Bolsa Chica Fieldtrip essays

Bolsa Chica Fieldtrip papers As we show up at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve I notice that this day is especially warm and bright. Out yonder a critical cloudiness is noticeable, however there arent numerous mists. Its 10:10 AM and weve simply been given our optics and information assortment sheets. I am standing confronting west to abstain from investigating the sun, and off to my correct I notice many pigeons, which Travis illuminates us dont truly tally since they were brought into the territory by individuals. The air temperature is accounted for to be around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The breeze appears to be surprisingly solid around there, however the climate revealed a breeze out of the south east of 10 to 15 miles for each hour. My accomplice for the information assortment today is Mariah. In the event that I stay with her today I will undoubtedly get familiar with a couple of new fowl names. As we start our stroll around the Ecological Reserve we stop first on the footbridge around ten feet from where we started. As I peer down into the water beneath I see a ton of shells littered about. Travis discloses to us that what we are seeing are razor shellfishes, muscles, wipes, green growth, and a couple of stingrays. I was amazed to discover this is an incubation center for heaps of little fish. I glance around as he educates us regarding the fish, and I see almost a hundred fowls out there, and now I understand why they stay this spot. Theres a ton of nourishment for them here. I likewise consider some to be as we start the remainder of our walk. I am eager to see feathered creatures now and I continue seeing pigeons around the extension trusting that they are some colorful flying creature that I can record, however that should pause. I dont need to stand by long however. Very quickly I see my first taking care of feathered creature, a Caspian Tern I am told. Its logical name is Sterna caspia. We watch the flying creature fly around and afterward into an Arial plunge jump. It has all the earmarks of being around 100 feet from the waters edge and it is making a plunge the Inner Bay territory. I cannot tail it very well wi... <!

Essay on Education and Equality

Article on Education and Equality Article on Education and Equality Article on Education and EqualityThe video required for this conversation assists with evaluating the centrality of finding the best possible answers for social issues related with training, imbalance and race. As per analysts, â€Å"whether in instructive achievement between salary gatherings or racial/ethnic gatherings or across geographic areas imbalance persists† (Social Inequality and Educational Disadvantage, 2014).  In truth, every one of these issues can be characterized as a significant segment of bigger social issues. Instruction can turn into a compelling device in our endeavors to construct a progressively evenhanded society. Subsequently, it is urgent to give equivalent instructive chances to every American resident, regardless of to what race they have a place (Korgen Furst, 2012).In the video, Affirmative Action versus Social Diversity, Tom Brokaw asks: How would we cure the memorable abuse of meriting dark Americans without rebuffing meriting white Americans today? (Governmental policy regarding minorities in society versus Social Diversity, 2014). Instructive foundations can be utilized by the legislature to take care of any issues of racial imbalance through the advancement of equivalent opportunities.â The confirmation arrangements gave by the University of Michigan and other instructive organizations mirror the achievement of American race relations, which structure the reason for building an increasingly fair society. It is important to utilize the correct techniques so as to fix one issue without making another. As per Tummala (2010), equivalent open doors in training give equivalent open doors in business. At the point when governmental policy regarding minorities in society is approved, it is anyway noticed that no unfit competitor be liked to the necessary position. There ought to be rivalry among those competitors who are appropriately qualified. Nonetheless, qualified minorities who are under-spoken to ought to be given mor e chances.  Hence, there is a need to give conventional and equivalent instruction to guarantee governmental policy regarding minorities in society. Instructive imbalance brought about by social class contrasts and family foundation can be illuminated through joined endeavors of the administration and instructive establishments arrangements.

My Guide To Renting Your First Apartment in College

My Guide To Renting Your First Apartment in College Chances are you wont be taking any course related to renting your first college apartment, so like me, you might be feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed. Where do I start? How do I know how much I can afford? Whos gonna clean this place? Can I even cook? These might all be questions going through your mind right now, but the good news is that its completely normal to feel lost and confused right now. Renting your first college apartment is a completely new experience, after all. But if youre really dedicated to renting your first apartment in college, you cant stay in this state and expect your new apartment to magically appear. So youre finally ready to rent your first ever apartment in college. Whether your reasoning for doing so is to gain more living space, save money, being tired of dorm food, or another reason all together, theres no doubt that renting your first college apartment is exciting! And stressful. I began renting my first apartment in college the beginning of this school year, and its been great so far. I love being able to cook my own food, decide what Im putting into my body, and decorate my space. But there were several learning curves and unexpected situations that me and my roommate felt with before we finally picked a place and even after we moved in. In an attempt to make your apartment renting process a bit smoother, here are all my tips for renting your first college apartment, along with everything that Ive learned about living on your own and renting your own space for the first time. Decide if you are willing to live with a roommate, and if so, how many. Most college students spend at least one year living in a dorm with a roommate. So ask yourself: How was that experience? Did you hate everything about it or find it fun and comforting? If living with a roommate wasnt your cup of tea, be sure to ask yourself why. Maybe you simply didnt like the person you were living with, and if you were sharing a space with someone with a similar living style as you it wouldnt be so bad. This is an important distinction to make, so make sure that you analyze your past roommate experiences carefully and honestly. If you decide that you wouldnt mind living with a roommate, its time to figure out how many people you would be willing to live with. There are pros and cons to having multiple roommates, such as the possibility of getting a cheaper price with more roommates or having less people sharing a bathroom with just one roommate. But regardless, the choice is yours, so be sure to weigh all the pros and cons before you accept someones roommate offer. Figure out what your monthly rent and bills budget will be and what your roommate(s) budget is (if you have a roommate). So youve figured out your roommate situation, and youre ready to begin your apartment search. But how do you know what monthly rent price is too expensive? Before you begin going on apartment tours, you and any roommates you will be living with (make sure to confirm with people to get their official yes or no to be your roommate!) need to calculate what monthly rent price you can afford as well as what your budget for bills such as utilities and groceries will be. I personally utilize my extra scholarship money for all my monthly bills and then money from my paychecks to pay for my groceries, but how you will pay for your bills and rent is entirely up to you and the money you have available. I highly recommend calculating the maximum amount of money you would be able to spend and then searching for apartments whose monthly rent is at least $150-$200 below that maximum. This should leave you enough money to at least pay for your utility bills if you plan on using money from your job t o pay for your groceries. It also ensures that you will always be able to pay your rent! Start searching for apartments EARLY! Now you have figured out your rent budget, and the fun can beginâ€"going on apartment tours! While touring apartments is exciting and all, be sure to stay focused and ask lots of questions. In order to get a good apartment for a good price, I highly recommend starting your apartment search early on in the semester. Apartments intended for college students go quickly, so you want to make sure that you dont put it off until October or November. When youre touring apartments, be sure to ask questions about what utilities are included, any extra fees on top of rent that you would have to pay (and if those fees are separate or included in the overall rent price), pet policies, if there is a laundry facility in-unit or in the building (and if it is free or not), how many months the lease is for, and any other information that is important to you and your roommates. You want to make sure that youll have zero surprises when you move in and when your first bill comes. Decide whos going to buy what and what things you are planning on sharing. If you are going to be living with any roommates, after you choose an apartment to rent and you put down your security deposit, decide who is going to buy what for the apartment and what items everyone is comfortable with sharing. If the apartment is furnished, then you do not need to worry about furniture. But if youre renting an unfurnished apartment, decide who is going to buy which pieces of furniture for the rooms and spaces that everyone will share. Same goes for cooking utensils and cookware. Will everyone buy their own, or will everyone share the same bowls, pots, and pans? Get all of these things settled long before you move in so that everyone is aware of the agreement and so that everyone has plenty of time to buy what they need. Be sure to also discuss whether or not everyone will buy their own groceries, or if youll all go grocery shopping together and share all of the groceries. Some things like flour, sugar, toilet paper, and paper towels are easy things that everyone can take turns buying for the apartment, if you decide that everyone will buy their own groceries. If something goes wrong, dont panic. So youre all moved in and you officially have your first apartment! While renting your first apartment in college is an exciting accomplishment in adulthood, be aware of the learning curves that will come. No one is perfect, and there will be things that happen that you might not know how to handle right away. Dont panic when these things go wrong though. It is important to remember that you are always capable of handling anything that goes wrong, and that these experiences are all a part of the process and journey. Familiarize yourself with your apartments maintenance policies and numbers, and dont forget that it is perfectly okay to ask for help whenever you need it. ?? Taylor Class of 2021 Hey y’all, I’m a History and Gender and Women Studies double major and a French minor from Chicago! I concentrate in all things Black and Black women studies and love long-distance running.

