Using Operant Conditioning to Increase Productivity Among Workers free essay sample

If I would be a manager of a large automobile factory, I would be interested in increasing the productivity among all workers. A good tool for this is Operant Conditioning. I would have 3 types of workers: white collar office employees, factory line workers, and quality control employees. I would use different techniques for each type. For quality control workers I would use punishment. If they didn’t notice a defect in the product that they were supposed to check, they would get a fine taken off their paycheque. I would use fixed ration scheduling for punishment, so that every mistake is noticed and punished. This will make them extra careful, and will increase the quality of the product on the market. This form of treatment – punishment – might make them angry. But they can’t express their anger on me because I’m their manager and I might fire them. So they will be angry with workers and will be checking product for defects with special passion. We will write a custom essay sample on Using Operant Conditioning to Increase Productivity Among Workers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For white-collar office employees and for factory line workers I would use Positive reinforcement. This technique will bring enthusiasm and optimism to workers, will create positive environment, and will increase their productivity. If I will reword workers for extra work done, or for being done the assignment before the due date, I will strengthen their motivation for work because it is followed by the presentation of reward (money added to the pay check). I would use variable ratio schedule for the rewords to be given out, meaning that on average I will reward every 5th outstanding achievement. I would not choose variable interval, because giving reward simply after a period of time wouldn’t bring the response as fast and efficient as I want.

A Capitalization Cheat Sheet

A Capitalization Cheat Sheet A Capitalization Cheat Sheet A Capitalization Cheat Sheet By Mark Nichol Capitalization is a bewilderingly complex issue, with many rules and exceptions. This post outlines the basic, most common guidelines for capitalization, with examples. Academic degrees: Lowercase- â€Å"bachelor’s degree†; capitalize entirety of most abbreviations (with a few exceptions, including PhD and DLitt) Academic disciplines: Capitalize only proper names- â€Å"Asian studies† (except as part of a full name of an entity (â€Å"the School of Business,† â€Å"the Department of Philosophy,† â€Å"the Commission on the Liberal Arts,† etc.) Acronyms and initialisms: Capitalize most abbreviations of proper names- NATO, FBI (but some style guides and writing handbooks call for using initial capitalization only for extensive and established acronyms, as with Nasdaq); most abbreviations for units of measurement are not capitalized, but check a dictionary or style guide for exceptions Animal names: Lowercase terms except in the case of proper names- â€Å"African elephant,† â€Å"Steller’s jay† (do the same for animal breeds, as in â€Å"Labrador retriever,† though specialized publications often capitalize all words in breed names); capitalize first word in binomial and trinomial nomenclature (â€Å"Homo sapiens,† â€Å"Gorilla gorilla gorilla†), but differentiate between nomenclature and popular name (â€Å"Pinus ponderosa,† but â€Å"ponderosa pine†) Astronomical terms: Capitalize most names of specific bodies and collections of bodies- â€Å"the Milky Way,† but â€Å"the solar system†; capitalize Earth (and Moon and Sun) in astronomical references but lowercase in terrestrial or figurative contexts- â€Å"The third planet is Earth,† but â€Å"The earth is flat† (do not capitalize earth when the word is preceded by the) and â€Å"Where on earth is he?† (and â€Å"The sun is about to rise† and â€Å"The moon is full†) Brand names and trademarks: Follow capitalization as used by the brand owner, but ignore logo format- for example, the brand names Lego and Time (the magazine) are treated as all-caps in the respective company logos; companies discourage genericization of trademarks such as kleenex and xerox, but writers have no obligation to honor such usage as â€Å"Kleenex Brand Facial Tissue† Color terms for ethnic identification: Lowercase unless a company or publication prefers otherwise- â€Å"black man,† â€Å"white people† Compass points: Generally lowercase, but capitalize in geopolitical contexts- â€Å"the Pacific Northwest,† â€Å"customs prevalent in the East†) Cultural terms: Look up specific terms, as treatment varies widely- â€Å"art deco,† but Beaux-Arts Emphasis: Capitalize only in ironic contexts- â€Å"He was apparently a Big Man on Campus†; do not capitalize entire words, except perhaps to denote a newspaper headline or signage (and then, small caps are recommended) Epithets: Capitalize key words- â€Å"Alfred the Great,† â€Å"Babe Ruth,† â€Å"Michael ‘Air’ Jordan,† â€Å"the Windy City,† â€Å"Big Pharma† File formats: The Chicago Manual of Style recommends capitalizing names of formats, but do so only in such usage as â€Å"I made a GIF from the video,† and lowercase (and precede with a dot) in references to files such as â€Å"The latest version of Microsoft Word uses the file extension .docx† Foreign terms: German capitalizes all nouns, but lowercase German words adopted into English- hausfrau, schadenfreude, weltanschauung (if it’s in the dictionary, it’s English) Generations: Lowercase except in the case of initials or other single letters- â€Å"baby boomers,† â€Å"generation X† Geographical names: Capitalize in proper names, but lowercase in generic usage- â€Å"the Mississippi River,† but â€Å"the river†; check style guides for variations such as â€Å"the Pacific coast†/â€Å"the West Coast†; lowercase metaphorical and nonliteral use of proper names- â€Å"manila envelope,† â€Å"They set out to create a utopia† Historical terms: Look up specific terms, as treatment varies widely- â€Å"the colonial period,† but â€Å"the Gilded Age† Honorifics: Capitalize key words- â€Å"the First Lady,† â€Å"Your Honor† (but â€Å"Yes, my lord†) Key commands: Capitalize words denoting switch, keyboard, and command functions- â€Å"the Pause button,† â€Å"the Command key,† â€Å"the Save command,† etc. Kinship names: Capitalize only in direct address or in place of or in combination with a name- â€Å"Yes, Mother,† â€Å"We’re going to Grandmother’s house,† â€Å"Uncle Joe† (but â€Å"my uncle Joe†) Laws, theories, and the like: Capitalize only proper names- â€Å"Newton’s third law,† â€Å"the Pythagorean theorem† Letters as letters: Capitalize only if the letter is specified as an uppercase letter- â€Å"a capital C† (exception: letter grades, as in â€Å"She earned four As†) Letters as shapes or musical notes, or points, concepts, or hypothetical names: Capitalize- â€Å"a V-shaped symbol,† â€Å"from point A to point B,† etc. (exception, lowercase- but italicize- letters in rhyming schemes, as in â€Å"an abab pattern†) Medical conditions: Capitalize only proper names- â€Å"Alzheimer’s disease,† but â€Å"muscular dystrophy† Natural events and phenomena: Capitalize names of storms but otherwise lowercase generic words- â€Å"Hurricane Harvey,† but â€Å"the San Francisco earthquake† Organizational entities: Capitalize in proper names, but lowercase in generic usage- â€Å"the Federal Bureau of Investigation,† but â€Å"the bureau†- and â€Å"the federal government†); lowercase generic versions of entity names- â€Å"the company,† â€Å"the museum,† â€Å"the committee,† etc.; lowercase the preceding entities’ names (unless house style allows exceptions) People’s names: Capitalize names of real and fictional people, but lowercase figurative usage- â€Å"Jack Nicholson,† â€Å"Jack Sprat,† but â€Å"every man jack†; capitalize personifications- â€Å"Mother Nature,† â€Å"Ol’ Man River† Prefixes for proper names: Look up specific terms, as treatment varies- pre-Columbian, but transatlantic Seasons: Lowercase- winter, spring, summer, fall Titles of compositions: Capitalize key words- â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† (check a style guide for specifics) Titles of jobs and offices: Capitalize key words before the name (except when modified) and lowercase after the name or in isolation- â€Å"Director of Marketing John Smith,† â€Å"Pastor Jane Jones† (but â€Å"former director of marketing John Smith,† â€Å"John Smith, director of marketing,† and â€Å"the director of marketing,† as well as â€Å"the pastor†); capitalize in direct address (â€Å"As you were, Sergeant†) or in formal written contexts or in a ceremonial or promotional list Titles of nobility: Capitalize before names and when using full title in isolation- â€Å"There’s Prince Charles,† â€Å"the Duke of Windsor† (but â€Å"the duke†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should AvoidThat vs. WhichThe Two Sounds of G

