Permit and Opening Portion

For this activity, please construct a series of questions that you would ask In the opening portion of the following types of interviews: 1 . To obtain information from a county official about building permits for a report you have been assigned to deliver to senior management 2. To write a biography of a long-time employee for a special presentation at her retirement party 3.To counsel a subordinate about a problem he or she is having keeping his or her business expenses within budget deadlines Activity 1 . Construct a series of questions that you would ask in the opening portion of the following types of interviews: a. To obtain information from a county official about building permits for a report you have been assigned to deliver to senior management What will we need for the permission to begin our project In this area? How long does It take to get the permit after we submit everything?Do we have an allotted time to finish the project, or do we have indefinite time to complete t his? B. To write a biography of a long-time employee for a special presentation at her detriment party Brenda Mason, the dedication of a woman who has been working to supply for her children all these years, now gets the opportunity to celebrate her retirement and we are thankfully here to celebrate with her. She started working here 35 years ago, when her kids were Just 2 and 3, with the dream of becoming a decanter admit, and all the experience she ever had was witnessing.Her hard work got her into the entry level tech department with all the guys, and everyone treated her as she were a kindergarten, helped her with all the basics. She reemploy became the go-to to other people, and she was known for her charisma, and drive, we even tried to convince her to go to management, we wanted more people like her. She declined, and with that, still holding a positive attitude, she'd decline and said management was only â€Å"baby sitting adults†, she wanted to do a man's job, she st uck to her dream.With absolute certainty we all knew she was going to be someone, with her two kids, and her job, working an additional 20 hours a week when her daughters began school, she got ahead of the whole department, raced the est. sales people, and learned all the server administrative tasks she ever could. She was getting to her dream, she applied to server support, and kept narrowing down her dream, spiraled Into It, till 3 years later, faster than anyone, she got It. Unbounded to us, this whole time, working the additional 20 hours, and she was In school, after the 3rd year she'd graduated, and qualified for those positions she qualified for. From there to now, she has brought that girl feel every tech department needed, the nagging and the whining, that got us all off our seat to get to work. We absolutely love her, and wish her the best, and to give her time to use up all the paid time off she earned. Equines expenses within budget guidelines We've noticed a few draw ba cks in your business, is everything okay with you and your family? We need to make sure you succeed here for them, if there is anything you need to do we will list it, but we are going over the goals you have failed to med, and re-structure the plan. You will report to us, the customers need to be served the right portions, you are busy, you have clientele, but you are allowing your employees to run your business and they re handing things off to their friends and family.This is coming out of your family resources, they depend on you, and you need to make sure that everyone is accountable for their actions. Your employees must get their receipts reviewed every night, and if I were you, I'd be having their submitted orders reviewed before the client checks out for the moment in order to have them understand how important this is. If they aren't willing to comply, you have the right to fire them, you have to feed your family, they are not the right fit for the restaurant if that is th e way they are behaving while they are clocked in.

