Oedipus the King by Sophocles Essay

Sophocles was one of the greatest Greek playwrights presented the most delightful work of the human civilization – the drama â€Å"Oedipus the King†. Sophocles is a person that stood in the centre of the plot and determines the central crisis of the tragedy – moral self-determination of Oedipus. However, the crisis is not as simple as it may seem. One more central problem is that all deeds and actions of Oedipus are fated by the Gods and, therefore, Oedipus doesn’t have free will to choose his destiny. Sophocles reveals the theme of the universal scope: who rules the destiny – the God or a person himself. Looking for an answer to eternal question the main hero Oedipus has left his native town and practically doomed himself to a certain death. Thus, Oedipus can be defined as dramatic character. The downfall of Oedipus the King was fated by the Gods and he was unable to change his destiny. All Oedipus’ actions were formed by a virulent divinity. For example, Oedipus was foretold by the Gods to kill his own father and to get married with his own mother. Exactly the Gods willed him to do everything he didn’t want to. He found, as he thought, the right decision to leave his house. But he didn’t understand the most important thing: the Gods determined the common aspect of person’s destiny, its direction and one of the possible versions of future reality. The destiny could be changed in some situations but the results would be the same as the Gods had foretold. Oedipus was shown to be free at his choice and his ways. But simultaneously all these choices led him to an inevitable results and even to a catastrophe. When he revealed truth of his life he decided to live his native town as he couldn’t cope with new reality which was killing him mentally. Thereby he expressed the main idea of the dramatic plot: it is the God who rules the destiny and the person is only an instrument. The fate and inevitability are nothing compared to a person who understands and realizes his own moral and spiritual essence.

Caulerpa lentillifera Essay

Statement of the Problem 1. Can Lato (Caulerpa lentillifera) be used as fertilizer to plants? 2. Compared to usual fertilizers, will sugar help yield lato fertilizers a better result to growing of plants? 3. Can Lato seaweed and sugar complement with each other in making a crop-yielding fertilizer? Null Hypothesis 1. Lato can be used as a fertilizer to plants. 2. Sugar can help yield lato fertilizers a better result to growing of plants. 3. Lato and sugar complement with each other in making a crop-yielding fertilizer. Significance of the Study Over the years, land and sea farming has been a part of Filipino life. It is cored to the notion that our archipelago is surrounded both by a large body of water and land area. Amid the adamant need for our fields to gain healthy crops, we, Filipinos are indeed in need to pave ways for strategies of growing our crops which will later result to profitable harvest. In this connection, this research aims to study the potentials of lato seaweed and sugar as fertilizers with cheap investment. This aim roots its significance to the need of Filipino farmers to use affordable, organic, and accessible fertilizers that will help them in yielding vigorous and abundant crops. Review of Related Literature â€Å"†¦those gardening for food can use copious amounts of seaweeds for mulch and fertilizer.(Traditional Irish fertilizer, see: Man of Aran, and The Field), add seaweeds abundantly to compost†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ryan Drum, 2012) â€Å"Seaweeds are 20-50% dry weight mineral†¦ the elements abundant in seaweeds include: potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, chloride, sulfur, phosphorous, vanadium, cobalt, manganese, selenium, bromine, iodine, arsenic, iron, and fluorine† (Kazutosi, 2002). â€Å"Fertilizers from seaweeds result to increase crop yield probably due to the presence of growth promoting hormones (Bentley-Mowat, 1963). â€Å"Other beneficial effects include increased resistance of crop to fungal and insect pests and increase water holding capacity of the soil† (Mathiseson, 1967). â€Å"Caulerpa lentillifera is high in minerals, vitamin A, C, and several essential unsaturated fatty acids. It is also reported to have antibacterial and antifungal properties† (https://seaweedindustry.com/seaweed/type/caulerpa-lentillifera). â€Å"Sugar added to fertilizer can influence the pH levels within the soil. Plants that are sensitive to a change in pH levels will be unable to absorb nutrients from the soil.† (www.bioiberica.com) â€Å"Sugar is a great way to get rid of weeds and keep your lawn’s eco-system balanced. Plain table sugar spread on your lawn is an organic gardening method to keep weeds at bay.† (http://www.ehow.com/about_6404819_sugar-lawn-fertilizer.html) Scope and Limitations This research focuses and aims only to study the potentials of lato seaweed and sugar as fertilizers especially when combined together. The researcher gathered data from surfing the internet so as first-hand observation and experiments.

The Sykesâ€Picot Agreement of 1916

The Sykes–Picot Agreement of 1916 was a secret agreement between the governments of the UK and France, with the assent of Imperial Russia, defining their respective spheres of influence and control in Western Asia after the expected downfall of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. On the night of April 9, 1948, the Irgun Zvei Leumi surrounded the village of Deir Yasin, located on the outskirts of Jerusalem. After giving the sleeping residents a 15 minute warning to evacuated, Menachem Begin's terrorists attacked the village of 700 people, killing 254 mostly old men, women and children and wounding 300 others. Begin's terrorists tossed many of the bodies in the village well, and paraded 150 captured women and children through the Jewish sectors of Jerusalem. 1948 – First Arab-Israeli War The Arabs failed to prevent establishment of a Jewish state, and the war ended with four UN-arranged armistice agreements between Israel and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The frontiers defined in the armistice agreements remained until they were altered by Israel's conquests during the Six-Day War in 1967. Suez campaign , 29 Oct – 4 Nov 1956 During the 1950s there was considerable tension between Israel and Egypt, which, under President Nasser, had become a leader in the Arab world. His nationalization of the Suez Canal 1956 provided an opportunity for Israel with Britain and France, to attack Egypt and occupy a part of Palestine that Egypt had controlled since 1949, the Gaza Strip , from which Israel was forced by UN and US pressure to withdraw 1957 . 1973. The two Arab states struck unexpectedly on October 6. After crossing the suez channel the Arab forces gain a lot of advanced positions in Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights and manage to defeat the Israeli forces for more then three weeks. Israeli forces with a massive U. S. economic and military assistance managed to stop the arab forces after a three-week struggle. The Arab oil-producing states cut off petroleum exports to the United States and other Western nations in retaliation for their aid to Israel. But this treaty didn’t make any different or let the Israeli occupation withdrew from East Jerusalem. The net result of the treaty: Increase tension in the Middle East which shows in an increase in Israeli intransigence in the occupied territories and the isolation of Egypt from the Arab world. The Arab countries were opposed the separate treaty because it failed to achieve a permanent and comprehensive peace.

Effects of the Subsidy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Effects of the Subsidy - Essay Example A market without a subsidy will reach equilibrium at the point where the demand curve intersects the pre-tax supply curve. Let’s assume that the price is P and the quantity is Q. The subsidy by the government will shift the supply curve downwards by the subsidy amount. The price paid by the buyers for the homes will fall from P to Ps, that is from $167,000 to $ 159,000 while the one to the suppliers will increase to Ps’ that is from $167,000 to $174,000. The quantity supplied will then increase from Q to Qs. In the graph below, the cost of the subsidy to the government is shown. The graph clearly shows a negative balance which is the cost of the subsidy which is always greater than the benefits enjoyed by the producers and the consumers. The deadweight loss of the subsidy is the amount by which the subsidy costs exceed the gains in the producer and consumer surpluses. The deadweight loss magnitude depends on the subsidy amount as well as the change in the production which results from the subsidy The benefits obtained from the subsidy are usually shared by the producers and the consumers in a proportion which depends on the relative slopes of supply and demand functions. However, the buyers gain more than the suppliers as the subsidy lowers prices to buyers and increases the price to the sellers. Assuming the two firms compete on prices à   la Bertrand with the production function and factor prices remaining the same: qM = L0.6K0.4 ;qK = L0.5 K0.5 ;the wage rate is $5 and the rental rate of capital is $10.

Financial Management in Nonprofit Organizations Essay - 2

Financial Management in Nonprofit Organizations - Essay Example Several performance measure indicators are also discussed and they have a deep co-relation with how the initial funds are generated. Performance indicators of both the types differ slightly but this is the only aspect in which most general finance principles can be applied to both. Finally, we looked at how corporate governance is ensured for nonprofits yet they lack in strong monitoring as the real focus of government, agencies and creditors is on how for – profits are performing. Financial Management in Nonprofit Organizations Financial Management for nonprofit organizations has many similarities with the financial management practices being adopted by profit organizations yet it differs in some respects. Maximization of Shareholder’s wealth and return on investment are the key performance indicators for a ‘for-profit’ organization. However, as far as a not for profit organization is concerned, the key emphasis is on developing the welfare projects of the society by contributing in one form or the other. Major stakeholders of a not for profit organization are not entitled to any wealth maximization. ... This actually leads to the definition of the mission statement of a not for profit organization (Blackbaud, 2011). The disclosure and administration activities of a nonprofit organization must be scrutinized; therefore the working staff must be accountable for every incoming dollar. This is for donor’s satisfaction and for the transparency of the management processes (Cass, 2010). Fund accounting system has become even more critical considering an increasing shift in the importance of external financial reporting (McFarlane, 2012). Therefore, budgeting and cash flows management are of immense importance in a not for profit organization’s financial management setup. Liquidity and asset management is important too since commitments of servicing are to be continued over an extensive period of time. Cash Flow prediction becomes challenging due to two main factors. Primarily, operational cash flows are negative and financial cash flows are not certain. Another reason for thi s unpredictability is the fact that cash flow donors aren’t the ones who are receiving services or any other advantage on their investments. Severe management crisis can be an outcome of a demand increase in the resources of the nonprofit organization. Accounting control also becomes important since the forecasted revenue is unreliable and that’s the reason why not for profit organizations are not inclined in servicing newer clients until they have done a thorough research on that. With control comes budgeting, thus, a not for profit organization requires risk averse financial managers and tactical marketers. Sources of Funds Nonprofit organizations utilize a method known as fund accounting for maintaining books pertinent to the received resources by

The U.S. Economy of Euro Falls Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The U.S. Economy of Euro Falls - Research Paper Example The conclusion Teulon (2011) garnered was also accordance with that of Calomiris (1999): that the probability of the fall of euro is high. For Teulon (2011), the question is no longer whether the euro will survive, but rather on how long the euro will last. With the threat of the impending fall of the euro, one of the important questions that this leads to is its effect to the dollar. In the event the euro will fall, will this affect the economy of United States? This inquiry aims to give some answer to this question. International trade in this globalized world is highly efficient. It is through engaging in the global commerce that a local economy is affected by the economic performance of its trading partners. The exchange rate of the local to the international currency is important since this determines the prices of goods and services from abroad in terms of the local currency. Hence the exchange rate of euro to the dollar plays a significant role in the trade that occurs between them. The countries included in the European Monetary Union are also the trading partners of the United States. The members of the E.M.U. are the following: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Table A (found in the Appendix) shows the trade in goods of the United States with each country of the E.M.U in 2011. The country imports more goods from the euro area by 87,860 millions of dollars than it exports there. This data might show that somehow, the U.S. depends a little on the products of the euro area for its consumption. As a source of income however, the country doesn’t depend there too much since it buys more from them than what it was able to sell to them. Nevertheless, this data only shows the trade of the U.S. with the euro area. Let us consider another set of data so a more meaningful analysis can be done. Table 1. U.S. Gross Domestic Product for 2011* Com ponent of G.D.P. $ Billions % of G.D.P. Consumption 10,726.4 0.71 Investment 1,914.6 0.13 Net Exports -576.9 -0.04 Government Expenditures 3,030.2 0.20 G.D.P. 15,094.4 100 Table 2. The Net Exports of the United States for 2011* $ Billions % of G.D.P. Exports 2,087.5 0.13 Goods 1,474.4 0.09 Services 613.2 0.04 Imports 2,664.4 0.18 Goods 2,238.0 0.14 Services 426.4 0.03 Net Exports -576.9 -0.04 *Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2012. Gross Domestic Product and Related Measures: Level and Change From Preceding Period. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: FOURTH QUARTER AND ANNUAL 2011 (SECOND ESTIMATE). Retrieved from http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2012/pdf/gdp4q11_2nd.pdf Table 1 shows important information about the economy of the United States. First, the country is not dependent on international trade for its income or output. The net export is -.04 percent of G.P.D. The country spends more rather than gaining more from it. Since the data used for the trade between the U.S. an d E.M.U. countries has been on the net exports on goods only. From Table 2 we can infer that the net export on goods is equal to -763.6. The U.S. does not earn more dollars in trading with the E.M.U. countries. Instead, it is the euro area that gains more from its trade with U.S. amounting 87,860 millions of dollars in 2011. From these data we can see that in the event that euro falls, the economy of th

