Recruitment and selection process Essay

Recruitment is the process of having the right person, in the right place, at the right time. It is crucial to organisational performance. Recruitment is a critical activity, not just for the HR team but also for line managers who are increasingly involved in the selection process. All those involved in recruitment activities should be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills. Before creating business plans or making decisions, it is important to ‘scan’ the external environment. This can be achieved through a PESTLE analysis, i.e. an investigation of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental influences on a business. In addition it is also important to be aware of the actions of your competitors. These forces are continually in a state of change. Political changes relate to changes in government influence and can have huge significance for companies. Changes in the priorities for public spending or the UK ‘s relationships with other countries can open or close major markets. European Union (EU) regulations can have similar effects while the accession of new members (e.g. Poland) can bring business opportunities. Political changes are closely tied up with legal changes. Laws are continually being updated in a wide range of areas, e.g. consumer protection legislation, environmental legislation, health & safety and employment law, etc. Economic changes are closely related to social ones. The economy goes through a series of fluctuations associated with general booms and slumps in economic activity. In a boom nearly all businesses benefit and in a slump most lose out. Other economic changes that affect business include changes in the interest rate, wage rates, and the rate of inflation (i.e. general level of increase in prices). Businesses will be more encouraged to expand and take risks when economic conditions are right, e.g. low interest rates and rising demand. Social factors relate to pattern of behaviour, tastes, and lifestyles. A major component of this is a change in consumer behaviour resulting from changes in fashions and styles. The age structure of the population also alters over time (currently we have an ageing population). An understanding of social change gives business a better feel for the future market situation. Technological changes have also become particularly significant in the post-millennium world. This is particularly true in the  case of modern communication technologies. The creation of databases and electronic communications have enabled vast quantities of information to be shared and quickly distributed in a modern company enabling vast cost reductions, and often improvements in service. Organisations need to be aware of the latest relevant technologies for their business. The importance of diversity should be taken into account at each stage of the recruitment process. Read more: Essay About  Recruitment and Selection Processes and systems should be regularly reviewed to ensure hidden bias is removed and to ensure talent is not being blocked from entering the organisation. Everyone taking part in activities such as shortlisting and interviewing should be aware of relevant legislation and the importance of avoiding discrimination. Acknowledging and identifying the benefits of a diverse workforce is the first step towards making a positive change. Actively embedding diversity in the recruitment process signals an open and accepting culture. This attracts more applicants and provides a wider range of skills and experiences from which to select the best candidates for the vacancy. By supporting a diverse workforce, employers are laying the foundation for an innovative and more creative working environment, as employees are drawing on a wider range of unique experiences to contribute new ideas and approaches. Role models from a diverse background in senior positions can help retain current employees as well as attracting new candidates. A diverse workforce brings other benefits. The more contact people from different backgrounds have the less prejudice they display, this is known as the Contact Hypothesis Employing people from diverse backgrounds can help alleviate and prevent further reinforcement of stereotypes and create positive reputation for the company. Diversity policies should be incorporated in a business’s core strategy, not only as a duty to comply with the diversity legislation, but also as an integral strategy in developing the business. Diversity policies need to be mainstreamed and made the norm rather than the exception. This prevents them from being restricted to, and associated with, specific groups of people. Acknowledging and identifying the benefits of a diverse workforce is the first step towards making a positive change. Recruitment methods External recruitment is concerned with generating a pool of qualified candidates through external sources of employment. Under it, following  methods of recruitment are adopted. 1. Direct Recruitment Direct recruitment refers to a process of recruiting qualified candidates from external sources by placing a notice of vacancy in an organization’s notice board. 2. Casual Callers This method of recruitment is concerned with using previously applied candidates as a source of recruitment. This method avoids the costs of recruiting people from other sources. 3. Advertising Advertising is one of the most common and popular methods of external recruitment under which the job vacancy is announced through different print and electronic media. 4. Employment Agencies Employment agencies run by private, public or government sectors are regarded as an important source of recruitment for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled jobs. The agencies are likely to have a list of qualified candidates in their records, and they render their service as per the requirement from other organizations for employment. 5. Schools, Colleges and Universities Most educational institutions provide placement services where the prospective recruiters can review credentials and interview the interested graduates. 6. Labour Contractors Labour contractors are an important source of recruitment under which workers are recruited through contractors. However, this method of recruitment is not used by many business firms and organizations. 7. Recommendations It is closely concerned with employee referrals. Under this method of external recruitment, applicants are introduced by friends and relatives. In fact, many employers, operating at a small-scale operation, prefer to take such persons as they are acquainted with backgrounds and credentials of prospective employees. Selection Methods This section looks at the process of selecting candidates. A variety of methods are available and consideration needs to be given as to which are suitable for a particular post. The methods described here are: Application forms Interview Group selection methods Realistic job previews Portfolio References Assessment centres Other testing Let’s look closely into few of these selection methods Group selection methods When working with other people is an important part of the selection process, it could be useful to consider a group selection method. This could involve asking a group of candidates to carry out a task and observing the ways in which they interact. The task need not be particularly complicated. It could, for instance, involve the group designing and delivering a presentation on the changing nature of the world of work. You could observe the group and look out for the people who seem to demonstrate the sort of qualities that the job requires; those who were verbally skilled, those who showed leadership behaviour, those who mediated when squabbles broke out, etc. It is important to tell people what sort of qualities you are looking for before you start such an exercise, as if you do not give clear goals, some potentially viable candidates may try to second-guess you and demonstrate completely untypical behaviours. Where clear goals exist, candidates may also show untypical behaviours, but this is very difficult to do successfully. Realistic job previews Methods like this are time-consuming and there are serious issues of confidentiality, but if you can screen your shortlist down to two or three candidates, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t bring them in and give them a problem to handle; preferably, it would be a problem that you’ve already dealt with successfully. A benefit with realistic job previews is that they can involve more staff in the selection procedure. People tend to work well with candidates whom they have seen and had some say about. References Written references have some drawbacks; perhaps someone wants rid of an employee – they certainly won’t give a poor reference under those  circumstances! Poor references could also turn out to be libellous, although one of the main problems is that people just don’t know what you’re asking for. The most accurate references may come from face-to-face or telephone interviews with someone who has had direct experience of the candidate’s work. Other methods Perhaps the most popular of the other methods available is psychometric testing, which offers actual tests in areas such as intelligence and personality characteristics. These include Raymond Cattell’s 16 PF Test, which broadly demonstrates candidates’ emotional stability. The Myers Briggs Test is reasonably user-friendly (it’s short) and purports to identify people by personality characteristics such as extrovert v. introvert and thinking vs feeling. Finally, there are selection methods which use samples of candidates’ handwriting (graphology), their star sign (astrology) or which select through palmistry. Little evidence exists to support these as adequate predictors of performance. Activity 2 Part of recruitment process is selection of suitable candidates. Selecting candidates involves two main processes: shortlisting, and assessing applicants to decide who should be made a job offer. It is a crucial stage in the overall recruitment process which is outlined in our recruitment factsheet. It is very important to get it right. ACAS provides a â€Å"how to get it right† some of the points are mentioned below. 1. Prepare a person specification. This should briefly describe the ideal person to fill the job. It is a profile of the personal skills and characteristics to look for in recruitment and selection. By writing a person specification, you can avoid inadvertent discrimination. 2. Review the applications. An application form can help you get the information you need and sift out unsuitable candidates. You can also use it as a basis for the interview. The form should only ask for information that is relevant to the job, During this recruitment applicants were selected based on following criterion on person Specification 1. Qualifications Certificate in Personal Practice 2. Knowledge Working knowledge of HR practices 3. Experience 4. Skills 5. Personal qualities Further details can be found in the Person Specification document attached. Based on the person specification three candidates have been selected and invited to interview however only two attended. 3rd candidate had to withdraw from the process due to personal reasons.

