Total Rewards - 1512 Words

Assignment 1 Geico Total Rewards Program Case Study Advantages to a Total Rewards Approach There are several advantages to using a total rewards approach to compensating the workforce. The top five are described in the text (pp. 15—17). The following paragraphs discuss the facets of the Geico total rewards program that align with these advantages: The first facet is â€Å"Health and Well-Being†. Geico offers a variety of medical plans to their employees such as PPO’s, HMO’s, dental, and vision. Geico offers three free sessions from their employee assistance program and basic long-term disability insurance which is paid for after three years of employment. Premium long-term disability insurance is available at an†¦show more content†¦Total Rewards Strategy Geico needs a strategy that addresses all of these advantages. (These are the top five advantages on pp. (15—17.) The company should follow the following strategy toward this end: â€Å"Increased Flexibility† consists of various benefits that meet the needs of a diverse organization. Flexible benefits are an important part of total rewards because they help improve the employee experience by providing them with more choices when it comes to perks (Wilkinson, 2007). Geico can capitalize on â€Å"Increased Flexibility† by communicating to existing employees and prospective candidates how each flexible reward is beneficial to them. Most employees may not appreciate total rewards an organization offers because they do not understand them. Geico can take advantage of â€Å"Improved Recruitment and Retention† by tailoring their total rewards package towards the demographics of the workplace. Demographics play a significant role in the type of total rewards an organization offers. A younger workforce’s should differ from the needs of an older workforce. Today’s employees value relational rewards such as career development and learning (Kaplan, 2005). Gender influences the type of total rewards package as well. A predominantly female population may value relational benefits such as flexibility versus a male dominated workforce (Kaplan, 2005). GeicoShow MoreRelatedThe Total Rewards Program1997 Words   |  8 PagesOrganization Overview This paper will discuss the total rewards program. This company is a beverage and bottling company that has been in business for over 100 years. Currently we operate in about 3 continents and in about 20 different countries all over the world. SZT Corp is the home to over 20,000 employees with about 2,000 management-level employees worldwide. Armstrong (2012) affirms that definitions of total rewards characteristically includes not only traditional, quantifiable elements suchRead MoreTotal Rewards1191 Words   |  5 PagesRunning head: TOTAL REWARDS Total Rewards: Strategically Achieving Business Results Strayer University Abstract Total Rewards reflects what employees’ value from its employer. It focuses on five elements that attract, motivate, and retain the talent to achieve business goals. These elements are: Compensation, Benefits, Work- Life, Performance and Recognition and Development and Career Opportunities (WorldatWork, 2007, p. 4). This paper describes the five advantages of a total rewards approachRead MoreWhy Total Reward Is Important2041 Words   |  9 PagesWhy a Total Reward Program is Important As the labor force becomes more highly developed and demanding, rivalry between organizations for talented employees is drastically increasing. It is extremely important that organizations make their company more enticing as an incomparable career opportunity. Instituting a total rewards system into an organization can do much to help it invite the paramount talent available and significantly condense turnover. The longevity of an organization’s employees isRead MoreTotal Rewards System Proposal2087 Words   |  9 PagesTotal Rewards System Proposal Organization Overview This paper will discuss the total rewards program for Apple Inc. This company is a technology company that produces cutting edge computers, smart phones, tablets and portable music players. Apple Retail has been in existence since 2001 and now has 365 stores world wide with over ninety thousand employees in thirty nine countries. Apple Retail enables customers to touch and feel the products and work with knowledgeable sales associatesRead MoreHrm 533 Total Rewards Strategy Proposal1826 Words   |  8 Pagesand manage a total rewards program for an insurance company. First, it indicates the requirement of a total rewards system for the company. Then, it formulates a competitive strategy and explains it. Since the communication of a strategy is as important as the strategy itself, the paper includes a communication plan of the strategy. And last but not least it studies devising a competitive pay structure. 1. Create a brief overview of the company requirements for a total rewards system. CompanyRead MoreEssay On Total Rewards1380 Words   |  6 Pagesretirement savings plan. Different workers want and different things out of their benefits, which is why companies need their benefit package a bit more tailed-made, to meet the need of all employees within the company. According to Rose Stanley, a total rewards practice leader, WorldatWork, the non-profit human resources association, says companies must try to tailor those offerings in a way that addresses the needs of their workforce but at the same time keeps costs in line. Employers who can affordRead MoreWhat Is Total Rewards System Or Trs? Essay1306 Words   |  6 Pagesneeds ensures that their mindsets, efforts and productivities are all â€Å"on the job† and so this limits the worrying of any uncontrollable part of the employees work experience, working conditions, payments and the relevant benefits. So, to describe Total Rewards System or TRS in a roundabout way; ‘TRS is a combination of various processes carried out in different areas of the workplace which encompasses three main elements that which all the employees value from their term of employment, payment/compensationRead MorePerformance Management System and Total Rewards Plan for Weavertech1736 Words   |  7 PagesPerformance Management System and Total Rewards Plan for WeaverTech Southern New Hampshire University OL 600 Strategic Human Resource Management INTRODUCTION Due to the acquisition of WeaverTech formally known as Johnson-Ware an apparel company by CVX Partners, a private equity firm, there arose a need for the company to change its line of business to high-end segment of the apparel industry (Beer Swier, 2015). Before the acquisition of the company by the newRead MoreTotal Rewards1051 Words   |  5 PagesDescribe each of the top five (5) advantages of a total rewards approach. The first advantage of a total rewards approach is self fulfillment so that people are recognized for what they do and encouraged to reach their potential through effective learning and development processes and given feedback on their performance. The second advantage is an organization culture where roles are clear and organizational and personal values are in alignment so that employees engage and enjoy work. AnotherRead MorePerformance Management System And Total Rewards Plan For Weavertech1751 Words   |  8 Pages Performance Management System and Total Rewards Plan for WeaverTech Name: Institution: Course Title: Instructor: INTRODUCTION Due to the acquisition of WeaverTech formally known as Johnson-Ware an apparel company by CVX Partners, a private equity firm, there arose a need for the company to change its line of business to high-end segment of the apparel industry (Beer Swier, 2015). Before the acquisition of the company by the new owners, WeaverTech was a closely owned family

Global Warming And Its Effects - 1312 Words

Global warming is presenting a lot of environmental and health problems to many countries. A lot of heat gets trapped on earth due to formation of a non-porous layer gases below the atmosphere. The worst effect is felt by developing countries, which are also geographically disadvantaged. The establishment of such countries is on low altitude areas. This position makes developing countries to be direct victims of floods from the melting snow at high altitude areas. A lot of scientific research associates global warming with the numerous irresponsible human activities such as industrialization in the developed countries. These industries emit a high content of greenhouse gases like carbon into the atmosphere on a daily basis. The resultant†¦show more content†¦There is a necessity to act with urgency and save human life by reducing the carbon footprint. The government needs to analyze and understand some of the major effects of global warming. For instance, there is a massive loss of lives and property at every corner of the globe. Displacement of people from their land due to excessive water from overflowing sources like rivers is also a common phenomenon. Affected families encounter great losses and therefore, have to start afresh to establish themselves. The presence of high temperatures affects agricultural activities in negatively. There is little or no survival of food crops and therefore, people are most likely to experience starvation (Eddin et al. 7). Most forms of life are left with no option but to struggle for survival. Disagreements may arise under some circumstances, for example, when people need to share limited resources. Such incidences bring divisions in nations and at times cause a lot of bloodshed. Desertification, contamination of air, violence, and human and animal migration are examples of the problems caused by global warming. A further analysis of the situation has shown that there is existence of more severe social and economic problems (Sim 8). Mudhol Levy clearly explain that laxity in reducing the carbon foot print enhances toxication of the aquatic environment (12). Further evidence indicates a permanent loss of some

