Performance management assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance management assignment 3 - Essay Example Projection: Based on the projection given, H.C.P is a complete loss making venture. First of all there is an error in projection. According to the business plan H.C.P is saying they will adopt selling price of ?10,000 and make a profit margin of 20% yet production cost per car is ?10,666. Based on supply and demand findings the optimal gross profit attainable is approximately ?15 million which is less than ?300 million needed to breakeven. In order for H.C.P to achieve 15% annual minimum return on capital employed the need to attain gross profit of ?450 million. The maximum production capacity is 90,000 cars per year. Assuming H.C.P reach maximum production level, they will have to sell each car at ?15,666 to attain 15% minimum return on capital employed but according to demand and supply curve that volume of sales can only be attained when the price per is ?9,000 which is below production cost. This leaves H.C.P at a paradox. Looking at the competitors price range the minimum and ma ximum price per car is ?10,400 and ?11600 respectively. Using these parameters we can determine what are optimal production, sales volume and selling price. How H.C.P can Attain 15% minimum return on capital employed: We know it’s difficult to attain maximum production capacity of 90,000 per annum; therefore we need to setup optimal production capacity based on percentage. ... 50,080 17,942,480 14,989,920 53,720,000 44,880,000 214,880,000 179,520,000 572,977,520 478,690,080 7,198,480.00 14,989,920.00 Â   Â   300,000,000.00 300,000,000.00 300,000,000.00

LS knolege creathion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LS knolege creathion - Essay Example There also needs to be consideration of the roles of leaders in relationship with other workers of lower positions. Having held a managerial position for several years I am aware of how difficult work becomes when other employees within KFIC suffer from low levels of motivation, and believe that the company’s culture needs to alter if higher levels of motivation are to be achieved, and so lead to greater success an an organization. PROBLEM   These are not new problems. There were discussed as long ago as two years ago, but despite this there have been no attempts by higher management to rectify the situation and to make improvements. Their only concern as far as motivation is concerned is upon the sales personnel, who were offered increased incentives to be based upon sales they achieved. The result for other employees was a further decrease in motivation as they were not only missing out financially, but felt overlooked and of lesser importance in the eyes of management. .    LITERATURE DISCUSSION   It was observed that communications were poor within the KFIC organization, despite the many communication tools, methods and technology now available to both employers and employees. In practise communication within the company is limited to immediate subordinates or seniors who are then responsible to pass the message on to the remainder of the organization as necessary. . Communication is a necessary means within any organization and leaders need to learn how to communicate across the whole company and not limit it messages up an down with immediate subordinates. According to Weick and Quinn (1999), lack of communication is a major factor in organizational failure, in particular during periods of transition and change. change. Organizational communication can be defined as â€Å"the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or influence behavior† (Daft as cited by Frahm and Brown, 2006). This means that communication must be an important aspect that senior management, within KFIC or indeed any other group, need to accept necessity of, to learn more about and to put into practice. Such management initiatives can be expected to have a positive effect upon the motivation levels of their employees .And not just any communication, but such as is relevant to particular situations   This means that there must for instance be research, both general and specialised, in order that communication be at its most acceptable and effective. . Shrivastava (1987) believed that â€Å"standards for judging the usefulness of research results or knowledge claims depend on the needs of users, and the different ways in which research results are used†. This means that it is possible to reveal more of less data depending upon the necessity and usefulness of particular knowledge. .Shrivastava’s specifies the criteria of both rigor and relevance, these being based upon the writing of Evered and Louis (1981) and Shrivastava and Mitroff (1984). Evered and Louis 1981 concluded that we have to critically review assumptions such as quality, relevance, precision and meaning in the knowledge-yielding procedures. Shrivastava and Mitroff 1984 used FOR i.e. Frames of References. These had cognitive elements as well as operators. They use reality tests, cognitive maps of the exact area of inquiry, the degree of articulation used as well as considering any metaphors employed. .Thi swould involve both

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai Summary

