particular gives the play a darker edge because of the malicious intent to hurt the character. Viola’s disguise as the young man ‘Cesario’ is the stimulus that triggers the love triangle which is the foundation of the whole play. Antonio assists Viola to disguise herself as a man, ‘conceal me what I am, and be my aid’, to enable her to work as a messenger for Orsino. She also tells Antonio to ‘shape thou silence to my wit’ so that no one in Illyria will know that she is actually a girl. Orsino sends her to ‘Unfold the passion of my love’ to Olivia. However Viola has fallen in love with Orsino: ‘Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife’. The disguise then causes even more confusion when the love triangle is completed and Olivia, believing Viola is a man, falls in love with Viola/Cesario: ‘methinks I feel this youth’s perfections’. All of this confusion with the disguise and the love triangle enthrals the audience because of the depth of dramatic irony created. Shakespeare has let only the audience know that Cesario is Viola, and he tells them about Olivia’s love for Cesario, before Viola herself knows. All of the confusion from the disguise would have been even funnier when acted out on stage, because all the actors in Elizabethan times were men. Therefore the boy playing Viola would have been dressed up as a girl, and then disguised as a man, and then the man dressed as Olivia would be in love with what the character thinks is a man, which is actually a girl who is played by a boy. Shakespeare used the disguise to create humour for the audience in this way. In Act 3, after Viola has found out that Olivia is in love with her, Viola tries to hint at Olivia by saying ‘I am not what I am’. Viola is telling the truth, but it is a very vague phrase so it does not give away her identity to Olivia. This simple sentence could show that Viola is not using the disguise for malicious reasons and she does not like deceiving people, so by saying this line she is perhaps trying to alleviate some guilt from the deception that unintentionally made Olivia fall in love with her. Viola’s quote is a direct opposite of a quote in the bible, ‘I am what I am’, back then, nearly everyone would have been familiar with the saying, as most attended church and sermons quote the bible, so her quote shows that what Viola is doing is breaking an important moral code and her deception would have been seen as more of a wrong doing back then than it is today, causing Viola to feel the guilt and shame that she does. Malvolio’s deception is a subplot of the play which creates a lot of the comedy, but also has overtones of malice that brings darkness to the play. Malvolio is a servant to Olivia, who gets on the nerves of Maria and other servants because of his pompous behaviour. They decide to plot against him because of his arrogance and frequent nasty comments to them: ‘have you no wit, manners, nor honesty but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night? ’ Maria forges a love letter from Olivia in her handwriting, ‘I can write very like my lady’, and it tells Malvolio that to show his love for Olivia he has to smile, talk like he is of higher class and wear yellow cross-gartered stockings, this ridiculous outfit and behaviour would have entertained the audience very much. So to the audience, this deception starts as a humorous bit of fun for the characters to poke fun at Malvolio, but as the play goes on it turns into purposeful malicious intent to degrade and humiliate him. Maria starts as the originator of the prank, but when Feste becomes involved the pranks become cruel and callous. He takes it a lot further by locking Malvolio up and taunting him: ‘it hath bay windows transparent as barricadoes’ and he carries on even when Sir Toby wants the prank to end ‘I wish we were well rid of this knavery’. Shakespeare leaves Malvolio in a very poor state at the end of the play. Malvolio ends up being damaged emotionally by the pranks and the audience ends up feeling sorry for him, despite him being a very unsympathetic character. The reason Feste enjoys the deception of Malvolio so much could be because he is actually a very intelligent character, but has turned bitter after people are unintentionally deceived into thinking he must be stupid or have no feelings because he is just another clown: ‘I saw him put down the other day with an ordinary fool that has no more brain than a stone’. The previous quote is the kind of thing that could anger Feste because people do not notice his intelligence; it was also said by Malvolio which could be why the full force of Feste’s bitterness was aimed directly at him. Shakespeare made Feste pick up on dramatic ironies: ‘nor your name is not master Cesario’ to show Feste’s intelligence to the audience, but the characters never noticed Feste’s intelligence because of the unintentional deception he caused by being a clown, so this is why his jokes are perceptive but bitter. Within the play a lot of plot devices regarding the disguises are helped by the characters self-deception. The deception of Malvolio wouldn’t have worked if he had not deceived himself into thinking that Olivia liked him. Malvolio was a haughty character who had very high opinions of what Olivia thought of him: ‘should she fancy, it should be one of my complexion’. He would not have fallen for the prank if he had not deceived himself in this way, therefore in a way he deceived himself into the prank because he was conceited enough to think that Olivia liked him, thus abetting his own ruin. Orsino’s love for Olivia could be seen as self-deception. Orsino believes that he is in love with Olivia, and is feeling all the sorrows and joy of love: ‘that it alone is high fantastical’, but he seems to have deceived himself that he is in love with Olivia, when actually it perhaps is more of an infatuation and he is now in love with the idea of love. Orsino is a wealthy Duke who would be very used to getting what he wanted whenever he asked for it, so seeing Olivia and wanting her ‘Methought she purged the air of pestilence’, and then not being able to have her could have given him the feeling of longing that he has never really had before. He could have then misinterpreted the new feeling as love and now his whole mind is preoccupied with the longing that he thinks is love. Olivia’s mourning for her brother could also be perceived as self-deception. Olivia declared that she would mourn her brother’s death for a long time, believing that she would never really be able to overcome her grief. However when she falls in love with Cesario she perhaps realises she can still be happy. She didn’t know she could be happy when she declared her years ourning and she had been deceiving herself that she was completely grief-stricken about his death, when actually she may have just been feeling lonely. This could also be why Olivia fell for Viola’s disguise quite easily, she was vulnerable and sad and may have just like the idea of a man, so not paid that close attention to who Cesario actually was. In the denouement of the play, Viola’s twin Sebastian arrives in Illyria thinking that Viola is dead: ‘She is drowned already, sir, with salt water’. Sebastian looks a lot like Viola, so because Viola is dressed as a man a lot of people mistake Sebastian for Cesario and it causes many confusing situations. The main confusion that happens is that Olivia mistakes Sebastian for Cesario, and Sebastian deceives her by not telling her who he actually is and goes along with the whole charade. Olivia thinks that Cesario has finally succumbed to her and they agree to get married: ‘plight me the full assurance of your faith’. Olivia not noticing that it was actually Sebastian shows that she may have not actually been in love with Cesario but because she was vulnerable at the time she clung to the idea of having somebody without actually really knowing the person. Sebastian’s deception was merely dishonest. He took advantage of the situation, but he never really knew what was going on because he was in a strange land and it all happened very quickly so Olivia forgave him. All the disguise and deception is very cleverly plotted through the play to structure the whole story line. The disguises are finally revealed at the end, solving all the confusion and allowing the various couples to join and give the play finality. The disguise and deception gives the play the confusion and dramatic irony to make the play a comedy. The theme entwines in every plotline and all the way through the play ‘nothing that is so is so’.

motivational and emotional factors help you to understand your own health and fitness Essay

What were the motivational and environmental factors that contributed to the weight gain? The motivational factor that I belive Tasha had was prioritizing her children over her own health and the enviromental was that she had two children both at a hard age that needed her all the time witch took all the time, energy and focus. Briefly describe which approaches to motivation you feel best help us to understand the change in Tasha’s behavior. the best motivational aproach that I thought helped me understand it better was intrinsic motivation witch according to our textbook is â€Å"based on the personal satisfaction the person gets from doing the task† (Lefrancois, 2011) I choosed this because she was was being motivated by her mood and the way she feels about herself. In what ways was emotion tied to the weight gain and loss? Being tired and preocupied accounts for her weight gain and being unhappy with her weight and her mood motivated the loss. How might understanding these motivational and emotional factors help you to understand your own health and fitness? When I started reading this, I though I was reading about myself, this story has a lot to do with me. When I had my second child I gain 40 pounds I felt fat and everyone was telling me that I gain weight and I felt more discusted with myself, I hated my body and I was very unhappy with it. So one day I saw a friend of mine on facebook she had posted a picture of how she lost 30 pounds in 2 months and that got to me and I asked her how she did it and she put me in touch with the trainner that helped her. I got myself a personal trainner and started taking this product call YOR HEALTH and that has helped me loose 45 pounds and now I’m proud to say that I have the body I always dreamed of having and they want me as a model for a fitness magazine in witch im still debating because that is not my thing. By understanding these emotinal and motvational factors has helped me realize that what I did and been doing I did it all correctly. Will you change anything in your own life as a result of this scenario? I have to say as of right now I wouldn’t change anything because its something I’m doing now. Reference: R. Lefrancois (2011 ). Psychology: The human puzzle. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPSY101.11.1/sections/sec6.4 * Select one character, past or present, from a television show, movie, book, comic, game, etc. * * Briefly describe this character, including: * * What medium (television, movie, book, etc.) is he or she from? * * Why did you select him or her? * * What is his or her personality as depicted? * * Identify one approach (e.g., common-sense, psychodynamic, humanistic, etc.) that you feel is most accurate and useful in understanding this character’s personality. * Discuss this selected theory. Why did you select it? How might this theory help us understand your character’s personality? I had a similar assigment in another class and I absolutly loved it because I got the chance to talk about my favorite character person and I absolutley love this lady her name is Madea known as Tyler Perry. She has been in manny movies all of of them has a been a great success. My favorite out of all her movies is â€Å"Witness Protection† in this movie she played a role of protecting a family that had to be under witness protection until a case was resolved in court. This family was not one of the best family not a close family but once they got to Madea’s house she made sure she tought them how to live with eachother as a family and tought them the real meaning and  importance of having a family there for you. I selected this character because in her movies she has inspired me and show me and everyone who watches her movie that no matter what family values is very important. One aprache that I choosed for her character is humanistics aproach because she would make sure you understand her world and where shes coming from for her to be able to get on you page. She has to get her point across and has to make sure everyone understands and follows what she says in a easy or a hard way just like out text boo stated â€Å"The self; worth, dignity, individuality† (Lefrancois, 2011) and â€Å"My perception of the world is real. So is yours. We have our separate realities. If we are to understand each other, you must try to understand my world, and I yours† (Lefrancois, 2011) I chosed this personality beucase and that is exactly how Madea is when shes trying to get a point across. She has all o those traits in her pesonality she shows her self her dignity and her individuality. If anybody in class has watch her movies can tell you how her personality is in manny ways I wished I had her same personality. Reference: R. Lefrancois (2011 ). Psychology: The human puzzle. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPSY101.11.1/sections/sec8.2 R. Lefrancois (2011 ). Psychology: The human puzzle. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPSY101.11.1/sections/sec8.7 Spet 14

