Chaos and the strange actor of meaning Essay

According to Cable an employee’s duties are to take care of his or her safety and health, cooperate with the supervisor, utilize resources, contribute to developments and generally everything listed in the employee contract (2007). A leader’s duty that should not be performed by an employee is to create and explain to team members their job description, provide and allocate resources, keep open communication lines, and mentor employees of the company among others (Cable, 2007). Leaders have guidelines for planning personnel so as to can allocate them into the right positions. These include; firstly looking at what is needed, defining the work, and then check the plans according to the guidelines. In assessing individual capabilities if they are suitable, leaders should be able to know the guideline for measuring which include; what they are designed to measure and predict and level of objectivity, and standardization (Cable, 2007). In order to motivate employees effectively in an organization, the leaders should be able to communicate clearly, reward individual efforts, and engage them in problem-solving among others. According to Cable, change can be managed in an organization by nurturing the guiding group, relaying the right vision and mission, and find ways to make the change a new culture of the organization (2007). Information can be managed by leaders through providing focus on adoption policies, and choosing projects wisely and many more. When it comes to designing jobs, the processes of complementing should marry the objectives, and should be continuous among others. Relationships grow in an organization when people treat each other with integrity, respecting one another’s boundaries and accepting individual difference (Cable, 2007). These new science guidelines for business organization ensure to leaders are able to, tap into people’s skills, projecting positive image to the clientele and strengthening company credibility (Cable, 2007). Managers and leaders should learn how to communicate effectively, being honest, building beneficial relationships, should be fair and open, and model favorable behaviors. References Daniel M Cable. (2007) .Change to strange: create a great organization by building a strange workforce. Upper Saddle River, N.J Source document