The Importance of Providing the Best Learning Condition Through Online Public Schooling for ADD/ADHD Students

The Importance of Providing the Best Learning Condition Through Online Public Schooling for ADD/ADHD Students Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn† (King p. 126). For the ADD/ADHD student, providing the best learning condition is often overwhelming and seems impossible to achieve. Online public schooling is a solution to meeting this type of student’s educational needs. An online education addresses an ADD student’s need for a more individualized, self-paced/flexible learning experience. Organizational skills are easier to manage in an online system. The community of learners, who have the same interests as the student, is broadened to include the world and not limited to a small classroom. Teachers state that â€Å"ADD students, who have difficulty learning in a traditional classroom, often do better in a setting that provides them with a more individualized, self-paced and flexible learning experience.†(Schwartz) Online public education is one way to provide this type of experience. Traditionally, in a brick and mortar school, many ADD students raise their hand to ask a question and the teacher never answers, while others get into trouble for asking too many questions. In online schooling, a student is able to think about an answer to a question before discussing it. One source has stated, â€Å"It also helps students who need time to gather their thoughts during a discussion† (Rae Jacobson). In online schools, such as Texas Connections Academy, livelessons are provided (and recorded) to aid students in these types of discussions. If the student is unable to attend the livelesson, or needs to hear the information again, the student is able to replay the lesson as many times as they need until they understand the concept. The â€Å"re-watching† of a lesson is not possible in a traditional school. An online student is able to complete the schoolwork at their own rate. Students can work at a time of the day that best fits their biological clock. â€Å"Your child can choose the time of day or night when he works best† (Rae Jacobson). Since some ADD students learn faster than others, an online school gives the student the opportunity to move on. They do not have to sit there and wait on other students to finish before moving on to the next assignment. Individualized learning and the ability to succeed, is a must for all students with learning difficulties. ADD students often have difficulty with organizational skills and completing tasks on a strict time schedule. For an ADD student, going from class to class can be challenging. A brick and mortar school requires students to carry all of their supplies and switch between teachers, assignments, and classrooms in a timely fashion (Cedar Hill High School). Traditional schools expect students to sit rigidly at a desk that does not fit the shape of the student’s body. In an online public-school system, students do not have to carry around textbooks, or supplies. A majority of their schoolwork is already organized right in front of them. Everything is at the student’s fingertips. The classroom is the students home or library. The optimum learning time for ADD students can vary. Brick and mortar high school students are on a fixed schedule and students must attend classes at a designated time and complete homework assignments in the evenings (Cedar Hill High School). Online stud ents have the ability to access and complete the class materials at any time, day or night. From my personal experience with Texas Connections Academy, I know that you are able to get access to your lessons and especially the message board, at any time of day. Your child can choose the time of day or night when he works best. â€Å"There is no set class schedule so you can attend class any time of day† (Southwestern Oklahoma State University). The burden of being super-organized and on a time crunch is virtually eliminated in an online school. Opponents of online school say â€Å"There’s something about watching a movie with a large group of people that is different from watching it all alone. Same for the classroom, it’s a group experience† While the quote itself may be true, this argument is narrow in its statement. Online education is beneficial and actually broadens the community for the ADD student. The student is no longer stuck in a small room. They have the ability to be a part of a group of people with the same interests all over the world. Thomas Jefferson believed in learning from others and practicing what he learned from others. Online schooling can increase the cultural experiences of the student. â€Å"It is important for students to have a deeper global awareness and understanding of other cultures† (Josà © Picardo) from any part of the world. The greatest way for a student to learn about another part of the world is to talk to a person who lives in that part of the world. Choos ing an online school, like Texas Connections Academy, keeps in mind the importance of social interactions and includes field trips as part of their curriculum. A student is not limited in an online classroom and has the possibility of learning more by talking to people from around the world and listening to their story of an event first hand, instead of reading a boring textbook in a traditional classroom. The impossible is possible with online schooling. Meeting an ADD/ADHD student’s individual learning style is important in order for them to have a successful educational experience that prepares them for the real world. Online schooling is the real world. The community of learners, who have the same interests as the student, is massive. Flexible learning can help meet the needs of a diverse range of students, allowing students to combine their work, their study, and even their family, and enables the students to develop skills and attributes to successfully adapt to change† (Ryerson University). Online, flexible learning, gives students the choice of when, where, and how they learn. All students can learn, if given the right condition to do so. An online education opens a door for the learning challenged student to be competitive in the 21st century. George W. Bush once said â€Å"†¦We’ll never be able to compete in the 21st century unless we have an educati on system that doesn’t quit on children, an education system that raises standards, an education that makes sure there’s excellence in every classroom† (Bush p. 2495). Online schooling is that classroom that provides excellence for ADD/ADHD students.