Educational Tour Narrative Report - 1629 Words

Introduction: Educational Tour gives us ideas likewise opportunities to visit prestigious agencies that may help us visualize what we are learning at school. This activity helps us develop our personality since social graces and etiquette are learned too by experience. Moreover, important to every student since it is a part of our learning process to acquire more knowledge through actual exposure to the different agencies. Educational Tour: A Narrative. A great way to explore and gain experience, the Junior Bankers Association had its educational tour on February 6 to 9, 2012. Day 1: February 6, 2012 The day wherein I have to wake up early because it should be a big No for rush. Yes, we’re pretty much excited to invade Manila,†¦show more content†¦Then at around 5:15 we departed Securities and Exchange Commision and go for a side trip at Greenhills. At the shopping center, I bought the long sleeves and necktie needed by my brother for his prom. We even bought our dinner at KFC considering that there is no KFC at Vigan. We arrived at the hotel at around 7:00 pm; we ate first then Jobelle and Erika washed their clothes for they have nothing to use tomorrow if they won’t then we took a bath. At around 9:00 a food raid and an inspection was made by Ma’am Angela, Ma’am Maan, Sir Lawrence and the JBA officers namely Kuya Dean, Kuya Jumar, Kuya Gyner, Ate April. Some of our classmates like Bernadane, Dianne and Cristal came. Friends from other class Jovelyn and Elaine also came for a visit. After their visits, we then go to bed and rest. Day 3: February 8, 2012 The day I’ve been waiting for. BSP here I come! We woke up early and really prepared ourselves for this day. We took a bath, ate our breakfast then make things up. We had a long time before departing the hotel so we used it taking pictures in our room. Around 7:30 in the morning we departed the hotel and say hello to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas at 8:30. We waited for a several minutes before entering to the Bangko Sentral Museum, so we took the chance to take pictures with friends and classmates for souvenir. Then finally when we are about to enter the museum they have instructed us put our cameras and cellphones on ourShow MoreRelatedA Great Tree Has Fallen: Words of Chinua Achebe Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pagesand Impediments: Selected Essays 1988 In the mid 20th century Africa was once more starting to find its own voice, having been gagged by centuries of colonial oppression. For all that time the story of Africa had been told by Europeans, and the narrative they presented was a shoddy one. The black man; if in fact a brother was certainly at most a junior sibling. 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GRE Sentence Equivalence Sample Questions

The Impact of Work-Based on our Identity Free Essays

In all modern societies, work fills a basic and central role in human life. The centrality of work is demonstrated by the personal responsibility individuals assume for their work, the amount of time they devote to it, and the significance it has within the general context of their lives. Work has important social and economic implications as well, on both an organizational and general social level. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Work-Based on our Identity or any similar topic only for you Order Now Identities within society have been determined largely by the work that people do. It has a major part to play in shaping our sense of self and affects how we see ourselves and how others see us. It’s formatted by large number of influencing factors, like which are interpellated and which we make a conscious decision to choose or exclude. We all know the first question asked in many situations of primary social encounter: ‘What do you do? ‘ by which we really mean ‘What is your job?. ‘ we do not answer with our hobby, or with our religious identity, but with all the certainty in the world with our occupation: ‘skilled worker for ‘. If we know our interlocutor’s occupation then we think we know him or her. The occupation serves a mutual identification pattern, with the help of which we can assess personal needs and abilities as well as economic and social position. I will discus the story which written by john greaves, the coal miner and his identity’s change during the time, after that I will discus the employers of developing industrial country and how they work now, then I will compare between this two employer, and I will explain how work influences and shape people identity . Firstly, the coal miner, who spend most of his life and time working more that twenty years in this field, he was working and get up early every day, actively, satisfied and without any fear. His identity was as a coal miner as an individual and also a member of a community with a shared collective identity. His village, Goldthorpe, in South Yorkshire, revolved both economically andsocially around the pits. He did not think that he will be unemployed on day and he will lose it. And now, after all this years and after closing the mine, he talk about his feeling of uncertainty or the future, and he feel sad about losing his job, identity and the symbol that relate to his job. He say that he lose his powerful identity, he mean â€Å"collective identity† which can be found among workers whose lives are closely bound up with their involved in coal mining. this changes in the economy lead to considerable anxiety among white working class men. In other hand, developing industrial country is a major reason for increasing levels and number of service and employers that is largely part-time , such as â€Å"call center† , Which connects large computer and telephones together. We can find more that hundred of employers work there with different job titles and careers , like direct seller, customer services, managers and others. It’s described as white collar factories as the workload is constantly monitored and performance related pay is often used as an incentive. Now, if we compare between the coal miner that lost his work and his correlative identity and one of call center stuff, it would be clear to identify how work influences and shape our identity. There is little sense of community or collective identity. John Greaves was clearly interpellated into his role as a coal miner and his identity associate with his community, whereas call center staff work for instrumental purposes, define himself by what he purchase and his spending power. We are now more likely to identify ourselves through our income and spending power rather than job title. This is backed up through recently research that tell us we have leave our collective and occupational identities to more individual consumption based ones. Also our identities are shaped by our income. Income allows us to consume and depending on the amount of income we generate this results in what we consume and our ability to selectively purchase goods. Bourdieu (1977 pg 107/8) argued that people are able to express their identities through consumption and also that as taste differs between social class then consumption will also differ. People in different social classes are unlikely to have the same consumption patterns, which leads to a difference in the ability to portray identity. For example, the ability to purchase expensive ca and material goods such as cars from being in a well paid job will create an identity of a middle class citizen compared to coal miner wage on which limited items can be purchased. Consumption preferences and abilities are highly symbolic markers of status and dividers in social class. Some sociologists have argued that consumption has replaced class and that this now is the key factor in the structure of social division and identity. We can conclude that income, socialisation in the workplace, unemployment and social class. It is evident that work is a contributory factory in influencing and creating identities. Also identities which are created by work are not unfixed, it can change by economic changes. Change of work from collective community base to individual to and material one would be clear today . Like what â€Å"call centers† employers do, they don’t identify with their work, they define themselves by what they are spending and what they have. There is also an evident link between income and person, people’s behaviors in the way which identity is created. How to cite The Impact of Work-Based on our Identity, Papers

Questions on International Law Essay Sample free essay sample

1. What are the beginnings of international jurisprudence?Beginnings of international jurisprudence help us understand what constitutes international jurisprudence. and how international jurisprudence is created. It refers to where provinces. organisations. persons and the tribunals can happen rules of international jurisprudence. We will write a custom essay sample on Questions on International Law Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Beginnings of international jurisprudence can be divided into two chief types. which are the primary beginnings and the subordinate beginnings. The article 38 of the legislative act of the international tribunal of justness establishes the five chief beginnings of international jurisprudence. They are ; International conventions. international usage. general rules of jurisprudence recognized by the civilised states. judicial determinations. and the most extremely qualified jural Hagiographas of the bookmans. The first three are referred as primary beginnings. and the last two are referred as the secondary beginnings. Sing the turning regulation of international organisations. recent bookmans of international jurisprudence include the declarations and other Acts of the Apostless of international governmental organisations such as the United Nations as beginnings of international jurisprudence. 2. What are the critical differences between Transformation and Incorporation philosophies with respects to pacts? As International pacts are one of the three chief beginnings of international jurisprudence. most of the regulations which provinces in the pacts are been accepted in the domestic jurisprudence. This could be done by following either the philosophy of Transformation. or the philosophy of incorporation. The philosophy of transmutation stipulates that the regulations of the pacts do non became portion of the national jurisprudence until they have been expressly adopted by the province. In contrast. by the philosophy of Incorporation. a province automatically adopts the pact jurisprudence as portion of the national jurisprudence. This philosophy is an automatic response of the international jurisprudence into domestic jurisprudence without the formal demands for official statute law to approve it and give consequence to it. 3. What are the theories of acknowledgment of a province?Since States are considered as the chief topics in International Law. acknowledgment of a sate is the formal recognition of the position of an independent State by other bing provinces. Recognition of a State is more of a political construct than a legal construct because there are no specific regulations for acknowledgment of a State. There are chiefly two theories relevant to the acknowledgment. the constitutive and the declaratory theory. The constituent theory asserts that States and authoritiess do non lawfully exist until recognised by the international community. and the declaratory theory adopts that States and authoritiess gain in the international personality when they come into being. The â€Å"declarative† theory defines a province as a individual in international jurisprudence if it meets the undermentioned standards: 1 ) a defined district ; 2 ) a lasting population ; 3 ) a authorities and 4 ) a capacity to come in into dealingss with other provinces. By contrast. the constituent theory of statehood defines a province as a individual of international jurisprudence merely if it is recognized as crowned head by other provinces. 4. Write a short note on precautional rule.The precautional rule provinces if an action or policy has a suspected hazard of doing injury to the populace or to the environment. in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful. the load of cogent evidence that it is non harmful falls on those taking an act. This principle allows policy shapers to do discretional determinations in state of affairss where there is the possibility of injury from taking a peculiar class or doing a certain determination when extended scientific cognition on the affair is missing. The rule implies that there is a societal duty to protect the populace from exposure to injury. when scientific probe has found a plausible hazard. These protections can be relaxed merely if farther scientific findings emerge that provide sound grounds that no injury will ensue. In some legal systems. as in the jurisprudence of the European Union. the application of the precautional rule has been made a s tatutory demand. 5. Why is the United Nations so of import in international society? United Nations is said to be the most of import inter-governmental administration in the international society. because of its function in universe personal businesss. Due to its tremendous parts in keeping international peace and security and advancing cooperation among provinces and international development. it is besides known as the most representative administration. It leads the international society on the constitution of a merely and sensible international political and economic order. Furthermore. the importance of the United Nations can be found in its headship in assisting states work together to track through poorness. hungriness. diseases and illiteracy. It besides assists in the care of human rights and human-centered aid. As a consequence of its unreplaceable function by any other administration in the improvement of international personal businesss. United Nation’s importance in the internatio nal society is recognized.

