Friday, November 29, 2019

The Canterbury Tales A Character Sketch Of Chaucers Knight Essays (51

The Canterbury Tales: A Character Sketch of Chaucer's Knight Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written in approximately 1385, is a collection of twenty-four stories ostensibly told by various people who are going on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral from London, England. Prior to the actual tales, however, Chaucer offers the reader a glimpse of fourteenth century life by way of what he refers to as a General Prologue. In this prologue, Chaucer introduces all of the characters who are involved in this imaginary journey and who will tell the tales. Among the characters included in this introductory section is a knight. Chaucer initially refers to the knight as "a most distinguished man" (l. 43) and, indeed, his sketch of the knight is highly complimentary. The knight, Chaucer tells us, "possessed/Fine horses, but he was not gaily dressed" (ll. 69-70). Indeed, the knight is dressed in a common shirt which is stained "where his armor had left mark" (l. 72). That is, the knight is "just home from service" (l. 73) and is in such a hurry to go on his pilgrimage that he has not even paused before beginning it to change his clothes. The knight has had a very busy life as his fighting career has taken him to a great many places. He has seen military service in Egypt, Lithuania, Prussia, Russia, Spain, North Africa, and Asia Minor where he "was of [great] value in all eyes (l. 63). Even though he has had a very successful and busy career, he is extremely humble: Chaucer maintains that he is "modest as a maid" (l. 65). Moreover, he has never said a rude thing to anyone in his entire life (cf., ll. 66-7). Clearly, the knight possesses an outstanding character. Chaucer gives to the knight one of the more flattering descriptions in the General Prologue. The knight can do no wrong: he is an outstanding warrior who has fought for the true faith_according to Chaucer_on three continents. In the midst of all this contenton, however, the knight remains modest and polite. The knight is the embodiment of the chivalric code: he is devout and courteous off the battlefield and is bold and fearless on it. In twentieth century America, we would like to think that we have many people in our society who are like Chaucer's knight. During this nation's altercation with Iraq in 1991, the concept of the modest but effective soldier captured the imagination of the country. Indeed, the nation's journalists in many ways attempted to make General H. Norman Schwarzkof a latter day knight. The general was made to appear as a fearless leader who really was a regular guy under the uniform. It would be nice to think that a person such as the knight could exist in the twentieth century. The fact of the matter is that it is unlikely that people such as the knight existed even in the fourteenth century. As he does with all of his characters, Chaucer is producing a stereotype in creating the knight. As noted above, Chaucer, in describing the knight, is describing a chivalric ideal. The history of the Middle Ages demonstrates that this ideal rarely was manifested in actual conduct. Nevertheless, in his description of the knight, Chaucer shows the reader the possibility of the chivalric way of life.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Youth Violence and Music essays

Youth Violence and Music essays The prevailing opinion in the media is that listening to violent lyrics tends to lead to violence. This idea permeates nearly all media, news and entertainment. According to the conservative organization Empower America, the issue at heart is such music leading us on a slide toward decivilization (Bennet and Tucker, 1995). The idea being that by glorifying subjects like rape, murder, suicide and homophobia [the fear of homosexuals and their lifestyle], these lyrics erode the judgement and thought capabilities of adolescents. In recent history, the popular solution to the problems of our society has been censorship [the mandated editing or suppression of the music thought to be at fault]. The Parents Music Resource Center [PMRC], headed by Pamela Howar and including such big Washington names as Tipper Gore [wife of Democratic Presidential Nominee Al Gore] pushed for Motion Picture Association of America [MPAA] style ratings of music (Deflem, 1993). The PMRCs efforts resulted in the widely noticed Parental Advisory warnings. While the adults seem to agree, the youth, adolescents and artists alike, seem to take a different direction. The dominant point of view among younger audiences is that no one is responsible for teen violence but those who act out. But there is a second view. We are all equally guilty for the violent acts of youths (Manson, 1999). Such violent acts, while increasingly spoken about by news and entertainment media, the Centers for Disease Control report that violence in adolescents is down (Youth 2000). Given the perceived impact of violent lyrics, and the immense popularity and friction of this issue, it is surprising that little or no actual study has been done to back up any of these claims (Hogan et al, 1996). The ultimate goal of my research is to determine whether there is a real, causal connection between violent lyrical content in music and violent feelings in teens. H...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Transformational leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Transformational leadership - Essay Example The group exists to achieve a common purpose or task, and the leader's actions in one area affect both the others; thus successful achievement of the task is essential if the group is to be held together and its members motivated to give their best effort to the job. So, the four key elements of performance should be taken into account. These are: measurement - assessing results against agreed targets and standards; feedback - giving people information on how they are doing; positive reinforcement - emphasizing what has been done well so that it will be done even better in the future; only making constructive criticisms, i.e. those that point the way to improvement; exchange of views - ensuring that the discussion involves a full, free and frank exchange of views about what has been achieved, what needs to be done to achieve more and what individuals think about their work, the way they are guided and managed and their aspirations. Performance and development reviews provide those in volved with the opportunity to reflect on past performance as a basis for making development and improvement plans. Obtaining historical perspective through analysis is a necessary part of the review but reaching agreement about what should be done in the future is what it is all about. The performance review should take the form of a dialogue, not a top-down interview or 'appraisal' (Boehnke, Bontis, 2003). The old routines of central planning and negotiating inputs from might have gone, but there remained the assumption that some other agency would solve the problems: an assumption the CEO himself appeared to share. All of this was taking place within a structure which remained hierarchical, with little involvement of junior management or the workforce, who believed that their product could only sell locally and clung to the assumption that they could sell everything they could produce (Whipp, 1991). This systems view therefore suggests that organisations can and do change by mutually reinforcing and amplifying stimuli within their systems. It is change on the basis of the current ways of doing things: in this sense, it is an explanation of incremental change. The change agent seeking to manage change incrementally would, therefore, search for ways in which changes could be made within current systems, which would have the effect of amplifying change. Education and communication might be appropriate if there is a problem in managing change which is based on misinformation or lack of information. It requires an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect between managers and employees, and might well be time consuming if large numbers are involved in the change since it is unlikely that mass briefings of people will be sufficient to communicate effectively. Many organisations realise that such situations are likely to require small group briefings and debate if the communication is to be effective. However, often the direction or process of strategic change lacks clarity, so relying on processes of communication alone is problematic. The ability to motivate and inspire employees is now a core competence for the best managers. In order to achieve optimal goals three basics would be taken into account: motivation, reward and commitment. Motivating other people is about getting them to move in the direction you want them to go in

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The role of the female characters. How do they represent the feminist Essay

