what is modern music3 essays

what is modern music3 essays The most important thing that was expressed about the definition of modern music is that the degree of modernism depends on the experience and taste of those whom are listening. This means that each person can have vastly different views on which musicians and what styles are considered modern, because the critique of all arts is merely opinion. The definition for modern in a dictionary is anything within the present. When discussing music the essay emphasized that modern music has other qualities than newness alone. To be considered modern music, it needs to alter in a varying degree from the traditions in material and in the style; it departs from previous conventions. In much of the essay, it is shown that modern music often experiences opposition. In the past, and even still the present, society and the music world initially reject modern music. In the essay music is described as a living language. When modern music is born it can also be considered as new way of expressing a new language. Music evolves just as language does. In the context of music, the grammar used in modern music is its harmony, melody, and rhythm that break all rules. Modern music uses foreign words and expressions that portray the ever-changing environment. There are many styles of music today that can fit the description of modern music. New Age, which often uses sounds of nature to create a melody, clearly has an original style. Hip-hop music is a fairly new form of expression, and when it first began it was rejected and misunderstood by the public. More recent, as it has become more accepted in society and the pace of rhythmic change is quickly altering, for the demand of the listeners. The style of jazz music has also changed a great deal compared to when first born. I feel that modern Jazz as opposed to old jazz is a good example of a new expression of a society in which we live. Lastly, techno, which is a fairly n...

20 Idioms About Reptiles

20 Idioms About Reptiles 20 Idioms About Reptiles 20 Idioms About Reptiles By Mark Nichol The phrases and expressions listed in this post pertain to lizards and other reptiles, usually with a pejorative or otherwise negative allusion that reflects the dim view many people have of such animals. 1. After a while, crocodile: A lighthearted response to the rhyming slang â€Å"See you later, alligator† 2. Crocodile tears: Hypocritical or insincere expression of remorse or sadness, from the traditional belief that alligators shed tears to lure prey or when they are eating prey 3. If it was a snake it would have bit you: A hyperbolic observation that an object one seeks is nearby and obviously visible 4. Lot lizard: Derogatory slang for prostitutes who solicit in parking lots frequented by truck drivers 5. Lounge lizard: The male equivalent of a gold digger, a man who frequently visits bars and clubs in order to meet women, especially wealthy older women, to sexually or financially exploit them; the phrase alludes to such a man’s primitive impulses 6–9. Nurse/nurture a snake/viper in (one’s) bosom: To harbor someone that turns on his or her benefactor; a reference to one of Aesop’s fables, in which a snake bites a person who had taken care of it when it was injured 10. See you later, alligator: A humorous rhyming farewell, the traditional response to which is â€Å"After a while, crocodile† (sometimes abridged to â€Å"Later, alligator†) 11. Seeing snakes: Drunk to the point of hallucinating that one sees snakes where they are not (compare â€Å"pink elephants†) 12. Snake eyes: A slang reference to a roll of two dice in which only one spot shows on each, suggestive of the eyes of a snake 13. Snake in the grass: A deceitful person who pretends to befriend one for his or her own benefit 14–15. Snake oil/snake oil salesman: A fake remedy or solution, from the tradition of purveyors of such products offering them to gullible would-be customers; a snake oil salesman (traditionally, generally only men engaged in this practice, so the term is gender specific) is a person offering fake remedies or solutions 16. Snakes and ladders: A board game for children involving beneficial ladders and snakes that function as obstacles 17. Tortoise and the hare: An allusion to the wisdom of steady perseverance, from the characters in one of Aesop’s fables, about a plodding, methodical tortoise that wins a race against a fast but overconfident hare 18. Turn turtle: Turn upside down, from the notion of a turtle being overturned, unable to right itself 19. Turtle heading: The act, imitative of a turtle’s head extending from its shell, of looking over the top of an office cubicle wall to satisfy one’s curiosity about a stimulus (also called prairie dogging) 20. Up to (one’s) neck in alligators: A metaphorical reference to losing sight of one’s goal when overcome or preoccupied by pressures, from the expression â€Å"When you are up to your neck in alligators, it’s easy to forget that the goal was to drain the swamp† 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for MoneyEnglish Grammar 101: Verb Mood75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PAPER Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ARCHAEOLOGICAL - Research Paper Example Anubis shared with another god, Osiris, the kingdom of the departed. He is known to have guided the dead toward perfection and the life after death according to Buzzle (par 1). As such, Anubis depicted rebirth and life after death even as he â€Å"attended† the process of mummification or sat atop a tomb. Anubis was commonly depicted having a jackal or dog head considering that jackals often unearthed whatever had been buried in cemeteries and consumed the remains. To the ancient Egyptians, this symbolized him as god of the underworld. The following sections of this paper will discuss the discovery of mummified dogs in Egypt and the significance of this finding to the understanding of the civilization of ancient Egypt. Finding of Remains of Mummified Dogs in Saqqara, Egypt Although the remains of mummified dogs had been found in the 19th century, the relevance and magnitude of the mummification was yet to be comprehensively understood. Before this recent discovery, Jacques De Morgan in 1897 discovered the existence of dog catacombs in the area surrounding one of the Egyptian pyramids according to Past Horizons (par 2). In spite of this discovery, it remained quite unclear whether the remains of the animals really belonged to dogs or other almost similar animals. Furthermore, the findings then appeared only to be a mystery. Revelations of the Saqqara dog catacomb reveals that about eight million animals were buried in the tunnel, the animals mainly being dogs (Past Horizons par 2). Given this huge number, archaeologists suggest that the Egyptians could have bred dogs probably in their thousands for the purpose of pleasing the dog-headed deity. Archaeologists further note that the mummified bodies were mainly between a few hours and days old; not adult animals as stated by Past Horizons (par 3). The location of the catacomb suggests that the Egyptians had special puppy farms in or around the city of Memphis in which the animals were bred and raised before being mummified. It is here noted that Mephis was the capital of Egypt in ancient days. The findings according to Nicholson suggest a different perception in the relationship between the Egyptians and the animals that they worshipped as deities (Past Horizons par 3). Since the dogs were killed and mummified at a tender age, it is suggested by archaeologists that the animals were not strictly killed in sacrifice. Instead, they were dedicated as mummies in as an act of pious. The animals in this case were supposed to act as intermediaries between their donors and the deities. Given that the catacombs are located near the temple of Anubis, it is quite likely that they are for canines, the concentration of animal cuts at Saqqara also attesting to this according to Past Horizons (par 3). Other animals that were mummified or sacrificed and buried in an almost similar manner include hawks, ibises, baboons and bulls. These animals, in their different kinds were supposed to act as intermedia ries between humankind and their deities according to archaeologists. The cults prominently featured in the period between the Late Period and the period of early Roman occupation (747BC to 1AD). In the past, Egyptologists have given more focus to the temples and ancient inscriptions as opposed to the number of animals buried and the places where they were buried (Past Horizons par