Construction Management 'Contract Law' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Construction Management 'Contract Law' - Essay Example However, it might also be noted that most of the issues in the building industry has already been faced by many and need not be learnt by us or that there is no need to foresee the problems and produce a document catering to all the nuances of the business. It is better and easier and many times more accurate to adopt and alter the existing standard construction agreements for our own benefit, if needed. RIBA 2005 is the new set of documents that is available for construction companies and builder to make up contracts with every one of the sub contractors. Construction contracts are more in line with the expectations of the construction industry. Most of the standard forms cater to the complete requirement of the project. This also specifies the forms that get used during the process to ensure that the work is reported back to the main contractor in right earnest. Most of the contract agreements not just specify the terms of the agreement legally, but also specify other formats that become day-to-day reporting formats and for metrics of the project and its progress. There are formats that are looked at as 'one with the contractor's design'. The contractors' design and the execution would go together in the case of the project. This will ensure that there is a single point contract for the owner and the responsibility of execution rests with the contractor for both. This may not be comfortable in our current case since there could be changes in the design and the concepts which the owner might like to modify as the construction progresses. The basic idea of the contract is to ensure that the requirements of 'the Employer' or the client are met in full form. In order to ensure that this happens, the contract would always start with an Employer's requirements or Contractors proposals. This will have all the requirements of the employer or the owner listed in detail and specifies the base purpose of the requirement as well. This will not look at the design specifications or any other material that might be a part of the construction in it. This will only detail the requirements and the complete specifications for the project. This could be the cost of the project or the budget allocation from the client; this should also list the constraints within which the contractor is supposed to work. The limitations could be in terms of time, money, land and in any of the other parameters. The contractor needs to necessarily work within these constraints and meet the requirements that have been raised by the employer. These requirem ents will form the basis of the contractor's proposals. Based on the requirements document that is given by the employer or the owner, the contractor provides his contractors' proposal. This proposal in our case will be with the architect. Based on the requirements from the employer, the contractor would prepare the proposal so that it should meet the requirements espoused by the employer. However, if the contractors' proposal were to raise any issues or contradictions or clarifications, the same can be further clarified with the contractor and his exact commitment as to the execution of the contract can be laid out. This could lead to an increase in the price or might lead to an extension of time. However, this would

Social Performance, part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Performance, part 2 - Essay Example Many financial industries, especially those dealing in financial services, have codes of conduct. The table below shows the codes of a competitor to Pioneer Financial Group and criticism of their codes. COMPANY CODE OF CONDUCT CRITICISM SERVICES OFFERED LINCOLN FINANCIAL GROUP Fairness Respect Employee Ownership Diversity Responsibility Integrity Commitment to Excellence They have stringent do’s and don’t’s, and their employees feel that if something is not specified in the code of conduct, then it is acceptable. Life insurance Annuities Retirement plan services Group protection AF FINANCIAL GROUP Honesty and fair dealing Workplace environment Compliance with laws and regulations Conflict of interest Gifts Records and reporting information Political activities Insider trading Revoked their contract with Lowerell as their independent auditors without giving them notice as this contradicts their code of honesty and fair dealings with other intermediaries Insurance services Loans such as mortgage loans Offers business services such as checking accounts CUNA MUTUAL GROUP Integrity in the workplace Integrity with company resources, information and financial disclosure Integrity while dealing with others Integrity with business conduct Faced with challenges of measuring the effectiveness of their program, though they have ambitious programs and codes of ethics Crop insurance Retirement planning for members and small businesses Insurance for union members Trevino and Nelson (2007) define business ethics as behaviors that are in line with the principles, standards, and norms of practice that are in accordance with the society. Pioneer Financial Group is facing a conflict of interest of some shareholders, side deals done by employees, and corruption. Establishing an ethical business culture is one way of improving the corporate governance. Pioneer Financial Group should have ethical codes that promote ethical behavior. This guides employees in cases where ethical course of action is not clearly known. The codes help the company to communicate their expectations to employees, communities, government, and other stakeholders. The codes do promote market efficiency, build public trust, enhance business reputation, raising awareness on the societal needs, and help the company reinforce and acquaint new employees with their values and culture. Pioneer Financial Group have put in place training programs regarding ethics in the company that are designed to offer real solutions to those employees under ethical dilemma. A code of conduct or ethical code sets out the company's values, ethics, objectives and responsibilities. Pioneer Financial Group will have the following code of conduct: COMPANY CODE OF CONDUCT PIONEER FINANCIAL GROUP (PFG) HOW TO DEAL WITH COMMUNITIES HOW TO DEAL WITH COMPETITORS GOVERNMENT ®ULATORS,EMPLOYEES,SUPPLIERS AND INTERMEDIARIES Take into account community concerns Providing good employment opportunities Su pport communities through Charitable donations Seek competitive advantage through superior products and performance Avoid discussing confidential information with competitors Not engaging in restrictive trade practices that abuse market dominance Not evade tax Report and record all reportable transactions Giving room for employees to air their grievances about the company Encourage freedom of association Providing safe & healthy working environment Rewarding employees who observe ethical behavior Providing quality products and

Air Pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Air Pollution - Research Paper Example Air pollution emanates from air pollutants. These are substances that have adverse effects on the natural ecosystem when released into the atmosphere. The air pollutants can be liquid droplets, gases, or solid particles. The pollutants are either generated through the natural processes or by the action of human activities. One of the commonest natural sources of air pollution is the volcanic eruption. The gases emitted through volcanic activities may contain toxic pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. The human activities that cause air pollution are mainly due to industrial production. Many modern factories emit sulphur dioxide through the production processes. The pollutant can also build up in the air due to the reaction of other gases such as sulphur monoxide with oxygen. In other words, the presence of oxygen in the air causes pollution after some non-polluting gases react with oxygen (Haerens 12). Sulphur may react with oxygen in a chain of processes leading to the emission of sulphur dioxide. Similarly, oxygen may react with carbon in a chain of reaction processes leading to the emission of carbon monoxide, an air pollutant. The other source of air pollution is the oxides of nitrogen. They result from human activities, especially due to motor vehicle exhausts. Some vehicles are not fitted with the required catalytic converters to convert the oxides into the non-polluting nitrogen gas. When the oxides of nitrogen combine with those of sulphur in the atmosphere, the air becomes unpalatable and unsuitable for human health (Ayres, Robert & Roy 4). The result is the outbreak of skin cancers and other infections associated with the pollutants. Likewise, the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is directly associated with global warming. The gas causes greenhouse effect that leads to the preservation of more heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Although the sources

Recorded Music a Paradigm in Transition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Recorded Music a Paradigm in Transition - Essay Example Music has been a part of human civilization since the earliest times of human existence. The evolution of music over the centuries has made it an almost integral part of human life to the extent that music stars become heroes of a country and are immortalized in memory, stamps, or statues and by their very own work. From the classical producers of music like Beethoven and Bach, the rock stars of the 60s to the boy band fever of the 90s, music has been an essential aspect of art and culture for our society. However, while music is treated as art and entertainment by the majority of the public, it is also a very serious business with costs of production, marketing, distribution and development running into the billions of dollars. At the same time, there are huge profits to be made if a music venture is successful and things like concerts, videos, CDs, mp3s and several other means of accessing music mean that artists and record labels have many different avenues of making money (Daley, 1999). Undoubtedly, while other industries like the automobile manufacturing sector has been affected by technology, the music industry has possibly got the worst shock and the rude awakening of the digital age has forced the music makers to rush into a transition (Bruno, 2006).

Cause and Effect Technology Essay Example for Free

Cause and Effect Technology Essay Technology continues to make progress every single day in society. Schools, the workplace, and even homes have advanced so much over the past twenty years. As technology starts to take over every little part of people’s lives, some new advances may end up as the â€Å"next big thing† and others may slowly destroy the ways of human life. First, technology in schools, which have adapted so many new advances in even the last five years. A cause of increased use of technology in classrooms could be the pressure to do better with the resources they were given. This can lead to three consequences such as a cheating, easier access to information, and they could even use technology as a sort of tutor. Second, the workplace has adapted to all the new technologies maybe even faster than schools. Businesses search for a more productive way to run their operations. The increased usage of technology in the workplace has a very dangerous outcome which usually manifests in stress. Three causes of the stress in the workplace could be due to technology such as malfunctions, job insecurity, and certain medical issues when the employees use the technology all the time. Last, these new technologies even have tried to make life at home simpler for everyone. Things may seem like they are there to help you, but in the long run these new techniques may end up turning out poorly. Since the new technology has been brought about, there are more ways to find a recipe than just looking in a cookbook that was found in the kitchen cupboard. This may end up in obesity for in the long run and may not even see it coming. The effects of the increased usage of technology has caused the way people live their lives at school, at work, and at home to change drastically. As more schools tend to adapt to the â€Å"technology wave† there has been an increase of discussion about whether the advances of technology in the  classroom help the students learn better, or if it distracts them from actually doing the work themselves. These types of improvements increase the pressure of succeeding academically. One result of the growing amount of pressure on a student is that children are able to use technology as a tutor. Whether it is used as an educational social media to connect peers together outside of school, or even just simply being able to go to a search engine and gain the same knowledge that could be learned in the classroom. The internet is a great tutor if the resources are used properly. Another ramification of the flourishing amount of pressure put on a student because of the increased use of technology in classrooms is that information is far more accessible than before. Due to the mass amount of information available, everything is one click away. With the use of tablets, students are able to practically hold an entire encyclopedia set in their hands. The third effect of the increase of pressure among students is the fact that academic dishonesty is too easy. Since it is so easy to gather information from other sources besides your own head when you are stuck, this can lead to dangerous temptations of cheating in school. Workplace stress is a serious consequence that employees experience because of the increased use of technology in businesses. One reason stress is created at work, related to the escalating use of technology, is due to technological malfunctions. When technology does not work correctly, employees can lose important data, miss deadlines, and slow down production. This can not only have harmful effects, but become a waste of time. Another reason stress is created in the workplace is due to job insecurity. Technology is able to do jobs that more efficiently and at a cheaper cost than what a human would do. Since the increased use of technology, robots are now able to perform simple tasks with no mistakes like the assembly line, to more complex situations like medical procedures. Companies save thousands of dollars by making the transition to robots. This creates stress on employees seeing the possibility of jobs being replaced by a robot. The last cause of this stress is the risk of medical injuries. Technology may be able to reduce some medical risks that employees had with their job, but now there are medical conditions that are arising because of the technology that workers use. Since companies are starting to use more robots, they do not  know what is going on at all times besides they are programmed what to do. Any incident could happen at any second because the robots do not stop unless a human presses a button to make them stop. The increased use of technology at home has been a blessing. Senior citizens and other adults that were not once used to technology, now are using it more than ever. For example, with the increasing use of technology, cookbooks are almost at the point of extinction. Before, when families wanted to make a new recipe for dinner, they had to get all of their cookbooks out and try to make their own recipe. This has all became simpler due to the internet. Practically any recipe can be found on the internet today. Although many recipes are so accessible, finding the perfect one may be difficult, which leads to frustration. They may not have the exact ingredients needed to make the meal or may not want to take the time to create a dinner for the family. Therefore, the outcome of someone becoming frustrated with technology could result in fast food or take-out options. Since technology has become so advanced, food can be ordered online and delivered to the door. This would cause people to become much lazier. Technology then could become the staring point of obesity. Instead of families going out and getting the food, or going out to the store and getting the ingredients for the meal they just get on the computer and order their unhealthy choices, which could lead to obesity, due to the convinces of technology, and creates a lack of exercise. Overall, technology has become a great tool for everyone and has helped paved the way to success for many. Sometimes technology does not work the way it is supposed to and causes problems to arise. But luckily, technology is slowly becoming more useful and less of a hassle. Whether technology is used at school, work, or home it has changed the way people live their lives dramatically.