Human Resource Planning Essay

Organisations such as Boots undertake human resource planning to determine a course of action, which helps them to function more efficiently by having the right labour, in the right place, at the right time and cost. Human resource planning was known as manpower planning. It has been defined as: â€Å"The activity of management which is aimed at coordinating the requirements for and the availability of different types of employees† Boots need to forecast their manpower needs, both in terms of the number of employees needed and the types of skills and qualities required. It is also important to monitor and assess the productivity of the existing and available workforce and recognise the impact of technological change on the way in which jobs are carried out. Boots human resource planning team also needs to be able to identify and analyse the factors influencing and shaping the labour markets from which the organisation recruits staff to satisfy its manpower needs. Human resource specialists have to work within these labour markets to acquire sufficient resources to meet the productive needs of Boots. Influences On Human Resource Planning Recruitment and Selection One of the most important jobs for the human resources manager in Boots is recruiting and selecting new employees. Without the right employees the business will be unable to operate efficiently or serve its customers properly or make any profits. With the proper recruitment and selection techniques, Boots can make as sure as possible that they can achieve these objectives. Boots may need to recruit for several of reasons. The growth of Boots can generate additional demand and therefore create a need for extra labour. External influences such as technological developments can change job roles within the organisation, creating a need to recruit new people with specific skills. Alternatively, vacancies can be created through resignation, retirement and dismissal. The Recruitment Process Job analysis Job description Person specification Finding suitable candidates Choosing the best person Taking references Making appointments Training and Development An important part of manpower planning is the continual review, identification and update of training and development. Factors such as the introduction of new technology or new working methods can create training needs that have to be met if Boots is to remain competitive. In recent years there has been growing employer awareness that training can play a significant role in developing a flexible and multi-skilled workforce. Boots organise training and development programmes for several of reason: * To motivate employees and increase job satisfaction, thereby reducing absenteeism and labour turnover * Reduce wastage and accident rates by creating a consistent performance across the work force * Develop the skills of existing employees to cope with labour shortages * To establish the most effective and efficient working methods in order to maximise productivity and remain competitive * Reduce employee’s resistance to change, perhaps deriving from the introduction of new equipment and the application of new technology. Performance Management Boots needs to manage the performance of its employees effectively if it is to remain competitive. This means that there must be effective management control exercised at both individual and organisational level. A range of processes and techniques need to be in place, which allow individual employees to know how well they are doing, and for managers to be able to monitor how well their subordinates are performing. Performance monitoring provides information, which is of value for identifying future training or promotion opportunities, and areas where insufficient skills or knowledge could be deemed a threat to an employee’s efficiency. Managers exercise control at an individual and organisational level through: * Planning by setting objectives and targets * Establishing performance standards * Monitoring actual performance * Comparing performance against targets * Rectifying mistakes and taking action. The Performance Management Process Labour Turnover The labour turn over ratio is used to measure the total number of employees leaving an organisation in a given period of time, usually a year. It is calculated in percentage terms using the formula Number of employees leaving over specific period x 100 Labour turnover = Average number of people employed It is important that labour turnover is continuously measured by Boots to warn of potential problems so that management can take appropriate action. Replacing employees disrupts efficiency and creates recruitment and training costs. For a business to meet the objectives of its manpower plan, it is important that it minimises labour turnover. A high labour turnover is bound to affect the quality and level of output as well as incurring manpower costs associated with the recruitment and training of labour. Labour Stability Index The labour turnover ratio is a rather general measure. A more subtle indicator is the labour stability index, which is calculated using the formula: Number employed with more than 12 months service x 100 Labour stability = Total number of staff employed one year ago This index denotes stability because it emphasises those employees that stay rather than leave. Age Structure The information on the age structure of the workforce – analysed by different categories of employees – is useful for several reasons. It will highlight a potential staff shortage problem that might be caused by a large number of employees all reaching retirement age during a relatively short period of time in the near future. It might show that a particular age group dominates certain positions within the company, frustrating the promotional aspirations of other employees A detailed analysis if the age structure of the workforce of Boots, when linked to skill audits, can also be of considerable value when deciding upon the allocation of training opportunities. For example, boots short-term objective might be to train all employees to use a new form of computer technology by the end of the year. When deciding who should receive training, Boots needs to know which employees already possess the required skills and which employees are nearing retirement age, as training people who are shortly to leave the company would not be cost effective. I am going to be covering the areas that surround Boots in Brent they are: > Alperton > Barham > Sudbury > Sudbury Court > Preston > Tokynton > Wembley Central (where Boots is based) Ward % Under 8 years % Under 15 years Working Age (16 – PA) % Pensioner age % 85 and over Alperton 14.1 20.9 67.8 11.7 1.1 Barham 18.7 19.3 64.4 15.6 1.3 Preston 11 18.1 64.1 17.8 1.6 St Raphael’s 16.6 28.6 60.5 10.9 0.6 Stonebridge 13.1 21.8 66.1 11.1 0.7 Sudbury 9 20.1 64.7 15.9 1.1 Sudbury Court 11.7 20.4 67.9 11.7 0.7 Tokyngton 12.1 20.8 65 14.2 1.1 Wembley Central 13.2 22.2 66.2 11.6 0.7 This data shows the percentage of people’s age in each ward. As you can see looking at the data Wembley central employ 66.2% of working people being the third highest ward. Therefore in this area where Boots is located there would be a lot of workers working there. The data also shows the percentage of pensioners, in Wembley central the percentage of pensioners is low. This means businesses in Wembley central do not employ old people as there isn’t many old people in this area as there are in Preston where majority of pensioners live. Boots would look at recruiting people that who are young, as they want young and active staffs. They would employ young people so they can gradually train them as they go along. By doing this Boots can offer a better service to there customers. Ward Total Unemployment Rate Estimated Rate for Black Groups Alperton 12.3 15.1 Barham 11.7 9.6 Preston 10.3 13.8 St.Raphaels 22.8 27.5 Stonebridge 23.1 27.3 Sudbury 10.7 14.7 Sudbury Court 8 10.6 Tokyngto 12.7 15.5 Wembley Central 13.8 15.2 This data shows the unemployment rates in Brent and the estimated rate for black groups. Unemployment rates for Black and Asian groups were higher than for White groups. White unemployment rates were 10.9% whereas black unemployment rates were 16.5%. While there are no up-to-date unemployment figures by ethnic group, there is no reason to suppose that the differential between white and other ethnic groups has lessened significantly. Based on this assumption, the data above, estimates black unemployment rates in January 1996 compared with the rate for the whole population. This has been estimated by calculating the differential rate in unemployment between the black and other ethnic groups and all groups, then applying the difference to the January 1996 unemployment figures. For example black and other ethnic groups unemployment rates were 22.7% higher in 1991 in Alperton ward than for the white population. This percentage difference is then applied to the current rate. The resulting figure is intended to give a broad estimate of the likely unemployment rate for the black and other ethnic groups. The data shows that the lowest unemployment rate is in Preston ward and the highest rate is in Stonebridge. In Wembley central where Boots is based it looks like an average of unemployment members. This means that in this area there aren’t many unemployed people as the area is very busy due to businesses operating in the area and competition with other businesses occurring. As a result of this businesses will need to recruit more people. For example if Boots were to employ more staff the business will be doing more work, the more work they do the more customers they get. % In Education Rank in Brent Persons (18 +) qualified Rank in Brent Alperton 60 23 12 20 Barham 71 14 15 14 Preston 71 13 18 11 St. Raphael’s 54 28 7 30 Stonebridge 54 27 9 27 Sudbury 74 9 19 9 Sudbury Court 74 8 27 1 Tokyngton 65 19 10 26 Wembley Central 71 11 13 15 These data shows the percentage of pupils in education in each ward. It also shows the percentage of people that are already qualified in Brent. As you can see that Sudbury Court have the number 1 rank in Brent whereas Wembley Central have the rankings of 15. % In Education Rank in Brent Persons (18 +) qualified Rank in Brent Alperton 60 23 12 20 Barham 71 14 15 14 Preston 71 13 18 11 St. Raphael’s 54 28 7 30 Stonebridge 54 27 9 27 Sudbury 74 9 19 9 Sudbury Court 74 8 27 1 Tokyngton 65 19 10 26 Wembley Central 71 11 13 15 Those wards which have high proportions of the population qualified to a level above GCE â€Å"A† level are those wards which have the highest proportions of people in professional and managerial occupations. This tells us that Sudbury Court has the most workers with qualification. Weekly average earnings (Full Time à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½) 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 Greater London – Males 214.7 255 312.6 383.1 434.4 467.3 Greater London – Females 142.8 169.3 208.2 258.9 308.6 336.5 Brent – Males 204.1 242.4 283.3 338 381.2 402.1 Brent – Females 120.1 159 172.5 225.8 267.9 282.7 This data shows the average weekly earnings (from 1984-1994) for male and females in Brent and Greater London. We can see from the data that from 1984 the males weekly earnings have increased as the years have gone on. The female’s earnings have also increased as the years have gone by, but not the same amount as the males. Some females argue that they are getting unfair pay, as their earnings do not match the males when they are working the same hours and the same jobs as them. If females feel neglected in the workforce they seek the equal opportunities for advice. We can see by looking at this graph that the level of males earnings in 1994 in Brent have increase, so has females earnings. However female’s earnings are not as much as males earning. Recruitment And Selection The first stage of recruitment is to conduct a detailed analysis of the job, which may involve questioning the current jobholder or observing the jobholder at work. The information gathered is carefully recorded and analysed. Further information might be obtained through discussions with the jobholder’s manager of supervisor. When the job analyst gathered all this information, it should be written down in a summary report setting out what the job entails. This report is called job description. It contains two types of information. It describes the tasks of the job and describes the behaviour necessary to actually do these tasks. This is what a job description summary looks like: Job Description Job Title: Sales Assistant Directly responsible to: Store manager Directly responsible for: No one Contact with: Managers, other sales assistants, personnel department, other stores and customers Job outline: To help meet customer’s requirements by providing them a high quality service to ensure they remain satisfied. To be able to deal with customer complaints, request and offer advice when required. Job responsibilities: you need to maintain up-date knowledge of all products ranges and developments. As a company representative a professional, polite and sensitive manner should be adopted at all times. Whenever possible the company’s own brand products should be promoted over those of its competitors. Job requirements: all customer’s orders must be processed correctly using the company system as soon as the order is received. Overall an individual target must be met. Complaints must be dealt with politely and immediately. A person specification, which is also known as a personnel profile, describes the characteristics and skills, which a person needs to be able to do the job to the required standards. There are many ways to set out this information. This is what a person specification looks like: Person Specification Physical appearance: Smart personal appearance, clear, articulate speech Achievements: Five GCSE’s at grade C or above. No previous experience required, however it would be an advantage. Specific skills: Good communication skills. Ability to listen to problems and offer practical suggestions. Willingness to learn. Competent with money. Interests: Any position of social responsibility or participation in team related activity Personality: Polite, pleasant and cheerful, ability to deal calmly with aggravated customers and to cope under pressure. Good team worker Personal circumstances: Reliable person, good time-keeper, living locally and willing to do additional overtime work during holiday periods. The next stage of the process is to attract only those people who fit Boots person specification. Therefore Boots need to advertise for a staff and it is important to advertise in the right areas. It is important to think about the type of people it is trying to attract and the publications they read. The advertisement should be done a well clearly and noticeable. The advertisement should also make it quite clear how any interested person should apply, and state whether applicants need to submit a copy of their curriculum vitae. Once Boots has attracted applicants who match the person specification, the next stage is to gather information on each applicant. The main sources of information are: 1. Application forms 2. Curriculum vitae 3. Interviews The purpose of an application form is to gather information about the candidate that will give definite clues about personal attributes, qualifications, experience, etc. Boots make decisions about which candidates to short list by comparing the information on application forms to the person specification. The completed application form is regarded as part of a candidate’s contract of employment. It is important that no false claims are made or any deliberate misinformation is included, otherwise the contract of employment could be void. A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document usually initiated and prepared by a job seeker. It serves a similar purpose to an application form. The CV includes the job seekers personal details, education, qualification, work experience, interest and ambitions. In addition, the CV should include any other information that would be likely to persuade a prospective employer to consider granting and interview. This is how a CV looks like and should be presented. (See next page) Curriculum Vitae Name: Salma Ahmed Address: 50 Tudor Court South Wembley Middlesex HA9-6SE Telephone: 0208 900 9018 Home) 07958172964 (Mobile) Date of Birth: 20/11/1985 Marital status: Single Nationality: British Occupation: Student Education: Preston Manor Sixth Form Centre Carlton Avenue East Wembley Middlesex HA9 8NA Sep 2002-2004 Qualifications: GCSE French B Maths C Art C English Literature A English Language B Science C/C History C DT C Personal Profile: I am a very hard working person. I like meeting deadlines and I am very reliable. I like working as a team as my communication skills are very well developed. I can work independently as well as in a team and work to the best of my ability. Work Experience: Business: Insight UK (Computer suppliers) Position: I.T. Assistant Address: Alperton House Bridgewater Road Wembley Middlesex HA0 1EH Start: 04/06/01 Finished: 15/06/01 Duties & Skills: During my experience at insight my duties were to deal with technical trouble and solving them. I had to do mail orders and general office duties including filing, faxing, photocopying and other duties that were required Achievements: Throughout my five years at Preston Manor, I have achieved many duties and responsibilities. I was a prefect where I had to help out the school with any events or forthcoming events. I was also a member of the school council committee. I took part in many school activities and extra-curricular activities such as basketball, football and cricket. I had entered for a poem competition and the poem was published in a book called â€Å"kaleidoscope†. Interests: In my spare time I make myself useful. I like to stay healthy and fit, l play lots of sports such as football and basketball. I also play snooker. I am sociable too as I go out with friends to different places. At home I enjoy reading books and listening to music. I take a lot of interest in computing and learn to develop my knowledge on it at home with computer books. I also use the Internet regularly everyday as I find it very interesting and take a big interest in this too. Reference: Are available upon request The structure of the selection interview depends on the nature of the vacancy and the size of the Boots. For some jobs, applicants may be interviewed just once on a one to one basis. Other jobs often interview an applicant several times before they employ them or dismiss them. This is and example of the types of questions that may be asked during an interview at Boots: 1. Why did you apply for this job? 2. Tell me more about you’re past experiences? 3. Why did you leave your last job? 4. From your CV I can see that you have developed your skills, what are your strength and weaknesses? 5. In Boots you may have to deal with annoyed customers, how would you deal with the situation? 6. Give me an example of a situation you have faced? 7. How well do you think you can contribute to the success of Boots? 8. Do you have any references? Before we finish do you have any questions? These are questions that maybe asked by the interviewee to the applicant. During this type of interview, which would be face to face, the applicant must show that they are willing to carry out this job at high standards and are able it impress the interviewee with skills and experiences that have been achieved During the interview the interviewee would usually mark the applicant(s) on a checklist, which would be created to see whether the applicant is right for the job. This is how a checklist would look like: After this process is done the Human Resource department then work out who is perfect and suitable for the job. This is the type of recruitment process that Boots would use. Often other jobs are advertised in the local newspaper and when the people see them they send off a letter of application, as they have no application forms or they never received any. A letter of application is simply a letter asking for the job and explaining why the writer is suitable for it. The letter will be structured in any way the writer thinks is appropriate, and this very fact makes it a useful selection method. If the letter is badly structured, poorly expressed and full of spelling mistakes, it could indicate that the applicant is not suitable for a clerical or administrative job, which requires neat well-structured work. On the other hand, a poorly structured letter, which is nevertheless imaginative and interesting, could indicate that the applicant may be suitable for the job. On the next page is an example of a letter of application. This job place was found in the local newspaper for a job at Chorospan Ltd. John Bates Personnel Director Chorospan Ltd Preston Manor Reginal Road Carlton Avenue East Chester Wembley CH2 7KB Middlesex HA9 8NA 10 January 2003 Dear Mr. John Bates, Post of Personnel Assistant: I am interested in applying for the job of personnel assistant advertised in the Wembley Observer on 9/01/03. I am presently studying for the Advanced Vocational level in Business at Preston Manor Sixth Form College, which I will finish at the end of June this year. My qualifications and educational details are in the curriculum vitae attached. I am very interested in personnel work and I did two weeks work experience at Action.com, (which now is known as Insight UK) in London in June of last year. I am also studying a personnel unit on my course, which has increased my interest and understanding in personnel work. I am available for an interview at any time convenient for you, apart from the dates of January 27 and January 30. Yours Sincerely Amit Patel Training And Development Programme Training is the acquisition of a body of knowledge and skills, which can be applied to a particular job. The resources devoted to training can create substantial costs. It is important that training needs are correctly identified and the desired standard of skill is established. The training programme needs to be administrated efficiently and evaluated – the results achieved by employees that received training should be compared with the standard of performance it was hoped to achieve. Nowadays most large organisations like Boots employ professional training officers to run training programmes for employees. In a large manufacturing or services company, for example, the training manager will have teams of training instructors to teach all kinds of courses to employees. Even in small businesses several types of training will still be necessary Training can be dived into two main categories: ‘on the job’ training or ‘off the job’ training. ‘On the job’ training This means that the employee acquire their training or development in the workplace itself. For many people they enjoy the direct link with their job and can see more clearly how relevant the training or development is to the performance of that job ‘Off the job’ training This means attending courses, which may be in a college or a training centre away from the workplace. This type of training is important to an employee’s career development as well as being an integral part of training a training programme. There are various types of training: Induction Training Induction is the process of introducing new employees to the organisation and its way of life and culture. Employers use induction training as a means of introducing new employees to the organisation and ensuring they have necessary information and skills to perform their tasks to the required standard. Induction training can help to minimise labour turnover among new recruits by ensuring that they are made to feel welcome and are fully aware of what the job entails. Induction training provides new employees with information about: > The organisations policies and objectives > Future career opportunities > Pay, training and fringe benefits > Health and safety > The organisational structure and layout > The requirements of the job > Colleagues and managers Good induction training programmes successfully balance the amount of information that needs to be conveyed with the length of time employees can sustain their concentration. Mentoring Mentoring schemes are used by businesses both to develop good working relationships between employees and to provide employees with the opportunity to learn new skills. Employees are allocated a mentor, usually an older or more experienced existing employee, whose role is to advise and answer their concerns. The employee benefits from advice on issues such as career development and managing change. The mentor benefits from an increase sense of responsibility and the opportunity to pass on their personal knowledge. For some professional and senior posts, it has been found that mentoring is more effective if the mentor comes from an external organisation. The mentor would be expected to have a wide range of professional skills and experience and be able to offer independent advice and support. Coaching Coaching involves regular informal meetings between a mangers and an employee, which allow discussion of the employee’s performance in relation to the achievement of any objectives or targets. These informal performance assessment sessions enable a manager to identify an employees strengths and weaknesses. Coaching provides managers with a means of both assessing an employee’s suitability for promotion and analysing the way an employee has coped