McKinsey Case Study Analysis Essay

This paper applies the management by objective (MBO) philosophy of Peter Drucker to the case study analysis of McKinsey and Company (McKinsey). Founded in 1926 by James â€Å"Mac† McKinsey, a University of Chicago professor, the firm started as an accounting and engineering consultancy agency, which experienced rapid growth. This paper is a plan that outlines key aspects of MBO and how it will have both positive and negative effects when applied to the McKinsey case study. Mac recruited experienced executives and trained them on an integrated approached he coined as the General Survey Outline (Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 319). Over the years, the firm’s general approach to consultancy lacked specialized knowledge concerning industry competencies. This paper brings into focus McKinsey’s potential to make a paradigm shift, and provides recommendations to implement MBO to increase the organizations effectiveness internationally. The leaders of McKinsey wanted to transform the firm of practice development, (â€Å"snowball making† the internal name) to client development (â€Å"snowball throwing†). To achieve this, the concept of general practitioners would have to change in order to keep up with technology and the global marketplace. The paper provides recommendation to aide McKinsey in development, capturing, and leveraging company assets worldwide. McKinsey and Co. Case Study Summary The McKinsey and Company case study is a presentation of the management of knowledge and learning by a large consulting firm. The case study discusses  the founding and evolution of the company under the direction of a group of professional educators and executives. The company has served as a consultant to elite firms focusing on issues important to top management for 70 years. The long history of the company is described with the addition of tables and charts to depict 20 year growth rates, mission and principles, areas of practice, and functional groups. Succession, employee growth and development; expansion, and shrinkage are explained in detail within the case study. The company expanded from the original small organization to one of global proportions and significant stature within the industry. The focus of the text is to depict the management and evolution of the firm through the periods of change and discuss future decisions and direction under a new managing director. Key Aspects of Drucker’s Philosophy Peter Drucker is recognized as the founder of modern management. He advocated for autonomy, participatory democracy, and doing what one wants. He promoted the creation of a pluralistic institution of a free society that functions and performs. In searching for finding an answer to how individual freedom can be observed in the corporate society considering the power executed by the managers; Drucker developed the managerial philosophy called management by objectives (MBO). According to Hoopes (2003), managers communicate to their subordinates the goals and objectives based on what is required by the organization; consequently, enabling their subordinates to have autonomy and be responsible for what they do at work. Drucker created this philosophy of management with the purpose of giving employees the opportunity to achieve freedom and individual responsibility in an organization. In past articles Drucker had defined freedom as â€Å"a responsible choice†¦between†¦act one way or another† (as cited by Maciariello, 2005). In addition, Drucker defined the concept of responsibility by stating that responsibility has an external component that involves _accountability to a person with authority_ and an internal component that involves _commitment_. Both making responsible choices and be accountable and committed to the person who has authority are the keys for an effective MBO. According to Maciariello (2006) Drucker believed that â€Å"leadership is taking responsibility for results† (p. 29) and that the leader is expected to show integrity and be a role model for others to follow. Regarding the leaders’ responsibility, Drucker stated that the CEO is the only one who can align the internal environment with the external environmental to make certain that the organization understands the demands of the external environment [_market, customers, and competitors_]. Drucker’s stated that the most important rule in business is to serve the consumer (Lafley, 2006). In addition, Drucker believed â€Å"in the power of strategic ideas and making clear choices†¦. [and that] the only way you can manage change is to create it† (as cited by Lafley, 2006, p. 7). Finally, as the founder of modern management, Drucker viewed organizations as a â€Å"means through which people find access to social status, community, achievement, and satisfaction [and the leaders as having] the responsibility to ensure that jobs are fulfilling and that individuals contribute fully† (as cited by Lafley, 2006, p. 7). Positive Aspects of Strategies Applied If McKinsey and company were to apply the management theory of Drucker they would identify several positive outcomes related to the management by objectives aspects. The company had experienced expansion into a global market and many changes in management and structure. The company was staffed by professionals with few levels of authority and, according to the case study, run more by consent than decree. The consultants worked within a matrix arrangement with a professional core and contractual element in its operations. The application of MBO would increase the performance of the organization by positively identifying the objectives of each employee and their relationship to the objectives of the organization. Francis and Bolander (1976) claim that relationships between corporate and employee objectives are vital to a positive outcome for any business. Under management by objectives employees would receive input that would help identify their objectives and time lines for implementa tion and closeout. Greenwood reiterates Drucker’s theory that â€Å"objectives are not given, are not obvious, are not something that everyone knows† (p. 229). Another  provision of the Drucker theory is the continuous tracking of the process and continuous feedback. This feedback is valuable in increasing the productivity of the employee and their completion of tasks. With all McKinsey managers participating in the development of the strategic plan and cascading the goals and objectives throughout the firm the positive impact of management by objectives would be evident. Francis and Bolander (1976) describe the positive outcomes of management by objectives as improved communication, increased motivation, reduced conflict between roles, and attention focused on results, not activities. With the adoption of Druckers management by objectives McKinsey and company would experience the positive outcomes described by Francis and Bolander. Outcomes of Implementation Using Drucker’s theory of management, the evolution of the management styles practiced in the McKinsey and Co. were based on decentralizing the centers. Once managers established and announced the goals of the organization, they left it up to the leaders operating in each of their offices to practice their own leadership styles to achieve the goals. They called this strategy â€Å"practice leadership† (Mintzberg, Lampel, Quinn, and Ghoshal, 2003, p.322). The management styles implemented were based on the underlying principle of Drucker’s theory of using power top-down. The results of the implementation were significantly positive and led to the emergence of management concepts that we see commonly used today, making McKinsey the industry leader of setting numerous industry trends as explained: (a) Knowledge Management – â€Å"Knowledge is the lifeblood of Mckinsey†. (Mintzberg, et al.,, 2003, p.319). Managers at McKinsey developed a process of knowledge management wherein the task of knowledge management had to be each individual’s responsibility and not just that of the team manager or leader. (b) Knowledge Sharing – By the use of publishing their key findings, employees were able to learn and communicate from each other and understand how processes worked best and most efficiently. (c) Online repository of knowledge – The success of their knowledge sharing documents and papers led manageme nt to develop an online repository of information wherein centers across the globe could access  common data and information that was entered by employees from these centers. This module made a significant impact on the communication among individual centers and the organization as a whole. (d) Identifying Best Practices – With improved communications, managers were able to access information and identify best practices that helped improve the efficiency of their applications and systems. Identifying best practices also led to the creation of establishing benchmarks that further assisted enhance and improve defects in processes. (e) Inter-office bulletins – The introduction of interoffice bulletins and papers led to the development of newsletters and e-letters that modern organizations use today to communicate with their employees globally. (f) Building Customer Loyalty – Using client relationships and training specialists to build relationships with their clients, McKinsey was one of the pioneering organizations to introduce the concept of customer loyalty. Managers trained their employees to focus only on the clients they worked with and provide then with world class quality service. The idea was to gain the customer’s business for life. This concept brought in recurring revenues for McKinsey and also helped create a loyal customer base that enhanced McKinsey’s image by in the industry by word of mouth. (g) Focus on Informational Literacy – The rapid increase in the rate of information literacy made it imperative for employees to be trained and kept abreast of new technologies and offerings that helped them sell better, communicate effectively, learn faster about new products and services, and enhance their own skills. (h) Employee growth and enhancement – Managers at McKinsey saw the value in retaining their workforce by providing the training and helping them hone their skills to perform efficiently. They paid attention to their employee’s growth patterns and career paths and assisted them in developing their profiles so they could move them laterally or higher up in the organization without having to search for someone from the outside. This also helped build the employee knowledge base that could be transferred or shared with one another when needed. One of the negative aspects of the evolution was that the organization grew too fast. Secondly, the organization became a victim of technology where most of the teams were virtual teams leading to lack of direct interaction. Finally, the decentralization of each business unit, across the globe, led  to each unit creating their own processes using the same applications, which resulted in more time being spent in determining best practices of successful processes. Recommendations â€Å"A change leader sees change as an opportunity. A change leader looks for change, knows how to find the right changes, and knows how to make them effective both outside the organization and inside it† (Drucker, 2000 as cited in McKenna, 2006). These words spoken by Drucker were as if they were meant for Mr. Gupta as he reviewed the progress of McKinsey & Co. Growth had been meeting expectations and they were being rewarded handsomely by the market but Mr. Gupta had begun to question whether McKinsey & Co. was, in Drucker’s terms, not just getting things done but getting the right things done.. He questioned, â€Å"If this represented the tip of McKinsey’s knowledge and expertise iceberg, how well was the firm doing in developing, capturing, and leveraging this asset in service of its clients worldwide?† (Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 319). After all this was the second component of the McKinsey Mission Statement. No where had this rang truer than in the halls of McKinsey & Co. They had experienced tremendous growth and change over the decades and like many others saw their share of recessions but they had continued to grow into their present International stardom in spite of it all. Drucker, would concur with Mr. Gupta’s questioning their success irrespective of their huge windfalls. He would caution others in that success is not inevitable or forever and can quickly evaporate if one’s focus is not on the right things. Drucker, wrote of the knowledge worker, a description that applied to most, in the 21st century and he spoke of the importance of efficiency but more importantly about getting the right things done. This was the obvious question that was plaguing Mr. Gupta. He cited three intersecting concerns of the knowledge-driven age that were making the task more difficult and complex. He wondered if his initiatives would be enough. The first concern rests in the amount and rate of change.  Second, the increasing expectations and expertise, and finally, the firm’s success itself contributed to the difficulty, in linking and integrating the consultants and the worldwide offices. Drucker, in writing on what executives must do would applaud Mr. Gupta for his foresight. â€Å"Drucker wrote of ‘five habits of the mind’ that executives must acquire†: (a) knowing where their time goes. (b) Focusing on outward contribution. (c) Building on strength- their own and others. (d) Concentrating on the few major areas where performance will provide outstanding results. (e) Making effective fundamental decisions (McKenna, 2006, p. 4). The outcomes as highlighted above, those stated by Mr. Gupta, along with the Practice Olympics were a beginning and answer to the question of whether McKinsey & Co. were on the right track. They were not only aligned with the five habits as outlined by Mr. Drucker above but were also realigning with the Mission Statement of McKinsey & Co. which stated, â€Å"McKinsey Mission: To help our clients make positive, lasting, and substantial improvements in their performance and to build a great Firm that is able to attract, develop, excite, and retain exceptional people† (Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 321). The only additional recommendation not covered in Mr. Gupta’s initiatives but an underlying principle was that growth had made it impossible to link the knowledge and expertise of the organization. This barrier could be easily addressed within the two-tiered career path he proposed. Allowing for ‘intrapreneurship† to flourish and â€Å"to let 1,000 flowers to bloom (Gluck, 1991, as cited in Mintzberg, et al., 2003, p. 324) would be a way to not only ensure the future success of McKinsey & Co. but would also be a direct link back to the philosophy of Mr. Gluck, a former and highly successful Managing Director of McKinsey & Co. Conclusion This analysis of McKinsey illustrates how MBO can serve as a change agent to  help the organization continue to grow in spite of recessions over the years. The implementation of MBO has its negative and positive aspects, yet in a broad since of theories, the positive outweighs the negative. McKinsey is able to live its mission to help clients make positive and lasting improvements while retaining exceptional people. In conclusion, although the organization grew extremely fast and became victims of technology, the implementation of Peter Drucker’s, MBO could increase the firm’s efficiency for two main reasons. First, it reduces conflict between roles and focuses on results. However, most notably, MBO improves communication, increases motivation and the McKinsey team transforms into snowball makers (practice development) and snowball throwers (client development) worldwide. References Francis, J. G., & Bolander, S. F. (1976). MBO and the small organization. _American Journal of_ _Small Business,_ _I_(1),1-6. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from EBSCOhost database. Greenwood, R. G. (1981). Management by objectives: As developed by Peter Drucker, assisted by Harold Smiddy. _Academy of Management Review, 6_(2), 225-230. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from EBSCO host database. Lafley, A. G. (2007). What Drucker taught me. _Leadership Excellence_, 24(1), p. 7. Retrieved March 6, 2007, from ProQuest database. Maciariello, J. (2005). Peter F. Drucker on a functioning society. _Leader to Leader_, 2005(37), 26-34. Retrieved March 7, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. McKenna, Joseph F. (2006). _Drucker in December_. T & P; Tooling and Production, 72(12), p. 4. Retrieved March 16, 2007 from EBSCOhost Research Database Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J.B., & Ghoshal, S. (2003). _The strategy process-concepts,_ _contexts, cases._ Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Beowulf, Themes and Symbols Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beowulf, Themes and Symbols - Term Paper Example evil through the battle between Grendel and Beowulf, finally the hero was able to defeat him and establish goodness through which, according to the Christian belief, redemption is possible. The human beings are always under the threat evil forces. They are desirous to the flourished and peaceful lives of human beings. This is what happens in the kingdom of Shield Sheafson. The Heorot built by the king is a symbol of the wealth and harmonious life of the people belong to that country. The beginning of the story is from the threats of Grendel who lives in the nearby swamplands of Hrothgars kingdom. The influence of such satanic forces is to be won over by power and strength. After many years of suffering, Beowulf came to know about the plight of Hrothgar. He sails to Denmark with a company of men to fight against the monster. This action is also to express his gratitude towards the king for a favor his father received earlier. Heroic code of that tome demands strength, courage, and loy alty in warriors. The king is expected to have political skills, hospitality, generosity etc. The king and the hero are struggling to establish their own identity. The common belief that honor is gained though deeds is enforced throughout the story. Beowulf is treated highly by the king before his heroic action. That illustrates the expectation of the king and his disciples. The king waits for the daring moments of victory over the monster. Beowulf succeeds there. But obstacle is coming on the way. As a hero Beowulf has to encounter another devilish creature who is the mother of Grendel. The interference of evil forces is a constant process in human life. As a hero, not only in action but also in thoughts, he never hesitates to do such dangerous events. The transition that takes place in the life of Beowulf is to be taken in. When he returns his own country, he elucidates his heroic deeds to the king. Beowulf then hands over most of his treasure to Hygelac, who, in turn, rewards him . Later he was adorned as the king of place. The warrior and the king have great difference. Thus Beowulf matures from a valiant fighter. He carries a diverse set of values for each of his roles. These dissimilarities can be observed more when we compare Beowulf and King Hrothgar. When the young Beowulf, long for personal credit, the old Hrothgar seeks the protection of his disciples. These are the expectations of the society. The role of a person is defined by the society. Thus Beowulf as a king is highlighted more than Beowulf as a ‘hero’ in this poem. We should think that the Beowulf-poet has fused different moral systems, pagan and Christian morals simultaneously and thus the poem is a vehicle of Christian morals. According to Thomas D Hill the Beowulf- poet is a ‘Germanic humanist’ a precursor to the renaissance humanist who would reconcile their Christian mores with the great pagan minds that had come before them. The violence represents one of the po et’s most immediate challenges to settle his Christian faith and pagan history. The belief in forgiveness and mercy which are traits of Christianity is reciprocated with vengeance and battle in pagan belief. Thus in the two battles –first with Grendel and the second with Grendel’s mother Beowulf tries to protect his people. This theme of Christian virtue provides enough symbolism to convey the Christian moral. When handling with the theme of violence, according to