BNSF Railway Transportation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BNSF Railway Transportation - Article Example The services offered by the industry are bulk freight, intermodal services, passenger services and switching and terminal railroad services (IBISWorld, 2011). According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, freight shipments have increased from 27% of the ton-miles of U.S. freight in 1980 to 38% in 2005 (Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc., 2009). This increase shows the growing significance of the role of railways in the U.S. economy. Among the cargo being shipped through the railroads, coal represents the largest proportion in terms of tons (Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc., 2009). Other commodities transported by railroads include chemicals, farm products, non-metallic minerals and miscellaneous mixed shipments. Over the years, the railway industry has experienced consolidations that have reduced the number of Class I from about 40 railways to the current seven. The seven major players in the railway industry are Union Pacific Corporation (UP), Burli ngton Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNSF), CSX Corporation, Kansas City Southern (KCS), Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS). In terms of operating revenues of the major North American railroad, the Union Pacific posted the highest revenue with $15.5 million. It is followed by BNSF with operating revenue of $14.8 million, NS with $9.4 million, CSX with $8.6 million, CN with $6.8 million, CP with $4.1 million and KCS with $0.87 million (Association of American Railroads, 2008) . Porter’s Five Forces Like any other industry, the railway industry is influenced by Porter’s five forces model which shape the strategies of companies, as shown in Figure 1 (Porter, 2008). The first force identified by Porter is the threat of new entrants. This force is the possibility of new companies entering the industry. This force is not very influential in the strategy of a company in the railway industry because of several ba rriers to entry. The barriers to entry in the railroad industry are (1) huge capital requirement needed; (2) restrictive government policy which is being regulated by the Surface Transportation Board; and (3) the availability of the infrastructure needed to compete with existing ones. In the future, it is expected that mergers will continue in the future and may even reduce the present seven companies to two transcontinental railroads because of the uncertainty of the structure of the railroad industry (IRS, 2007). Fig. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Model The second force identified by Porter is the bargaining power of suppliers. Suppliers of the railway industry include the manufacturers of tracks, railway equipment, structural metal products, freight cars, locomotives and construction companies who build the tunnels and bridges. Investors in railway companies can be considered as suppliers of the much needed financing to improve the industry. Recently, billionaire Warren Buffet in vested in BNSF by buying it for $26 billion while Microsoft’s Bill Gates now owns 10% of CN railway. Investment of these two prominent personalities says much of the future of the railway industry (North America's Corridor Coalition, Inc., 2010). To illustrate clearly, the supplier power according to Porter includes (1) charging of high prices; (2) limiting the quality of the

Is Outsourcing a Good Idea Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is Outsourcing a Good Idea - Research Paper Example Recent developments in the global economy like the Internet have played a major role in promoting the practice of outsourcing. In the contemporary age, business entrepreneurs do not even need to always call the service providers in person abroad as the services can be provided over the Internet, thus further reducing the cost of operation and increasing the profitability of the business. â€Å"Because IT services, in the United States, from equipment to IT personnel and specialists, are expensive, there is a significant degree of financial incentive to a company when outsourcing for this reason alone† (Cadena, 2007). Outsourcing is potentially dangerous for the stability of economy and the socioeconomic system of a country. When a company outsources, it essentially plays its role in reducing the number of employment opportunities available to the local workers. As a result of this, the rate of unemployment in the country increases and people become more frustrated and dissatisfied. Outsourcing is a selfish move as the entrepreneurs make profits at the cost of the happiness of the whole society. Outsourcing poses complications when the organization feels the need of change and be more innovative. When a company produces a product with tight competition, outsourcing may reduce the company’s tendency to maintain this competition because the customers want to see and witness the provider of the product. It is crucial to retain the services domestically to land new accounts. Outsourcing is disadvantageous for the local workers but advantageous for the foreign workers, particularly when they are from the underdeveloped or developing countries. Although many people do not like the US for the role it has played in the international politics, yet they are still optimistic about working in or for America (Dutton, 2007). When the situation is considered as a whole on a global scale, outsourcing may appear to be in positive light, though

Unit 3 ip Introduction to American Court System Essay

Unit 3 ip Introduction to American Court System - Essay Example (Justice, 2009) First is the right to the indictment by Grand Jury granted in Fifth Amendment under which no person is held to answer for a capital or infamous crimes until they are indicted by the Grand Jury? This protection to the people with criminal offences has been given under Fifth Amendment along with other protections given. It is however, important to note that this has not been incorporated for the States and as such offenders at the State level may not be able to enjoy this protection under the Bill of Rights. It is however, critical to note that this right has been held but not fully incorporated for States as per various decisions of Supreme Court. The right to select jury from the residents of the state and district where the actual crime took place has also not been incorporated for States. Under the Vicinage Clause, it was held that this right has not been incorporated under the 14th amendment and that the criminal offenders may not be getting this protection. Protection from excessive bail/fines has also not been incorporated for States therefore criminal offenders enjoying this under the Bill of Rights may not be able to claim privileges under this protection granted in Bill of Rights. Essentially, due process can be divided into two important categories i.e. procedural as well as substantive. Substantive due process actually refers to the rights available to a citizen against the laws which may be biased or discriminatory in nature. These laws can be unfair generally or may favor one group over another group and thus may not allow correct dispensation of justice to all. It is critical to note that courts in the past have terms laws unconstitutional which were discriminating people from one another. Supreme Court, in various cases, have termed the laws which differentiate between people based upon their sexual orientation as illegal as such laws preferred one group over another. Laws on

Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Anthropology - Essay Example Besides, knowing about the culture, customs, beliefs, myths and social relations of the past better equip one to be an anthropologist who values the human race. Viewing the world through an anthropological lens helps one to think beyond narrow nationalism, extreme fanaticism, and terrorism. Culture is often conceived to be ‘a body of accumulated wisdom’ of the past and it is said that one learns, â€Å"unreflectively for the most part, to replicate forms of behavior that already exist, that come from the past† (Ohnuki-Tierney 1990, p. 154). The culture of a society consists of certain commonly shared values, traditions, social and political relations and factors like common history, common language, common locality and religion play dominant roles in molding various cultures. There is no doubt that the culture of a society is shared by its inhabitants and they contribute to it either by enhancing it or modifying it. It is important to understand culture from an anthropological perspective because there is a direct link between human character formation and cultural values because man learns a lot from various cultures that he comes cross. Understanding various cultures enables human beings to assimilate the good aspects of each culture whether it is alien or native. Field work offers one with the unique opportunity to come to original personal conclusions regarding an issue and to supplement the theory with practical observation, documentation and research. The field worker has to locate the issue and the area of study, and the success of an effective field work depends on the level of involvement of the field worker and the reliability of the data he collects through his interaction and observation. Field work is an essential component of anthropology as it offers the best opportunity for one to get into the lives of men, their culture, customs, values and life styles. No doubt, such field works can enhance one’s understanding of

Endangered species Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Endangered species - Research Paper Example In United States, the endangered species Act remains domineering in protecting and preventing extinction of endangered animals and plants within the earth and sea. While implementation and realization of recovery plans including endangered species Act polices administered by Fish and wildlife service, as an agency remains extremely expensive and effectual to the economy, it has greater benefits. Recovery and prevention of endangered species have greater significant benefits including maintenance and sustainability of the ecosystem when compared to protection of individual property rights. Ecological balance requires collective involvement of animals and plants, a condition that eliminates individual rights. It is imperious to note that protecting and efficient recovery remains authoritative in preserving societal cultural values besides mutual scientific and economic values. Moreover, recovery policies including endangered species have remained indispensable in preserving the most precious fisheries, plants, and animals that faced extinction threats in America. The most significant animals that faced extinction and have successfully been recovered from the danger includes California tiger salamander, black-footed ferret, delta smelt, salt-marsh harvest mouse, alameda whipsnake, San joaquin kit fox, and many others (EPA, 2014). Preservation and recovery of the animals have remained essential in preserving Californian cultural heritage for instance besides contribution to overall economic growth through tourism, and supplementing educational studies. There exists great interdependence in nature consisting of a mutual benefit link between plants and animals. The interdependence system remains fundamental when there exists variety of plants and animals in ensuring ecological balance and maintenance. For instance, nitrogen cycle remains as the most significant bio-system that links a relationship in nature