Mcculloch V. Maryland Brief

McCulloch v. Maryland Brief Fact Summary. The state of Maryland enacted a tax that would force the United States Bank in Maryland to pay taxes to the state. McCulloch, a cashier for the Baltimore, Maryland Bank, was sued for not complying with the Maryland state tax. Synopsis of Rule of Law. Congress may enact laws that are necessary and proper to carry out their enumerated powers. The United States Constitution (Constitution) is the supreme law of the land and state laws cannot interfere with federal laws enacted within the scope of the Constitution. Facts.Congress chartered the Second Bank of the United States. Branches were established in many states, including one in Baltimore, Maryland. In response, the Maryland legislature adopted an Act imposing a tax on all banks in the state not chartered by the state legislature. James McCulloch, a cashier for the Baltimore branch of the United States Bank, was sued for violating this Act. McCulloch admitted he was not complying with the Ma ryland law. McCulloch lost in the Baltimore County Court and that court’s decision was affirmed by the Maryland Court of Appeals.The case was then taken by writ of error to the United States Supreme Court (Supreme Court). Issue. Does Congress have the authority to establish a Bank of the United States under the Constitution? Held. Yes. Judgment reversed. Counsel for the state of Maryland claimed that because the Constitution was enacted by the independent states, it should be exercised in subordination to the states. However, the states ratified the Constitution by a two-thirds vote of their citizens, not by a decision of the state legislature.Therefore, although limited in its powers, the Constitution is supreme over the laws of the states. There is no enumerated power within the Constitution allowing for the creation of a bank. But, Congress is granted the power of making â€Å"all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers. à ¢â‚¬  The Supreme Court determines through Constitutional construction that â€Å"necessary† is not a limitation, but rather applies to any means with a legitimate end within the scope of the Constitution.Because the Constitution is supreme over state laws, the states cannot apply taxes, which would in effect destroy federal legislative law. Therefore, Maryland’s state tax on the United States Bank is unconstitutional. Discussion. This Supreme Court decision establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, taking precedent over any state law incongruent with it. McCulloch v. Maryland Term: †¢1792-1850 o1819 Location: Maryland State House Facts of the CaseIn 1816, Congress chartered The Second Bank of the United States. In 1818, the state of Maryland passed legislation to impose taxes on the bank. James W. McCulloch, the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank, refused to pay the tax. Question The case presented two questions: Did Congress have the authority to establish the bank? Did the Maryland law unconstitutionally interfere with congressional powers? Conclusion Decision: 7 votes for McCulloch, 0 vote(s) against Legal provision: US Const.Art 1, Section 8 Clauses 1 and 18 In a unanimous decision, the Court held that Congress had the power to incorporate the bank and that Maryland could not tax instruments of the national government employed in the execution of constitutional powers. Writing for the Court, Chief Justice Marshall noted that Congress possessed unenumerated powers not explicitly outlined in the Constitution. Marshall also held that while the states retained the power of taxation, â€Å"the constitution and the laws made in pursuance thereof are supreme. . . they control the constitution and laws of the respective states, and cannot be controlled by them. â€Å"

Business Plan

Mission Statement Sound Noise, a State of Indiana S Corporation, spotlights unconventional music, merchandise and entertainment typically overshadowed by mainstream ideologies. It speaks to the shared experiences of Generation Y and The Urban Trendsetter. It provides fair compensation to its employees, a fair return to its owners, and a fair royalty to its artists.Goals * Establish and grow The Company into a full service record label, merchandising ND multimedia company * Create a steady stream of revenue from record sales, digital sales, merchandising, licensing and live performances Keys to Success * Focus on creating a consistent stream of high quality songs and music related products * solve problems with Independent marketing, promotional and advertising budgets * Ensure products are delivered on time, financial are managed effectively, marketing and promotional budgets are monitored, and develop successful growth strategies * Focus on internet presence and building the foundat ion for a recognizable web brand Financial Requirements Sound Noise (hereafter referred to as The Company) seeks a capital infusion of $100,000 to continue building on the foundation already established by the company. This money will be used to cover costs associated with creating a consistent stream of music related products, marketing, promotion, and working capital necessary to establish and grow The Company into a successful multimedia organization. We plan to repay the balance of this loan amount in the span of approximately three years. We also plan to immediately begin repayment of the loan Interest at a rate of 6% or $500 per month.Further information regarding these procedures is outlined later in this plan. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Our current sources of income include but are not limited to the following list of products and services: * Retail sales of Cads. DVDs and other multimedia formats * Sales of T-shirts, Jackets, tour books and other promotional merchandise * Royalties and fees earned from performances of recordings on radio and television, on the Internet, in movies, and in commercial venues such as restaurants and nightclubs * Live Performances Recorded Music Sound Noise will spe nd a large portion of their creative energy on writing song lyrics ND composing music.The company commits to producing and recording a steady stream of high quality music for public consumption to equal no less than two songs tots chains, at live shows and over the internet via various online and offline distributors and aggressors. The Company will also sell digital music in the following formats: Complete Album Downloads, Full Track Downloads, Mobile Only Full Track Downloads, Polyphonic Rhinestones, and Arranging Tones. We plan to make these items available through structured licensing agreements with popular online retail (I. E. I Tunes, Music, and Rhapsody). Merchandising ere Company will manufacture and produce a large variety of merchandise at the lowest possible costs.Every piece of merchandise, once sold, becomes a living piece of advertising for our projects, creating a dual benefit for our company and its consumers. These items will include but are not limited to the following: T-shirts, CDC, Posters, Sweatshirts, Hats, Jackets and other collectibles. Live Performance ere Company will focus on live performance venues and the relationships with booking agents as a marketing and advertising supplement to drive record and reassigning sales. Licensing As the owner of the masters and the publisher of our own catalogue of songs, The Company is guaranteed a certain bundle of rights by law. Because we own all the rights, anyone who wishes to use our song must first obtain our permission.A film or IV show needs to borrow only two of these rights: the right to use the actual recording (our master), and the right to use the underlying composition that the master is based on (our song). The permission we give them to use the master is tendered in the form of a contract called a master-use license. The permission we give them to use the song itself is tendered in the form of another contract called a synchronization license. Both these licenses can be combined into one agreement if the publisher and master owner are one in the same. MARKETING PLAN ere Companys marketing will revolve around 4 basic online and offline mediums: Radio, Reviews, Road and Retail.Sound Noise will use the strategies of this plan to attack all four principles simultaneously over the course of the next three years. This Nail determine the true value of The Companys music and validity of our business. To et the most of these 4 mediums we must first prepare a polished and professional press kit and update our online presence. The Company explains in more detail below. The costs for these items are listed in the Start up Cost spreadsheet in the Financial Statement. Professional Press Kit Includes: geography A professional one page biography will be written to provide press, radio and fans with a complete concise story behind the music of The Company. Photo Shoot A full service digital photo shoot will be performed to provide high resolution mages for The Companys Namespace Page, Blob and Press Kits; both online and offline. Electronic Press Kit -An online version of The Companys press kit will be created and maintained to allow for easy access to floggers, Journalist and other press outlets to cover its music. * Download Cards Similar to tunes, this plastic or recycled cardboard business card sized gift cards come with a unique download code to be entered on the web that will collect data about the fan downloading (I. E. ;mail, address, zip code, age, etc. ) * CD Manufacturing Professionally copy of The Companys latest releases. Online Presence * Customized Namespace Layout A new layout will be designed and published at http://www. Namespace. Mom/semiconscious to maximize fan experience and brand exposure on the #1 music discovery destinations on the web. * The Sound Noise Backbone A new Backbone layout will be designed and published to NNW. Backbone. Com/semiconscious. Musicians will also receive their own new designed Backbone page. Backbone will be updated weekly with amps, pictures, video and commentary from The Company. The blob will serve as a two way communication between The Company its fans and stakeholders. Once the professional press kit and updated online presence is complete, The Company will move forward in presenting The Companys products to the mediums that are illustrated and outlined in detail on the following pages.Reviews ere Company will do as much as it can to effectively promote ourselves in the press; however we anticipate the need for a full time publicist. * The Company will pay a full time professional publicist at a rate of $500 per month to secure interviews and reviews in both online and offline publications. The first step in assisting the publicists is to compile a list of appropriate press accounts (I. E. Outlets) in our target racket college press, local magazines and newspapers, fanzines, online press and media, etc. Note that our list will include press that is not primarily focused on music, but which music fans read for example, fashion or auto magazines.Evaluation of our press and publicity efforts will include the monitoring and tracking of single, album and concert reviews, as well as interviews and features regarding our label and its acts. Radio ere Company will do as much as we can to effectively promote our record ourselves to commercial and college radio; however we anticipate the need for an independent radio promoter. The Company will pay a professional college radio promoter at a rate of $500 per month to secure radio spins on BEDS/COM tracked radio stations. In addition, The Company plans to use highly influential online services to market its music to radio. These services will be paid at a rate of $1,000 per month. We will assist the efforts of the radio promoter by creating a comprehensive list of station information. Servicing radio involves providing the MD, PDP, Dos and Promotions/ Marketing Director with full-length CDC and singles, and updating appropriate radio personnel with information on our acts and developments with our label (new leases, upcoming concerts to add to the concert calendar, special promotions in the area, T-shirts, posters, flyers, etc. ). Evaluation of our radio promotion efforts will Include the monitoring and tracking of ads, level of rotation and overall chart statistics (Billboard, BEDS, and College Music Journal). Road En plan to Join The National Association of Campus Activities to maximize the number of paid gigs per year. These shows easily become multi media events a place to sell Cads and other merchandise. * The membership rate for the NCAA is $750 as described in the start section in the financial plan. The Company will also SE online booking agencies to find high profile, paid gig. We will pay those services a total of $500 per month. Retail Marketing While no one element of our marketing mix is more important than the other, we will tie as much of our marketing efforts into retail as possible. The first step will be to build a comprehensive list of music blobs that make sense for The Company. Secondly, we will service the online record stores (I. E. tunes, Rhapsody, music, Amazon MPH, All and more) with current releases, promotional material, and point of purchase advertising. * The cost of distributing The Companys product will be TA rate of $100 per month. Online vs..Offline The Straddle is a term coined by professor/flogger George Howard to explain the difference between online and offline market. The balance act necessary to leverage both worlds is something that is not so often talked about, but one that most successful acts are already doing. * The cost of online and offline advertisement will cost the company $1 500 per month For independent artists, this concept is even more important to grasp. Namespace and other social networks have given rise to a generation of musicians who think they can become an instant success from their opts. Truth is, if you fail to create a real connection with the fans or friends you make online, you will ultimately loose them all offline. Our Street Team The street team is an integral part of The Companys marketing plans, and a significant portion of every artists marketing budget is dedicated to manufacturing promotional items for street team use. The street team will be an extra set of several arms and legs scattered across the country supplementing the efforts of our publicist, radio promoter and general managers. * The cost to properly fund our street team will be $300 per month MANAGEMENT PLAN Brandon Ernest President ; Aaron Fisher Secretary Brandon has managed UPS for 3 years and is looking to take his experiences and knowledge to his own business. He is also musically trained on trombone, guitar, piano, and drums.While Aaron Fisher is a graphic design major looking to take his cameras where ever life leads him. Also equipped with computer gear made by apple overseeing design operations is his dream. Both men are musicians at heart and the music industry is full of heart. Gerard Brooks (aka Rush) UP Operations He is the eldest of 4 children and was raised in a single family home by his mother. His responsibilities, at times, seemed overwhelming in comparison to others his age. His hard knock life bestowed him with a make it happen now attitude. Life has not always been beneficial for him, but deep, perspective thinking and speaking it real is truly evident in his music.Gerard began music Just by making a rhyme for fun in the Once the crowd heard my rhyme, they went wild and I received such an adrenaline rush hence the name Rush. Ralph Kay (aka Picasso) UP of Sales Picasso, the eldest of 3 children, was part of one of the only African American families in the area that had both parents living in the same household. Although a two parent household might sound normal to many people, Ralph understood that it was not at all a normal occurrence. Because of his secure environment, he grew up with a care free, all is right with the world attitude. Nothing seemed to concern or worry him much, still does not. This fosters his ability to paint beautiful pictures with words and use his witty humor along the way.