Stigma of mental illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stigma of mental illness - Essay Example People who suffer from a mental illness not only â€Å"struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease† but they also â€Å"are challenged by the stereotypes and prejudice that result from the misconceptions about mental illness, and as a result of both, people with mental illness are robbed of the opportunities that define a quality life: good jobs, safe housing, satisfactory health care, and affiliation with a diverse group of people† (Understanding the Impact of Stigma on People With Mental Illness, P.Corrigan and A.Watson, 16) Mental illness is perceived by society as an indulgence or a sign of weakness. Surely the affected person has brought it upon himself to live this way. It leads the sufferer to feel shame, to feel isolated and be socially excluded, to be discriminated against and be faced with stereotypes that are difficult to overcome. Even self-stigmatization can result which includes low self esteem, so the affected person not only feels stigma from society, but from themselves as well. (Stigma of Mental Illness and ways of Diminishing It, P. ... So why, as a society do we not attempt to educate ourselves about mental illness and why do we allow the stigma to continue? As a society, our beliefs are largely affected by the media; everything we think, believe, or discriminate against can be drawn from the media and its messages. Media is such a powerful tool and if used properly, can be a wonderful resource, but so often, the messages we receive are flawed. The Canadian Mental Health Association has compiled the results of many reports into its paper Mass Media and Mental Illness: A Literature Review (Dara Roth Edney, 2004). They found that the media repeatedly portrays people with a mental illness as being incapable of both developing opinions and speaking on their own behalf, as being unstable, unpredictable, disheveled, helpless, and appearing lost and confused, to lack comprehension and as being unproductive failures. The media also makes it appear that violent crimes committed by people with a mental illness are common and that the general public has reason to fear them. Imagine if it was you or a loved one battling a mental illness and having popular culture discriminate against you in this way. How would you feel and how would you want the messages that media sends us to change? While the majority of our media messages are negative in nature, there have been small steps taken to try to change the views of society. The television program Monk and the movie As Good As It Gets are both examples of stories that revolved around characters with a mental illness. Unfortunately these are just two examples in a medium that produces thousands of products each year. For society to fully accept the mentally ill as people and not as people with a problem, the media needs to step up