3 simple auditing questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3 simple auditing questions - Assignment Example Julia Granger has already completed steps 1 through 4 and has documented the results of her work on audit schedules E-100, E-110, E-111, and E-112. Assume that the client performs the control activities identified in the flowcharts. A solution to the assignment is provided using schedules similar to the schedules provided to students on the pages that follow. Again, due to the subjective nature of some of the judgments alternative solutions could be considered equally acceptable. Note that the solution lists potential audit tests that could be performed. It is very unlikely that an auditor would decide to perform all these audit tests. Additionally, the solution does not indicate whether the audit test should be performed on the entire population or a sample of the population. 9) Transfers are appropriately authorized and the financial statements presentation including the disclosure of all investments conforms to the generally accepted accounting principles that are consistently applied. The company purchases material from the vendors, the purchased material are inspected and counted and the prices compared to the purchase orders and a pre-numbered receiving report is prepared. / After that the receiving report and the purchase order are issued. On the accounting side, the accountants receive the invoices from the vendors for the items purchased. All the materials that are not accounted for in terms of receiving report are transferred to the appropriate department for acknowledgment for the receipt. The vendors document are marched with the appropriate accounted document to allow for documentation in the purchase journal, vendor ledger, general ledger and the inventory files. The files are reviewed by the supervisor. All the reports such as the purchase order, receiving report and vendor invoices are documented by the

Economy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economy - Assignment Example In carrying out this research the researchers used purposive sampling and questionnaires in data collection so as to increase the chances of conducting a perfect research. This article specifically discusses results from two cities; St. Louis and Cincinnati where in both cases magnet school were successful. There are costs associated with magnet school which include transport. The benefits achieved from this program were found to outweigh the cost as valued by parents and teachers. Clark in his article outlines the hard choices that the university fraternity has to make so as to remain competitive in terms of quality and the autonomy that institution deserves. Public research University faces challenges; the ever increasing number of student and the limited availability of resources. This offers the private university a comparative advantage. In order to bridge this gap he offers short- term solution which includes; privatizing tuition and federalizing the universities, this increases their competitiveness. In addition, universities should concentrate on increasing public support, increasing efficiency in use of resources, pluralistic leadership, enhancing long-term path to be followed by the movement. There are uncertainties whether research University fosters productivity and sustainability. In conclusion the author appreciates the benefits derived from development of human capital generated from universities. (Kerr 187) The author introduces this article by outlining the difficulties that the founders of colleges faced while trying to establish a college. He points out that, colleges established lacked buildings, students or professors, thus making colleges in complete. In addition the founders used crude ways in establishing colleges like other economic activities. From this article the author also outlines that the college founders were mainly missionaries or settlers. It was also established that