Odie clutched the can of orange juice Free Essays

Odie clutched the can of orange juice. It was very cold against his palms which were very wet—either from the coldness or the sweat that was slowly forming in his callused hands. He had callused hands—hands which had been witnesses to the harsh realities of life and the absurdities of things—of fate and of faith. We will write a custom essay sample on Odie clutched the can of orange juice or any similar topic only for you Order Now Odie smiled upon remembering his hands. The hands of a warrior. He was watching the battlefield in front of him—the warriors were armed. Only a simple command from him—their leader—and the thousands of warriors would be willing to sacrifice their lives for the survival of their tribe, of their nation. Odie raised his right hand, brandishing the gleaming sword in the air—the war has begun. He opened his mouth to give the command†¦ and a car screeched nearby and Odie was awakened from his day dreaming. He was no warrior and there was no sword. The can of orange juice had lost its coldness by then, and Odie walked up their pathway into the confines of his home. No, it was a house. No, it was also not a house. It was a tiny apartment—just a very, very small space in this world where he can sleep, eat, take a bath, change clothes, and†¦ become someone else. Odie stepped into his room and looked at the computer—this is it—the moment when he stops from being the muddled and the ridiculed Odie. This is the moment when he stops from being the weird and tame Odie. In fact, this is where he stops from being Odie altogether—he can now be anything and anyone whom he wants to be. The only thing in the world right now is the computer screen, the people on-line who are impatiently waiting and clamoring for the attention of his other self—Brigade719. Odie logged on and Brigade719 has entered the world of cyberspace. He was now lost to the endless possibilities which can happen. He can be the warrior who brandishes the gleaming sword, he can be the courageous general who bravely stands on the front, he can be the destroyer of evil empires, and he can be the prince to the many princesses who are vying for his on-line attention. Odie clutched the can of orange juice. He walked slowly and silently along the hallways of his university—no one was paying him any attention. If a person looked at him now, in a matter of seconds, he would probably be forgotten. He was small, scrawny, and shy. In the room, he barely spoke; he barely talked even when he was addressed by his professors. Not that his professors actually talked to him. The average times of people actually addressing Odie would be the average times a Starbucks store would be closing down—which to say, was rarely. Yet, he was kind and gentle. In fact, he was too kind and too gentle that people rendered him to be non-existent. But that’s okay with Odie—since later on, in the confines of his tiny apartment, in that very messy room—he becomes someone else. Odie logged on and Brigade719 has entered the world of cyberspace. There, in the screen, are over a hundred invitations to be his on-line friend. There, in the bright, bright screen, are over a thousand possibilities of showing his intelligence, his bravery, and his wit. Brigade719 smiled. He was ready—bringing his fingers closer to the keyboard, he took on the possibilities. How to cite Odie clutched the can of orange juice, Papers

Consumer Diary Analysis free essay sample

Because I had decided that I wanted junk food, healthy food options and restaurants were placed in my inert set, and smaller, less popular niche outlets like red rooster were placed in my inept set (LeBlanc amp; Neil C. Herndon, 2002). Big fast food outlets like McDonalds and Hungry Jacks comprised my consideration set. Due to previous experiences and memory associations, I considered McDonald’s to be the category prototype for fast food, and therefore it exceeded other competitors. As I considered taste to be the most important factor in my purchase, the lexicographic choice tactic can be used to explain my decision to go with the McGrilled burger meal (Hauser, 2010). Also, my adequate financial position provided the ability to make my purchase and the location of a McDonald’s outlet nearby my house and no time constraints provided a satisfactory opportunity to make my purchase. 2. Nike Tiempo Legend Soccer Boots. We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Diary Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page All my soccer boots were starting to get too small for me. I was motivated to purchase some new boots that suited me and also fitted properly (difference between my ideal and actual state) (Hoyer amp; Macinnis, 2010). Because of the vast number of different brands of soccer boots, and the amount of use the boots will get, this decision was considered a high-effort purchase for me. In considering which store to purchase from, I chose Sportsmart in Moorabbin because a friend of mine works there and was able to give me a discount. Because of the specifics of each different type of soccer boot (even within the same brand) it seemed adequate that I would be making a purchase decision based on product rather than brand (Hoyer amp; Macinnis, 2010). Different stud patterns suit different weather conditions – so because Melbourne pitches are mostly firm, I chose boots with a Firm Ground stud pattern (therefore all Soft Ground boots and other types were allocated to my inert amp; inept set). Furthermore, because I was a defender, boots with soft material were also eliminated from my consideration set as per attribute processing (LeBlanc amp; Neil C. Herndon, 2002). Previous brand experiences led me to consider the ‘Nike’ brand, and personal characteristics influenced my choice of colour, material and shape. A combination of attributes prompted me to choose the Nike Tiempo Legend boot, utilising most effectively the multi-attribute expectancy-value choice tactic – in which I chose the product that offered the best ‘bundle’ of benefits (Hauser, 2010). 3. United Petrol Problem recognition arose when I became aware that I had less than a fifth of a tank left. I developed a physiological need to fill up my petrol tank and experienced previous memories of the feelings associated with petrol running low (Arndt, 2012). This triggered me to go to a petrol station to fill up (Hoyer amp; Macinnis, 2010). There happens to be 2 United Petrol stations within 2 minutes’ drive of my house, and I pass them when I drive almost anywhere. Whenever I am in a state of having low petrol or needing to fill up, repeatedly passing and observing the United Petrol stations has developed somewhat of a neural connection between filling up petrol and the United Petrol Station (classical conditioning). This, along with previous positive experiences and the ability to satisfy my personal goals (appraisal theory), led me to choose United Petrol as the brand. I was further motivated by the lower prices of petrol on a Friday, and specifically the lower prices of petrol at a United Petrol station in comparison to other alternatives. I finished work at 5. 00pm and received my weekly pay, which provided me with the financial ability to make the purchase. A United Petrol station was located on my way home from work and hence provided an easy opportunity for purchase. 4. Apple Ipod Headphones I have 3 pairs of headphones at home; all of which only have one ear-bud which actually works. This aroused a state of deprivation and a difference between actual and ideal state (Arndt, 2012). I was motivated to buy new headphones to fulfil my wants of being able to listen to music through both of my ears. Whilst I appreciated quality sound, I was not overly fussed with the specifics and characteristics of individual headphones which made this purchase relatively low-effort. Furthermore, I was not willing to spend a lot of money on headphones, which influenced my consideration set. I basically chose to undertake a repeat purchase of apple’s iPod headphones because I was not prepared to purchase top of the range headphones (comparative theory) (Hoyer amp; Macinnis, 2010). I had positive brand and product experiences with apple headphones previously, and wanted to minimise performance, physical and social risks. Comparison between diary 2 (Xind) and diary 3 (Jono) In analysing consumer diary 2 and consumer diary 3, it becomes immediately clear that each consumer follows a general framework in their purchases. All purchases are derived from a problem; specifically a variance between an actual and ideal state (Arndt, 2012). Furthermore all purchases are motivated, and influenced by brand exposure, situational factors and memory/knowledge (Hoyer amp; Macinnis, 2010). Lastly, both consumers acknowledge the importance of having an adequate opportunity and ability to make the purchase. Consumer 2 makes multiple low-effort purchases, and it can be deduced that Consumer 2’s purchasing habits are in close correspondence with his schedule. In almost all of his purchases, heavy influencers were convenience and time constraints, and hence he displayed a cognitive tendency to utilise past experiences and brand familiarity when purchasing, seeking efficiency in his decision making. In Consumer 3’s case, time constraints were not as prominent, and therefore Consumer 3’s decision making was subject to more evaluation in comprising consideration sets (LeBlanc amp; Neil C. Herndon, 2002). In purchasing a high-involvement product, Consumer 3 used a multi-attribute expectancy-value analysis to consider a bundle of attributes and benefits (Hauser, 2010). It appears that for both Consumers in purchasing low-involvement convenience products, normative choice tactics and the lexicographic choice model is consistently utilised. Furthermore, whilst Consumer 2 used a variety seeking tactic in choosing a different type of food for lunch, it can be said that both consumers are considerably hesitant to make purchases outside of their experience and knowledge, at least on a regular basis. Another consistent characteristic is the influence of financial ability on the consideration set when making the purchase. These three main (time constraints, previous experience/knowledge and financial ability) are prominent within decision making consideration in both consumers lifestyles. Bibliography Arndt, J. (2012). How broad should the marketing concept be? Journal of marketing vol. 42, 101-103. Hauser, J. R. (2010). Consideration set heuristics. Massachusetts: MIT Sloan School of Management. Hoyer, W. D. , amp; Macinnis, D. J. (2010). Consumer Behaviour 5th Edition. LeBlanc, R. P. , amp; Neil C. Herndon, J. (2002). A multivariate analysis of evoked sets as a marketing universal. Journal of applied business research vol. 18 no. 3.