with any additional responsibility or extra authority. In House Training This is where employers run courses inside their own organisation. Courses might be held in an ordinary office room or in a smart training centre owned by the organisation. In house training schemes often referred to as on the job training, because it provides training and development to employees using resources within the organisation. The main benefits of using in house courses are: > They are fairly cheap – there is usually no need to employ outside trainers and lecturer > Course content is tailor made for your organisation > Reference and examples to highlight points can be related to your own organisation > Everybody knows one another, so there is no time wasted in having to get to know people The success of in house training schemes is dependent upon the teaching skills of the instructors. Instructors need to possess good communication skills and be able to break down, explain and prioritise each section of a particular task. External Courses Sometimes it is necessary to send staff to do courses elsewhere. This may be with another employer or at a specialist-training centre or at the factory of an equipment supplier. Externally run training schemes are normally used by smaller organisations, as they usually have too few employees requiring training to justify expenditure on specialist training facilities and full-time instructors. The benefits of using external courses are: > They bring together specialist trainers who would never be available to an ‘in-house’ course chiefly because of the high cost > Course members get together from several organisations, and this enables them to learn more about each other and how their respective organisation operate > Trainers place great value on the benefits of being away from the workplace – the course members are in a comfortable and peaceful environment away from any distractions External courses are generally quite expensive because this includes fairly luxurious accommodation in lavish surrounding and the guest speakers are highly paid. This means employers have to think very seriously about the value of such courses to the organisation and they have to carefully identify which staff The National Training System Training and enterprise councils This was first established in 1990. This helps businesses to identify their training need. Sponsored by the government and led by local people, there are some 80 TECs in England and Wales. Their mission is to encourage economic growth through effective training and enterprise. Investors in people TECs are also responsible for assess firms that wish to be recognised publicly as investors in people. The idea behind the initiative is that investing in people is one of the most effective ways of improving business performance. To gain recognition as an investor in people, companies like Boots must meet exacting training standards. Individual learning accounts Individual learning accounts are designed to help individuals manage, plan and invest in their own learning and, therefore, take charge of their career and future. They are sort of a bank account into which the government, the individual and the employer all make a contribution, and the money is used to buy training and education, both now and in the future. Modern apprenticeships Modern apprenticeships provide young people with a means of obtaining a nationally recognised qualification while gaining valuable work experience. This is basically when young people are working and having education at the same time (part time college). National vocational levels NVQs are occupational qualifications based upon an employee’s ability to reach defined levels of skill or competence in carrying out various tasks connected with their particular occupation. The basis for awarding an NVQ is an assessment of an employee’s level of competence, and any necessary underpinning knowledge. Several techniques can be used to help promising employees to develop their abilities and give management a better idea of exactly where the employee’s future may lie: Job Rotation Giving people a range of jobs in rotation widens their experiences and increases their skills. Job Enlargement Giving people extra tasks to do gives management a better idea of the employee’s true capacity, ability and stamina. Job Enrichment Adding more interesting and more difficult tasks to the job. This might be done with a person of very great potential to see just how capable he or she really is. There are so many other courses of trainings that a business like Boots can look into. These are the key aspects of the training and development program. Most of the methods of trainings shown before are some of the trainings that Boots themselves take up on. The other types of trainings Boots could look into to help develop their staffs and train them to offer a better service to the their customers. Human Resource Management: The Potential For Conflict In a large organisation like Boots conflict is inevitable. Basically, the resources that can be devoted to this area are limited and everyone wants a large share of them. The main areas of conflicts are as follows: Department Rivalry Boots does not have unlimited resources to devote to its human resources activities such as training and staff development. The human resources management has the difficult task of deciding who should be given the benefits of those activities and this is also an area where there is huge potential for conflict. Departmental managers will all want to make sure that their departments do not miss out but they cannot all get bigger slice at the cake if the cake is of limited size. Appraisal This is a common feature of most organisation but it is a very difficult area and fraught with difficulties. To some long standing employees, appraisal is simply unacceptable. They hate to think that someone is â€Å"looking over their shoulders† or making decisions on how good they are. Even if all staff are fully trained and happy to accept an appraisal system, there is still some potential for conflict. Staff might have a higher opinion of their performance that their managers and this can lead to disagreements and disputes. There can be suggestions of favouritism or victimisation even in a well – organised systems such as that of Boots. Recruitment And Selection The department that controls selection and recruitment is in a strong position to reward individuals and give them better salaries or more attractive jobs. In making decisions, the department is never going to please everyone. If Boots decided to appoint externally then this could have caused conflict with all internal candidates. Trade Unions One of the functions of the trade unions or representatives of the staff or any organisation is to gain the maximum pay and the best conditions for the employees. The human resource department have to ensure that salaries and wages are the minimum to attract the best or most appropriate staff. Performance Management And Motivational Theories It is important that Boots measure the performance of their employee’s against their aims and objectives and mission statement. This way they can see whether the company are doing well. This term is known as management by objective, in which the performance of the individual and organisation is consistently being measured against objectives and targets, which have been agrees jointly by managers and employees. The monitoring process requires the measurement of performance and then linking these performance measurements against the achievement of objectives. For individual employees, the monitoring process, is usually complemented by some or all of these review systems: > Appraisal > Self evaluation > Peer evaluation > 360 degree evaluation An appraisal system is used to review the standard of work being undertaken by people within an organisation and to assess the value or contribution of individual employees. Appraisal and performance review interviews are used by employers to: > Reinforce company goals > Identify training needs and career opportunities > Recognise good performance > Review and set new targets The person who appraises is called the ‘appraisor’ and the person being appraised is the ‘appraisee’. It is important that consideration is given during the appraisal interview to the extent to which an employee has reached objectives agreed at an earlier meeting (such as the previous years appraisal). Firstly, the appraisor writes an appraisal report of the appraisee. Secondly, this is discussed with the appraisee at an interview. There are several options available: Self Evaluation Before attending the interview, individual employees might be asked to consider their own view of their performance for Boots. Self-evaluation enables an employee to decide what his or her objectives are and identify training and development needs. The main problem with self-evaluation is that it can be highly biased. Some employees overestimate their performance through a fear of admitting their weaknesses and this is what the appraisor look out for. Other employees under estimate their performance because they do not want extra responsibility or because of false modesty. Peer Evaluation To inform the performance review process, many organisations also look at peer evaluations of the individual. This is based on the idea that the best people to provide feedback on an individual’s performance are those who operate at a comparative level. Obviously this can only be carried out in complete confidentiality, so that the people making the peer evaluation do not feel that there can be any come back. 360 Degree Evaluation This is the most modern approach – it is sometimes called ‘peer appraisal’. In 360 degree evaluation the apraisee is appraised by most of the people they deal with. Therefore a ‘middle manager’ would get appraised by staff working for them, by fellow managers and by their boss. This gives an extremely thorough picture of an employee and it pinpoints strengths and weaknesses very well. However, it takes up much staff time. Nevertheless it is very popular. It is important that Boots employers carry out appraisal interviews every year or every six-month so that they can keep on track how their employees are doing and also check if they are meeting the businesses objective. They can also set new objectives and targets to the employees in this type of interview as the appraisor would have found out what the employees strength and weaknesses are. The benefits of performance appraisal: > It helps to identify training needs > It may reveal other problems > It may untap useful new skills > It improves communication between employees and managers – a few words of encouragement and praise for doing a good job are often highly motivating. Motivation Motivation describes the extent to which an individual makes an effort to do something. Boots are likely to improve performance, in terms of productivity, attendance rates, cooperation and quality, if they can find ways of increasing the willingness of their employees to make even greater efforts at work. Motivation is the force that drives people to satisfy their needs. Human needs are varied and complex, and it is only relatively recently that psychologists have started to analyse how these forces operate and interact in the workplace. During the 1950’s two American researchers, Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg, evolved theories about human needs, which have since helped managers to understand how to encourage people to perform more effectively at work. Abraham Maslow and ‘The Hierarchy Of Needs’ Maslow’s ideas focus on the value of developing self – esteem and of helping people to fulfil their potential. Maslow said that all motivation comes from meeting unsatisfied needs. He stated that there was a ranking of need, which must be achieved in the correct order – from the bottom to the top of a pyramid. Basic physiological needs like food and water are at the bottom and self-actualisation is at the top. The need†¦ Which is achieved by†¦ Self-actualisation: Personal growth and self-fulfilment Esteem: Recognition Achievement Status Social needs: Affection/love Safety needs: Security Freedom from pain and threats Physiological needs: Food, water, and air Once these have been satisfied, increasingly higher level need start to come to the fore in determining what motivates us. When one level of need is satisfied, it decreases in strength and our actions are then dominated by the next level – and so on. Basic physical needs – these include things like food, shelter and warmth Security needs – these can be things like a safe place to live and security of employment. Need for social contact – people need contact with family members, friends and work colleagues. Need for self-esteem – people gain self-esteem when they feel that their achievements are recognised and rewarded. This may be anything from a few words of praise to tangible things like a new house or car Need for fulfilment – this usually involves some form of personal development, achieving goals or the successful completion of an ambitious project Maslow has contributed much to our understanding of the wide range of needs that working people have. He was one of the first researchers to realise the importance of motivational factors such as: > Enhancing people’s self-esteem > Giving them a challenge > Providing opportunities for personal growth > Giving people extra responsibility Frederick Herzberg and The Two Factor Theory In 1957 Hezberg devised the ‘motivation-hygiene’ theory, which stated that two groups of factors affect employees motivation. He studied thousands of workers to find out what satisfied and what dissatisfied them about their jobs. He discovered, naturally enough, that some things gave employees satisfaction while other things made them dissatisfied. Herzberg called the things that satisfy people job content factors and the things that dissatisfy people job context factors. He said that certain elements in a job motivate people to work harder. Job content (inside circle) normally involves aspects such as achievements, recognition, opportunities from promotion, responsibility and the nature of the work itself. Job content factors are factors within a job that can cause satisfaction. These factors are sometimes known as satisfiers or motivators. Job context (outside circle) includes aspects such as working condition, pay, company policy, organisational structure and administration. They are called job context factors because they are outside the job. Poor job context factors can cause dissatisfaction and can demotivate, but good job context factors are not enough in themselves to provide job satisfaction. Mangers must focus upon some of these factors if they want to increase job satisfaction and motivate employees. As we can see looking at both Maslow’s and Herzberg theories, that these methods will help employers and managers motivate their employee’s to get the best work out of them to keep the company alive. It is important that motivation takes part in all businesses, as motivation is a key aspect of the performance management part of the business. We can now see how businesses like Boots are influenced by these two motivational theories, however there are more theories that cover the whole concept of motivation We can see the main purposes of performance management and why it is so important to large and small businesses like Boots. Performance management plays a big successful part in a business as long as it keeps the employees happy and motivated. Planning The Workforce (Human Resource Planning) There are four main reasons for human resource planning: 1. It encourages employers to develop clear links between their business plans and their HR plans so that they can integrate the two more effectively, for all concern 2. Organisations can control staff costs and numbers employed far more effectively 3. Employers can build up a skill profile for each of their employees. This makes it easier to give them work where they are most value to the organisation 4. It creates a profile of staff which is necessary for the operation of equal opportunities policy Because of the dynamic nature of the modern global business environment, human resource planning is an ongoing process. A business like Boots needs to alter its objectives continuously to take account of: > New technology > Emerging world markets > Green and ethical issues > Workforce demands New Technology The rate of technological change is accelerating. It permeates every aspect of business activity: design, production planning, production control, automated production, warehousing, despatch, transportation, administration systems, management information systems, and so on. Robotics, automation and information technology are still in their early stages of development. As progress continues, the nature of industry and commerce will change even more dramatically. Human resource plans should consider the likely impact of technological change on the type of employees that the organisation will require in the future as well as considering the training implications for existing employees. World Markets International companies are able to exploit world markets, enjoying considerable economies of scale, particularly as transport costs continue to fall in real terms. Worldwide production facilities, automation and access to instant information anywhere in the world are changing the nature of companies. Businesses, which do not deliver quality goods and services on time, are being bypassed. Consumers demand more choice and new products. Product life cycles are shortening and product development time scales have had to speed up. Internet selling has become firmly established and organisations require highly flexible work forces to survive in such an environment. Green And Ethical Issues Businesses have to maintain a good relationship with their customers and suppliers. That relationship can be threatened by bad publicity, and companies need to be aware that they are scrutinised by many pressure groups that seek to publicise unfair or unethical practices. Green peace, for example, protests against environmentally unfriendly practices, and it sometimes targets action against individual companies as well as putting pressure on business as a whole. There have been many examples or pressure groups staging high-profile demonstrations against individual companies and organising boycotts of their products. Workforce Demands Conditions at work have improved enormously, compared to how they were a hundred years ago, but employee expectations continue to rise. Employees demand better working conditions and a better quality of working life. They want to be consulted about matters that affect them at work. They certainly have higher expectations about work than previous generations; people are not likely to be committed and loyal to employers that do not consider their needs and expectation. Human resource plans need to offer suitable training, development, motivation and rewards to satisfy employees and to ensure that those people with the highest skills and expertise are attracted to, and retained, by the organisation. These are factors that have influences on human resource planning. It is important that businesses like Boots think about these factors and how they might work from it and what kind of things the business may have to beware of. Good planning means a successful business. To successfully implement a human resource plan, a manager needs to obtain the cooperation of everybody within and outside the organisation. The human resource manager needs to motivate and enlist the cooperation of customers, suppliers, the manager’s own staff, senior managers and people in the other departments. Manpower Planning And Internal Staffing One of the most important plans the human resource manager makes is the manpower plan. This sets out the number and types of employees that will be required by an organisation in the future. Manpower Planning And The External Labour Market Factor As well as the continuous analysis of the internal staffing resources, manpower planning must also be supported by monitoring, the availability of labour from external resources. If an organisation fails to monitor the pool of potential recruits in the working population at both local and national level then it runs the risk of not being able to satisfy any additional manpower requirements from external resources. Local External Courses When assessing the extent to which future manpower requirements can be satisfied from local labour markets, manpower planning must take account of: > Demographic trends, with particular emphasis on the overall size and age structure of the local working population > Developments in the local transport system that determine the effective catchment area for labour > Unemployment rates, and the availability of workers with particular skills, qualifications and experience. National External Sources Boots must also consider the extent to which it ability to meet its manpower requirements may be influenced by national factors. National policies, demographic trends and developments can affect the ability of the organisation to recruit certain types of labour, and can have implications for salary levels and the conditions of employment. Manpower planning must therefore also take account of: > National demographic trends, particularly any implications for the growth of the working population > Economic trends which affect the demands for different types of labour – in today’s economy, for example, there is greater demand for people with practical science and technology skills and those with customer service skills required in call centres > Education and training trends, such as central government measures, which change the emphasis and structure of university courses and the provision of technical and vocational education in school and colleges > New legislation, including government policies and EU directives on wages and salary negotiations, the role of staff associations and trade unions, equal pay, sex discrimination, employment protection, working time and industrial relations Statistical Analysis There is a great deal of statistical information, from government and private sector sources, relating to the impact of local and the national factors on the labour market. This type of analysis is particularly useful to any organisation drawing up a manpower plan in support of business relocation or the setting up of a new business. Drawing Up The Manpower Plan If an organisation like Boots have identified the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation’s existing workforce and the external labour market factors impacting upon its ability to recruit and retain labour, a manpower plan can then be devised. The manpower must deal with: > Recruitment > Transfers > Redundancies > Training > Productivity > Labour turnover Recruitment A schedule must be produced that deals with the timing or the recruitment programme for the various types and levels of labour. It must set out an approach to tackling any possible labour recruitment difficulties that have been identified by earlier investigations. Transfers The manpower plan needs to cover the future redeployment of existing employees between various jobs, department, sections and locations. The plan covers not only within existing premises but also any transfers involving proposed movements of employees to different geographical locations where organisation operate. Redundancy If some jobs have become obsolete, or the organisation needs to reduce its activities in certain areas, it needs a programme for redundancies. This must cover the timetable and selection procedure for redundancies and/or early retirements, and the determination of redundancy payments and pensions. The plan must also specify how the organisation in tends to assist redundant employees in their search for alternative employment. Training This section of the manpower plan deals with the duration, structure and content of training and apprenticeship courses. It should cover induction and training of young recruits and the training and retraining courses for existing employees. Productivity Recruitment, selection, training and promotion measures are designed to ensure that the best possible people fill existing and future positions. However, they must be supported by actions so that all employees can work more productively. Productivity can also be raised by measures aimed at improving industrial and human relations within the organisation. If employees feel valued and get job satisfaction, they are likely to be better motivated and more productive. Labour Turnover A high labour turnover is bound to affect the quality and level of output as well as incurring manpower costs associated with the recruitment and training of labour. Having identified the avoidable causes of manpower wastage, the plan may suggest some remedies to reduce wastage. Having produced a manpower plan, every effort must be made to ensure that it is continually updated in the light of both internal and external developments that affect the organisations ability to meet its demand for labour. We can see how human resource planning is vital for nearly any business. Planning the workforce is good preparation for creating a tougher and successful workforce, which would then create better services. It is important that Boots also plan their external and internal developments too as it may affect the business to meet their demand for labour.