The role of the female characters. How do they represent the feminist issues that may have been occurring around the time work was written. please include Everyday Use, by Alice Walker - Essay Example It is the commitment by women to achieving equality in the society. There are various type of feminism namely; motherhood, medicine, legal rights, child abuse, working women, and conservative feminism (Walters 21). In this essay therefore I will look at the role of the female charactors and how they represent the feminist issues that may have been occurring around the time work was written. Women characters of the time Walker wrote this piece of work are portrayed to be had working and enthusiastic. After the demise of Mama`s husband and left her to take care of the family on her own, we find her perform different tasks like, during the day she puts on overall to signify the extent at which she works. She is described to be ‘big boned woman with rough, man working hands’. She performs various tasks such as killing and cleaning a hog, breaking ice to get water, milking animals among other duties. This brings the feminist issue of motherhood and of gender equality as the women of this time also played the roles that were perceived to be for the men (Hoffman 31) Women are portrayed as people who are had working and are of high ideals. This is seen in the character traits of Mama who does every thing possible to bring up her two little children despite being the only sole bread winner. She is also seen as a woman of high integrity and stature in the society. She wake up in the morning and puts on her overall ready to start her daily chores. These bring out the them of feminism and how constructive a woman can be in the society. It also implies that women just like men deserve equal rights and treatment. Walker also bring two contrasting lives lived by the two daughters of Mama. Dee is said to live a good lifestyle of the American culture which she acquired following her disappearance after the fire tragedy that burnt their house. On the other hand, Maggie’s life is portrayed to be miserable and is full of tribulations, at first

Monday, November 18, 2019

Kant, Mill and Socrates (Meno) on deontology and utilitarian scenario Essay

Kant, Mill and Socrates (Meno) on deontology and utilitarian scenario - Essay Example More important, the duty is based on doing to others what they would do unto you. From the deontological response, there would not be a response that is violent or which tries to cause harm to anyone in Al Qaeda. The first reason is because it is assumed that there are men, women and children that may be harmed with an attack or violent component to Al Qaeda, which would unnecessarily hurt others. The second is because the terrorists may seek destruction, but the attacks in recent times were not launched, making the attack only one of revenge. This doesn’t follow a moral obligation or right. The only fair way to act with the deontological morality as the basis is to find Al Qaeda and to take two approaches. The first would be to arrest him and hold trial for the past problems which have arisen. However, to do this, there would need to be consideration from the government where Al Qaeda is hiding. The second would be to find where the individuals are, make sure there are substantial evidence, then try to take the individuals without violent actions so they can be detained and questioned. This particular approach is one that is justified and is morally just according to the approach, specifically because it doesn’t harm others, it holds to human rights and universal truth and it doesn’t create any conflicting duties because it abides by because laws of justice. The one aspect of the deontological morality which can be used to justify the al Qaeda concepts and to take action is based on the ability to act for human rights and universal truth. There is the abil ity for the government to act within the means of offering a justification and trying to stop the attacks from happening. Since there is information on where the location of al Qaeda is, as well as alternatives that are known about the specific approach, there is also the ability to create a tactic and set of techniques that will stop any further attacks without harming the individuals which are surrounding the area and which may become victim to the attacks unnecessarily. The ideals of Kant with the deontological viewpoint would be opposed from the utilitarianist approach. In this instance, there is the focus on actions promoting the greatest good for the greatest number. In the scenario, the approach would be to attack al Qaeda and to use whatever means necessary to stop them from functioning. Violent outbreaks, the need to attack the space in which they are in and responding in terms of moral rights that are based on clear cut actions would be justified. If it is expected that al Qaeda is expecting to dispatch destruction on various targets worldwide, then the moral thing to do would be to stop them from acting and to ensure that they don’t harm the majority of the nations that would be involved in the attacks. Even though this would mean that some casualties would occur that held a sense of innocence, there would still be the ability to save the greatest number of people by blockading the attacks. Even though this specific approach would create a direct attack, there are also assumptions which are considered and which state that there are unknowns with stopping al

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Budgeting in the Hotel Industry