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Current and Noncurrent Assets Paper

Current and Noncurrent Assets Paper University of PhoenixOctober 12, 2009ACC/400IntroductionThe purpose of this paper is to conduct a comparison of current and noncurrent assets; in addition this paper will also explain order of liquidity and how the liquidity applies to the balance sheet.Current and Noncurrent AssetsAccording to Kimmel, Weygandt, Kieso, (2007), two types of are assets are present at all companies current assets and noncurrent assets. Current assets are assets that a company expects to convert into cash within a year or less. Current Assets on a balance sheet item equals the sum of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, marketable securities, prepaid expenses and Inventory all fall under the category of current assets since most or all companies expect to convert to cash within a year or less. Noncurrent assets are assets that a company does not expect to convert into cash within a year or less. Office Furniture, business equipment trademarks a copyrights fall under the noncurrent assets cate gory.Componenets of the asset side of the Federal Reser...The difference between current and noncurrent assets is the time that it takes for those assets can be converted into cash, if they can even be converted into cash. Current and Noncurrent assets are usually listed on a company's Balance Sheet. The Balance Sheet is one of the most important financial statements prepared by companies on a yearly. The Balance Sheet is an outline of the company's financial condition. The balance sheet shows in a nut shell a summary of company assets. Liabilities and shareholders' equity.Many companies delete current assets on balance sheets after a year from the data on the balance sheet. Kimmel, Weygandt, Kieso (2007) Accounts receivable are current assets because companies will acquire them and convert them to cash within a year or less. Supplies are a current asset because the company expects to use them for...

Post-Modernist Architecture Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Post-Modernist Architecture - Coursework Example In postmodern period, which is inherently marked by capitalistic symbolism of faade -the media is speaking in the background of the architecture A very genuine question emerges which requires an investigation; has faade become architecture or does the architecture become faade. The marriage of facade and architecture to target new consumerism is outstanding phenomenon of the new age and new culture. Chapter 1: Post-Modernist Approach to Architecture and Advertising: The post modernism is marked by strong cultural change which is reflected in the collective practices in the art, architecture, society, politics, ethics and the connectivity. It is a notion of more global expression which desires for quick attention and immediate results. The impact of post modernism is global as it's impact is seen and felt not just on one section of society rather the force of impact is felt on a much wider range including aesthetics and other dimensions of societies manifested in global sphere. " "Postmodern architecture" referred to a movement, emerging in the 1950s, that reacted against modem architecture, reasserting the importance of decoration, ornament, and expression against the prevailing taste for austere functionalism in capitalistic society"(Carrol, 1997) Architecture as an art form is very closely connected with consumerism, which is a vital force which stirs the momentum of the medi a in the present age of active field which has emerged as media architecture. The marriage of media and architecture has been the reflection of the changing society in the last few decades. The force of consumerism is very powerful, in organizing the momentum of architectural expression in the form of construction of buildings. In the present post modern phase of artistic expression 'high art architecture' has the power to make a bold statement to the world and in many ways can be said to have become a 'consumerist commodity itself'. Architecture has become faade in the light of modern consumerism and powerful influence of capitalism. The manipulative power of such consumerism in the current era is seen to overpower the artistic aspect of the building and the architecture. The new age architecture is not just a reminder of the classic and artistic feature of the olden times but are largely influenced by the images and displays provided in their background for public at large. The pr oduction of buildings is largely result of such consumerism; and they vary from dynamic structure like Time Square in New York and Allianz Arena in Germany to shopping malls which have the power to attract consumers and serve as a catch. The present day architecture has become as faade, which speaks through images and displays with the objective to communicate with the public and aim at certain impact to promote and stimulate consumerism. The role of the new postmodern phenomena, the increasing rise of capitalism and the dynamic introduction of the consumerism in the backdrop of architectural aesthetic which is dazzled by the illumination lights, messages and giant screens is aimed to hypnotize the consumer into action. The objective is purely commercial and economic and the outcome is a genre which buys into irrational urges overpowered by the faade, shinning and dazzling high above as a form of art to

Horace Bushnell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Horace Bushnell - Essay Example He was not exact, but he put God and man and the world into a relation that thought can accept while it goes on to state it more fully with ever growing knowledge. Other thinkers were moving in the same direction; he led the movement in New England, and wrought out a great deliverance. It was a work of superb courage. Hardly a theologian in his denomination stood by him, and nearly all pronounced against him" (as cited in http://www.nndb.com/people/184/000102875). An anti-Calvinist, he preached contrary to the theological notions of his time such ideas relating to the Trinity, the atonement, conversion, and the relations of the natural and the supernatural. He also opposes the notion that theology can be explained logically and absolutely just like any intellectual activity. He believes that individual believers have a case-to-case and unique spiritual experience differing from each other based on their unique individual spiritual make-up (Sklansky, 2002). Bushnell's major ideas and convictions are explained and contained in his four books entitled: Christian Nurture (1847), Nature and the Supernatural (1858), The Vicarious Sacrifice (1866), and God in Christ (1849). In Christian and Nature Bushnell discusses his opposition to revivalism and focuses the Christian thought on the youth. In this, he successfully influenced many minds. It explains the reasons why he does not agree with the emphasis the revivalists place on the conversion experience. In Nature and the Supernatural, he discusses miracles and promotes the possibility of humans to achieve supernatural qualities or the "supernaturalness of man." In addition, the book The Vicarious Sacrifice, contains his so-called "moral view" of the atonement of Christ contrasting it with the "governmental" and the "penal" or "satisfaction" theories. Moreover, in the book God in Christ, which contains an introductory entitled "Dissertation on Language as related to Thought," he is accused of being a heretic for he expresses a different view about the Trinity. He believes that the Godhead is not literally three but it is only human interpretation of the unfathomable greatness of God. Human, in contrast to God, sees God differently because of his/her inferior comprehension of the supreme deity (Sklansky, 2002). It is said to have been published after his "mystical experience that illumined the gospel for him." Although there were times when he irked others so much, he was spared of trial because his church severed its links from the local group that may have power to press charges against him. In other words, his church stood autonomously of any association or the rules of any denominational group. Furthermore, he was able to respond to his critics in his book Christ in Theology (1851). In it he argues that spiritual facts cannot be discussed precisely by human language and logic. They can only be expressed in "approximate and poetical language." He concludes by saying that "an adequate dogmatic theology cannot exist" (Sklansky, 2002). It is in this book where Bushnell expounds and defends his position about language in theology, saying that much of it is metaphorical in nature. However, Horace Bushnell proves that he still adheres to and believes the divinity of Christ as expressed in his writing entitled The Character of Jesus, forbidding his possible (Sklansky, 2002). As a

Comparison of Models Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparison of Models - Research Paper Example It is noteworthy that the major differences between psychological and multicausal models of addiction are based on their varied beliefs on the causes of addiction. Psychological model of addiction, which derives its understanding from a number psychological models key among them being psychoanalytic theory developed by Sigmund Freud, the behavioural and cognitive theories of psychotherapy. Psychological model asserts that addiction is motivated by psychological distress. In other words, this model of addiction is based on the belief that addiction is because of repression and unconscious mental processes (Raymond, 1998). Addiction in this sense is just a secondary problem as psychological problems takes precedence. This means that addiction is only a coping mechanism as at seeks to create an illusion of comfort away from internal conflicts in an individual’s life. For instance, Sigmund view all forms of addiction as a substitute for primitive sexual urges, which brings about an internal conflict and intensified guilt that is reengineered by an addiction cycle. Psychological model emphasizes on the intrinsic drives especially cognitive which motivate people to develop a cycle of drug use and dependence (Raymond, 1998). For instance, individuals are seen to develop a tendency of using drugs as form of self-medication to internal conflicts brought about by dysfunctional thought patterns. In other words, addiction personality is real and it is experienced constantly owing to the fact that it is used as a coping mechanism against stirred up emotions, traumatic experiences, sexual issues, fears, negative relationships, feeling of powerlessness. A number of things that individuals try to self medicate have been categorised into four groups and they include difficulty in self-care, the expression of emotions, troubled relationships and low