Tender response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tender response - Essay Example There are a representation of experts working for Godiva Oil International Company, which ensures efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of services. 1. Billy Charles is the team leader of the project team. He is a qualified civil engineer and has worked for this company for over ten years. In Godiva Oil International Company he works as the chief consulting engineer in relation to construction and installation of oil tanks, oil pipelines and he is the chief designer of pipe lines. Before then, he was working with Legacy Oil Company as device installation expert for three years. He has also served as a chief consultant in an engineering firm for four years. He has recommendable leadership ability and has shown it in some two other teams. 2. Florence Jill is an experienced records manager at Godiva Oil International Company. In the project team, she will serve as the secretary to record all occurrences in the process of supply acquisition and installation of the products in the tender. She will also be in charge of communications and correspondence in the team. She has served in her present capacity for eight years and has proved her capability in her work. She has adapted to the changing technological advancement in the styles of record keeping. 3. Betty Williams is the one in charge procurement in the project committee. She is a qualified economist and a holder of a master’s degree in procurement. She has worked with this company for four years and she has proved her capability to perform perfectly well in assessing quality of products for the company and providing reliable quotation for products. 4. Peter Robertson is a communications officer in the project team. He has wide knowledge and extensive expertise in oil tanks installation services. He has worked in Godiva Oil International for five years and two years in an oil and container trading company. He has a vast knowledge of the operation and