Budgeting in the Hotel Industry Abstract This study focuses on the concept of budgeting in hotel industry particularly on the case of Marriott Hotel and Resorts. It primarily identifies the current issues, challenges and opportunities faced by Marriott Hotel. It also aims to find out various aspect of budgeting within hotel industry specifically on how to develop more positive implementation of budget in terms of the company’s financial performance. Using data gathered from interview and personal experience upon placement, the researcher should be able to provide explanation and practical solutions or recommendations related to the general findings or perhaps the aim of the study. Chapter 1 1.1 Main Aims and Objectives of The Study To provide a wide-ranging discussion on the concept of budgeting and their implementation within hotel industry is the main objective of this study. Through a case study approach, the following are the main specific objectives: To describe the process of budgeting employed by Marriott Hotel. To identify the current issues, challenges and opportunities faced by Marriott Hotel. To propose practical solutions and recommendations on the identified issues, challenges and opportunities. 1.2 Research Questions Budgeting is an essential element in any industry. In this case, the concept of budgeting is focused on the following problems: How Marriott Hotel employs the process of budgeting? What are the current issues, challenges and opportunities faced by Marriott Hotel? What are some practical solutions and recommendations on the identified issues, challenges and opportunities? 1.3 Background of The Study â€Å"Hoteliers use budgeting and forecasting for strategic planning and financial control, and as a standard against which to measure actual operating results. Financial forecasts and budgets can strengthen managements control of hotel operating expenses and help determine the profitability of the property†. â€Å"Budgeting is planning. In order to make meaningful decision about the future, a manager must look ahead. One way to look ahead is to prepare budgets or forecast† Coltman, Michael M. (1998). In past few years the enormous booming of the tourism industry, budgetary practices in hotel industry has become a significantly studied area of business research and activity. â€Å"Previous research into budgeting practice was undertaken by Schmidgall and Ninemeier (1987 and1989) within the USA†, â€Å"Collier and Gregory (1995) dealt on practices of management accounting of six (6) organizations including budgeting†. â€Å"The early and limited accounts o f management accounting particularly budgeting within hotel industry paved way for increased effort of few hospitality educators to the need of undertaking research into budgetary practices within the industry (Schimidgall et al., 1996)†. Now days, research work on management accounting and practice are growing unlike any other research field. The findings of this piece of individual work to carry out a research work in the area of management accounting specifically on budgeting aspect and also to look on the relevance and applicability on the case of Marriott Hotel. It also emphasize that the literatures to be used on this study increases until the conclusion of the entire research activity. Other management accounting principle will also be considered. 1.4 Significance of The Research At the end of the research project, the researcher should be able to provide a better way of planning budget as well as their proper use. After determining the important issues, challenges and opportunities on the budgeting approach or strategy of Marriott Hotel, this study will be beneficial to other hotel companies and related business in the hospitality industry especially those who are experiencing similarly related problems. This study will increase the consciousness and will provide a better understanding of the issues and problems concerning budgeting among most hotel companies and organizations. It will improve knowledge through the use of accounting principle as well as definition of important concept, interpretation and analysis of financial statement is the main priority. Also, this will contribute an effective approach in addressing budgetary problems and difficulties. This paper is clearly important for organization that follows appropriate accounting standard and use it for planning the budget and control the cost and expenditure to deploy effective budgetary management within the hotel industry. Chapter 2 2.1 Methodology This is a descriptive research in terms of its purpose, qualitative in terms of its process, case study in terms of methodology, and applicable in terms of its outcome. The researcher used the Descriptive research since â€Å"descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena to describe what exists with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. The methods involved range from the survey which describes the status quo, the correlation study which investigates the relationship between variables, to developmental studies which seek to determine change over time† â€Å"Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied†. Further, â€Å"Qualitative research is all about exploring issues, understanding phenomena, and answering questions† It’s Mainly focuses on meaning of words and the research setting and in terms of designing the research is the main focal point. Similarly, case study is also used on this project â€Å"Case study research excels at bringing us to an understanding of a complex issue or object and can extend experience or add strength to what is already known through previous research†. It aims to develop complete understanding of the case as possible and is not linked with any particular research technique. This method involves the researcher to inquire more in depth analysis and examine thorough a real life experience of a person. It is also noted how these behaviors change as the individual adapts and reacts to that particular situation. The discovery and identification of all the important variables which have contributed to the history or development of the chosen subject is also feasible through this method. In this study, the researcher used applied research since it includes the analysis of a real life situation and explores the problem, issues associated with a real life scenario, which is happening at the moment, and establishes a strong connection with the real environment. 2.2 Data Collection and Analysis Data collection or requirement for the research covered both primary and secondary sources.   The sources of data are the following: primary data – interview and personal experience and secondary data – published literatures directly linked on the subject. Data gathered from the interviews will be analyzed by comparing the common theme from the respondent. The interview involved managers working on Marriott Hotel who exercise management accounting particularly on the budgeting aspect. Interview is an effective way to accumulate some inside information of one particular company and discover important facts that any individual came across and also share experiential knowledge. The information gathered from the interviewee were directly quoted or referenced to support the initial observations of the researcher. Analysis and discussion of findings were included to both literatures and the facts that obtained through investigation. Using the theories and principles of management accounting, the researcher came up with discussions, conclusion and recommendations as a par of the project and also to provide a clear understanding of the entire project. Chapter 3 Literature Review The literature studies in terms of research work in management accounting as well as various other related topics in budgeting are extensive. This chapter covers the related literatures conducted on the area of study. By undertaking such approach , the research may be lead accordingly by discovering the source of the research, what and how much have been done in the past and what is still yet to be tackle. Besides providing background of the study, this study will also provide the necessary theoretical and various other related aspects in order for the research to stand convincing. References are taken form many different resources specifically, in the area of budgeting in hotel industry and issues on budgeting. 3.1 Budgeting in Hotel Industry This section provides a fundamental understanding of budgeting concept in hospitality industry and their use in their daily operation. â€Å"The use of budgetary control is one of the key detective controls in many hotel businesses† Chin, J., Barney, W and O’Sullivan. The traditional idea on the concept of hotel is a sort of business establishment that offers paid temporary housing or simply lodging. Such services are provided in a short term basis and it concludes in a specified period of time. In the meantime, money is often referred as the income of the business and on the other hand budgets provides a guideline for any expenditure and increase the shareholders wealth and owners interest in terms of providing a standard service for the business to stand creditable. â€Å"The budget is like an airline Pilot’s flight plan; it sets out in figures where to steer in order to reach a given objective† Fenton, Lawrence, Fowler, Norman A., Parkinson, Geoff. Without a clear budget in mind, the business would not achieve the targeted return or perhaps maximised return required by the owner of the business since it cannot identify the risks and costs involved in its future trend. â€Å"The process of budgeting is considered to be a valuable control tool in the hospitality industry†. The primary concept and as stated before, hospitality industry is an operation establishment that offers short-term paid lodging to mostly travellers, tourists and other people. This is the traditional and main or common idea of people when they hear the term hotel. In the earlier days, hotels services were limited, such as a bed and its complete bedding, a locker, a small table – most of the time side table, and a washstand that includes bathroom and other comfort facilities. Additional features include telephone service, television (cable TV), and other necessary yet basic things like coffee or tea making accessories. In addition from the extended line of facilities and services, hotels also include some other special operations. At present time, the services provide by hotel has extended far more then their core business and presently hotels are offering events, banqueting and conference services. Most commonly hotels are said to be service-oriented. The identity of a hotel is based on the service particularly on the quality and overall operational standards. The presence of a hotel classification based on stars rating system. 3.2 Why Budgeting in Hospitality Industry? The use of budget and budgetary control is now a vital part of the Hospitality industry accounting and should then be use as a benchmark to measure their performance as well setting up their financial target. â€Å"The budgeting process is often used not only to plan ahead, but also for target setting and raising individual performance.† Adams, Debra. Hotel business alone is continuously growing in the 21st century. â€Å"The UK hotel market was valued at  £14bn in 2006, having an increased by 28.9% since 2002†. This industry comprises hotels and other accommodations, restaurants, fast food retail, bars, and catering. In order to sustain in this competitive market or to perform as a successful key player, any hotel industry must adopt budgeting; hence this will assist the management to plan ahead for their future target. â€Å"Budgeting is planning. In order to make meaningful decisions about the future a manager must look ahead. One way to look ahead is to prepare budget or forecast†. Gareth Owen (1998) has explained budgetary process in hotel business by drawing a budgetary cycle. Environmental Influences audit Internal resources audit Actual result Master Budget Departmental Budget Strategic Plan (3-7) years Annual Business plan Long term Strategic Gap Short term Operational gap (Accounting for Hospitality Tourism leisure Auth: Gereth Owen Second edition P: 297) The author has explained the overall planning cycle a top down process and for a long term objectives should determine any short term activity that has a significant impact in operational process. A strong hand in controlling their daily operation; for instance what is done from minute to minute, hour by hour and day to day will have a direct impact on long term plans. On the other hand controlling in any short term activities will directly influence in any long term objective. Therefore long terms aim or objective needs support from short term objective. There are several kinds of budgets are employed in hospitality establishment. For instance Capital Budget, Operating Budget, Master Budget, Departmental Budget, Fixed Budget, Flexible Budget. Each of these different kinds of budget comprise of many other type. 3.3 Budgetary process The process of budgetary practices in a hotel starts with the departmental budget, the consequence behind that is a departmental budget will give overall cost related to the many parts of the hotel for instance a house profit cannot be estimated without knowing the cost associated with department like housekeeping, valet, repairs and maintenance, room service reception etc. Also cash budget cannot be prepared without the knowledge of departmental revenue and expense hence the overall cost of the hotel. Departmental budget is probably the most difficult to prepare after the sales budget and involve a lot of manpower and moreover time consuming. The departmental budgeting process can be summarised in four steps. Assign a task for the department managers to gather information such as revenue, cost and expenditure. Analyse the past trend and estimate any revenue generated by the revenue centres like Brassiere, Banqueting, Restaurant, Front Office (reception), business centre, room service. Subtracts any expenditure from the estimated revenue related to the department. Finalise the information with the department managers before combining into one report At this point all the expenses and revenue should be combined with a detail report of explanation for the budgeted cost and revenue for that specific period, the department manager will have to decide whether this budget is feasible over that period or not, once this has been approved by the D.O.F it will then be combined in the Hotel Master Budget. Once the departmental budget has been established its time to prepare the cash budget, this will help the management to see the detail view of their cash inflows and outflows and will enable to plan a head for any expenditure. In today’s financial world almost every company adopt a cash budget as its help the management making decision about their future abilities for paying any debt as well as expenditure. Having discussed the budgetary process, many hotel industries uses more advanced, reliable techniques in addition to budgetary process to clarify any last minute adjustment prior to the budgetary period another word forecast is an updated version of the final budget. Forecasting is mainly use in budgeting and it also could be applicable to many other aspects in the industry. â€Å"A more accurate forecasting of room occupancy