How IT is used in Sainsburys Essay Example for Free

How IT is used in Sainsburys Essay Sainsburys was founded in 1869 by John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury. They opened their first small dairy shop at 173 Drury Lane, London. It was so successful that further branches were opened in other market streets in Stepney, Islington and Kentish Town. The firm has expanded gradually over a century and now cover most of the UK with 463 stores nationwide. Recently, the group has expanded in the USA, where it acquired the New England-based Shaws Supermarkets Ltd in 1987 and diversified into banking, with the establishment in 1997 of Sainsburys Bank. The Sainsbury group today is one of the worlds leading retailers, playing a part in the lives of 15 million customers a week and employing over 169,000 people by June 2001. In 1995, Sainsburys was the first British supermarket Company to offer goods for sale from home, which after many trials of different methods has become the Internet Shopping service, Sainsburys To You. The first method of home shopping was introduced in 1995 and was called Order Collect. This was trialled at Sainsburys Solihull store. It involved customers using a personal catalogue to order by fax and then collect their orders from the store. After a small number of further trials into the desirability of home shopping, Sainsburys To You was introduced in spring 2000. Sainsburys re-branded their home shopping service and introduced Sainsburys To You in the London area. Sainsburys To You represents a more personalised online service with a new look website compared with those from the previous trials. The site greets customers by name and has the facility for customers to create and save their own shopping lists. All other areas did not have the home shopping service at this time. Since this time, Sainsburys have expanded their home shopping service. Sainsburys To You is now the second largest online retailer of grocery products with current annual sales around i 110 million. They take over 27,000 orders per week from serving over 71% of UK households. The first major step towards this was the opening of Europes largest and most technologically advanced grocery picking centre in Park Royal, North-West of London, in August 2000. The location of the centre is perfect as it can serve the 7 million people living in Central and Greater London, which represents 14% of the UK households. The centre employs up to 500 staff and has meant it can serve within and beyond the M25 area. In order for Sainsburys To You to be able to respond to the high street demand of home shopping they implemented a more powerful hardware package with the introduction of Sainsburys To You which has meant the service has cut the time spent ordering groceries online by half as well as increased the reliability, general efficiency and security of Sainsburys home shopping sector. The re-branding also included the introduction of new-look deliver vans and staff uniforms. In September 2000 Sainsburys plc decided to outsource all IT requirements to Accenture formerly Anderson Consulting Accenture is one of the worlds leading management consulting and technology Services Company. They employ over 145,000 people in 47 countries. Of these, 60% are part-time and 40% full-time. 62% of employees are women. Today, Sainsburys is Britains longest-standing major food retailing chain. The founders principles are to be the customers first choice for food shopping by providing high-quality products, value for money, excellent service and attention to detail. * A large Sainsburys Supermarket offers over 23,000 products 40% of these are Sainsburys own brand. In addition to a wide range of quality food and grocery products, many stores offer bread baked on the premises, delicatessen, meat and fish counters, pharmacies, coffee shops, restaurants and petrol stations. * Sainsburys Supermarkets serves over 11 million customers a week and as at May 2003 had 535 stores throughout the UK. Nearly 60% of our stores are in town-centre or edge-of-centre locations, many of these built on previously derelict sites. Sainsburys home shopping history Order Collect: Sainsburys remote shopping trials began in 1995 with an Order and Collect service at Sainsburys Solihull store. Customers used a personal catalogue to order by fax and then collected their orders from the store. Orderline: Sainsburys Orderline service began in March 1998. Following trials and research, Orderline was trialled at nine stores in the London area. Sainsburys to you: Spring 2000, Sainsburys rebranded its home shopping service for existing customers in the London area. Sainsburys to you represents a more personalised online service with a new look website (www. sainsburystoyou. co. uk). The site greets customers by name and has the facility for customers to create and save their own shopping lists. With a more powerful hardware package, the service has cut the time spent ordering groceries online at Sainsburys by half. The rebranding also included the introduction of new-look delivery vans and staff uniforms.

