Prufrock in Progress Essay Example

Prufrock in Progress Essay Example Prufrock in Progress Essay Prufrock in Progress Essay 126). Videnov also analyzes the internal and external influences on J. Alfred Prufrock’s psyche. The internal conflict that J. Alfred Prufrock exhibits throughout his love song is evident in his lack of self-confidence that leads to a feeling of disconnection with the human population. On one hand, Prufrock expresses the desire to cultivate a relationship with the external world, or a lover; yet on the other hand, he lets his insecurities define him and refuses to let himself engage in relationships with other people. Videnov explains this by describing Prufrock’s quest, â€Å"a quest for belonging, the examination of which could yield the message of the poem and the ultimately optimistic idea of love, as the title suggests, lurking behind the apparently tragic finale,† (Videnov, Valentin A. , 126). This statement establishes the irony in the desire to fulfill a journey of love, yet the inevitable misery Prufrock lives. The psychoanalytical dynamic of the ego and the true self is brought through in Prufrock’s character. T. S. Eliot repeatedly uses the pronouns, â€Å"you and I,† to describe this relationship of the ego and true self that Prufrock experiences. In the interpretation of Human Voices in Silent Seas: A Reading on Eliot’s Love Song, Videnov declares that these two entities are both representative of J. Alfred Prufrock himself. â€Å"You† represents the public face of Alfred J. Prufrock, the ego; and â€Å"I† represents the true self, the self that wants to be expressed but is prevented by Prufrock’s fear and insecurity. The opposing characters within Prufrock are further extended through the symbols of afternoon and evening. The imagery of afternoon is a representation of the light, the desire to express, and the need for connection. The evening represents a darkness, or comfort in the habitual pattern of the introverted mind and it’s self-destructive thoughts. Prufrock expresses his mental state when he says, ‘the evening sleeps so peacefully. † (Gwynn 624) In saying this, Prufrock is confirming within himself his comfort in the thought pattern of darkness. This leads him to question, â€Å"Would it have been worthwhile? † (Gwynn 625), referring to the desired human connection he wants deep down. He truly believes that expression of the self and what he, as an individual has to say and share, are not going to be acc epted by others. Because of his fear of expression, the singer sings a song of love, but predominately and more ironically, a song of sadness. He has continued his pattern of introversion to such an extreme that he suffers from continual loneliness and disassociation. He proves this dissociation when he ends the poem with an insight of his fantasy world of mermaids where he retreats, when he is lonely. He looks upon the beautiful creatures in awe of their unifying world; yet won’t even allow himself to be happy in his fantasy. He states this saying, â€Å"I do not think that they will sing to me,† (Gwynn 625). This prevents him from dreaming himself to a healthy and loving relationship with himself, or anyone else. The lines â€Å"let us go† (Gwynn 622) used repeatedly are incredibly significant in this poem. Us† being the internal representation of the two conflicting sides that exist within Prufrock, as he yearns for release of this horrible cycle. What J. Alfred Prufrock does not understand is that every individual goes through this experience of questioning self worth. The underlying ironic theme of this poem is the relation of the reader to Prufrock himself. This is a cry of the main character to emerge from the inn er seclusion that he feels – a bonding of the afternoon and evening, the light and dark, inner and outer; a battle for the merging of duality to become a union. In â€Å"an overwhelming question† in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by Xue, the main question that J. Alfred Prufrock is consistently in conflict with is whether or not to reveal his true self. Prufrock’s dueling character is established through the language of the poem. The internal conflict of Prufrock is addressed through repetitive language. â€Å"Prufrock is trying to express some deeper philosophical insight or disillusionment with society, but fears rejection. † (Xue 79). This fear causes his misery. Prufrock’s character is dominated by his uncertainty. The repetition of the lines, â€Å"there will be time,† (Gwynn 622) pose irony in the poem. Prufrock is hopeful that he will be able to truly open up to the world in time, yet currently; he is perpetuating his cycle of loneliness by assuming that these desires will naturally unfold without regarded effort. Xue states this in saying, â€Å"The phrase ‘There will be time,’ repeated five times between lines 23 and 36, represents his hesitation and delay, in order to conceal his inner anxiety to the world,† (Xue 80). Essentially, Prufrock is only happy when he is alone with his thoughts because there are no external influences to judge him, yet this is also his cause of misery. Irony is also addressed in the â€Å"you and I† (Gwynn 621) characterization of Prufrock. Xue states the psychoanalytical interpretation of these pronouns, â€Å"In the poem, Prufrock is divided in two selves. One is persuading Prufrock to ask the ‘overwhelming question’, while the other is trying to prevent it,† (Xue 82). Prufrock’s soul really desires is the opposite of what it endures. At the root of his inability to express is his insecurity. Prufrock asks, â€Å"Do I dare Disturb the Universe? † (Gywnn 623) which is direct evidence that Prufrock has serious lack of self-confidence. J. Alfred directly articulates his anxiety about interaction by describing his unappealing physical attributes. He quivers in the thought, â€Å"With a bald spot in the middle of my hair- ‘They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin! ’† (Gwynn 623). This statement is directly in connection with Prufrock’s physical insecurity, as well as his emotional insecurity because of his self-image. He uses this as an excuse for his anti-social behavior. He manifests this negative expression of self by bolding stating that if he were to share with another he would, â€Å"Die with a dying fall,† (Gywnn 623). This self-conscious attitude and fear of being mocked for this truth is the entire reason for J. Alfred Prufrock’s cyclical misery. He does not love himself; therefore, he cannot find or receive or the love of another. If he never learns to share his truth, he will never understand the beauty of human connection. The reality of how much Prufrock shares about himself is shown in the line, â€Å"To prepare to meet the faces that you meet; to murder to create,† (Gwynn 622). The real self or â€Å"I†, as Videnov described in Human Voices in Silent Seas, is lost or â€Å"murdered† in society to â€Å"create† a false self or alter ego that functions in society. Another line stating this ego-oriented society and repeating the symbol of darkness reads, â€Å"the evening spread out against the sky,† (Gwynn 622) which refers to the apparent darkness of all humans all hidden under the masks of ego. Yet, if J. Alfred Prufrock understands this is a battle of every individual, he would be able to relate. In conclusion, it is J. Alfred Prufrock’s choice to live in misery. If he were open to see himself as a mirror image of others he would realize that every individual has insecurities of their own. Therefore, I agree with scholars Videnov and Xue in the psychoanalytical approach to J. Alfred Prufrock battling with his own ego versus the exploration and expression of his true self. If he deemed himself worthy of external expression then he would finally be able to share in love with himself and in turn, the rest of humanity. Gwynn, R. S. Literature: A Pocket Anthology. 5th. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. , 2012. 21-625. Print. Videnov, Valentin A. Human Voices In Silent Seas: A Reading Of Eliots Love Song. Explicator 67. 2 (2009): 126-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. Sistani, Roohollah Reesi. Internal Anxieties And Conflicts In The LOVE SONG Of J. ALFRED PRUFROCK. European Journal Of Social Science 17. 4 (2010): 478-489. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Xue, Haiqin. On An Overwhelming Question' In The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock. Canadian Social Science 5. 2 (2009): 79-82. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.