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Art - Essay Example aphs are used as models to create these paintings, followed by Gerhard Richter’s Photorealism and Over-painted Photographs; who also uses photographs as a major tool for his artistic practice. I will be exploring how a photograph is utilized through out the painting process, and the way it reflects on the painter’s emotional and intellectual aspects . The investigation of both painters will be carried out by looking at these paintings through the French literary theorist and philosopher Ronald Barthes lens, in which he mainly demonstrates in Camera Lucida. My analysis is based on his perception of the nature and essence of photography theories,along with an analysis of portraiture from a philosophical perspective by Professor and Chair Cynthia Freeland in her essayPortraits in Painting and Photography. Both investigations carryout Barthes essential ‘air’whichwill show how this concept of ‘air’ can be used to understand how both artists use photography as a source material.   I argue that a painter who uses photographs as an aiding tool to his/her creative painting practicesfinds the literalprecise reality through their mechanical accurate depiction of the real, yet finds them lacking the essence or ‘air’. This essence will become visible inthe final piece by the collaboration of both the accurate mechanical reality mean of expressiveness (the photograph) with the physical translation of the emotional and intellectual experiences by the human hand. With all the new introductions to new materials and techniques and with the enormous evolvement of digital technology in creating art, more inspirational experiences along with an infinite number of inventive traditional and digital techniques allowed artists to intrigue their motives and intentions in unlimited possible directions. In this regard, I will be exploring how has been utilized by contemporary painters to become part of their artistic experience in the 20th and the 21st century, which

WSJ Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WSJ - Case Study Example McDonald decision had been driven by various reasons. First, the low performance of the units propels the decision to dispose them. Through this, the company will get to concentrate on the production of the products that accounts for a significant proportion of their return. McDonald was concerned about the slow performance and growth of the products therefore considered divestment necessary. The availability of other better areas to invest is also another reason why MacDonald considers the divestment essential. P & G has considered the disposal of Braun, Iams pet food, Duracell batteries and Pringles potato snacks and aimed to acquire consumer products portfolio of Schering-plough, Wyeth and Sara lee corps international household units. This therefore implies that McDonald intention is to maximize the most lucrative business and dispose the slow performing areas to improve the companies dwindling financial performance (Jargon & Chon, 2012). This strategy is therefore growth-oriented ad justifiable. In addition, McDonald decision is because of the lack of strategic fit of some of the proposed divestment units. For instance, Duracell that was acquired in 2005 is now considered a questionable fit in P & G board because of the low priced labeled batteries. There is also a complain that the prices experience a high level of fluctuation which made the profit of the business very volatile. Besides, Braun that realizes an annual sale of $1.3 billion is considered outside the P &G core businesses. The management is thus assessing Braun’s technologies application in other segments. McDonald reason of branding the company so that it is associated with particular products is also important. After the divestments, the company aims at focusing their effort in the production of the core products. Moreover, the decision to divest can be caused by the demand and pressure from the investors.

Blood spatter Essay Example for Free

Blood spatter Essay Blood spatter is a common form of physical evidence at a death scene, and is often of major relevance. It is not a field in which all forensic pathologists feel confident, as in some jurisdictions it is regarded as totally within the domain of the forensic scientist and in others, the crime scene investigator. It should be reasonably regarded as a shared topic, one understood by all players, as each expert has an individual slant on the subject, and can thus provide separate insights. It is important to avoid evidence clashes. Examination and documentation of blood spatter, including what, where and how much, allows interpretation of the type and form of bleeding, and may provide a reconstruction of the incident and some surrounding circumstances. The form of report produced tends to vary with different departments, but usually is incorporated into the general scene report. Blood loss itself is due to breaches of blood vessels, and this may be due to natural disease processes or trauma. Typical examples of natural disease-causing problems at crime scenes include bleeding from a varicose skin ulcer, which is at ankle or shin level, and bleeding from lung cancer, which produces coughed-up blood. Both of these may be associated with widespread blood deposition. Commonly, these kinds of cases are associated with some degree of cleaning up or self-help, of a type consistent with a solitary life style. The type of loss is dependent on the kind of blood vessels involved. Veins return blood to the heart, operate at low pressure and flow is at a constant rate. A breach causes an ooze or pour of blood. On the other hand, arteries operate at high pressure and have a pulsatile flow. This produces a very variable flow rate, and a breach causes a spray or spurt of blood. The normal blood pressure peak and trough is 120/80mmHg at rest, but can be as high as 180-200mmHg with strenuous activity or stress, excluding any disease process. Obviously, this level may be expected in violent deaths. As veins and arteries commonly run parallel to each other, both types of vessels may be damaged at once. The size of vessel is also important, as small vessels will produce little blood, whereas the major vessels can bleed catastrophically. An arbitrary level of 200ml has been defined as the cut-off between a small and a large volume. The pathologist can rarely estimate the volume directly at the scene with any great degree of accuracy. The estimate may have to be done indirectly by crime scene examiners, such as by weighing areas of soaked carpet, and comparing this with dry areas. Classifications of Blood Stains: The appearance and the size of the blood patterns depend on the force by which they were created. When a sort of an object comes into direct contact with the blood, the force by which that object makes contact moves the blood and enhances its velocity. In some fashion the blood must react to this force transfer. Velocity is calculated in meters per second. There can be an evidence of three forms of blood spatter at a crime scene, high, medium or low blood spatter or a mix combination of these. The predictable process of categorizing blood stains was based on the connection between the speed of the force pressuring the blood drop or source that administer the individuality and dimension and distance of the resulting bloodstains. The three essential grouping of stain groups which were used based on the idea that the dimension of the blood stain being inversely comparative to the power useful to the still blood. Low Velocity Blood Spatter LVBS (Low Velocity Blood Spatters) are stains of blood which are created when the cause of blood is subjected to energy with the speed of up to 5 ft/sec. Major stains calculate normally 4mm in distance or superior. Medium Velocity Blood Spatter MVIS (Medium Velocity Blood Spatter) are stains of blood which are formed when the cause of blood is subjected to a might with a speed in between the range of 6 to 25 ft/sec. The distances of the consequential stains are in the mass range of 1 to 3 mm, even though larger and smaller bloodstains may be there. Stains in this group are normally connected with beatings and stabbings. High Velocity Blood Spatter HVBS (High Velocity Blood Spatter) are stains of blood formed when the cause of blood is subjected to a power with a speed of more than 100ft/sec. The width of the spatter is mainly less than 1mm, although larger and smaller bloodstains are frequently experiential within the outline. Bloodstains in this group are usually related with gun shots and explosions. Other device that formed bloodstains within the mass range of the usual high and medium velocities such as expiratory blood and satellite spatter bloodstains were not valued to the level that misunderstanding might and do occur. Most of the bloodstains forecasters have selected to stop this conservative terms and categorization for a more holistic advancement to bloodstain categorization. The subject that formed the rethinking of the conservative categorization of high-medium-low velocity was the diameter of sizes of stain among the high and medium velocity group and the understanding that devices other than stabbings, gunshots and beatings often formed stains with the dimension ranges within these groups. The pattern and bloodstains are confidential based on their substantial features of distribution, location, size, concentration and shape into inactive stains, splash stains or distorted stains. These are more confidential relation to method that may create stains with that uniqueness with mention to relevant scene, medicinal and case related history and facts of the proof. The forecaster than may be able to set up the exact method by which the outline was formed. More Analysis on the three classifications An abrasion or superficial laceration involves large numbers of very small to small vessels. This produces diffuse velocity from the whole area, and neither a pour nor a spray of blood would be expected. Incision of a superficial artery, such as in the wrist, involves larger vessels, with a small area of origin. This produces mainly a low velocity of blood due to pumping or spurting. A stab of a deep artery, as in the thigh, may mean involvement of a larger deep vessel. Here the presence of overlying tissues will interfere with the production of a spray, and the blood exits as a rapid pour, usually without spurting. However, there is usually still a clearly pulsatile element. But again this would be said as a low velocity blood spatter. The size of blood spots relates to the impulse of dispersal. Low velocity blood spatter such as venous bleeding, will produce large blood spots. A medium velocity blood spatter, such as produced by the use of a blunt instrument, will produce finer spots. High velocity blood spatter, as in gunshot injuries for example, will produce a fine spray. This can also be used in interpretation, as in the case of a crewman missing after an on-board explosion. There were several areas of very fine blood spray near the relevant hatch cover, and also on a broken ships railing. This clearly indicated that the deceased had been hit by the swinging hatch cover, and had broken the railing by force of his impact with it, during the course of being thrown overboard. Some knowledge of the injury pattern will produce the best results in interpretation. For example a slash of the neck might be expected to produce arterial spurts from large superficial vessels. A stab of chest could produce a medium flow, but if the stab is small or angulated, producing a degree of sealing, there may be little external bleeding. For example, multiple heart and aortic stabs with a skewer have been seen to produce only occasional external drops of blood. A stab of the lung may have the combination of direct bleeding from the stab and the expiration of blood mixed with air. Projected bleeding can also occur from mouth and nose following a gunshot wound of the head. During the bleeding process, the blood may be around the injury itself, and be capable of making contact impressions, or may have been projected away from the injury, and no longer be on the body at all. This blood may be around the body, and situated on bedding, furnishings, walls or carpet. The type of patterning will provide the pathologist with insights of where and how the deceased had moved. The blood may be on objects at the scene such as a weapon or a vehicle. The position, patterning and extent may indicate which part of the object caused the injury, and in turn, this may indicate the position of the deceased at the time of sustaining this injury. There may be minimal blood present at the scene, or what appears to be an inadequate amount, in view of the injuries. This may indicate that this is a secondary scene, and that the primary scene must be searched for elsewhere. Produce a fine spatter of blood at low level, with the last drops producing the greatest effect. This may outline the feet on the floor, and will also be present on the inner borders of the feet and the tops of the feet. The blood on the feet may subsequently be transferred elsewhere. The target surface is of major importance, and the effect is far less on a carpet than it would be on tiles, due to the reduced pool effect. Another significant aspect relates to blood which has been deposited from an injury onto a weapon, and is then cast off by the centrifugal force of swinging the weapon again. This may leave blood trails on ceilings or on high walls. There are various forms through which people can be killed. Listed are the few and the classification of which Velocity Blood stain it belongs to: Shootings (Medium and mostly high level Blood Spatter Velocity) Apart from the normal documentation of the scene, it is necessary to consider a number of specific matters. The pathologist must determine if the victim has moved during the course of the shooting, or has shown signs of activity afterwards. This can be done by noting the position of the body, the accessibility of the entry sites in the current body position, the presence of bullets or markings near the exit sites, and blood or tissue spatter patterns. There is usually little back spatter, but there may be considerable forward spatter, especially with more powerful weapons. It is worth bearing in mind that there may also be significant spatter extending from gas splits in the skin, and this could be at right angles to the main bullet track. Knife (Medium Velocity Blood Spatter) As mentioned above, the possibility of movement has to be considered. The volume of blood coming from an injury will depend on factors such as its type, situation and coverings, but if these are held in mind, then useful information can be gathered in order to reconstruct the incident. A knife or other sharp weapon is unlikely to cause damage to the scene, except in the most violent incidents, but it may be wiped or cleaned on the victims clothing or on furnishings, leaving a bloody outline. Axe (Mostly Medium Blood Spatter and at time High velocity) Because of the type of injury produced, these scenes tend to be very bloody. As there is a tendency to inflict multiple blows, there may also be evidence of the way in which these injuries were inflicted, as left by the spatter patterns. These patterns will frequently include cast-off spatter, as well as medium impulse spatter. There may even be loose fragments of soft tissue, bone or teeth. There maybe damage to the scene, particularly near to the body, due to missed hits. Fists and feet (Low velocity Blood Spatter) Assaults by kicking or stamping maybe associated with considerable contamination of the crime scene. This maybe in the form of a low-level blood spatter which may be evident up to a meter or so above ground level. Evidence of the type and position of an earlier phase of the assault is to be looked for, and blood pools that are separate from the final position of the body indicate periods of immobility. The ground surface has to be considered from the point of view of its being the possible anvil opposite some of the injuries, and thus help to interpret the assault. Footprint patterns may help to provide information as to whether bare or shod feet were used. Explosion (High Velocity Blood Spatter) Explosion scenes may extend from those where only a gram or two of explosive material is involved, to those involving tonnes of material. The pathologists approach will vary accordingly. Where a small quantity of material is involved, the pathologist should attempt to assess if there was any movement of the body from its original site to the point at which it is found. Blood and tissue spatter is most valuable here. The crime scene findings must be correlated with the burns and particulate damage later identified at the autopsy. The presence and role of any primary or secondary projectiles must be assessed. The author was involved in the investigation of an explosion on board a ship, where a crewman caused an explosion that blew him overboard. The body was not recovered, but damage to a hatch cover and the ships rail, both with deposition of high-impulse blood spatter and small tissue fragments indicated the extreme nature of the trauma that must have been sustained. Fragmentary body remains may be all that is recovered following a large explosion. As these may be covered with cement dust or other building materials, recognition of these remains at the scene may prove to be difficult, but this task is usually easier for a pathologist than other investigators. Work Cited Page †¢ Book Title: The Practice of Crime Scene Investigation. Contributors: John Horswell author. Publisher: CRC Press. Place of Publication: Boca Raton, FL. Publication Year: 2004. †¢ Catten Ely (2000) Blood Spatter, What is it? From Suite 101. Retrieved on October 23, 2007, from http://www. suite101. com/article. cfm/crime_stories/34498 †¢ Louis L Akin (2005) Blood spatter interpretation at crime and accident scenes: a basic approach. (Focus on Forensics): An article from: The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Publication: The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Magazine/Journal) †¢ Book Title Introduction to forensic science criminalistics (2007) Publishers McGraw-Hill †¢ James, Stuart H. (2005) Principles of bloodstain analysis; theory and practice. Publisher CRC Press †¢ Blood Spatter (2006) Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Dundee. Retrieved on October 23, 2007 from http://www. dundee. ac. uk/forensicmedicine/notes/Bloodspatter. htm †¢ Base Pair (2004), Blood Spatter Pattern Analysis. Retrieved on October 23, 2007, from http://www. tx. ncsu. edu/Science_Olympiad/Coaches_workshop/2007%20Presentations/Blood%20Spatter%20Analysis. doc †¢ Blood and Stain Analysis. Retrieved on October 23, 2007, from http://home. iprimus. com. au/ararapaj/craigslea_testbed/Forensic%20Web%20Test%20Site/blood_analysis. htm