rates would facilitate strategic planning and enhance the decision-making procedures of hotel management companies† Forecasting is normally done in monthly basis prior to the beginning of the month, many company has more frequent forecasting policy. Two most commonly use forecasting method is the â€Å"moving average† and â€Å"multiple regressions† and this process is normally carried out by the finance department of any hotel. In Marriott, the hotel and its management start to prepare the budget in middle of the year for the upcoming next one year. The officers and members of the top level finance management are the ones responsible for the completion of the most appropriate and inclusive yearly budget. The hotel uses a bottom up approach budgeting system another word â€Å"participative budgeting method†. Participative budgeting involves employee’s participation in preparation of the budgeting at various level of organisational aspect, even though the final decision is made by the top level management. Participative budgeting gives employee an excellent opportunity to take the owner ship of their own budget document and motivation to meet the target. â€Å"A budgeting system in which all budget holders are given the opportunity to participate in setting their own budgets†. In this method all the managers are responsible for preparing their own departmental budget with the assistant of a finance manager. The departmental managers normally start preparing the budget in the month of July based on past trend, the managers will look ahead for the whole year projected expense like wages and salaries, any fixed and variable cost like labour cost and then calculate the required profit by the owner. The managers will then evaluate the budget inside-out to clarify is it practical? Is it reachable? The finance manager will then put forward their draft budget to upper level finance management for approval. Once this has been approved by the Director of Finance, general manager and the executive team it will then unite in their master budget and finally a copy of the Master budget will be sent to their regional office for approved by the Area director of finance. Marriott previously used a software package for helping the departmental manager preparing the budget which no longer supported and exchanged with the idea of using Excel spread shit Template. This template helps the manager whose are not very budget educated and has a limited understanding of budgeting concept. After end of each month the hotel publish an internal PL (Profit and Loss account) report for the departments to evaluate the performance. The department head will be asked to critique on their result to the director of finance (DOF) and DOF finally create a critique report which will be reviewed by the regional office. The following discussion is an example of Marriott Hotel Master Budget for a year. However, it is noted that specific figures are altered for the purposes of corporate confidentiality. Please refer to a copy of the Master budget in Appendix I Figure 1.1 is the detailed presentation of the hotel’s revenue target for the year 2006. As seen on the records, the room sales have a considerable portion in the total revenue because of the fact that this is the core of their entire business operations. This figure has been compared with the budget of the previous year 2005. Basing on the figures obtained from the comparison, the total room revenue significantly increased over12-month’s period. Depending on the upcoming business, the hotel management set this target for example, if any major function taking place in the month of August during the summer particularly this year, they then increase the target for the profit and revenue compared with the previous year. The total number of room sales revenue holds 25.44% share in the total sales. In this particular hotel, we can also see that they make the most revenue from the banqueting service although the room sales are their core business. The banqueting service has a share of 63.21% of the total sales. Meanwhile, the total Food and Beverage sales revenue has a significant impact in the hotel business. As a primary section of the entire hospitality industry, it plays a significant role in any hotel industry business. After determining the target for the total revenue of the hotel, the officers and members of the top level finance management who is in control of the overall budgeting process will start to look into the hotel’s expenses and wages. The department head will be asked to gather the needed information and come up with the numbers based on past business trends and experiences. The finance director will then discuss and undergo further clarifications with the department head before approving a unified master budget. In Figure 1.2, figures show the breakdown of all the expenses. The General Admin cost mainly consisted of the Directors’ remuneration and other hotel general expense including Directors’ Parks. From the data presented, it shows that this is one of their main expenses accounting to 32.42% of the total expense. Repairs Maintenance is also a major cost centre. This is due to the fact that it takes off a great amount of the hotel’s profit especially in the case of providing finances in fixing and repairing hotel equipment and facilities. Meanwhile, Sales marketing expenses are mainly accounted to finance hotel’s advertising campaign to promote their business and how to develop their services. On the case of Advertising, it is fixed over the whole year but could be changed depending on the business. Lastly, Figure 1.3 gives an itemized breakdown of the payroll expense including rooms, food and beverages, and other departments. The Food and beverage section employs the biggest number of people. As an important part of the hotel and its entire operations, it needs a great number of manpower to provide services to the hotel clients. The changes in the wages are brought about by trends affecting the whole hotel business operations. After determining all the expenses and the sales target, the officers and members of the top level finance management will then subtract the hotel expenses from the revenue figure to finalize the targeted profit figure. A monthly forecast takes place at the beginning of each month in addition to their quarterly forecast. For example in their 2008 budget they will have a monthly forecast for the month of January as well an advance forecast for the up coming next three month to see if there is any rapid movements in the current trend and perform any last minute adjustment. A forecast can be described as a latest update for the operating budget where a budget is a permanent financial planning for the year. A forecast is not expected to balance with their budget figures as they are flexible in terms of their use and can be changed to meet the demand of the business. 3.4 Issues on Budgeting It is argued that budgeting is considered as an â€Å"old system of control† (Malmi, 2001) or a â€Å"traditional† management accounting (MA) technique (Burns and Yazdifar, 2001). Moreover, it has weaknesses and pitfalls particularly in its entire process (Cruz, 2007). Budgets are prepared on the base of some known factor as well as unknown factor which really means making a future plan just by predicting the possible future business. Budgets preparation also requires disclosing company’s financial information which could be use by the competitor such as their financial performance result. Moreover any surplus in the budget could lead to unnecessary spending; for instance if an expenditure budgets is overvalued then there might be a possibility to find ways to spend those extra fund. There are so many limiting factors in budget and this has been criticised by many individual in the past. Following are the few criticism extracted from the â€Å"Management accounting-Performance evaluation book. Budgets are a commitment. They therefore act as a constraint on doing anything different. Traditional budget are seen as a mechanism for top down control by senior management. Traditional budget restrict flexibility Budget reinforces barriers between department† During the interview with a Finance manager from Marriott hotel, the researcher has found out some specific problem that a manager encounter when preparing the budget which conclude a bad performance in their actual outcome. It was explained that why a manager or hotel don’t meet their budget could be subject to preparing a budget that is realistically unsuitable. Following are the highlighted points that came up during the interview. Unrealistic / too optimistic: If the budget has been prepared by a senior level management based on their own assumption, might not be realistic or acceptable by a lower level manager and could even result a failure to meet the target. A departmental manager will have a better understanding of their target for the specified period rather then being too optimistic about the goal set by the senior managers. Over estimate/ under estimate: A manager tends to make the common mistake when preparing the budget by either over estimating or underestimating the budget. From a budgeting point of view the both issues are identified as a bad influence. Not much participation from the bottom level management: Sometime when preparing the budget becomes sort of an empowering issue and the senior level management ignore the fact of participation by a manager whom it will be assigned. On the other hand a lower level manager might not be interested to add any comment on their budget due to lack of understanding in this area. Poor planning: A poor planning could really effect any budgeting; therefore use of proper time management is very important when preparing the budget. Use of past trend: comparing the past trend result will give them more accurate information whether the set target will be achievable or not or anything particular they need to look at, compare to previous year result. Communication gap: lack of communication between top level management and bottom level management. Despite the first interview with a finance manager, the researcher has also interviewed a top level finance manager, who discussed the issues by putting them into two groups. This could be as follows. Two Groups: 1. External Issue 2. Internal Issue 3.4.1 External issues Unfortunate event (for instance natural disaster): A sudden natural disaster or any unfortunate tragic event could significantly affect the budget for any fiscal year. Changes in government rules and regulation: Any changes in government law for instance health and safety issue or maybe increase in taxation might cause a review of the budget and to carry out a review process will cost more time and money. 3.4.2 Internal issues Hotel renovation: This is a practical example even the researcher has came across during working for the Marriott hotel, the researcher has found out delays occurring through out the life time of the renovation could result to many changes in their budget and loss of revenue and as the hotel funds are limited it is very difficult for the management to tackle this kind of situation. In relation to the bottom level management following are the major concern Lack of understanding Not knowing the operation properly Communication across department ( Example CB) It was identified by the management that the most difficult part of a budget in any hotel establishment is the sales budget. Prior to conclude any figure in the sales budget a forecast should be done. Consequently the forecast number of room sales will give an idea of the cost related to the budget and the management will have a clear picture of different type of cost such as variable and semi fixed cost. One of the major facts that will influence in the forecast for the sales is called as limiting factor also known as â€Å"principal budget factor. This means an additional increase in the sales volume will almost be impossible; for instance the number of rooms available is fixed and therefore the management cannot sell any more then what is available. This has left them with no choice for any additional sale except an increase in the room price; as a consequence they must make sure that they are in line with a hundred percent occupancy rate during the festive season or if possible most of the time during the year. Same issues also influence their restaurant budget such as fixed number of seats available in their restaurant and not able to accommodate any extra guest and this may well result in loss of any potential sales as they cannot increase the seating capacity of the restaurant. There are several kinds of limiting factor can be found in the hospitality industry. According to â€Å"Richard Kotas and Michael Conlan† such limiting factors are like insufficient capital, shortage of efficient labour, management policy, consumer demand. 3.5 Budgetary behaviour and employee motivation It is found that different aspects of budget/ budgeting can affect motivation of employees. â€Å"Kenis (1979) believed that a â€Å"tight but attainable† budget approach is the most effective way to motivate managers to perform better†. â€Å"The budget may be set as a target that management are motivated to meet, a realistic forecast of the likely outcome, or some combination of these goals. Hofstede and other have suggested that the target must be accepted by the budget holder, and this would usually be achieved with a bottom up or interactive approach† Collier, p., Gregory. Chris Argyris (1952-1953) has indentified that â€Å"budgets and budgeting can be related to at least four human relation problems: First, budgets pressure tends to unite the employees against management, and tends to place factory supervisor under tension. Second, the finance staff can obtain feelings of success only by finding fault with factory people. Third, the use of budget as ‘needlers’ by top management tends to make the factory supervisor to see only the problems of their own department. Finally, supervisor use budget as a way of expressing their own patterns of leader ship† Further, to be able to understand the level of such effect, it is essential to include specific organizational or employee factors in the analysis. For example, not enough time to educate department manager’s on the subject of budget and without a clear understanding they are allowed to operate their own department by themselves even though there is substantial training for budget is necessary, Therefore, what is needed is a planned training schedule for managers and employee (where required) for budget rather then holding inspirational presentation or seminars. â€Å"Swieringa and Moncur (1975) found that greater participation in the budget-setting process increases the quality of budgets – in other words, that there is a direct benefit of budgetary participation on subordinates behavior†. The absence of the â€Å"right† environment is the root causes of many budgeting issue specially those one relate to employee motivation. In many companies unit managers are acting like Gods because what they say is what would employees are intended to do and Even though at the end of budget preparing process â€Å"Is there any reactions?†, â€Å"is there any question or suggestion?† in most cases its seems like a bit of an empowering issue like a teacher is giving out the homework to the student. Budget matters are worst. Managers are always allowed to contribute