Social Identity Theory and Realistic Group Conflict Theory Essays

Social Identity Theory and Realistic Group Conflict Theory Essays Social Identity Theory and Realistic Group Conflict Theory Paper Social Identity Theory and Realistic Group Conflict Theory Paper A group comprises two or more individuals, who interact with each other, share common goals, are interdependent and acknowledge their formation as a group. People join groups for several reasons. Amongst these reasons are, for interpersonal needs, support and commitment and group synergy. Interpersonal needs include ones desire for inclusion, where the individual is desirous of establishing an identity with others, which is often used as a way of self-verification. Individuals need affection and joining a group is an excellent way of establishing relationships and making friends. Another component of interpersonal needs, is a sense of control, where the individual wants to prove his/her abilities and being in a group serves as an outlet to demonstrate these abilities. Support and commitment is important to an individual, as he/she may want to undertake a project but finds that he/she would be far more motivated, if working in a group. Also, the support given to each group member, by the other members reinforces commitment to the project being undertaken. Group Synergy refers to the idea that two or more heads are better than one, and that groups are more capable of producing higher quality work than the individual would. Group Synergy also recognizes that groups make better decisions than individuals. Groups go through five (5) stages of development. It is important to note that to move from one stage to another can only be achieved on the basis of the success of the goals of the preceding stage. The first stage is forming. At this primary level, group members come together and each individual collects data about the similarities and differences of the other members. The major task of forming is orientation, where its members become oriented to the group task(s) as well as each other. Discussion is centered on the approach(es), as well as similar concerns about the task(s). The second stage is storming. As the groups members attempt to organize the task(s), conflict is inevitable, due to personal beliefs or ideas. At this stage, members compromise their own beliefs to suit the groups organization. Because of fear of exposure or failure, there will be an increased desire for structural clarification and commitment. Questions concerning leadership and responsibility roles arise during this stage, as well as the reward system and criteria for evaluation. Once these concerns are addressed, the group moves on to the third stage, norming. Norming is characterized by cohesion. At this stage, members are concerned about problem solving and are willing to change preconceived ideas, on the basis of facts which are presented by other members and actively ask questions of one another. During this stage, members begin to identify with one another and acknowledge that the group is working in a unit. This contributes to the development of group cohesion. Assuming that the goal(s) of the three preceding stages are accomplished, the group moves on to stage four, which is performing. At this level, the need for group approval is past and members are capable of working independently, in sub-groups or as total unit with equal facility. Group unity is complete, morale is high and loyalty is intense. There is support in problem-solving and an emphasis on achievement. The final stage, adjourning, involves the termination of tasks and disengagement from relationships. Members are recognized and acknowledged for their contribution, participation and achievement, and are now ready to part company and disintegrate as a single unit. Social Identity Theory and Realistic Group Conflict Theory have different assumptions about the nature of groups. Social Identity Theory was developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in 1979 and 3 central ideas; categorization, identification and comparison. In order to understand our social environment, one has to categorize individuals. For example, to classify an individual as a black person is quite vague. However, when the same individual is classified as Jamaican, teacher or Baptist, the individual takes on a clearer meaning. Identification carries two meanings. At times, individuals may refer to themselves as we versus them and at other times I versus him/her. This indicates that there are times when individuals think of themselves as members of a group and times when the individuals think of themselves as a single unit. When individuals refer to themselves as we, the we represents the individuals in-group, or group to which the individual belongs to. When the individual refers to them, the them is the out-group, or group that the individual does not belong to. The final component of Social Identity Theory is social comparison. Individuals need to feel good about them themselves and so in the context of being part of the in-group, the individual seeks to maximize the difference between the in-group and the out-group so that the in-group is always reflected in a more positive light than then out-group. In 1971, Tajfel et al conducted an experiment which they called the Minimal Group Experiment. This experiment was conducted to ascertain whether competition was a necessary condition for ethnocentrism, the belief that ones in-group is superior to ones out-group. The experiment used a group of Bristol school boys as its subjects. These boys were show slide projections with varying numbers of dots. The boys were told that there some people in the group who were under estimators and over estimators of the dots being displayed. The second task involved splitting the boys into two groups, which they were made to think that one group consisted of over estimators and the other group consisted of under estimators. What the boys did not know, was that in actuality, they were selected randomly. The task was to allocate points redeemable for money. What was discovered was that in-group favoritism was displayed even though each boy did not know who the other in-group members were. They still allocated more points to members of the in-group. Even though these same boys were linked in various ways, through sport teams or as neighbors, this did not have any meaning or impact on the way they allocated points and demonstrated in-group bias. A second experiment was conducted to endorse the findings of the preceding experiment. The boys were shown a series of paintings by two artists, Klee and Kadinsky. They were asked to choose their preference and were then divided into two groups. Again, the boys were unaware that the groups were not being divided according to artist preference. Again, the boys demonstrated in-group favoritism by allocating more points to in-group members. Based on these two experiments, Tajfel concluded that indeed, by categorizing the boys into meaningless groups caused blatant discrimination. A more recent display of Social Identity Theory in action is the of the Serbs uniting in solidarity to support their leader Slobodan Milosevic as he went before the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia. While Milosevics policies had contributed to brutal war, economic ruin and widespread corruption, Serbs saw themselves as a group/nation going to trial, instead of Milosevic as an individual on trial. The trial came across as a threat to Serbs as a unit. They could not escape the social identity of being a serb, so the best mechanism they could use was to categorize themselves and distance themselves from the out-group, which are western countries. Realistic Group Conflict Theory is the idea that prejudice sometimes stems from competition between groups for scarce resources. In 1961, Sherif et al, set up the Robbers Cave Experiment. This experiment was a summer camp which consisted of 22 boys from similar backgrounds and family structure, who were all Caucasian. The boys were not acquainted prior to the camp, so they were allowed to get acquainted with each other, by sharing in various activities. The boys were then split into two groups; the Rattlers and the Eagles. Each group independently engaged in their own activities, which led to a more intimate relationship, where they had developed codes, jargon and nicknames. The next stage involved pitting both groups against each other for a prize, to determine what would happen when they came together after bonding with their own in-group. This was done via an organized tournament which included a treasure hunt and a baseball game. By the end of the tournament there was visible hostility as the groups began to call each other names and launched a food fight in the dining room. In a 1949 study, one school of thought for reducing hostility was to introduce a third group, which would represent the common enemy to both groups. This solution was not desirable to Sherif, as he thought it would widen the inter-group conflict to a larger scale. In order to resolve the hostile conflict, Sherif noted that the groups need more than just contact. They needed a series of goals which could only be accomplished when both groups efforts were combined. These goals are termed super ordinate goals. The series involved a water supply crisis, where both groups had to locate the fault by working together. A second goal which was set up is the hiring of a film. The camp had no money to pay for it, however, if both groups combined their financial resources they would be able to rent the film for the benefit of all. The third challenge was towing a broken down food truck together, using a rope they had used previously in a tug-of-war game, to get the truck started. The realization of success from working together gradually reduced conflict to the point where the boys became friends, from these experiences. This experiment supports that the use of super ordinate goals, which means that both groups share the same agenda of accomplishing a specific goal together, can reduce conflict. While both theories seek to reduce group conflict, Social Identity Theory leans towards a cognitive approach of in-group bias. If group members believe that they are in a group with others who share similar identities and goals, then bias towards in-group members exist. The reward does not have to be a physical one, as the aim is towards achieving high self-esteem. Group members will do all possible to preserve their superiority so that their self-esteem will always be high. Through re-categorizing individuals, prejudice and conflict may be reduced, as individuals tend to categorize in reference to self. This would mean that each time a group is re-categorized, individuals would be identifying with each group he/she is being classified with, hence reducing out-group discrimination since the individual would be identifying with others at different times. Realistic Group Conflict Theory leans towards a behavioral approach to conflict resolution, as demonstrated in the Robbers Cave Experiment. Initially, it was a case of survival of the fittest as they groups clamored for the scarce resource (tournament prize). However, through their collective actions, they were able to pool physical and financial resources to benefit both groups. It is through series behavioral actions that both groups realized they could accomplish the super ordinate goals set before them. Another difference between Social Identity Theory and Realistic Group Conflict Theory is that Social Identity Theory places an emphasis on social competition, which has more to do with pride and self-esteem, while Realistic Group Conflict Theory uses objective competition which is vying for an object of social reality.