The Effectiveness Of Hay Groups Reward System Business Essay

The Effectiveness Of Hay Groups Reward System Business Essay This paper aims to examine and evaluate the reward system that Hay Group, a global management consulting company, develops to meet its clients needs. Specifically, the compensation and benefits system of the organization is analyzed and discussed in depth, by investigating the internal processes toward this function and by assessing how the reward system affects the overall performance of Hay Group. The performance of the reward system Hay Group has developed for its clients is evaluated by examining the results that clients experience (i.e. size, profitability, reputation, market share, competitiveness, equity value, and leadership position) Company Description Company Information Hay Group is a human resources consulting firm operating globally, which aims at dealing with people-related business issues, while transforming the clients strategy into reality. Specifically, it is a global company operating since 1943, composed of over 2600 specialists working in 85 offices in 47 countries, focusing on helping private, public or non-profit organizations realize and understand their potential. Areas of Expertise The Company helps its clients by designing and analyzing jobs, dealing with their reward system (i.e. compensation and benefits) as well as developing performance and talent management systems. Achievements Hay Group has managed to become the leading company in the industry it is operating. The depth and breadth of knowhow not only has made customers trust the recommendations it provides, but also has become the reason for further achievements. Hay Group gains ground thanks to the database of organizational management information it has built, which has been awarded as the worlds most comprehensive and rich database in the related field. The creation of Hay Job Evaluation methodology, which is used worldwide by over 8000 companies, is one of Hay Groups most significant accomplishments, which offers international recognition. Hay Group, through this method, stresses the link between business success, employee motivation, reward, and employee contribution in the business strategy of the company. Specifically, it wants that firms reestablish discipline within compensation programs and better align pay with value creation; to ensure that Hay Group tries to develop reward programs that reflect each organizations business strategy and serve the needs of both firms and employees (HayGroup, 2001). Hay Group Compensation and Benefit Function Hay Group has employs a range of methods to develop its reward system, on which the clients compensation system is also based on. The various components that Hay Group uses in developing compensation and benefit systems are divided into five groups: Reward Strategies Job Evaluation Total Reward Framework Reward Information Services Benefits Reward Strategies Each company needs a reward program that should be in alignment with the overall business strategy and organizational culture. Only through this alignment a firm can ensure that both employees and the organization itself each fulfill their needs. Hay Group when dealing with its clients, it tries to provide a reward strategy that creates real business value. One of the first steps is to set up a salary system, which is an essential tool that companies must consider if they want to retain their employees. What actually Hay Group does, is to balance the technical, business and behavioral factors involved in remuneration. It does that by working closely in an ongoing basis with employees of the client company, something that helps Hay Group understand the firms business strategy, model, overall culture, resource capabilities, and current reward system. The demographics of employees are then investigated and according to these, priorities for salary management programs are set. After doing so, potential base salary equity issues are analyzed, the competitiveness of the firms salary program is measured and finally, Hay Group the salary program is communicated to the firms members to guarantee the programs clear understanding. Hay Group is promoting the idea of the developing a reward architecture, which is a method to define why people are paid. By answering the question what you reward your people for, the company focuses on employees (i.e. demographics and needs of different groups), controls costs and ensures that the right message is delivered to employees. By conducting employee surveys aimed at the determination of what is valued most and by looking at results, Hay Group helps in determining whether reward system outcomes are aligned with the firms reward strategy. Investigating whether the compensation system stands in a satisfactory level in respect to competitors is also part of Hay Groups tactics. Benchmarking its clients as well as it selfs reward system is an effective technique to identify if remuneration is competitive enough to recruit and retain personnel. To achieve that Hay Group provides access to PayNet, a database that enables companies to benchmark pay and benefits, interpret data, make comparisons, identify implications and uncover potential issues in respect to their reward system. It is significant to mention that Hay Group when developing reward systems, it distinguishes reward objectives in respect to short-term or long-term incentives. Short-term incentives usually include efforts toward culture cohesion, commitment, engagement and specific team targets, while long-term incentives involve the alignment of rewards with shareholder interests, retain of people and competitiveness of the compensation system. Total Review Framework Compensation systems must be aligned with the overall strategy of the company and represent the business reality in order to be effective. Hay Group, to have a clearer understanding of its clients reward systems, engages in a holistic model, presented above, which has as a starting point the strategy of the firm. untitled.bmp Through this model Hay Group can better understand the current remuneration program of its clients, and then develop the appropriate base salary that represents the firms requirements and reward strategy. Job Evaluation Job evaluation is a significant component in measuring and determining the value of jobs within an organization, a technique that helps in the establishment of the pay structure. Hay Group has developed a number of job evaluation methodologies; to enhance its efforts it created Hay Group Spectrum, a practice considered to be the next generation HR solution. As mentioned by Aspasia Voulgari, one of the Managing Consultants of Hay Group based in Athens (Greece), Hay Group realized that companies started losing the real value of understanding their work with the application of job evaluation by following a fragmented approach; this, emphasized the necessity for creating a more holistic approach that combines reward decisions, talent management and structuring work. Jobs, employees, performance, structure and pay can be connected, and, in that way, work measurement, work alignment, work fit, and work value are united. st.bmp

What Buddhism and Christianity Teach about the Significance, Purpose, and Value of Human Life :: essays research papers

What do Buddhism and Christianity Teach About the Significance, Purpose And Value of Human Life? BUDDHISM " The concern of Buddhism is with man rather than with the material universe. The phenomenal world is held to be without substance and to be in a constant condition of flux. Man himself is no less impermanent than the material world."* Â ¾ Human life is subject to Anicca, the law of impermanence. This means that nothing ever stays the same To be born human is a rare opportunity. Buddhists take this notion so seriously that a story was written for the sole purpose of illustrating it. It is called ‘The Turtle and The Yoke'. A turtle is described, swimming around in the ocean, popping up for air every thousand years or so. It is claimed that the chance of being incarnated human are the same as that of the turtle putting his head through the yoke (which also floats around the ocean) on one of his trips to the top. It follows, therefore, that to waste it is to waste numberless lives spent trying to gain this precious rebirth and also the chance of enlightenment. The law of Karma says: All actions will entail consequences in the next life, so a Buddhist's freedom could be said to be somewhat compromised. This law means that, to be reincarnated human, you must live a near-perfect life. Any wrong doing on our part is foolish, because the condition experienced in present existence is regarded as having been caused by past deeds. It is beneficial, therefore, to use the golden opportunity wisely, as you are unlikely ever to get another `crack at the apple'. Buddhism and therefore human life is ‘a quest to free us and the world from suffering and to promote happiness.' CHRISTIANITY "Human life is the basis of all values; it is the source and indispensable condition for every human activity and all society" Each human is made in the image of God, with power to reason and choose. Therefore every human life should be cherished and preserved and all lives, rich or poor, strong or weak, young or old. ‘Society itself can be judged by its attitude towards its weaker members.' God `owns' our lives and bodies, or rather he gave them to us as a gift and we must not give it up or abuse it. "Do you know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit, which you have from God? You are not on your own, you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Pope Jean Paul II summed up this idea in a statement he issued in 1980.