Distribution and Retail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Distribution and Retail - Essay Example The current UK markets in the clothing retail segments have been compelled to re-evaluate the consumer positioning significantly as because of the low demand along with the real price declining. It has been notably observed by the UK shoppers that the discount stores supply of merchandises with the quality and uniqueness compared to that of the departmental stores (Research and Markets, 2000). It is worth mentioning that observing the market demands and consumer perception, before splitting the departments by male or female clothing or style of the retail operations, is a crucial factor while targeting a market in the retail sector of clothing and garment industry in UK. With regards to the current market scenario in UK, clothing market can be identified as increasingly competitive with more than 20 UK based retailers and brands including department stores, discount stores, super markets, mid-market chains, lower-mid markets, and mail order agencies (Research and Markets, 2000). In t his context, the opportunity for the Indian-American apparel distribution can be intended towards attaining a large number of consumer responses with the virtues of quality products which shall be distributed through high street fashion merchandises in UK. The recent growth has been taken place in the women sector which is one of the largest sectors in terms of high selling of merchandises which can also be identified as an advantageous target market segment (Research and Markets, 2000). To be precise, the targeted market for the retail stores in this case can be identified as the young populace of UK irrespective of their income, but subject to their tastes and lifestyle choices. Location of the Retail Stores Defining the store location is one of the most crucial decisions for retail entrepreneurs, as a significant location of retail store can prove to be quite important for generating sustainable customer preferences. The store location of standard and high street fashionable clot hing apparels as has been intended to serve by the retail stores can mainly be located in those areas where the young traffic can be easily identified. The demographic variances of the specific location involve citizen’s information, such as age, family as well as the income levels of the population which are the basic factors to be examined before locating any site for retail business, especially in the clothing sector (The Business Link, 2009). The location for the retail site is an essential and fundamental part of the retail strategy as it communicates about the corporate image of the brand. The store location also manipulates the product mix and design of the store. The store location for the high quality apparels on a high street fashion should provide due consideration towards the determined target market segment, i.e. the young population. Thus, the locations where high traffic of young people is observed can be identified as the prospective store location f

Financial Accounting Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Accounting Concepts - Essay Example The intangible assets lumped in one account is also listed under the non-current assets. This account may represent the patents, trademarks, reputation, skilled management or well-trained labor force of the company. It should be noted that some accountants are averse to record this type of assets unless they can be promptly valued (Brealey, Myers & Marcus, 1995). The liability section of the balance sheet, along with the shareholders' equity, shows the financial resources utilized for the procurement of assets (Brealey, Myers & Marcus, 1995). Similar to assets, liabilities are also classified into current and non-current liabilities, obligations which are due in the short-term and long-term, respectively. Non-current liability accounts of WMT in the balance sheet include long-term debt and other non-current liabilities, which represent the WMT's loans from banks and investors which are not immediately due. Furthermore, deferred income tax is accounted for in the balance sheet. As the name suggests, this is the outstanding income tax due which will have to be paid to the government. This section also includes the account for minority interest which is the liability of the company to investors with non-controlling stake or interest over the company. On WMT's balance sheet as at end-2004 shown in MSN Money, only the commo

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film - Essay Example However, in the later part, which is The Trip to Italy, the scenario is a bit different and these two men are again sent to Italy on a road trip to six different places starting from Pompei and ending at Capri, Amalfi Coast. Both Brydon and Coogan has started liking each other and their relationship has grew stronger. They travel across Italy in search of the finest food and beautiful scenery. the film also tells about the weak and crucial relationship of Coogan with his ex-wife and his teenage son. Coogan is now more accepting and happy then before. He is now accepting and forgiving Brydon’s enthusiastic and happy attitude. The film also offers strong humor as the duo imagines a scene from ‘Batman’ makes their voices as the character of Bane and others. In short, the film offers great fun and enthusiasm for the viewers. From some very fine and expensive foods from around Italy to the beautiful sceneries of Tuscany and Amalfi Coast, The Trip to Italy is a must watch. 52 Tuesday (2013) is family drama film directed by Sophie Hyde. The film begins when the sixteen years old Billie discovers that her mother’s gender transition. Bellie enjoys being with he mother a day back from school she discovers that her mother is now transited to a man and from now on called James. Bellie is asked to go to his father Tom. James, the transited mother promises Bellie that she will spend every Tuesday together. The film captures 52 consecutive Tuesdays and only Tuesdays to capture the year on the screen of this family. Bellie in the school gets attracted to a couple Josh and Jasmine and finds herself sexually drawn to the couple, on the other hand James begin with the testosterone shot and makes a sexual relation with his co worker Lisa and keeps this relationship secret from her daughter. After few weeks Bellie refuses to meet James, still have

Budget report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Budget report - Essay Example Throughout the term, my General Merchandise expenses were valued at $314.20. This figure accounted for 7.9% of the total amount I spent. I decided to break down this percentage according to the amounts I spent each month, that is, 12.1% ($192.88) in February, 7.6% ($103.00) in March, and 3.9% ($18.32) in April. In this category, I have realized that I can make a considerable improvement. There are no variations in the amounts I spent weekly on general merchandise. However, my expenditure shows that I spent less in March-$103.00 compared to February-$192.88, and even less in April-$18.32. I spent more in February because I had to travel to Georgia to visit my cousin who was newly admitted to Georgia Institute of Technology. I spent much money in air tickets and in buying gifts and a few treats. I believe that the expenses of the following months will not escalate save for a few emergencies that may arise. For groceries, my expenses accounted for 15.20% of the total expenditure. This was valued at $603.63. I had to spend a lot in groceries in March-a total of $272.78 (reflecting 45.19% of the total amount spent on groceries for the term) because I fell ill and the doctors recommended taking more than four meals a day to cater for energy loses. April’s grocery expenses were much less since I had begun cutting on my budget. Grocery expenses in April were $151.99 (25.18%) and $178.86 (29.63%) in February. I am capable of cutting more on grocery expenses by 10% in May because I have identified the stores that sell similar products at lower prices. Restaurant/Bar expenses accounted for $871.81, reflecting 21.94% of the overall expenditure. This category included buying drinks for the occasional parties we hold in our favorite restaurant, purchasing party cups, hiring rooms when it is too late to reach home, and buying burgers and pizza at least once a week. It is