Financial management (final exam) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial management (final exam) - Essay Example Therefore, the results of both techniques will be different because of the differences between the assumptions of both techniques. Question 2 Part A a) Project A Years 0 1 2 3 4 Initial Investment (20,000,000) Cash Flows 3,000,000 7,000,000 9,000,000 15,000,000 Discount Factor (8%) 1.0000 0.9259 0.8573 0.7938 0.7350 Discounted Cash Flows (20,000,000) 2,777,778 6,001,372 7,144,490 11,025,448 Net Present Value 6,949,087 Project B Years 0 1 2 3 4 Initial Investment (20,000,000) Cash Flows 10,000,000 8,000,000 5,000,000 5,000,000 Discount Factor (8%) 1.0000 0.9259 0.8573 0.7938 0.7350 Discounted Cash Flows (20,000,000) 9,259,259 6,858,711 3,969,161 3,675,149 Net Present Value 3,762,280 Based on the above results it can be clearly observed that Project A has generated higher NPV therefore, it should be accepted. b) Project A Profitability Index = PV of Future Cash Flows    Initial Investment    = 26949087/20000000    = 1.35 Project B Profitability Index = PV of Future Cash Flows    Initial Investment    = 14503021/20000000    = 0.73 Since the Profitability Index of Project A is greater than 1, therefore this project should be accepted. c) IRR based on Trial & Error Method Years 0 1 2 3 4 Initial Investment (20,000,000) Cash Flows 3,000,000 7,000,000 9,000,000 15,000,000 Discount Factor (17.5%) 1.0000 0.8511 0.7243 0.6164 0.5246 Discounted Cash Flows (20,000,000) 2,553,191 5,070,167 5,547,904 7,869,367 Net Present Value 1,040,630       Years 0 1 2 3 4 Initial Investment (20,000,000) Cash Flows 3,000,000 7,000,000 9,000,000 15,000,000 Discount Factor (18.5%) 1.0000 0.8439 0.7121 0.6010 0.5071 Discounted Cash Flows (20,000,000) 2,531,646 4,984,956 5,408,632 7,607,078 Net Present Value 532,312       Years 0 1 2 3 4 Initial Investment (20,000,000) Cash Flows 3,000,000 7,000,000 9,000,000 15,000,000 Discount Factor (19.5%) 1.0000 0.8368 0.7003 0.5860 0.4904 Discounted Cash Flows (20,000,000) 2,510,460 4,901,875 5,273,984 7,355,626 Net Present Value 41, 945       Years 0 1 2 3 4 Initial Investment (20,000,000) Cash Flows 3,000,000 7,000,000 9,000,000 15,000,000 Discount Factor (19.58%) 1.0000 0.8362 0.6992 0.5847 0.4889 Discounted Cash Flows (20,000,000) 2,508,629 4,894,727 5,262,453 7,334,191 Net Present Value 0 d) Since the IRR of is 19.58% therefore it should be accepted because it is earning more than the double of the cost of capital of the company. e) Advantages of NPV NPV provides the total benefit in the form of currency amount. NPV is easy to calculate and understand. NPV is an absolute measure and provides the results of the project in isolation. Advantages of IRR IRR provides the answer in percentage form. IRR provides the net excess percentage over cost of capital. IRR is relative measure, which makes it comparable to other projects. Part B Steps in Capital Budgeting Typical steps in the process of capital budgeting are: 1. Brainstorming: the most important step in capital budgeting process is to generate good ideas for investments, which comes from brainstorming. 2. Capital Budget Planning: In this step, the company