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Oscar Wilde :: essays research papers fc

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin Ireland on October 16, 1854. He is one of the most talented and most controversial writers of his time. He was well known for his wit, flamboyance, and creative genius and with his little dramatic training showing his natural talent for stage and theatre. He is termed a martyr by some and may be the first true self-publicist and was known for his style of dress and odd behavior. Wilde, 1882 His Father, William Wilde, was a highly accredited doctor and his mother, Jane Francesca Elgee, was a writer of revolutionary poems. Oscar had a brother William Charles Kingsbury along with his father’s three illegitimate children, Henry, Emily, and Mary. His sister, Isola Emily Francesca died in 1867 at only ten years of age from a sudden fever, greatly affecting Oscar and his family. He kept a lock of her hair in an envelope and later wrote the poem ‘Requiescat’ in her memory. Oscar and his brother William both attended the Protora Royal School at Enniskillen. He had little in common with the other children. He disliked games and took more interest in flowers and sunsets. He was extremely passionate about anything that had to do with ancient Greece and with Classics. Wilde during school years In 1871, he was awarded a Royal School Scholarship to Trinity College in Dublin and received many awards and earned the highest honor the college offered to an undergraduate, the Foundation Scholarship. In 1874, he also won the College’s Berkley Gold Medal for Greek and was awarded a Demyship to Magdalen College, Oxford. After graduating from Oxford, Oscar moved to London with his friend Frank Miles, a well-known portrait painter of the time. In 1878 his poem Ravenna was published, for which he won the Newdigate poetry prize. In 1881, he published his first collection of poetry ‘Poems’, which was well liked by critics. In late 1881, Oscar left to travel across the United States and deliver a series of lectures on â€Å" the aesthetics†, the belief that to create a sense of beauty was more important than anything else. The trip was only planned to last four months but instead lasted nearly a year with Oscar giving nearly three times as many lectures as planned. He met Henry Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Walt Whitman, on which he made a good impression. During this time he arranged for his play Vera to be staged in New York.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Baader Meinhof Gang