Game Theory for Applied Economists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Game Theory for Applied Economists - Essay Example This is very helpful in the formulation of the necessary strategies of the business. EXAMPLES OF GAME THEORY-EARLY CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT One of the earliest examples of game theory can be seen in the studies of Antoine Cournot in the year 1838. It studied the example of duopoly in the context of a formal type of game and theoretical analysis. The formal theory for the games was brought into the forefront by the mathematician Emile Borel, who had the suggestion of a formal theory of the games by the year 1921.It, was further developed by the likes of mathematicians like John von Neumann in the year 1928. The field of game theory was established as an entity in its own right after the publishing of seminal book called as Theory of Games and Economic Behavior by the likes of Vo Neumann and the economist known as Oskar Morgenstern (Binmore 114). It also received a lot of fillip from the studies of mathematician John Nash who demonstrated that the finite games have any equilibrium, wher ein all the players choose the option that is best for them keeping in mind the action of the fellow players. This is a fundamental unit of the design element that can be seen from the studies of these individuals. This concept of non-cooperative game theory was broadened by the application in the year 1950 and 1960’s. t has always been a central point for discussion. It has been applied to the areas of politics and war. This is one of the centralized concepts of this theory. It has also been accepted in the fields of sociology and physiology. It is also seen in the field of biology. These are some of the common points of the relationship that find mention in the development of theories. It received a lot of attention with the awarding of the Nobel Prize in the field of economics to the likes of Nash, John Harsanyi, and Reinhard Selten. At the period of 1990, it was seen that the game theory was being increasingly used in a number of the fields. It is being prominently used i n for the designing of auctions. It is being designed in such a manner that there is the distribution of maximum benefits for the population. It has also developed a level of understanding in terms of the number of the division of electromagnetic spectrum to the telecommunication firms. The usage of this theory has helped in raising billions of dollars in a number of governments. GAME THEORY AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS The level of internal consistency and the basis of mathematics make it one of the primary tools of the modeling and design of many of automated processes of decision making as a part of interactive environments (Fudenberg and Tirole 173). As for example, one of the examples was setting up of efficient rules for the bidding process, websites, and the generation of tamper proof negotiation that is useful in the purchase of communication bandwidth. The automation of strategic choices is necessary for making the choices to be robust in nature. This is helpful in the avoidance of any kind of manipulation in the process of bidding and guards against any kind of abuse form any of the users. The strength of game theory comes from the process of structuring the problems in a way that all the options become clear.

Immunization and Antibody Production Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Immunization and Antibody Production - Assignment Example In encountering the antigen, the body can only do so through natural situations or artificial. In the natural situation, we consider attack by antigen of specific ailment such as small pox. The antigen will cause clinical symptoms and the body will react by producing antibodies against the small pox. In the artificial antibody production, not the virulent form of the antigen are used but those that are killed or attenuated and have no ability to caused clinical symptoms unless one is immune compromised (Goldsby 2005). Antibody Formation There is no difference whether antibodies are naturally produced or artificially produced, there will only be difference in the antigen part, this is because that antigen of the natural simulation are real and do cause clinical symptoms. Those of artificial stimulation are not able to cause clinical symptoms since they do nit have the virulent parts but structurally resembles the real antigen. Given the fact that antibodies are simply modified globuli n, their formation is closely relate to that which involves globulin formation (Goldsby 2005). The first step involves the antigen being held at the site where antibodies are being produced and synthesis of the antibody will be initiated around the site where antigen molecule is found.... In the contrary, if the forces between the ends of the chain and that to the antigen are weak, it will necessitate the release of one end of the antibody from the antigen since it will dissociate (Lydyard and Whelan 2011). The dissociation of one end of the chain from the antigen will make the centre of the chain to coil forming a more stable configuration that will results in to a complete antibody. The eventual process is the dissociation of the antibody from the antigen and floats away as a free antibody. Once the antibody has been formed, it is memorized into the body and in case of second attack with the same antigen; there will be numerous production of the antibody that always leads to faster clearance of the antigen hence faster recovery from the antigenic attack. 2. Evaluate the effects of mass immunization programmers Immunization is the introduction of attenuated or killed antigens into the body of healthy persons such that the body can be triggered to produce in response, antibodies that will combat live antigens of the same nature in future. Vaccines are very specific and when one is immunized a gains a certain disease; they only become protected against that disease and not any other. Immunization can be active or passive depending on the nature of the antigen that are used to make the body respond through antibody production (Plotkin 2006). Immunization is therefore scheduled when there s an outbreak of a disease in the offing. Mass immunization is therefore an immunization program that is intended for a large number of people within one or several places in relatively short time. Mass immunization is therefore able to provide control for contagious diseases that are envisaged

Policy analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy analysis - Assignment Example The second CPI-W is used to measure the wages for clerks and urban workers. These CPI do not account for substitution leading to the eventual overstatement of inflation (Cagan & Moore, 1981). Consumers change their spending pattern in response to relative price changes over time. This may be due to substitution of one commodity for another as the relative prices change. This result to changes in weights and therefore the price index that fails to note that change overstates the real and true variation in the cost of living. The economic value of life as non-economists think is not to be measured using the accounting measures such as the present value of lost earning. The value of life on the basis of preventing accidental deaths cannot be speculated using accounting measures. The economic value of life of an individual drawn from statistical analysis is higher than the actual present value of the earnings of the same individual when exposed to risk. Willingness-to-pay measures based on surveys may overstate the true willingness- to pay of the respondents because the surveys are based on samples from population which have a margin of error. Besides this respondents in surveys do not often respond to questions out of stability or preferences and are mainly inventing answers (Piros, 2013). As a result, the analysis shows bias on the true willingness-to-pay. Most smokers prefer to smoke presently while deferring the disadvantages in the future despite the cost increments in the cigarettes. This is because of the time value of money which entails the concept that money has value in the present than in the future. The cost benefit analysis of policies to reduce the smoking rate shows that consumers benefit less from smoking than the gains they receive. In this case, most smokers have future health problems resulting from smoking.