Literary Criticism Quotes and Explanation Essay

â€Å"Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. † -Gene Fowler Fowler conveys that writing is a difficult, exacting task. The purpose of writing is to put our thoughts into words, and to make our words move our readers. Many writers are frustrated by their inability to put their thoughts onto paper. I have always had a difficult time writing. I find that I have good ideas, but that putting my thoughts into words is challenging. I find this problem in all kinds of writing, even projects I enjoyed like a short story we wrote in the 7th grade. I enjoy reading science fiction; it is the most interesting to me. I have always had a hard time picturing what I am reading in my head, but science fiction is easier to visualize. I dislike non-fiction the most because I find it uninteresting. â€Å"Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars. † -G. Flaubert Flaubert’s message is that human speech is imperfect and inelegant. Many people strive to speak fluently but aspects of their speech like word choice and grammar are imprecise. One way to express yourself when words do not work is body language. For example, if somebody doesn’t understand that you are trying to be sarcastic you can use body language to convey your message. You can also express yourself through art, like paintings or music. Some people also try to express themselves through the way that they dress. One advantage to using these methods is that you do not have to say anything but people can simply interpret your message. This can also act as a disadvantage because they might interpret it the wrong way.

American Indian Wars essays

American Indian Wars essays There is perhaps a tendency to view the record of the military in terms of conflict, that may be why the U.S. Armys operational experience in the quarter century following the Civil War became known as the Indian wars. Previous struggles with the Indian, dating back to colonial times, had been limited. There was a period where the Indian could withdraw or be pushed into vast reaches of uninhabited and as yet unwanted territory in the west. By 1865 the safety valve was fast disappearing. As the Civil War was closed, white Americans in greater numbers and with greater energy than before resumed the quest for land, gold, commerce, and adventure that had been largely interrupted by the war. The besieged red man, with white civilization pressing in and a main source of livelihood, the buffalo, threatened with extinction, was faced with a fundamental choice: surrender or fight. Many chose to fight, and over the next 25 years the struggle ranged over the plains, mountains, and the des erts of the American West. These guerrilla wars were characterized by skirmishes, pursuits, raids, massacres, expeditions, battles, and campaigns of varying size and intensity. In 1865, there was a least 15 million buffalo, ten years later, fewer than a thousand remained. The army and the Bureau of Indian Affairs went along with and even encouraged the slaughter of the animals. By destroying the buffalo herds, the whites were destroying the Indians main source of food and supplies. The only thing the Indians could do was fight to preserve their way of life. There was constant fighting among the Indian and whites as the Indians fought to keep their civilization. Indian often retaliated against the whites for earlier attacks that whites had imposed on them. They often attacked wagon trains, stage coaches, and isolated ranches. When the army became more involved in the fighting, the Indians started to focus on the white soldiers. I...

Astrology Essays - Astrology, Astrological Signs, Pseudoscience

Astrology Essays - Astrology, Astrological Signs, Pseudoscience Astrology Have you ever wondered what the signs of the Zodiac means? When we turn on the TV it seems we always see an advertisement on horoscope predictions. People call in and get the predictions they have been looking for. When the newspaper first arrives, some people go to the horoscope section first. They base the entire day or entire week on the report they get. It seems that this phenomenon is something all new, or is it? Astrology has been around since ancient times, even dating back to biblical days. Astrology has a long line of history and a bright future. We will attempt to cover that topic as well as the signs and elements of the Zodiac. The signs of the Zodiac include: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Astrologers also claim the planets play a role in many key factors. How do these things affect us? We will also look at astrology as a science; a way to predict and control your life and your destiny. Although many people refer to astrology as just being superstitious others say the predictions are not worth the paper they are written on. Many men and women have studied astronomy but we will look at Mother Shipton. What caused this woman to focus her life on the study of astrology? Why did she believe astrology could predict ones character or life? Was she just passing on false information or is the universe interrelated and everything is based on these Zodiac signs? Astrology is a phenomenon that dates back to biblical days. There is an ancient legend, that Adam received the doctrines and mysteries of astrology direct from his Maker and thus by foreknowing that the earth was to be destroyed first by fire and afterwards by water. (Thompson 17) Astrology has played an important role in our civilization. Starting with Adam and even being present in todays society. Different civilizations seemed to be practicing astrology independetely. People noticed the Sun in particular had a change on how crops grew. Many people viewed astronomy and astrology as a similar science until the 1500s. People knew by looking at the sun or what the size of the moon was when to plant crops or even when a baby was going to be born. These early astrologers were searching for their place in life. A place where they fit into the universe. They believed that every component of the universe was linked together and everyone had their own place. Every aspect of ones life was based on the planets and the stars. Even behavior was blamed on the position of the sun! Astrology is widely practiced today. Even today most farmers have a Farmers Almanac. This book tells you when to plant your crops, and many people have success. Some wont even think about planting crops without this information. This is a form of astrology, although many people do not realize it. A popular form of astrology is the Physic Friends Network. This is a 900 number you can call in to see what your sign is and how this affects you. The astrologers on the Physic Friends Network always seem to know what has happened in the past and what will occur in the future. Everyone who says they are astrologers obviously are not and its up to us to use our own judgment to decide. When you hear people talk about signs of the Zodiac you often Wonder what does that mean? Ancient astronomers noted that the sun makes a yearly journey across the celestial sphere, part of which is represented in the picture by the blue band. The ancient astronomers associated dates with the constellations in this narrow belt (which is known as the zodiac), assigning to each constellation of stars the dates when the sun was in the same region of the celestial sphere as the constellation. (Encarta 1999) Each Zodiac sign belongs to four different elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water. Fire is a positive element; this element focuses on changing energy from one form to another. Air is also a positive element that is associated with the spiritual part of life. Earth on the other hand is a

America at Mid Century (US History) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

America at Mid Century (US History) - Assignment Example He made decisions crucial to war and peace of the nations. What is significant about this case is not only about the children and schools but also about the human tendency to prejudice people according to their race, color, religion, gender and ethnicity. At that time, racial prejudice was so strife that blacks are not allowed to enter public facilities and to attend same schools. The case is significant as the ruling of the Supreme Court to stop racial segregation of the white and black children became a turning point of the country development. This ruling became the basis for the future legal policies of human rights {Brown vs. Board. 2004)). In 1954, the Brown vs. Board of Education was a legal protest on the right of the blacks to attend same school with the whites. The ruling of the law in favor of the blacks eventually opened the doors for equal treatment to children in education and to other public facilities. The case became so controversial that even President Eisenhower got so concerned and had to send army troops to Arkansas in 1957 at the height of the segregation crisis. (Almanac, p.554) The significance of the Brown Case can still be felt until this day. Today, color discrimination is almost non-existent and have accepted the blacks in the society not only in the United States but also worldwide. In fact, the United States have elected the first black U.S.

KAFKA, HAWTHORNE, AND COETZEE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

KAFKA, HAWTHORNE, AND COETZEE - Essay Example The protagonist of Kafka's The Trial, Josef K, and the protagonist of Coetzee's book share a lot in common, even if the latter book is more political than anything by Kafka. These issues, and the full power of Kafka's The Trial, will be explored in this paper. Many might suggest that Kafka's work has no fore-bearers and that it appeared fully formed. There is sense in this suggestion. The period and place in which his books and stories were written were historically unique. The First World War had demolished many naive beliefs about the world and the rapid industrialization of the modern world was creating difficult conditions for many people. World War II and the destruction of European Jewry lurked on the horizon. The sense of dread in Kafka's work seemed in some way to have the power of a fortuneteller. It is truly terrifying. It is almost as if Kafka knew what was awaiting the world. If he had lived, he too may have perished in the Holocaust. Nevertheless, there were works of lit erature before Kafka that in someways suggest his work. One of these is Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter. In this famous novel, Hester Prynne is branded with a scarlett A, after committing adultery. She is ostracized from her community and refuses to publicly identify the father of the child that is then illegitimately born. The community has turned against her. She is removed from the community by the force of the institutions that protect public morals. This is similar to Kafka's The Trial, but the most important distinction to be made, however, is what each authors' real subject is. Hawthorne's target is society's hypocrisy and its willingness to ostracize essentially good people. But however much we may dislike the methods of the town people and their treatment of Hester Prynne, we nevertheless recognize their cruelty and hypocrisy as deeply human. We are familiar with the human hypocrisy which these people represent. Additionally, we might even understand that adultery would be a big problem in a small town in New England during that period. The treatment of Hester may be over the top, but perhaps she did deserve some sort of censure. Kafka's work, however, is very different. There is little to be understood about the forces arrayed against his various protagonists. These forces are not really human, they seem to not even be living. In the Trial, Josef K. is accused of an unspecified crime which he did not commit. Although the i nstitution that tries him appears to be human, it is clear that it is instead a monstrous machine at work, slowly seeking to crush him. There can be no appeal to passion or humanity, as in the Scarlet Letter. Josef K. is trapped by forces that do not feel. At first, he feels like if he just explains himself to the court they will understand: â€Å"He had often wondered whether it might not be a good idea to work out a written defence and hand it in to the court. It would contain a short description of his life and explain why he had acted the way he had at each event that was in any way important, whether he now considered he had acted well or ill, and his reasons for each. There was no doubt of the advantages a written defence of this sort would have over relying on the lawyer, who was anyway without his