Effects Of Offenders And The Community Criminology Essay

Effects Of Offenders And The Community Criminology Essay The use of incarceration as a punitive and rehabilitative approach to crime has been around for centuries. The use of penitentiaries began in the 18th century in England. The British society started a move away from corporal punishment and more towards imprisonment with the hope that it would reform the mind and body (Jackson, 1997). These changes eventually paved the way for the establishment of penitentiaries throughout Europe and onto the United States. Historically, imprisonment was based on the concept of punishing those who wronged society, by inflicting suffering on the body. Today its strives to achieve its basic tenets consisting of punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation. In focusing on the United States, over the past thirty years the country has experienced an unprecedented rise in the use of incarceration. In 1972 there were 330,000 people residing in prisons and jails, today there are 2.1 million (King, Mauer Young, 2005). During this time span, the population rose b y less than 40 percent yet the number of people in prison and jail rose by more than 500 percent. To explain this dramatic change, we must look to factors such as changing crime rates, demographics, cultural shits and politics (King et. al., 2005). Today, there are many conservative, steadfast politicians who bank on getting tough on crime. In this light, we must evaluate whether institutionalization is the best method for diminishing crime and whether those offenders being imprisoned, are being set up for success or for failure, especially in their ability to reintegrate back into society once their time has been served. We must address the fact that these offenders, once imprisoned, encounter serious psychological changes and stigmatizations. The incarceration of an individual affects more than just the individual, but also family, peers and the community. The release of an offender back into society leaves one vulnerable and scared by an ex-con label. Their reintegration back int o society is a critical stage that is dependant on certain vital factors, which contribute to whether one will inevitably lead a continued life of crime or a life of desistance. Is incarceration really a remedy to crime, a so-called deterrent for future criminal activity, or merely a mechanism for labeling someone as a deviant member of society? It is important to assess what is actually known about the impact of imprisonment on crime control and with that in mind we must examine how incarceration rates have increased. The use of incarceration has significantly grown over time and the United States has become by its own creation, an extremely punitive system. The enactment of tougher sentencing rules, restrictive release patterns and the abolition of parole in some states have supported a system based on this concept. Many advocates of the system, including the Department of Justice, support this approach and have stated that tough sentencing means less crime (King et. al., 2005). However, an overview of changes in incarceration and crime in all fifty states revealed that there is no consistent relationship between the two. Crime did not decrease merely because incarceration was increasing (King et. al., 2005). Therefore, incarceration may not be the most effective way to achieve results in crime control. Advocates believe t hat by locking someone up, they can physically no longer commit crime. This concept may very well uphold to be true, but what about after their release from prison? Will they be more susceptible to or away from crime? Introducing someone to a life of incarceration inevitably leads to institutionalization and the effects of prisonization, which can seriously hinder ones adaptation and reintegration process. Institutionalization is a term used to describe the process by which inmates are shaped and transformed by the institutional environment in which they dwell. Sociologist, Irving Goffman described in his book Asylums, that institutions were a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life (King, 2000, p. 2). By this account, we can claim prisons to be a form of institution. Later, the term was also coined prisonization when it occurred in correctional settings (Haney, 2001). The term, often thought pejoratively, expresses the negative psychological effects of imprisonment. Goffman identified five modes for adapting to an institutional life. The first step involved a situational withdrawal, where prisoners begin to minimize their interaction with others. Next, prisoners form antagonistic behavior and refuse to cooperate with staff members and begin to show hostility towards the institution itself. This type of behavior will often result in prisoners being sentenced to the conditions of solitary confinement. Colonization is a step in which involves the prisoner making a transformation to which he or she becomes institutionalized. In this step, prisoners begin to feel that life in prison is more desirable than life outside the prison. Next is the conversion step, which leads prisoners to adopt to the behavior that the guards and facility regard them to be like. The last step in the adaptation mode is the so-called playing it cool segment. In this stage, prisoners stay out of trouble and conform to their surroundings so that when they are released, they ca n have a maximum chance, in the particular circumstances of eventually getting out of prison physically and psychologically undamaged (Haralambos Holborn, 1995 p. 306). Once an offender is confined to an incarcerated life, the prisoner often is forced to undergo a unique set of psychological changes in order to survive the prison experience. Prisoners must undergo serious adaptations and recognize the deprivations and frustrations that come along with a prison life. This is commonly referred to as the pains of imprisonment and most certainly carries certain psychological effects (Haney, 2001). Such psychological symptoms can include dependence on the institutional structure, hyper vigilance, interpersonal distrust, suspicion, emotional over-control, alienation, psychological distancing, social withdrawal, isolation, incorporation of exploitative norms of prison culture, diminished sense of self-worth and personal value and post-traumatic stress reactions to the pains of imprisonment (Haney, 2001). With the rate of incarceration increasing, it also brings about the changes in prison populations. As a result, the size of the U.S. prison population has led to widespread issues in overcrowding. Penologists have described this dilemma by claiming that the U.S. prisons are in crisis and have characterized each new level of overcrowding as unprecedented (Haney, 2001). The United States incarcerates more persons per capita than any other nation in the world. The U.S. rates have consistently been between four and eight times more than those for other nations such as Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Australia (Haney, 2001). This combination of both overcrowding and rapid expansion of prison systems adversely affects the living conditions in these prisons. Overcrowding leads to jeopardized prisoner safety, compromised prison management, and limited prisoner access to meaningful programming. The rehabilitative process is in effect significantly hindered. Many sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists, have studied the process of prisonization extensively and all agree that the process involves a unique set of psychological adaptations that often occur in varying degrees in response to the extraordinary demands of prison life (Haney, 2001). A prisoner must incorporate the norms of prison life into their habits of thinking, feeling, and acting. However, given todays expansion and overcrowding of prisons, this is a demanding and dangerous process. The prison environment is not a friendly one and many soft criminals leave prison as hardened criminals. Prison life can consist of many negative attributes, which affect a prisoners ability to rehabilitate. The more overcrowding in prisons, the less access to rehabilitation, which therefore leads to higher reconvictions rates (Hanks, 2008). The presence of gangs and violence within prisons, along with the feelings of anger, depression, rage and sadness all accompany incarcerated individua ls. Prisons are often the scenes of brutality, violence and stress to the point where many prisoners are concerned for their own safety. The increase in sentence lengths for prisoners also results in prisoners experiencing higher levels of psychological strains of imprisonment due to the longer periods of incarceration time. The psychological isolation of prison from ones community, the lack of prison visitation programs and the already scarce resources that have been used to maintain ties between prisoners and their families and the outside world, seriously affect the prisoners chances for survival and rehabilitation (Haney, 2001). Juveniles are especially more prone to the effects of prisonization. An example of such transformation is the case of Boston Billy. Billy spent half his life in prisons and jails and claimed that these institutions were horrible places that toughened up people up to a point that you dont care (Bhati Piquero, 2008). Once the institutionalization phase has been completed, the prisoner must eventually undergo their reintegration back into society. Facilitating the transition from prison back to the free world is a very delicate and critical stage. There are many stigmatizing aspects of incarceration, which may result in a prisoners inability to successfully make the transition. Prisons are aimed to essentially cure criminals of crime so they can be fit to reenter society, however, this concept may not be so encouraging. Studies show that whether a prison releasee will reoffend once back in society depends on their life trajectory and life course post prison life. Certain factors contribute to the indication of whether they will have a successful readjustment. However, the stigma of a deviant past and life in prison never leaves their mind. We live in a society that unfortunately judges those for doing time and often society is the culprit to the basis of their reoffending and self-fulfilling proph ecy to remain deviant. PRISON ISSUES Prisons have traditionally been coined schools of crime. The prison experience helps to build up resentment, expose prisoners to many skilled offenders who help to teach them many tricks of the trade. Many inmates will often go into prison as petty, nonviolent offenders who are released back into society as now serious, violent offenders. It is customary to state that two-thirds of all released prisoners will be back in prison again within three years of their release (Stevens, 2004). Since prison life is comprised of its own structure and institutional rules, a form of governing amongst this institution will exist. There are at least four sets of codes, or rules, that govern prison life: (1) the official administrative rules and regulations; (2) the convict code; (3) the color line; and (4) gang membership rules (Stevens, 2004). The official rules are the basic tenets of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and rules. The convict code is an idealized description of how the perfect convict should behave. The color line is rather an invisible code, which one instantly becomes aware of when certain racial groups appear to be dominating or in control. Race tends to be a factor in many prison issues such as the determination of friendships, cell assignments and cell locations. This process is sometimes referred to as balkanization (Stevens, 2004). Gang codes also dominate some prison lives and tend to be underground outlines for criminal enterprises. Similar to Goffmans theory on institutionalization, Wheeler (1961), found that inmate commitment to prison society followed a U-shaped curve. When an inmate first enters the prison, they enter so still being committed to the rules of conventional society, however as time passes, their misbehavior increases. This misbehavior begins to reflect a commitment to inmate codes. As their release from prison is encroaching, they begin to renew a commitment to the values of the outside world. This can be viewed in a positive light because it signifies that most inmates orient themselves for law-abiding behavior shortly before they are released (Stevens, 2004). However, there remains no assurance in knowing that a released prisoner will avoid continuing a life of crime. LABELING THEORY IN CORRELATION TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION Labeling theorists argue that the state is to blame for anchoring people in their criminal careers. Prisons are not the answers to solving our crime problems and they are in fact, dangerously criminogenic. There is a significant societal reaction towards offenders and when they are treated like such, there lies the unanticipated consequence of creating the very behavior we seek to prevent. Society makes assumptions about offenders and sees them as people with poor character who will most likely recidivate. This public scrutiny can either shame the offender into conformity or push them into crime because they see no other means to overcoming their label. Chiricos, Barrick, Bales and Bontrager (2007) conducted a study on the fate of convicted felons facing probation. In support of labeling theory, Chiricos et. al. concluded that, being adjudicated a felon significantly and substantially increases the likelihood of recidivism in comparison with those who have had adjudication withheld ( Cullen, Lilly Ball, 2011, p. 151). Further research on the effects of imprisonment has been conducted by criminologists in which have also supported labeling theory. Three general conclusions have been resulted which claim that a custodial sanction has either a null effect or criminogenic effect, the longer the time spent in prison leads to a higher likelihood of recidivism and lastly, the harsher the prisoner living conditions, the higher the likelihood of reoffending (Cullen et. al., 2011). A meta analysis of 50 studies analyzed the effect of prison sentences on recidivism and found that longer prison sentences were associated with higher recidivism rates for both high and low risk offenders. It was also reported that lengthy exposure to the harsh conditions of prison life and the institutionalization resulting from that living, has both short and long term effects on an individuals ability to readjust to life outside prison (Visher Travis, 2003). It is important to realize that there are collateral effects of incarceration and the reentry process is fundamentally a dynamic, social process. The public stigma attached to an ex-convict status seriously affects the reintegration process. We can deduce that prisons may in fact be doing more harm than good. REINTERGRATION AND POSTRELEASE Recidivism is directly affected by post prison reintegration and adjustment. This is in turn, dependent upon four sets of factors: personal and situational characteristics, social environment of peers, family, community and state-level policies (Visher et. al., 2003). Understanding an individuals pathway to reintegration and the various support systems necessary, both privately and governmentally are crucial to a successful integration. Reconnecting with the institutions of society is a goal and a process in which a released offender must consistently work through and one to which policymakers need to take attention to. In 1994, the Bureau of Justice Statistics conducted the largest study of its kind when it examined criminal recidivism using a sample of 300,000 prisoners released in 15 states. The study found that 67.5 percent of prisoners were arrested for a new offense within three years and 51.8 percent were back in prison for committing a new offense or violating their parole. T hese percentages demand for progress in the reintegration process. In 2002, the federal government awarded $100 million dollars to the states in order to help develop more effective reentry programs for those released from prisons (Visher et. al., 2003). Similar to the social bond theory, the process of reintegration is dependant upon a prisoners attachment and bonds to society. Strong ties between prisoners and their families have the strongest positive impact on their post release success. A commitment to family roles is imperative to avoiding a life of crime. Rejoining the labor market and ensuring stable and consistent employment is also crucial in the process and often this element is diminished for prisoners who have dismal job prospects given that they have learned few marketable job skills while institutionalized. These offenders will often find difficulty in finding a job while being labeled as an ex-convict (Cullen et. al., 2011). The stigma of a criminal record is a significant barrier in the search for employment. Watts Nightingale (1996) reported that as many as 60% of ex-offenders are not employed within one year after their release and this figure is partly due to the limited availability of felon-friendly employers ( Counsel on Crime and Justice, 2006). Laub and Sampson found that incarceration as a juvenile had a negative effect on later job stability, which was also negatively related to ones continued involvement in crime over the course of their life (Bahr, Armstrong, Gibbs, Harris Fisher, 2005). Many offenders will leave jail feeling unprepared for their release and face obstacles in their way towards becoming a healthy and productive member of their communities. In a focus group study of women and men, researchers found that substance abuse, employment, and housing were the most significant factors that facilitated or blocked successful reintegration into communities (Weiss, Hawkins, Despinos, 2010). Leaving a highly structured environment like a prison for an unstructured society leaves many decisions and responsibility for an individual to consider. Post release is a highly vulnerable time for ex-convicts and their susceptibility to negativity is very probable. COLLATERAL EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT Recently, the effects of imprisonment on families and communities have been becoming a focus of research for some. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners return to their communities annually and therefore, the reentry process has become an increasing interest. The extents of the consequences that result from mass incarceration often go beyond just the individual offender but also onto their families and their communities. Research has indicated that due to the rise in incarceration rates, there has also been an increase in broken homes and disenfranchised communities (Counsel on Crime and Justice, 2006). The Counsel on Crime and Justice introduced the existence of the concept of collateral effects which refers to the unintended negative consequences that result from an offenders conviction and incarceration. Incarceration effects more than just the one being locked away and the costs of imprisonment are paid both directly and indirectly on many levels. Imprisonment can directly negatively affect the offenders family and children and can include personal, social, financial, emotional, psychological, and physical concerns. Social and economic structures of communities are also affected. Researchers will also argue that the removal of offenders from communities does harm, especially in communities of color (Counsel on Crime and Justice, 2006). Incarceration can also be conceptualized as a form of coerced mobility. Coerced mobility is a practice that takes large numbers of males out of inner-city communities for prolonged absences (Cullen et. al., 2011). While it would be appropriate to suggest that offenders are liabilities in their communities, theorists also suggest that they are also assets to the community in the sense that they are members of their own social networks as well as income providers. Therefore, the elimination of these offenders from communities will also result in social disorganization and weak economic development. THE CREATION OF AN AT-RISK POPULATION Many people tend to forget the fact that imprisonment affects more than just the individual being imprisoned. Incapacitation can be contagious and unintentionally creates an at-risk population for some. For example, today there are an increasing number of children with incarcerated parents. It is estimated that 1.5 to 2 million children are affected nationwide by incarcerated parents (Miller, 2006). There is evidence to suggest that these children are responding negatively to being separated from their parent. A child with an incarcerated parent is often left feeling depressed and sad which leads to externalizing behaviors that may include aggression and delinquent activity. Approximately 50% of youths in the correctional system have a parent in the adult correctional system. Children with parents in prison are 5 to 6 times more at-risk to become involved in the criminal justice system, however the short and long-term effects of this phenomenon are difficult to accurately quantify (M iller, 2006). We can therefore observe that in this aspect, prisons are causing more harm than good by creating a repercussion factor. More crimes are essentially being committed or going to be committed as a result of someone being taken out of the community, especially in the case of a person who had family bonds tying them to the community. Children and youth are impressionable and vulnerable beings who are learning by example. The reality of incarceration in their home life is a life-altering experience, which can often set the course or direction for their own path towards criminal behavior. LIFE COURSE PERSPECTIVE VERSUS DETERRENT THEORY There is much research on why people commit crime, but much less research about why people who have committed criminal acts choose to desist from crime. In reviewing the post release life of offenders, the theory to focus on is life course perspective. Refraining from crime depends on ones local life circumstances. There are certain transitions that can help to increase social bonds and may help to alter a criminal trajectory. Bahr et. al (2005) explored the entry process by interviewing 51 parolees three times, over a period of three months from their release from prison. Of the 51 parolees, 10 were reincarcerated within six months after their release from crime. The findings suggest that overall, a network of family relationships is important in making the transition from prison life to community life. The extent of ones family bonds helps to change the criminal trajectories of parolees. The quality of the parent-child bond also significantly influenced the likelihood of a parolee returning to prison. While there have been established links between incapacitation and crime on a negative standpoint, there are also findings that support incarceration as a deterrent. Incarceration can influence criminal careers based on two strands of criminological theory, those that focus on the role of punishment and that which focuses on the relationship between past and future criminal activity (Bhati et. al., 2008). A key policy question in criminology is whether incarceration serves as a deterrent, criminogenic or null effect on subsequent criminal activity. Given that a lack of research exists in this area, Bhati et. al. (2008) conducted a study on this topic by developing micro-trajectories using information from past arrest patterns. The date used in this research came from a larger study on recidivism of prisoners released in 1994, which was collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. A total sample of 32,628 persons was studied across 15 states. The findings reported that 96 percent of the releasees were either deterred from future offending or merely incapacitated by their incarceration. A small percentage consisting of 4 percent of the releasees exhibited a criminogenic effect. This study is not consistent with the labeling theory hypothesis but instead is more in favor of deterrence-based theories. However, this data also raised the question of generalizibility as it only consists of data on 15 states in a country of 50. DISCUSSION In review of the literature on institutionalization, incarceration and its effect on crime, we can conclude that there is significant evidence linking incarceration with crime. While researchers have struggled to accurately quantify the degree to which crime reduction is attributable to imprisonment, the truth remains that prisons may actually be doing more harm than good. The effect of incarceration on subsequent criminal activity at the individual level is still far from being recognized and further research on the area is needed. However, we can recognize that the incarceration experience as a form of punishment tends to have varied effects on offenders. For some it may operate as a deterrent, others as a criminogenic factor and for some irrelevant either way. It is sad to realize that in our society, one single deviant event can be enough to stigmatize a person indefinitely as an offender or as a deviant person. Some offenders leave prison and make the case that they have permane ntly changed and are reformed, new people. Unfortunately, there is a negative bias with this, and labeling theorists will agree that regardless of whatever reformation is claimed, the deviant stigma will continue to exist. For some, ones past behavior is the best predictor of their future behavior. Researchers can support this by finding that well over half of ex-prisoners are returned to prison within 3 years of their release. In todays world it is much easier to establish oneself as deviant, than it is to establish ones credentials as a reformed person. As a result of labeling theory, many members of society are unwilling to take a chance on a once incarcerated individual who appears to be trying to make positive steps forward. These obstacles only hinder an offenders chance for effective survival and reintegration into society. Incapacitation strategies seek to reduce crime and do so in some ways. It is true that incarcerated offenders are prevented by incapacitation from committing further crimes, but at what cost to themselves and to society. Incapacitation strategies take a slice out of an individuals career, but whos to tell that that career will cease once they are back in the free world. The United States currently has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world with over two million people under the jurisdiction of correctional authorities (Weiss et al., 2010). The majority of this rate can be blamed on the get tough on crime movement and the nations continued war on drugs. In comparison to other industrialized nations, these rates are five to eight times higher and have risen significantly over the last thirty years (Weiss et al., 2010). The criminal justice systems use of correctional facilities to punish those members of society who violate laws and commit crimes is a method based on the concept of deterrence. The idea of becoming institutionalized and taken out of society for a period of time is suppose to make an individual recognize his/her bad behavior to the point to where he/she will no longer behave in such a way for fear of becoming institutionalized again. At the same time, society can be at peace knowing that that person is no longer a current threat to society. However, the stages involved in this transition involve many negative aspects, which question its intended function. The process of institutionalization and becoming prisonized is a traumatic event filled with psychological changes that in some cases never heal or reshape themselves. Institutionalization desensitizes offenders and creates hardened criminals, the very thing it seeks to prevent. During prisonization, physical and psychological trans formations occur which negatively changes an individual, but are however, necessary in order for an individual to survive the entirety of the experience. During the time in which an offender is incarcerated, those close to him such as his family and community may be suffering as a result of this imprisonment. An offender with children loses the ability to bond with their child and as a result, the child faces the risk of becoming scared from the experience. This detachment from a parent can result in negative forms of behavior and delinquency and as research has demonstrated, children with incarcerated parents have a much higher risk for getting involved in correctional settings themselves. In this respect, imprisonment promotes crime. The community also suffers greatly when those are taken out of it. People are assets to a community in the sense that they are members of the social networks and everyone, a possible income provider. The elimination of offenders from communities results in social disorganization and weak economic development. When there is a weak economic and social disorganization, a breeding place for crime will persi st. Prison life is another world, one that often does not make ease for a smooth transition back to reality. Research has shown that the stage of reintegration back into society once being institutionalized, is a very critical stage and to which is dependant on several factors. The life course perspective focuses on the steps necessary in ones life to avoid a criminal trajectory. A combination of life course theory and social bond theory creates a medium to which explains the elements necessary for a successful reintegrated life, void of crime. Family bonds, especially that of child-parent bonds, are extremely important in the reintegration process. Socialization with positive peers and consistent and steady employment are also crucial to the process. A lack of one or more of these bonds creates an opportunity to allow for crime to justify means. In this process, an offender is also combating stigmatization. In accordance with labeling theory, ex-convicts have a difficult time in their r eintegration period due to the stigma that is placed upon them. For some, this presents a hardship that is often impossible to defeat and some offenders will often give into their label and become self-fulfilling prophecies. Labeling theory appears to be a valid effect of institutionalization as research has shown that as many as half of the offenders released from prison will return within three years of their release. This evidence can support labeling theory as an obstacle in the way of successful reintegration and deterrence from recidivism. As we move towards an era highly focused on a punitive system of justice versus a rehabilitative approach, policy makers need to assess whether prison systems are really the answer to obtaining intended objectives. Incarceration is increasing at an all time record yet crime is not decreasing at an all time record. There are too many strings attached with the process of incarceration, and many of these strings lead to the realization that in the overall scheme of things, prison does more harm than good. Research accurately quantifying this finding needs to further be evaluated and discussed, but there is a consistent finding within this review, which significantly addresses the issues associated with the effects of institutionalization and its negative impact on the offender and society as a whole.

The Canon of Scripture Essays -- Bible, New Testament

Most Christians do not think about the canon of scripture or know what it is or means in theology. Most take for granted the Bible they have and never question how it came into being. Today, we have 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. There was a time, however, that we did not have a canon. Bruce defines canon as books of the Bible that were recognized to be considered scripture (p. 17). The importance of the canon and how it was developed was intriguing to professor and author F.F. Bruce. He dedicated his book The Canon of Scripture to explore and explain the formulation of the canon we have today. Bruce taught in universities, including the University of Manchester, where he began to lecture students on the entire canon of scripture. Bruce wrote many books and commentaries and was general editor to The New International Commentary on the New Testament. He spent a vast amount of his time researching the formation of the canon with emphasis on the New Tes tament. The contents of this review will highlight how F.F. Bruce offers his interpretative definition, review, and criticisms of the full canon of Scripture. The Canon of Scripture is divided into four sections: the introduction, followed by the Old and New Testaments, and ending with the conclusion and appendix. The introduction defines the word canon. The second section provides Bruce’s explanation of the canon of the Old Testament, starting with the Hebrew Bible. The author writes about the discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which have given us a greater understanding of the Hebrew Bible. Bruce then explains the translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek named the Septuagint. He closes with how the canon was viewed by the early Church Fath... ...not fit in with the overall objective of the book which is defining the canon of scripture. These lectures do not agree with the flow of the book as they involve other areas including textual criticism that pull the reader away from how the canon was formed. The Canon of Scripture is a scholarly writing that explains how the formation of the canon was completed. Bruce starts with how the Old Testament was formed and then moves to the New Testament and gives an historical account of how it was pieced together. He explores the Gnostic writers and how they prompted the church to start forming the New Testament canon because the Gnostic teachings opposed that of the church. This book provides adequate and historical research to prove what the author wants to accomplish, which is to provide answers to any question that would be asked as to how the canon was formed.