PSAT Scoring How Does It Work

PSAT Scoring How Does It Work SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're preparing to take the PSAT, it'simportant you understand everything there is to know aboutPSAT scoring. How is the PSAT scored? And how will this information help you get the score you want on test day? On the SAT? In this article, we go overthePSAT scoring scale and show you how to calculate your PSAT scores using official scoring tables. We also coverSelection Index scores and offer our top four tips on how to utilize PSAT scoringto inform both PSAT and SAT prep! How Is the PSAT Scored Overall? By Section? The PSAT scoring scale is 320-1520 in 10-point increments. On this scale, 320 is the minimum score you can get and 1520 is the maximum. This scale differs just slightly from the SAT scoring scale, which is 400-1600. Like the SAT, your total PSAT score is a combination of your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math scores. (The EBRW score comprises the Reading and Writing and Language sections.) Both EBRW and Math use a score range of160-760, with each section accounting for halfyour total PSAT score. So a 500 on EBRW and a 600 on Math would equala total PSAT score of 1100. But obviously there aren't1,520 questions on the PSAT! So why is the PSAT scoring scale out of 1520? The reason for this is thatall of these scores are actuallyscaled scores, which areconverted fromraw scores (equivalent to the number of questions you answered correctly) through a specialequating process. The College Board uses this process toaccount for variances in difficulty among PSATs - essentially, to ensure that a scaled PSAT score will always indicate the same level of ability, no matter when you take thetest. Here’s how theCollege Board describes the PSATequating process: â€Å"This conversion process adjusts for slight differences in difficulty among versions of the test and provides a score that is equated, or consistent, across forms. This process ensures that no student receives an advantage or disadvantage from taking a particular form of the test on a particular day;* a score of 400 on one test form is equivalent to a score of 400 on another test form.† *Emphasis mine. Upon completing the PSAT, you’ll earn three raw scoresfor Math, Reading, and Writing and Language (hereafter referred to as â€Å"Writing†). So if you were to answer 40 Math questions correctly, your raw Math score would be 40. Likewise, if you were to answer 26 Writing questions correctly, your raw Writing score would be 26. You do not lose any points for incorrect or blank answers.These raw scores are thenequated into your final (scaled) Math and EBRW scores. Here's the catch, though: theequating formula differs for each PSAT. Andbecause only the College Board knows what these formulas are, we'll never be able to predict exactlyhow a raw score will convert into a scaled score on an upcoming PSAT. Nevertheless, we can use scoring charts from official PSAT practice tests to estimate how raw scores may translate into scaled scores. Thesetables differ foreach practice test but are extremely helpful because they show ushow PSAT scores typically convert into scaled scores. Scoring charts are the handy, dandy notebook for high school students. Below aretwo examples of PSAT scoring charts, both taken from official PSAT practice tests: Practice Test #1PSAT Scoring Chart Raw Score Reading Test Score Writing Test Score Math Section Score Raw Score Reading Test Score Writing Test Score Math Section Score 0 8 8 160 25 26 25 560 1 9 9 190 26 26 26 570 2 10 10 210 27 27 27 580 3 11 11 240 28 27 27 580 4 12 12 270 29 28 28 590 5 14 13 290 30 28 28 600 6 15 14 320 31 29 29 610 7 16 14 340 32 29 29 620 8 16 15 360 33 30 30 630 9 17 15 370 34 30 30 640 10 18 16 390 35 31 31 650 11 18 16 400 36 31 32 670 12 19 17 420 37 32 32 680 13 19 18 430 38 32 33 690 14 20 18 440 39 33 34 710 15 20 19 460 40 34 35 720 16 21 20 470 41 34 36 730 17 21 20 480 42 35 37 730 18 22 21 490 43 36 37 740 19 22 21 500 44 37 38 740 20 23 22 510 45 37 750 21 23 23 520 46 38 750 22 24 24 530 47 38 760 23 24 24 540 48 760 24 25 25 550 Source: Scoring Your PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test #1 Practice Test #2PSAT Scoring Chart Raw Score Reading Test Score Writing Test Score Math Section Score Raw Score Reading Test Score Writing Test Score Math Section Score 0 8 8 160 25 25 26 530 1 9 9 190 26 26 26 540 2 10 10 210 27 26 27 540 3 11 11 240 28 27 27 550 4 12 12 260 29 28 28 560 5 13 13 290 30 28 28 570 6 14 13 310 31 29 29 570 7 15 14 320 32 29 29 580 8 16 14 340 33 30 30 590 9 16 15 350 34 31 31 600 10 17 16 370 35 31 31 610 11 17 16 380 36 32 32 620 12 18 17 400 37 32 33 630 13 18 18 410 38 33 33 640 14 19 18 420 39 34 34 650 15 19 19 430 40 34 35 670 16 20 20 440 41 35 36 680 17 21 20 450 42 35 37 700 18 21 21 460 43 36 38 710 19 22 22 470 44 36 38 730 20 22 23 480 45 37 740 21 23 23 490 46 38 740 22 24 24 500 47 38 750 23 24 24 510 48 760 24 25 25 520 Source: Scoring Your PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test #2 Bycomparing the tables above, we can see that there are small differences in how raw scores convert into scaled scores. For example, a raw Math score of 37 converts into 680 on Test #1but only 630 on Test #2! As I explained previously, these conversions differ because the two tests vary slightly in difficulty. Now that we’ve covered the equating process and how the overall PSAT is scored, let’s take a closer look at PSAT scoringfor Math and EBRW. Prepare to enter the math vortex! Vroooooom! Your PSAT Math Score Math consists of two subsections: a No Calculator section consisting of 17 questions and for which you may not use a calculator, and a Calculator section consisting of 31 questions and for which you may (but don’t need to) use a calculator. Your Math score begins as a total raw score out of 48 (the total number of questions on Math).Here are the steps for calculating your Math section score using your raw score: 1. Calculate your raw Math scores for each subsection. Start by adding up all of your correct answers on the No Calculator and Calculator subsections using the answer key for your test. On official practice tests, your Math answer key will look something like this: 2. Add your rawscores together togeta total raw Mathscore out of 48.So if I got 10 questions right on the No Calculator subsection and 22 questions right on the Calculator subsection, my total raw Math score would be 32. 3. Find your Math section score using your test’s scoring chart. Your test should offer a conversion table for calculating your Math section score. In my example, I’d find 32 on my test’s conversion table and look for itscorresponding scaled score (which, in this case, is 620): If you’re not using an official practice test and/or don't have a PSAT scoring chart for your test, you can use the two conversion tables at the beginning of this articleto estimate how your raw Math score will convert into a scaled score. For example, let's say you have a raw Math score of 40. According to our tables for Practice Tests #1 and #2, 40 on Math converts into either 670 or 720. This means that your Math section score is likely somewhere around the high 600s or low 700s. Time tomove on to Reading and Writing! (Am I dating myself with a pic of actual encyclopedias?) Your PSAT EBRWScore YourEBRW score is a combination of your Reading and Writing scores, which are at first given to you as two separate scores. Your Reading score startsas a raw score out of 47, whereas your Writing score is out of 44. These are then converted into test scores and then finally a combined EBRW section score. In contrast with the relatively simple process for finding your Math score, finding your EBRW score requires a couple of extra steps. Here’s how to calculate it: 1. Calculate your raw Reading and Writing scores.Use your practice test's answer key to add up all of the correct answers you got on Reading and Writing. Be sure you add these scores up separately - you won’t be combining them until later. Here’s an example of an answer key for the Reading and Writing sections: 2. Find your Reading and Writing test scores. Unlike the Math raw score, which immediately converts into a scaled section score out of 760, the Reading and Writing scores will first convert into individual test scores on a scale of 8-38. So if my raw score were 35 for Reading and 38 for Writing, my Reading and Writing test scores would, according to the chart below, convert into 31 and 33, respectively: 3. Combine your Reading and Writing test scores to get a total EBRW test score.In the example I used above, my Reading test score was 31 and my Writing test score was 33; thus, my total EBRW test score would be 64. 4. Multiply your EBRW test score by 10 to get your section score. This final step converts your EBRW test score into a scaled EBRW section score out of 760. This means that my test score of 64 would equal a final EBRW score of 640. Not bad! Disappointed with your PSAT performance? Want to improve your PSAT score by 150 points? We have the industry's leading PSAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Once you’re finished calculating your scaled scores for both Math and EBRW, add the two scores together to get your composite PSAT score out of 1520. If you want, you can compare your score to the current PSAT percentiles to get a feel for where you stand in comparison with other test takers. These next scores are like the cherry on top: some people love them, and some people couldn't care less about them. PSAT Subscores and Cross-Test Scores In addition to Math and EBRW section scores, you’ll also be given separate subscores and cross-test scores (the same ones you’ll get on the SAT). These additional scores break down the three sections into smaller categories in order to highlight your strengths and weaknesses in specific skill areas. Below, I explain how to calculate these subscores andgo over what they mean for you. Your PSAT Subscores On the PSAT, you'll receiveseven subscores: For EBRW Command of Evidence Words in Context Expression of Ideas Standard English Conventions For Math Heart of Algebra Problem Solving and Data Analysis Passport to Advanced Math Each subscore is scored on a scaleof 1-15. These subscores indicate how well you've performed on designated skill areas, such as vocabulary and data analysis. To calculate your subscores, use your practice test’s subscore answer key, taking care to note which questions fall under which subscore categories. Scoring guides for official PSAT practice tests offer detailed descriptionsfor each subscore, explaining what the subscore measures and which questionsit comprises. Here's an example: Once you’ve tallied your correct answers for each subscore, you will then convert this raw score into a scaled subscore using your test’s scoring chart for subscores: Although these subscores are useful for