Defendant Ling’s Market Essay Example for Free

Defendant Ling’s Market Essay Facts: Kim was shopping for dinner at Ling’s Market, as Kim entered she slipped and fell due to the water accumulated on the floor (that the manager was aware of) because of the high winds and rain that blew into the Market each time the door was opened. Kim suffered a back injury as a result of the fall. Kim filed suit against Ling’s Market, the defendant, arguing that Lings performed a â€Å"tort of negligence† due to their absence of a warning about the wet floor, and disregard in the exercise of a â€Å"reasonable degree of care to protect business invitees. † Issue: To prove that the defendant, Ling’s should be liable for Kim’s injuries, the plaintiff, must prove that Lings did not in fact exercise a reasonable degree of care to protect Kim and warn her about the wet floor hazard due to the absence of a warning sign or cones, and committed a tort of negligence. Is the lack of a warning sign a tort of negligence, and should it be mandated that Lings is liable for Kim’s injuries suffered as a result of the fall? Decision: The plaintiff feels that the defendant, Ling’s Market, should in fact be liable for Kim’s injuries she suffered as a result of the fall, and a tort of negligence has been committed due to the lack of a reasonable degree of care to protect business invitees. Reasons: At www.barronstad.com it states that â€Å"A business owner is required to use due care to keep the premises presumably safe for customers, or at least to warn them of dangers that might arise from their use of the premises.† According to the author of the text, explains that a â€Å"tort of negligence occurs when someone suffers injury because of another’s failure to live up to the required duty of care.† The defendant, Lings, owed a duty of care to Kim and had breached said duty. As a result Kim suffered a legally recognizable injury. By not providing a caution sign of some sort, Lings did not adhere to the â€Å"duty of care†. The plaintiff argues that the lack in a caution sign or warning of the half inch of water standing on the floor, with the manager knowing about the danger, is in violation of Lings, duty of care. The manager knew the condition of the floor, which was a direct result of more than the mere tramping of many feet under the conditions of weather then existing. The plaintiff argues that the excess water standing on the floor (one half inch) was a foreseeable risk that the business operator (manager) was aware about and should have posted a warning about the danger. If the defendant had posted a caution about the inherent danger the plaintiff, Kim, would have been more liable to avoid the outcome (Kim’s back injury). Citations: http://www.barronstad.com/resources/resources_personal_injury http://www.lawteacher.net/tort-law/cases Miller/Jentz, 9th Ed. Text, Ch 4, pg 112-115.