Down Syndrome Essays -- essays research papers

Sometimes when meiosis ( the division of reproductive cells ) occurs, chromosomes may be lost, left behind, or too many may be passed on, resulting in the birth of a child with a genetic or congenital defect or disease. One of the most common of these genetic disorders is Down syndrome. This disorder takes its name from Dr. Langdon Down, who was the first to describe it formally, in 1866. Down syndrome is a condition marked by abnormal physical and mental development that is caused by a genetic defect. This genetic defect is caused by an extra chromosome. People born with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes compared to the normal amount of 46, 23 chromosomes inherited from each parent. This extra chromosome originates more often in the mother's egg than the father's sperm. Chromosomes are individual, large DNA molecules in a cell nucleus. They contain the genes along with structures that hold the DNA and aid it in expressing heredity by orchestrating cellular operations. Down syndrome is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities, occurring in about 1 out of 800 births. However, the frequency of the disorder varies greatly according to the age of the mother. For women in their twenties the rate is 1 in 2,000 but it rises steeply to 1 in 100 by the time a woman reaches 40. Down syndrome is usually recognized soon after birth because of characteristic facial features such as a flattened nose, upward slanting of the eyes, a large tongue that often protrudes from a smal... Down Syndrome Essays -- essays research papers Sometimes when meiosis ( the division of reproductive cells ) occurs, chromosomes may be lost, left behind, or too many may be passed on, resulting in the birth of a child with a genetic or congenital defect or disease. One of the most common of these genetic disorders is Down syndrome. This disorder takes its name from Dr. Langdon Down, who was the first to describe it formally, in 1866. Down syndrome is a condition marked by abnormal physical and mental development that is caused by a genetic defect. This genetic defect is caused by an extra chromosome. People born with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes compared to the normal amount of 46, 23 chromosomes inherited from each parent. This extra chromosome originates more often in the mother's egg than the father's sperm. Chromosomes are individual, large DNA molecules in a cell nucleus. They contain the genes along with structures that hold the DNA and aid it in expressing heredity by orchestrating cellular operations. Down syndrome is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities, occurring in about 1 out of 800 births. However, the frequency of the disorder varies greatly according to the age of the mother. For women in their twenties the rate is 1 in 2,000 but it rises steeply to 1 in 100 by the time a woman reaches 40. Down syndrome is usually recognized soon after birth because of characteristic facial features such as a flattened nose, upward slanting of the eyes, a large tongue that often protrudes from a smal...

What Are The Major Components Of Biological Membranes And How Do They :: essays research papers fc

What Are The Major Components of Biological Membranes And How Do They Contribute To Membrane Function?. Summary. The role of the biological membrane has proved to be vital in countless mechanisms necessary to a cells survival. The phospholipid bilayer performs the simpler functions such as compartmentation, protection and osmoregulation. The proteins perform a wider range of functions such as extracellular interactions and metabolic processes. The carbohydrates are found in conjunction with both the lipids and proteins, and therefore enhance the properties of both. This may vary from recognition to protection. Overall the biological membrane is an extensive, self-sealing, fluid, asymmetric, selectively permeable, compartmental barrier essential for a cell or organelles correct functioning, and thus its survival. Introduction. Biological membranes surround all living cells, and may also be found surrounding many of an eukaryotes organelles. The membrane is essential to the survival of a cell due to its diverse range of functions. There are general functions common to all membranes such as control of permeability, and then there are specialised functions that depend upon the cell type, such as conveyance of an action potential in neurones. However, despite the diversity of function, the structure of membranes is remarkably similar. All membranes are composed of lipid, protein and carbohydrate, but it is the ratio of these components that varies. For example the protein component may be as high as 80% in Erythrocytes, and as low as 18% in myelinated neurones. Alternately, the lipid component may be as high as 80% in myelinated neurones, and as low as 15% in skeletal muscle fibres. The initial model for membrane structure was proposed by Danielli and Davson in the late 1930s. They suggested that the plasma membrane consisted of a lipid bilayer coated on both sides by protein. In 1960, Michael Robertson proposed the Unit Membrane Hypothesis which suggests that all biological membranes -regardless of location- have a similar basic structure. This has been confirmed by research techniques. In the 1970s, Singer and Nicholson announced a modified version of Danielli and Davsons membrane model, which they called the Fluid Mosaic Model. This suggested that the lipid bilayer supplies the backbone of the membrane, and proteins associated with the membrane are not fixed in regular positions. This model has yet to be disproved and will therefore be the basis of this essay. The lipid component. Lipid and protein are the two predominant components of the biological membrane. There are a variety of lipids found in membranes, the majority of which are phospholipids. The phosphate head of a lipid molecule is hydrophilic, while the long fatty acid tails are hydrophobic. This gives the overall molecule an amphipathic nature.

Analyse on “Broken boat” by John Galsworthy

Good time management is essential for coping with the pressures of modern life without experiencing too much stress.If you never have enough time to finish your tasks, better time management will help you regain control of your day.Good time management doesn't mean you do more work. It means you focus on the tasks that matter and will make a difference. Whether it’s in your job or your lifestyle as a whole, learning how to manage your time effectively will help you feel more relaxed, focused and in control.â€Å"The aim of good time management is to achieve the lifestyle balance you want,† says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, a chartered occupational psychologist.Here are her top tips for better time management: Work out your goalsThis first step towards improving your time management is to ask yourself some questions. â€Å"Work out who you want to be, your priorities in life, and what you want to achieve in your career or personal life,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å" That is then the guiding principle for how you spend your time and how you manage it.†Once you have worked out the big picture, even if it's quite general, you can then work out some short-term and medium-term goals. â€Å"Knowing your goals will help you plan better and focus on the things that will help you achieve those goals,† says Donaldson-Feilder.Make a listA common time-management mistake is trying to remember too many details, leading to information overload. A better way to stay organised and take control of your projects and tasks is to use a to-do list to write things down.â€Å"Try it and see what works best for you,† says Donaldson-Feilder. She prefers to keep a single to-do list, to avoid losing track of multiple lists. â€Å"Keeping a list will help you work out your priorities and timings, so it can help you put off the non-urgent tasks.† Work smarter, not harderGood time management at work means doing high-quality work, not high quantity. Donaldson-Feilder advises concentrating not on how busy you are but on results. â€Å"Spending more time on something doesn’t necessarily achieve more,† she says. â€Å"Staying an extra hour at work at the end of the day may not be the most effective way to manage your time.†You may feel resentful about being in the office after hours. You’re also likely to be less productive and frustrated about how little you’re achieving, which will compound your stress. Have a lunch breakMany people work through their lunch break to gain an extra hour at work, but Donaldson-Feilder says that can be counter-productive. â€Å"As a general rule, taking at least 30 minutes away from your desk will help you to be more effective in the afternoon,† she says.A break is an opportunity to relax and think of something other than work. â€Å"Go for a walk outdoors or, better still, do some exercise,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å"You’ll come back to your desk re-energised, with a new set of eyes and renewed focus.†Planning your day with a midday break will also help you to break up your work into more manageable chunks. Prioritise important tasksTasks can be grouped in four categories:urgent and important not urgent but important urgent but not important neither urgent nor importantâ€Å"When the phone rings, it seems urgent to pick it up but it’s not necessarily  important,† says Donaldson-Feilder. â€Å"It may be more important to continue with what you were doing rather than be distracted by a phone call. When it is appropriate, it may be more effective to let your voicemail pick up the message.†Donaldson-Feilder says people with good time management create time to concentrate on non-urgent, important activities. By so doing, they minimise the chances of activities ever becoming urgent and important.â€Å"The aim is to learn how to become better at reducing the number of urgent and important tas ks. Having to deal with too many urgent tasks can be stressful,† says Donaldson-Feilder. Practise the 4 DsWe can spend up to half our working day going through our email inbox, making us tired, frustrated and unproductive. A study has found that one-in-three office workers suffers from email stress.Making a decision the first time you open an email is crucial for effective time management. To manage this burden effectively, Donaldson-Feilder advises practising the 4 Ds of decision-making: Delete: half of the emails you get can probably be deleted immediately. Do: if the email is urgent or can be completed quickly.Delegate: if the email can be better dealt with by someone else. Defer: set aside time at a later date to spend on emails that require longer action.

Economics and Environmental Hazards Essay

In the 21st century, global warming, littering, waste, and temperature rises have been the subject of focus for many scientists. While examining the many causes of global warming, scientists found fossil fuel emissions and CO2 emissions to be a major cause. Although Earth is known as the Blue Planet for its vast water sources, much of that water is saltwater. Only 3% of the Earth is fresh water, and 70% of that is in glacial ice, unreachable by most. Thus, only 0. 5% of the Earth is made of usable freshwater. This limited amount of water is unsuitable for the world’s expanding population. Much of this water, however, can be easily conserved by switching from bottled water to tap water. Through using tap water and conserving plastic, we can save 27 times the amount of water we currently are saving, and use water sources wisely so as to not run out. Literature Review In the 1930s, the subjects of global warming, water, and lack of resources for fossil fuels became concern for Americans. The New York Times ran their first global warming article in 1929, when it first was considered a myth. Now that global warming has become a major concern for people, we realize how much we have wasted nature’s resources- especially water. Although 75% percent of the Earth is made up of water, less than 1% is drinkable and accessible by people. Countless blogs, websites, newspapers, and academic journals, such as the Journal of Dental Association (2003) and BioMed Central (2009), describe how our thoughtless actions have led to water depletion. Through processing, we waste 26 liters of water to get 1 liter of bottled water. The bottles are made in China using crude oil and transported thousands of miles on oil-eating machines, causing the ozone layer to melt. There are now seldom disputes to the existence of ozone depletion, and media uses print and internet to support the cutting down on bottled water. Bottled Water: Economics and Environmental Hazards. Thousands of years ago, water was a gift from the gods, to be saved and cherished. It allowed ancient civilizations to grow into structured societies, and gave people the ability to survive on domesticating animals and growing plants. Today, in the modern world, water is often taken for granted, and has become a daily thing of our lives. We see water fountains everywhere, and bottled water can be purchased in bulk. However, at the current rate we are using water, freshwater amounts are likely to decimate. This gift from the gods has brought environmental harm to the world and wasted the money of thousands of people. Thus, in order to protect the environment and save our own money, we must make good choices and switch from excessively using bottled water to using tap water. One of the top reasons people often buy bottled water is because of the convenience it provides (Ferrier, 2001, pp. 118-119). Easy life is what the entire economy runs on, as we have seen from the declining economy. As income lessens, people are reverting back to an older lifestyle of doing things themselves instead of purchasing services and goods. While bottled water may taste better because of chemicals that companies add in, it also costs significantly more. A New York Times reporter calculated that eight glasses of New York City tap water were about 49 cents a year, but 8 glasses of bottled water would be 2,900 times more expensive- as much as $1,400 per year. Because water is something that every household needs, it is reasonable to conclude that by switching to bottled water, families could cut their water expenses in half (Helm, 2008) and America as a whole could save. The high costs of purchasing bottled water are often due to the processing that bottled water must go through and the costs of shipping and plastic. Instead of drinking water from a local river or other water source, people choose to drink water shipped from Fiji, where extra charge is added for shipping. The plastic that is used to make the bottle also adds charge. A replacement for this kind of convenience is drinking from the bottles and then continuously refilling them to save your money and the environment. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 85% of water bottles in the United States end up in landfills (cited in Aslam, 2006). Unfortunately, plastic takes up to 1,000 years to decompose and the fuel emissions that delivery trucks emanate destroy the ozone layer. Even more smog and smoke is given off by the manufacturing plant, contributing to global warming, evaporation of our current freshwater supply, and melting/mixing of glacial freshwater and ocean water. About 70% of freshwater is in glacial ice, and as a result of temperatures rising, the freshwater melts, mixing in with saltwater and becoming undrinkable until further chemical processing. Another common myth about bottled water is that it is healthier. A study conducted by University of Birmingham researchers found that â€Å"†¦The majority of participants believed that bottled water has some health benefits but that they were not necessarily significant or superior to the benefits provided by tap water† (BioMed Central, 2009). The participants, users of the university’s sports center, stated that the health benefits of bottled water were negligible, and it was taste and convenience that truly motivated them to buy bottled water. Some research even suggests the opposite- that bottled water is less beneficial to health than tap water. While communities actively add in fluoride – a cavity fighter- to the water supply, the majority of bottled water contains little to no fluoride (Rugg-Gunn, 2003). Many large water companies currently undergo processes such as distillation and/or osmosis – both remove all fluoride from the water (American Dental Association, 2003). Since we now know that bottled water is not healthier than other water sources, we must reflect again on the numerous drawbacks of bottled water. Landfills continue to grow and grow, leading to larger emissions of ozone-depleting gases (Sarma, 2002). Birds and other small animals choke on plastic, mistaking it for food, and also die as a result. The ecosystem is dying as a result. The world works as a whole, a cycle, a circle. The consequences of our actions will always come back to bite us, or in the case of water, our posterity when they have low water supply. Conserving water today will benefit people later. In addition, as we become closer and closer to high UV radiation exposure and losing our ozone layer, scientists are frantically trying to build labs, gather money, and conduct extensive research about how to conserve the environment and water. By not procrastinating, and saving plastic and water resources now, we will save great amounts of money. The exotic island of Fiji is known for its pure, fresh, crisp water, even to Americans who live thousands of miles away. A 16 ounce bottle of Fiji water currently costs from $1. 50 to $2. 50. At a rate like that, when we are at the edge of the Great Lakes and other vast water sources, but purchase water from the other side of the world, our money is being sold away to foreign countries. Most of 2. 7 million tons of plastic used for bottling and packaging come from China (Aslam, 2006). The result is a national economic breakdown, not only in the water industry, but in all industries, since people cannot cut down on the amount of water they need to drink. It takes 63 million gallons of oil per year to manufacture water bottles (Niman, 2007). That is not only more water than Fijians themselves drink that we are buying, but also 63 million extra gallons of oil and plastic that we toss away. Ironically, one third of Fijians are in destitution and lack the amount of water they need. Because one liter of bottled water uses 26 liters of water, one kilogram of fossil fuel, and one pound of CO2 (Thangham, 2007), little is left for the Fijians in destitute. This is true for not only Fiji waters, but all waters in the world. In 2007, Fiji, one of the world’s most popular drinking water sources, became the first bottled water company to release its carbon footprint -85,396 metric tons of CO2eq (Corporate Social Responsibility, 2008). Imagine the carbon footprint total for the world, or even the United States. Perhaps American water companies have not released their carbon footprints because of how overwhelmingly large they are. If we could cut down on how much bottled and imported water we drank, we could preserve a large amount of water for the future.