deciphering your own strengths and weaknesses, in the end they’re not especially significant. As it stands, subscores don’t factor into your PSAT section scores or even your overall PSAT score. They also aren’t used to select candidates for the National Merit Scholarship Program (which we’ll get into more in a moment). Your PSAT Cross-Test Scores Cross-test scores indicate how well you've answeredquestions in thedomains of history/social studies and science. Unlike the subscores above, cross-test scores are not section specific; rather, they apply to all sections and use a scoring scale of 8-38. The two types of cross-test scores are: Analysis in History/Social Studies Analysis in Science To calculate your cross-test scores, use your test’s scoring guide to see which Math and EBRW questions comprise these two categories as well as how many questions you answered correctly (i.e., your raw score). Here’s an example of a cross-test score answer key for Analysis in Science: Once you’ve figured out your raw scores, use the cross-test scoring chartthat came with your test to calculate your scaled cross-test scores: Now here's a score that's actually worth something! Your National Merit Selection Index Score The final score you’ll receive on the PSAT is a National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) Selection Index score. The Selection Index score uses a score range of 48-228 and is equivalent to the sum of your Reading, Writing, and Math test scores (that is, the ones on scales of 8-38) multiplied by 2. So if my three test scores were 34, 30, and 27, my Selection Index score would be: 34+30+27=91 91*2=182 The NMSC uses Selection Index scores to determine your eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Program. This program offers an extremely prestigious distinction and scholarship to students with exceptionally high PSAT scores. Each year, the top 1 percent of PSAT scorers in the 11th grade - equal to about 16,000 students - become Semifinalists. Of those students, 15,000 will become Finalists. And of those students, 8,000 will each win a $2,500 scholarship! The Selection Index score you need in order to be aSemifinalistvaries by state but usually ranges anywhere from 209 to 222.See our guidefor an updated list of Selection Index score cutoffs by state. 4 Tips for Usingthe PSAT Scoring System to Your Advantage So far, we've addressed nearly everything you need to know about the PSAT scoring scale. But what can you actually gain from it? Here are four simple ways you can use PSAT scoring to your advantage. #1: Set a PSAT Goal Score Using Selection Index Cutoffs Ifyou want to try to qualify as a Semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program, you can use the Selection Index score cutoffs to set a PSAT goal score. Remember that the cutoffs vary by state, so it’s important you aim for your state’s cutoff and not a different state’s! According to our estimates, the lowest cutoff is 209 (equivalent to a total PSAT score of about1400) and the highest is 222 (equivalent to about 1480). For a detailed list of Selection Index score cutoffs and their (estimated) corresponding PSAT scores, refer to my article on thePSAT score range (coming soon). Let's look at an example. Jackie lives in Florida, whose Selection Index cutoff score is 217. This gives her a PSAT goal score of about 1450. To get her individual goal scores for Math and EBRW, Jackie divides her total PSAT goal score by 2. This gives her goal scores of 730 (rounded up from 725) for each section. If you’re stronger at Math or Reading/Writing, consider aiming for a higher score on your stronger section and a slightly lower score on your weaker section. So if Jackie were better at Math, she could instead aim for something like 750 on Math and 700-710 on EBRW. #2: Use Tables to Estimate the Number of Correct Answers You'llNeed If you've got a PSAT goal score in mind, you can usescoring chartsfrom official practice tests to estimate how many questions you’ll need to answer correctly in order to hit your goal score on test day. This process is somewhat complicated but extremely helpful to know how to do. Let's say your PSAT goal score is 1400, and you want to aim for 700 on both Math and EBRW. Using the tables above for Practice Tests #1 and #2, we see that 700 on Math comes out to 39-42 correct answers. (Remember, your raw score = the number of questions you answered correctly.) There are more steps for EBRW, however.First, divide your goal score (in this case, 700) by 10 to get your total Reading and Writing test score. This gives us 70. Then, divide this number in half to estimateyour individual Reading and Writing test scores. In our case, 70/2=35. Finally, convert your test scores into raw scores using the conversion tables above. In our example,a 35 Reading test score equals 41-42 correct answers, and a 35 Writing test score equals 40 correct answers. This process of working backward, albeittime-consuming, is useful because it offers a rough idea ofhow many questions you can afford to get wrong on the PSAT. It also lets you estimate what yourfinal PSAT scores will be before they’re released, thereby letting youpredict whether you’ll qualify for National Merit. I prefer estimating how many peeps I can fit in my mouth. Aiming for a National Merit Scholarship but worried your score won't qualify? If you're not sure you can self-study your way to a qualifying PSAT score, you'll love our PSAT prep program, PrepScholar. We designed our program to learn your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics and customize your prep to be as effective as possible for you. When you start with PrepScholar, you’ll take a diagnostic that will determine your weaknesses in over forty PSAT skills. PrepScholar then creates a study program specifically customized for you. To improve each skill, you’ll take focused lessons dedicated to each skill, with over 20 practice questions per skill. This will train you for your specific area weaknesses, so your time is always spent most effectively to raise your score. We also force you to focus on understanding your mistakes and learning from them. If you make the same mistake over and over again, we'll call you out on it. There’s no other prep system out there that does it this way, which is why we get better score results than any other program on the market. Check it out today with a 5-day free trial: #3: Consider Your PSAT Score a Starting Point to SAT Prep Your PSAT scores are important butnot nearly as important as your SAT scores, especially if you’re hoping to get into a top-tier university. Luckily, the PSATwas specifically designed to prepare studentsfor the SAT! We already know that the twotests use different scoring scales, with the PSAT being out of 1520 and the SAT out of 1600. But here's the kicker: each scaled score on the PSAT corresponds directly to the same scaled score on the SAT. This means thatany score you get on any PSAT or SAT will signifythe samelevel of ability. So 1400 on the PSAT equals 1400 on the SAT, 1250 equals 1250, 1000 equals 1000, etc. But if this is the case, why does the PSAT scoring scale only go up to 1520 and not 1600? The reason for this is that the PSATis not as challenging as the SAT. Toaccount for its lower difficulty level, then, the PSATemploys aslightly lower maximum of 1520 (which is not a perfect SAT score but close). Despite these connections, don’t consider your PSAT score a direct indicator of what your SAT score will be. Your PSAT score tells you where you’re currently scoring but not where you’re capable of scoring. In other words, think of your PSAT score as your baseline SAT score (i.e., the score you start off with before you begin anySAT prep). Then, once you have your SAT goal score, too, you can use both of these scores to calculate how many points you’ll need in order to hit your goal score on test day. #4: Use PSAT Scores and Subscores to Target Potential SAT Weaknesses What’s great about the PSAT is that it’s similar to the SAT - so much so that its section scores and subscores are the same ones you’ll get on the SAT. Therefore, you can use your PSAT scores to see what your SAT weaknesses are likely to be. For example, ifyou received a low Heart of Algebra subscore on the PSAT, it's a good idea to dedicate a lot of your SAT prep to mastering the basics of algebra. Or if you didn’t get a high Words in Context subscore, you'll probably want to spend more time improving your reading comprehension skills and fine-tuning your vocabulary knowledge. Knowing what to focus on for your SAT prep will not only help you hone your weaknesses but also help you attain an SAT score farhigher than your PSAT score! Recap:How Is the PSAT Scored? The total PSAT scoring scale is 320-1520, and the Math and EBRW scoring scale is160-760. The Math and EBRW section scores are scaled scores converted from raw scores through a special equating process, which changes slightlywith each test. Raw scores equalthe number of questions you answered correctly.A raw Math score converts directly into a scaled section score, whereas raw Reading and Writing scores are converted into test scores on a scale of 8-38,combined, and then multiplied by 10 to give you a single scaled EBRW score. ThePSAT also offers subscores and cross-test scores to indicate test takers' strengths and weaknesses in various skillareas. Subscores use a scale of1-15, while cross-test scores use a scale of8-38. The final score you'll get is a National Merit Selection Index score, which uses a scale of 48-228. This score determines who is eligible for National Merit consideration. Every year, the top 1 percent of 11th-grade test takers, or approximately 16,000 students, qualify as Semifinalists. Knowing the ins and outs ofPSAT scoring can help you qualify for National Merit as well as predicthow many questions you can afford to miss on test day. It can also offeryou a starting point for yourSAT prep and allow you to see which skills and areasyou'll need to honebefore taking the SAT. All in all, PSAT scoring is a pretty useful tool to have, so use it to your advantage whenever you can! PSAT scoring is a handytool - though not nearly as handy as Colonel Mustard's wrench. What’s Next? Want to learn more about PSAT scoring?Check out my in-depth guide to thePSAT score rangeto learn more about the score ranges for each section as well as the scores you'll need to qualify for National Merit. Got questions about the basics of the PSAT?Learn what exactly the PSAT is and what's considered a good score.If you're asophomore,read our guide to see how "good" scores differ for 10th graders. Ready to move on to SAT prep?Start with our guide to how the SAT is scored and learn about the basic differences between the PSAT and SAT, so you'll have no surpriseson test day. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How to Improve the Customer Service at Starbucks Research Proposal