Problems of working womens Essay Example for Free

Problems of working womens Essay In his book on superstition, Vyse (1997) observed that it is difficult to define superstition and its dictionary definition is not sufficient. He also noticed that in defining superstition the critical problem is the avoidance of value judgments. Unfortunately, he did not provide a comprehensive definition of his own. The following definition of superstition which is based upon the work of Vyse (1997) and Marmor (1956) is proposed: superstition is a belief, or a set of beliefs, that specific actions can directly influence the occurrence of desirable outcomes or the avoidance of undesirable outcomes when, in fact, the action are not causally related to the outcomes. More than it, a superstition is a practice or a belief that is made to influence an outcome, is based upon a mysterious or an unknown force and is contradictory to scientific knowledge available within a culture. Thus, in ancient Egypt the work was based upon the â€Å"science† of the time because studying astrological signs made sense. However, American’s decision to make a purchase in a twenty first century after reading her or his horoscope is a superstitious behavior. The question arise that why superstitious behavior still exhibit in people? The literature actually provides three alternative definitions. First, from operant conditioning perspective, superstitious behaviors and beliefs can result from chance associations of behaviors with punishers and reinforcers. (Skinner, 1948; Wagner and Morris, 1987). According to cognitive learning perspective, by adopting superstitious behaviors and beliefs it can help an individual to understand his environment by providing an explanation and reasoning for inexplicable and unfamiliar phenomena (Keinan,2002). Finally, superstitious beliefs provide illusion of control to individual that helps them to reduce anxiety. Consistent with these themes, Jahoda (1969) proposed that superstitious functions accompany uncertainty as a mean by which people reduce the anxiety and stress. Similarly, Vyse (1997) proposed that when risk and uncertainty are high or in instances in which circumstances cannot be controlled, people may employ superstitious actions as a mean of attempting to control and influence these outcomes. In American, culture has been a frequent assumption that superstitious thought and behavior characterize those who are uneducated, primitive (Frazer,1941 ; Jueneman,2001; Vyse, 1997), or suffering from a mental disorder (Fishbein, 1930). These types of superstitious beliefs has been investigated in the psychological literature, the focus has tended to be on examing its relationship with mental disorders (Eckblad and Chapman,1983;Epestein, 1991; Epstein and Meier, 1989). A 2003 Harris Poll revealed that 31% of those believed in astrology (Taylor,2003). Similarly, in the 2004 Science and Engineering Indicators report, the National Science Institute Foundation reported that 30% of Americans read their horoscope occasionally and 15% read their horoscope very often (National Science Foundation, 2004). High involvement decisions are also influenced by these superstitions beliefs. For example, the number of weddings scheduled on 7\7\07 , in order to capitalize on lucky number 7 increased dramatically in United States (Moran,2007). Including Europe and Asia belief in astrology is also prevalent in other areas of the world. For example, Kramer and Block (2007) reported that Taiwanese consumers were willing to spend nearly 15% more money for their product when the price point met to the lucky number 8. The author suggest that when people look for signs of bad or good luck or take action to influence chance outcomes, they are using superstition as a heuristic device that acts as a short cut in the decision making process. SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS. Superstitions are those irrational belief or supernatural causality: that one event link to another event without any physical process. So, superstitious belief refers to an activity or ritual which can have a negative or positive impact on the events in person’s life. There is no evidence which support a superstitious belief. Attempts to define and explain superstitious beliefs have appeared throughout Western history, especially in the areas of religion, psychology and anthropology. Ancient Greeks and Romans give it a Latin word â€Å"SUPERSTITIO† to give an account of activities they felt to be meaningless. HELEN L. PARISH and WILLIAM G. NAPHY, protestant accused Catholics in the era of Reformation because of superstitious belief. For example, Protestant accused publicly as superstition the respect of saints, lighting candles to find favor with God and saying a set number of prayers for penance. During the 18th century at the Age of Enlightenment opposition to superstition was the intellectual central corner. At that time philosophies included much of Christian Doctrine considered these beliefs like miracles, magic, revelation, supernatural as â€Å"superstition† as a ridiculed belief. In 15th century the word superstition used in English, modeled after an earlier French superstition. Actually French word, together with its Roman cognates continues Latin superstitio. The formation of the Latin word is clear, as it is derived from the verb super-state, â€Å"stand upon; survive, to stand over†, here its actual sense is less than clear. It can be interpreted as â€Å"standing over a thing in awe†, but other possibilities would be, for example, irrational religious habits, over-ceremoniousness in the performing of religious rites, over-scrupulousness, or else the survival of old. The term supertitio, was applied to those religious cults which were officially outlawed in the Roman Empire in the 1st century. A carpenter happened another deal to land while carrying a nail in the pocket which he had forgotten there. He notices that nail. After that he came back to home, watched his wife happy about something, took off the jacket, and noticed the nail again. He associated his lucky day with this item. Next day he kept that nail with him in every important event. Religion also plays a significance role in some kind of superstition belief. Before Christianity popular people believed in multiple gods, and one of the powerful of them was representing the sun as a source of light, and, thus, is also seen as a source of life. So due to this people light all the corners of their house with an Easter candle the whole year will be considered as the lucky one. So some superstition rituals as such came from the old religious activities. Due to emergence of new religion most of such beliefs had forgotten, some of them had found their place in the new world view. For example, in the times when the first mirror became available to the people breaking a mirror was considered a very disappointing thing because mirrors were so expensive that time. Naturally, people saw nothing good in breaking one. Same situation related to spilling salt. In old era salt was considered as one of the most expensive and precious thing in the household. So, such superstitions were just a way for people to teach their children to admire what they have. Generally superstitions have personal, religious, or cultural background. They do have a logical explanations is the common feature of all. When the superstition originated there key to explanation is always in world-view of the times and in beliefs. Simply; superstitions resulting from ignorance or fear of unknown and it is an irrational belief or practices. Belief in the power of magic and witchcraft are the validity of superstitions such as spirit and demons. Superstition is the notion, ritual or act that derived from such belief. Like in the Middle Age, a common superstition was that when the person was sneezing during the unguarded moment a devil could enter in a person; if immediately any one present appeared to the name of God. This tradition still remains today of saying when someone sneezes â€Å"God bless you†. Superstitions can be cultured that came from people and pass to one another. Great source of superstitions are the myths, scholars, cultures, elders, imaginative stories, leaders and governments. There are some common superstitions which have a negative impact on people are as below. Types of superstition belief. Spilling salt over your shoulder. [Is supposed to damage the evil]. If a cat heard crying, it’s a bad omen. The opening the scissors and closing it without a reason causes family problems at home. Don’t drink milk after eating fish, said to cause severe skin problem. You can’t cut nails at night. Kids shouldn’t let any one walk over them otherwise they will stop growing. Never call one back when the person is leaving the house. If you dream about buffaloes and horses its bad luck. Fluttering of eyes. Even that indicates the happening of good and bad in their lives. If you broke the glass it’s a sign of happiness. If there is itching on the right palm you can get some money or favors. When the owl sings it’s a sign of bad luck. When a dog howls, someone is going to die in the neighborhood. If we are walking and see a black cat cross in front of you, it’s bad luck Knocking on wood. Walking under a ladder. Wearing different kind of stones in specific fingers. A four leaf cloves and so on†¦. People had a lot of beliefs that directly contradict to the philosophy of their own religion. Some people claims that they have no superstitions but they likely to do something which they cannot explain. Feeling of lack of control in people upon their life, many people tried to impose structure and order on the world, to hide their mistakes by blaming luck. Passing down through generation to generation of these superstitions it can change their validity regarding evolutionary process. Some of the older form of superstitions have long been a part of lore and are now the examples of misguided beliefs. These superstitious beliefs are not valid but people still believe in it. Part of the reason seems to be just because other people tell them these things are true. Some these kinds of irrational beliefs have been around for many generations. Sometimes everybody with the same cultural background practically believes them. If the claims are not true and people recognize that these superstitions are false but they can’t stop passing them on. In spite of difficulties, many people still believe in superstitions. Culture of some country such as culture of Western country also believes in superstition that deemed irrational. GLOBALLY. When our ideas or faiths are not based upon scientific explanations, we call them superstitions. In past, when people saw the red horizon of the west during the sun-set, they called it an indication of anger of Gods and Goddesses. They expected high flood or cyclone or any epidemic to occur. It was nothing but a superstition. People are afraid of the number 13. They think that it is an inauspicious number so they do not begin any good work on this date. Some people do not like to stay in the room which bears the number thirteen, hi past, Malaria and cholera -were believed to be the results of Gods displeasure and curse. There-were many superstitions in past. They were all born ignorance. The causes of some events were unknown due to ignorance. So, people believed that those events were caused by invisible being. People worshiped stones and trees in order to be cured of diseases. They thought that some evil spirits were responsible for all kinds of troubles in the world. They worshipped Gods and Goddesses to be free from earth quake,-cyclone and flood. Sometimes they killed human beings and other animals and satisfied Gods. In India, cat is an ominous animal. If a cyclist or motorist notices a cat on the way, he stops and retreats a little. There is no reason why only a cat is feared on the way. In Europe they had many superstitions. People did not walk under a ladder which was kept against a wall. They did not start any important work if they heard the sound of thunder. A crow or vulture flying over head was considered very dangerous. It indicated death. In past, -Kings and emperors consulted the soothsayers, in their court before doing any Work. If the soothsayers gave negative signal no work was done. Julius Ceasar of Rome was a superstitious emperor. Cicero, the greatest Roman orator, lost his life by trusting the superstition regarding crows. Nature was a mystery for man in past. The functions of nature, laws of the universe etc. were not discovered in those days. So man thought himself as a plaything of an uncontrollable force. If that force is beneficent, man gets peace and lives happily. That force is sinister then his life becomes miserable. Man believed in fate. Very often superstitions are connected with religion. Indians are very God fearing. In this country, many superstitions ail linked with religion. People observe Thursday and do not take non-vegetarian food on this dry. The Hindus believe that they can be rich by observing Thursday which is specific day of Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. Pigs are hated in certain religion. The moon was considered a Goddess. Lunar eclipse was believed a § a curse of God. So it is globally proved that superstitions are still existed in our own society as well as all over the world http://www.preservearticles.com/201104265986/sample-essay-superstitions.html Objectives of the Study This study is being carried out to achieve certain objectives which are: 1. To examine historically common superstitions in students of iiui. 2. To analyze as well as highlight the reasons why most of the students still believe on such perceptions. 