Admission proposal (Topic Data Mining) Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Admission (Topic Data Mining) - Research Proposal Example The need has motivated my desire to complete a PhD program on the subject and I believe that your supervision and capacity of your institution offers me the best opportunity to complete the program and to develop and influence implementation of the proposed framework. Existing literature identifies significance and challenges of data mining. Search techniques ensure availability of data for mining purposes (Weber and Horn 2013, p. 31), and this suggests ease of data mining and its popularity in organizations. FinancialPro.org is an example of sites that aid data search and its efficiency in availing data is a threat to data privacy and security. Roles of applications such as NoSQL in transforming data management also identify the need for â€Å"governance and stewardship† in operating data (Stiglich 2014, p. 22). Until the year 2013, according to Chen, et al (2013, p. 908), the available technique for ensuring privacy of data in data mining was inefficient and destroyed original data. While ensuring privacy achieved an ethical objective in data use, destroying original data established threats to reliability and validity of availed data. A new approach, which could be subject to other weaknesses, was therefore proposed. Current laws also i dentify a gap in regulating data mining because even though privacy laws exist, the scope of electronic data, especially data third parties possesses, undermines effectiveness of privacy laws. The United States’ fourth amendment suffers this weakness (Harvard Law Review 2014, p. 691) and situations in other countries such as Oman and Singapore suggest lack of suitable legal frameworks across many countries (Chesterman 2014, p. 51). While privacy establishes legal and ethical concerns over data mining, benefits of data mining are necessary for the contemporary environment. Moderating use of data mining is the solution and implementing the study will aid this. The following research question will be investigated. A

Fast Food and Free

Fast Food and Free Time Essay MIt is common for university students to have a semester break in between each semester in a year. It usually lasts for about 3 to 4 months. Consequently, students will feel bored during the semester break because they have nothing to do. In my opinion, university students nowadays do spend their free time wisely because they will find some job to fulfil their semester break before starting their studies, doing a short semester and making small business to earn money for their expenses. Firstly, university students nowadays do spend their free time wisely because during semester break, they will find a job to fulfil their semester break before resuming their studies. Usually, their popular choice would be part time job in fast food outlets such as KFC, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. By working, they learn the hardships of earning money and at the same time they are doing something beneficial. Besides, they can also use their salary to pay the fees for their next semester and thus they can reduce their parents’ burden. Secondly, university students nowadays do spend their free time wisely because some of students doing short semester for spend their free time in semester break especially for those repeaters, they can finish the repeat subject earlier and have no burden to take the subject again for the next semester. Beside that, repeater students will not taking a long time to finishing their studies and grading earlier. Lastly, university students nowadays do spend their free time wisely because most of them do a small business when semester break. For example they open a stall burger. They can help their family finance and also can pay for their expenses. Moreover they also can get more experience on how to make a business. At the same time, they also can spend some money for their personal saving. So, university students nowadays do spend their free time wisely.