How to Improve the Customer Service at Starbucks - Research Proposal Example The author of this essay assumes that the Starbucks coffee company grew from a small, regional business into the undisputed leader in the coffee industry by purchasing the best quality of coffee with facilitating an unmatched store experience. The coffee buyers of the company have maintained long-lasting relationships with the farmers and have believed that it paid the premier prices in the industry for top quality beans. With time passing by, Starbucks grew into one of the world’s largest and the most recognizable brands. Starbucks initiated with retail stores where customers could enjoy a relaxing atmosphere and buy the high-quality whole bean coffees which are roasted, modified beverages, food offerings, and other coffee-related products. In addition, Starbucks introduces a diverse selection of music, film, literature and art to its customers. They have always been looking for innovative and exciting ways to expand the coffee-house experience. The fact that Starbucks workme n avail more benefits, stock options as well as promotional opportunities, not only amuses them, but it results in a positive energy which can be experienced by most of the customers who visit their stores. Even though, Starbucks’ performance is terrific, there is always an opportunity to better it. In the company’s race to make more money, it is sacrificing its relationship with the customers, thereby, eroding its brand value. It’s the relationship with the customers and not the innovation in its products, which will form or sever the company.... 2. Need for this research There is no restaurant chain in this world which would be able to take lightly the decline in its customer traffic. However, for Starbucks, it is an indication for all chains to re-examine their positions in the market and take efficient steps towards securing their existent customer base and attract new customers. The Starbucks Company lost its customers for the first time ever in its fourth quarter, with traffic dropping down by 1 per cent through successive years, although, the store sales rose up to 4 per cent simultaneously (Cebrzynsky, 2007). There could be many reasons to this decline. Starbucks grew so rapidly that it ignored the fact that it initiated as a neighborhood coffee-house, and thus, the consumers do not possess the same emotional feeling for Starbucks which they once had. In order to find a solution for that, the company has planned to improve its services in which the field managers shall spend more time in the stores in order to ensure the quality of service, and the new stores receive additional training. The economic context in which Starbucks was forced to act was the promises to improvise services, reduce growth and expand the marketing efforts, being the typical respondents to decline in the customer traffic. The customers of Starbucks gradually realized the impact of this economic slowdown and, as a result, the Starbuck's customer depreciation has a great significance for

Management planning and control system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management planning and control system - Essay Example So as to avert the frauds and errors, the modern business world has developed some potential tools. These tools include accounting techniques and control systems such as internal check system. According to Macintosh â€Å"accounting and control systems can and do play a critical role in defining the moral constitution of an organisation† (1994, p.174). In order to better understand this statement, it is essential to evaluate control systems and accounting techniques separately. This paper will evaluate the efficacy of such tools in defining the ethical status of an organization. Impacts of control systems on organization In the opinion of Basu (2009, p. 4.13), internal check can be defined as an arrangement of staff duties whereby no person is allowed to deal with the entire process of a transaction. As a result of this practice, every record is checked by several persons so as to ensure the accuracy of the book of accounts. This method would also assist the organisation to de tect errors and frauds that already committed by accounting clerks. Since employees are not permitted to deal with a transaction from beginning to end, their unfair practices would be detected in subsequent checks if they have committed any. When such a practice is being exercised in an organisation, the employees will be very cautious about the fair maintenance of accounts. This careful account preparation minimises the elements of errors to a large extent. At the same time, the fear about detection of frauds and thereby compulsory job termination would persuade employees to treat organisational documents genuinely. Nowadays, majority organisations practice this type of internal control system in order to increase the reliability of their financial information. In short, control systems and thereby the feeling of being discovered would aid the organisation to exercise moral pressure over its employees. Impacts of accounting on organization If control systems are employed to put a c heck to errors and frauds, the accounting procedures mainly propose to identify elements have already been committed. At the same time, it must be noted that control techniques are part of a well formulated accounting system. According to American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), accounting is defined as â€Å"the art of recording, classifying, and summarizing in a significant manner and in terms of money, transactions and events which are, in part at least, of financial character, and interpreting the results thereof† (as cited in Jon, 2008). Although, the basic components of accounting such as journalising and posting are carried out in a day to day manner, the final accounts are prepared at the end of the financial year. The final financial statement provides the state of affairs of the business, and on the strength of this report; it is possible to verify the book balances with actual business status. If any difference is identified between book value an d actual value, the concerned accounting clerks are held liable to compensate the detected damages. This procedure also puts some moral pressure over employees to keep the accounts accurately and sincerely. In the opinion of Roy (n.d.), forensic accounting is the recently introduced branch of accounting that can be effectively employed to deal with errors and frauds. Under this system, the firms treat all