Voting in Elections Should Be Made Compulsory Essay Example for Free

Voting in Elections Should Be Made Compulsory Essay Compulsory Voting in Election, though highly desirable, cannot be attained due to a number of reasons. Some common reasons that come to mind without pondering a lot are: health issues of voters; which might bar them from exercising vote with a perception that no election is important than their health. Although a passion is seen amongst certain invalids; who are often carried to polling booth by their family on back ; a majority skips the same; especially ones living in metropolitans. They consider carrying their sick and bedridden family members to polling booth as a burden . Another major reason could be male chauvinistic attitude of Indian men ; who always underestimate thoughts and actions of their women. They especially prefer confining their women within the home on polling day. This is the one major reason of fewer number of female voters as compared to males; particularly in villages and small towns. Another reason; for turning off the voters for polling is the increased incidences of violence, booth capturing and criminal activities at polling booth; Making voters reluctant for voting. Such incidences can be easily observed in underdeveloped as well as developing nations with high corruption. A few other reasons; which handicaps Constitution in making polling compulsory or rather Imposing punishment could be the distance between pooling booth and voter’s residence. The situation gets worsened if accompanied by adversities like heavy snow; torrential downpour, scorching heat or thunderstorm; the control of which is beyond the power of Government as well as voters.

Recruitment And Selection From The Exchange Perspective

Recruitment And Selection From The Exchange Perspective Subsequent to the recruitment of a pool of applicants, organisations need to decide on which applicants to employ. Many organisations are realising the important contribution, effective selection practice can make, and in light of this, are utilising an assortment of methods to improve the successfulness of the entire recruitment and selection process. Validity and reliability are two important aspects that are considered fundamental when assessing the robustness of selection tools, particularly when viewed from the traditional psychometric perspective (Searle, 2003). All selection methods and tools are developed to measure and assess candidates appropriateness for the specified job role. The performance results of the candidate, are frequently used to make the decision, therefore it is imperative that these results are reliable and accurate. Validity concerns the appropriateness of what is being measured, whilst reliability focuses on its accuracy (Searle, 2003). Validity is generally identified in four ways including face, content, construct and criterion related validity. The form of the selection test is what concerns face validity. For example, a test of verbal comprehension that contains only mathematical equations would measure what it sets out to (Searle, 2003). However, there is disagreement as to how far this can be considered a type of validity. Vernon and Parry (1949) found in their well-known research of US army cook selection, that even though the high face validity of the test used which included recipes and method information, what was actually being measured was reading abilities and not cooking skills (Searle, 2003). For test-takers, face validity is imperative as they have made an effort in applying and trying to get the job role, therefore want to believe they have been assessed for something appropriate for the job they have applied for. A potential dilemma with this method lies with the fact that some test-takers may, bas ed on the appearance of the test, perceive their own idea of what is actually being assessed, and may in response distort themselves consequently. Content validity relates to the adequacy of coverage of a conceptual domain (Searle, 2003). It is frequently found in ability tests whereby a test-taker is asked to demonstrate their ability in a specific subject. Other than face validity, it is the only form of validity based on logical rather than statistical information (Searle, 2003). The fundamental concern is the sufficient coverage of the domain. As a result, this form of assessment is often constructed by a panel of experts to ensure sufficient breadth of coverage (Searle, 2003), which can result in two potential problems including content under-representation and construct-irrelevant variance. Cronbach and Meehl (1955) first established the concept of construct validity, when they suggested that underlying each test is a construct that is being assessed (Searle, 2003). Construct validation assumes that anything can be defined and measured. We cannot read someones intelligence metre, therefore a hypothetical construct defining what intelligence is has first to be created in order to measure it (Searle, 2003). There has been criticism of this as a basis for measurement within the human sciences. Stevens (1946) argued that the null hypothesis is hardly ever taken into account; kilne (1998) also critiques this measurement issue. A key concern of test-developers is to show the relationships between their instrument and other established tests which are assessing a similar domain. Criterion-related validity is the final form and is associated with what is being measured to an external criterion (Searle, 2003). It focuses on external measures, such as job success, establishing the relationship between the predictors (results from the selection methods used) and the criterion (performance on the job). The significant issue concerned with this form of validity is the adequacy of the identification and assessment of the external standard (Searle, 2003). Frequently the external measure is chosen for its convenience instead of its relation to the dimension to be assessed (Murphy, 2000) resulting in a possible difficulty. Criterion validity can be assessed in two distinct ways: Predictively or concurrently. The pure method (Bach, 2005) of establishing this relationship is to measure applicants during selection and based of methods used, predict future performance; predictive validity. Applicants are NOT CHOSEN on this basis, but either all or a cross-section (both good and bad predicted applicants) of applicants are taken on. After period on the job, performance is measured and correlation established between the selection method prediction and the job performance criterion measure. The AIM here is to avoid false negatives and positives (Bach, 2005). Practical difficulties with this process of validating selection methods arise, such as need to get results from fairly large number of individuals. A more obvious problem however, is the reluctance of decision makers to agree to employ individuals who are predicted to be poor performers. The CONCURRENT METHOD of validation is sometimes used to avoid this difficulty. The assumption is that existing employees demonstrate variable job performance. If a new selection method can discriminate between good or poor performers, then should be able to in same way between applicants. PROBLEMS motivation of current employees different to candidates, this may affect scores. Candidates likely to try harder. Current employees a restricted sample as have previously been selected by some method, so may on average be better than average candidate. Does not prove that the differences in team skills, as measured by the group exercise, were evident prior to employment. (might be that they werent learnt by employees as by-product of their work). When establishing the value of a test, the development of validity is central as it provides an indication of the strength of the relationship connecting the tool and a criterion (Searle, 2003). New statistical processes such as meta-analysis, (validity generalisation) pioneered by Schmidt and Hunter (1996, 1998, 1999), have revolutionised selection testing. They argued that although validity does differ by way of context and role, it is nonetheless moderately stable. Centred around this claim, selection tools could be moved across a variety of circumstances and roles and still maintain their extrapolative validity. The possibility of these tools being used rather than developing expensive bespoke instruments brought about the potential for huge savings for organisations. However, validity generalisation theory is not without its critics, and there are many underlying problems of this approach (Searle, 2003). Meta analysis is based on the collection and re-analysis of comparable stud ies of tools, such as the situational interview. The current application of meta-analysis studies, remove the possibilities for us to understand why situational differences emerge. They prevent us from identifying what makes a situation unique. Organisations currently operate in turbulent global environments, and evidence suggests that there are important relationships amongst task type, technology and the external environment that meta-analysis studies do not assist us in exploring. As a result of the meta-analysis dominance, selection designs cannot be improved to help organisations in these contexts. A test might produce a measure that is valid for one person, but the results may not be reproducible for another. This brings into question the issue of reliability. Reliability concerns the accuracy and consistency of a method (Bach, 2005). Increasingly, reliability is an issue which is becoming a legal requirement for selection tests yet, according to Bach, (2005) very few organisations systematically assess the reliability and validity of the selection methods they use. When psychometric tests are used, for example, there is a tendency to rely on the evidence presented in the test manual on reliability and validity based on meta-analysis research (Bach, 2005). Establishing the reliability of a selection tool involves three main elements: stability, consistency and equivalence of the results (Searle, 2003). Hermelin and Robertson, (2001) divided different selection methods into three categories (high, medium, low validity). High methods included structured interviews and cognitive ability tests. Medium included biographical data and unstructured interviews and integrity tests. Low included personality scales measuring the big five. Unfortunately evidence suggests that those methods with highest validity are not always the most popular. Rather most orgs rely on classic trio of short-listing, interviewing and references (Cook, 2003; Millmore 2003). Selection Methods Research into these initial selection stages is unbalanced, with far more work looking at the organisation-led application process, (in particular the role of biographical data) rather than the impact of applicants CV. (ALL SEARLE, 2003). The selection process typically begins with the candidate formally demonstrating their interest in the open job role. This is normally made by putting forward their CV or by completing an application form (Searle, 2003). This is commonly the first initial contact between potential employer and candidate, and as most applicants are selected out of the process at this stage, this implies that the CV, or resume, is a primary tool for the applicant in the selection process. Resumes also play an imperative role in the two-way selection process. For candidates, they represent an imperative chance to market themselves positively, and make an impression on the reader with their skills, knowledge and abilities (Searle, 2003). For the employer, they are the foundation on which short-listing decisions are made. The use of competency statements however, can potentially make a false impression. Bright and Hutton (2000) highlight that such statements are problematic to verify in a similar way that qualifications can be. Given its apparent significance however, the research regarding the validity and reliability of resumes to the selection process is modest. To congregate information in a standardised way, organisations may prefer applicants to complete a specific application form. Shackleton and Newell (1991) in their study, found that 93 percent of organisations in the UK used application forms. Now that technology has significantly advanced, many organisations in the UK, in particular those dealing with high volumes of applicants will use online application forms. In addition to gathering personal information they also make available information about candidates experiences. Within this area of selection practice is ahead of research, so although claims are made about the increased access to jobs, the new internet medium may-be overrated (Searle, 2003). However it does enable a more cost-effective short-listing process, (Polyhart et al 2003) but how far this is free from discrimination remains to be seen. Interviews Interviews are one of the oldest, yet most popular tools used in selection. Virtually all employers use interviews for all categories of staff (Bach, 2005). Interviews enable several important assessments to be made, and evidence by Robertson and Smith (2001) indicates that they have high predictive validity regarding future job and training performance. They offer an opportunity for a direct experience of a candidates behaviour coupled with the potential to ask more probing questions regarding underlying cognitive, motivational and emotional issues. Employers are however more aware of their limitations and being more careful by using variety of complementary selection techniques for some groups including graduates. There are two central theoretical perspectives that are taken regarding an interview: the objectivist psychometric perspective and the subjectivist social-interactionist perspective. The objective psychometric perspective places the interview at one extreme. It considers the interview an objective and accurate means of assessing an applicants suitability for a job. From this perspective, the process places the interviewee as a passive participant who provides relevant information about their experiences and capabilities. Thus this perspective reduces the interview to a verbally administered psychometric test which concerns of structure, reliability and validity predominating. First the interviewer is regarded as a rational decision-maker, who is capable of collecting in an impartial manner information on a number of relevant selection criteria. Implicit in such a process is the interviewers ability to obtain relevant data accurately. Second, it is assumed that they have the skills to be able to accurately interpret the information, relate it impartially to the criteria and assess the candidates suitability based on the sample of behaviour provided. This perspective tends to dominate in the field. Much of the research has examined how the validity and reliability of the process can be maintained. Inevitably the focus rests on the interviewer as a potential corrupter of an otherwise objective tool. The interviewers role in producing and perpetuating bias has been the main area of interest, and there has been limited effort until recently into questioning the candidates motivation to present the correct information, or in contaminating the interview. The alternative perspective, places the interview at the other extreme. It considers the process to be a social interaction in which a subjective, socially balanced negotiation occurs. In this perspective, a far more evenly balanced dynamic emerges between each party, both having the same power in the situation. The parties are considered to become participant observers in the process. The interview thus emerges as a complex and unique event. In the selection context, those involved are engaged in creating a variable psychological contract regarding their mutual expectations of future working relationships. The importance of the psychological contract at the onset and its maintenance throughout the employment relationship cannot be overstated (Rousseau, 2001). Herriot (1987) argued that this interactive and social perspective is important because it places the applicant as a far more active player in the negotiation process. This concept is particularly valid in a job market in which the applicants skills and experience are in short supply, or important to the organisation. Under these conditions, the applicant plays a key role in dictating the terms and conditions under which they will be employed. From this perspective, each interview is potentially unique because of the players involved, with the parties creating a particular process that emerges from their current context. The key research issues of this perspective are concerned with the type of psychological contract reached, bias and fairness. Like the objectivist