Human Resource department of Thorpe Park Essay

Introduction: This report written on the 16th of October 2002 is to give a detailed report about the Human Resource department of a company. For this purpose, Thorpe Park has been selected as the study company. Task 1-Human Resource function: Introduction: ‘Human Resource means using people as an asset to achieve the company’s goals and objectives.’ The main concerns of the human resource department are: > Planning a successful campaign > Equal opportunities to all > The contract terms and conditions > Training and investing in training > Personal records and its protection > Grievance and disciplinary procedures > Management of the employees > Rewards for work > Welfare of the employees Findings: 1.1 The Human Resource department The human resources department at Thorpe Park has three different managers. Their structure and main functions are as follows: 1. Recruitment manager The recruitment manager at Thorpe Park is responsible for recruiting permanent and seasonal staff. The manager has to advertise the jobs on the local press and other appropriate places. The manager at Thorpe Park is also responsible for deciding work experience positions and other recruiting responsibilities. 2. Training manager The training manager at Thorpe Park is responsible for employees and their training. The major activities of the training manager at Thorpe Park are as follows: > Park structure – this is helpful for the staff as it gets them to know each other and their responsibilities. > Health and safety – to make sure that all employees know what to do and how to handle things in an emergency > Rules and regulations – all employees must know the company rules and regulations as it is required by law and helps the business achieve the objectives. > Role-play situation – helps employees to be able to do team work and support their team mates > Fire safety – show fire exits and fire extinguishers and where to meet and who to call if a fire alarm sounds > Emergency procedures – shows the employees what to do in case of emergency 3. Human resource manager H.R. manager at Thorpe Park is responsible for: > Employee relations – involves everything regarding relation and communication between the employees > Disciplinary procedures – if employees do not behave H.R. manager will provide them with a verbal warning and if repeated that will be followed by the written and then the final warning. > Contracts of employment – making sure all the employees are provided with this legal document > Pensions – paying pension to people that are entitle to it > Other sections this manager is responsible for are: administration, cast welfare, benefits incentives. The above stated managers are very essential to the management of Thorpe Park in the following ways: 1. Recruitment Recruitment responsibility at Thorpe Park is important because if there is not enough staff recruited then the business may have to some of its rides and that will lint to unhappy customers and less profit for the business. As we know staffs is the most expensive asset for all businesses, at Thorpe Park the recruitment managers have to make sure that the staff that they employ are well qualified and fit to the requirements that are necessary for the particular job. 2. Training Because of the nature of the business at Thorpe Park, training is a part and parcel of the new employed staff. The business has to make sure that the employees do know as to what they are doing and what are the necessary precautions to be taken while performing that job. Apart from this, they also have to take care of the health and safety of the people who come to enjoy there. The training manager therefore has to make sure that the money spent on the training of the staff is worth it. 3. Human resources Task 2 Introduction: Human resources planning used to be called manpower planning. However recently it has been defined as ‘the activity of management which is aimed at co-ordinating the requirements for the availability of different types of employees’. The reasons for human resource planning are as follows: * To encourage employers to develop clear links between their business plans and their HR plans so that they can integrate the two more effectively, for all concerned. * Organisations can control staff costs and numbers employed far more effectively. * Employers can build up a skill profile for each of their employees. This makes it easier to give them work where they are most value to the organisation. * It creates a profile of staff, which is necessary for the operation of an equal opportunities policy. The process of human resource planning: * Stocktaking: This could be job analysis or skills audit. That is like a survey of the skills of employees. Performance reviews as if a 6 months review which tells employees about the progress in their work area. * Forecasting supply: This is as if estimating how many employees to have in the future. Many organizations use a technique called labour turnover. There are three ways to calculate this 1. Annual labour turnover index, 2. Stability index 3. Bowey’s stability index. * Forecasting the demand for labour: This is usually determined by predicating factors like, demand for products, product diversification and capital investment plans. * Implementation and review: This is as if accessing the situation e.g. they have the new recruitment plan been successful. Findings: 2.1.1. Employment Trends: Employment trends depend on the supply and demand of labour. The supply of labour depends on statistics like the population of the country. The total population of the UK depends on factors such as birth and death rates and the ease of migration. In addition, the size of the working population affects employment trends. The size of the working population is contributed by the birth and death rates and the age structure. The supply of labour also depends on the working populations preferences for leisure. As people become wealthy, they prefer leisure for work. The demand for labour levels can change with differences in demand for goods and services. An example of this is the leisure and cleaning industry has gone up but the service and manufacturing demand has gone down. Here is an example of this in the economic market. In a boom we spend more on goods and services, although our interest is a lot lower and therefore demand increases and unemployment is low, but in an economic slump interest rates rise therefore people have less income to spend and wages go down. In addition, the cost of borrowing is higher this all contributes to demand falling and high unemployment. Total wage bills rise in a boom and fall in a slump. Another factor that affects employment trends is women’s participation rate in employment. The rise of the tertiary sector has meant a change in employment and employment patterns. The tertiary sector is now more important than the secondary sector which traditionally employed man in say manufacturing. These industries are now being replaced and their place has been taken by the service industries, for example banking, insurance and retailing. The service industries are now major employers of women. What are the employment trends at Thorpe Park? Most employees are recruited from the local area but also from colleges and universities around the country these are student placements and some seasonal; cast come from aboard. What have been the trends in the local area of Thorpe Park over the last 5 years in terms of employment trends? There has been low unemployment Thorpe Park has tackled this by increasing hourly rates. What factors will affect Thorpe Park in the future? Most probably, national trends an example of this there might be a recession and unemployment might increase. Statistics on employment trends external To Thorpe Park Length of service of employees: * Since 1986 the length of service of people at a particular place for 2 years – 20 years was 62%. This figure kept decreasing and in the year 2001 it reached to 56%. * On the other hand people working in a particular place for more than 20 years in 1986 was 9%. Surprisingly this figure increased to 11% in the year 2001. On observing the above stated figure it shows that the latest unemployment numbers for November 2002 to January 2003 continue to suggest that, having been rising for around a year, unemployment is now falling. The unemployment rate at 5.0 per cent is down 0.2 percentage points on the quarter. The latest figure for the level of unemployment is down 73,000 on the quarter to stand at 1.459 million Similarly, on observing the above figure it can be seen that the employment rate continues on an upward trend. Having been rising marginally over the past year, there are low signs that unemployment may be falling, though the decline in the numbers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance appears to be levelling off. The rate of earnings growth remains subdued. Generally, data are consistent with the output growth shown in gross domestic product (GDP) data in 2002. Overall, the labour market remains largely flat. The rate of GDP growth picked up in the second quarter of 2002 after a weak first quarter, and this stronger growth appears to have continued into the third. The fourth quarter experienced slower growth but was still healthy. The number of people in employment continued to grow steadily throughout the period. Nevertheless, while employment continued to grow, through most of last year the rate of increase was no more than in line with population growth, leaving the trend in employment largely flat from May-July 2001 until recent months. However, the stronger GDP growth seen in the second and third quarters does now appear to be showing up in the employment data. Underlying this is the fact that the labour market tends to lag output: output slows or accelerates first; employment levels adjust later. The latest employment figures for November to January show the working-age employment rate up 0.1-percentage point on the quarter at 74.6 per cent. The 16 and over employment level is up 57 ,000 on the quarter (compared with a 271,000 increase on the year). As a result, the latest trend in the employment rate appears to be upward. 2.1.2 Skills shortages Skills shortage at Thorpe Park: * It seems to be that the entire United Kingdom has a shortage of specialist engineers. * This type of shortage has hit Thorpe Park very hard. * Electrical and mechanical engineers are in short supply and Thorpe Park is looking out by various means to find some. * Thorpe Park reckons that this problem could be resolved because large companies like the airlines make their employees redundant quickly. * Thorpe Park always keeps an eye on the national statistics at a monthly basis to see the latest local labour trends. * They cannot afford to miss out ant potential engineers because engineers are the heart and soul of the company. As they are the ones who form the rides and maintain them for our safety. * But they do find it difficult to recruit staff and at times they have to recruit unsuitable staff and train them. * The company gets highly affected by this, as it has to face many cost implications such as advertising and re-advertising of vacancies. * They then have to train them or send them on apprenticeships to become better and much efficient engineers. * At times they even have to increase their pays to attract them and retain them. 2.1.3 Statistics on Competition for employees external To Thorpe Park Unemployment rates for males and females in the UK Here are some statistics on the unemployment rate for females and males in the UK from the period of 1992 to 2001 A higher proportion of young people than older people are unemployed, and a higher proportion of men are employed than women. 16-17 year olds men who were economically active were 13% unemployed. If you look at a male and female unemployment graph, you can see that 16 – 17 year old males are more out of work than the males. Education has a big factor in this because most people of that age are in colleges. The unemployment rate is again lower for females in the 18-24-age bracket. Still the unemployment rate is lower for females than men in the 25-44-age bracket. Overall the graph shows a lower unemployment rate for females. This is probably due to most females still stay at home. So what would be the level of competition for various types of employment within Thorpe Park? Thorpe Park fined it easiest to fill rides, attractions and shop vacancies then they do catering. 2.1.4 availability of labour (internal and external to the business) What is the availability of labour externally to Thorpe Park? There are restrictions of skills and abilities. If there is a particular skill required for an occupation then the worker will be rewarded with high wages as, for example an engineer. Qualifications and training is required some occupations require people to have specific academic qualifications which can only be achieved over along period of time. The strength of trade unions to negotiate wage levels will depend upon their ability to recruit members. Some occupations are difficult to organize as, for instance, the catering industry. In this industry trade unions have little influence compared with those unions operating in the energy supply industry. Mobility of labour if the labour is immobile it means that in those occupations where there is a skill shortage workers are able to command high wages because the supply of labour is limited. Dirty or dangerous jobs – the supply of labour in some jobs is restricted because of the nature of the job; it might be dirty or dangerous such as coal mining. On the other hand some jobs have very good working conditions and attract labour which keep down wages. What is the availability of labour within the local area and also internally within Thorpe Park for various types of employment? The local area has a 0.6% unemployment level. The workforce is flexible – permanent and seasonal. The labour force by gender and age: Females: * There was a considerable rise in the number of women in the labour force over the last 30 years from 10 million in 1971 to 13.2 million in 2001 i.e. by nearly 24.2%. * Women in the age group of 16years to 24 years started concentrating more on education because of which females in this age group had a low labour force particularly between 1991 and 2001. * On the other hand, females in the age group of 25-44 years had a remarkable increased labour force between 1971 and 2001. However, later the figures remained more or less constant. * Females in the age group of 45-54 years had an increase in labour force between 1991 and 2001. * The females 55 years and over had the figures more or less constant throughout. Males: * The number of men in the labour force has increased much slowly from 16.0 million in 1971 to 16.3 million in 2001. * Men aged over 55 years formed only 13% of the male labour force in 2001 compared to 21% in 1971. * However, the labour force of males between the age group of 25-44 years has increased drastically. * Males in the age group of 45-54 years have increased their force in the labour market between 1991 and 2001. 2.2 Collect internal staffing information about Thorpe Park 2.2.1 Labour turnover The labour turnover is not available the end of November 2001 because the termination of seasonal contracts will be complete at this time. 2.2.2 Labour Turnover (wastage Rate) Dismissals 26/1000 correct at 31.08.01. 2.2.3 Sickness Rates For 2000 2394 seasonal sickness absence Months over 100 April, May, September, October Months over 150 June, July, August Days over 100 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Days over 150 Sunday, Saturday 2.2.4 Accidents Rates Unfortunately Thorpe Park would not give us any statistics on accidents rates. 2.2.5 Age demographics The general age rates for various jobs are 89% are 16-24 years of age. 2.2.6 Skills acquired and skills needed The skills and training that are required are: Training: Induction training for all staff and departmental training. Skills: First Aiders only need specific skills. 2.2.7 Training undertaken and training required What is the rate of progression within Thorpe Park? From seasonal cast 14 have been made permanent. 2.2.8 Succession What does Thorpe Park hope to accomplish in the future?. They want to increase their sales through good guest care; this will need high-level training of staff to achieve this. Thorpe Park wants to change their profile of Park from thrill to family bias and they want a high level of guest satisfaction. 2.3 If you look at the length of service of the employees in the UK in 1986,91,96 and 2001 and you look at the dismissals, which Thorpe Park have, you will see that 26/1000 dismals in a year is 2.6% which is lower than the statistics of the length of service of people in employment. For the year 2001 the UK length of service in a year is 13%, which is a lot higher than Thorpe Parks 2.6% of people who leave after one year. The number of people in employment in Thorpe Park is 1000 ad for the year 2000 there were 2394 absences. In the UK the number of employment at about the end was little under 27500. So as you can see there is a very high number of absences at Thorpe Park. They need to improve on these figures I accept most of these absences are from people who are not really ill. It is probably young people from the age group 16 – 24 who have been out the night before and don’t want to come in. In this case Thorpe Park need to be harder on their disciplinary rules to cut ab sences figures. Thorpe Park does not have enough engineers. This is national problem; They could deal with this situation by having more apprenticeships in engineering. The local area around Thorpe Park, which is Staines, has a 0.6% unemployment level. This is good because nationally the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds is very high. The 16 – 24 age group is the main age group for seasonal staff so nationally the unemployment rate for females aged 16-17 is 16.8% in 2000 and 18-24 is 8.2%. The male’s 16-17 year olds is 20% and the 18-24 year group is 11.8%. So you can see that the area of Staines has very low unemployment compared to the rest of the UK. By having low unemployment it is harder to recruit more staff. The staff they do recruit might not be the sort person they want but because of the low competition of applicants, they might have to train a person up to the necessary standard. 89% of Thorpe Parks employees are 16 – 24 year olds. Due to the rising interest of this age group going to school, college and university I think this has contributed to a decline in the number of people in employment at that age. Thorpe Park do seem to have a good number of employees at this age though . In 2000 nationally in the UK male 16 – 24 year olds there was only 2.7 million of them in employment with a decrease and the same with females with only 2.3 million in employment. So Thorpe Park is doing well to have 89% of 16 – 24 year olds working for them. 2.4 I recommend that Thorpe Park: * Have harder disciplinary rules to stop so much sickness through absences, the rule should be people who are sick can stay at home, but the people who are sick through hangovers must be told to come in or face harsh circumstances. * There should be more apprenticeships for electrical engineers this will help train people and eventually there will be more qualified electrical engineers working at the Park. * They need to increase their customer service training so customers can feel a good degree of guest care. * Finally if Thorpe Park want their Theme Park more family based, then I suggest a new ride for the family 2.5 2.5.1 Engineers electrical and mechanical engineers are in very short supply. Nationally this is the case. What needs to happen is more apprenticeships and training so we can breed more engineers. Also because of the external influence of terrorism on the airlines a lot of engineers are being made redundant or will be made redundant. This won’t help airlines but other companies will then be able to recruit more engineers. Competition for employees is very tight. The labour market remained robust in 2001 with ongoing employment growth. Traditionally the UK has always had high employment. Low unemployment is meaning that employees are increasing wages by over 4%. Currently unemployment is very low about 4.5% nationally that is about 4 people out of 100 is unemployed and the local unemployment is 0.4% which is 4 people out of 1000. Employment is at an all time of 73% and this is an all time high for women. So this makes it more difficult to recruit staff and employers will find it more expensive because of the amount of advertising and training. The Availability of labour can often cause problems; there are usually restrictions of skills and abilities. There might be a particular skill required for an occupation like an engineer. Qualifications and training is required for some jobs and some time gaining the qualification can take a long time to do. Trade unions need a high level of labour to negotiate wages with its members. Mobility of labour if the labour force is immobile then the labour force that is there can try and demand higher wages because the supply of labour is limited. Dirty or dangerous jobs can sometimes alter the supply of labour because of then nature of the job. On the other hand some jobs have very good working conditions and attract labour which keep down wages. 2.5.2 Thorpe Park has apprenticeships and external courses to train engineers. By doing this they will increase the number of engineers, which at the moment is in short, supply. Due to the low unemployment in the UK Thorpe Park have started to recruit people from abroad to increases their amount of staff, which they will need to do due the Park expanding in size. Thorpe Park is situated in Staines, which is the South East of England, which has the lowest unemployment in the UK. So Thorpe Park are finding tit hard to recruit in the local area that’s why they are expanding recruit aboard. Also I think that Thorpe Park are maybe hoping to bring a different culture to Thorpe Park like Disney World have in America there have kept there Theme Park American but adding some different cultures to the mix. Thorpe Park has offered training schemes through NVQ’S and apprenticeships and other external training courses. Due to the immobile labour of engineers, engineers at Thorpe Park can demand higher wages due to they are in demand and they are very important to the business. Also fixing Theme Park rides does have the possibility of being quite dangerous like possible the loss of a finger etc. On the other hand labour might be attracted to Thorpe Park due to the their good working conditions. They must have good working conditions due to their nature of the business and because the health and safety act states it should, so it is a legal requirement any way. 2.5.3 Over the past 50 years the UK has seen migration rocket. Thorpe Park is also trying to develop this by encouraging people to migrate and work at Thorpe Park. As people become wealthier they want more leisure time this relates to when youngsters go out the night before and then don’t come to work in the morning because perhaps they are too tired or probably got a hangover one of the two. Labour market trends show that most 16 -21 year olds that studied at school, college or university often get a weekend job or an evening job and student placements from say universities. This is who a lot of the seasonal Thorpe Park staff are usually. Due to the low unemployment Thorpe Park has increased its hourly wage. If you analysis national figures on the length of service of employees in the UK you will see that in 2001 people who have been in work for over a year 13% of them leave, compare this Thorpe Parks 2.6% dismals record and you will see that employees at Thorpe Park do tend to stay on for much longer. If you look at the number of people in the employment graph you will see that there is 27500 and Thorpe Park only have 1000 so I suggest that due to Thorpe Parks ambitions to expand the Park in size they will need to expand their employment figures in size. If you look at the unemployment rates nationally you will see that for females aged 16-17 is 16.8% in 2000 and 18-24 is 8.2%. The male’s 16-17 year olds is 20% and the 18-24 year group is 11.8%. All those percentages are lot a higher than the Staines local area unemployment rate which is 0.6%. This proves that there are less people to employ in Staines than the national average. In 2000 nationally in the UK male 16 – 24 ye ar olds there was only 2.7 million of them in employment with a decrease and the same with females with only 2.3 million in employment. So Thorpe Park is doing well to have 89% of 16 – 24 year olds working at Thorpe Park. Task 2- Conclusion I think Thorpe Park do have a successfully human resource plan in relation to the format given in my textbook. Why because the staffs is properly qualified to do the job allotted to them. Also Thorpe Park does use the process of human resources very effectively. Then do this by carry our the 4 main stages which are: Stock taking an example of this is job analysis Forecasting the supply of labour an example of this is annual labour turnover index Forecasting demand for employees Implementation and review Task 3: Recruitment and selection. One of the most important jobs for the human resources manager is recruiting and selecting new employees. Without the right employees, the organisation will be unable to operate efficiently, serve its customers properly, or make any profits. With the proper recruitment and selection techniques, organisations can make as sure as possible that they can achieve these objectives. In the recruitment and selection procedure generally the following procedures: > Giving a job description > Preparing an advertisement for the job > Application forms > Short listing candidates > Person specification > Psychometric/diagnostic tests > Interviews and cross checking the candidates > Offer and rejection of the candidates > Contract of employment > Staff handbook 3.1 > Person specification: A person specification sets out the qualities of an ideal candidate whereas a job description defines the duties and responsibilities of the job. The best-known method of drawing up person specifications is the ‘SEVEN POINT PLAN’ originally devised by Alec Rodger. Following is an example of the seven-point plan: Essentials Desirables How identified Physical (this includes grooming looks, voice tone etc) Attainments (this includes the educational qualifications and experience) General intelligence (the results from the IQ tests) Special aptitude (the special skills of the person) Interests (their hobbies and their social life) Disposition (the stability of the person) Circumstances (the personal life of the person) Rodger’s seven-point plan usually requires managers to distinguish between essential and desirable qualities under each of the seven headings. > Job description: Before an organisation goes in the recruitment process, it needs to examine the job description for the post. A job description lists the main tasks required in a job. In drawing up a job, description the personnel department has a number of alternatives. These are: 1. The line manager can draw up a description of what the job entails. 