Heidegger and das Gestell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Heidegger and das Gestell - Essay Example In his writing, he states that the world which is dominated by technology will also result in the forgetfulness and unawareness and he also asks the participants to contemplate and think deeply about the question of technology, its importance and also the possible effects on the human life. The technological change was certainly very significant and transformational shift in a short period of time and Heidegger attempted to capture the most significant aspect of the change by means of a concept called Gestell, which is normally translated as â€Å"Enframing† lexically meaning â€Å"frame† or â€Å"rack† in German, but philosophically it is a newly invented word which acquires its meaning from some of the other related concepts built around the root-verb of stellen (meaning to place); just as in herstellen (to make), & vorstellen (to represent), and also the word Gestalt (meaning pattern) (Ruin, 2010). One of the most famous & talked about essays from Heidegger’s earlier period was â€Å"The question concerning technology†, which he delivered in 1953 as a lecture. He writes there, â€Å"We now name the challenging claim that gathers man with a view to ordering the self-revealing as standing-reserve: Ge-stell [enframing]† (El-Bizri, 2000: 86). The statement mention is surely puzzling and hard to understand. So in order to comprehend the correct meaning of the statement and the importance of the idea of Gestell as Heidegger believed, the statement needs to be considered in a very specific context based not only on his thoughts and ideas about technology but also his understanding of the meaning of being and history beyond those terms. Gestell is a German word and it was used by the philosopher Martin Heidegger when he was describing the elements behind or beneath modern technology. Das Gestell means enframing and Heidegger used this word for defining our current constellation of intelligibility. When some term is translated from one language to another there are, more often than not, changes in the true meaning of the word and at times such changes lead to major problems concerned with larger concepts of technology and then comes up the idea of â€Å"enframing† (Gestell). â€Å"In the idea of Gestell lies the idea of information† (Heidegger, 1982). The reason behind Heidegger using this word for defining the notion is that it completely and fully defines the idea. â€Å"By etymologically connoting a gathering together (‘Ge-’) of the myriad forms of stellen (’to set, stand, regulate, secure, ready, establish’, and so on), it succinctly conveys his understanding of the way in which our present ‘mode of revealing’ – a ‘setting-upon that challenges forth’ – forces the ‘presencing’ (anwesen) of entities into its metaphysical ‘stamp or moldâ€℠¢ (Pragung) (Thomson, 2001: 248-249). Das Gestell is a metaphysical paradigm and like the other such paradigms, it is also for determining what the world that we know of means and signifies. From the perspective of das Gestell the world is simply a place from where one can get resources. According to Heidegger, das Gestell is â€Å"nothing technological, nothing on the order of a machine. It is the way in which the real reveals itself as standing reserve† (Ralkowski, 2009: 159). â€Å"We now name that challenging claim which gathers man thither to order the self-revealing as standing-reserve: "ge-stell" (enframing). We dare to use this