Introduction To Teaching And Learning

Introduction To Teaching And Learning 1.1 Analyse the role of initial assessment in the learning and teaching process. Initial assessment should take place before a student commences a course to ensure they are on the right path (Ann Gravells 2007). It is about establishing your learners starting points and is a crucial part of the learning journey. It provides the information needed to decide a learners starting point and is the benchmark from which learners progress and measuring achievements. Doing an initial assessment not only allows the teacher to identify the learners needs, but also helps removes any barriers to learning they may have. Initial assessment should be done with the learner involved, it should be centered on the learner. As Green (2003, pp 5) states: Initial assessment needs to be done with learners rather to them. It should be of benefit to learners and help them feel positive about themselves and their potential to learn The outcomes of initial assessment help to form the individual learning plan (ILP). In fact, it would be difficult to supply all the information needed for an ILP without carrying out a thorough initial assessment. The obvious roles of initial assessment to summarize is to: Agree starting points Identify learning goals Plan routes towards these goals Help learners to feel positive about their potential 1.2 Describe and evaluate different methods of initial assessment for use with learners. Methods of initial assessment vary but it is important that they contain some form of skill/knowledge assessment, which can be validated by the teacher. Methods of initial assessment involve: Observation Interviews Discussions Questions Tests Observation Getting learners to do tasks / exercises to perform a certain skill and observing them lets you see how they are doing. Learners can do presentations about an exercise they have had to do on a topic covered in a lesson, you can observe them doing this and see how well they are doing. Interviews and Discussion Discussing with learners, asking them questions and listening to what they say provides information about how they are and any issues they might have. The interview process could cover things such as: Reasons for applying Previous experience Prior achievements Career aims and aspirations Questions These could be written or oral. If using the same questions for different learners, this could be a problem, as they may pass on the answers. Asking questions can be used to assess knowledge and understanding. Questions should be open which require an answer that demonstrates knowledge. (Ann Gravells 2007). Tests Not all learners are keen on tests; they are seen as very formal methods of assessing learning. A gapped handout can be a useful way of testing knowledge. Learners are presented with information with missing words that they need to fill in. 1.3 Evaluate ways of planning, negotiating and recording appropriate learning goals with learners. As part of initial assessment goals would have been recognised that the learner wants to work towards and achieve. The teacher and the learner would have formally negotiated and agreed upon them. Mager(1984) states: If you dont know where you are going, it is difficult to select a suitable means for getting there A supportive and respectful relationship between learners and the teacher will ensure that realistic goals and targets are agreed, and how their progress will be assessed and recorded (Gravells and Simpson 2008). When targets are being agreed with the learner, these should always be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound). By doing this, everyone is clear about what is to be achieved and why, when, where and how (Gravells and Simpson 2008). Recording the learning goals involves getting the learner involved, getting them to take ownership of them and to agree and negotiate them. All the goals and targets need to be recorded. After doing an initial assessment the information gathered from it allows a teacher to device an Individual Learning Plan (ILP). An ILP provides a record of the 5 stages of RARPA (Recognizing and Recording Progress and Achievement) and allows the learner to reflect on their own learning and achievements. The process of creating an ILP needs to involve the learners. They have to be individual to the learner and embed literacy, language, numeracy and ICT goals. By using regular tutorials and review sessions with the learner, allows the ILP to be updated and amended as needed. 2.6 Identify and evaluate opportunities for learners to provide feedback to inform practice. Reviewing the progress of a learner regularly gives them the opportunity to have a one-to-one with the teacher and gives the learner the opportunity to review where they are up to and to discuss their goals and achievements. Any problems they have can be discussed and evaluated and goals can be amended if needed. Having reviews is an informal way for the learner to give any feedback they may have about how the course is going on a personal level. Learners can be encouraged to give feedback by directly asking them questions. If classes are small and interactive and there is mutual trust and respect on the part of the learners and teacher, then posing questions directly to a class may be feasible. However, there is no scope for anonymity of learner responses and some learners may feel uncomfortable voicing less popular opinions in such a public manner. Learners could give anonymous feedback by means of a questionnaire handout about the course, they would fill it in and put into a box at the end of a lesson. Getting feedback online is a possibility. Learners could email the teacher at particular points in the course with their questions, and some brief comments about what they find useful or arent sure about. Obvious downfalls of using any online method is learners need to have internet access, but if the education establishment has this in place, it doesnt possess any problems. 3.1 Select/adapt, use and justify a range of inclusive learning activities to enthuse and motivate learners, ensuring that curriculum requirements are met. Once schemes of work and lesson plans are devised you need to begin delivering learning. Addressing the diversity of learners by selecting appropriate curriculum and course content is a critical aspect of inclusiveness. Using a mixture of visual, aural and kinaesthetic methods of delivery will help reach all the learning styles of your learners(Ann Gravells, 2007). By using learning activities that use the aforementioned delivery methods you can include all learners learning styles within the class. Remembering that lesson plans will have the courses curriculum learning objectives and outcomes on them we can identify what activities we can use. Some learning activities are: Demonstration Coaching Group exercises Role play By using activities that use a mixture of visual, aural and kinaesthetic methods, we can enthuse all learners. Demonstrations can motivate the learners by getting them to do something practical, for instance, get the learner to put a computer together by actually doing this rather than just discussing about it. The learner would be more enthusiastic and motivated as they are physically doing something; they are not passive, silent learners. Rewarding the student when they have successfully done their activity will motivate them to learn more. Demonstrations can be supported with handouts and other activities to support all learning styles. As Petty states: What the learner does is more important than what the teacher does. Coaching is a one-one or small group activity, which would involve the teacher giving a demonstration, which is then followed by an observation of the learners performance. Using coaching takes into account the needs of the individual. Group exercises could involve members of a group who have a certain skill mixing up with learners who have different skills. This would motivate the learners to work together and gain knowledge from each other and allow inclusive learning to take place. Ginnis(2002) pointed out that learners are more motivated, engaged and open when they have some control over their learning. 3.2 Analyse the strength and limitations of a range of resources, including new and emerging technologies, showing how these resources can be used to promote equality, support diversity and contribute to effective learning. The following are a few resources teachers generally use: OHPs Handouts Information and learning technology(ILT) OHPs have a great strength in the fact they can be used in daylight; you face the class and can therefore more easily control the group, get all the learners involved; it can be used with other aids; material can be prepared before a lesson or as the lesson develops and the material can be stored and used again. Limitations of using OHPs are learners cannot interact with them. They need to be positioned in a classroom so everybody can see the material being presented. If the classroom is large, learners sitting at the back may not be able to see the material clearly. Handouts are useful in the presentation of information or worksheets. Using presentation handouts have the limitation of the fact that learners may take them home and not read them. A handout can be a straightforward record of the teaching that has taken place, evidence indicates that handouts that are solely used in this manner rarely lead to sustained learning. (Armitage et al, 2003). Care must be taken if any learners are dyslexic with the use of colours on the handouts. Gapped handouts are a good way to evaluate if learning has taken place by getting the learners to fill in the missing words. It must be noted that handouts need to promote equality by not using words on them that are gender specific for example, male dominated wording. ILT refers to the use of information and communication technologies to support the core business of your organisation (Gravells and Simpson, 2008). ILT is a term used for the entire computer industry and covers a wide range of technologies. As all learners are individuals with different needs, from different cultural backgrounds, gender, race and different ages the use of ILT promotes equality and supports diversity. E-learning includes the use of electronic learning technologies; as previously mentioned this would include interactive whiteboards and data projectors and virtual learning environments. As each learner has different learning needs, there are different e-learning teaching methods. Some learners may prefer to learn when and where it is convenient for them, this can be achieved by distance learning from home or somewhere else. Learners are able to interact with their teachers and resource materials at a time of their choosing. The obvious limitation is that the learner needs to be self-motivated and may feel they miss out on one-to-one communication with their teacher, they can feel isolated. Using virtual classrooms that duplicates what is found in a real classroom provides teachers and learners to meet virtually; they dont have to be physically in the same room. This is known as asynchronous learning. Learners can engage with each other when it is most convenient for them to do so. They can leave a trail of their postings much like a blog for other learners and the teacher to see. Of course this has its limitations and is open for abuse. Limitations such as the learner could get somebody else to enter the virtual classroom for them; the learner needs to be computer literate and needs access to the internet. The use of audio aids help support diversity, if somebody in the classroom was partially sighted, they would hear the information that is being presented. The teacher could have an induction loop system in the classroom to include learners with a hearing impairment. By providing different environments and a range of resources, effective learning can take place. It is evident that by using a range of resources in teaching, different learning styles can be used which supports equality and diversity. 3.4 Select/adapt, use and justify a range of inclusive resources to promote inclusive learning and teaching. The education establishment should promote inclusive learning for everybody. Having easy access to classrooms by means of having lifts for wheel chair users is an important resource. Classrooms should be laid out in such a way that wheel chair access is easily established. Handouts are a clear way of showing if your learners are actually listening and learning. Consideration must be taken when designing handouts if some of your learners are dyslexic or have sight impairments use different colour paper and use a larger-sized font. You may need to photocopy handouts in order to give out to the class, but you may have run out of the budget allocated to you for photocopying. Instead of photocopying them you could email them to the learners and get them to print them out or you could use the education establishments learning platform such as WebCT and encourage learners to access them here. The use of the internet is a great resource for learning and teaching. Most learners would have access to computers at their place of study and have access to the internet. As we all know, the internet has a wealth of information and is a great learning tool. Teachers can use the internet to find lots of free resources by carrying out a search on their particular subject (Gravells and Simpson, 2008). Most educational establishments have access to library resource facilities; learners would be encouraged to use this to help with their learning and assignments. If there is no library resource you could adapt and use the local public library, which would have books, ICT and other useful resources for your learners. Some educational establishments have expert help available to both learners and those teaching them, responding to them and supporting their learning. These are often referred to as disabilities unit or equality unit and will usually contain personnel trained in identifying and responding to specific learning needs (Race, 2007). Their should be departmental help within the teachers department on such issues as ICT assistance, this could come from technicians to help with ICT equipment or a programme leader who could assist with helping the teaching get up to speed with new ICT equipment such as an interactive board. 4.1 Use and evaluate different communication methods and skills to meet the needs of learners and organisations. Communication is a means of passing on information from one person to another. It is also a manner of expression, for example, your body language, voice and gestures you make (Ann Gravells, 2007). Methods of communication involve: Verbal Non-verbal Written Feedback is a verbal communication skill that identifies clearly that learners are actively listening. Speaking clearly at the right pace is an important verbal communication skill. If some of the learners first language is not English, you need to be careful with use of words they may not be familiar with. Non-verbal communication includes such things as your body language, gestures, and even the way you sit. It is important you dress appropriately, act professionally and confidently, as the learners will observe your dress, manner and attitude. Written communication can be in the forms of a handout, email, computerised presentation to name a few. It can be used to direct the learners to do something such as direct them to a given location. Listening is an important communication skill. You need to be able to listen to what your learners say when giving responses and answering your questions. Not being able to listen to what your learners are saying and answering their questions satisfactory causes communication to break down. Empathy and sympathy are also skills of communication. You can express empathy when you have personally experienced something your learners have gone through. You can sympathise when you havent (Gravells and Simpson, 2008). 4.2 Evaluate own communication skills, identifying ways in which these could be improved including an analysis of how barriers to effective communication might be overcome. During part of my team-teach, I tried to communicate clearly and not use any jargon that could have misunderstood the learners. The information that was presented using the data projector was clear and not cluttered. I asked appropriate questions and listened to the learners responses. I felt I spoke too quickly during the team-teach and should have spoken slightly slower than normal. By speaking slightly slower would give the learners time to take in and assimilate what is being conveyed. When giving handouts, I made sure there werent any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors on them, failing to do this would lead to confusion for the learners. A skill to communicating effectively is to project confidence. Asking the right questions at the right time to get the information we need allows us to communicate effectively. Oral communication must be clear and not heavily accented. It must be accurate, not ambiguous or biased and be expressed in a professional manner. We must be aware of what the learners currently know, no point aiming a lesson at too high a level if the learners arent at that point this would lead to confusion. As Nickerson, (1999, 2001) stated: The curse of knowledge leads us to overestimate what others know. Testing communication prior to use can help overcome communication barriers. Learners may have cultural differences, which may have an impact on their literacy learning. Initial assessment may help here, once you are aware of any issues, you can work on them and communicate in a way that enables learners to interpret what you are conveying. The learners body language can help overcome barriers to communication. By using regular eye contact with all learners you can see the expressions on their faces and this helps identify if there is any communication problem. The learners themselves may have barriers; they may have preoccupations, which lead to lapses in concentration, or they may not understand the terminology being used, they may be colour blind thus handouts need to be adapted for them. Physical factors in the classroom play an important part in effective communication. The classroom layout needs to be correctly laid out in order for the learners to see and hear you, the lighting has to be good, and noise levels to a minimum. Introducing a complex topic can cause communication problems to the learners, to overcome this, you need to break the topic down and present it in logical manner. 6.1 Use regular reflection and feedback from others, including learners, to evaluate and improve own practice, making recommendations for modification as appropriate. Prior to doing the team-teach I had to do a micro-teach session and reflect on it. Having kept a reflective journal it was noted that I had to look at timing issues as I was trying to cram too much information into the session that made me run over time. With this taken on board, the team-teach session was done as to not cram too much information in and to try and get the timings more precise. I feel the information content was better, the timings were a little better, although the team-teach still went over time but I believe that was down more to the questions being asked from my peers. At the end of the team-teach, feedback handouts were given out to my peers, which provided me with an evaluation of the session and allowed me to look at possible modifications for future sessions I plan on doing. All the feedback was positive, everybody stated that they had learnt from the session, that the handouts had been clear, that a variety of teaching styles had been used and the visual aids had been used effectively. Some of my peers had commented on how the session may have been improved upon such as not to make the session too subjective and try not to use own opinions without providing evidence. These have been noted in my reflective journal and will allow me to improve my own practice. As well as using a handout for feedback I informally spoke to some of my peers to help me realise if the delivery of the team-teach had been successful or not. My communication skills need improving to make sure I speak clearly, and a little more loudly and slowly than normal. I have learnt that some of the words used in communicating verbally need to reflect equality and inclusiveness and not be biased in any way. I also need to identify which elements of the minimum core is being addressed, especially the specific ones and to add these to my lesson plans and scheme of work in future.