First of all its necessary to consider Hecksher and Ohlin theory Essay

First of all its necessary to consider Hecksher and Ohlin theory - Essay Example Countries have comparative advantage in those goods for which the required factors of production are relatively abundant. This is because the prices of goods are ultimately determined by the prices of their inputs. Goods that require inputs that are locally abundant will be cheaper to produce than those goods that require inputs that are locally scarce. For example, a country where capital and land are abundant but labor is scarce will have comparative advantage in goods that require lots of capital and land, but little labor - grains, for example. Since capital and land are abundant, their prices will be low. Those low prices will ensure that the price of the grain that they are used to produce will also be low - and thus attractive for both local consumption and export. Labor intensive goods on the other hand will be very expensive to produce since labor is scarce and its price is high. Therefore, the country is better off importing those goo The Ricardian model of comparative advantage has trade ultimately motivated by differences in labour productivity using different technologies. Heckscher and Ohlin didn't require production technology to vary between countries, so (in the interests of simplicity) the H-O model has identical production technology everywhere. ... The H-O model removed technology variations but introduced variable capital endowments, recreating endogenously the inter-country variation of labour productivity that Ricardo had imposed exogenously. With international variations in the capital endowment (i.e. infrastructure) and goods requiring different factor proportions, Ricardo's comparative advantage emerges as a profit-maximizing solution of capitalist's choices from within the model's equations. (The decision capital owners are faced with is between investments in differing production technologies: The H-O model assumes capital is privately held.) Original publication Bertil Ohlin published the book which first explained the theory in 1933. Although he wrote the book alone, Heckscher was credited as co-developer of the model, because of his earlier work on the problem, and because many of the ideas in the final model came from Ohlin's doctoral thesis, supervised by Heckscher. Interregional and International Trade itself was verbose, rather than being pared down to the mathematical, and appealed because of its new insights. [edit] The 2x2x2 model The original H-O model assumed that the only difference between countries was the relative abundances of labour and capital. The original Heckscher-Ohlin model contained two countries, and had two commodities that could be produced. Since there are two (homogeneous) factors of production this model is sometimes called the "222 model". The model has variable factor proportions between countries: Highly developed countries have a comparatively high ratio of capital to labour in relation to developing countries. This makes the developed country capital-abundant relative to the developing nation, and the developing nation

Mona Lisa and The Vitruvius man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mona Lisa and The Vitruvius man - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Mona Lisa falls under half-length painting since a standard man can stretch his or her hands without reaching the portrait borders. The portrait is one of its kinds as it has good spacing between the main image and its borders. The painting or portrait has the image of a woman dubbed Mona Lisa sitting on a chair with her left hand carefully placed on the same chair. The portrait has a landscape effect from the wall behind the chair. Mona Lisa is an original piece due to its size, the shadow and landscape effects. The application of different tones of colors on various components of the painting makes it pleasant to study and analyze. Dark colors on the edges create the effect of continuity and all these make the portrait one of its kind. The Vitruvius Man is a painting of a naked man with the legs as well as arms stretching beyond a circle which happens to be inscribed in a circle. The painter is believed to be communicating some basic f acts of the relationship between nature and creation. Mona Lisa has more than one basis point of interest as the viewer's eyes’ roam between form the main picture to the rocks and water body. The same applies to the Vitruvius man whose arms stretch from the circle inscribed in a square. However, the moods in the two paintings differ as Mona Lisa is composed of a happy woman while the Vitruvian man is more of a secret cult.  

The Nature of Rebellion in Antigone Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Nature of Rebellion in Antigone Play - Essay Example Apparently, religion appears as a strong theme in the play since the main character is committed to rebellious actions since the beginning of the play to the end. All through the play, Antigone evidently appeared to be intimidating the status quo. She uses the divine law to defend her actions, however, her faith lies in the position of discerning power of individual conscience. Antigone says, â€Å"I dared. It was not God’s proclamation. That final Justice that rules the world below makes no such laws†. Here Antigone is using divine laws as to defend her actions and not acknowledging any of the state laws. She is expressing believe on her individual conscience by even sacrificing her life to the principles greater than human law. The events after the death of Polyneices also expressed how individual principles were against the law. Ismene had revealed very crucial information and Antigone feels it was not important to be mentioned. With the death of the brother, girls were taken away into the house and Antigone feels that it was wrong. Creon believes that men were made to be tough and strong, girls are married and take women†™s places in homes. These are laws that do not exist anywhere in divine or state but rather they are crafted from individual context and may rebel the demands of the state laws. All along the play, Antigone was rebellious to Creon ideas. Antigone chooses to abide by God’s laws rather than those of the state and that makes Antigone’s actions to be disputable. She believes that the decision to follow her individual conscience was the right decision she made. However, the most interesting thing is that although she rebels the state, her decisions respected the gods.

Why Do You Want to Become a Child Development Associate Credential Essay Example for Free

Why Do You Want to Become a Child Development Associate Credential Essay My educational goal is to complete a Child Development Associate Credential, an Associates of Arts Degree, and a Bachelors’ of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education. With a CDA I will be a lead teacher in the classroom; I will be able to plan developmentally appropriate activities for the children in my care. I will also have the basic fundamental understanding of Child Grow and Development, how to support children’s social and emotional development, how to plan a safe healthy environment, steps to advance children’s physical and intellectual development, strategies to establish a positive relationship with families, how to manage an effective program operation and most of all maintaining a commitment to professionalism. The Associates of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, will increase my level of expertise in the fundamentals of the CDA Credential, and provide me with a broad knowledge, the skills and training required to teach children from age zero to five year old. The practicum courses will provide opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge to planning and presenting curriculum. A Bachelor’s Degree will strengthen my education skills, while enhancing my understanding of the many aspects of children’s development and education. With the professionalism, expertise and communication skill needed, I will be able to take on a job as a director at a center, or teach up to the third grade in a public school. Education is very important in order to have a successful life. Without a proper education it is very difficult to reach your maximum potential. My career goal is to be a qualified early childhood education teacher. I chose this career path because I have always had an interest in children, and the way they develop: physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally, while being in an intimate multicultural environment. The abundance of knowledge children gain in the first five years of life is remarkable; it is amazing to watch them adapt to the environment both physically and socially. I delight in their curiosity, imagination, sense of adventure and playfulness. The emotional traits children’s develop at this tender age will be shape by the people they come into immediate contact with. I am privilege to have an influence on the development of children during their most impressionable years. I believe that the Early Education Studies will affect my future as a teacher a parent and as a member of my community.