Performance Appraisal Essay Example for Free

Performance Appraisal Essay A performance appraisal is a systematic and periodic process that assesses an individual employee’s job performance and productivity in relation to certain pre-established criteria and organizational objectives. Historically, performance Appraisal has been conducted annually (long-cycle appraisals), however many companies are moving towards shorter cycles (every six months, every quarter), and some have been moving into short-cycle (weekly, bi-weekly) appraisals. PA is often included in performance management systems. PA helps the subordinate answer two key questions; first, What are your expectations of me? second, How am I doing to meet your expectations? Performance management systems are employed â€Å"to manage and align all of an organizations resources in order to achieve highest possible performance. How performance is managed in an organization determines to a large extent the success or failure of the organization. Therefore, improving PA for everyone should be among the highest priorities of contemporary organizations. A central reason for the utilization of performance appraisals is performance improvement initially at the level of the individual employee, and ultimately at the level of the organization. Other fundamental reasons include â€Å"as a basis for employment decisions (e. g. promotions, terminations, transfers), as criteria in research (e. g. test validation), to aid with communication to establish personal objectives for training programs, for transmission of objective feedback for personal development as a means of documentation to aid in keeping track of decisions and legal requirements and in wage and salary administration. Additionally, PAs can aid in the formulation of job criteria and selection of individuals â€Å"who are best suited to perform the required organizational tasks†. A PA can be part of guiding and monitoring employee career development. PAs can also be used to aid in work motivation through the use of reward systems. The latest mantra being followed by organizations across the world being – get paid according to what you contribute – the focus of the organizations is turning to performance management and specifically to individual performance. If the process of performance appraisals is formal and properly structured, it helps the employees to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities and give direction to the individual’s performance. Potential benefits  PAs can benefit an organization’s effectiveness. One way is PAs can often lead to giving individual workers feedback about their job performance. From this may spawn several potential benefits such as the individual workers becoming more productivity. Other potential benefits include: * Facilitation of communication: communication in organizations is considered an essential function of worker motivation. It has been proposed that feedback from PAs aid in minimizing employees’ perceptions of uncertainty. Fundamentally, feedback and management-employee communication can serve as a guide in job performance. Enhancement of employee focus through promoting trust: behaviors, thoughts, or issues may distract employees from their work, and trust issues may be among these distracting factors. Such factors that consume psychological energy can lower job performance and cause workers to lose sight of organizational goals. Properly constructed and utilized PAs have the ability to lower distracting factors and encourage trust within the organization. * Goal setting and desired performance: PAs provide room for discussion in the collaboration of these individual and organizational goals. Collaboration can also be advantageous by resulting in employee acceptance and satisfaction of appraisal results. * Performance improvement: well constructed PAs can be valuable tools for communication with employees as pertaining to how their job performance stands with organizational expectations. â€Å"At the organizational level, numerous studies have reported positive relationships between human resource management (HRM) practices and performance improvement at both the individual and organizational levels. Determination of training needs: PAs can especially be instrumental for identifying training needs of new employees. Finally, PAs can help in the establishment and supervision of employees’ career goals. Potential complications Despite all the potential advantages of formal performance appraisals (PAs), there are also potential drawbacks they are: * Detrimental to quality improvement: it has been proposed that the use of PA systems in organizations adversely affect or ganizations’ pursuits of quality performance. It is believed by some scholars and practitioners that the use of PAs is more than unnecessary if there is total quality management. * Negative perceptions: â€Å"Quite often, individuals have negative perceptions of PAs†. Receiving or the anticipation of receiving a PA can be uncomfortable and distressful and potentially cause â€Å"tension between supervisors and subordinates†. If the person being appraised does not trust their employer, appraiser or believe that they will benefit from the process it may become a tick box exercise. Errors: PAs should provide accurate and relevant ratings of an employee’s performance as compared to pre-established criteria/goals Nevertheless, supervisors will sometimes rate employees more favorably than that of their true performance in order to please the employees and avoid conflict. * Legal issues: when PAs are not carried out appropriately, legal issues could result that place the organization at risk. PAs are used in organi zational disciplinary programs as well as for promotional decisions within the organization. The improper application and utilization of PAs can affect employees negatively and lead to legal action against the organization. The most significant reasons of using Performance appraisal are: * Making payroll and compensation decisions * Training and development needs * Identifying the gaps in desired and actual performance and its cause * Deciding future goals and course of action * Promotions, demotions and transfers * Other purposes (including job analysis and providing superior support, assistance and counseling) Human resource management performance management Human resource management (HRM) conducts performance management. Performance management systems consist of the activities and processes embraced by an organization in anticipation of improving employee performance, and therefore, organizational performance. Consequently, performance management is conducted at the organizational level and the individual level. At the organizational level, performance management oversees organizational performance and compares present performance with organizational performance goals. The achievement of these organizational performance goals depends on the performance of the individual organizational members. Therefore, easuring individual employee performance can prove to be a valuable performance management process for the purposes of HRM and for the organization. Many researchers would argue that â€Å"performance appraisal is one of the most important processes in Human Resource Management†. Methods of collecting data There are three main methods used to collect performance appraisal (PA) data they are Objective production The objective production method consists of direct, but limited, measures such as sales figures, production numbers, the electronic performance monitoring of data entry workers, etc. 6] The measures used to appraise performance would depend on the job and its duties. Personnel The personnel method is the recording of withdrawal behaviors (i. e. absenteeism, accidents). Most organizations consider unexcused absences to be indicators of poor job performance, even with all other factors being equal; however, this is subject to criterion deficiency. The quantity of an employee’s absences does not reflect how dedicated he/she may be to the job and its duties. Especially for blue-collar jobs, accidents can often be a useful indicator of poor job performance, but this is also subject to criterion contamination because situational factors also contribute to accidents. Judgmental evaluation Judgmental evaluation appears to be a collection of methods, and as such, could be considered a methodology. Judgmental evaluations are the most commonly used with a large variety of evaluation methods The main methods used in judgmental performance appraisal are: * Graphic Rating Scale: Graphic rating scales are the most commonly used system in PA. On several different factors, subordinates are judged on how much of that factor or trait they possess. Typically, the raters use a 5- or 7-point scale; however, there are as many as 20-point scales. * Employee-Comparison Methods: rather than subordinates being judged against pre-established criteria, they are compared with one another. This method eliminates central tendency and errors. The rank-order method has raters ranking subordinates from â€Å"best† to â€Å"worst†, but how truly good or bad one is on a performance dimension would be unknown. The paired-comparison method requires the rater to select the two best subordinates out of a group on each dimension then rank individuals according to the number of times each subordinate was selected as one of the best. * Behavioral Checklists and Scales: behaviors are more definite than traits. The critical incidents method concerns â€Å"specific behaviors indicative of good or bad job performance†. Supervisors record behaviors of what they judge to be job performance relevant, and they keep a running tally of good and bad behaviors. Performance appraisal interviews The performance appraisal (PA) interview is typically the final step of the appraisal process. The interview is held between the subordinate and supervisor. The PA interview can be considered of great significance to an organization’s PA system. It is most advantageous when both the superior and subordinate participate in the interview discussion and establish goals together. Three factors consistently contribute to effective PA interviews: the supervisor’s knowledge of the subordinate’s job and performance in it, the supervisor’s support of the subordinate, and a welcoming of the subordinate’s participation.

Chernobyl Essay -- Nuclear Chernobyl History Essays

Chernobyl On April 26, 1986 disaster struck the world. It was not a disaster like any other before. A new type of death was now shown to the world. Although during World War II people encountered radiation sickness and death, that was sadly intended. The explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear powerstation was undoubtedly the worlds largest nuclear accident. That was the difference. It was accidental, and although innocent people were killed or made sick in the past from radiation, this would prove to be the most disastrous of any incident (other that war) involving radiation. First of all, I should tell you exactly where Chernobyl is. Chernobyl is a rather small town in the Ukraine right near Belarus. It is north of Kiev, the Capital of Ukraine. Kiev is only One hundred and ten kilometers away from Chernobyl and has a population of 2.4 million. Chernobyl’s population is 12,500. In 1986, 10 percent of all the worlds nuclear energy was generated by the USSR. By the year of the accident (also 1986) 4 reactors at Chernobyl’s power station were the most modern reactors to date. These are known as the RBMK type. RBMK is a Russian acronym and when translated roughly means â€Å"reactor cooled by water and moderated by graphite.† This is one of two types of reactors that Soviets have built for the production of nuclear power. The reactor is made up of Three main important parts. The reactor vessel- this houses all other reactor parts. The Core- this consitsts of a huge container filled with the graphite blocks and the Control Rods which are long metal rods. In the Chernobyl reactors, these rods contain boron. They help to control chain reactions by absorbing f... ...incident, put an end to the development of nuclear power plants. Since 1979 no new nuclear power plants have been builtâ€Å"...http://library.thinkquest.org/3426/data/worldwide-effects/rest.html The fact that no more nuclear power plants have been created has created a big issue. Eventually we may be forced to build a new one. In fact plans are already being discussed about how to go about building these or finding alternative energy sources. Storage is also a problem because of the nuclear waste, that no one wants to claim responsibility for, and no one wants to deal with the risks of it. (nimby) So in a few years, changes are going to occur, and I heard it here in class first. That when we hear about the National Guard escorting trucks to Alaska through Canada or trucks containing nuclear waste being escorted through highways, the change has begun.