The Immigrants of America Essay -- Immigration

The culture of every ethnic group is beautiful in its own way and worth cherishing. Today, America is known as the great melting pot not for the number of immigrants it has but rather because of the wonderful cultures and traditions the immigrants brought with them. Immigrants do not need to forgo their mother tongue, significant celebrations or customs to become American. However to be socially accepted, they will need to learn English, take part in celebrating national holidays and fulfill their patriotic duties Americans like every other U.S citizens. It is important for immigrants to learn to speak and write in English while keeping their native tongue. Without knowing how to speak the common language here, it is impossible to blend in. I have seen Vietnamese people who migrated to the United States more than ten years ago but still speak little to no English. Most of them live in their little Vietnamese communities, subsisting off either minimal pay-checks from manual labor, such as giving manicures, or their relatives’ paychecks. They are like parasites that could literally die without their host. Foremost, they will put themselves in danger because they cannot read warning signs and prohibitions. If emergencies arise, these non-English speakers would not be able to explain the situation to a police officer. In the worse case, they will endanger others’ lives as well. These probably have their own reasons for not learning English but denial to learn when they have the potential is simply illogical when this would open so many doors, opportunities and win them the acceptance of the general population. Even Japanese people learn to speak English once they migrate to America although it is the taboo language in Japan. Immigra... ...nd Videos - For Dummies. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. . Yamaguchi, Kristi. "Faces of America - Kristi Yamaguchi." Interview by Henry L. Gates, Jr. PBS. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. . Parrillo, Vincent. â€Å"Causes of Prejudice†. Re-reading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. 8th Ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2010. 384-398 Rumbaut, Ruben G., Douglas S. Massey, and Frank D. Bean. Linguistic Life Expectancies: Immigrant Language Retention in Southern California. Tech. Population Council. Web. 17 Dec. 2010. .

Assignment One Essay

1.) What are some of the hardships faced by indentured servants in Virginia during the early days of the colony? a. Some of the hardships faced by indentured servants was disease such as â€Å"scurvy, bloody flux, and diverse other diseases.† Also, they have not much of a variety of food to eat, they eat â€Å"peas and loblollies†, and so they will do anything to be able to eat other variety of foods. The amount of food they get is shared between other men. Therefore their amount of food intake is not enough to make them full. They have clothes but they are old and dirty because they one of everything they wear. Since they do not have anything worth a penny, because if they do others steal it, they cannot have food other than peas. They cannot eat bread because it cost a penny and they don’t have a penny to buy anything. 2.) How does the physical location of Jamestown colony lead to many of the hardships described in this document? b. It seems they are close to possibly Indian attacks or people from other countries because he stated in the story â€Å"but yet we are 32 to fight 3000 if they should come.† He hasn’t seen any deer or venison since he arrived in Jamestown; therefore the meat source is not a great source for food reliability. It takes them a few days to retrieve cargo from the ships. They start to the shore and sleep the first night they get there, then unload the next day and start back to their home with the cargo. 3.) How have conditions at Jamestown affected the writer of this letter? c. He thinks negative about everything. He has nothing in Jamestown to call his own or â€Å"nothing to comfort him.† He expects the worse because people are dying by the hour. Not having much to eat, he doesn’t think he will survive much longer unless his he dies before he receives the package. He believes in God and that he can keep him alive if he drinks water, he heard. He tells his dad to have mercy and pity on him, that life in England was better because he had more food that filled him. He thanks his parents for providing all that they did while he lived in England. He loves his dad and doesn’t want his dad to forget him.

Impact of Technology Essay

Every day we cannot live without technology. We wake up in the morning, we take a bath, we have breakfast, we do our daily activities, and all are affected by something called technology. From the simplest form of it until the most complex one, technology filled our daily life. The famous phrase â€Å"Information Technology† of course is one of the forms of technology. Before we continue talking about technology, we must know its definition. Shortly, technology is something related to science and engineering, which is used by the human or other creatures in dealing with their environment, to make their life easier. The technology develops fast. From the ancient age to the modern age, there are billions of its products that have made our life easier. In prehistoric age, the ancient human created the tools made of stone. They also invented the wheel, which is very important to the next centuries. Imagine that there weren’t any invention of wheel. We must give a lot of energy to move our goods from one place to another. Many centuries later, there are a lot of important inventions for human’s life, such as the invention of telephone. Using it, we may communicate through long distances. And the latest technology which has given many changes to the world and is still being developed is the information technology. The development of technology gives some impacts to human beings and the other creatures. The positive impact is, it makes our life easier. Without the inventions of technology, I think we would live our lives just like the prehistoric men did. Technology, just like the other things in this world, also has negative impacts. I’ll give you three examples. First, technology takes out the filters, like social filter, cultural filter, and religious filter. We can see in Internet technology. Internet is a medium in which no filter and censorship. Without parental guidance, your children may consume inappropriate materials from the Internet. The second one is the decrease of your social skills. Too much usage of technology makes you more antisocial. In the past, children used to play traditional games with their friends outside the house. But now they prefer playing video games in their own room, all by themselves. The easy access of technology also makes you too dependent to it. In the past, our people had more memorizing skills. They had to memorize things, because there was no tool to use to record things, except notebooks (the original phrase of notebook, not the portable computer). But nowadays, by using the computer, you can save any information you want in its memory to retrieve it in another day. In advance, by using the Internet connection, you may search any information you need through any search engine like Google, Yahoo, Altavista instantly. Dealing with those negative impacts, what can we do? First, we must be aware of them. We must be aware that technology could also cause bad things. After that, we must give the people knowledge of those negative impacts and how to deal with them. The government also has to do some actions about this. They must give some regulations relating with the press and the media. It is just need to be done to protect our society, not to restrain the press. And then, to increase the social skills, we must create the real community; build the real network, makes friends in the real world, of course not in the cyber world. By doing that, it will take us back to our nature as social creatures.