How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech

How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an idea or opinion that you present. First, youll need to choose a side on a controversial topic, then you will write a speech to explain your position, and convince the audience to agree with you. You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that you have the solution to make things better. Note: You dont have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem. For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash ones hands, or the need to pick a particular sport to play as the problem. As an example, lets imagine that you have chosen Getting Up Early as your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be summed up as morning chaos. A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of this format. Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes your hook statement and three main points. Writing the Text The introduction of your speech must be compelling because your audience will make up their minds within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your topic. Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting can be as simple as Good morning everyone. My name is Frank. After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for the morning chaos speech could be a question: How many times have you been late for school?Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?Have you ever missed the bus? Or your hook could be a statistic or surprising statement: More than 50 percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just dont have time to eat.Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids. Once you have the attention of your audience, follow through to define the topic/problem and introduce your solution. Heres an example of what you might have so far: Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because youve been yelled at, or because you argued with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can bring you down and affect your performance at school. Add the solution: You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to your morning schedule. You can accomplish this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour earlier. Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points youve come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a transition statement that leads to the next segment. Here is a sample of three main statements: Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.If you skip breakfast to buy time, youre making a harmful health decision.(Ending on a cheerful note) Youll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you reduce the morning chaos. After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary. Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly different language. This can be a little tricky. You dont want to sound repetitive but will need to repeat what you have said. Find a way to reword the same main points. Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in an awkward moment. A few examples of graceful exits: We all like to sleep. Its hard to get up some mornings, but rest assured that the reward is well worth the effort.If you follow these guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every day, youll reap rewards in your home life and on your report card. Tips for Writing Your Speech Dont be confrontational in your argument. You dont need to put down the other side; just convince your audience that your position is correct by using positive assertions.Use simple statistics. Dont overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.Dont complicate your speech by going outside the standard three points format. While it might seem simplistic, it is a tried and true method for presenting to an audience who is listening as opposed to reading.

Key Characteristics of Feminist Criminology Term Paper

Key Characteristics of Feminist Criminology - Term Paper Example Infanticide has historically been considered a sex-specific crime, or one that "actually excludes the members of one sex by legal definition." Carol Smart points out in her descriptions of the English legal system that infanticide is the one exception to equally applicable British law since it is an offense committable only by women. Some attribute this offense to the occasion when an unmarried mother must rid herself of a shameful secret through suffocation, strangulation, and the infliction of wounds or fractures to the skull as the most frequent forms of infanticide. (Coramae Richey) It is difficult for a woman to use physical strength in an assault, so she is forced to use a knife or a household product. The practice of throwing scarring solutions such as lye, gasoline, and acids is still a common practice used by women to equalize their lack of assaultive strength. Many violent women offenders wait until their male victims are asleep to perpetuate their assaults, which, in some cases, become homicides. (Coramae Richey) Very little is known about family violence, but recent examinations of the problem have revealed some startling cases of women who abuse their children, husband, and parents. The actual extent of family violence is generally unknown. The younger child is most often the victim, and while mothers are more likely (68 percent) than fathers (58 percent) to commit child abuse, both parents are equally capable of serious violence against their children. The thought of the 'little woman' beating up or battering her husband is cause for many deep guffaws, especially from men. Yet this form of spouse abuse is now believed to be more commonplace than previously imagined.  