Peer Pressure Is More Beneficial Than Harmful Essay

Good morning teachers and my fellow students, today my topic of this debate is â€Å"Peer pressure is more beneficial than harmful† and I am in favor of it. Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is â€Å"formally† a member (for example, political party, trade union),or a social clique. A person affected by peer pressure may or may not want to belong to these groups. They may also recognize dissociative groups with which they would not wish to associate, and thus they behave adversely concerning that group’s behaviors. Peer pressure is when â€Å"friends† persuade you to doing something that you do not want to do. But maybe you want to do it, and you just don’t have the courage to do it and your friends talk you into it. Positives Peer pressure is not always bad. It can help you analyze yourself and contemplate on your ways of life. If you are fortunate to get a good peer group, your peers can play a vital role in the shaping of your personality. Their way of looking at life may influence you to change for betterment. Some of your peers are your close friends, who do not pressurize you to do things but rather inspire you to change yourself. Your peer group may actually persuade you to bring about a constructive change in your personality. Peer pressure can lead you to make the right choices in life. If you are fortunate to get a good peer group, your peers can play a vital role in the shaping of your personality. Their way of looking at life may influence you to change for betterment. It helps define who we are and how we feel about subjects in our lives. It is how we chose to react to peer pressure that defines who we are as an individual. Are we a leader or a follower? Both types of people are needed to make the world go around. Responsible behavior. Not all middle schoolers spend weekends getting into trouble. Many spend time doing things with their families, playing sports, babysitting, engaging in hobbies or reading. A typical weekend for your child’s friends will probably become a typical weekend for your child, too. Self-esteem. Many of the things children do because of peer pressure are not harmful. They may all like a certain hairdo or the latest pop band. Being like other kids makes them feel they belong ²and that is a very important feeling to a middle school child. Connection to school. Children don’t always fall in with the  ³wrong crowd. ´ Very often they fall in with the right crowd ‘one that cares about schoolwork, participates in activities, and tries to succeed. Such friends can motivate your child. Good peer pressure is being pushed into something that you didn’t have the courage to do or just didn’t cross your mind to do. However, as you think about it, it seems like a good thing to do. Good peer pressure can also be a situation when your friends convince you not to do something you were going to do because it wasn’t in your best interest. Some people say that good peer pressure is when you get pushed into something that you didn’t want to do and it turned out well. Well, this may be nice, but ask yourself this question: how do you know â€Å"ahead of time† whether what you are doing will turn out good or bad? Can you? Most people can’t, but if you can, your problems may be solved! When the time comes for you to make these big decisions, it is important to think before deciding. Take as long as you need just to think about whether you want to do it, think about whether you should, and finally think about the consequences. These are the important things that must be done before any big decision is made. Also, knowing who is asking you to do something helps you make the decision. If the person is not your friend, you should really consider what they want you to do, but if you know, trust and respect this person then you might seriously consider what they ask. But how do you know? For each person, deciding who is your friend or not, is a difficult decision. It might be of benefit for you to develop some sort of personal grouping system of your friends and depending on what group they fall into will determine how strong an influence you allow them to have in your life.

Resolving Ethical Business Challenges Essay

Peter had been a human resource (HR) manager for 18 years and vice president for 2 more years for Zyedego Corporation, a small company in New Orleans. In the last decade, there have been many changes to what potential/actual employees can be asked and what constitutes fair and equitable treatment. Frankly, the situation Peter was in was partly his own fault. The first issue began when Gwyn, one of Peter’s HR managers, was planning on rehiring Dana Gonzales but found out that Dana was pregnant. Because of the â€Å"rough† condition of the workplace, Gwyn was concerned for Diana’s safety. If Dana were rehired, employees’ hourly wages should be decreased by 25 percent because the company had experienced setbacks during the hurricane and had to work with a reduced budget. In addition, Gwyn had some concerns over Dana’s citizenship because her passport appeared to be questionable. Dana had been slowing providing the documents since the flood destroyed th e original documents. Then Dana stated that if not rehired she would go to a competitor and expected the company to pay severance of two weeks’ wages for the time she was out of work during the hurricane. Another issue is the hiring of truck drivers. Zyedego hires many truck drivers and routinely requests driving records as a part of the preemployment process. Several of the potential new hires have past DWI records. Gwyn has hired some drivers with infractions to secure the necessary number of drivers needed to the company. Zyedego has even deeper problems when Hurricane Katrina killed Guy Martin. The company’s death benefits provide only 50% of the deceased pension for a surviving spouse. Also, because the body had not been found, there was legal question of death. Darell Lambert, the chief adjuster for Zyedego’s insurance and pension provider, proposed that it will be helpful for the company’s recovery and survival to reduce the total reimbursements by 40%. Here is the point where Peter’s decision making comes to play. QUESTIONS: 1. What are the legal and ethical risks associated with the decision about hiring truck drivers at Zyedego? * 2. What should Peter recommend to Gwyn about Dana’s case? * Peter should recommend to Gwyn not to rehire Dana due to questionable citizenship. The company may be liable if proven that Dana is not a resident of New Orleans. 3. Do you think Peter is too emotionally attached to the Martin case to make an objective decision? * Yes. Because Peter wanted to help the 100 families even if there is a need to cut down the total reimbursement by 40%. There is the assurance that the 100 families will receive financial assistance from the company but not the exact amount as stated. Conclusion: * Regarding the issue of hiring the truck drivers, it is unethical for Gwyn to hire employees only for the sake of securing the numbers of workers needed to perform the job. Gwyn should take consider of the implications of her ineffective decision making on hiring drivers with records of infractions. Still, there is a probability of recurrence. * On Dana’s case, it will be ethical for Peter to recommend not rehiring Dana because of the â€Å"uncertainty† about her citizenship. If proven that Dana is not a citizen of New Orleans, then there is misconduct on Dana’s point of view because she had not provided a reliable document regarding her nationality requirements if she is really permitted to work in New Orleans. * On Martin case, Peter had to take some considerations of implementing some actions for the survival of the business. As an ethical leader, Peter should consider stakeholder’s interest at the same time. His decision should be in the process that is respectful of them not only for the firm’s survival.