The Baader Meinhof Gang, also known as the Red Army Faction, was one of the most active militant left-wing groups of postwar West Germany that gained prominence in the 1970s and 80s. Like may other radical communist groups of its time, it was formed with the objective of overthrowing social and political order to give rise to a totalitarian socialist state. Although the group described itself as a ‘Communist Urban Guerilla Group engaged in armed resistance’ its use of arms and weaponry quickly gained it the reputation of being one of the most deadly terrorist groups in Europe at that time.By the end of the 70s the group was responsible for over 30 killings and a series of bombings and kidnappings that aroused severe social and political unrest in the country. The Backdrop of Social & Political Unrest The formation of the Baader Meinhof Group or Gang can be traced back to the social and political instability in West Germany in the late 1960s. As in many industrialized nat ions, young students and workers disillusioned with the ‘oppressive’ regimes of the capitalist government began to stage massive protests.Their objective was to fight for freedom and human rights and they brought issues such as anti-imperialism, racism and the Vietnam War to the forefront of radical politics. The ‘German student movement’ as it was later termed was fuelled by a series of events that took place in the arena of German politics. In 1956, the Communist Party of Germany was banned. Government positions were occupied by ex-Nazis resulting in anger and frustration at the ineffectiveness of de-Nazification after World War II.The media was considered biased as it was controlled by anti-radical conservatives. The mid 1960s saw the merging of the country’s two major political parties- the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP) and the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) to form a new government. This was referred to as the ‘gran d coalition’ in Germany in 1966, with a former Nazi, Kurt Georg Kiesinger, as chancellor. This development was received with outrage from the radicals who viewed it as a collusion of capitalist power as a convenient way to block out the left-wing opposition parties.Since 95% of the Bundestag (West German Parliament) was controlled by the coalition, a new opposition party was formed called the Ausserparlamentarische Opposition (APO) or Extra Parliamentary Opposition, with the objective of carrying out political activity and protests independent of the government. The APO provided a platform for student radicals to wage resistance against the coalition and played a central role in the German student movement.What started out as peaceful demonstrations turned into violent protests on June 2, 1967 when the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, visited West Berlin. During one such demonstration outside the opera house where he was visiting, German student, Benno Ohnesorg was shot i n the head and killed. The police officer responsible for the shooting was later acquitted. Outrage of the radicals led to the creation of a new militant group called ‘Movement 2 June’, named after the date of Ohnesorg’s death.Formation of The RAF It was against the backdrop of this social and political environment and the impact of Ohnesorg’s death that led to the formation of an alliance between Thorwald Proll, Horst Sohnlein, Gudrun Ensslin and Andreas Baader. Together they detonated home made bombs in several Frankfurt department stores to protest against the Vietnam War. All four were subsequently arrested on April 2, 1967 and later convicted of arson and sentenced to three years imprisonment.Three of the members including Baader and Ensslin managed to escape during a special parole for political prisoners. Baader was soon recaptured, while the remaining members fled to France and Italy and hid underground. During his stay in prison, Andreas Baader ga ined permission to write a book on ‘organizing young people on the fringes of society’. For this he was granted the privilege of visiting a library accompanied by uniformed armed guards. It was during one such library visit in 1970 that Baader managed to escape with the help of left-wing journalist Ulrike Meinhof.It was here that the Baader-Meinhof duo came together, referring to their alliance as the Red Army Faction. Soon after, several members of the group went to Jordan where they received training in the use of arms by a military camp run by the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The Rise of the RAF Hereafter the RAF slowly grew to become one of the most prominent left-wing militant groups in West Germany and was engaged in numerous killings, bombings and robberies in attempt to get their message across through force.It attracted members and supporters from several other radical groups across the country such as the ‘Revolutionary Cells’, ‘Move ment 2 June’, the ‘Situationsists’ and the ‘Socialist Patients’ Collective’. Its rules and mission were partly modeled after a revolutionary group in Uruguay called the ‘Tupamaros Movement’ which succeeded in bringing guerilla war against imperialist oppression, under Che Guevara’s government, from rural areas to metropolitan cities. To avoid capture, most members operated under code names and carried out terrorist activities under a single contract.In June 1972, Baader was recaptured along with his accomplice Jan-Carl Raspe, followed by his girlfriend Ensslin and later Meinhof. Although kept in solitary confinement in a high security prison – Stammheim Prison in Stuggart, the group members devised a means of communicating with one another through letters delivered through their lawyers. With the core members of the group in prison, the group’s activities were taken over by a second generation of militants who se aim now was to secure the release of its leaders.This led to some of the worst terrorist attacks in the group’s history. The German Autumn On April 24, 1975, the RAF occupied the German Embassy in Stockholm where it demanded the release of its leaders in return for the freeing of hostages. When the German government refused, the RAF murdered two of the hostages. Baader and his fellow accomplices were finally put on trial in May 1975 – one of the most long drawn out and costly trials in West German history.Exactly a year later in May 1976, Ulrike Meinhof was found dead in her prison cell after an apparent suicide in which she had hung herself with a rope of towels. As the trial progressed, a number of high profile attacks took place. These involved the killing of Federal Prosecutor Siegfried Buback at a traffic signal, along with his driver and body guard, by two members of the RAF in April 1977. Three months later, in July 1977, Juergen Ponto, the CEO of Dresdner Ba nk was shot and killed outside his home in the German town of Oberursel.The following September, Hans Martin Schleyer, head of the German Association of Employers and one of the most powerful industrialists in the country, was kidnapped after his driver and bodyguards were shot dead by RAF militants. After taking Schleyer hostage, the RAF demanded the release of eleven prisoners including the leaders of the RAF at Stammheim Prison. Under the advice of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, the government decided not to accede and instead set up a crisis committee to investigate the whereabouts of Schleyer.Before the situation could be resolved, another attack took place which marked the culmination of terrorist activities associated with the RAF. This attack took place in October 1977 when Lufthansa flight 181 from Majorca to Frankfurt was hijacked by a group of Arabs who appeared to have close links with the RAF as they also demanded the release of the same prisoners as in the Schleyer case. T he crisis committee again refused to give in to the hijackers demands, after which the flight captain was murdered and his body disposed of on a runway.A rescue operation was quickly put in motion led by under-secretary Hans Jurgen Wischenewski, during which the elite force of the German Federal Police were finally able to free the aircraft by shooting down all four hijackers. Shortly after, success of the rescue operation, with not a single passenger hurt, was made public by the media. The same night, three of the imprisoned RAF members – Baader, Ensslin and Raspe were found dead in their cells in what appeared to be a planned and collective suicide.The same night Schleyer was shot dead and the location of his executed body was communicated to the French press the following day. It was this string of bloody events that is frequently referred to as the German Autumn (Der Deutsche Herbst) The Downfall The ideology behind the 70s killings is still unclear and by the end of the 1970s the group’s sole objective appeared to be the release of its imprisoned leaders. The second generation of RAF members remained active in the 1980s gaining some East German support in the form of shelter and funding.The group continued to target prominent industrialists and executives and in 1985 murdered Ernst Zimmerman, CEO of a German engineering company. This was followed by a bombing at a US airforce base near Frankfurt which killed three. Seimen’s executive, Karl-Heinz Beckurts was killed by a car bomb in 1986. In 1989, Duetsche Bank chairman, Alfred Herrhausen was also killed by a car bomb planted by the RAF. As attacks continued throughout the 1980s and early 90s, the RAF attracted increasingly fewer supporters and less sympathy from the left.Its popularity quickly waned after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and after a long silence the group announced its dissolution in April 1998. References Alpert, Jane. (1987) The Baader-Meinhof Group: The Inside S tory of a Phenomenon. Translated by Anthea Bell. London: Bodley Head. Becker, Jillian. (1977) Hitler's Children: The Story of the Baader-Meinhof Terrorist Gang. Philadelphia: Lippincott. Katsiaficas, George. (1987) The Imagination of the New Left: A Global Analysis of 1968. Boston: Beacon Press.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