Transportation And The National Economy Essay Example for Free

Transportation And The National Economy Essay We’ve come a long way when it comes to transportation. One need not look closely to notice the many changes that occur during the long period of time when our ancestors used the primitive way of transport by riding horses astride or making them carry their carts and the like. Surely, transportation played a large and important part in our lives. Nowadays we need not spend long voyage over seas when we want to visit our friends and relatives who happened to live on the other side of the world. However, the importance of transportation did not end from visiting one relative or another. Transportation plays a major part on our economy not only because some people make use of transportation for their business or whatever. In all the uses we get from transportation, transportation is also considered a necessity by our businessmen in delivering products for their customers. Due to these reasons among many others it seems to suffice to say that transportation does indeed contributes largely to how our economy operates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the way one values transportation differs from one person to another. Aside from the fact that the avoidance of traffic could cause us great travel time savings and also it could lessen gasoline cost there are also people who values time or rather, there are those who consider time as money, and thus a quick and efficient way of transportation for them is a must. The same thing however, does not apply for those who can live idly or even for those who have other things more important for them than time. For people of the latter sort, spending too much money on transportation would be a waste of important resources, for those kinds of people believes that there are other things more important than transportation which needs notice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Countries with growing economy for one, appreciates forms of transportation that are quick and efficient. They believe that a reliable form of transportation is needed by companies for them to produce jobs for those who have none. Ex-president Clinton and his vice-president Bush are examples of people who give high credits on a good transportation. These two famous people formed an alliance with the world’s greatest auto manufacturers, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. They both believe that such an approach would help greatly in terms of economy. Of course there are others like them who have got so much faith on transportation. It was due to this that many debates and arguments are happening on the national level because both sides can’t meet on the middle on how much resources should be spend on the development of transportations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     I can see the benefits we could reap out of good transportations and the like however, I think that there should be a limit as to how much resources we should spend on transportation projects alone. There are other important things which contribute to our economy and I don’t believe that those things should be kept in the dark only because most of our politicians have so much faith on transportation benefits. I believe that a thorough examination of the pros and cons is needed before pursuing a project on transportation and other projects as well. If the benefits we could reap are greater than its cost then I think it’s only right for both our public and private sectors to go on with the project. Also, they should also put into account other things which are important such as education, better housing for those who are homeless and the like. Before they should spend our resources on transportations they should first weigh if transportation is really the one we need to improve and not other things which also plays a major factor on our lives. They should also weigh if the majority of the population would benefit for the project or not. If they could keep the majority of the population satisfied, the better. Such, I think is the proper approach in lessening the dispute between the two parties, those who believes in the great value of transportation and those who believes that there are more important things than transportation that the government should focus their eyes on. Thus, as a conclusion I think that the betterment of the many should catch they eyes of our public officials first and foremost. Reference: http://www.apta.com http://www.ibiblio.org