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai Summary The concern of psychological reality by Anita Desai is clearly reflected in one of her masterpieces Fire on the Mountain. The novel mainly deals with the loneliness and isolation as well as the resultant anguish and agony in the deserted life of an old widow. The novel narrates the story of Nanda Kaul who live in Carignano, a desolate and haunted house in Kasauli, away from the world of bags and letters, messages and demands, she had wanted to be left to the pines and cicadas aloneWhatever else came or happened would be an unwelcomed intrusion and distraction. Nanda Kauls happy isolation is threatened by the irritating letter from Asha, her daughter announcing the arrival of Raka, the grand-daughter of Asha and Nanda Kauls great grand-daughter. The unexpected arrival of Raka comes in the way of the desire to live like a recluse, far from the society. She does not want to involve herself in any responsibilities anymore, for all she wants is to be alone, to have Carignano to herself, stillness and calm are all that she wishes to entertain. But Ashas letter has made her apprehensive and she ponders painfully: Now, to bow again, to let that noose sleep once more round her neck that she had thought was freed fully, finally, Â ¦now to converse again when it was silence she wished. The novel deals with Nanda Kauls determined detachment and non-involvement which is brought about by the unhappy conjugal ties which is seen in Desais earlier novels like Cry, the Peacock, Voices in the City, Where Shall We Go This Summer, Bye Bye Blackbird, etc,. Her fierce desire to live alone is the result of her busy but, empty live as the wife of an ex Vice Chancellor of Punjab University. She played the role a dutiful wife and almost everyone envied her. But the inner reality of her life is revealed to us when we learned that her relationship with her husband was an unhappy one. She led her life as he wanted her to live out of a sense of duty. Her life as a Vice Chancellors wife though crowded and full of social activity was meaningless and unsatisfying. Although her busy schedule lacked warmth and understanding, she carried on because of her obligations to her husband and children. Once she discharged her duties she does not want any disturbances. Discharge me, she groaned, I have discharged all my duties. Discharge. She has done away with everyone and everything and becomes a recluse. Emotional deprivation is at the root of Nanda Kauls disillusionment with human bonds. Her husband did not love her as a wife and treated her as some decorative and useful instrument needed for the efficient running of his household. She enjoyed the comforts and social status of the wife of a dignitary but deep down she felt lonely and neglected. Her husband extra marital affair with Miss David had been a source of agony throughout her life. She now believes every attachment to be the preface of a new betrayal and all socialization as fake. Her bond with her husband did not involve her self. It was full on the surface but empty at the core. The painful memory of the days when her husband went to visit Miss Davids home haunts her even in the isolation at Carignano and on such occasions she lost her composition and harmony. Feelings of anguish and distrust of humanity also re veals itself as she learns the death of Ila Das, her friend who was brutally raped and murdered. The traumatic married life of Nanda Kaul is clearly sketched in the lines nor had her husband loved and cherished her and kept her like a queen-he had only done enough to keep her quiet while he carried on a life-long affair with Miss David. And her children were all alien to her nature. In her earlier novels, the incompatibility of temperaments or psychic complexes cause dissonance in the marital ties. But in Fire on the mountain an extra marital affairs disturb the conjugal relationship of Nanda Kaul and her husband. This deeply affects her outlook on life and makes her distrust all attachments and affairs. The conflict between the need to withdraw in order to preserve ones wholeness and sanity and the need to be involved in the painful process of life is shown vividly in the novel. This wavering between attachment and detachment reflects the need for a meaningful life. Nanda Kaul meets with a measure of success until she is drawn out of herself by Rakas effortless withdrawal who seem to be totally absorbed in a world of her own and ignores Nanda Kaul completely when compared with the latters flawed experiment. Raka only wants to be left alone to pursue her own secret life amongst the rocks and pines of Kasauli. Nanda Kaul wants to penetrate Rakas secret world as if Rakas total withdrawal is a challenge to her because withdrawal does not come naturally to her. In her desire to win Rakas affection and attention she builds an imaginary world around her father but this is of no avail. This action of Nanda Kaul also shows the unsatisfying condition of her own childhood and family life. Psychological experiment of the writer in the novel can also be seen on the portrayal of Rakas character. Psychologists attach great significance to the parent-child relationship, because, according to them the patterning of emotion takes place particularly during childhood. They argue that the prevailing quality of the experience the child has with his parents particularly the mother during early childhood is