African American: an Identity Crisis Essay

For centuries African Americans have been indoctrinated to subsist in a cultural and historical vacuum by their oppressors who would seek to bar them from ever making the connection to their illuminating past. This systematic agenda of mis-education and lies by omission has made possible the subjugation and enslavement, in body and mind, of the African American by his oppressors. In his essay â€Å"The Study of the Negro,† Dr. Carter G. Woodson sets out to ruminate on why the African American has been misled in his ascension to human equality and dignity and how he can remedy the dismal state of his affairs. A thorough reading of Woodson’s pioneering work indicates that we should study the experiences of African-descended people to gain knowledge about ourselves and other cultures as well as to take back accurate traditions and histories that have all but been discredited or misrepresented. Furthermore, only through this systematic study of their meaningful contributions to history can African Americans elevate themselves to empowered enlightenment. One reason to study the experiences of the African American is to instill in him a sense of purpose and place in a world that otherwise intends to keep him perpetually in the dark. Undoubtedly the aim of his oppressors has been to convince him that his history is unimportant so as to deprive him of the sense of pride that is so necessary to feel wholly human. By espousing that â€Å"he has no worthwile past, that his race has done nothing significant since the beginning of time, and that there is no evidence that he will ever achieve anything great† (Woodson 6), his oppressors can be sure that the African American will continue down the path of mis-education that so allows for his subservience to a system that cares nothing for him. However, â€Å"if you teach the Negro that he has accomplished as much good as any other race he will aspire to equality and justice without regard to race. † (Woodson 6) The core purpose of African American studies is to take back from obscurity that piece of the historical puzzle without which the African American would be amidst an endless identity crisis. By studying the origin of his people, the African American, who â€Å"has not yet learned to think and plan for himself as others do for themselves† (Woodson 7), can take control of his own destiny rather than taking as truth â€Å"an abundance of information which others have made accessible to the oppressed. † (Woodson 7). The culture of indoctrination cultivated by the oppressor would have that â€Å"the Negro should cease to remember that he was once held a slave, that he has been oppressed, and even that he is a Negro. † (Woodson 7) Thus, it is plain to see that the African American’s oppressors have too much to lose by promoting the truth. Indeed, it would require them to admit their transgressions and to concede the countless meaningful contributions made by the African American to modern society. Without â€Å"a serious examination of the fundamentals of education, religion, literature, and philosophy as they have been expounded to him† (Woodson 7) by his oppressors, the â€Å"Negro joins the opposition with the objection that the study of the Negro keeps alive questions which should be forgotten. † (Woodson 7) Perhaps the most essential lesson to be learned from an effective, systematic study of African American history is that the contributions made by African Americans are far more numerous than any oppressor could ever know. It is with a pig-headed pride that they conceal the fact that â€Å"the history of the modern world was made, in the main, by what was taken from African people. † (Clarke) Without knowledge such as this, it would be impossible for the African American to take pride in himself and to seek the true identity he has been in search of for centuries. â€Å"A race is like a man. Until it uses its own talents, takes pride in its own history, and loves its own memories, it can never fulfill itself completely. † (Clarke) African American studies can help in understanding other cultures as well as our own by challenging and correcting the misrepresentations of Africa and Western Europe and their cultural legacies. What has been laid aground as history by the oppressor does not serve to benefit the African American but instead to keep him dependent on a system rife with underlying prejudice against his people. History is written in the image of the writer so, consequently, the African American must take up the reins of authorship himself and guide his own destiny. That is precisely why we should study the African American experience, to produce a platform on which he can take back what is innately his. After all, to be cognizant of where one is going, it is necessary to be aware of where one has been.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Position of Poverty