Strategic Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Planning - Essay Example Let us look at the current situation of the coastal area of Australia and the challenges that have been facing it. The coast of Australia is an important asset to the country. It has great economic potential for Australian. Its value to the Australian economy calls for the taking of management measures that will ensure it remains to play its vital role in the economy. The coastal are has a unique values and resources that are very vital to the Australian way of life. It also plays an important role in ensuring ecological sustainability. Therefore development of sustainable coastal zone is imperative for the life of the Austrians for now and in the future. (Queensland Government, 2008c) The coast of Australia extends for more than 36 000 km including the external territories. The region has a wide range of climates, geographical and geological regimes and a mixture of various ecosystems that support the biodiversity. This biodiversity supports a number of activities including commercial and non commercial one. Commercial activities include transport of goods and services through the port, income generating recreational activities, urban development, aquaculture, mariculture, fishing, coastal agriculture, petroleum mining, and others. It is also home a variety of indigenous cultural values which include the coastal landscapes with cultural meaning, and others. (Queensland Government, 2008a) The above gives the importance of maintaining the Australian coast for the current and for the generation to come. This shows that it plays a vital role in the life of the people. The coastal area has turned to be a major focus for economic, industrial and social activities. With more than 86% of the population now living around the coast and with more people visiting the coast more often there has to be a management plan that will ensure

The Four Noble Truths of Buddha Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Four Noble Truths of Buddha - Essay Example 2. The Second Noble Truth is the Arising or Cause of Suffering ( Sanskrit – Samudaya): This Truth narrates that we continuously remain in searching outside around us to make ourselves happy without considering the degree of success because we never remain satisfied. Buddha taught that this hunger grows out of our ignorance because we try to grab one thing after another to make ourselves secure. We become frustrated when the worldly things do not deliver to our expectations. 3. The Third Noble Truth is Cessation (End) of Suffering (Sanskrit – Nirodha): Buddha taught that we may get freedom from these sufferings and may be made to cease if we keep away from the world. It is self-control to fade away the sufferings and Dhukka will be eliminated. 4. The Fourth Noble Truth is The Path Leading to the Cession of Sufferings (Sanskrit – Marga): Buddha gave us the path to cease the suffering. It is eightfold path i.e. right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. More simply it is divided into three main disciplines viz wisdom, ethical conduct and mental discipline (The Four Noble Truths and Buddha’s Four Noble Truths) Hinduism is the religion of Hindu. It is possibly the oldest religion known to man with no identifiable beginning and began in the forests of India. It is worship oriented for powers of nature and is considered as a nature religion. It is compounded with all forms of belief and worship with characteristics of other faiths too. Hinduism is an international religion and followers are found in many countries.  

Personal writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal writing - Essay Example In contrast, the lives of the two main protagonists were ended in such a pitiful and tragic event. To wit, Romeo drank the mortal drug from an Apothecary of Mantua while Juliet stabbed herself to death by using Romeo’s dagger. Before drinking the fatal drug, Romeos sadness made him to say, â€Å"Here’s to my love! O true Apothecary! / Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die† (Shakespeare 5.3.119-120). Such was the most valiant act I have ever known that a human could possibly do because of love. To die for the person who is considered as your life. On the other hand, Juliet upon knowing the death of Romeo declared, â€Å"Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! / This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die† (Shakespeare 5.3.169-170). Indeed, the power of love can make us irrational sometimes. Such was Romeo and Juliet’s actuations in the novel. In relation, some critics have persistently argued that these two irrational acts were the ruthless fruit of their everlasting love. On the contrary, there are few who have contended that the heartbreaking moment was exacerbated by their family duel. This circumstance has limited their respective freedom to express love and affection with each other. Consequently, since the first introduction of this novel in 1595, there have been many arguments given just to provide an explanation of who was most to blame for their death and was it proper to impute that blame on such characters. Moreover, a number of avid readers and audiences suggested that the older generation was the one guilty and not the youngsters. Surprisingly, others have pointed out that the terrible death of Romeo and Juliet was attributed to the acts of Friar Laurence, the Franciscan priest who has been loyal to the central male character. In bizarre cases, even the two lovers have been singled out for blame. Despite these various facts,

Participation or Non-Participation for a Tennis Professional Essay

Participation or Non-Participation for a Tennis Professional - Essay Example Given the magnitude of the tournament, it would present the best platform to sensitize the World and Americans on my stance and to make them join me in fighting this course. Participation is better given that a large number of people gather to watch this tournament and that the competition attracts people from various countries. Further, several broadcasting channels televise the Indianapolis tennis tournament that will enable my position to reach a large number of people (Durst 1). For a professional tennis player, participation presents the best way of putting forth one's opinion. Just like evidenced in other sports activities, best players choose to participate and put forth their stance concerning an occurrence in the course of their participation. For instance, when a police officer shot a teenager named Garner, and people were of the opinion that the Jury’s decision did not provide justice to the deceased. There were increased protests among the public and LeBron James an NBA star sought to oppose the decision in a game scheduled for Brooklyn. Before the game, LeBron wore a T-shirt with inscriptions showing support for young Garner (Bondy 1). A professional tennis player would pass his stance against the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts via pre-match or post-match interviews. In addition, a professional player can bring forth their position by wearing T-shirts with inscriptions of the stand they take concerning the decision. Finally, given the lar ge social media following that professional sports personality have in these media; the professional tennis player can post his stance on his wall. Despite the lack of participation in the Indianapolis Tennis Championships being impactful, participation and making one’s stance known through various means is the best option. Given the large following, that tennis professionals receive worldwide, failure of involvement would not go well with all the fans. Some fans of the professional tennis player would be so devastated by the failure of the occurrence of the event that they would stop focusing on the issue that led to the decision.  Ã‚  

The National Income Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The National Income - Essay Example Thus, net exports denote the difference what a country can produce and what it actually consumes. If the output it produces is insufficient to satisfy consumption, investment, and government expenditures, it will tend to source output from other countries. On the other hand, the net capital outflow is the difference between domestic savings and domestic investment while the trade balance is shown as the total amount that the country receives for its net exports. Through the national income identity discussed above, it can be seen that net capital outflow is always equal to the country's trade balance. If the trade balance and the net capital outflow is positive, the country is running a trade surplus which means that it is a lender in the international financial market and that its exports is greater than its imports. However, if it is negative, it is running a trade deficit which means that it is a borrower in the financial market and imports is greater than exports. Following from this, the impact of any policy on the balance of trade can be identified and assessed by considering its effect in the country's savings and investment. Logically, any policy which causes savings and investment to increase supports a trade surplus while one which causes decline in savings and investment will lead to a trade deficit. In order to ... There are two type of exchange rates: nominal which is the relative price of currency of two countries while real is the relative price of goods of two countries. These two are related in the sense that the real exchange rate is equal to the nominal exchange rate multiplied by the ratio of price levels in the two countries. Thus, if the real exchange rate is high, foreign goods are relatively cheap, and domestic goods are relatively expensive. On the other hand, if the real exchange rate is low, foreign goods are relatively expensive, and domestic goods are relatively cheap. The real exchange rate is directly related to net exports in the sense that when real exchange rate is high and domestic goods are less expensive, it is expected that net exports will be greater as domestic goods will appeal more to other countries and exports are higher. Another determinant of real exchange rate is net capital outflow. It should be noted that the equilibrium real exchange rate is the rate at which the quantity of net exports demanded equals to the net capital outflow. On the other hand, since the nominal exchange rate is determined by the prices of commodities in one country compared to the other, the price level is its most significant determinant. Empirical evidence shows that the high level of inflation which makes domestic goods priced higher will tend to cause a depreciating currency. Chapter 12 The Mundell-Fleming model has been recognized as a dominant policy paradigm for the study of open-economy monetary and fiscal policy. It is the same as the IS-LM Model in the sense that both emphasize the interaction between the goods and money market. Also, these models assume that price is fixed while showing what affects short-run

Unconscionable contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unconscionable contract - Essay Example In the case at bar, Amy, who was a college student, was led to believe by the salesman that the home theater system, Alpo Model XL2, costs $3,000, when in truth and in fact, the actual standard cost of the theater system is only $1,000. The price given by the salesman was two times higher than the prevailing standard cash market price of the item bought by the buyer. Hence, the â€Å"rent-to-own† contract signed by Amy is considered unconscionable. Under the law, Amy has the remedy to demand the return of the excess $2,000 since the contract price is unconscionable, excessive and unfair on her part. Here, the salesman acted in bad faith at the time of the signing of the â€Å"rent-to-own† contract. Therefore, in order to cure the damage caused to the buyer, Amy can go to court and have the contract declared as unconscionable and oppressive, since there was a violation on the part of the salesman to fulfill his obligation in good faith in accordance with their contract.