of paramount importance. Childhood is the most formative period of ones personality and socialization of the child begin in the family in the company of his parents who are the first individuals with whom the child interacts. Child learns the patterns of behavior which the parents set out to teach him in order to make him an acceptable member of the society. The emotion of the child depends largely on the quality of the emotional interaction that prevails between the child and his parents. Anita Desais characters have strange childhood, and their experiences and interactions du ring this formative period when combined with their congenital hypersensitivity contribute towards their inability to establish and maintain harmonious inter-personal relationship in later life. Commenting upon her solitary and introspective characters childhood, she observes I agree that the experiences of childhood are the most vivid and lasting ones. Based on this we shall study the parent-child relationship in Fire on the mountain and show how far the childhood interaction affects and moulds them in the ability to relate themselves with others. Another aspect of the novel deals with the result of a stifling home environment upon the tender psyche of Raka, the great grandchild of Nanda Kaul and the only child character in the novel. She is not a normal child and shuns all tenderness viciously. Unlike children of her age who gets attracted to fairy tales, adventure stories, the colorful and gay aspect of the world, Raka possesses a weird imagination and is drawn to uncanny places and things. After getting to know her character, we are not surprise when the care-taker of the burnt-house rightly thinks of her as the crazy one from Carignano. She as a child loves privacy and seclusion and her rejection of Nanda Kaul is complete when she feels restless to go out for her usual roaming in the presence of the former. Without informing her great grandmother she roams around all alone in the ravine or visits the lonely burnt house on the hill. She does not care for Nanda Kaul :She ignored her so calmly, so totally that it made Nanda K aul breathless. Raka is an abnormal child in comparison to other children. She never makes demand and seems to have no need of anything. The only thing she ever wanted was to be left alone and pursue her own secret life amongst the rocks and pines of Kasauli. Solitude never disturbs her and she is therefore happy during her stay in Carignano. One day while coming back from her daily excursions, she gets late and stumbles into the club building. Out of curiosity to know what is going on inside she inquires Ram Lal, the servant of Nanda Kaul, who told her about fancy dress balls. However, what Raka sees there is like a nightmare for her and therefore is disappointing. The perverted acts of the people dressed in the most bizarre fashion remind her of her own father and his wild behavior at home: Somewhere behind them was her father, home from a party, stumbling and crashing through the curtains of night beating her mother that made Raka cover under her bed clothes and wet the mattress in fright. The b ehavior of her parents in front of her has a deep influence on her tender mind. They have no time or inclination to cater the emotional needs of their child. Her father is a drunkard who always abuses and beats his wife. The mother is in such unhappy condition that she cannot do anything for her child. Consequently, Rakas traumatic experience deprived her of a childs trust and feelings of joy in the company of others. When Nanda Kaul tries to attract the child towards herself by narrating the stories of her childhood, Raka twists restlessly in her stool, her interest lost in this talk of belonging rather than happenings. Since in her parents home Raka has not been the center of attention like other normal children, she is not interested in stories about people and relations. She is, therefore happy in Kasauli with its charred house on the ridge, with its fire-blasted hilltop where nothing sounds good, but the creaking of the pines in the wind. The chaos in the life of her parents ma kes Raka averse to belongingness. From all the evidences we can get the impression that the seeds of neurotic drives are sown during ones childhood. The quality of interactions between Raka and her parents, and the disturbing home environment combined together to exert a lasting influence on her tender psyche. Anita Desai calls her a natural recluse and compares her with Nanda Kaul who was a recluse out of vengeance for a long-life of duty and obligation. However, we cannot say that Raka is a born recluse. She is a victim of a broken home. She becomes an introvert because of the abnormal circumstances around her. She has witnessed enough of the ambiguity of life and has seen bitterness, distrust and violence. Raka is a victim of emotional deprivation. Her embarrassing loveless childhood fills her heart with distrust and suspicion. As a result, she turns her back upon human beings and their so called safe, cozy and civilized world and develops a strong fascination for the ugly, lonely, rugged and desolate aspects of nature. Anita Desai though believing that childhood impressions shape the personality and attitude of the individual, she also states that even adult life contains many traumatic experiences. In this light