Project Evaluation Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Evaluation - Math Problem Example The other option that Salsbury has is to open a health and fitness complex and it has a NPV of ?700,000. Furthermore, the report justifies the technique that has been used in order to evaluate the project by comparing it with other project evaluation techniques such as Accounting Rate of Return and Profitability Index. Moreover, the report then discusses other factors that the organization needs to consider while making the investment decision. ANALYSING THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT Net present value (NPV) is the technique that has been used to analyze the feasibility of the project. NPV shows the net future cash flows of the project after being discounted with the discount rate so that the present value or present worth of the cash flows can be calculated (McLaney, 2009). In the appendix 1 of the report, the forecasted cash flows for the 10 years are calculated and net present value of these cash flows are calculated with the discount rate of 14%. ... is higher than health and fitness complex, therefore the management should invest in opening a retail store than the health and fitness complex as it has higher NPV and projects with higher NPV should be accepted (Jensen, 2001). JUSTIFICATION ABOUT THE METHOD USED TO EVALUATE THE PROJECT The management has used Net Present Value method to evaluate whether the project is feasible or not. Although there are different project appraisal techniques such as Accenting Rate of Return (ARR), Payback Period, Profitability Index, Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR), Internal Rate of Return and discounted payback period etc. However, the report discusses two of these techniques; ARR ad Profitability Index and compares these two techniques with NPV and justifies why NPV is a good method used to evaluate the feasibility of the project. NPV and Accounting Rate of Return Accounting Rate of Return (ARR) is the average return that the project would yield throughout its time period (Gitman, 2003). It can be ca lculated using the formula below: By using the above formula, ARR of the project is 27.24% It is better to use NPV than Accounting Rate of Return (ARR) as the NPV discounts the future cash flows whereas the ARR does not consider the time value of money. Therefore it is better for the management to use NPV as it will show the real value or worth of the project by considering the discount rate and even inflation rate but these rates are not considered by using the ARR. NPV and Profitability Index The other method that has been used to evaluate the feasibility of the project is the profitability index. Profitability index is calculated by following formula: The formula shows that profitability index considers the time value of money which accounting rate of return does not. Therefore it