U. S. Leadership Essay Example for Free

U. S. Leadership Essay Minorities are concentrated in urban areas or CBD’s by a variety of forces. After World War II, many people (mostly African Americans) migrated from the South to the North. The housing demand was much greater than the housing supply. The FHA and other organizations, supported by the U. S. government, began offering low interest loans to white people in the newly developing suburbs. â€Å"While many organizations were providing low-cost financing for houses in the suburbs, such as the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration and the Veteran’s Mortgage Guarantee Program, the FHA refused to guarantee suburban loans to poor people, nonwhites, Jews and other ‘inharmonious’ racial and ethnic groups because the value of homes in the neighborhood, according to the FHA, would drop in value (Chudacoff 270). Because of these low interest loans to aid whites in moving to the suburbs and the restrictive covenants that kept blacks and other minorities out of suburban areas, minorities were not able to move out of CBD’s. So whites fled to the suburbs (a phenomenon called white flight), but minorities were forced to stay. Many jobs went to the suburbs as well, which means that urban jobs became decentralized as well. Black neighborhoods were then further divided by freeways and other projects of urban renewal. The freeways became barriers between whites and other races, as Graham Greene called this â€Å"the racing and placing of America† (Greene 39). Jalbert also sums this up with â€Å"Suburbanization was a decidedly white experience enforced by blatant racism, unequal access to economic opportunity, and restrictive housing covenants† (Jalbert). This segregation affects schools in a variety of ways. Since schools are funded chiefly by state property taxes (except for the 8. 5% from the federal government), suburban schools have always fared better. Economic differences exist between CBD and suburban areas obviously. Because of white flight, enhanced by the FHA’s low interest loans for whites to buy in the suburbs, and restrictive covenants that left minorities out of the suburbs, economic inequity remains. Houses in the suburbs are assessed generously while houses in the CBD are redlined, or assessed for less money because the neighborhoods are mixed). Education is unequal. This is a large and seemingly insurmountable problem in American education. Harris (2002) sums up the entire problem quite eloquently in the following quote. It is perfectly obvious that the highest at-risk students have the poorest, most run-down physical environments, the greatest instability of teachers coming and going, the fewest fully qualified teachers, a shortage of textbooks and instructional materials, far less availability of technology in the classroom, overcrowded classrooms, poor working conditions for the teachers, and fewer resources to teach students to pass the tests that they have little chance of being properly prepared to take. To compare these schools with those serving the most affluent majority of students is akin to comparing a backward, emerging nation with a highly industrialized nation. It is no contest† (Harris. 37). The inequities in education are directly caused by the breakdown of the CBD’s. The U. S. government put money behind the loans the FHA program and others gave to whites. The government even financed the freeway system with 50/50’s so that suburban people could have roads for a faster commute. Minorities were relegated to the CBD’s. Even in recent years, projects of urban renewal have further harmed CBD’s, like Dodger Stadium in an area called Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles. Schools in this country are more segregated than they were before Brown vs. the Board of Education, and schools in CBD’s are mostly minorities. To further illustrate the reality of these inequities in education, a quote by Jonathan Kozol’s recently published article for The Nation is needed. â€Å"The contrasts between what is spent today to educate child in the poorest New York City neighborhoods, where teacher salaries are often even lower. than the city averages, and spending levels in the wealthiest suburban areas are daunting challenges to any hope New Yorkers might retain that even semblances of fairness still prevail. Teachers in the schools of District 7 in Mott Haven, for example, where some 99. 8 percent of children are black or Latino, now receive a median salary that is approximately half the median salary of teachers in the affluent communities of Great Neck and Manhasset. (The actual numbers, which are annually compiled by the state, are $42,000 for a teacher in Mott Haven, versus $82,000 for the teachers in these two Long Island suburbs.) Including all the other costs of operation of a public school, a third-grade class of twenty-five children in the schools of Great Neck now receives at least $200,000 more per year than does a class the same size in Mott Haven, while children in a comparable classroom in Manhasset now receive a quarter-million dollars more. † (Kozol 1) Kozol sums it up absolutely. These are the cold hard facts of urban economics in the schools of New York City. Schools in CBD’s are inequitable; they are segregated. They contain the students who need the most help with the teachers who are least prepared to help them. They need more money for remediation programs, but do not have the property taxes nor the influential parents to get the money. They never had an equal chance from the start, and if education is to play the role of the great equalizer, these problems need to be fixed. Works Cited Chudacoff, Howard. â€Å"The Politics of Growth in the Era of Suburbanization, 1945-1974, in Chudacoff and Smith, The Evolution of American Urban Society, pp. 263-296. Greene, Ronald Walter, Malthusian Worlds: U. S. Leadership and the Governing of the Population Crisis, 1939. Harris, Louis (2002). If You Want to Know About the Schools, Ask the Teachers: A Survey of the Status of Public Education in New York. Prepared for Recruiting Teachers, Inc. (July 2002). p. 37. Jalbert, Matthew, â€Å"Burbs, Blockbusting, and Blacks: Morphosis of the Postwar American City, â€Å"Radical Urban Theory, Accessed March 29, 2007, at www. radicalurbantheory. com/mjalbert/burbs/index8. html Kozol, Jonathan. (2002) Malign Neglect. Children in New York public schools are being shortchanged-again. The Nation. June 10, 2002. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from http://www. thirdworldtraveler. com/Third_World_US/Malign_Neglect_Kozol. html

Irish Banking in a Digital Age: NTUC Income

Irish Banking in a Digital Age: NTUC Income Index Introduction Case Study Information Systems used by NTUC Income before Migrating Business Processes used by NTUC Income before Migrating Problems Associated with the Old Systems New Digital System capabilities How did the new system resolve the problems How did the new digital system provide a basis for the orange strategy Could Orange have been available with the Old systems Three Important Lessons for Irish Retail Banking Conclusion Introduction Banking in a digital age is a huge subject and I have gone into some detail to analyse the case study and to answer the questions outlined. However I want to initially highlight the diagrams below, the first diagram shows the percentage of customers that consult the internet and is self-explanatory, however it does highlight how important the internet is to banks to create revenue and to ensure their viability on into the future. The second diagram however is somewhat of a parallel to this in that it shows that younger customers are inclined to bank with larger well known banks regardless. An interesting argument could be given for both sides. Case Study Information systems used by NTUC Income before migrating were: Old fashioned HP 3000 mainframe system Decades old Cobol programs Batch processing systems, Agents tried to submit the documents using notebooks Business Processes Used by NTUC Income before migrating to new digital systems were: Entirely paper based Customers met with broker/agent to complete proposal form Form is submitted by courier to Office service department Form is logged and sorted Form is then sent to underwriters. Accepted proposals then sent to computer Services Department be printed and distributed. All original documents then sent to storage unit for logging and filing In a lot of cases departments had to pass physical documents among each other Problems Associated with the Old Systems Very cumbersome and time consuming process After proposal form completed by customer it could take 2 to 3 days for the form to be couriered to underwriters Form then sent to computer services department to be printed and distributed. Sent to storage unit to be logged and stored which could take over two to three days Document retrieval slow and cumbersome taking up to two days to locate, then the form had to be shipped by courier. Refiling would take 2 days. Documents had to be physically passed to each other High volume of staff involved in clerical roles, from start to finish the policy will have been handled by up to 13 staff Entirely paper based system Existing computer system very unreliable with regular breakdowns Breakdowns meant loss of man hours re-inputting lost data Existing system had to be backed up daily however if system crashed during the day staff had to choose whether to save daily reconciliation or whether to do a full back up If daily back up not completed previous days data would be lost No Real time data, systems did not allow data inputter to see if customer is existing or new. Loss in revenue and sales due to lack of real time data. Existing system had 3 major hardware failures which mean loss of 6 days. Regular breakdowns No up to date information for departments or internal digital mailing system. 2.1 New digital system capabilities New Java based EBao Lifesystem All branches equipped with scanners and new monitors New PC RAM of 128MB New hardware and software for application servers Disk storage systems Data transmitted immediately All Documents scanned and stored on digital devices Data stored on two or more servers all connected by two or more connection lines. Faster cable Wireless capability Fiber-optic Backbone 2.2 How did the new system resolve the problems? Reduced timeframe for induction of policy Efficient scanning and processing systems. Real time data, enabling cross sales and cross referencing for existing customers Reduction in time to react to market trends and changes. Easier to design and launch new products to keep ahead of market trends Good backup systems, data saved on two or more servers ensuring no loss of data New disaster recovery site that no longer required restoration of the previous day’s data Improved customer service as new system gave a single view of each customer showing all real time data allowing cross selling and reduced turnaround times Up to 50 percent saving on time and costs 3.1 How did the new digital system provide a basis for the orange strategy? Orange was stuck in a paper based timewarp. This meant that all time and energy was put into manual applications which did not leave time for them to focus on a more customer friendly and customer focused organization. The new system meant that there was a huge reduction in the need for large volumes of clerical staff and these staff could be utilized to provide a better customer service and also provide a better profit for the business by utilizing the customer information to enable cross sales. It also enabled time for the marketing strategy to be overhauled as up to date data was now at hand. This data provided a customer profile facilitating the sale of more relevant products by providing some Golden Nuggets of information. As the systems could provide some analytical and operational CRM data. It also enabled the business to be able to react quickly to any new market trends as the new digital systems were able to take on and launch new products quickly and in fact enabled them to set up a brand new concept in the insurance business, the launch of the Orange motorcycles fleet. This fleet was very distinctive and easily spotted on the high street which in itself was a major marketing tool but they not only serviced their own customers who had accidents but also non customers which in turn meant that these people would go to Orange the next time they needed a quote for insurance and also created a Feel Good moment. It enabled them to launch Orange Eye which was a smartphone application. This provided an in car camera which helped combat motor insurance fraud which ensured that costs for the company would be kept down and in turn allowed for reduced insurance policies. 3.2 Could Orange have been available with the Old Systems? Orange would most definitely not have been possible with the old system. They were not able to provide an efficient, straightforward, transparent system or product due to the major constraints of the old systems. 4. Three important Lessons for Irish Retail Banking 1. Banks have to embrace the Digital Age to Increase profit. Banks have to embrace and utilize all systems available and even create new systems in order to increase revenue and in turn increase profit. According the statistics provided by The Second UPC Report on Irelands Digital future the projected value of the Irish internet economy in 2020 will be E21.1 BN, Projected on line Consumer Spending will be E12.7 BN as opposed to figures provided for 2014 when online consumer spending was E5.9 BN. Therefore this market has to be tapped to ensure the viability of the bank into the future. While initially consumers were reluctant to take on some of these new online systems such as online banking one would wonder what their reaction would be if it were to be taken away from them overnight. As can be seen from table below sourced from PWC the percentage of users of online services has increased tenfold and banks have to embrace this change and utilize it to their advantage. Gen Y = born 1980, Gen X = born 1965 – 1979, Baby boomers = 1946 – 1964, Matures born prior to 1946 2. Digital systems improve services. The new orange system allowed for funds and also staff to be freed up to create a much better customer experience. One way of doing this was to send out the Orange Fleet which proved a huge success. This model has been in some way reproduced with banks now beginning to think outside the box, by providing some time/space shifting services such as Mobile Mortgage Managers who will visit you out of bank hours and in turn the new systems that allow you to bank on line 24 hours a day online in the comfort of your own home. Bank of Ireland are currently trying to promote an internal scoring card system that they call NPS to ensure that we continue to provide an excellent customer service and allowing all opportunities to be utilized and all cross sales achieved to ensure a good profit and also a good service to the customer. As outlined in our lectures 50 percent of time and effort is invested in trying to get new customers in the first place and 50 percent to hold onto them. It costs six times more to get a new customer therefore a high retention of existing customers ensures an increased profit. Accenture created a Consumer research of over 13000 in 33 countries and they found that 61% if customers globally switched providers due to a bad experience and 85% switch providers because they feel that companies don’t make it easy to do business with. It is no secret that the general public’s perception of the Banks in light of the recent recession and bailout by the government has not been advantageous and therefore it is in our best interest to improve our systems and also do things a bit differently and this NPS scorecard is in some way helping this. Also the public would not have great trust in the Banks and again the â€Å"simple honest and different approach† adapted by Orange could be adapted in a more robust platform by the Banks. 3. Correct systems have to be in place in order for customers to adapt and embrace the change. Bank of Irelands digital systems were sometimes seen as cumbersome by both staff and by customers alike. There were some major issues with Banking on line for business customers as it was difficult to get set up and in a lot of cases it wasn’t compatible with certain computer systems. There is also the public’s perception of the risk concerned with digital technology and some customers do not trust the systems and still prefer to go in to the Bank and make their transactions or apply for their loans with a human. I showed a family member how to pay a bill on line. This was their first attempt at using this system and they were very impressed with how easy the process was, however as the payee was an Ulster Bank customer the transaction took a couple of days to go through. This caused my relation a huge worry (they are in their 60’s) as she would have preferred to have had physical evidence such as a receipt for the transaction and they could not relax until the funds were acknowledged as received. This however is not such a worry for younger generations as they have more trust in the digital systems. The security issues need to be addressed and maintained and also the banks need to keep ahead of the fraudsters. As long as this continues to happen I c an see a continued rise in the use of digital banking systems. Conclusion As outlined on the Bain Brief article â€Å"Many banks have been too quick to capitalize on digital technologies as a way to strip costs out of their operations. Steering their technology-enable customers to websites, mobile apps and ATMs, they are shuttering full-service branches and replacing them with automated kiosks. But while the savings from taking a self-service approach can be enticing, the longer term costs of abandoning customers to their own high-tech devices are unacceptably high.† The Digital Challenge to Retail banks Oct 17,2012 by Dirk Vater, Youngsuh Cho and Peter Sidebottom. This article was written in 2012 and since then Bank of Ireland has come to realize this and are trying to keep their physical branch footprint in place in as much as possible in order to have a face behind the bank. Other major banks in Ireland have been reducing their branch footprint in order to reduce costs. We will have to wait and see in the future what the best approach to this will have been and as always hindsight is sometimes a great thing. Referencing Accenture Study, Global Consumer Pulse Research (2014) Bain Banking Study (2012) FIS Primary Consumer Research (Aug 2011) Laudon, Laudon,(2014) Management Information Systems Second UPC Report on Irelands Digital Future (2014) Stapleton, (2015) Banking in a Digital Age Webinars Putnam, (2011) Attracting and Retaining Gen Y and Gen X Vater, Youngsuh and Sidebottom (2012) Bain Brief The Digital Challenge to Retail Banks Villers, (2015) PWC Banking will mean digital banking in 2015