we can explicate the inordinate desire for seclusion and non-involvement in the case of Nanda Kaul herself. Her love for privacy is not something inherent in her. In fact, her desire for seclusion is due to the unhappy relationship she has had with her husband and children. She initially, resent Rakas arrival because it reminds her of the past memories of her selfish children and faithless husband. Her relationship with her husband was nothing beyond the obligation they have for each other. After a long life of disorder, she has reached a state of elegant perfection. The thought of having a child around her at this stage is very undesirable for her. Even when Raka reaches Carignano she tries to keep aloof as the former arrival reminds her of her past life of duties and involvement. But Nan da Kauls strong resolution to be alone in Carignano begins to crumble in the presence of Raka. She once again looks for someone to care for her. Her inner self forced her to reach out to others, to love and be loved. In reality, she is filled with tenderness for Raka. All her life she has tried to feel wanted and be loved. Her efforts have been to get positive response from her family for her devotion, but all in vain. Despite all the betrayals and disappointments she received from her husband and children, she feels irresistibly drawn towards Raka as she longs for love. Fire on the mountain is largely concerned with the problems of being related. The psychological aspect of the novel is best portrayed in the relationship of the characters. Nanda Kaul and Rakas suffer at the hands of those who are related to them. They seem to develop hatred for all human contacts and cherish to live an unattached, uninvolved existence. In Nandas case the desire for seclusion is a mask to hide her intense longing for fulfilling emotional bond. Anita Desai has added a new dimension by writing a novel like Fire on the Mountain to the Indian fiction in English probing deep into the bottomless pit of human psyche, she brings the hidden contours into much sharper focus. She always emphasizes on character delineation and for exceptional characters in exceptional circumstances aiming at final essence of subjective life and consciousness. The charm of her art lies in her characters, independent, agonized frustrated and combating with angry defense. She has procured an important place for herself in the Indo-English fiction writings by shifting the refrain of her fiction from outer reality to inner reality and by carrying the flow of the mental experience of its characters she adds a new dimension to it. In a way she has presented the potentials of the post independent writers in English. It is true that Desai has her limits but she compensates her material in intensity what she lacks in variety. Desais unquestionable existential a nd psychological concerns have distinguished her from other novelist of her generation. We can say she unravels the subconscious of her highly sensitive protagonists.

Blaise Pascal :: essays research papers

Blaise Pascal was born in Clermont France on June 19, 1623 to Etienne Pascal. His mother died when he was only 3. He was the third of four children and the only boy. He was described as a man of: small stature, poor health, loud spoken, somewhat overbearing, precious, stubbornly persevering, a perfectionist, highly pugnacious yet seeking to be humble and meek. Pascal's father had somewhat unorthodox views on education, so he decided to teach his son himself. He forbade any mathematic teachings or material to be given to him and had any such texts removed from their house. Blaise became engulfed with curiosity due to this rule. He started to work with geometry on his own at the age of 12. He discovered that the sum of the three angles of a triangle is equivalent to two right angles. When his father discovered this he then allowed Blaise a copy of Euclid. At the age of 14 Blaise began accompanying his father to Mersenne's meetings. Mersenne was a member of a religious order of Minims. His cell held many meetings for the likes of Gassendi, Roberval, Carcavi, Auzout, Mydorge, Mylon, Desargues and others. By the time he was 15 Blaise admired the work of Desargues greatly. At 16 Pascal presented a single piece of paper at a Mersenne's meeting in June 1639. It held many of his geometry theorems, including his mystic hexagon. In December 1639 he and his family left Paris and moved to Rouen where his father Etienne was appointed tax collector for Upper Normandy. Soon after settling down in Rouen his Essay on Conic Sections was published in February of 1640. It was his first great work. Pascal also invented the first digital calculator to aid his father in his tax collecting duties. For three years he worked 1642 - 1545. Dubbed the Pascaline, it resembled a mechanical calculator of the 1940's. This almost assuredly makes Pascal second only to Shickard who manufactured the first in 1624. Pascal faced problems with the design of the calculator due to the design of French c urrency at the time. There were 12 deniers in a sol, and 20 sols in a livre. Therefore there were 240 deniers in a livre. Hence Pascal had to deal with more technical problems to work with this odd way of dividing by 240. Yet the currency system remained the same in France until 1799, but Britain's similar system lasted until 1971.