Pride And Prejudice - Point Of View Essay -- essays research papers

Marry For Love The point of view of a novel usually decides which characters we sympathize with. In the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennett is the focal character, which causes the reader to feel closest to her. The reader can relate more easily to her feelings and actions, and given that all of Elizabeth’s opinions on large issues are known and understood, the reader tends to side with her. By making the story from the point of view of Elizabeth, Austen is able to take advantage of the closeness between reader and character to make a political statement about the institution of marriage, and thus shows her own feeling that it is a mistake to marry for any other reason besides love. One way that she shows her feelings on matrimony is by using Elizabeth’s voice as her own to approve of some characters decisions about marriage. Elizabeth’s approval of certain characters shows Austen’s approval, and in this case, Elizabeth approves of the marriage between Jane and Bingley. Jane and Bingley show throughout the novel their genuine affection for one another, and Elizabeth observes about Bingley’s affection for Jane, "I never saw a more promising inclination. He was growing quite inattentive to other people, and wholly engrossed by her†¦ Is not general incivility the very essence of love?" (106). Mrs. Bennett approves of the match mostly on a monetary basis, and exclaims, "Why, he has four or five thousand a year, and very likely more. Oh my dear Jane, I am so happy!" (260). Elizabeth, however, looks down on her mother for this, and approves of the marriage because she can tell that the two are truly in love with one another. Austen also makes those in love the happiest of all the characters. Jane and Bingley are truly in love, consequently, they are two of the happiest characters in the novel. Jane announces that, "’Tis too much! By far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! why is not everybody as happy?" (259) and, "I am certainly the most fortunate creature that ever existed!" (262). Jane and Bingley’s happiness shows the author’s approval of their marriage. Austen uses Elizabeth’s voice as her own to make the statement that love is the only acceptable reason to marry. Another way that Austen uses Elizabeth to show her feelings on the issue of matrimony is b... ...iven to Wickham by Darcy, they are the ones in the worst financial situation. "They were always moving from place to place in quest of a cheap situation, and always spending more than they ought" (290-291). By using Elizabeth as the character from whose point of view we see the other characters, we are shown by Austen how to feel about each specific situation. In the case of Lydia and Wickham, we are to agree with Elizabeth (and thus Austen) that they have gotten what they deserve for jumping into marriage for the wrong reasons. Therefore, Austen’s voice comes through Elizabeth to make the statement that it is foolish to marry for any reason besides love. Jane Austen uses Elizabeth as the focal character in the novel Pride and Prejudice to relay a message to the reader. Her own voice comes through Elizabeth to make the political statement that it is unwise to marry for any reason other than love. Elizabeth (and thus Austen) feels that true happiness cannot be achieved in a marriage unless there is a great deal of love between the partners, and so explains her pursuit for true love, and her disapproval of marriage between those she knows are not in love.