Arab League Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Arab League.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Arab League is a regional organization that was founded on March 22, 1945. The league’s function is to promote political cooperation among it’s member states, and to deal with disputes or any breaches of peace in the region. The league’s official name is the League of Arab States. The founding members of the league are: Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Yemen. Membership in the League was later extended to Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Southern Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. The headquarters of the League is located in Cairo, and it is run by a secretary general which is appointed by the league members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The work of any international organization which attempts to promote peace, and political cooperation is usually confronted by several failures. However, in the case of the Arab League it has been evident that it is unable to sustain the peace within the region or aid in any political cooperation between the member states. The Gulf War could be said to be a test to the power of the Arab League and it’s presumed cooperation and handling problems strategies. The war started off by the invasion of Kuwait by it’s neighbor Iraq, both are member states in the A...

Neuropsychologist Essay -- Neurology Psychology Medicine Papers

Neuropsychologist A neuropsychologist is a professional in the field of psychology that focuses on the interrelationships between neurological processes and behavior. They work as a team with neurologists, neurosurgeons, and primary care physicians. Neuropsychologists extensively study the anatomy, pathology, and physiology of the nervous system (http://www.tbidoc.com/Appel2.html). Clinical neuropsychologists then apply this knowledge to the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or rehabilitation of patients across the lifespan with medical, neurodevelopmental, neurological and psychiatric conditions, as well as other cognitive and learning disorders (http://nanonline.org/content/text/paio/defneuropsych.shtm). A clinical neuropsychologist uses behavioral, cognitive, neurological, physiological, and psychological principles to test and evaluate the patient’s behavioral, neurocognitive, and emotional strengths and weaknesses (http://nanonline.org/content/text/paio/defneuropsych.shtm). The neuropsychologist also compares the patient’s relationship to normal and abnormal central nervous system functioning. Then the clinical neuropsychologist uses this information along with information provided from other healthcare and/or medical providers to identify and diagnose neurobehavioral disorders. After identifying and diagnosing the patient, the clinical neuropsychologist will plan and implement intervention strategies. Patient Himself or Herself Just ventral to the thalamus, near the base of the brain is where the hypothalamus is located. The hypothalamus is relatively small (peanut-sized) but extremely complex structure. It is intimately involved in the control of... .... Definition of a Neuropsychologist. Retrieved April 29, 2005, from http://nanonline.org/content/text/paio/defneuropsych.shtm. Carlson, Neil R. (1994). Physiology of Behavior 5th Edition. Massachusetts: Paramount Publishing. Gordon, Christopher J. (1993). Temperature Regulation in Laboratory Rodents. New York: Cambridge University Press. Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology 8th Edition. Canada: Thomson Learning, Inc., Wadsworth. Morgane, Peter J., & Panksepp, Jaak (1980). Handbook of the Hypothalamus Volume 2: Physiology of the Hypothalamus. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc. Reber, Arthur S., & Reber, Emily (2001). The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. Wiederholt, Wigbert C. (2000). Neurology for Non-Neurologists 4th Edition. Pennsylvania: W.B. Sauders Company.

Gary Nash Essay -- essays research papers

In the essay written by Gary Nash, he argues that the reason for the American Revolution was not caused by the defense of constitutional rights and liberties, but that of â€Å"material conditions of life in America† were not very favorable and that social and economic factors should be considered as the driving factor that pushed many colonists to revolt. The popular ideology which can be defined as resonating â€Å"most strongly within the middle and lower strata of society and went far beyond constitutional rights to a discussion of the proper distribution of wealth and power in the social system† had a dynamic role in the decisions of many people to revolt. The masses ideas were not of constitutional rights, but the equal distribution of wealth in the colonies that many felt that the wealth was concentrated in a small percentage of the population in the colonies. The Whig ideology that was long established in English society had a main appeal towards the upper clas s citizens and â€Å"had little to say about changing social and economic conditions in America or the need for change in the future.† The popular ideologies consisted of new ways of changing the distribution of wealth. Nash in his essay continued to give good evidence to prove his point that the American Revolution was not caused by the defense of constitutional rights and liberties, but by improper distribution of wealth. During the pre-American Revolutionary times, the â€Å"top five percent of Boston’s taxpayers controlled 49 ...