Resourcing talent Essay Example for Free

Resourcing talent Essay The aims and objectives of this report are to: identify factors affecting an organization’s approach to attracting talent explain the benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce describe factors affecting organizational approach to recruitment and selection give examples of recruitment and selection methods explain the purpose of induction and give a sample induction plan 2. ATRACTING TALENT 2. 1. 4 FACTORS THAT AFFECT AN ORGANISATION’S APPROACH TO ATTRACTING TALENT An organisation’s ability to attract talent from outside depends on how potential applicants view the company, the sector in which it operates and its culture. This is why BRAND IDENTITY seems to be one of the most important factors influencing an organisation’s approach to attracting talent. The top-notch candidates will always ask ‘what’s in this for me’? ‘Unless a business is a brand new start-up, they’re likely to have an existing reputation as an employer – whether this is intentional or not. Given that potential new employees make decisions about joining based on this impression, it pays to define a strategy to make sure the right (and real) messages are being heard. ’ (http://www. pageexecutive. com/insights/talent-attraction-through-employer-branding). WORKFORCE PLANNING which is company likely needs for talent is another very important factor. An organisation’s approach to attracting talent is determined by its workforce planning (WFP). This means: predicting organisation workforce requirements by taking into account: existing skills, training and development, retention, career progression, staff turnover, external factors like: economic climate, demographics, working patterns, and most importantly the demand and supply in labour market. Organisations need to have strategic approach to attracting talent and need to understand the importance of investment in human capital. Talent strategy must be as close to corporate strategy as possible. SIZE OF ORGANIZATION – A small organization cannot have same staffing practices which a large organization may have; it may not be able to attract highly talented staff. Even if it tries to do so it may increase the staffing cost. TYPE OF TALENT THE ORGANISATION IS LOOKING FOR is a very important factor in organisation’s approach to attracting potential employees. For example the level of staff required will determine the recruitment pool, low level team members will be easy to find locally whilst to find a senior manager or a director a company may have to resource internationally. Other factors influencing a company’s talent management are: type of product/services the company is delivering, recruitment tools/methods available, the labour market, national as well as international, legal factors, socio-culture factors or political influences. 2. 2. CIPD POINT OF VIEW ON TALENT MANAGEMENT HR professionals have a very important role in talent management. They have to understand the 4 areas of talent management which are: attracting, developing, managing and evaluating talent. In the current uncertain economic climate strategic approach to talent management is even more important than ever before. 3. A DIVERSE WORKFORCE 3. 1. 3 ORGANISATION BENEFITS OF ATRACTING AND RETAINING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE Diversity is the art of thinking independently together’ Publisher Malcolm Forbes People need to be treated differently in ways that are fair and tailored to their needs but in ways that are aligned to business needs and objectives (The business case for diversity). There are many advantages of a diverse workforce: WIDENS THE RECRUITMENT POOL ACAS points out that the working generation is getting older therefore people from different cultural ; ethnic backgrounds are entering the workforce. REDUCES LABOUR TURNOVER – looking at the UK labour market in the last 10 years, foreign workers are more motivated to work for lower salaries than people living permanently in the UK. They tend to stay in a job for long mainly due to their financial commitment to families living abroad. GIVES GOOD CORPORATE REPUTATION and this helps to attract talent. Organizations with high level of diverse workforce are valued by many people e. g. large supermarkets by having a diverse workforce on the shop floor help international customers to communicate with staff in their own languages. Other benefits of a diverse workforce include: it’s a key to fostering new ways of thinking, opens up a wealth of possibilities and helps to encourage creativity and foster innovation, gives bias-free people policies and working practices, helps to develop new products and practices, opens up new markets and provides due diligence against discrimination claims. 3. 2. CIPD POINT OF VIEW ON DIVERSE WORKFORCE Recognizing and valuing diversity is crucial to good people management practice. HR practitioners have important role in creating inclusive workplace. CIPD advises to companies to go beyond legal compliance with anti-discrimination laws and create diversity strategy or they will become less attractive to potential employees. Company diversity strategy needs to support business objectives and strategies. 4. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 4. 1. 3 FACTORS THAT AFFECT AN ORGANISATION’S APPROACH TO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION Recruitment and selection is the process of having the right person, in the right place, at the right time. It should be affected by current needs as well as future plans (see workforce planning, page 3). One of the factors that can affect an organization’s approach to recruitment and selection is the EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES LEGISLATION. Companies should ensure that they take account of equality and diversity at all times. Organizations should monitor whole recruitment processes continuously to ensure their validity, and that they are non-discriminatory. Advice and guidance is provided by Equality and Human Rights Commission, for example wider advertising, flexible working hours arrangements or child care vouchers for employees. THE SIZE OF THE COMPANY AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE – small companies will have to use different recruitment and selection methods that the larger ones. The infrastructure and finance will determine if it’s a newspaper advert or TV campaign, for example: ‘Join the Army’ Campaign being used to recruit candidates. Also a small organisation will not be able to use assessment centres or psychometric testing due to low budget available. SUPPLY AND DEMAND The availability of manpower both within and outside the organization is an important determinant in the recruitment process. If the company has a demand for more professionals and there is limited supply in the market for the professionals demanded by the company, then the company will have to depend upon internal sources by providing them special training and development programs. Other factors include: costs, recruitment policy or unemployment rate. 4. 2. 3 DIFFERENT RECRUITMENT METHODS There are many recruitment methods available on the market including: advertising, agency, website, word of mouth, newspaper, posters, ‘milk round’, internships, head hunters, recommend a friend scheme, social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, job centre, etc. For the purpose of this exercise I will describe 3 methods in a table below: RECRUITMENT METHOD BENEFITS OTHER COMMENTS Advertising on the website Cost effective Creates employer’s branding Easily accessible Gives understanding of organization’s culture Broad recruitment pool HR managers are actively involved in recruitment and selection Recruitment agency Time effective Efficient Broadens the recruitment pool High standard UK eligibility and CRB checks done Is used to hire management level employees, mainly by larger organizations Recommend a friend scheme It’s less expensive than agency It comes with a recommendation of someone we already trust Used to employ all levels staff from waiters and chefs to senior management There is a risk of discrimination claim Source: Aleksandra Wozniak 2013 4. 3. 3 SELECTION METHODS There are many selection methods, including: assessment centres, speed networking, psychometric testing, daily trail – role practice, competency based interviews, telephone interviews/screening, group interviews/exercises or occupational tests. For the purpose of this exercise I will describe 3 methods in a table below: SELECTION METHOD BENEFITS OTHER COMMENTS Assessment centre Creates employer’s branding Time effective It’s expensive Doesn’t give understanding of organizational culture Face to face interview Time effective Efficient Cost effective Availability to see candidates’ attitude Opportunity for probing Needs good preparation Should be done by a trained and experienced interviewer Psychometric tests Gives highly predictive results Improves the efficiency of the recruitment process There is a risk of standardisation Source: Aleksandra Wozniak 2013 5. INDUCTION Induction is the process of familiarisation with the organisation and settling into the job (acas. org. uk). 5. 1. PURPOSE OF INDUCTION 1. Social welcome – employees feeling valued 2. Introduction to the Company’s culture 3. Physical orientation 4. Explanation of employee’s benefits: staff discount and pension scheme. 5. Check of eligibility to work in UK 6. Explanation of house rules – staff uniforms, reporting absences, etc. 5. 2. HOW DOES INDUCTION BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS Most labour turnover is among new employees, and work efficiency is reached only after a period of learning and adjusting to the new environment. Induction benefits for individuals are: Builds positive attitude of the company Allows quick adjusting, especially for school leavers or people returning to the workforce Saves time The benefits of induction for an employer are: The chance to build on the positive attitude of the new recruit To answer their anxieties about how well they will get on with their co-workers and understand the standards and rules of the organisation Chance to welcome new employees and build on their positive attitude and enthusiasm for their new job An opportunity to familiarise new members of staff with your organisation To introduce them to their immediate colleagues and other members of the wider workforce Health and safety, equality and discrimination Case study illustrating the result of the lack of an induction process: A new employee starts on a Monday, reports to reception and no one knows he is due to start work on that day. He is sent to room 302 where 3 very surprised team members welcome him in a cold way. It transpires that the desk and computer are not ready and he has to share a desk with one of his colleagues. The new starter feels very lost and disappointed. He doesn’t know who to ask for help and find out only after going back home and visiting the web site. He contacts HR but the situation isn’t resolved until the following week. He doesn’t think positively about his new company and starts regretting quitting his last job. 5. 3. INDUCTION PLAN A copy of an induction plan should be kept by new starter to enable him to follow what is happening and will act as a reminder of anything missed or that needs particular attention. POSITION: EMPLOYEE START DATE: NAME: INDUCTION COMPLETION DATE: SIGNATURE: AREAS TO BE COVERED WHEN WHO HOW COMMENTS PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION/ ELIGIBILITY TO WORK IN UK CHECKED First day HR Take copies P45 First day HR Take copies NIN First day HR Take copies INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY First week Line manager Presentation Who’s who History Products/services/markets Future plans and developments TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT First day HR Written Written terms and conditions issued Contract of employment issued Hours, breaks, method of payment Holidays Clocking on/flexitime/reporting procedures Probationary period Period of notice Sickness provisions Pension provisions Maternity/paternity/parental leave provisions AREAS TO BE COVERED WHEN WHO HOW COMMENTS EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY AND WORKER DEVELOPMENT First week HR Verbal/Written Equal opportunities policy Training needs and objectives Further education/training policies Performance appraisal Promotion avenues Policy/procedures to prevent bullying and harassment WORKER/EMPLOYER RELATIONS First week Line manager Verbal Trade union membership Other worker representation Worker communications and consultation Grievance and disciplinary procedure Appeals procedure ORGANISATION RULES First week Mentor/Buddy Verbal/Coffee chat Smoking policy General behaviour/dress code Telephone calls/emails and use of the internet Canteen/break facilities Cloakroom/toilets/lockers HEALTH AND SAFETY First week Safety officer E learning Risk assessment Emergency procedures AREAS TO BE COVERED WHEN WHO HOW COMMENTS Awareness of hazards – any particular to type of work Safety rules Emergency procedures Clear gangways, exits Location of exits Reporting of accidents First aid Personal hygiene WELFARE AND WORKER BENEFITS/FACILITIES First month Section supervisor Coffee chat Sports facilities Protective clothing – supply, laundry, replacement Transport/parking arrangements Company discounts THE JOB First week Mentor/Buddy Coffee chat Introduction to manager/supervisor Requirements of new job Standards expected Co-workers Supervision and work performance appraisals Source: Induction, Appendix 3, acas. org. uk with small changes by Aleksandra Wozniak 2013 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Uses of Petroleum :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Petroleum products are used widely in our everyday lives. They are used to power automobiles produce containers and to keep us warm. Petroleum, or crude oil is liquid composed of various organic chemicals. It is found in large quantities below the surface of Earth and is used as a fuel and as a raw material in the chemical industry. The word petroleum comes from the two Latin words â€Å"petro† and â€Å"leum† â€Å"petro† meaning rock and â€Å"leum† meaning oil. The chemical composition of all petroleum is principally hydrocarbons which are a family of organic compounds, composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen. Petroleum is formed under Earth’s surface by the decomposition of organisms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The remains of tiny organisms that live in the sea are trapped with the sands and silts that settle to the bottom in sea basins. These deposits become the source rocks for the generation of crude oil. The process began many millions of years ago with the development of abundant life, and it continues to this day. The sediments grow thicker and sink into the seafloor under their own weight. As additional deposits pile up, the pressure on the ones below increases several thousand times, and the temperature rises by several hundred degrees. The mud and sand harden into shale and sandstone and the remains of the dead organisms are transformed into crude oil and natural gas. Surface deposits of crude oil have been known to humans for thousands of years. In the areas where they occurred, they were long used for limited purposes, such as caulking boats, waterproofing cloth, and fueling torches. By the time the Renaissance began in the 14th century, some surface deposits were being distilled to obtain lubricants and medicinal products, but the real exploitation of crude oil did not begin until the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution had by then brought about a search for new fuels, and the social changes it effected had produced a need for good, cheap oil for lamps; people wished to be able to work and read after dark. Once petroleum forms, it flows upward in Earth’s crust because it has a lower density than the brines that saturate the interstices of the sands and carbonate rocks that constitute the crust of Earth. The crude oil and natural gas rise into the pores of the coarser sediments lying above. For several years people had known that wells drilled for water and salt were occasionally infiltrated by petroleum, so the concept of drilling for crude oil itself soon followed.