New Heritage Doll Essay

This paper summarizes recent studies in behavioral finance—particularly regarding market anomalies and investor behavior—that are not reconciled with the traditional finance paradigms. This paper differs from previous survey literature in several aspects. We introduce more recent papers in the field, more literature on behavioral corporate finance, and provide statistics on the recent trends that are explored in behavioral finance papers. We expand the research scope to studies on Korean financial markets, introduce specific funds using behavioral finance techniques, and discuss the challenges facing behavioral finance. Keywords: Behavioral finance, Market anomalies, Market efficiency, Survey of literature *  Hyoyoun Park: Credit Analyst, Euler Hermes Hong Kong Services Limited, Suites 403-11, 4/F Cityplaza 4, 12 Taikoo Wan Road, Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong; phone: +852-3665-8934; e-mail: karen.park@eulerhermes.com. **  Wook Sohn (Corresponding author): Professor, KDI School of Public Policy and Management, 87 Hoegiro, Seoul 130-868, Korea; phone: +82-2-3299-1062; e-mail: wooksohn@ kdischool.ac.kr. 4 Seoul Journal of Business INTRODUCTION Although Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH), which represent standard finance, are successful, the alternative approach of behavioral finance includes psychological and sociological issues when investigating market anomalies and individual investor behavior. In the financial markets, we often observe some phenomena which cannot be explained rationally. For example, we do not have any logical evidences on random walk in the stock price movement while many fund managers use several behavioral concepts in their investment strategy. In corporate perspectives, company owners and managers do not rely only on logical elements to make critical decisions on mergers and acquisitions and new investment. Two of the key topics discussed in behavioral finance are the behavioral finance macro, which recognizes â€Å"anomalies† in the EMH that behavioral models can explain, and the behavioral finance micro, which recognizes individual investor behavior, or biases that are not explained by the traditional models incorporating rational behavior. In particular, we employ the behavioral finance micro because it explains a number of important financing and investment patterns by using a behavioral approach, which expands on the research in the behavioral corporate finance field. This paper summarizes these two major topics in behavioral finance, which include behavioral corporate finance, and introduces evidence that adopts behavioral concepts in the actual financial market. It also describes challenges to behavioral finance by reviewing recent studies and surveys. Recently acknowledged theories in academic finance are called standard or traditional finance theories. Based on the standard finance paradigm, scholars have sought to understand financial markets using models that presume that investors are rational. MPT and the EMH form the basis of traditional finance models1). How1) Harry Markowitz introduced MPT in 1952,  and he illustrated relationships between portfolio choices and beliefs in terms of the â€Å"expected returns–variance of returns† rule. Ricciardi and Simon (2000) defined MPT as an expected return, while standard deviations of particular securities or portfolios are correlated with the other securities or mutual funds held within one portfolio. Another major concept is known as the EMH, which states that investors cannot consistently  ever, if researchers only use the MPT and EMH, individual investor behavior is not easily understood. In contrast, behavioral finance is a relatively new concept in the financial markets, and is not employed within standard finance models; it replaces traditional finance models, and it offers a better model for human behavior. Although MPT and the EMH are considered as successful in financial market analysis, the behavioral finance model has been developed as one of the alternative theories for standard finance. Behavioral finance examines the impact of psychology on market participants’ behavior and the resulting outcomes in markets, focusing on how individual investors make decisions: in particular, how they interpret and act on specific information. Investors do not always have rational and predictable reactions when examined through the lens of quantitative models, which means that investors’ decision-making processes also include cognitive biases and affective (emotional) aspects. The behavioral finance model emphasizes investor behavior, leading to various market anomalies and inefficiencies. This new concept for finance explains individual behavior and group behavior by integrating the fields of sociology, psychology, and other behavioral sciences. It also predicts financial markets. Research in behavioral corporate finance studies highlights investors’ and managers’ irrationality, and shows nonstandard preferences, and judgmental biases in managerial decisions. Currently, many companies apply behavioral approaches to determine important finance and investment patterns. Several theories under the banner of traditional finance develop specific models by assuming the EMH and they explain  phenomena in markets; however, in the real financial market, many problems and cases cannot easily be explained via those standardized  models. In the cases involving managers or investors, unbiased forecasts about future events need to be developed and used to make decisions that best serve their own interests. In this type of situation, we need to entertain more realistic behavioral aspects, as there is evidence for irrational behavior patterns that cannot be explained by the traditional or standard financial theories. To be specific, Shefrin (2009) pointed out that the root cause of the global  achieve an excessive return over market returns on a risk-adjusted basis because all publicly available information is already reflected in a security’s market price, and the current security price is its fair value. Financial crisis of 2008 was a psychological, not fundamental phenomenon. Risk-seeking behaviors were evident in the loss-dominant markets, while excessive optimism and confirmation bias acted as driving factors behind the crisis, and not fundamental factors such as terrorism, skyrocketing oil prices, or disruptive changes in the weather. We can understand, identify, and address psychological distortions in judgments and decisions by considering behavioral concepts, and then we can integrate both traditional and behavioral factors to be better prepared for dealing with any psychological challenges. As mentioned, managerial decisions are strongly affected by cognitive biases and emotional aspects in real financial markets, as human beings are not machines. Additionally, evidence of  mispricing and market anomalies that cannot be fully explained by traditional models, is prevalent. Thus, we would like to propose behavioral finance in this paper to clearly explain a number of important financing and investment patterns, aiding  investors in understanding several abnormal phenomena by integrating behavioral concepts with existing. Ricciardi and Simon (2000) defined behavioral finance in the following manner: â€Å"Behavioral finance attempts to explain and increase understanding of the reasoning patterns of investors, including the emotional processes involved and the degree to which they influence the decision-making process. Essentially, behavioral finance attempts to explain the what, why, and how of finance and investment, from a human perspective† (Page 2) (See figure 1). Shefrin (2000), however, mentioned the difference between cognitive and affective (emotional) factors: â€Å"cognitive aspects concern the way people organize their information, while the emotional aspects deal with the way people feel as they register information† (Page 29). We understand that there are several survey literatures on behavioral finance. However, this paper differs from the literature in several aspects. We introduce more recent papers in the field and expand the research scope to studies on Korean financial markets. We introduce more literature on behavioral corporate finance, provide statistics on the recent trends that are evident in behavioral finance papers, introduce the specific funds that are using behavioral finance techniques, and discuss the challenges of the behavioral finance model. Source: Ricciardi and Simon (2000)  particularly regarding market anomalies and investor behavior, which cannot  be explained by traditional finance paradigms. In section 2, we introduce two topics in behavioral finance: cognitive biases and the limits of arbitrage. In section 3, we summarize the research on behavioral corporate finance. In section 4, we examine behavioral applications via two routes: evidence from real investments and specific evidence from the Korean financial market. In section 5, we analyze the recent developments in behavioral finance publications. Section 6 discusses several challenges to behavioral finance and ends with suggestions for future research. TWO TOPICS IN BEHAVIORAL FINANCE Behavioral finance is a study that combines psychology and economics, and it tries to explain various events that take place in financial markets. For example, from the behavioral finance  perspective, some individuals’ limitations and problems are shown in the expected utility theory and in arbitrage assumptions. In particular, there are two representative topics in behavioral finance: cognitive psychology and the limits of arbitrage.2) Cognitive Biases Under the traditional and standard financial theories, investors are viewed as being rational. Basically, a rational economic person is an individual who tries to achieve discretely specified goals in the most comprehensive and consistent way while minimizing any economic costs. A rational economic person’s choices are determined by his or her utility function.