Analysis of Human Resources (HR) Department

Analysis of Human Resources (HR) Department We have chosen Al Futtaim group as the subject of our research. The aim of our research is to review the HR department and point out the weaknesses. To achieve this goal we will review the background and history will give us an idea about the achievements and/or obstacles that faces the company. Also, we will look at the organizational structure of the group and the key people who are managing it. It is important for our research to have a complete idea about the managerial practices and the HRM role in accordance with the other departments. We will evaluate the strength and weaknesses of the HRM and we will end our research with recommendations with for possible improvements. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND Al Futtaim group is a family business which was established in the 1930s as a trading company. The owners of the group hold the upper management positions headed by Majid Al Futtaim as the chairman of the board of directors. The companies working within the group have developed quickly and became a regional integrated commercial, industrial and services business located in the Gulf Area. Currently, the group consists of more than 40 companies dominating many market segments in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Egypt and Pakistan. The group has four subsidiaries which are Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Trust, Retail, and Ventures. The group was created with a purpose of managing its subsidiaries and supervising the work in order to develop the business and achieve unified goals. The managements promise is to respond quickly to the customers need and satisfy the groups shareholders. Moreover the management gives its word to provide challenging opportunities for the employees in orde r to enhance their performance. Another promise is to serve the community, protect the environment and achieve a notable corporate social responsibility. (companys official website) MANAGEMENT PRACTICES The Group consists of several core businesses that complement each other, however they are separately managed. This strategy provides higher flexibility and better potentials because the separate operating divisions can grasp different opportunities. At the same time, different divisions work together on key projects and contribute, as a group, to the achievements and the profit. There are business agreements of cooperation and management within the group. The management relies on the differentiation of the retail brands in order to gain customer loyalty which in turn will enhance the sales growth and business development. (companys official website) To face the market challenges, and because the group has large companies and diverse employees which serves diverse customer segments, the management has continually brought innovations and change to a conventional industry. The group declares that they are both; socially and environmentally responsible which has positive consequences such as increasing employees loyalty, ensuring growth and increasing profit. Moreover, the groups strategy is built on creating a win-win situation for the organization, main stakeholders (such as employees and customers), and the communities where they are functioning. To achieve this strategy, the group has a well established HR department responsible for a large number of employees and workers. With its objectives and goals in mind, Majid Al Futtaim group cares about the human resources working for the group. As an example, we can look at one important division which is Al-Futtaim Electronics Sanyo. In this department, the management has laid down the ground for its human recourses to take ownership of the initiative called Customer 2000. This initiative calls for a change in the staff attitude and approach as well as a change in the working environment as a whole. In other words it is a call for a change in the way business is conducted. This initiative is a mean to enhance productivity and effectiveness of the employees. They are trained to become more alert and aware of the Internal Customers and at the same time they should have the ability to focus on the External Customers. By taking this step, and to be able to coordinate the efforts and expertise of their staff, the management formed a core committee whose role is to open the communication channels between the mana gement and the employees. The committee performs as a forum to convey and formalize the concepts and ideas that will eventually lead to the objective of total customer satisfaction. The committee organizes open sessions and ensures the participation of all the managers and department heads of profit-centers. These sessions provide a chance for healthy discussions and exchange of ideas and points of views. The group functions according to the philosophy of Prosperity through Customer Satisfaction. To face the new challenges and to maintain the growing thrust, the core committee holds its sessions on a weekly basis and ensures through one on one meeting that the information is absorbed by all the staff. (companys official website) THE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Strategy and planning process need a powerful management to transfer the perspectives into reality. Al Futtaim is a diversified group and a large organization managed by the owner, Majid Al Futtaim, as the president and the head of the management hierarchy. The chairman is Sir Michael Rake, an international expert who is an asset for the group because of his long experience and professional background. The board consists of a group of members who have particular expertise in certain areas and who can contribute to the decisions and the prosperity of the group. The CEO is Mr. Iyad Malas a young Arab who earned his education in one of the American universities in the region. Mr. Iyad and his executive team are responsible for the strategy for the whole group which includes what the businesses are in addition to the whole financial performance of the group. At this level of the management planning includes anticipation of change in all the functions of the group. The CEO Deputy is Mr. Ahmad Bin Brek, who is also a competent manager who has the ability to lead the group to its goals. The next level is the business executive team which consists of several young and well educated employees who implement the plans and run the business according to the agreed upon and well thought out strategy. Based on the bottom-up input, the business executive managers report to Mr. Iyad and contribute to the business strategy process. The following level in the hierarchy consists of the department heads and their assistants. Their roles are to orient, empower and manage their staff in order to contribute to the general performance of the company. The line managers report to their managers and they in turn report to their presidents who are responsible for the specific business strategy. At the end of the management hierarchy come the line and office managers and their assistants who work in the field with the staff and monitor the implementation of the plans and report to their superiors in the same business unit. At this organizational level the unit executive managers are responsible for the strategy. Part of the groups business planning scenario is the industrial context; economy, government, territories, existing market cultures. The other part is of the planning is the goals and targets which are specified in the groups strategy and the strategic group model. In the second level come the department managers then the line managers then the supervisors who report to their direct managers. In each department there are the employees with different jobs and responsibilities. If the whole working team does not work together, no goals will be achieved. And if the human resources are not satisfied by the working environment in general they will not be able to perform well. (companys official website) At this point, HRM has a main role to play. Without the human resources, none of the aforementioned strategies would be achieved without having efficient employees. These employees must be managed effectively in order to gain their loyalty and ensure that they will perform t the best of their abilities and lead the company to meet the vision, mission, and goals of the company. HRM has several functions all of them are related to the human resources in the group. Some of the functions are the following: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION One of the most important functions of HRM is the staffing process. This process is costly and time and effort consuming. The HR professionals know that this process should be well planned to save the group the continuous expenses of advertisements, legal procedures, and training the new employees. HRM is responsible for analyzing the jobs, generating job descriptions, advertising the openings, analyzing the applicants CVs, interviewing the candidates, selecting the best candidates and closing the deal by offering the new employees the contract. All these processes are completed in cooperation with the managers of the different departments After signing the contract, the HRM is always ready with an orientation program delivered by the direct managers. The orientation includes the policies and procedures, group culture, security and safety issues, work practices and other related issues to help the new employee to get acquainted with others, place and the new tasks he/she will perform. Later on, when the new employee starts the job, the HRM is responsible, in cooperation with the managers, for the appraisal process. The result of the appraisal helps the HR professionals to set the training plan in order to empower the employee with any required skills. Majid Al Futtaim group has a strategic vision concerning its employees. The strategy recommends that employees be chosen based on fixed criteria. The staffing process, to an extent, ensures recruiting the experienced and efficient employees. As a private LLC, the management worries about the shareholders value and prosperity and the strategies and plans revolve around increasing sales, profit and expansion of business. These reasons are behind hiring effective people who can contribute to the groups success. HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING Also, HRM controls the number of employees and keep it in the appropriate range; too much employees is costly and wasteful of resources. On the other hand, too little employees is a barrier to meet the goals and affects the overall performance of the group. Staffing in Al Futtaim group is affected by many factors such as the budget, the need of expertise and the turn over of employees. Also, the need to control the staffing process depends on the yearly appraisals, business outcomes, and the efficiency of current employees in relation to the change and development. Government regulations and changes in business trend are important factors in terms of increasing or decreasing the number of staff. The role of HRM goes beyond the planning role to implement the plans and take decisions about what is better for the organization. HRM in AL Futtaim Group are seen as reactive rather than being proactive because they are doing the minimum expected from a big and rich group. The reason is not the inefficiency of the HR professionals or in the plans and documentation. The issue is that the group is owned by a family and the last decision is for the owner. Usually in this type of company what really matter is decreasing the expenses and increasing the profit. In this case the HRM cannot implement the change nor can they function according to the international high standard and ideal practices. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION Empowering and motivating employees to complete their tasks efficiently is an HRM responsibility. Employees must be rewarded for their efforts or else they will transfer to another company and the company will lose their experience and knowledge of the ideal work practices. As mentioned before, recruiting new staff member will cost the company money, effort and time. Moreover, a company with high retention is never the choice of professionals who look for job security. AL Futtaim group care about its human resources. The HRM has a training plan and it was implemented for many years in the past. Now things are changed. The world financial crisis affected the business in general and the extra benefits for the employees are reduced to the minimum and the new workers are getting lower salaries and zero benefits. According to one of the groups employees, the workers are complaining in regards to their salaries and the overall standard of living. As everyone knows, the rents have risen tremendously in the last year. This issue has put a burden on the foreign employees and some of them left the work to another job for less then AED 300 raise in their salaries. This would not happen if the HR management in accordance with the financial department adjusts the pay rate and implement a plan to offer financial reward to the good employees so that the group will gain their loyalty. The employees need to be motivated in order to increase their efforts and work to the best of their abilities. In AL Futtaim Group, Bonuses as incentives are offered to the managers and they are excluding the workers. The common way to encourage the workers is choosing one of the good workers as the employee of the month. This will influence the workers appraisal at the end of the year and the chance of getting a raise becomes higher. More incentives are required if the group wants to attain the loyalty of all the employees. EMPLOYEES APPRAISAL HRM has a main role in assessing the performance of the employees. It is a very important process because the decision makers will have a full picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the staff. Based on the appraisal decisions will be taken to improve the performance of individuals and to point out the potentials within the company. Al Futtaim group HRM pays a special attention to the assessment process. The employees are assessed formally and informally through the year. The main appraisal is conducted on yearly basis and based on the results, some changes are made. Based on the result of the appraisal HRM sets a training plan to enhance the performance of the staff members. Another importance of the yearly appraisals is to link the payments to the competency of the employee. What is happening now is that due to the recession, the group did not give a pay raise to the majority of the staff which has a negative impact on their performance of the individuals. Yet, the appraisal is used efficiently to make use of the talents which already exist in the group. When openings are posted internally, the chance is given to the employees to apply and they are chosen based on their performances, yet not for the upper management posts. The weakness in this process is the results of the appraisal are not used to give the employees the incentives they deserve. The raise in the salaries and wages, if decided, is based on the market situation not on the performance and achievement of the individual. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Among the HRM roles is to manage the complex employee (industrial relations) between the following parties: Workers and their official and unofficial representatives. Workers and their managers Government, organizations and related agencies. The UAE is shifting to a service based industry. The business requires qualified and skillful people to do the jobs which make the influence of workers more influential. The wise management of the group is aware of this issue and has built, to an extent a relationship with the employees and to maintain the psychological contract with them. HRM in Al Futtaim Group have an industrial relations program. The employees do have a voice and it is reflected in the management actions. A good example is the (customer 2000) project where workers can express themselves while developing their skills. It gives them a chance to get involved in the planning for offering better services to the customers. There are several evidences demonstrating that HRM policies demonstrate groups concern of the individuals performance. As a result we expect to see these policies are well implemented for the benefit of these individuals. Cost based barriers could be responsible for not taking the right actions. Workers are still considered as machines and no margin for mistakes is allowed. The work time is calculated by minutes and the overtime payments are less than the working hours wage. In al Futtaim group there is no win-win situation because the main concern as we have mentioned before is the customer. Satisfying the customer means more profit tor the shareholders. The only benefit for the workers is that they keep their jobs. There are hard workers in the company who were never acknowledged or took any bonus as an appreciation for their achievements. It is true that HRM in A Futtaim Group is effective in terms of generating all the documents which govern the relationship with the employees. HR professionals prepared the job specification, job appraisal, induction programs, training courses, performance management and reward management, malpractice policy, etc. But in general all these documents are for the benefit of the business first and none of them demonstrates the importance of the employee as an individual. So we can say that the importance of the psychological contract is not fully considered. For example, competent employees in Al Futtaim group are offered opportunities to upgrade their positions and their income but these chances are never open to reach to the upper management positions. Such actions affect the relationship with the employees and reduce their loyalty and level of job satisfaction. Another issue is that the cost based management implemented in Al Futtaims private companies affects the psychological contracts with the staff members. Employees lose trust in their management and it would be impossible to retain them. The minute they find a new job they will leave taking with them their experience and their relationships with the customers. A part of the HRM is that the employee relations professionals prepare reports for the management to keep them updated about the current situation, changes or new trends. The mangers/ owners use this information in negotiations, conferences and press releases. The staff interprets and administers the contract in terms of problems, salaries, insurance, safety, management practices etc. in AL Futtaim Group as there are no labor unions or employee association representatives, and this is done with individuals who have no power over the management of the group. So, the real purpose of these negotiations is not achieved. PROVISION OF EMPLOYEE SERVICES Caring about the employees well-being functions is one of the HRM functions which aim to retain good staff and attracting others to work with the company. Services that can be offered to the employees are many. They vary between understanding the personal circumstances of the employee such as extended sick leaves, allowing emergency leaves, and offering loans to the employee in need. Another service is to help the employees to resolve personal issues, to move them to an easier work in case they have special medical needs, and assisting the sick people to benefit from better treatment in better hospitals. In Al Futtaim group HRM has a plan for the provision of employee services but it is not fully amended. The following points can be seen as weaknesses: Number of the disabled people working in the company. Lack of financial and other activities conditions such as sports and hobbies related to the work Offering financial aids to workers in need or maybe having a fund program to help workers in difficulty. On the other hand the group has good safety and security practices. They have a good safety manual with clear policies and procedure. The employees are trained on first aid and evacuation in case of fire. SO we can say that HRM in Al Futtaim group care about their employees in terms of maintaining safety by raising the workers awareness and training them on the policies and procedures. EMPLOYEES TRAINING AND EDUCATION Training the employees to develop their skills and to raise their awareness is one of the HRM functions. Also the training courses are necessary to prepare some of the employees to acquire higher positions. Training and empowering the employees in Al Futtaim is part of the groups promise. The aim behind focusing on training the employees is enhancing the performance of the staff members. As a result of monitoring and assessing the employees work a training plan is set. Lists are prepared and training agencies are approached but, not all the plan is usually implemented. Financial factors affect the process, so sometimes the training courses are cancelled or the number of participants is reduced. The other option is Another plan is usually set for the in house training courses which are better implemented because of the cost is less and the timing can be adjusted. Also from time to time the Group outsources some technical or information based training courses. These trainings are usually attended by the supervisors whom in turn give the information to the workers. This does not work well all the time because not all the supervisors have the ability to train and convey clear information to others. OUR COMMENTS In any organization the HRM is effective when the functions are related to the vision, mission and vision and values. The organizational structure influences the implementation of the plans. In Al Futtaim Group, the HR department is managed by professionals who are aware of and experienced in the best practices of HRM. There are some obstacles which derives from the type, culture, policies and procedures of the Group. As a family business, the main purpose is to satisfy the customers in order to increase the profit. In this case the employees are required to perform to the best of their abilities and no mistakes are allowed. Individuals who have any special circumstances and cannot do the job effectively will not be given the chance to go back to the track. The management will look for a substitute who will not cost the Group extra expenses. The recruitment process is done carefully because the management wants to decrease the expenses. They look for the good qualification in the applicant but the person who will cost them less will be employed. The relation between the management and the individuals is limited to how much this person will benefit the company rather than how can we make this person comfortable and satisfied. The global political and economical issues affects the plans as the group is managed based on cost. Any factor can affect the employees benefit and the company will not accept to pay any extra expenses or increase the HRM budget. In the contrary, if the market is down the budget is decreased. If we are going to compare HRM in Al Futtaim with other similar companies, we can say, as aforementioned, that it has some advantages. Yet, what we are looking for is an HRM who has the authority and the power to fulfill the functions as they should be done. HRM is about the human resources in the group. Their satisfaction influences the outcomes of the group positively. It is not enough to pay the minimum salary and follow the basic labor laws in the country to gain the loyalty of the workers. There are several functions for the HRM that should be decided and implemented internally to distinguish the employees and the business as a whole from others. Open channels with the employees, empowering them, building a relationship with them, offering them opportunities to meet their personal goals, helping them to solve their problems and supporting outside activities will enhance their belonging top the group and will reflect on the work environment and the business as a whole. APPENDIX MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The organizational of the group give an idea of the hierarchy of power in the group. We can see there is a diversity in the managers nationalities which adds to the experiences and the qualifications of the management team as a whole. Al Futtaim Group is managed by qualified people who have a long experience in management of similar industries and who are able to lead the company according to the international standards. .The local and foreign managers are working hand in hand for the benefit of the company and its stakeholders. The group includes several companies and a diverse work force which has to be managed effectively by managers who have cultural awareness and UAE work experience. In AL Futtaim group, the management has proved its efficiency in running the business. In the following page, we included the biography of the chairman and other managers to demonstrate their effectiveness and experience in managing the group and meeting the goals. President Majid Al Futtaim Chairman Sir  Michael Rake   Chief Executive Officer Mr. Iyad Malas Board Members Sir  Michael Rake   Mr. Waldemar Schmidt Mr. Tarek Ben Halim Mr. Richard North Dr. Fahad Almubarak Mr. Paul Manduca Mr. Trevor Coates Mr. Philip Yea Dr. Khalid Alkhazraji   Management Mr.  Iyad Malas   Chief  Executive Officer Mr. Ahmed Bin Brek Deputy Chief Executive Officer http://www.majidalfuttaim.com/images/maf_chart.jpg BIOGRAPHY Majid Al Futtaim Majid Al Futtaim, the Founder and President of the Majid Al Futtaim Group has successfully brought the concepts of regional shopping malls and hypermarkets to the region. His pioneering vision has changed the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Majid Al Futtaim opened his first shopping mall in 1995 and has since created a business of international significance. Over the past decade the Group has taken his groundbreaking concepts into other major cities in the United Arab Emirates and throughout the Middle East and North Africa including; Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and Lebanon. Sir  Michael Rake   Sir Michael Rake is Chairman of BT Group and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, as well as a director of Barclays PLC, McGraw-Hill Inc and the Financial Reporting Council. He is also chairman of the private equity oversight group the Guidelines Monitoring Committee. BT pays him an annual salary of  £600,000.[1] From May 2002 to September 2007 Rake was Chairman of KPMG International. Prior to his appointment as Chairman of KPMG International he was Chairman of KPMG in Europe and Senior Partner of KPMG in the United Kingdom. He joined KPMG in 1974, and worked in Continental Europe before transferring to the Middle East to run the practice for three years in 1986. He transferred to London in 1989, became a member of the UK Board in 1991, and had a number of leadership roles in the UK before being elected UK Senior Partner in 1998. Rake is also a Vice President of the RNIB, a member of the Board of the Trans Atlantic Business Dialogue, a member of the CBI International Advisory Board, the Chartered Management Institute, the DTIs US/UK Regulatory Taskforce, the Advisory Council for Business for New Europe, the Ethnic Minority Employment Taskforce, an Association Member of BUPA, The School of Oriental and African Studies Advisory Board, the Advisory Board of the Judge Institute at the University of Cambridge, Senior Adviser for Chatham House and the Global Advisory Board of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation. He was Chairman of Business in the Community from 2004-2007 and a member of the board of the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum from 1998 to 2007. Rake is also a Governor of Wellington College and a board member of Guards Polo Club. He is married with four children and five stepchildren, and was knighted in 2007. Mr. Iyad Malas Iyad Malas is the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Trust, the family office of the Majid Al Futtaim family in Dubai. Previously, Mr. Malas was the Regional Director for South Asia for International Finance Corporation, based in New Delhi. He had responsibility for all of IFCs investments in all sectors in the South Asian markets, including India. Mr. Malas worked with IFC beginning in 1987, investing in many regions of the emerging markets and was the Division Manager for Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa before working for four years in Egypt, first as CEO of Fleming CIIC and then as the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Asset Management for the preeminent Egyptian investment bank, EFG-Hermes from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Malas was educated at the American University in Beirut and earned an MBA from George Washington University. Mr. Malas is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.