perspective, this approach is also concerned with the future, but not regarding job performance, instead a focus might explore what happens if the contract being negotiated is violated. Structure The single issue that has received most attention in research on the interview is the amount of structure in an interview, ranging from unstructured to structured. Traditionally interviews classed as unstructured, generally consisted of a discussion between the applicant and recruiter with no pre-set topics. An early study by Kelly and Fiske, (1951) highlighted negative evidence suggesting there is little consistency or reliability in unstructured interviews. According to Bach, (2005) UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS are bad predictors because the information which is extracted is different for each individual and differs between interviewers and so comparisons between candidates cannot be made reliably. With different questions being asked of each candidate is almost inevitable that subjective biases makes the interview both unreliable and invalid. However, this form of interviewing provides, at its best, a surrogate measurement of the candidates social skills (Searle, 2003). The term struct ured interview can cover a wide range of processes. According to the objectivist perspective, the structured interview process focuses on the interviewer asking a pre-set sequence of questions aimed at eliciting information relating to pre-determined criteria. The purpose of the structure is to close the process to any extraneous influences, so that even when different interviewers are involved, the same data are being gathered, thereby providing a means of comparing the candidates. As a result, the process of delivering the questions is standardised. Research has shown, that increasing the structure of the interview significantly increases predictive validity and that organisations are responding by using more structured interview approaches (Taylor et al 2002). The subjectivist perspective however, instead regards the interview as a two-way process in which the actions of each party inform and shape the actions of the other. From this perspective, attention shifts towards understa nding the very process of the interview, which emerges as an ongoing exchange, informed and transformed by those involved. Typically the interview is the first time the interviewer meets with the applicant. The recruiters are presenting an image of the organisation in terms of its standards, values, expectations, ambitions and goals. The interview is therefore a public information exercise providing candidates with valuable data that will assist them in deciding whether to accept the job or not if offered it. While structured interviews can certainly be beneficial their usefulness will depend on the specific context. Where jobs are highly prescribed and knowledge about how work needs to be carried out, clarity about what constitutes good performance then structured interviews are better because prediction is possible and they are better predictors. HOWEVER when an organisation is competing in a turbulent environment and there is uncertainty about what is required of individuals a less structured approach may be more appropriate. OVERSTRUCTURING can be a problem, for EXAMPLE in an unstructured interview, the interviewer can provide more realistic information about the job, with the candidate able to ask questions which relate to his or her personal needs, values, interests, goals and abilities. Through this process, applicant and interviewer can negotiate a mutually agreeable psychological contract (CIPD, 2009). ALSO the unstructured interview can operate as preliminary socialisation tacti c with the applicant learning about the culture and values of the organisation (Dipboye 1997). Psychometric testing At the heart of psychometrics lies the assumption that people differ from one another, for instance in terms of friendliness, determination and ability to use mathematical concepts, and that these differences can be measured. It is assumed when measuring these different aspects, they relate to actual behaviour that is, they relate to an external event (a behaviour) to an internal cause (a trait). Psychometrics tests aim to qualify three key aspects of individual differences; ability, personality and related work, and suggest a relationship between these two and motivation. Essentially two types can be distinguished: COGNITIVE/ABILITY TESTS or PERSONALITY TESTS. COGNITIVE: assessment of individuals intellectual abilities either in terms of general intelligence or specific abilities. PERSONALITY: assessment of an individuals general disposition to behave in a certain way in certain situations (Bach, 2005). Cognitive tests The seminal piece of work on the use of cognitive tests in selection was undertaken by Hunter and Schmidt (1990) using meta-analysis, the researchers were able to demonstrate that although the many studies on the predictive validity of test appeared to be inconsistent, when adjustments were made for various factors, results were in fact consistent and proved that cognitive tests were valid predictors in a wide range of job situations. Such tests are simple to administer and score, albeit the person using such test needs to be properly trained. For most jobs the range of intelligence of those applying for the job is likely to be very restricted (rare to have a person with IQ 140 applying for caretaker job). The consequence of this is that a measure of cognitive ability may not differentiate much between the various candidates. Secondly, cognitive tests can be biased against certain groups. Eg it is well documented that black Americans tend to score lower than whites on tests of cognit ive ability, and women tend to score higher than men on verbal ability. This raises SOCIAL AND ETHICAL issues which need to be considered when selecting particular tests. Personality measures In most UK selection situations personality measures are of self report type. There is considerably more controversy over use of personality measures than cognitive tests. Some argue they are totally useless (Blinkhorn and Johnson 1990). Research has shown that personality measurement can be useful but only when specific personality constructs are linked to specific job competencies (tett et al, 1991; Robertson and Kinder 1993). Much of this work based on BIG FIVE Extroversion Neuroticism Conscientiousness Agreeableness Openness One problem with research on personality measurement has been that very different systems of personality description have been used, making it difficult to compare results. Now there is growing consensus around five-factor model of broad traits (Goldberg, 1993) and use of Costa and McCraes 1992 personality inventory which measures these five factors. Researchers have also explored the reasons for the links between personality traits and job performance. eg openness to experience appears to be related to training success (Cooper and Robertson, 1995). However, it is unlikely personality tests alone will be good predictors of future job behaviour BECAUSE job situations often present strong situational pressures which mean that differences between individuals behaviour are minimized. ALSO because it is highly unlikely that the same job can be done in very different but equally successful, ways by individuals with different personalities. This doesnt mean that personality measures have no place in selection process, but raises question of how such measures are best used within this context. Defining a personality profile and dismissing candidates who do not fit this profile is not good practice. HOWEVER obtaining measures of personality and using these as the basis of discussion during an interview can be helpful. Occupational testing occupational tests are measurement tools in world of work. The involve looking at a standard sample of behaviour that can be expressed as either a numerical scale or a category system (Cronbach, 1984). Test items are chosen specifically for their relevance to the domain of interest; for example percentage computation or word recognition. There is also an effort to standardise the delivery of the tools, ensuring that candidates have the same test experience so the only variable is their mental process. Tests used in an occupational context can be divided into two distinct groups: typical and maximal. These are based on the type of behaviour they are designed to measure. Typical behaviour tests the purpose of typical behaviour tests is to identify the direction of a persons interests and suggest types of jobs associated with these areas. Personality and interest-assessment tests used in career guidance are examples of typical behaviour instruments. However, it should be noted that they do not measure the level of skill that might be associated with this vocational choice. Maximal performance these tests are designed to assess maximal behaviour. They aim to find out what is the best the test-taker can do (Kline, 1998). Nonetheless, it has been argued that it is naive to make such a simplistic distinction between maximal and typical performance, as it artificially separates the measurement of affect and intellect and their combined relationship to performance (Goff and Ackerman, 1992). Measures concerned with maximal performance can be subdivided into three distinct types: attainment, aptitude and general intelligence. Psychological tests play an important role in selection practice. They offer organisations a means of discriminating between large numbers of applicants in a rapid and often cost effective manner. Moreover, their power in predicting successful subsequent job performance is amongst the highest of any selection tool (Robertson and Smith, 2001). Through the growth of instruments such as organisational-fit questionnaires, different attitudinal and trait assessment measures and novel ability tools, the range of psychometric tools available to organisations in increasing. Although there is an increasing use of psychometric tools in HR selection and recruitment decision making, the method is contentious. Ethnic group differences in intelligence test results reflect the ethnic divide that exists in the distribution of rewards and sanctions in our wider society (Gordon, 1997). Some argue that high intelligence quotient (IQ) scores are not important; rather, what is significant is the identification and means of assessing specific cognitive skills that are linked to job performance (Hunt, 1999). This latter group of more focused cognitive assessment tools can have a significant impact in organisations, revealing how close an applicant is to the requisite skills level estimating how much training an applicant needs to reach an acceptable standard. Psychometric tests will always be open to abuse as they offer a potential means of legitimising discrimination by those in power and authority. Underlying issues of test production and assumptions that underpin psychometrics reveal how social values and prejudice can have an impact on the development, application, analysis and interpretation of results. Whilst some may feel comfortable to reduce the value of human beings to an empirical value, there are others who see humans in terms of their potential, regardless of the social context they find themselves in. A critical issue underlying any test is the definition of the domain. Often tests are devised on an atheoretical basis, or they use the same term to mean different things. It is important that test-users require adequate conceptual rationale for a test. Concept validity is key here; nevertheless, it is often weakly developed or ignored. Without attention to this core issue, psychometrics will fail to offer any meaningful assessment and instead intelligence will be what intelligence tests measure, not what intelligence actually is. Assessment centres (Bach, 2005). Not a single selection method nor a place. Refers to utilisation of a number of different selection methods over a specified period in order for multiple assessors to assess many candidates on a range of identified competencies or behavioural dimensions. Core element is the simulation of actual work tasks in order to observe job-related behaviours (Cooper and Robertson 1995). Managerial jobs: in-tray exercises group decision making exercises = common. Intray: provides candidate with a range of correspondence (memos, letter, reports) and he/she required to make decisions in order to prioritise/deal with various problems in the material under tight schedule. Used to assess individuals planning/problem solving abilities. Group decision making exercise: small groups discuss particular problem, come to consensus/solve problem. Problem solving abilities may be assessed, but also interpersonal and leadership skills. Increasing evidence of their limitations. Jones et al (1991) concluded despite the validity of different components of an AC, overall AC validity was surprisingly low. KEY PROBLEM appears to be that managers, acting as assessors, are not able to accurately assess cross-situational abilities from the different exercises. So while managers are required to rate candidates on diff. Competencies for each exercise, these ratings appear to be defined by overall task performance of the candidate on the particular exercise, rather than specific behaviours demonstrated in activity (Iles, 1992). No. Of studies have demonstrated low correlation between the overall assessment ratings and the variety of the criterion measures of on-the-job performance (Payne et al 1992). Despite negative evidence, two important points to be made: Designing and developing an AC has potential to improve the validty of selection, but simply putting together series of exercises and running them over two days using group of untrained assessors does not guarantee that decisions will be improved. EXAMPLE: gaugler et al 1987 validity of ACs improved when larger no. Of exercises used, and psychologists instead of managers acted as assessors. When peer evaluation included as part of assessment process and when group of assessors cantained larger proportion of women. Many probs identified with ACs need to be looked at from broader perspective than simply criterion-related validity. KEY BENEFIT of using AC is it gives potential to recruit an extended opportunity to find out more about the org. In particular many of the activities are simulations of the kind of work involved. MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL negotiation can take place if both parties know more about each other. THIS REQUIRES adoption of EXCHANGE rather than psychometric view of recruitment and selection process. Recruitment and selection: Limitations of the psychometric approach As noted earlier, adopting a more systematic approach to recruitment and selection to reduce bias and errors is useful. Yet ironically, it could be argued that globalisation and organisational requirements of flexibility, innovation and commitment make the best practices somewhat problematic and suggest a need for an entirely new perspective on RS. FIRST considering degree of change, orgs now require generalists rather than specialists to take on variety of different roles which require range of skills/competencies. Even when individual recruited for specific position, highly likely job role will change. Therefore, best practice prescription of doing a thorough job analysis to identify the task and the person requirements of the particular job may be difficult or inappropriate. There is not a fixed jigsaw hole to fill. SECONDLY alongside flexibility is need for innovation. Identifying opportunities for change and designing creative solutions is crucial for the survival of many orgs. It is about encouraging people to think differently. Following best practice guidelines leads to selection on basis of whether candidates can do particular jobs efficiently and whether they fit org culture. Rather than encourage innovation, traditional selection approaches may stifle creativity. THIRDLY, orgs operating on global rather than national level. Considering array of cross-national differences it is unlikely that orgs will be effective if they simply try to replicate their home-base operation abroad (Bartlett and Ghoshal 1989). To manage this diversity requires RS of people from different backgrounds with different experiences at all org levels. HOWEVER job analysis is backward looking. EXAMPLE if current job holders are all of same race/nationality, this may mean individuals from different backgrounds will be excluded because they do not fit the existing profile of a competent employee. ALSO during selection, different background candidates may respond differently so that they are at a disadvantage, again reducing their chances of being selected (SHack