Analysis of Human Resource Responsibilities

Analysis of Human Resource Responsibilities INTRODUCTION The title of the project is ‘Analysis of HR practices followed by ONGC with reference to TRAINING, PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL and SAP-HR MODULE . The internship encompasses understanding the unique HR practices employed by the organisation in PSU to enrich and sustain the culture of integrity, belongingness, teamwork, accountability and innovation, and enhance employee competencies continuously. The purpose of this project to be given is to understand the practical working and effectiveness of the core HR responsibilities with special concentration on: Training Performance Appraisal SAP-HR Module The scope of this study is to comprehend and adopt the practical working environment of an organisation. Here, a link has to be formed between the academic study and the actual in-world implementations of the knowledge. Its important to realize the effect of proper training on employees, transparency in the appraisal process and up to date technological support in the HR stream. For the above study, data is collected from various primary as well as secondary sources. Basic and general information is gathered from the library which comprises of various HR journals and magazines (names are mentioned in references). Interviews are taken of the employees and questionnaires are prepared and surveys are done. Various inputs are provided by the Company Guide during formal and informal meetings. Overview of TRAINING Training employees do have a significant role in modern business era. As an HR manager, the responsibility is to utilize the HR resources optimally and develop the skills of the employees so that they can contribute to the growth of the organization as well as to their personal growth. It leads to improved organization culture. Therefore, its important to understand: What different kinds of trainings / workshops are conducted by the organization? What are the criteria of nominations? How nominations are done? How many training sessions have to be conducted in a year? (Training Calendar) What the employees think about the training sessions? Training objective tell the trainee that what is expected out of him at the end of the training program. Training objectives are of great significance from a number of stakeholder perspectives, Trainer Trainee Designer Evaluator Trainer -The training objective is also beneficial to trainer because it helps the trainer to measure the progress of trainees and make the required adjustments. Also, trainer comes in a position to establish a relationship between objectives and particular segments of training. Trainee -The training objective is beneficial to the trainee because it helps in reducing the anxiety of the trainee up to some extent. Not knowing anything or going to a place which is unknown creates anxiety that can negatively affect learning. Therefore, it is important to keep the participants aware of the happenings, rather than keeping it surprise. Secondly, it helps in increase in concentration, which is the crucial factor to make the training successful. The objectives create an image of thetraining program in trainees mind that actually helps in gaining attention.Thirdly, if the goal is set to be challenging and motivating, then the likelihood of achieving those goals is much higher than the situation in which no goal is set. Therefore,training objectiveshelps in increasing the probability that the participants will be successful in training. Designer -The training objective is beneficial to the training designer because if the designer is aware what is to be achieved in the end then hell buy the training package according to that only. The training designer would then look for the training methods, training equipments, and training content accordingly to achieve those objectives. Furthermore, planning always helps in dealing effectively in an unexpected situation. Consider an example; the objective of one training program is to deal effectively with customers to increase the sales. Since the objective is known, the designer will designthat will include ways to improve the interpersonal skills, such as verbal and non verbal language, dealing in unexpected situation i.e. when there is a defect in a product or when a customer is angry.Therefore, without any guidance, the training may not be designed appropriately. Evaluator -It becomes easy for thetraining evaluatorto measure the progress of the trainees because the objectives define the expected performance of trainees. Training objective is an important to tool to judge the performance of participants. Systematic model training consists of five phases. The training should achieve the purpose of helping employee to perform their work to required standards. The steps are as follows: Analyze and identify the trainingneeds i.e. to analyze the department, job, employees requirement, who needs training, what do they need to learn, estimating training cost, etc The next step is to develop a performance measure on the basis of which actual performance would be evaluated. Design and provide training to meet identified needs. This step requires developing objectives of training, identifying the learning steps, sequencing and structuring the contents. Develop, this phase requires listing the activities in thetraining programthat will assist the participants to learn, selecting delivery method, examining the training material, validating information to be imparted to make sure it accomplishes all the goals objectives. Implementing is the hardest part of the system because one wrong step can lead to the failure of whole training program. Evaluating each phase so as to make sure it has achieved its aim in terms of subsequent work performance. Making necessary amendments to any of the previous stage in order to remedy or improve failure practices. Overview of PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL A very important function of the human resources department for any organization, are conducted to gauge the net worth of all its employees. Appraisal methods benefit the organization immensely. The aim of appraisals is to improve the present performance of the employees and draw on the future potential. The HR department undertakes this processes usually annually in which they procure, analyze and document facts about the performances of the employees of the organization. This provides employees and managers with opportunities to discuss areas in which employees excel and those in which employees need improvement. Performance appraisal in ONGC is conducted annually also known as E-PAR. All organizations practice performance appraisal in one form or another to achieve certain objectives. These objectives may vary from organization to organization or even within the same organization from time to time. It has been found that there are two primary objectives behind the use of this meth odology. One is to use it as an evaluation system and second, to use it as a feedback system. The aim of the evaluation system is to identify the performance gap. This means that it helps determine the gap between the actual performance of the employee and that required or desired by the organization. The aim of the feedback system is to inform the employee about the quality of his work or performance. This is an interactive process by which the employee can also speak about his problems to his superior. An effective performance appraisal system should emphasis individual objectives, organizational objectives and also mutual objectives. From the viewpoint of individual objective the performance appraisal should talk about What task the individual is expected to do? How well the individual has done the task? How can his performance be further improved? His reward for doing well. From the organizational view point a performance appraisal should generate manpower information, improve efficiency and effectiveness serve as a mechanism of control and provide a rational compensation structure. In short the appraisal system establishes and upholds the principle of accountability in the absence of which organization failure is the only possible outcome. Overview of SAP-HR Module SYSTEMS, APPLICATIONS AND PRODUCTS IN DATA PROCESSING- SAP. It is an enterprise resources planning Software Company based in Germany.It integrates all the functional units of an organization into a unified one.It deals with various activities done in the human resource department of an organization, such as, Personnel administration, personnel development, training and event management, payroll etc. SAP- HR Module distinguishes between task, job, position, and person. It provides access to all HR data and transactions in one location. Advanced SAP HR features are time management, payroll, travel management, training and development. Advantages of implementing SAP HR Module : Saves time and money, and improves information for decision making and Planning. Greater automation ensures greater accuracy. Improved reporting capability. Improved employee history data. Better budgeting, compensation adjustment. MAIN TEXT The information extracted from the primary and secondary sources of data pertaining to training, appraisal, and SAP HR module are as below: TRAINING ONGC accords top- most priority in the development of Human Resource through quality training, qualification up gradation programs and accreditation programs. ONGC also has the expertise to conduct customized training programs for its partners. In ONGC, there are following training institutes which are engaged in meeting, training and development needs of the vast human resource of the organization by designing and organizing training programs focused on organizational needs. ONGC has five training institutes of its own all across the country, viz. ONGC Academy, Dehradun Institute of Petroleum Safety Health and Environment Management, Goa School of Maintenance Practices, Vadodara Institute of Drilling Technology, Dehradun Institute of Oil and Gas Production Technology, Mumbai The training Institutes of ONGC are committed to : Impart best in class training programs across the entire industry. Continuously evolve training programs based on feedback from the participants. Provide training solutions to the corporation and partners, both from Indian and foreign, covering entire spectrum of operations. Providing best in class infrastructural facilities for the training programs. Focusing training programs on the emerging business opportunities of the corporation. ONGC measures its training in MANDAYS i.e. 01 man * 3days of training = 3 MANDAYS 10 men * 3 days of training = 30 MANDAYS Minimum target of 1400 MANDAYS are set per year. Training provided by ONGC is broadly divided into Three categories: Safety Technical Interpersonal skills During the internship study of various trainings programs are done in order to understand the objectives and deliverables. 1. SMP (Senior Management Programme) Program overview objectives: Since ONGC is extending its operations to various parts of the world, it is imperative that ONGC executives are exposed to International perspective and develop a mindset of global managers. Keeping this in view a comprehensive program has been specially designed for E-5 level Executives of ONGC. The program aims at: Understanding global perspective and developing a mindset of managing at international level. Build Customer Centric Work Culture Inculcating a mindset of Transformational leadership Evolving a culture of innovation and creativity ONGC Academy is in collaboration with MDI , Gurgaon for SMP 2. AMP (Advanced Management Programme) Program overview objectives: Designed for senior executives of ONGC to achieve the following objectives: Develop awareness and appreciation of the emerging business environment and its implications for the future of ONGC Help the participants to recognize the requisite mindset to make ONGC, a world-class organization Develop insights into the organizational processes that drive excellence Expose the participants to the best in business practices. ONGC Academy is in collaboration with IIM, lucknow . ONGC also provides Overseas Learning Sessions which includes visit to EP Industries and Executives meet in European / Western countries for exposure to best in Business Class Practices. E6and above level executives are eligible for AMP. For choosing the candidates for training / workshop sessions, nominations are done. Circulars are rotated to the Head of each department and they recommend the names of those employees which they think are appropriate to undergo the training. The institute plans and conducts training programs professional areas which involve holistic approach of management in effective accomplishment of various integrated tasks. 3. Executive Excellence through SMET, HOLSYM and Yoga Techniques Program objectives and Overview: The multi- dimensional etiological factors for stress need a multidimensional solution at physical, mental, emotional and intellectual levels. Yoga provides this holistic solution. Self Management of Excessive Tensions is the basic concept for designing this program for executives. The program aims at: Help participants understand the nature and sources of stress in individuals and in organisations, and enable them to understand the relationship of Stress to Managerial Effectiveness. Familiarise the participants with the techniques dealing with individual stress and Organisational stress and give them an opportunity to practice some techniques of Stress Management. Its a 5- days program conducted in Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana , Bengaluru. 4. Global Managers Program objectives and Overview: Todays business environment has created many challenges where managers need to think globally as the world is transforming into a ‘Global Village. The program is designed: To provide professionals with a proactive approach to deal with cultural diversity in todays multi- cultural environment. To understand the domestic Business ethics, values and practices and as well as best global practices. To prepare the participants for the challenges ahead in the highly competitive global environment. ONGC is in collaboration with IIM, Bengaluru for this 5- days progam. 