Maxist View of Rose for Emily and Odour to Chrysanthemums Essay Example

Maxist View of Rose for Emily and Odour to Chrysanthemums Essay Example Maxist View of Rose for Emily and Odour to Chrysanthemums Paper Maxist View of Rose for Emily and Odour to Chrysanthemums Paper Essay Topic: Anthem The Chrysanthemums Marxism was a critical approach used by many writers. Authors, of that period, paid close attention to details and accurate facts. Marxism typically refers to a diverse set of social, economic, and historical realities. Both, A Rose for Emily, written by William Faulkner, and Dour to Chrysanthemums, written by D. H. Lawrence exhibit strong evidence that social interaction, economic status, and historical prospective isolate people from society. 80th stories depict a woman, In different extreme circumstances, alienated from the world around her. In Dour to Chrysanthemums the mall character is named Elizabeth. Elizabeth was an educated, proud, respected woman who was a wife of a coal miner, a devoted mother, and part of the working class. In a Rose for Emily the main character is Emily, at one time an aristocrat, and a symbol of the past generation. To prove that the three realities, mentioned above, could lead to alienation the reader must examine each point of Interest, starting with the historical background. When analyzing the history of a story, the reader must research the period It was written. Dour to Chrysanthemums was written between the end of the Victorian period in 901, and the beginning of WWW in 1914. During this period coal was a main energy source. Mines, the sites where coal was extracted, were dreary and the people involved in this type of work often led bleak, despairing lives. Human labor was needed for this work, and the exhaustion it produced, coupled with life threatening work conditions was often reli eved in pubs, or bars. Unfortunately, as Lawrence shows, the comforts of the pub were paid for at a high price In alcoholism and the disruption of home life. Wives, or Elizabeth, in this case, were burdened with the care f large families on their husbands meager salary. Elizabeth was very alienated from the world around her because of her role as wife and mother in this specific time period. She was also separated from her husband because of his type of work. A Rose for Emily was written after the Civil War. Post Civil War Reconstruction had a profound and humbling effect on Southern society. The birth of Emily Grievers occurs during the Civil War; therefore she was raised with the old south values. Originally, Emily Gridirons town was governed by men of the old south like Colonel Sartorial and Judge Stevens. Men of this stature operated under a code of chivalry that was extremely protective of white women. After the death of Emails father, Colonel Sartorial was unable to allow the town to tax her, and Judge Stevens was unable to confront Emily about the smell coming from her house. As each generation passed the symbolic torch, however, the newer generations were further and further away from the antiquated social mores of their forebears. The men who tried to collect Emilee taxes didnt operate under the same code of conduct as their grandfathers and great grandfathers did. Emily was not a damsel in distress to these men; she was a nuisance, a hindrance to progress. This showed the contrast between the 19th and 20th century society. Emily Grievers is certainly a character trapped In her genteel past, thus making her alienated from the developing world around near. Social Interaction Ana economic status are very closely related. 10 examine the socioeconomic, or the social and economic status of each individual a person has to analyze class structure. In Dour to Chrysanthemums Elizabeth and her family were considered lower class, or part of the working class. Elizabeth, however, regarded herself as being more refined than her husband and her surroundings. Elizabeth Bates was described as a woman of imperious mien (part II, par. 123). Unlike her neighbors, she didnt use the local dialect, an indication of class position. Unlike other miners wives in the community, she refused to demean herself by entering the local pubs to entice her husband home. Most significantly, however, Elizabeth indicated her disdain for the social position of her community by fighting against her husband and his values. Probably lulled into marrying him by his good kooks and his lust for life, she resented him for making her feel like a fool living in this dirty hole (par. 78). She seemed to despise the manual nature of her husbands work, indicated by her unwillingness to wash the residue of pit-dirt from his body when he emerged from his shift in the mine (par. 8). When she finally became aware of the horrible fate of her husband and she viewed the body lying in the naive dignity of death (part II, par. 118), she was appalled and humbled at what appeared to be her husbands new distance from her, but she slowly comprehended that their roomer connection was based solely on an unnamed attraction above and beyond the conditioning of social class, and the lure of compatible personality, common interest, or shared experience. She acknowledged that their relationship was part of a different order of experience, which belonged to a mythic dimension. It is a dimension which included the physical work of the dark mine, the sexual attraction of the body, and the mysterious world of the dead. The story ended with the laws of this new mythic dimension overriding Elizabethan former concerns about social class. She indeed was alienated from her community, and her husband. It wasnt until his death that she realized this truth. In a Rose for Emily, Faulkner depicted Emily and her family as being part of a higher social class. There was a time when her family did have power in the South, and at one time the Grievers name did mean something. This social position isolated Emily from the life she desired, because she was expected to behave a certain way. Emily was not able to make the decisions she wanted to due to her standing in the social community. Homer was not considered a DOD marriage partner for Emily due to her social standing in the old south. Her choice to kill him and preserve him, as one does a rose, may have been, in her mind, her only option. After losing her father and her love, in her younger years, she regressed into a state of fantasy, longing for the times gone by. This fantasy world allowed her to keep Homer for all time in this room of roses. Emily Grievers did indeed become a fallen monument (par. 1). She was a monument of Southern gentility, an ideal of past values. She had fallen becaus e she turned her fantasy into grotesque reality. She was a woman who was alienated by society. In conclusion, both women were separated from the world around them, in both very different ways. How would the stories have changed if Elizabeth was an aristocrat, or Emily was part of the working class? Someones social class depicts their actions and train of thought. What if these stories took place in the 21st century? The outcomes would, also, be much different. Both stories show how a Marxist view exposes how social, economic, Ana analogical really less alienate, or Isolate people Trot one another.