Alleviating Illness Naturally :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Alleviating Illness Naturally Presently there is a general trend to treat mild illnesses naturally and to avoid strong allopathic medications. People are embracing herbal remedies which are less expensive, readily available, and have many less side effects. Echinacea, considered to have a remarkable immunostimulating activity, is one of the most widely used phytomedicinals for treatment of the common cold, flu, and other upper respiratory tract infections (1). It is readily available in liquid form, capsules, and in tea. You can purchase it over the counter at the drugstore, supermarket, and even at Kmart. I, like many others, have tried echinacea to treat the common cold and flu, but it never seemed to make me feel better. Am I the exception to benefiting from this common herbal remedy, or has the American public at large been conned into believing this plant will prevent them from getting sick? As of yet, there is no known medication proven to cure the common cold or flu. Both are upper respiratory tract infections caused by viruses and thus treatment in the form of antibiotics will not work. Medications referred by doctors, such as antihistamines, cough suppressants, and decongestants, treat the symptoms of the illness but not the underlying cause. Although echinacea is similar to other treatments in that it does not attempt to cure the illness, it distinguishes itself by directly stimulating the immune system. This novel approach for combating the cold or flu seems to work as well as the more common medical treatments (2). The herbal remedy echinacea is a family of nine flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family and indigenous to North America. Three species, E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida, are used in medicinal supplements. Liquid extracts of the leaves and above ground parts of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia are the products most commonly available in the United States, while E. pallida is encountered in Europe (2). The study of how herbs affect the immune system is a current hot topic in pharmacological research. Do herbs, like the echinacea plant, really strengthen our resistance and help us lead healthier lives? There appears to be a contradiction between the wisdom of centuries of observation and the scrutiny of scientific laboratory research. Echinacea was among the most popular herbs used by Native American Indians. Its popularity in treating colds, coughs, and infections continued and in the late nineteenth century echinacea became the best selling medicinal tincture in America (1).