Property Management Essay

Introduction Humans are an organization’s greatest assets; without them, everyday business functions such as managing cash flow, making business transactions, communicating through all forms of media, and dealing with customers could not be completed. Humans and the potential they possess drive an organization. Today’s organizations are continuously changing. Organizational change impacts not only the business but also its employees. In order to maximize organizational effectiveness, human potential—individuals’ capabilities, time, and talents—must be managed. Human resource management works to ensure that employees are able to meet the organization’s goals. Human resource management is responsible for how people are treated in organizations. It is responsible for bringing people into the organization, helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors, and solving problems that arise. The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations. Other activities of HRM also include:. 1. Recruitment and Selection (Staffing). In terms of recruitment and selection it is important to consider carrying out a thorough job analysis to determine the level of skills/technical abilities, competencies, flexibility of the employee required etc. At this point it is important to consider both the internal and external factors that can have an impact on the recruitment of employees. The external factors are those out-with the powers of the organization and include issues such as current and future trends of the labor market e. g. kills, education level, government investment into industries etc. On the other hand internal influences are easier to control, predict and monitor, for example management styles or even the organizational culture. Job analysis is completed to determine activities, skills, and knowledge required of an employee for a specific job. Job analyses are â€Å"performed on three occasions: (1) when the organization is first started. (2) when a new job is created. (3) when a job is changed as a resul t of new methods, new procedures, or new technology. Jobs can be analyzed through the use of questionnaires, observations, interviews, employee recordings, or a combination of any of these methods. Two important tools used in defining the job are: (1) job description, which identifies the job, provides a listing of responsibilities and duties unique to the job, gives performance standards, and specifies necessary machines and equipment; and (2) Job specification, which states the minimum amount of education and experience needed for performing the job Someone (e. g. , a department manager) or some event (e. g. , an employee’s leaving) within the organization usually determines a need to hire a new employee. In large organizations, an employee requisition must be submitted to the HR department that specifies the job title, the department, and the date the employee is needed. From there, the job description can be referenced for specific job related qualifications to provide more detail when advertising the position—either internally, externally, or both. Not only must the HR department attract qualified applicants through job postings or other forms of advertising, but it also assists in screening candidates’ resumes and bringing those with the proper qualifications in for an interview. The final say in selecting the candidate will probably be the line manager’s, assuming all Equal Employment Opportunity requirements are met. Other ongoing staffing responsibilities involve planning for new or changing positions and reviewing current job analyses and job descriptions to make sure they accurately reflect the current position. . Performance Appraisals Once a talented individual is brought into an organization, another function of HRM comes into play—creating an environment that will motivate and reward exemplary performance. One way to assess performance is through a formal review on a periodic basis, generally annually, known as a performance appraisal or performance evaluation. Because line managers are in daily c ontact with the employees and can best measure performance, they are usually the ones who conduct the appraisals.