3. To appraise the extent of the impact of these practices of superstitions on the studies and behavior of students. Research questions of the study. What are the historical common superstitions in students? What is the reasons behind superstitions among students? What are the impact of these beliefs on the behavior and studies of students? THEORY. Superstitious Pigeons. One of Skinners experiments examined the formation of superstition in one of his favorite experimental animals, the pigeon. Skinner placed a series of hungry pigeons in a cage attached to an automatic mechanism that delivered food to the pigeon at regular intervals with no reference whatsoever to the birds behavior. He discovered that the pigeons associated the delivery of the food with whatever chance actions they had been performing as it was delivered, and that they subsequently continued to perform these same actions. One bird was conditioned to turn counter-clockwise about the cage, making two or three turns between reinforcements. Another repeatedly thrust its head into one of the upper corners of the cage. A third developed a tossing response, as if placing its head beneath an invisible bar and lifting it repeatedly. Two birds developed a pendulum motion of the head and body, in which the head was extended forward and swung from right to left with a sharp movement followed by a somewhat slower return. Skinner suggested that the pigeons behaved as if they were influencing the automatic mechanism with their rituals and that this experiment shed light on human behavior: The experiment might be said to demonstrate a sort of superstition. The bird behaves as if there were a causal relation between its behavior and the presentation of food, although such a relation is lacking. There are many analogies in human behavior. Rituals for changing ones fortune at cards are good examples. A few accidental connections between a ritual and favorable consequences suffice to set up and maintain the behavior in spite of many unreinforced instances. The bowler who has released a ball down the alley but continues to behave as if she were controlling it by twisting and turning her arm and shoulder is another case in point. These behaviors have, of course, no real effect upon ones luck or upon a ball half way down an alley, just as in the present case the food would appear as often if the pigeon did nothing—or, more strictly speaking, did something else. Modern behavioral psychologists have disputed Skinners superstition explanation for the behaviors he recorded. Subsequent research (e.g. Staddon and Simmelhag, 1971), while finding similar behavior, failed to find support for Skinners adventitious reinforcement explanation for it. By looking at the timing of different behaviors within the interval, Staddon and Simmelhag were able to distinguish two classes of behavior: the terminal response, which occurred in anticipation of food, and interim responses, that occurred earlier in the interfood interval and were rarely contiguous with food. Terminal responses seem to reflect classical (as opposed to operant) conditioning, rather than adventitious reinforcement, guided by a process like that observed in 1968 by Brown and Jenkins in their autoshaping procedures. The causation of interim activities (such as the schedule-induced polydipsia seen in a similar situation with rats) also cannot be traced to adventitious reinforcement and its details are still obscure (Staddon, 1977). This experiment was also repeated on humans, in a less controlled manner, on the popular British TV series Trick or Treat, leading to similar conclusions to Skinner. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY. Every social phenomenon needs some cognitive and concrete requirements to exist and to come into being. Development is a social phenomenon; reaching the goals of development is among the primary goals of every society and reaching development needs concrete and cognitive requirements. If these requirements are not met and fulfilled, the manifestation development will be impossible. During the 1960s, some thinkers focused much on culture and believed that if we do not change peoples attitudes and beliefs, we can not reach development. We should modernize the culture. The 244. Univers. J. Edu. Gen. Stud. cognitive and the cultural elements of the society are the infrastructure for any kind of economic growth and development. In order for our country to survive, it must reach the level of other developed and industrial society in the shortest time possible from technical and economical point of view. Such a movement requires highly motivated people with a high level of knowledge and high cultural growth. Those people who just wait for the invisible and heavenly hands, magicians and sorcerers for help and consider the diligent attempts useless could not be good soldiers for the development of a nation. Regarding the cognitive and cultural factors for the development of the society, it can be said that when a society is entangled in superstitions, it does not have necessary cognitive requirements for the true development (Sepehr, 2005). From a functional point of view, it can be said that superstitious beliefs create negative functions which, in turn, limit the accomplishment of the development. These negative factions are as follows: A-superstitious ideas and beliefs impose are involved in superstitions, the rulers of the society can rule them based on these superstitions and false imagination and pursue their own benefits and the people will be just a useless mass for them. B- Development of superstitious ideas draws and shows a very bad picture of our society to the world. C- Social problems; by following the track of many social problems, we can see the role of superstitious beliefs in their occurrence. So it can be said that if a human being places his life on nil and nihilism, instead of reality and truth, his self-confidence will decrease , and he will rely in superstitious beliefs, and as a result he will get far and away from research and finally this will be a barrier for development and growth of the society as a whole. This is one of the negative effects of the inclination to superstition on individuals and society. Methodology: A methodology is usually a guideline system for solving a problem, with specific components such as phases, tasks, methods, techniques and tools (Irny, S.I. and Rose, A.A. 2005). Methodology can properly refer to the theoretical analysis of the methods appropriate to a field of study or to the body of methods and principles particular to a branch of knowledge (The American Heritage, 2009). It is system of principles or methods of procedure in any discipline, such as education, research, diagnosis, or treatment (Elsevier, 2009). Methodology is the analysis of the fundamentals of methods or rules used by a discipline. Methodology has the principles, practices and procedures in a field of study. It is the theoretical analysis of the methods (Gergedan,2008). Research Design: Research design is the description of the overall structure of the intended research identifying the various element or components of research, the type of each element, and how these elements relate to each other. The purpose of research design is to select and define the overall structure and methods of intended research that will enable us to answer the initial research question effectively and efficiently. There are two types of research designs which are used in sociological research, one is qualitative and other is quantitative. Quantitative Research: Quantitative research is research that uses numerical analysis. In essence, this approach reduces the data into numbers. Quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of social phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between emperical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics, percentages ( Lisa M, 2008). Universe: The element of population or area of study under research problem from which a sample is choosen is universe, or any set of indivisuals having some common characteristics, under study made universe. The study was conducted INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY of Islamabad to see the impact of superstitions among students related studies. First hand information have been collected from the students of university. Population: Any set of people or events from which the sample is selected and to which the study results will generalize is known as population. Population of study is the students on INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY Islamabad. The study was conducted in Islamabad Sample method: Sampling is the process of selecting units (e.g., people, organizations) from a population of interest. By studying the sample results are generalized back to the population from which they were chosen. The sample is consists of students of iiui. Sample size: Using convinient sampling data was collected from 100 students of INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD. Respondents were reached by researcher herself and it was requested to respondents to give correct and honest information. And respondents were assured that information would remain confidential and utilized only for research purpose. Tool for data collection: Data was collected through questionnaire. Questionnaire: In this research questionnaire method was used for gathering data. A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. The researcher was approached indivisually to all the respondents, and respondents were also briefed about the nature and purpose of questionnaire. Pretesting: The questionnaire was pretested for identifying questionnaire problems. These can occur for both respondents and interviewers regarding question content, skip patterns, or formatting. Questionnaire was pretested to assess whether the questionnaire was relevant to and easily understood by the respondents, in terms of the concepts and the way they phrased in the questions. Data analysis: Coding: Coding refers to an analytical process in which data, in both quantitative form (such as questionnaires results) or qualitative (such as interview transcript) categorised to facilitate analysis. Coding means the transformation of data into a form understandable by computer software. The classification of information is an important step in preparation of data for computer processing with statistical software. Tabulation: The systematic and orderly arrangement of facts and figures in columns and rows is called tabulation. The process of placing classified data into tabular form is known as tabulation. A table is a symmetric arrangement of statistical data in rows and columns. Rows are horizontal arrangements whereas columns are vertical arrangements. It may be simple, double or complex depending upon the type of classification. Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis refers to a collection of methods used to process large amounts of data and report overall trends. Statistical analysis is particularly useful when dealing with larger data. Statistical analysis provides ways to objectively report on how unusual an event is based on historical data. In other word it is statistical analysis. View as multi-pages