Aust Prohibition Act :: essays research papers

Various international treaties and conventions (e.g. International Narcotics Control Board), has provided Australia with guidelines and regulatory measures that the Commonwealth government must put into action within the criminal justice system. Australia became a part of significant treaties and conventions to uphold strong alliances with other nations (Such as the U.S.). The preparedness of Australian Governments to sign these various treaties, and modify domestic drug laws accordingly, seems largely to have been a function of the country’s subordinate status on the world stage, and its desire to be seen as a good ‘international citizen’, rather than being driven by concern within Australia about the problems posed by illicit drugs (Brereton, D. 2000:90). The Act or drug laws within particular treaties and/or convention was based on basic offenses such as (to name a few), cultivation, possession, trafficking, and supply. The need for such drug laws was however, a consequence for external development, not so much required in Australia. Countries such as the U.S. prompted such regulation and seem to hold greater power in pushing these developments forward. A number of concerns have arisen over the last decade into reasons why certain drug policies have been passed within National and International boarders. To help and explain how prohibition became the only means of limiting drug use and regulation of drugs. Drug use was seen to increase public costs and deduct time and profit from employers and within society according to certain governments. The economic argument centres on the profits to be made by the sellers on the one hand and the losses sustained by employers of users and/or society in general (Brown, Farrier, Egger and McNamara. 2001:1070). This suggests that not only would drug use be seen as a problem within State and National boarders, but also internationally. Therefore it was believed that if all Commonwealth government were under the same treaties and/or convention this would decrease the use of Psychotropic substances, and also, deter drug trafficking, supply and demand. Another important factor that increased prohibition of only certain drugs within Industrialized Western Countries was argued by Brown et al (2001:1071) we can derive a powerful and historically sustainable argument that those drugs which are currently legal in Western Countries are those in which there is an indigenous history both of use and capital investment, while those which are illegal are those which are produced in Third World Countries, where the costs of use exceed the profit to be to be made.

Dystopia in Aldous Huxleys Brave New World :: Brave New World

Dystopia in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World It's hard to imagine yet somehow so extremely close to us is the possibility of a world of ideal perfection where there is no room or acceptance of individuality. Yet, as we strive towards the growth of technology and improvement of our daily living we come closer to closing the gap between the freedom of emotions, self understanding, and of speech and the devastation of a dystopia. A utopia, or perfect world, gone awry is displayed in Aldous Huxley's provocative novel Brave New World. Dystopia is drawn on "political and emotional events, anchoring its vision of a nightmarish future in contemporary fears of totalitarian ideology and uncontrolled advances in technology and science" (Baker 22). It is the situation that costs a piece of an unhealthy environment for human beings, is the theme of the novel. The dystopian setting is brought about by technology and by higher authorities. As technology increases, the use for human beings in the work force decreases leaving an overwhelming amount of depression among humans. Therefore, a way to continue the production of technological findings is by bringing up humans from day one to accept their unhappiness as normal. By "breeding" human beings to accept the fact that they are born to do a specific group. Higher authorities know the illimination of humans' emotions is useful to stabilize what they think to be a utopian society. Huxley portrays a "perfect dystopia" where scientists "breed people to order" in a specific class (Baker 2). The purpose of this paper is to shows that Aldous Huxley clearly introduces a river of cases and incidences, which adds to the dystopia in his science fiction novel Brave New World. Aldous Huxley was born on July 26, 1894 in England into a family of novelists and scientists. Leonard Huxley, Aldous's father, was an essayist and an editor who also was a respected, leading biologist in the time of Darwinism. Both his brother and half-brother worked in the science field. Huxley received an extensive training in both medicine and in the arts and sciences. Huxley was described by V.S. Pritchett as "that rare being-the prodigy, the educable young man, the peremial asker of unusual questions" (Introduction to Aldous Huxley 1). Huxley wrote a series of novels and essays as his career progressed. Two of his best known novels are Brave New World and Island. These two novels depict a world of dystopia. In Brave New World it's author "shifts his mildly satiric observations of a limited group of people to a broader and more ironic satire of a utopian society" (Introduction to Aldous Huxley

Perspectives on Divorce

There are many parts of the brain that effect the way we live and act every single day. There is the frontal lobe which controls planning, organizing, coordinating and controls movements, reasoning and the overall thinking process. I have used my frontal lobe today when I decided to write this essay, and how I was going to set it up. There is the temporal lobe which controls hearing. I used this today when I listened to my Ipod in the halls. There is the cerebellum which controls balance, movement, and coordination. I used this today when I tried to dance during lunch (key word tried†¦.. ). There is also the occipital lobe which controls vision. I used this today when I read a book during English. The possibly most important part of the brain is the medulla, which controls vital functions. I used this today when I had to go from the first floor to the third floor, and I had to catch my breath. When people say â€Å"your eyes don't see, your nose doesn't smell, your tongue doesn't taste, your ears don't hear, and your skin doesn't touch; your brain does it all† they are saying although we associate all of those senses with their respective body part really we cant see, touch, taste and so on without our brain first processing it and telling our bodies what is going on. 2) The psychoanalytical perspective says someone may get a divorce because their parents had gotten a divorce, so that's what the have seen is normal. This perspective says that many behaviors are based on childhood experiences. If someone grew up with divorced parents, they would see that that is an acceptable way to live their life and not see a problem with it. Also, the psychoanalytical perspective looks at the impulses and desires of a person, someone might get a divorce because their ID tells them they want to have multiple partners, and not want to be in a committed relationship. The behavioristic perspective is based on rewards and punishments. Based on this theory someone may get a divorce because they might be punished by staying in of the relationship. Their parents may not be a fan of their spouse, and may threaten to cut them off communications and write them out of the will if they stay in the relationship. The person may find this a deal they cant turn down, so they would divorce their partner in order to stay in the good graces of their family. The biological perspective looks at the brain as the reason people make decisions. They would say that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain, therefore the person cannot stay happily in their marriage. They could also say that the person has depression, due to an imbalance of serotonin, and could not be happy with their spouse, so they would need to get treated, or continue perusing the divorce. The cognitive perspective believes that divorce would be based on the individuals unique thinking process. The person may have unclear thoughts on their spouse, and cannot figure out what they want in their marriage. The cognitive perspective would not blame any external forces, they would simply say their brain told them to, so they did. They might also say their brain does not make good judgment, and at the time of the marriage there was a lapse in judgment. The humanistic perspective would say the person needed personal growth, and was tied down in the marriage. The person would see themselves happier without being with their spouse. They would say that the person simply wanted to get a divorce, so they did, and wouldn't add much more to it than that. The sociocultural perspective would say that the divorce rate in America is 51%, so the person sees it culturally acceptable to get a divorce. They would say they have seen so many of their peers getting divorced, it seems normal. So they might not work to work out their problems, they just get a divorce because that's what over half of America is doing. Eclecticism is an approach that uses more than one theory to explain how or why something happens. This idea would be beneficial to describing human behavior because there are many contributing factors in peoples decision making. They might do something for multiple reasons, using divorce as an example, a person might have grown up in a divorced home, but they also might have a cheating spouse, and a chemical imbalance in the brain. Their reason for divorce can't simply be explained by the psychoanalytic, behavioristic, or biological perspective. But when you use all of the perspectives together you can get a clear understanding of why they got a divorce. Human behavior cannot be explained with only one perspective because there are many contributing factors to the decisions people make.