The Position of Poverty Free Online Research Papers In the United States today we are consumed with insular poverty, but you would never know it by reading the newspaper or watching the news on television. There are times, usually around election seasons, when there is an unemployment issue and it get discussed but it is not a factor in everyday life. I completely agree with Galbraith’s description of insular poverty. One of the prime examples is 5th ward in Houston, Texas. There are hundreds of illegitimate children that make up that population that also have mothers with substance abase problems. The crime rate in that area is also very high and Houston officials and state legislators do nothing to help the problem. â€Å"The result was to reduce poverty from the problem of the majority to that of a minority† (para 3). Since 5th ward is such a small part of the Houston area it is not a real concern for the city and the people that don’t live in that area. It is a community of poor black people, a minority. Galbraith, in many of his theories, has listed numerous was to remedy some of the impoverished area. They are all ideas that seem like they would be easily implemented in certain areas and 5th ward is one of those areas. If the city of Houston or the state of Texas chose to implement some of Galbraith’s ideas the community would be able to survive better. One of Galbraith’s ideas is beautification. If you make a community pretty, the residents of the area would be more likely to take care of it, simply because it gave them something to be proud of. If the politicians, or even the citizens of Houston chose to go into 5th ward and make the community attractive that would be a step in the right direction in dealing with the element. They could start by cleaning a park or painting over the graffiti that is on a school and go from there. You begin by taking baby steps and before you know it you have a lovely community before you. An additional idea that Galbraith has is putting facilities in the community that the people can benefit from. In the 5th ward the residents can benefit from a substance abuse center. It is a known fact that the majority of the citizens of that community suffer from some sort of addition to a controlled substance. Putting an easily assessable substance abuse center in the neighborhood is perfect. It allows those who really want to overcome their habit to do so with help. That community would also make good use of a Texas Workforce Commission, an unemployment office. It informs the people what establishments are hiring and where they are located. Some of the residents have not been taught how to properly look for a job and having this office in their neighborhood would be extremely helpful to them. That would be their stepping stone to finding permanent employment, something they need. Both of those examples are just expansions of Galbraith’s principle ideas. In his theories he provided many good solutions to poverty that many communities could benefit from and some have benefitted from. Research Papers on The Position of PovertyNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseHip-Hop is ArtUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropePETSTEL analysis of India19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West Meet

Monday, November 4, 2019

Analysis of the Research of Professor Zachary Holman Essay

Analysis of the Research of Professor Zachary Holman - Essay Example Subsequently, the research conducted by Zachary Holman addresses the vital uses of nanoparticles in electronic devices and solar devices. Consequently, the research highlights the properties exhibited by the nanoparticle and the effect that each property has in regard to the functioning of the nanoparticles. Zachary Holman in his research tries to answer the scientific question of whether it is viable to produce inexpensive power using the full spectrum of sunlight as the source of the energy production. The viability of the energy production by the sunlight rays is at any time of day. Moreover, the research paper by Zachary Holman attempts to answer the scientific question of the possibility of the nanoparticles in the solar energy to produce sustainable power enough for human consumption. The nanoparticle produces energy using the properties that already exist within the micro-nanoparticles. In his research project concerning Solar Concentrating Photovoltaic Mirrors, Zachary Holman discusses the optics technology. The optics technology entails the use of products and materials such as the curved mirrors and lenses. The reason for conducting the project is to discover means of concentrating sunlight over a smaller surface area of photovoltaic cells in order to generate power. The heat skins product, which has a relationship with the research that Zachary Holman is undertaking, helps keep the solar cells cool. The technological design of the photovoltaic concentrators is also relatable to the research that Zachary Holman is currently conducting.  

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Evaluate the role of the line manager in managing under-performance Essay

Evaluate the role of the line manager in managing under-performance - Essay Example bination of interpersonal and technical skills while for medical doctors the term ‘performance’ is depended rather on specific financial and administration skills’ (Nelson and Quick 2010, p.196). It is assumed that under performance reflects the lack of the skills that are necessary for responding to the needs of a particular role. Dowling, Festing and Engle (2008) tried to identify the key elements of under performance in regard to expatriates. They came to the conclusion that for expatriates, failure, which incorporates under performance, means ‘the premature return of an expatriate’ (Dowling, Festing and Engle 2008, p.112). In accordance with this view, under performance can be used for highlighting the failure of an employee to complete successfully the tasks assigned to him. A similar definition of the term ‘under performance’ is included in the study of Scullion (2006). In accordance with the above researcher, the term ‘under performance’ should be defined as ‘assignment failure’ (Scullion 2006, p.60). This explanation of under performance may be inaccurate, i.e. it may not reflect the actual status of employee performance. Such risk exists in case that an employee failed to complete the tasks assigned to him but not because of his fault but due to facts or conditions that they could not prevented, like, for example, a strike. From a similar point of view, Werner and DeSimone (2008) noted that the term ‘under performance’, or else ‘poor performance’, is difficult to be clearly defined since it is likely to be related to different criteria. For example, the level of performance of an employee may be characterized as high in regarding to a specific position and as low regarding to another position. For this reason, it is suggested that... It is evident from the study that the development of the phenomenon of employee under performance in modern organizations has been related to many factors. In accordance with Hadikin and O’Driscoll employees are likely to under perform when the conditions in the workplace are hostile for them. Reference is made especially to bullying, as a problem expanded in most organizations worldwide. It is noted though that the response of employees to bullying is not standardized. Under certain conditions, bullying may not lead to employee under performance, if for example the employee involved decides to report the problem to the firm’s HR manager. From another point of view, Berman considers that employee under performance is not related to the conditions in the organizational environment but rather to the personal attitudes of employees. It is explained that employees who are likely to avoid taking initiatives in regard to critical organizational issues tend to under perform wh en having to face such conditions. Moreover, employees that believe in their capabilities and their potentials to respond effectively to the needs of all tasks assigned to them are not expected to under perform, in opposition with employees who believe that their performance can ‘be affected by factors outside their control’. On the other hand, Shields explained that when having to identify the causes of employees’ under performance managers should search both for personal reasons, such as the attitudes or the background of employees, and for external reasons, meaning the conditions of the organizational environment.