5. Self Development Program for Women Employees Program objectives and Overview: The effectiveness of women employees depends upon the ability to manage multiple roles. The program has been especially designed to focus on the demands of these multiple roles and skills set required for effective performance. The program caters to up needs of women professions facing the challenges of work family balance. The objectives of the program are: To develop basic values of life to make them effective at home and work place. To be able to identify individual goals and align those with organization goals. To increase personal motivation to do the best possible in the most effective way. To appraise the participants on various issues involved in personal growth and effectiveness. To increase personal motivation to do best possible in the most effective way. To make participants aware of their strength and areas of potential development 6. Train- The- Trainer Course Program objectives and Overview: The program focuses on the Adult Learning Process, is built around the â€Å"Three Wheels of Mastery† Expertise, Planning and Presenting, Engaging and Facilitating, which are essential for Internal Faculty members/ Black Belts for motivating others to apply Six Sigma on the job and for enhancing and accelerating their learning process. ONGC provides many discipline specific programs for is employees. Some Exploration Programs: Petroleum Risk and Decision Analysis Latest trends and Development in Estimation of Oil and Gas Reserves Workshop on Basin Evaluation and Modelling Techniques in Deep Water Depositional Systems Some Production Programs: Developments in Stimulation techniques and Candidate Well selection Advances in Water Control Technology Advances in Natural Gas Engineering Reservoir Engineering for Production Operations Some Engineering Programs: Welding and Inspection CAD for Mechanical and Process Logistics Management Flow Measurement and Instrumental Practice PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal report is an index of an employees work performance over a given period of time. It is crucial for his or her career growth as it indicates the strengths, weaknesses, training needs, nature of job being performed and problems faced in work situation. The objectives of the performance appraisal system at ONGC are: To set norms and targets of work performance, as well as, to monitor the work progress of employees. To facilitate placement of employees in accordance with their suitability for different types of assignments. To provide an objective basis for determination of merit, efficiency and suitability for the purpose of promotion. To identify areas requiring exposure for training and development. The performance appraisal system seeks to evaluate: The work performance of an employee on the present job in relation to the expected levels of performance, both qualitative and quantitative. The extent of development achieved by the employee during the period under review. Evaluation of behavioural attributes, attitudes and abilities. Evaluation of potentials for assuming higher responsibility. Appraisal is done in three stages. First, KPIs/ KRAs are to be declared in March(beginning of appraisal year) then midterm evaluation is done which is compulsory in October and finally in March evaluation on performance of the employees is done. Employees get certain percentage of PAT based on their grades or marks of the appraisal. Earlier Appraisal was done on paper. Forms were distributed to the employees wherein they used to fill in the KPIs and then submit it. This system reported delay in recording appraisal reports. Low priority is accorded to recording appraisal reports as there was no visible accountability for delays. Inadequate time and attention was given to the process and last minute rush efforts were experienced. But now ONGC follows e-PAR which has distinct advantages: Streamlining of PAR process Uniform application of Company Policy Reduced Cycle- time and adherence to time schedules Enhanced data security and confidentiality Authenticity and audit trail of transactions Availability of on-line information System driven control and monitoring mechanism Performance based rewards and incentives for future The appraisal process constitute of one appraise and appraiser. Appraisee is the employee who fills the PAR form and submits it. Appraiser decides the KRAs/ KPIs with the employee then mid- term review is done. This is the duty of Reporting Officer. Then it is forwarded to the Reviewing Officer, who reviews it and then forward for co- review (in special cases) otherwise directly to the Moderating Officer. He sends it to Accepting Officer who accepts and forwards it to central PAR Section in Dehradun. (Refer Annexure 2) Circular of Roll out of e- PAR It suggested KPIs is issued first wherein dates are declared for joint setting of KPIs by Appraisee Appraiser. Commitment is made by the HRD group that a suggested list of KPIs applicable to different functional areas would be made available accordingly. HRD constituted a multidisciplinary committee comprising HR planners, corporate HRG and corporate PAR. This committee held detailed deliberations and consulted senior executives of different functional areas across the organization and come out with an exhaustive list of suggested KPIs. All Assessors and assesses may use the table during the process of setting KPIs. PAR DISCLOSURE, APPEAL AND COUNSELLING (A).Disclosure of PAR: The following information on PAR assessment would be shared with the employee on completion of PAR Final grades and marks given by the accepting Officer. Adverse comments (if any) Specific advice to be communicated for improvement (if any) Communication: The communication should be within 15 days of completion of PAR and in the form of system generated message in case of e-PAR. (B). Appeal and Review : Appeal may be preferred by aggrieved employees against assessed PARs as well as having adverse remarks/entry. Aggrieved employee may appeal once per assessment year directly to the Appellate Authority, through local PAR officer, instead of submitting through proper channel. The local PAR officer shall keep record and forward the same to concerned Appellate Authority, with intimation to Corporate PAR office. Appellate Authority (AA) : The designated Appellate Authority based on the reporting hierarchy have been defined in Annexure 3 and 4. While the hierarchy in the route has been defined in the table, Appellate authority must be minimum one rank higher than the Accepting Authority in any case. Each Appellate Authority shall constitute Appeal Review Committee (ARC) under him/ her comprising of representative of functional areas, with 3 members in each committee. In case Appellate Authority is at the level of GM or L- II, the members should not be below the level of E6 and for all other Appellate Authorities, members should not be below the level of E7. The meeting of the ARC shall be convened by each Appellate Authority once in a year preferably in the month of September/October, as the closing month of PAR process is generally August. The ARC may seek PAR record from respective location PAR Officer/ Corporate Officer, as the case may be. The Committee may also obtain views/recommendations of the concerned authorities involve in the assessment of the PAR, for which appeal is preferred, if needed. Based on the recommend ation of the respective ARC, the Appellate Authority shall finally decide on appeal. In case of Appellate Authority comprises of two directors, they may jointly decide on the appeal. If Appellate Authority considers and find reasonable grounds for revision of PAR grade on appeal made by aggrieved employee, such revision shall only be one step higher or lower to that of original grades for all categories. Any revision beyond one level or below will be decided by one level higher than the appellate authority, highest appellate authority being EC. For this proper justification /recommendation have to be given by the Appellate Authority. The decision of the Appellate Authority shall be conveyed to the Corporate PAR office / location PAR office, as the case may be, who in turn shall communicate to the employee in the Performa at Annexure5.The decision of the Appellate Authority shall be binding forever. No further appeal shall be entertained for the same assessment year. Each Appellate A uthority shall forward a status report on the disposal of Appeal to the Corporate PAR office for onward submission to the Director (HR). (C). Counselling: It has been decided in the 353rd EC Meeting to provide counselling to the employees with B, C, D grades and those cases having recommendations for counselling in the PAR. Scope of Counselling Group: The Counselling may be continued as an integral part of PAR process for widening employees development opportunities. The Counselling Group shall not review the final grading of the appraisee, assigned to him/ her by Accepting/ Moderation Authority. The Counsellors during the interviews of the employee shall ascertain the reasons, system constraints and the behavioural dimensions of the employees and efforts shall be made to develop self awareness for correcting personality traits. The Counselling Group shall send a report on each case to the office of Chief HRD. The Counselling Groups are to be assisted by the Corporate PAR officer at the counselling locations. The formation of Counselling Committees is depicted in Annexure 6. SAP- HR MODULE Scope of SAP- HR Module: 1) Personnel Administration Module (Including Establishment and Loans) Personnel Administration Module takes care of employee master data. Various PA processes have been built in this module. This module includes the loans and advances processes also. 2)Time Management Module Time Management Module takes care of Employees Leaves etc related processes. The Time Management component offers support in performing all human resources processes involving the planning, recording, and valuation of employees work performed and absence times. 3) Payroll Payroll module takes care of personnel claims, month end payroll run and pay slip generation. Form 16, Form 24 and all statutory statements related to personal income tax is also taken care by the payroll module. The System calculates the gross and net pay, which comprises the individual payments and deductions that are calculated during a payroll period, and are received by an employee. These payments and deductions are included in the calculation of the remuneration using different wage types. 4) Organisation Management Module: This module defines Organisational Hierarchy, positions, Head of sections etc and also deals with assigning employees to various departments / sections etc through proper positions. 5) SAMPARC:(ESS MODULE) SAMPARC stands for (System for Automated Management of Personnel Activities, Reimbursements and Claims) the employee self service portal of ONGC. Using ESS reports an employee can view his career details, leave details, training booking details etc using an ESS User Id. He can also write a mail to his personnel administrator if he detects any error in data recorded in the system. Getting started with SAP: On your PC, find the SAP Logon pad icon. The icon style varies deepening on the SAP version installed in your PC. To open Logon Window: Double click on the Toolbar â€Å"SAP Logon† on above Screen. Following Logon window shall open on your screen: This window lists all available servers to which you can Login with your user ID. Double click on the desired server name or click on the line and then click on ‘Log On. After a brief delay, following window shall open on your screen : To open the SAP Easy Access window : Enter your client number (It will always show 500 by default). Enter your SAP User ID. Enter your SAP User Password. Please remember that the Password is case sensitive. Press Enter on your Keyboard. SAP Easy AccessWindow Elements The SAP Easy Access user menu is the user-specific point of entry into the SAP System. A typical user menu (here, in the R/3 System) is shown below : The user menu contains those items such as transactions ,workflows, reports etc. you need to perform your daily tasks. If your system administrator has defined a user menu, it appears when you log on to the system. Various elements of the SAP Easy Access Window are shown above. Navigating in the SAP Screen You can expand and collapse menus in the workplace menu by choosing the dropdown arrows to the left of the menu items, as in the example below : To open an application in the workplace menu : Type the transaction code in the command box / field and then press Enter, or Navigate to the transaction node in the tree and Double-click its node in the tree, or Click on node and then press Enter Company Code: The company code is an organizational unit within financial accounting (FI). Personnel Area This field defines the location of the employee, e.g., ABAD (Ahmedabad), BRDA (Baroda), etc. Personnel Sub-area This field defines the duty assigned to the employee, e.g., OFDT (Office Duty), FLDT (Field Duty), OSDT (Offshore Duty), etc. Employee Group This field defines the employment status of the employee, e.g., Active, Retiree, Deputation-in etc. Employee Subgroup This field defines the Grade of the employee, e.g., E1, E2, E3, etc. Personnel Number This field defines the CPF Number of the employee. Pay roll Area: A payroll accounting area (often abbreviated to payroll area) is an organizational unit containing all of the employees for whom the payroll runs at the same time. The payroll accounting runs for payroll accounting areas. Each payroll accounting area determines the specific dates for which the payroll runs, the earliest payroll period for which retroactive accounting is possible, retroactive accounting recognition, and the periods for which the payroll runs. Organization Unit This field defines the Department / Section within the Organizational structure in which the employee is working, e.g., ICE, IRS, Drilling, etc. Position This field defines the post, which the employee is occupying within the organizational structure, e.g., Manager PA, Location Manager AMD Cementing, etc. Infotype: In SAP information is stored in info types. An Infotype can have further subtypes. Click here to view the list of Infotype being used in ONGC. Sr No. Transaction Codes Transaction Description 1 SBWP Mail Inbox 2 PA20 Display HR Master Data 3 PA30 Maintain HR Master Data 4 PA40 Personnel Actions 5 ZPT60 HR TIME : Time Evaluation 6 PP01 Maintain Object