Adlerian Theory Essay

Introduction and Rationale School counselors work with students in academic development, social and emotional skill development, and college/career development. Their work supports student success through education in these domains, improvement of skills, reduction of stress, and improvement in mental health functioning. As I read the article, School Counseling Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Interventions, I couldn’t help but realize the importance of continued research on the effectiveness of school counseling interventions. This article focuses on the effectiveness of an array of school counseling interventions and not solely on individual and group counseling. The primary aim of this research was to review various literature pieces that relate to school counseling and identify their outcome and implications to the practice of school counseling. In this study, Meta-analysis 1 involved treatment control comparisons and Meta-analysis 2 involved pretest-posttest differences. The overall average weighted effect size for school counseling interventions was .30. The study examined whether relevant moderator variables influenced effect sizes. See more:  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay The pretest-posttest size was not significant, so moderator analyses were conducted on treatment control comparisons. Analyses of moderator variables indicated school counseling program activities or interventions varied in effectiveness Strengths and Weaknesses A meta-analysis of school counseling outcome research found an overall effect size of .30. Students who participated in the interventions improved almost a third of the standard deviation more than their peers who did not receive the interventions. In other words, school counseling interventions have a larger effect size than aspirin for preventing heart attacks (ES of .06) and an equivalent effect size to sertoline (Zoloft) compared to placebo, for  treating major depressive disorder (ES of .31). (Whiston & Quimby, 2009). The use of meta-analysis offers some weakness on the research which is actually a common thing for meta-analytic researches. This results from the fact that the effect size’s quality is dependant on the quality of research and accuracy. Sampling inaccurate of ineffective research cases may also render the meta-analytic research weak due to the weakness of the researches sampled. The meta-analytic research may also be stronger due to the fact that it samples a mean of similar variables under various researches and thus providing an average that is a true representative of all researches. In order to improve the meta-analytic exercise it is good to first make an analysis of the article and ensure that they are classified appropriately and their content has high validity so that they may not negatively affect the analysis (Sexton, L.T., & Whiston, S., 1998). Summary of Research Outcome A meta-analysis of school counseling research (117 studies, 153 school counseling interventions, and 16, 296 students) found an overall effect size of .30. The authors found that students who participated in school counseling interventions tended to score on various outcome measures about a third of a standard deviation above those who did not receive the interventions. School counseling interventions produced quite large effect sizes in the areas of discipline, problem-solving, and increasing career knowledge. The effect sizes were smaller, but significant, related to school counseling interventions’ impact on academic achievement. Surprisingly little school counseling research was found related to individual counseling. Concerning guidance curriculum, small groups were more effective than interventions that involved entire classrooms. Outcome research reflects that group counseling can be effective with students who are experiencing problems and difficulties. Applying this Research to Practice School counselors can improve the climate in their schools. They can also draw from a vast array of interventions that will help students increase  their academic achievement (Brown, 1999). One intervention that has been used for more than a quarter of a century is behavioral contracts. Behavioral contracts must have specific objectives, set attainable short-term goals, be monitored regularly, allow for immediate reinforcement, and be adjusted when they are not promoting the desired change. Other direct interventions frequently employed by school counselors include study skills groups, time management training, classroom guidance units aimed at improving test taking skills, and achievement motivation groups. Achievement motivation groups are led by the counselor, but involve input from the teachers and support for increased achievement from the students in the group. When students have educational and career goals, they do better in school. Counselors can facilitate the development of educational and personal goals by engaging students in individual and group activities that focus on goal setting. Some school counselors routinely ask students about interests, educational plans, and occupational goals and record these in their portfolios as one way of emphasizing the importance of goal setting. Research supports what educators have long understood: parent involvement is an important factor in student achievement (Brown, 1999). Parents who have a high level of commitment to their children, set high standards, maintain a stable home environment, and support achievement, have children who do better in school. Counselors can involve parents through parent consultation, parent education classes that teach parents how to support their children in schools as well as parenting skills, and by advocating for parents and students when students are not treated fairly by the educational establishment. They can also help keep the parents of children who are having difficulty in school apprised of their children’s progress by encouraging teachers to communicate more frequently with parents than once per grading period. Conclusion School counselors are under pressure to assist in the effort to increase student achievement. They can respond to this challenge by working to improve the school climate, using direct interventions such as teaching study skills and involving students in achievement motivation groups, and by increasing the involvement of parents in the educational process. As our culture and educational institutions change, school counseling practices are emerging to better meet the needs of today’s students. Resources Brown, D (1999). Proven strategies for improving learning and academic achievement. Greensboro, NC: CAPS Publications Sexton, L.T., and Whiston, S.C. (1998). A review of school counseling outcome research: Implications for practice. Journal of Counseling and Development volume 76, issue number pp 412-426. Whiston & Quinby (2009). Review of school counseling research. Psychology in the Schools 46(3), 267-272. Schatzberg & Nemeroff (2009). Textbook of Pyschopharmacology. Arlington, VA: The American Psychiatric Publisher. Whiston, Susan C; Wendi, Lee Tai; Rahardja, Daryn; Eder, Kelly. Journal of Counseling and Development. Winter 2011. Vol. 89. Issue 1, p. 37-55.