“Icarus” by Edward Field Essay

â€Å"Icarus† by Edward Field is about a young man named Icarus Hicks who experiences anguish while living in the human world, but attempts to fly again. The original Greek myth of Icarus states that Daedalus, father of Icarus, made wings out of feathers and wax to escape from the Labyrinth (a complex maze he built). After constructing the wings, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun; however, Icarus disregarded his warning and flew close to the sun, melting the wax. Icarus plummeted into the water where he drowned to death. The poem, â€Å"Icarus† exhibits how Icarus did not actually drown but swam to a city where he began to live a human life. References to the myth include, â€Å"compelled by the sun† (line 14) and â€Å"thought himself a hero† (26). Icarus is depicted as remorseful of his actions and wishes he had drowned instead. â€Å"Icarus† includes a number of literary devices, such as alliteration. In line 1, Field writes â€Å"feathers floating† and in line 3, â€Å"police preferred.† In the third stanza, there is â€Å"curtains carefully† (line 22) and â€Å"hates himself† (line 25). Field also describes the setting, the human world, as dull and mundane for example in line 11 Icarus is wearing a â€Å"gray, respectable suit.† The tone in the poem is gloomy and dejected as represented in line 13 with â€Å"sad, defeated eyes.† Imagery is perceived in line 1 â€Å"feathers floating around the hat† and line 24-25, â€Å"tries to fly to the lighting fixture on the ceiling.† In the poem â€Å"Icarus† by Edward Field, the main protagonist, Icarus, is struggling to adjust to the human world and cannot let go of his past. The purpose of the poem was to allude to the Greek myth of Icarus and demonstrate how greed may lead to a lifetime of regret and sorrow. Field portrays Icarus’ grief through his daily life in the modern world.