Periodontal Disease and Diabetes Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Periodontal Disease and Diabetes - Article Example Greater gingival bleeding has also been observed among patients whose diabetes is poorly controlled than among those with well-managed diabetic conditions. Failure to treat gingivitis, which is a milder form of periodontitis, causes it to advance to the fully blown periodontitis, which is characterized by an inflammation around teeth (Taylor, Preshaw & Lalla, 2013). Prevalence and vulnerability varies in people with different ages. Children suffering from type 1 diabetes are at higher risks (more than five times) than those without diabetes but with similar levels of plaque. In adults, type 2 diabetes increases the risk of periodontitis three times more than those without diabetes. Poor glycemic control is the key exposure to the disease among such adults. Studies found similar pathogens in periodontitis sites among adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Further, hyper-inflammatory immune cells in diabetic patients increases insulin resistance, complicating the inflammation caused by periodontitis even more (Taylor, Preshaw & Lalla, 2013). These findings influence the professional career in dental hygiene, and practitioners should discuss the relationship with their patients. They should advice patients to have healthy lifestyles and avoid diets that increase susceptibility to diabetes, which may ultimately affect their dental health. Taylor, J., Preshaw, P., & Lalla, E. (2013). A review of the evidence for pathogenic mechanisms that may link periodontitis and diabetes. Journal of Periodontology, 84(4), 113-134.

Critical Life Experiences that Impacted My Life Essay

Critical Life Experiences that Impacted My Life - Essay Example I must admit that one of the greatest life experiences that have shaped by values and beliefs is having been brought up in a Christian set up. I was born in a family that greatly values Christianity. My parents have always adored and upheld Christian values and taught the same to their children. I grew up to appreciate the importance of church in developing values and beliefs (Branson, 2009; Hunt, 1999). As a small child, I began to learn what is right or wrong by putting everything in the context of Christianity. Being raised Catholic in a small country town in Australia made me develop strong Christian values. I continually developed the values of truth, fairness, care, loyalty, respect, purity, equality among others (Branson, 2009). The catholic community draws values and beliefs from the Bible (Hunt, 1999) and, therefore, I have become a strong believer in biblical teachings. However, all the values that I have gained from being associated with the catholic teachings have been af firmed and cemented by my parents who have always made a follow up on my Christian development. My parents, especially my father, strongly believe that good values are nurtured since childhood. A strong family background is overwhelmingly important in impacting values and motivating children towards their set goals in life (Hunt, 1999). My experiences in a large family that upholds family values have made me grow tremendously in human values. As a family, we have always appreciated the importance of family functions, such as get together ceremonies, weddings, birthday celebrations among other family functions. These diverse family functions have really encouraged me to uphold family values and the importance of the family as a basic unit for the society (Branson, 2009). More importantly, the financial, moral, and psychological support I have received from the large family base have greatly motivated me in achieving my goals in life. Actually, I have been able to achieve much in life especially in academics by the need to meet and exceed the standards that have already been set by my family members (Tysum, 2010). Exposure to different social and cultural set ups across the world have been a great boost to my behavior and values. I have travelled and taught in different parts of the world, especially in the US and London. Admittedly, the exposure to different social set ups have greatly impacted on my behavior in my endeavor to fit in those set ups. For instance, I had to take time to learn new cultural beliefs every time I went to a new society. When I went to teach in London, I had to learn new behavior in order to fit perfectly in the society. Additionally, I had to change my behavior and adapt to the cultural system of the US. This way, I was able to integrate with the society and expedite my duties as a lecturer effectively. I must admit that the exposure to different societal set ups have acted as a great motivation. When I was teaching in the US, I came a cross teachers that are more experienced and more effective in their teaching methods. In the process, I learned to be more competitive by striving to be better than the experts are and this has indeed been a great motivation especially in my career as a teacher. Different societal set ups have different value attached to education among other social tenets (Burton, Smith & Brundrett, 2002; Branson, 2009). For instance, the European and American education systems are slightly different