Dream of the Rood Essay

In the poem The Dream of the Rood, many parallels between a seemingly inanimate object directly correlates with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Although, Christ is mentioned in the poem he is never the speaker, rather the Rood is personified and is the central speaker and theme of the poem. The poem begins with the dreamer’s account of what he experienced as he saw the rood â€Å"gloriously graced† then bleeding as the tree spoke directly to the dreamer. Like Christ has done in biblical stories, the â€Å"tree† speaks him in a dream, depicting the first parallel of the Rood and Christ. The rood tells of how soldiers were forced to carry â€Å"him† on their shoulders and set him up on a mountain, just as Christ was forced to do before his crucifixion. The rood continues to display his bravery as he stands steadfast even though the earth was trembling, for he â€Å"dare not act against the Lord’s word. † This depiction of bravery in the rood is to parallel the bravery Jesus showed and his experience as there was an earthquake during his crucifixion. He expresses how he was â€Å"pierced† just as Christ was pierced, and how he was mocked just as Christ was mocked by onlookers. The cross seems to physically suffer as it â€Å"raised up a mighty king, the heaven’s lord; I dared not bow in homage. † This scene represents all the suffering that Christ endured, yet his bravery prevailed. The rood continues his account as he illustrates his and Christ’s death; â€Å"Finally men brought axes to fell us to earth. That was a frightful destiny! They buried us in a deep pit. Although in the biblical account of Christ’s crucifixion the cross was not buried, the author choose to show a connection between Christ and cross by showing they both perished that day. In the same likeness as Christ, the rood is resurrected and adorned by â€Å"friends â€Å"who learned about him, just as Christ was adorned after his resurrection. The rood announces to the dreamer that he must tell others of his triumph â€Å"so that far and wide men worship me everywhere on earth, and all creation pray to this sign. This metaphor shows the correlation between the rood and Christ, and the reason for which Christ endured all the suffering, so that all those who worship him shall have everlasting life. The rood states: â€Å"On me the son of God suffered a time; therefore I now tower in glory under heaven, and I may heal any of those in awe of me. † The rood explains that he is adorned above all other trees, just as Christ was after his resurrection. He continues to tell the dreamer that he must let all know about Christ and use the rood as a tool to explain his second coming and mankind’s salvation. Although no biblical stories tell of Christ coming to one in a dream, this was to represent God’s plan in sending his Son to tell of God’s plan and their salvation through his crucifixion and resurrection. This idea is clearly displayed when the rood professes â€Å"And on this earth each soul that longs to exist with its savior forevermore must seek His kingdom through that cross. As the dialogue of the poem switches back to the dreamer, he states that he was renewed with hope and joy as he â€Å"prayed to that tree. † Again another depiction of a parallel between Christ and the rood, instead of being described as a rood or crucifix, it’s described as a tree, something unlikely for one to worship. Perhaps the tree is to symbolize Christ, as the tree of life who should be worshiped and adorned with â€Å"gold and gemstones† just as the tree gleamed at the opening of the poem.