2. The existing jobholder can do it. 3. The human resource manager can interview the jobholder and the line manager to find out what the job involves. The aim of the exercise is to itemise all the tasks involved in a job and to try to allocate a proportion of the working week to each task. This is important for several reasons: 1. In carrying out appraisals of the employees. 2. When analysing the job for training needs the manager must be able to see what tasks a job involves so that they can determine what training may be required. 3. For pay determination. 4. In planning the size of the work force for the future, it will be necessary to know exactly what tasks each job involves in case the re-allocation of tasks between jobs is requires. Clearly, none of this is possible without good quality and detailed job descriptions. The main features of a job description are: a) The job title b) The location of the job c) A brief outline of what the organisation does d) The main purpose of the job e) A detailed list of the main tasks required in the job f) The standards that the job holder will be required to achieve g) Pay and other benefits h) Promotion prospects i) The person to whom the job holder reports j) The person who reports the job holder > Application form: This is a far more commonly used mode of selection. Consultants devote hours to designing new and better forms that will extract even more accurate information from people. A typical form will require details on addresses, next of kin, education, training, qualifications, work experience, non-work interests (hobbies and social life) and the name of referees from whom the organisation can collect personal recommendations. The personal staff will have identified specific requirements from the job and person specification. They can compare these with the information on the forms. They only need to shortlist the applicants who have met those requirements. The forms can act as a framework for the interviewer to use should the applicant be short-listed. The organisation can keep all the forms for the short listed candidates for the vacancy and draw on them again if another vacancy arises. The form from the successful applicant will become a very useful part of their initial personal records. > Prepared advertisement: Unless an organisation pays a recruitment consultancy or an executive search consultant to find potential recruits, it will have to design its own advertisements to attract people. Specialist consultancies have sophisticated advertising departments that place large and expensive adverts in quality press. Most businesses, however, will not have such facilities and they will have to draw up their own advertisements. Before writing the advertisement, the employer must determine exactly what is wanted from the job being advertised. When drafting the advertisement the key points to consider are: i. Describe the job that is being advertised ii. Describe the type of person that is required for the job but have to be careful because it is illegal to state the sex, ethnic origin of the person required. iii. The pay and the terms and conditions iv. Place of work v. Procedure as to how the candidate can apply for the job vi. Be honest about the job being advertised, it is no use to give an over attractive picture. vii. Find the right place to advertise the job. > Psychometric/diagnostic tests: Now days it is common for employers to expect job applicants to carry out tests to give a fuller picture of their ability to do the job applied for. These are usually referred to as aptitude tests. They are appropriate for manual work where there is some skill involved and in office work where applicants be required to take a short typing or word processing test. For professional posts, these tests are less usual because it is felt that the candidate’s qualifications, references and experience are sufficient evidence. Psychometric tests assess the intelligence and personality of applicants. They are much more sophisticated than aptitude tests and the employer must have properly trained staff to analyse the test results properly. Such tests are particularly valuable when assessing intelligence, interest in the job applied for, motivation and personality. The producers of such tests argue that they are completely unbiased and extremely accurate. They are supposed to be particula rly good at assessment of personality. > Interview format/techniques: This is the final stage of the recruitment and selection and is increasingly common these days. Interviews are arranged for almost every kind of job. The process of shifting through forms or letters and examination of references is now over and that only a few of the applicants for the job will be interviewed. This is because interviews take up the time of senior managers who have to carry them out and this will be costly for them. Interviewing is sometimes done in a poorly thought out and badly structured manner that gives the organisation a bad image. To avoid this situation only requires the observation of a few simple rules: 1. Plan the interview properly. 2. Decide if there is a need for any tests for the applicant. 3. As a rule, the ‘talking split’ in the job interview should be around 20% for the interviewer and 80% for the interviewee. 4. The interview should always begin with friendly questions to put the candidate at ease. 5. Finally, there should be a question asking the candidates if they have any questions. > Offer and rejection letters: These are the crucial moments in the life of a job applicant. His fate for the particular is decided in these letters. It is very easy for the interviewer to say yes but in order to send a rejection letter they have to be polite and gentle as it should not let down the applicants desire for another job. Usually it is common to wish good luck to a candidate for his future jobs in a rejection letter. > Contract of employment: Terms and conditions of employment which apply generally or to groups of employees need to be defined in the contract of employment as described below: 1. Individual contracts of employment must satisfy the provisions of contracts of employment legislation. They include a statement of capacity in which the person is employed and the name or job title of the individual to whom he or she is responsible. They also include details of pay, allowances, hours, holidays, leave and pension arrangements and refer to relevant company policies, procedures and rules. Increasing use is being made of fixed-term contracts. 2. The basic information that should be included in a written contract of employment varies according to the level of job, but the following checklist sets out the typical headings: * Job title * Duties to be performed * The date when the employment starts * Hours of break including lunch break and overtime and shift arrangements * Holiday arrangements * Sickness leave * Length of notice due to and from employee * Grievance procedure * Disciplinary procedures * Work rules * Arrangements for terminating contract 3.2 As mentioned before Thorpe Park has seasonal staffs and permanent staffs. Therefore, for different staffs different procedures and documents are crucial. Lets have a look at these in detail: 1. Seasonal staffs: Thorpe Park has a seasonal staff of over 1000. Such a large number of seasonal staff is very difficult to select and handle. Therefore, in order to make the right decision in selecting the desired seasonal staff they would need to have a proper and well-prepared advertisement. After the advertisement, they would need to have an application form that is very essential because it helps to have a general/detailed outlook of the applicant. As Thorpe park has a large number of seasonal staff they need to have an interview checklist so that they can grade/rate the candidates on the basis of the same questions asked to everyone and that there is no kind of discrimination made during the interview. After all this a contract of employment is very essential for everyone who is employed as it proves that the person is legally employed and that he/she is aware of their duties etc. 2. Permanent staffs: As stated before Thorpe Park has permanent staff of nearly 350 members strong. Permanent staffs do have more authorities and responsibilities than the seasonal staffs. Therefore, the recruitment manager has to be even more careful in advertising and hiring these staffs. Therefore in the initial part a job description; person specification, prepared advertisement and an application form are very crucial and essential because they help in attracting the required candidate. After this, the interview and the psychometric/ diagnostic tests are essential because they help the recruitment manager to know the candidates more carefully. Finally the staff handbook and the contract of employment are helpful to the selected candidate in knowing something more about his job, benefits etc. 3.3 For seasonal staffs: > The advertisement for seasonal staffs is very good and impressive. It can really work towards attracting applicants. However, apart from stating the pay rate if they could also state the words â€Å"plus extra benefits† that could make the advertisement even more exciting. > The application form could also be improved. For instance, on page 2 the applicant is asked about the previous employment history. In this section is a question on the position of the applicant’s job but there is no question about the duties performed by the applicant in the previous job. > The questions asked in the interview checklist are good and can really make the candidate think before they can answer. However, as the number of applicants is going to be very large there would not be sufficient time to ask all the questions to all candidates. Therefore, it is recommended that there should be less questions but straight to the point. > The contract of employment does not state as to how the payments are going to be made – by cash, by cheque or it is going to be deposited into the respective account. For permanent staffs: > The advertisement for the permanent staff is very good and impressive as well. It can really work towards attracting applicants. Again, apart from stating the pay rate if they could also state the words â€Å"plus extra benefits† that could make the advertisement even more exciting. > On the application, form where it is asked to state the employment history there is very little or rather no place to state the responsibilities that the applicant had carried. This could be very crucial information for the company is selecting the desired candidate. 3.4 Analysis of the documents: > Job role: The job role prepared by the company is fantastic and much organised. They have the desired pre planned in their minds and are just waiting for its arrival. The desired qualification of the person is deeply planned and thought through. > Advertisement: The advertisement is good but not up to the mark. After having a look at the job role a person would expect an even impressive advertisement. Though the desired details are placed in the advert there are still a few things missing that make it more attractive as if the payroll could also include extra benefits and more facilities etc. > Application form: Again it is well organised and planned but the place for the crucial information is not provided for e.g. the employment history does not have any place for responsibilities held etc. Task 4 – Training and Development: Introduction: A general definition of training is: ‘the acquisition of a body of knowledge and skills which can be applied to a particular job’. Traditionally, young people left school and found a job that provided them with sufficient initial training to enable them to continue to do the same job indefinitely. Today there are very few ‘traditional’ apprenticeships and people can no longer assume that any job will be a job for life. Even people who do keep the same job for a long time are required to update their skills regularly, or face redundancy because their old skills are rapidly made useless by the advance of new technology. The significance of this is that training is much more central to peoples lives as an ongoing process rather than just something they do at the start of their careers. > Induction training: Induction is the process of introducing new employees to the organisation and its way of life and culture. A successful job applicant should be provided with induction training of some kind. As might be expected the larger, well-resourced organisations do this more thoroughly than poorly resourced, smaller organisations. Most of the induction programme will include: * A tour of the buildings to show the newcomer all the important areas – the sick room, the canteen, the pay office, toilets etc * An introduction to their new workplace – the specific office or factory areas or shop department – where they will be working * Some background details about the organisation – the easiest and best way to do this is to show them a video. > Mentoring: This a type of training where an experienced senior manager is allocated to a young employee in order to help them to structure their career development within the organisation. The mentor passes on the benefits of their experience, insight and wisdom. They will advice the young employee how to deal with a wide variety of managerial problems but they are not there to help them to improve specific skills. > Coaching: This is rather similar to mentoring but the key difference is that coaching involves helping the young employee to acquire high quality skills in a number of specific management areas. Such skills include communication with staff, budgeting, how to appraise staff and how to carry out disciplinary procedures. > Apprenticeships: The main principles of apprenticeships are: 1. Qualifications are workplace based, reflecting real workplace needs. 2. Workplace requirements are now a far bigger influence on what is taught in further education colleges. 3. The single European market means that these new qualifications will eventually become part of a common system of the Euro-qualifications. Apprenticeships usually include NVQ’s, GNVQ’s, Vocational A levels etc. Usually the company pays for such type of education for its budding employees. > In-house training: This is where the employers run courses inside their own organisation. Courses might be held in an ordinary office room or in a smart training centre owned by the organisation itself. The main benefits of using in-house courses are: 1. They are cheap – there is usually no need to employ outside trainers and lecturers. 2. Course content is tailor made for your organisation. 3. References and examples to highlight points can be related to your own organisation. 4. Everybody knows one another, so there is no time wasted in having to get to know other people. > External training: Sometimes it is necessary to send staff to do courses elsewhere. This may be with another employer, at a specialist-training centre, or at a factory of an equipment supplier. The benefits of using external courses are: 1. They bring together specialist trainers/tutors who would never be available to an ‘in-house’ course chiefly because of the high cost. 2. Course members get together from several organisations, and this enables them to learn more about each other and how their respective organisations operate. 3. Trainers place great value on the benefits of being away from the workplace – the course members are in a comfortable and peaceful environment away from any distractions. Findings: At Thorpe Park, there is a separate training sub-department within the Human Resource department. In fact, they also have a special training manager for this purpose. To begin with, let us have a look at the induction programme which is also known as ‘ice-breaker’. > Thorpe Park has two days of induction programme. The day one covers the introduction to the Tussads group, the park structure – the who’s who and where’s where, the parks health and safety issues, the uniforms and appearance of the staff, explanations of the rules and regulations, the role play situations, fire safety, emergency procedures and other general information about the park. > The day two covers the department specific training. This means that the staffs is taken to their respective departments and are given the general overall outlook of their duties and the department. After the induction, there is the personal development programme. This is not actually a training programme but is a process where the applicants are given an opportunity towards their plans in education and with the company. In this programme, the members of staff complete a PDP form, which will enable them to access their areas for improvement/development and look at ways to move forward. Other methods of training in Thorpe Park like the mentoring help the members of staff towards personal development. Besides these, Thorpe Park also offers apprenticeships like the NVQ’s for the members of staff. Across the park, they have people studying for NVQ’s in business administration, landscaping and engineering. Most of the trainings are provided to the permanent staff only. The external courses are used for legislation and development training only. Thorpe Park is known as investors in people. They have got this recognition not by spending money on the entertainment of people but by spending money on improving the quality of their staff by training them, sending them for apprenticeships and by helping them in their personal development. Training is important for the company to improve the competence of the cast and ensure the delivery of a high quality service. Recommendations: > Training is a very important part for a new candidate. Besides providing training to the permanent staff, if the company provides training to the seasonal staff as well then this may help to make the seasonal staff into permanent staff. Hence, the company will be able to save its money on advertising for the permanent staff. > If training sessions are provided to the seasonal staff, this may motivate them and the effect will show on the profit charts. Task 6 – Performance Management Introduction: Frederick W. Taylor: Frederick W. Taylor wanted to find out how people could work best, who was suited to what and to show them how to work more productively with less effort and danger. After all, he was working in a steel plant. Taylor set out four principles of scientific management. They were as follows: > Development of science to replace thumb methods > Scientific selection and progressive development of workmen > Bringing together of science and scientifically selected workmen through the inspiration of an individual > The dividing off of management away from the workers There are many managers today who would find nothing exceptional about Taylor’s words that also include a reference to leadership, something he sees as beyond scientific management. His results were incredible. Abraham Maslow: Until Abraham Maslow’s work, researches looked for what motivated people. Maslow’s answer is that it depends upon the situation of the individual. He therefore prepared a table of hierarchy. This hierarchy theory can be of help also in understanding cultural issues in motivation. Multi-nationals need to learn that what motivates someone in Bangkok may well be different from what motivates people in San Francisco. Douglas McGregor: According to McGregor, there are two alternative views of the nature of man: Theory X – Used to illustrate what he considered being the â€Å"traditional view of direction and control† 1. The average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if he can 2. Because of the human characteristic of dislike of work, most people are coerced, controlled, directed, threatened with punishment to get them to put forth adequate effort towards the achievement of organisational objectives. 3. The average human being prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility, has relatively little ambition, and wants security above all. He also felt that these assumptions were used in most industrial organisations, but that they were in adequate for the full utilisation of each worker’s potential. McGregor’s other view of the nature of man i.e. Theory Y contains assumptions, which he believes could lead to greater motivation and increased fulfilment of both individual needs and organisational goals. 1. The expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest. 2. External control and the threat of punishment are not the only means for bringing about effort toward organisational objectives. 3. Commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their achievement. 4. The average human being learns under proper conditions, not only to accept but also to seek responsibility. 5. The capacity to exercise a relatively high degree of imagination, ingenuity and creativity in the solution of organisational problems is widely, not narrowly distributed in the population. 6. Under the conditions of modern industrial lie, the intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partially utilised. Frederick Herzberg: Frederick Herzberg distinguishes between hygiene factors – those that will not increase motivation as such but will certainly decrease it if standards are not right and motivating factors. Hygiene factors include working conditions, salary, job security and company policies. Get these wrong and motivation will decline but add to them over a certain standard and there will be no more effect on motivation. Herzberg says that motivation derives from people having a sense of achievement, recognition, responsibility and opportunities for personal growth. He criticises management for ignoring the motivational factors and trying to motivate through things like money and benefits – expensive and not successful. He is also famous for his acronym â€Å"KITA†, which has been potentially translated as a kick in the pants. He says that KITA does not produce motivation but only movement. Findings: 6.1.1 Performance reviews including appraisals: Thorpe Park carries out regular appraisals with its company staff. The company to usually carries this out so that the management can evaluate as to how effective the staff are in fulfilling the objectives of the company. 6.1.2 Self evaluation: Besides the appraisal system the staff, members also have the opportunity to see and say as to how they think they are progressing and what places they need improvement. They can also recommend the areas where they would need some training or extra guidance. 6.1.3 Peer evaluation: Peer evaluation is not a formal method of performance evaluation but it can really help in the improvement of the staff if their work mates tell them what is required and when. 6.2 The management at Thorpe Park believe that it is very essential to motivate its staff so that they have a high morale and that they completely enjoy the work that they do for the company. They recommend the staff the areas where they think they could improve and send them for training. They do so only for the deserving staff members so that they can make them feel that they are important for the company. This is a very effective way of motivating the staff. Besides these, they have other methods of motivating staff like bonus schemes and other incentive schemes. Throughout the year, the company runs competitions like â€Å"magic moments† and â€Å"magic minds† that help the staff for not only performing good in their work but also motivate them to use their brains to help the company improve and progress ahead. There are grand prises for people who give good ideas to the company to improve their outlook. Besides the financial incentives, the company also has many non financial methods of motivating the staff for e.g. giving the staff member a public acknowledgement, sending them for further education, praising them for the job well done etc. all these do play an important role in motivating the staff. The human resource department does all this because they believe that the staff are the backbone of the business and hence want to use them as an asset to obtain their goals and objectives. 6.3 On taking a closer look at the way the management at Thorpe Park functions it can be stated that they use a little of every motivational theory in trying to motivate their staff. The reason behind this could be that different things motivate different people.