Job Design and Personal Contributions

Job Design and Personal Contributions Introduction Job design is defined as the arrangement or rearrangement of work activities where the main objective is to reduce job dissatisfaction among employees and also reduce employee alienation within the work place.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Job Design and Personal Contributions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Job design also refers to the organizing of responsibilities and work duties so as to make sure there is productivity amongst the employees of an organization. Job design addresses the content of jobs and how this content affects the performance of employees (Mathis Jackson, 2008). The identification of the major components of a job is an important part of job design and many companies today have conducted job design activities to ensure that their employees meet the organization’s goals and objectives. The three major reasons that have been used by companies the world over to conduct job design activities include improving the performance of the company where job design influences the performance of certain work duties especially those that require high employee motivation such as customer service and customer relations. Another reason is that job design affects the job satisfaction of employees as people are more satisfied with particular job configurations that they find to be suitable to their skills and knowledge. Employees who find themselves in non-demanding jobs while they have technical skills might experience job dissatisfaction as their technical knowledge and skills are not being utilized to the maximum (Mathis Jackson, 2008). Personal contribution with relation to job design involves the activities that an individual employee or worker in an organization performs to ensure that they achieve job satisfaction in the course of performing their duties. The personal contribution of an employee would be to change their behavior or attitude towards work where an employee who would report late to work or would record a high rate of abseentism might decide to be punctual for work and not miss any work days. Another personal contribution of an employee towards job design would be to create a set of activities related to the work tasks that would suit the individual needs of the employee.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, a secretary might decide to use a manual filing system rather than a digitized filing system because they are comfortable filing documents in the manual way. An accountant might decide to use online QuickBooks rather than the paper QuickBooks because they view them to be more efficient (Gibson et al, 2006) Classic Approaches to Job Design The most common approach in job design or re-design is the technique of simplifying the tasks and responsibilities of a job to be more manageable. This is referred to a s job simplification and it is mostly suitable for entry-level workers or graduate employees who have no prior experience with the job position. Job simplification is suitable for such types of employees to ensure that they are not overwhelmed by the tasks and responsibilities that come with the job. A major disadvantage of job simplification is that it removes the challenging aspects of a job making the tasks too easy to perform. Another disadvantage is that the job might become boring at some point and loose its appeal because of its simplistic nature (Gibson et al, 2006). There are several approaches that can be used by companies and business to ensure that job design and re-design has been conducted in a successful way. One of these approaches is job extension where the job design attempts to widen the span of the job by increasing the duties and tasks that come with the job. Job enlargement is usually performed on job positions that have limited tasks and duties and where the p erformance of the employee within the organization is limited as a result of the work tasks and responsibilities. Another approach that is used in job design is job enhancement that involves escalating the profundity of a job through incorporating activities such as the addition of organizing planning, and controlling responsibilities (Daft, 2008). Managers within a company might decide to conduct job enrichment activities by promoting work variety as well as providing employees with more managerial responsibilities to ensure that they grow personally within the organization. Managers might also decide to give their employees more freedom and authority to perform their work duties in a way they find most suitable to them. Increasing the employee’s accountability for the work they have performed within a business unit by reducing external control pressures especially from managers and supervisors might also lead to job enrichment within an organization.Advertising We w ill write a custom essay sample on Job Design and Personal Contributions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another way of achieving job enrichment within an organization would be to expand employee assignments to ensure that they are able to learn various strategies that they can use to perform new tasks. Providing employees with direct feedback would also ensure that they can be able to derive job enrichment from planning and organizing activities (Daft, 2008). Another approach that is used in conducting job design or redesign is referred to as job rotation where the monotonous cycle of work is broken by shifting an employee from one work position to another. A major advantage of job rotation is that it enhances the development of an employee’s ability to perform different jobs within an organization. This means that in the event a position within the organization becomes open, they can be able to fill in that position without going f or outside hires. A major disadvantage of job rotation is that it has a minimal effect on an employee’s work performance especially if they are shifted to a boring job (Daft, 2008). Managers need to liaise with their employees when they are choosing which job design approaches to use in the design process. This will involve assessing the personal contribution of the employee in selecting the most suitable job design approach. Managers and employees who want to change their attitude towards work might select the job enrichment approach where employees who have limited work duties are given more assignments to ensure that they have job satisfaction. Job enrichment might also be used when trying to achieve job satisfaction within an organization by increasing the motivation of employees (Gibson et al, 2006). Characteristics of Jobs in Job Design A good job design depends on the characteristics of a job that are relevant to a particular group of people within an organization. Som e common examples of job characteristics include skill variety which refers to the extent to which a job has several different activities that are needed to successfully complete the work duties. If the work duties require the involvement of more skills, the job will become more meaningful to the employee. The personal contribution of the employee in skill variety would be to acquire additional skills that would be used to perform the different activities of the job.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"Another example of a job characteristic is task identity which is the extent to which a job has an identifiable unit of work that can be able to produce a visible outcome† (Gibson et al, 2006). For example if a customer care officer possessed customer care skills as well as technical skills, they might be able to help customers set up technical equipment without having to refer them to the technical support team Another characteristic of a job is task significance which is defined as the impact that a job has on other people within and outside the organization. A job is said to be significant if it is important to other people for the same reason that it is significant to the person who is performing the work duties. For example a soldier might find their job to be more significant when they are defending their country from a real threat rather than when they are preparing to face threats that might arise in the future. Job autonomy is another important characteristic o f a job where autonomy refers to the extent to which an employee within an organization has the freedom and discretion to perform their work duties without any interference from managers or supervisors. Job autonomy is an important characteristic in job design as it ensures that employees have more personal responsibilities to perform their work in the workplace. Job autonomy ensures that the employee can be able to contribute to their performance within the company (Mathis Jackson, 2008). Conclusion The discussion has dealt with job design and personal contributions within the organization. Job design or redesign is an important activity for organizations as it ensures that employee productivity and performance within an organization has been improved. The research findings within the essay have revealed various approaches that can be used in performing job design activities which include job enrichment, job rotation, and job enlargement. The discussion has also focused on the var ious job characteristics that are needed to perform job design activities. The aspect of personal contributions within the essay has dealt with the activities that an individual employee can perform to affect their own job design. Personal contributions in job design are usually driven by the personal behavior and attitudes of individual employees. References Daft, R.L., (208). Organization theory and design. Ohio, US: Cengage Learning Gibson, J., Ivancevich, J., Donnelly, J., Konopaske, R., (2006). Organizations;  behavior, structure, processes, 12th Edition. Chicago: McGraw-Hill. Mathis, R.L., Jackson, J.H., (2008). Human resource management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western