Rhetorical Analysis of Obama Speech

Literatures and Foreign Languages Let Us Learn and Resource Together 23 November 2008 Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"A More Perfect Union† Speech The speech titled â€Å"A More Perfect Union† was delivered by Senator Barack Obama on March 18, 2008 near the historical site of the signing of the U. S. Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The speech responds to the video clip of Barack Obama’s pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, making racially charged comments against America and Israel. The pundits and various news media outlets played the clip repeatedly on the television, radio, YouTube, and podcasts.First, the Senator’s speech attempts to address the nation on their concerns of his affiliation with Reverend Wright. Second, the speech addresses the sustaining and prevailing issues of race within America and how it paralyzes our nation. The speech is compelling because it possesses the necessary elements of effective and persuasive rhetoric; in summatio n, Obama’s rhetoric works. Rhetoric is the study of opposing arguments, misunderstanding, and miscommunication. Also, relevant to this analysis, rhetoric will be defined as the ability to speak and write effectively and to use language and oratory strategically.Despite the common employment of speech writers by most politicians, Senator Obama wrote the speech himself. By addressing the misunderstanding and miscommunication connected to and perpetrated by racism in America, the audience sees precisely how effective Obama’s speech is when examined through such lenses as the classical and 20th century rhetorical theories and concepts from Aristotle, Richard Weaver, Stephen Toulmin, Chaim Perelman, and Michel Foucault. Barack Obama’s speech echoes the rhetorical concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos that are explicitly discussed within Aristotle’s The Rhetoric.Ethos is how the speaker’s character and credibility aids his or her influence of the audience ; whereas pathos is a rhetorical device that alters the audience’s perceptions through storytelling and emotional appeals (181). Logos uses reason to construct an argument and to covey an idea (182). Finally, kairos attempts to conceptualize the need for the correct timing (201). Therefore, ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are all evident within the speech and expressed in various ways, striking language and repetition, and through different receptors, emotions and logic.Ethos is accomplished on intellectual, social, spiritual, and biological levels. Senator Obama does this by giving factual information. He interjects historical references; he explains the extent of his family tree. Thus, the Senator gives creditability to his speech and validity to his message. The implication is that everyone should listen; he is the authority. He acknowledges that the press routinely looks â€Å"for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but blac k and brown as well† (Obama, par. 7).From this quote, the audience is being persuaded by the classical theoretical concepts of opposing arguments. The audience is fully aware of the division between the races, and the speech is very effective due to the fact that Barack Obama is willing to speak of what is often unspoken. When addressing his intellectual ethos, Obama mentions that he has â€Å"gone to some of the best schools in America† (Obama, par. 6). Secondly, he recites, â€Å"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union,† which is easily recognized as the first line in the U. S. Constitution (Obama, par. 2).Even those who do not possess complete knowledge of the famous line immediately understand that something of importance is being conveyed to them. Thirdly, he demonstrates his awareness of past occurrences and present concerns on the global scale. Senator Obama recalls the â€Å"legacy of slavery and Jim Crow† within our nation (Obama, par . 24). He acknowledges the present dangers of â€Å"conflicts in the Middle East† and explains the cause of such conflict (Obama, par. 10). The audience is given evidence that he understands the role of history as well as the present-day global concerns affecting our nation.Furthermore, Senator Obama uses ethos to gain credibility with his knowledge of social issues that pervade our society today. He states, â€Å"The most segregated hour of American life occurs on Sunday morning† (Obama, par. 12). He acknowledges that the resentments of the black and white communities â€Å"aren’t always expressed in polite company,† but these resentments are manifested within our society in destructive ways, like racism (Obama, par. 31). The audience feels that he is knowledgeable and credible on the immediate topics affecting our future and our daily lives.Ethos is also applied on a spiritual level by mentioning his present faith and making Biblical references. He stat es that â€Å"more than twenty years ago [he was] introduce[d] †¦to Christian faith [with] obligations to love one another, to care for the sick and lift up the poor† (Obama, par. 13). He noted how â€Å"black people merg[ed] with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion’s den, [and] Ezekiel’s field of dry bones† (Obama, par. 16). Senator Obama is altering the language.Christians did not exist in the Old Testament story of Ezekiel, but Senator Obama is effectively connecting with every major religion. Simultaneously, he is reaching out to the secular world as well. Being cognizant that everyone does not actively practice a religious faith, Obama chooses stories that everyone, Christians and non-Christians, could identify and recognize. Thus, these religious references connect with masses as well as members of the three major religions. Finally, Senator Obama gains ethos by explaining his own genetic makeup.He st ates that he is â€Å"the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas†¦ [He continues that he] is married to a Black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slave owners†¦ [Then, he acknowledges that he has] brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins of every race and every hue scattered across three continents† (Obama, par. 6). In essence, he reveals that he has the blood of Africa, the birthplace of humanity, and the blood of a woman of French descent within him. He has married a woman who has both slave and slave owner flowing within her.Moreover, he has fathered children who have the blood of humanity: African, European, slave, and the Caucasian slave owner within them. Thus, he is an authority on race. He states, â€Å"[his] story [is] seared into [his] genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more that the sum of its parts–that out of many, we are truly one† (Obama, par. 6). The audience revels at hi s remarkable story, and ethos is achieved through storytelling. In essence, Obama forges a biological connection with his audience. The connection is strengthened through Senator Obama’s use of pathos.It is achieved through the use of emotional appeals. He alters the thoughts and feelings of his audience through storytelling, imagery, and allusion. The topic of race, within itself, evokes strong emotions, even to this very moment, this very second. The senator begins by telling a story of his grandfather â€Å"who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s army during World War II† (Obama, par. 6). The use of key terms such as Depression, Patton’s army, and World War II evoke the emotional responses of patriotism and self-sacrifice.Toward the end of his speech, Obama shares another story; he tells of a young, white, Southern campaigner–Ashley Baia–who inspires an old, black, Southern man to vote (Obama, par. 45-46). In essence, Baia encourag es pathos by telling her story. Barack Obama uses Baia’s story of inspiration to highlight the power in sharing his own story. The audience is able to connect through the emotional appeals that take place at the very core of humanity. It is easy to disrespect and dishonor something that is foreign and unknown, but it is hard to turn away from the essence of another man’s soul.As fellow humans, the audience recognizes the sheer humanity in the story. Pathos is also achieved through the use of allusion and imagery. The imagery that is provoked with terms such as slave or slavery is still poignant today. Most people are cognizant of the plight of slaves within this country. The audience would be aware of the racism that ensued and the devastation and isolation that slavery caused in American history. When Barack Obama describes the various ways that racism manifested within our society, pathos is achieved because of the powerful imagery of the allusions to race and racial conflicts within our community.The audience is trapped and becomes aware of the prejudices and experiences of race and racism within their own lives, thus causing emotions to surge and overflow. Pathos, being the weakest form of rhetoric, is utilized by Senator Obama sparingly. Instead, he overwhelmingly utilizes the most powerful form of rhetoric, logos. Logos is the ability to embody rational, logical, methodical thoughts and persuasions. As it relates to Obama’s speech, examples of logos are found throughout the text. For example, by displaying objectivity, the element of logos is achieved.Senator Barack Obama methodically explains the problems with race within America, and he gives logical, reasoned resolutions to the problems. He explains, â€Å"The anger [of Blacks and] the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away, nor has the anger and bitterness of those years†¦ [Later he offers resolution and states that] the African-American community [mu st embrace] our past without becoming victims of our past† (Obama, par. 34). Many African-Americans will identify with Obama’s assessment of race within the African-American community, and they will be inspired to act in a positive manner.Simultaneously, he acknowledges â€Å"a similar anger within†¦the white community. They [feel] they’ve worked hard all their lives†¦They are anxious about their future, and they feel their dreams slipping away [and] resentment builds over time†¦ [Furthermore, he offers resolution and urges that] the white community [must acknowledge] that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination [exists]† (Obama, par. 36).From these lines, the audience is persuaded to respond in a positive manner as well, and they are urged to approach the subject of racism both subjectively and objectively. Senator Obama recognizes the duality of both pligh ts and asks the American people not to blame each other but investigate and seek out the true reason of conflict within our nation. Thus, Obama is using inductive and deductive reasoning, which is indicative of logos. By utilizing Aristotle’s method and system, Obama’s appeals to logic are beyond reproach.Once his reasons are defined, he states that this is the time that we must take action and secure our future together, and Obama begins to preach on the importance of time. The issue of time and timing directly correlates with the classical rhetorical term kairos. Obama conveys time in a powerful fashion. In the beginning of his speech, he states, â€Å"Two hundred and twenty one years ago [our forefathers]†¦produced [a document that was] eventually signed, but ultimately unfinished.It was stained by the nation’s original sin of slavery [that] brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least 20 more years, and leave any final resolution to future generations† (Obama, par. 3). Later, he explains how people often manipulate race to win political elections and prevent unity. Barack Obama speaks of the continual war between segments of our community. Then he states, â€Å"But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now† (Obama, par. 23).Furthermore, he acknowledges â€Å"the complexities of race† in America have never been resolved. He urges Americans â€Å"to come together and solve [the] challenges [in America]† (Obama, par. 33). He persuades the audience to racial relations within America a priority. In summary, kairos is aggressively addressed and highlighted. The audience realizes that the problem at hand may have been ignored by our forefathers, but these problems must be addressed now. Toward the end, kairos reaches its peak of effectiveness. Obama states that what has been effectively dividing the races in the past will not happen again:Not this time. This time we want to talk about crumbling schools†¦This time we want to reject the cynicism†¦This time we want to talk about [healthcare]†¦This time we want to talk about [jobs]†¦This time we want to talk about [race]†¦This time—This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag (Obama, par. 40-41). From these lines, the audience feels the urgency of time; the listeners realize that â€Å"this time† America must act.Obama effectually uses the sophistic rhetorical theories and concepts to ignite and unite the audience; however, he also incorporates modern-day rhetorical theories and concepts as well. Specifically, Senator Obama utilizes the hierarchy of definition, analogy, cause and effect, and testimony of the 20th century rhetorician, Richard Weaver. In the introduction of Language Is Serm onic, the narrator summates Weaver as stating, â€Å"Rhetoric†¦is a positive act with consequences in the world†¦Every utterance is an attempt to make others see the world in a particular way and accept the values implicit in that point of view† (1348).Similarly, Obama desires to persuade the audience to see the world from a different perspective, a different lens. First, toward the beginning of the text, Obama defines the Black church. He states, â€Å"Black churches across the country embod[y] the community in its entirety—the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger†¦[S]ervices are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor†¦ [Full] of kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love [as well as] the bitterness and biases† (Obama, par. 8). If one really looks closely at the definition, it is also a definition of America as well as the Bla ck church. By explaining the polarity within the Black church, he explains the polarity within America as a whole. In this way, Obama uses rhetoric in a positive way to impact his audience and highlights that â€Å"every utterance is an attempt to make others see the world in a particular way [through definition]. † Second, Weaver asserts, â€Å"Rhetoric [is] the most important of all ends, the persuading of human beings to adopt right attitudes and act in response to them† (1351).From these lines, one can examine Senator Obama’s use of twentieth century rhetorical theories and concepts. Obama uses â€Å"cause-and-effect† by illustrating the history of racism within the United States (1354). He states: We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that existed between the African-American community and the larger American community today can be traced direc tly to inequalities passed from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow (Obama, par. 4). In essence, Obama is stating that the racism today has a sordid past in our history; it can not be ignored, but it must be confronted, discussed, and acted upon. Obama is using this cause-and-effect to play on the emotions of his audience. Everyone is aware of the gruesome history, yet, as Weaver puts it, â€Å"Humanity includes emotionality or the capacity to feel and suffer, to know pleasure† (1352). From these lines, it is obvious that Senator Obama uses cause-and-effect to evoke an emotional response and sway the audience to his point of view.Furthermore, Barack Obama utilizes the elements outlined by Stephen Toulmin’s The Uses of Argument. He uses the schema of the six components in analyzing arguments: qualifier, claim, data, warrant, backing, and rebuttal. The qualifier is the â€Å"word or phrase [that] expresses the speaker†™s degree of force or certainty concerning the claim† (1418). Next, the claim is the â€Å"conclusion whose merit must be established† (1417). Then, the data is the â€Å"fact we appeal to as a foundation for the claim† (1417). The warrant is â€Å"the statement authorizing our movement from the data to the claim† (1419).