Emergency Department Bottleneck Proposal

Emergency Department Bottleneck Proposal Middletown Hospital is a 200-bed, not-for-profit-general hospital that has an emergency department with 20 emergency beds. The emergency department handles on an average 100 patients per day. The hospital’s CEO has authorized the Six Sigma Team (SST) to address complaints received from patients seeking treatment between 6:00 p. m. and 10:00 p. m. The complaints are centered on waiting times and poor service. During this time the data indicates that approximately 70% of the department’s admissions occur (University of Phoenix, 2009, Course Syllabus). To address these complaints and improve performance of the emergency department the Six Sigma Team must understand process improvement proposals. The process must identify the reason of the bottleneck; identify the correct data collection method; the use of capacity planning; accurate analysis of the scheduling and controlling techniques; and identify a recommendation on staffing or alternative sources of care. Process Improvement Proposals A process improvement proposal is a mechanism to define the opportunities needed to reduce the number of steps, interactions, decision points, reports, and the length of the defined practice (Langabeer, 2008). Three key areas need to be addressed when improving a current practice. According to Langabeer (2008), these areas include increasing capacity, reducing the use of resources, and reducing the amount of variation (p. 79). For example, if the emergency department is currently seeing patients at a rate of four per hour during normal business hours, and this rate drops to one per hour during the period listed a bottleneck will result. To address this issue the department needs to provide the resources necessary to avoid the problem. However, when the reason for the bottleneck is known the correction must include steps to preserve resources. These steps must address reducing the cost per patient, removing excessive steps, and exposures that are unnecessary. Because the data shows the bottleneck occurring after normal business hours the third key area is equally important for successful performance. This area involves the development of control tools. These tools will assist the department when variation occurs, these tools can include the development of contingency plans to use other hospital resources available after normal business hours; for example the use of clinical examination rooms for patient overflow. Process of Improvement Method Edward Deming introduces a method known as the Deming Cycle to identify bottlenecks within organizational structures. The Deming Cycle comprised of a continuous process cycle that involve planning, implementation, assessment and decision-making. Deming postulated that â€Å"business processes should be analyzed and measured to identify sources of variations that cause products to deviate from customer requirement† (Arveson, 1998, para 1). Each step gives operation managers the feedback needed to determine if they are meeting current objectives. Arveson also suggest that this checklist will help reduce bottlenecks from happening while increasing productivity within every department. Comparing the Middleton Hospital use of Six Sigma methodology to Deming Cycle both methods can help reduce bottlenecks issues with waiting time that occurs during interval time of 6:00 p. . to 10:00 p. m. Six Sigma methodology uses phases of defining a problem and provide an alternative solution to the problem. The next phase includes measuring the solution’s outcomes, analyzing the outcomes’ goals and effectiveness, improving any flaws that was identified in the improvement process, and controlling any costs or activities to contain cost and resource deficiency (National Association of Health Care Quality, 2009). The Six Sigma system addresses each problem measuring a quantitative solution to be addressed by upper management and delivered to department heads for implementation. Appropriate Collection Methods Middletown Hospital needs to look at different ways of collecting data. Data collection can be subdivided into three categories with service type, department, and floor. This collection of data is valuable tool that managers need to have in order to understand the flow of business within each department. With the collection of data it will allow managers to calculate the volumes of patients during specific times. The SST will require data collected from all computers used to monitor access to the admission system. Additional data will have specific times at which the patient reported to various stations of treatment, and when the patient was discharged. A multivariate trend forecasting method will be more appropriate in this setting; the use of multiple variables about the item being forecasted allows seasons and cycles to be combined with other variables and improve forecast accuracy (Langabeer, 2008). This will give operation managers better forecasting abilities as they will be able to see trends. Finally, the SST will need to analyze the amount of resources or assets available to serve demand (Langabeer, 2008). Quantitative data needed to measure capacity will include: the number of available beds and treatment rooms, the number of key providers and other staff available at each point of care between 6:00 p. m. and 10:00 p. m. , and availability of key medical technologies and equipment. Examples of key medical equipment are diagnostic imaging, X-ray and laboratory equipment. Methods to Analyze The first step in analyzing the cause of Middletown Hospital’s emergency department bottleneck is to perform a capacity analysis that will help to identify appropriate assets and resources to serve the increased need within each emergency department. The analysis should capture statistical data in time series format that will show sequential data recorded during different time periods throughout the day. Data should be included from time periods when the emergency room is successful in handling demand as well as occurrences of the bottleneck. Creation of a control chart can also be useful in discovering areas of daily operations that are contributing to the current issue of meeting demand. Middletown Hospital is aware that they can not keep up with the demand placed upon each department with current needs. In knowing the limitations, data from the other 20 hours in which emergency department is in operation can be used to obtain values for a mean and average to be used to create a control limit. Taking data from the entire day can be used to obtain a standard deviation value as well. Data and observations that show a large deviation from the mean will alert the staff to areas that need to be updated or streamlined. The control data that is being recorded should be able to define staff ratios, numbers of patients seen, time of day, day of the week, equipment or technology malfunctions, ime of patient visit, reason, and duration. A control chart can help Middletown Hospital distinguish normal and abnormal processes within their patient delivery service. Bottlenecks Operation managers need to handle many different jobs at once. These jobs can be dealing with bottlenecks, and forecasting. Operation managers need to look at current flow of business to determine the proper amount of staffing needed to handle problems in the future. By working with an accurate forecast managers are able to see what is expected and when the flow of business will occur. When increasing staffing in any department the profitability will decrease at start, but soon will rebound as more patients realize they are receiving treatment at a faster pace. According to Langabeer (2008), one of the keys to increase throughput or capacity is to remove these obstacles or bottlenecks, which is called de-bottlenecking (p. 96). Increasing the number of staff on during peak times it will be easy to reduce the number of complaints and increase the profitability of every department. Being able to remove the barriers will allow managers to see the results within days instead of weeks. Within any department comes demand and being able to predict the demand allows managers to become better forecasters. According to Langabeer (2008), â€Å"forecasting is a collaborative process that estimates the volume of patients that will be served over a specific time period. More precisely, it is a projection of demand that will occur along three dimensions: service type, location, and time dimensions† (p. 97-98). Managers will have to better look at the forecasting they are doing in order to make sure they are using the most current data in order to predict flow and handle problems. Recommendation on Staffing Middletown hospital’s ability to move patients smoothly through the emergency department has become a conversation of complaint for patients. Due to the high volume of patients being seen during the hours of 6:00 p. m. and 10:00 p. m. changes need to be made to optimize waiting times and efficiently treat patients. The emergency department is averaging 100 patients per day which, means that 70 of them are coming through the emergency department between 6:00 p. m. and 9:00 p. m. According to Langabeer (2008), in health care, wait times are frequently a source of poor patient satisfaction and process inefficiency (p. 10). The hospital emergency department is currently plagued with a lack of staff scheduled at key times and needs to look at alternatives to better manage the movement of patients. Creating a solution for Middletown hospital means using multiple channel servers to reduce check in time and maximize on hand staff’s time management. Because a majority of the iss ues arise at a key time in the day the revision of the patient routing and flow is required. According to Hall (2006), therefore, by altering patient routing and flow, it may be possible to minimize patient waiting times and increase staff utilization (p. 221). Bottlenecks occur in a hospital emergency department because of the triage concept of putting most significant injuries first. This means many minor care issues will be pushed back. Combating this issue creating a fast track lane to handle minor care issues will decrease patient complaints and wait time. These concepts should reduce the wait time of patients within this three hour block and maximize their experience in the emergency department at Middletown hospital. Conclusion Bottleneck is often the result of an organization lacking the capacity to meet the needs of clients in delivering a particular service. Middletown hospital was given a recommendation to review its current organization capacity by examining their processes, resources, technology. Middletown hospital was able to define other available resources which could be used to assist with meeting their patient demand. Reference Arveson, P. (1998). The Deming Cycle. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from http://www. balancedscorecard. org/TheDemingCycle/tabid/112/Default. aspx Hall, R. (2006). Patient flow: reducing delay in healthcare delivery. Los Angeles, CA: Springer Science Business Media, LLC. Langabeer, J. (2008). Health care operations management: A quantitative approach to business and logistics [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Sudbury,MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. Retrieved November 28, 2009, from University of Phoenix, OPS/HC571 Health Care Operations Management Web site. National Association of Healthcare Quality. (2009). JHQ 174: Lean Six Sigma in health care. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from http://www. nahq. org/journal/ce/article. html? article_id=250 University of Phoenix. (2009). OPS/HC571 course syllabus. Retrieved November 28, 2009, from University of Phoenix OPS/HC571- Course Materials Web site.