7 Speaking Habits That Will Make You Sound Smarter

7 Speaking Habits That Will Make You Sound Smarter Generally, when people hear you speak, they immediately begin to analyze what you’re saying in order to build a social profile. This means that how you speak can make or break a lot of your relationships. Fortunately, this infographic goes into 7 great approaches that will refine your speaking habits.  Source: [Visualistan]

PROJECT ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PROJECT ANALYSIS - Essay Example The CRM is a significant business management tool employed in the contemporary business environment for enabling organisations to achieve their business goals effectively. The case study involves Warnaco Group Company, which is a women’s clothing industry whose team is charged with installation of a new CRM system at the marketing department level of the company. Information-gathering Techniques and Design Methods Most of the technical staff members understand the significant of collecting information from clients, users, employees, stakeholders and many others as the fundamental part of their job. Most of them employ both qualitative and quantitative research design methods for data collection in order to obtain their intended project goals effectively. The there are various ways or techniques of gathering information and the most common methods employed includes surveys, focused groups, interviews, questionnaires and literature searches. However, these methods depend on what the technical staff in the Warnaco Group Company demand; thus defining the information they need through designing effective methods will enable them to retrieve information successfully. Gathering information is one of the first crucial aspect for technical officers and many technical staff members attempt to muddle their way by employing a poorly planned information gathering technique in project process. Myers and Avison (2002) argue that well planned methodologies and implementation of effective techniques in data collection process is vital. Questionnaires/Surveys The technical team in the Warnaco Group Company will employ surveys and questionnaires in gathering information before the installation of CRM software system in an organisation. These techniques are significant because they will enable the technical team to reach a large audience across the departments. Employing specific questions can enable project designers to get a clear data set than surveys because surveys ten d to produce a low response than questionnaires, which can produce a higher response. However, the technical team or project design team can increase survey response and this is through ensuring that the survey questions focuses only on the concept of CRM system. According to Marczyk, DeMatteo and Festinger (2005), the use of questionnaires and survey designs will enable one to design a project effectively because it tells what people wants. Knowing what people wants can be the key factor for the success of any project being implemented. Many companies measure the attitude of employees and customers; thus the best way to gather or find information about them is to design survey or conduct interviews. Focused Groups The technical staff members of the project can employ focused group discussion or group interview and this is vital because it can enable them to gather adequate information about the project. Focused groups are effective especially in case the interviewer want to create a dialogue about the project program. This can enable respondents to interact freely with the project designers; thus gathering significant information about the project. The use of focused group is vital because this technique is mostly employed in testing new approaches such as discovering stakeholders concern towards the installation of the CRM software in the Warnaco Group Company. A group of stakeholders of the company can meet in a discussion or conference room whereby the trained moderator will train