Swu Balay Alumni Management System Essay Example for Free

Swu Balay Alumni Management System Essay The hospitality industry is one that is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. For the most part, it is built on leisure or is luxury-based, as opposed to meeting basic needs. Hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines and other various forms of travel, tourism, special event planning, and restaurants all generally fall under the realm of the hospitality industry. Exceptional service is usually very important for all of these businesses. Customer satisfaction usually leads to consumer loyalty, which helps to ensure the success of a company in the hospitality industry. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. The cost and quality of hotels are usually indicative of the range and type of services available. Front-of-the-House operations are known so because these operations take place in front of the guests. Thus, these operations are related either to direct interaction with the guest or they are being conducted in front of the guest. The front office activities start from the time a guest calls or sends in a request for reservation/ accommodation. Staff of the front office department starts interacting with guest by taking in, guest information and reservation request, leading to confirmation of reservation and finally to the handling of guest on arrival and guest check-in. Check-in activity is a must for both, a guest with reservation or a walk-in-guest, i.e., one is without prior reservation. Due to the enormous increase in tourismworldwide during the last decades of the 20th century, standards, especially those of smaller establishments, have improved considerably. Hotels are independently assessed in traditional systems and these rely heavily on the facilities provided. Today, most of the Hotels provide goods and services using computer system. It helps to perform task in an easy way with less time consumed. Some companies are become fully automated while others strive for the similar setting. Computer programmers develop things like computer system that the rest of us could use. The computer programmers tell the users what to do. They make programs that users can easily used or understand. The advent of new technology gave rise to easy and hassle free interaction between and among humans. Whether it is in business, science or whatever task a person takes on the quality and speed of carrying it out are enhanced with automation at the core of this efficient today, many systems have used an automation process like using computer system, due to the efficient and accuracy. â€Å"Hotel Front Desk System† is a transaction processing and management system. In this system there are more advantages rather than a manual way of doing the task. Interaction and individual stimulation have always been linked to the technological availability of the time and place. With the transition to an information-based society, computers and transactions have evolved from manual transaction. One of the solutions or alternatives to the problems that a hotel is facing, a system was being developed which can edit, delete, filter, monitor and store and secured the records of the customers. Indeed, Information Technology provides Hospitality solutions in delivering sophisticated services that differentiate the company from competitors and create a personalized experience for each guest. This comprehensive suite of solutions helps hotel owners and operators to achieve customer satisfaction. With this, the researchers believe that for a rising business like the SWU BALAY ALUMNI, which will soon provide accommodation business to cater the school’s stakeholders and community needs to have a good front desk system that will help run the operation easier in terms of accommodation process involving its clients and guests. The researchers want to know the reasons of hotel in using manual reservation and conduct a study towards the topic because they notice some of the hotel still use manual reservation. The study will emphasize the effects of using manual reservation and how a computerized reservation will be substituted, which can be later on applied to that of the proposed SWU BALAY ALUMNI. Therefore, the researchers purported to find out how to increase the number of customer using computerized reservation. Front Desk system is a transaction processing system that solves the problem encountered during the manual Hotel Reservations and transactions. The computerized Front Desk System aims to simplify the manual Hotel Reservation fastest and accurate. The system match staff schedules to optimal service levels, control costs, and rapidly adapt to changing conditions. Accuracy and efficiency can never be a question, since in both the operators and customers, time is important, with this integration fast and reliable service is optimized. It also allows your managers to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time taking care of guests and solving other issues on the property. Other than that, these solutions can ensure your staff and operations are running at peak performance. Youll be able to identify sales trends, product and inventory costs, compare similar locations, and evaluate performance against established budgets and targets thus, ensuring organization within the company operations. Furthermore, added feature that promotes great customer experience like seasonal discounts and privileges offered to loyal or lucky patrons. The system once implemented it will solve the most common problems that the Hotel Reservation encounter. In the hospitality industry, labor is one of the largest expense items. This kind of management system that is fast, efficient, and user-friendly, cuts of the burden of too much labor and expense of manual work. With the skills and knowledge of the Researchers the possibility of establishing this system is vivid. Definitely, SWU BALAY ALUMNI needs this system in order for the business to grow and to be successful. Purpose and Description of the Study The purpose of the study is to be able to have efficient control and maintain organization in the flow and process of the following aspects of operations: * Reservation Hotel reservations are made in real time and immediately after booking. It will help to manage a collection of data in the hotel. Moreover, you can add, change, and cancel bookings. * Booking * Booking is the actual confirmation of payment one by a customer upon check in or accommodation of the room * Profiles Upon reservation and booking, must have a guest profile to attach it. Guest Profile contains main information about a Guest. Guest Profile has type of Individual, Company, Corporate, Travel Agent, or other Source of a Hotel Reservation and Booking. You can search, view, update or cancel a created reservation. If a reservation has been cancelled, then you can re-activate it if the Guest comes back. Reservation can be in Pending status such as putting in Waiting List if Room is not yet available. It can be taken off the Waiting List and accepted when Room becoming available. Many options can be applied to Reservation to tailor your needs. Profile in Hotel Management System listing the multiple addresses and phone number capability for each profile. It means that if any error happens during the transaction or key in data the system can read and detect with very fast. It’s to avoid the duplication while doing the transaction and the customer profile can be saving for long lasting. Other than that, with the profile, the management can see and sort out the special customer who has the membership or club number and tracking them. With this way, customer might be have the special rates and can get the privilege. For the unlimited credit card numbers, guest can use many types of credit card in the hotel to make a payment which this system giving various types to pay. This system also can give more advantage where they can see the outstanding history statistics for past and future stays. It’s to avoiding the fraud in falsifying data and loss. Customer have many advantage when they come to the hotel who has implemented the hotel reservation software because they no need to make a registration each time come to the hotel because the profile customer are save and have a protection and privacy. * Rate and Discounts Control Every hotel has their own rates to attract the customer to come to their hotel. This is the strategies to ensure the hotel always get the customer and to maintain their profit. In the Hotel Management System, the inventory control very useful because it can show to us the unlimited room classes and rooms types that the hotel has. This inventory can helps the management hotel to see their marketing also the performance in daily, weekly, monthly even yearly. These modules also can helps to arrange the rate plans by see the market price and see the rates in the multiple currencies. So that every customer or foreigner can search the hotel booking by see the currencies price. These modules also can keep change and negotiated rates by following the versatile tax calculations and chain cross sell capability with schedule. In the rooms and rate management and restrictions, the Hotel Management System can helps where they can manage the room with following the rate. If there have any restriction, that means the rooms was ordered or already reserved by the individual, group or others. So that, they cannot enter or reserve that rooms until the cancellation done. For more looks forward, this system giving the ability to open or close room types by rate, property, room class, etc. For those was booking the hotel, they no need to worried because this system has unlimited number of guarantee. To those had give the deposit before enter the rooms, they can get it back when they check out because the system save who pay for the deposit and if any cancellation, they must follow the policies to ensure the safety between hotel and customer. Besides that, the reservation system lets you set up rate structures for individual properties, groups of properties, or for chains. Multi-level rate and inventory controls make inventory management easier and increase profitability. Rates and room types can be automatically restricted based on percentage occupancy, minimum stay through, arrival date, and more. Agents can use the hotel reservation system to easily determine best available rates for any length of stay. To maximize property revenues, these hotel reservation computer systems also support interfacing to major yield management systems. * Administration The Hotel administrator is responsible for the reception of guest as well as internal communications of the hotel services. The post of administrator is related to the guest reception service or, as it has been recently called, front office service. * Reporting The reporting system provides a number of standard reports. System reports may be generated automatically and may be run daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or manually upon request. Reports include expected arrivals, reservation, property forecast, total booking activity, stay activity, monthly and daily booking activity summary. property detail, agent activity, automatic allotment release and delivery queue purge. * PMS Interface CRS offer Two-Way Interface that allows the CRS to communicate with and exchange information between the CRS central database and the Front Office PMS (Property Management System) at each property. The Two-Way Interface includes features that are allowed the CRS and PMS to work with the same information despite differing data structures and values. What interface to a web-based PMS offers: Control all reservations coming from different sources in a single control panel/extranet Property Management System helps you distribute your rooms optimally to different online channels you work with since with PMS you can easily check the resource of your reservations. You can easily analyze how much each sales channel contributes to your revenues and identify the most efficient channels. With Property Management System, hoteliers receive instant alerts containing information of your reservations: length of stay with check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, room type, price and rates, personal information of customers, billing and etc. Main advantage of a web-based PMS is its communication ability to CRS as well as to hotel website booking engine and other online sales channels. Objectives of the Study The study aims to create a Hotel Front Desk System for SWU BALAY ALUMNI. General Objective This study aims to solve the problems encountered and to change the manual reservation and hotel processes and transactions. Specific Objectives Specifically the proposed system will guide to do the following objectives: a) To create a computerized system that will manage the records of the following entities: * Guests * Staff * Rooms * Reports b) To create a computerized system that will manage tasks for Housekeeping. c) To create a computerized system that will provide substantial Sales Reports and Inventories. d) To create a computerized system that will manage and control on Room rates Scope and Limitations of the Study This study mainly focused on providing retailing business application using computerized system that enables businesses to track services and aims to provide accurate and reliable process on every transaction especially in a hotel front desk management. This study looked into a better impact of using technology today on how it affects our daily lives especially for being the customer. With this study, it can help our beneficiaries to know the differences of using manual system to a computerized generation today, prioritize is to prove and to give them the right information. Furthermore the proposed Front Desk Hotel Management System for SWU BALAY ALUMNI limits itself in the following aspects: Room Reservation, Room Bookings, Room Maintenance and Housekeeping, Staff and Customer Profiling, Administrative Control, Reporting, and Billing. However, this project is limited only in giving discounted rates for Southwestern Alumni and stakeholders. Furthermore, reservations can only be conducted in two ways either walk-in or via phone call. Thus, online reservation is not possible. The system is not capable of managing both payroll, laundry, restaurant, bar, gym and other facilities and amenities offered of the hotel..