A Short Essay on Life Essay

In life, we come across many challenges. Some of them make us who we are while some tell us what we should be. Sometimes it is the opposite. There will be struggle, there will be bad days. Days which would never seem to end. Days which would go on and on, which would keep hurting us till the end. Many of us actually most would give up but the people who wont will be the ones to face the brighter side of the day. The night is darkest before dawn but how can we forget the rainbow after the rain? We understand to love, to give, to endure, to find pleasure, to please but what we do not understand is ourselves during all of this. Life can lie to us and no one will stop it, it can play all sorts of games with us without us even knowing because there is no one controlling it. But whatever happens in life happens for good. Good of all in it. Whatever decisions life takes for us is already planned by it and we must learn to accept it. We must come in terms with the fact that no matter how hard we try to fit in this imperfect world, it will never acknowledge us for who we are. We always feel like becoming everything else around us. But what we do not realize is that everyone wants to be happy in the end of the day. They just want to find someone who will love them and who will stand by them throughout. Throughout the stormy nights, throughout the lonely days, throughout all the cold memories.

College Entrance Essay Essay

Over the past few years I have increasingly become confident that a career in psychology is the right path for me. I am by nature a very caring, helping person, a good listener and someone who enjoys being able to connect with others. My friends and family see me as the kind of person they can go to when they need to talk about their problems, and they know that I am someone that they can trust. To me, there is nothing more fulfilling than the feeling of reaching out and connecting with an individual, and being able to offer them support. Both my parents were clinical psychologists, and undoubtedly this influenced my desire to become a psychologist. They exposed me at an early age to psychological ideas and the practice of psychotherapy. I could see the passion they brought to their profession, and the satisfaction they experienced by helping others. I believe also that my mother’s death when I was ten helped influence my interest in psychology. My mother’s death was a traumatic event for me and my family, and when she passed away I had to help emotionally support my younger brothers. Our subsequent participation in family therapy showed me how important it is to talk about feelings and problems, and how families can heal and move on from even the most traumatic experiences. In order to make a career of my interest, I will need both undergraduate and graduate training in psychology. If I should choose to open up a practice, I will need business training as well. My choice of college is based on finding a strong psychology program and an environment where I can feel like I can make a personal connection with my professors and my peers. In addition to having a strong psychology department, I am looking for a college or university in New England with a small faculty/student ratio. I want to feel like I can personally connect with my professors and peers, and not be just a number in large classes. Castleton State College meets all of these requirements. To me, Castleton State seems to be more then just an  institute of learning, it’s a place where the students are able to experience new ideas and encounter new challenges that will later help them learn critical skills needed to be successful in a diverse and interdependent world. In addition to a good education, I feel that Castleton State is a place that will allow me to grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually. The health field, and mental health in particular, is becoming increasingly challenging and competitive. After my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue either my master’s degree or my doctorate in psychology, and I know that I will need strong undergraduate training to be effective at the graduate level. I believe that Castleton State College will provide me with the training and perspective on myself and my career that I will need to be successful and to pursue my dream.

What Really Makes Factories Flexible

Introduction: In this literature, â€Å"What really makes factories flexible? † the writer brought out the topic for factory flexibility, which defines as a production  facility  organized  to  respond to customer orders quickly in order to provide  a  full  and varied range  of  operations  or  services, across many  product lines with very short  changeover times and may introduce new products of similar range fairly easy. For example, most modern  automobile plants  are designed as  flexible  factories to build various models. Having acknowledged the importance of flexibility, how would manufacturing managers in a broad array of industries find pathways to improve the process? What are the difficulties of defining flexibility of a plant and how do they measure flexibility in terms of plant productivity? What measurements are needed to show improvement of the process? The author performed a research in a study of sixty-one factories in North America that manufacture fine paper to find out the answer. Define the problem: Unlike most other industries in which different plants make different products, the paper industry's products are more comparable across plants since paper are produced by very similar process. There are a few characteristics for the paper industries to be the right candidate. In paper industry, the qualities of products by grades are straightforward numbers which can be able to be measured by the author. These numbers enabled the author to develop both the range of paper a plant could produce and how much time it needed for a plant to switch from making one kind of paper to making another. By using these numbers the author was be able to define the operational flexibility for manufacturing plants needed to measure and find the ways to improve the processes. Defining the problem is the first thing needed by each manager. â€Å"What is flexibility? † Managers are having hard times to define as the term may mean very different for different people. At plant level, it is about the ability to change over or adapt new system, however, specifying and characterizing this ability is not an easy task. As one manager may talk about the flexibility to produce the types of production from up and down depending on what the market needs; another manager may talks about the flexibility to change over from making one type of paper to another with less time and money. In the author's point of view, flexibility should be emphasized in determining by its competitive environment. The measurement of flexibility can be based on a) product range in different things as a plant can have the ability to produce a small number of products that are very different from one another b) mobility for a plant to change over from making one product to another and c) uniformity of performance as a flexible plant can perform comparably well to make any product within a specified range. Once managers have defined the different kinds of flexibility they are trying to develop, another set of issues had come up as how to measure the flexibility and improvement of flexibility. Also it is often unclear in which general features of a plant must be changed in order to make its operations flexible. The depth and wisdom of experience managers have to be carefully assessing their strategies to define what kind of flexibility they are looking for before embarking on a flexibility program, or otherwise the results can be disastrous. Implication and analysis to select best alternatives: By collecting production data, the author was able to measure the breadth of paper grades that each plant was capable of producing and the changeover time that each plant required to switch between grades. There were additional measurements of flexibility such as workforce by length of service, the level of computer integration (CIM), the change and break frequency, etc. Each plant may emphasize in a whole range of factors from different quality and types of flexibility based on the managers, so end up there are large differences across plants. One major issue covered in this literature is that the degree of computer integration (CIM) does not really help on plant flexibility by increasing range of products produced or improving change over time even though large money was invested in it. Managers often have difficulty justifying CIM projects on the basis of cost savings or quality improvements therefore justify them on basis of improved flexibility CIM will provide. In this case, only the engineers or a few trained employees understand how the system works; most of the plant operators are not trained to operate which create problems. Operators instead decide to perform manual-change over, which in a surprising findings the best manual change system operate much faster than computer. This result shows the serious problem from operators as they have no interest to adapt the change to operate CIM. It hit hard on the managers with thoughts being reluctant that they are doing something right, but actually they are wrong. Implement decision to change the system: For successful manager to figure out the issues of CIM before implementing it in a plant, they should consider building up skills for their operators. As the author denoted, â€Å"Plants become more flexible when managers stress to workers the importance of flexibility. For example, a plant that wants to excel at customizing products will need to develop the capabilities to carry out large range of jobs in the plant. Managers then need to determine what type of workforce or equipment (ex CIM) needs to enhance flexibility. After that managers need to figure out different ways to measure the type of flexibility sought and emphasize the importance of the measures to the employees. Trainings should be added in th e process to build up experienced workforce and eventually to see improvement in flexibility. For example, continuous learning problem such as operational excellence may help management team in different level to control and maintain a flexible manufacturing plant. Evaluate the outcome: By integrating the appropriate steps to a) defining the problem of flexibility, b) implication and analysis to select best alternatives and c) implement decision to change the system, the next step is to evaluate the outcome to see if there is any improvement or if not, further alterations will need to be made. Outcomes that need to be evaluated are not limited to employee training in different level. Employees training based on experience are critical for a manufacturing plant to increase flexibility. More experience workers are not willing to adapting the new systems such as CIM comparing to less experience workers who are more willing to change. Conclusion: A good manufacturing management team designs what is best way for its plant to run, and plants that are flexible in terms of mobility (in terms of change over time) and range (in terms of various productivity) tended to have a clear measures of what flexibility should be developed. Managers have to decide what benefits the plant, how the plant operate, what kind of flexibility they are looking for, select the right decision making tools such as CIM, training for the employees based on different levels of experience, analyzing the data and provide surveys for customers. Managers should provide people the support needed in order to achieve the goal for lower the cost, decreasing change over time, increasing throughput and eventually make more money. Manager should never put too much faith in depending on CIM to complete the tasks in ease. CIM provides critical advantages to improve factory flexibility only if it can be implemented in the right way to fit the system. CIM generally needs experienced operators to control so trainings are critical for employees in different level. CIM could only be one of the alternative tools for managers to use. The flexibility of a plant depends much more on people (manager, field-supervisors, engineers and operators) than on any technical factor (automation, CIM). Managers should never only embraced in CIM as the solution to the growing need to forge new capabilities, instead managers should put more faith in the day to day management of people. Extended Research: I read two other articles which were written within the last three years. It is obvious that both articles talk about how computer integration both software and hardware can help to improve process flow and flexibility of a plant. This is because a more mature CIM system has been established through studies from field experts and universities. In general, employees nowadays understand that continuous learning is the keys to maintain competitiveness in the job market. This doesn’t mean that managers’ job are easier to do, but flexibilities in all level from a plant, a team, or just individual are critical in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Reference: 1. Manufacturing Flexibility – Synchronizing the Shop Floor and Supply Chain by Aberdeen Group 2. Improving Plant Performance and Flexibility in Batch Process Manufacturing: With an Example from the Food and Beverage Industry by Filippo Focacci