How Evolution Explains Zebra Stripes

How Evolution Explains Zebra Stripes It turns out that zebras are not referees at the horse games as many children may think. In fact, the patterns of the black and white stripes on a zebra are an evolutionary adaptation that has benefits for the animals. Several different and  plausible hypotheses have been proposed for the reason behind the stripes ever since Charles Darwin first came on the scene. Even he puzzled over the significance of the stripes. Over the years, different scientists have suggested the stripes could either be to help camouflage the zebras or confuse predators. Other ideas were to lower body temperature, repel insects, or to help them socialize with one another. The Evolutionary Advantage of Stripes A study, done by Tim Caro and his team from the University of California, Davis, pitted all of these hypotheses against each other and studied the statistics and data gathered. Remarkably, the statistical analysis showed over and over again that the most likely explanation for the stripes was to keep flies from biting the zebras. Although the statistical research is sound, many scientists are careful about declaring that hypothesis the winner until more specific research can be done. So why would stripes be able to keep the flies from biting the zebras? The pattern of the stripes seems to be a deterrent to the flies possibly due to the make up of the flies eyes. Flies have a set of compound eyes, just like humans do, but the way they see out of them is much different. Most species of flies can detect motion, shapes, and even color. However, they do not use cones and rods in their eyes. Instead, they evolved small individual visual receptors called  ommatidia. Each compound eye of the fly has thousands of these ommatidia that create a very broad field of vision for the fly. Another difference between human and fly eyes is that our eyes are attached to muscles that can move our eyes. That allows us to be able to focus as we look around. A flys eye is stationary and cannot move. Instead, each ommatidium collects and processes information from different directions. This means the fly is seeing in several different directions at once and its brain is processing all of this information at the same time. The striped pattern of a zebras coat is a sort of optical illusion to the flys eye because of its inability to focus and see the pattern. It is hypothesized that the fly either misinterprets the stripes as different individuals, or it is a sort of depth perception issue where the flies simply just miss the zebra as they try to feast on it. With the new information from the team at the University of California, Davis, it may be possible for other researchers in the field to experiment and get more information about this very advantageous adaptation for zebras and why it works to keep the flies at bay. As stated above, however, many scientists in the field are hesitant to back this research. There are many other hypotheses as to why zebras have stripes, and there may be several contributing factors as to why zebras have stripes. Just like several human traits are controlled by multiple genes, zebra stripes may be the equivalent for the zebra species. There may just be more than one reason as to why the zebras evolved stripes and not having flies biting them may just be one of them (or a pleasant side effect of the real reason).