The Compilation Consisting Of Tang And Song Poems History Essay

The Compilation Consisting Of Tang And Song Poems History Essay Firstly, this collection showed the low material standards of the peasants during Tang and Song China. As the empire depended largely on agriculture to prosper, the assumption would be that the status of peasants was high during ancient China. However, the evidences indicated otherwise, as they were described to be living a hard life which revolved around farming of grains for food and also the raising of silkworms for silk. These were the basic materials that peasants had and needed to survive, yet even after having worked hard for them, high taxes exhausted most of their material belongings. The legal documents implied how difficult it was for the peasants to get their hands on even the very basic needs like food and cloth that they resorted to borrowing things from others regardless of the high interest charged, even to the extent of pawning their family members. A poem, Lament of the Farm Wife of Wu provided evidence on how little material possessions the farm families owned, whe re they had to sell their ox to pay taxes and even broke up their roof just to kindle. Tang and Song China were known to be two very wealthy empires; nevertheless, the lives of peasants were depicted to be poor, while governmental officials and perhaps landowners were shown to be rich and therefore led easier lives. Still, the peasants were the ones subjected to high taxes they could not afford. These evidences suggested an unequal distribution of wealth. Moreover, peasant males were required to provide military services resembling another form of tax payment. Serving the military whenever required; was one of the many things peasants needed to worry about in their lives, not knowing when a recruiting officer would arrive at their doorsteps. One poem which described these was Recruiting Officer at Shihao. The family mentioned in the poem, had three sons taken away for garrison duty at Ye, though it was not enough as the recruiting officer came to them one night, wanting to seize the last family man in spite of his old age. In return for her husbands escape, the old wom an left with the officer. This suggested that even females were sometimes recruited for the military in place of their male family members, though merely for cooking duties as they were seen as incapable of fighting battles alongside men. Another example from The Old Man of Xinfeng with the Broken Arm indicated something similar, where the mentioned man broke his arm so that he would be deemed unfit for military service. All these evidences from the document revealed the nature of peasant lives during Tang and Song period. Hierarchies ensured a successful dynasty, though political hierarchy is also a sign of unequal distribution of possessions. The different stages allowed distinction in the types of benefits given. In this sense possibly, this separated the upper class such as the emperor, governmental officials and aristocrats from the lower class peasants and slaves. In addition, people of higher status were portrayed to be at an advantage wealthy and powerful without working as hard. The poem The Old Man of Xinfeng with the Broken Arm briefly mentioned the position of a Prime Minister, probably an indication of a higher status compared to the governmental officials that moved from posting to posting. Likewise, officials of higher status often treated the peasants harshly while they could only do their best to please the officials. Such situations were often seen when officials took on jobs from one place to another for tax collection or army recruit. A recorded observation in the poem Farmers, ta lked about how the peasants served the officers all they had even after being treated unsympathetically. Social hierarchy compared the status of male and female as well as the role they play according to wealth. Monks during Tang dynasty were generally of higher status; hence, they owned more than the peasants. Consequently, peasants borrowed materials they were short of, from monks like what the legal document Fan Huaidong Borrows a Piece of Silk recorded. During ancient China, men were of superior status compared to women. As men worked as farmers outside of their home, women took responsibilities of caring for the children and looking after the house, not to mention cooking for the men as demonstrated in Watching the Wheat-Reapers. Therefore, hierarchies, be it political or social, were very influential of the lives during ancient times. The economy was an important aspect in determining the state in which the empire stood. Though both Tang and Song dynasties were wealthy, there were significant changes in terms of economic transactions. The first major shift which was also the most influential would be the change from paying taxes in the form of grains and silk; during Tang period, to payment in the form of cash throughout Song period as indicated in a Tang poem, Lament of a Woman Acorn-Gatherer and a Song poem, Lament of the Farm Wife of Wu respectively. This transformation was important in shaping the new economy of Song Empire as it led to the widespread use of money and this use of cash to replace trading of goods allowed for easier economic transactions, perhaps simplifying the trade process. One example from Tang legal document, Fan Huaidong Borrows a Piece of Silk, depicted an unfair transaction between a peasant family and a monk where they paid an interest of high value while still having to return the silk cloth within a fixed period of time. If they were unable to return the piece of silk cloth, they would be charged a high monthly interest, while an untitled Song poem mentioned a plan to sell raw silk at the Western Gate. These sustained the idea that unlike Tang period, peasants were no longer required to make silk cloth from raw silk because instead of trading the silk cloth for something that they needed, they were able to sell raw silk for cash. These examples suggested how the innovation of cash might help reduce the incidence of unfair trade because the monetary system would most probably lead to a standardization, which was an improvement seen during Song period. Family ties take away much trouble off families by providing support and helping hands. This was what peasants needed most as family can be a form of social support especially during the hard times when produce was difficult to come by. As peasants depended largely on agriculture to support themselves, they had to put in a lot of effort in producing grains and silk. Therefore, they need the help of family members to lighten their burden. The poem Watching the Wheat-Reapers claimed that as chores doubled up, works were divided among the family members and this ensured efficiency. Often times when waiting for the fields to ripen, the peasant families would camp by the field and look after the field. During this time, peasant families could really use some help from each other. Lament of the Farm Wife of Wu is one poem that showed the cooperation between the husband and wife in lightening their farming tasks. Family members were also bounded to a transaction deal, as shown in a legal do cument. All these come to show the importance of family ties among the peasants in helping each other during desperate times. The set of Tang poems written via observations can serve as examples to demonstrate the accuracy of referring to Tang dynasty as the Golden Age for China. The foremost evidence extracted from the poem, The Old Man of Xinfeng with the Broken Arm maintained the absence of war or strife for a period of time as an indication of peace. It was also during this time, music and poetry flourished. It illustrated the increasing appreciation for music and poetry where people were able to enjoy singing and dancing. This would most likely also point toward the idea that education was more achievable, enabling composition of music and poetry. Another reason could perhaps be the fact that Tang dynasty was a large empire, conquering a lot of places. The same poem supported this assumption, where a lot of names of the areas Tang dynasty was able to exert their influence were brought up. Tang Empire was also shown to be wealthy due to the suggestion in Watching the Wheat-Reapers that governmental offi cials had surpluses of grains to eat. Furthermore, the legal documents cited, was from the caravan city of Dunhuang, which at that time was a prominent rest stop for traveling via the Silk Road. These suggested the frequent use of Silk Road during Tang period which would equate to a more outstanding trade system. Also, the existence of a Buddhist monk Li sustained the proposal that Buddhism was practiced a lot more compared to other dynasties before Tang, though Confucianism was probably still playing a major role. The significance of Buddhism can probably be seen with the higher status of the monk from the legal document, Fan Huaidong Borrows a Piece of Silk. The monk was exemplified to own more possessions compared to peasants. The monk was also able to lend goods to others, charging them an unfairly high value of interest, which also implied the higher status of monks during Tang dynasty. For these reasons, Tang dynasty can therefore be concluded as the Golden Age of China. To sum up, the lives of peasants in rural China were difficult, yet they managed to find ways to survive through all hardships, and contributing to the success of the empires.

The Jungle Essays -- essays research papers

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is the tale of a Lithuanian immigrant, Jurgis Rudkus, and his family. Jurgis and his family move to the United States in the middle of the Industrial Revolution, only to find themselves ill-equipped for the transition in the workplace and in society in general. Jurgis faces countless social injustices, and through a series of such interactions, the theme of the book is revealed: the support of socialism over capitalism as an economic and social structure. Jurgis learns soon after transplanting his family that he alone cannot earn enough to support his entire family, in spite of the intensity of his valiant efforts to work harder. Soon his wife and the rest of his family are working as well, all attempting to chip in to cover family expenses. However, such exposure proves itself to be too dangerous and detrimental to the Rudkuses. Jurgis becomes hardened by his negative experiences as he realizes that, in a capitalist society li ke the one he was living in, there is no justice. Hard work is not justly rewarded, and often times corruption is rewarded in its place. Through and through, he sees that capitalist life is not fair. Soon he is injured on the job and is forced to stay home and out of work while his mangled foot heals. Jurgis is sidelined from work for two months, and upon his return he finds himself replaced by another worker. Desperate for a job, he takes a dreaded position at the glue factory. Hi wife is pregn... The Jungle Essays -- essays research papers The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is the tale of a Lithuanian immigrant, Jurgis Rudkus, and his family. Jurgis and his family move to the United States in the middle of the Industrial Revolution, only to find themselves ill-equipped for the transition in the workplace and in society in general. Jurgis faces countless social injustices, and through a series of such interactions, the theme of the book is revealed: the support of socialism over capitalism as an economic and social structure. Jurgis learns soon after transplanting his family that he alone cannot earn enough to support his entire family, in spite of the intensity of his valiant efforts to work harder. Soon his wife and the rest of his family are working as well, all attempting to chip in to cover family expenses. However, such exposure proves itself to be too dangerous and detrimental to the Rudkuses. Jurgis becomes hardened by his negative experiences as he realizes that, in a capitalist society li ke the one he was living in, there is no justice. Hard work is not justly rewarded, and often times corruption is rewarded in its place. Through and through, he sees that capitalist life is not fair. Soon he is injured on the job and is forced to stay home and out of work while his mangled foot heals. Jurgis is sidelined from work for two months, and upon his return he finds himself replaced by another worker. Desperate for a job, he takes a dreaded position at the glue factory. Hi wife is pregn...

Creation In Mythology Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The creation of man and the world is a question that has resonated since the conscience of thought and analysis began. We as human beings have the tendency to seek out the reasons and truths of the phenomena that occur around us, and our desire to achieve answers has not hindered our exploration of human existence. We tease ourselves by asking the most simplistic questions: why are we here; how did we come to be; who created our world? And as our minds seek into the unknown and force us to develop the theories of our origins, the human hunger for reason and truth begs to differ. Stories have collected throughout the generations that have preceded us, and its transition from person to person further molded these myths into a realistic fantasy that not only defined the people that held them, but captured believers that, in effect, became religion. As wide as cultural boundaries may seem, the myths that exist in different societies exhibit a common thread of understa nding, whether it be character personas or moral comprehension. Three myths that demonstrate similarities in the development of â€Å"forces,† are the Japan, Polynesian, and Babylonian myths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Japanese creation myth, the characters Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto give birth to a many children who make up the world in which we live in today. 8 of their children are the islands of Japan, and the others include the god of the wind, gods of the sea... Creation In Mythology Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The creation of man and the world is a question that has resonated since the conscience of thought and analysis began. We as human beings have the tendency to seek out the reasons and truths of the phenomena that occur around us, and our desire to achieve answers has not hindered our exploration of human existence. We tease ourselves by asking the most simplistic questions: why are we here; how did we come to be; who created our world? And as our minds seek into the unknown and force us to develop the theories of our origins, the human hunger for reason and truth begs to differ. Stories have collected throughout the generations that have preceded us, and its transition from person to person further molded these myths into a realistic fantasy that not only defined the people that held them, but captured believers that, in effect, became religion. As wide as cultural boundaries may seem, the myths that exist in different societies exhibit a common thread of understa nding, whether it be character personas or moral comprehension. Three myths that demonstrate similarities in the development of â€Å"forces,† are the Japan, Polynesian, and Babylonian myths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Japanese creation myth, the characters Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto give birth to a many children who make up the world in which we live in today. 8 of their children are the islands of Japan, and the others include the god of the wind, gods of the sea...