Get the Lead Out of Hunting

Get the Lead Out of Hunting The Lead Problem Throughout modern firearms’ evolution, lead has been the material of choice in the manufacture of ammunition. The high density of lead and its deformation characteristics give it desirable ballistic properties. For hunting purposes, lead is used to make the small, round shot packed in shotgun shells, and is the main component in the bullets used in rifles. What makes lead less than ideal, however, is that it is quite toxic. In 1991 in the United States (and in 1997 in Canada) lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting. Up until that point, tons of lead shot had been raining on wetlands all over the continent each hunting season. As ducks were foraging for food in the sediments at the bottom of wetlands, they would ingest lead shot and many would eventually die of acute lead poisoning. Bird hunting upland, for example for pheasant, grouse, or quail, was not included in the 1991 ban. With upland hunting, the shot used does not become concentrated in discrete locations and it was not believed to be problematic to the degree waterfowl shot was. The same might have been believed for rifle bullets, which are to this day mostly made of lead. However, there are real environmental and health hazards associated with the use of lead for any type of hunting, and many hunters are changing their habits accordingly. How Lead Bullets Work In hunting rifles, the lead bullet is shot at high pressure into the target. At that point the collision with the flesh of the animal deforms the bullet, turning it into a wide, flat blob, killing the animal quickly if the shot is well placed. However, there is a key problem with lead bullets: when the bullet hits its target, it looses energy by deforming and breaking up, with dozens of small lead fragments ending up lodged in the entrails and the meat of the animal. These fragments can be as small as sand grains, and they are often found over a foot from the wound channel. Environmental Effects When a hunter guts a large mammal, the lungs, kidneys, digestive track, and other organs are left in the field, and with them tiny lead particles. These â€Å"gut piles† are fed upon by scavengers like foxes, coyotes, ravens, red-tailed hawks, eagles, and many other birds and mammals. The small lead bits are accidentally ingested as well. A very small lead fragment in an animal’s gut will be dissolved by the digestive juices, elevating blood lead levels to several parts per million, which is enough to kill a bird as large as a bald eagle. Anyone who has been in rural areas on opening day of a deer hunt can appreciate how many gut piles are left behind in the woods and imagine how many scavengers must have elevated lead levels in their blood.   Health Effects Traditionally, when big game hunters butcher their quarry they carve out the meat about two inches around the entry and exit wounds. When researchers used portable x-ray equipment to look at deer carcasses killed by rifle, they found very small lead fragments far away from the bullet wounds. These fragments then end up in the meat consumed by humans. Even packaged ground venison examined with x-ray technology showed a peppering of very small lead particles, small enough to be unnoticed by the unsuspecting eater, but large enough to cause dangerous health effects. Even at low concentrations, lead in adult humans interferes with renal function, affects learning and thinking, and disrupts our reproductive system. In children, nervous system development is impacted, and there is no such thing as a safe blood lead level. In communities getting a substantial proportion of their protein from wild meat, blood levels with significant lead levels are commonly found. The Solution For shotgun shells, various non-lead materials are now available for upland small game hunting, including steel, bismuth, and tungsten. For large game hunting, all-copper rifle bullets are now on the market for most calibers, and are gaining rapidly in popularity. These bullets retain their mass when entering an animal, without losing small pieces like lead does. Non-lead ballistic characteristics are very acceptable for most hunting situations, and the modern copper bullets have been field proven to be at least as lethal as conventional bullets. The only disadvantage of non-lead bullets is their cost, which is on average about 40% higher. In 2008, California banned lead ammunition in areas where California Condors live, as lead was identified as one of the major threats to that species’ existence. The ban will be extended to the entire state by 2019. For More Information Web resource discussing the science: Hunting with Non-lead. United States Geological Survey. Lead Poisoning in Wild Birds.

Southern and northern chinese business negotiations Essay

Southern and northern chinese business negotiations - Essay Example The compulsions of the present times require versatility in the work ideology and functioning, thus making it imperative that individuals and firms, embrace the multi-cultural to meet the challenges with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. Emerging markets are crucial in the era of globalization and can be defined as the new area with high income and where the demand for the product can be created with relative success. Cases of developing economies like China and India are prime examples that have huge potential for developing markets. China, with its fast developing economy, is a strong emerging market that has tremendous scope for the multinational companies. We would therefore be looking at the factors that have significant impact on the business negotiations and analyzing those factors for their role and impact on the company’s marketing policies and strategies in such market conditions because market strategies need to be tailored according to the environmental conditions of the place. China is the fastest developing economy that has captured a large market segment of the world market in the last decade and a half. The country also boasts of a highly cultural society that takes pride in its more than thousand years old culture and firmly believes in conducting its business within the broader framework of its cultural values and business ethics. The vast differences in the socio cultural values of the eastern countries and the western countries have complicated the business negotiation techniques which need to be further explored for better understanding of cross cultural values and business ethics. The purpose of the study is to examine the factors that influence the business negotiations of China with the international business community at large and the West in particular. In the fast changing global equation of socio economic development, it is