Permaculture †A Sustainable Future Essays -- Environment Environmenta

The term â€Å"permaculture† was coined in 1978 by Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist, with one of his students, David Holmgren. It is a contraction of â€Å"permanent agriculture† and also â€Å"permanent culture.† Permaculture is a relatively broad term subject to interpretation, but generally it is a design system for creating sustainable human environments. The aim is to create systems that are ecologically sound and economically feasible, which do not damage or pollute and are therefore sustainable in the long term. It is based on the careful observation of natural ecosystems, the value of traditional farming practices, and modern scientific and technological knowledge (Mollison, 1991). The basic philosophy of permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature, of thoughtful observation rather than thoughtless labor, and of understanding the multiple functions of plants and animals, instead of treating them as single-product systems. Permaculture presents an alternative to trying to make the environment yield to our brute strength and blows. Bill Mollison, in his book Introduction to Permaculture, asserts that â€Å"if we attack nature we attack (and ultimately destroy) ourselves†(Mollison, 1991). Mollison, 1991, also states that harmony with nature is only possible if humans can discard the notion that we are superior to the natural world. He states, â€Å"We are not superior to other life-forms; all living things are an expression of Life. If we could see that truth, we would see that everything we do to other life-forms we also do to ourselves. A culture which understands this does not, without absolute necessity, destroy any living thing.† Permaculture in its design recognizes th... ...ibliography Christensen, Bill. â€Å"Harvested Rainwater,† Nov. 2002, http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/. Fry, Kirby, and Inger Meyer. â€Å"A Photographic Tour of Cross Timbers,† 1994, http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ctpi/images/tour.html. Harland, Maddy. â€Å"Permaculture Design Bites.† May, 2002. http://www.permaculture.co.uk/info/what.html Holmgren, David. http://www.thefarm.org/permaculture/ Leisure Coast Permaculture Visions. â€Å"What’s the Difference Between Organic Gardening and Permaculture,† July, 2001. Mollison, Bill. Introduction to Permaculture. Tagari Publications, Tagari Australia: 1991. Wasser, Katherine. â€Å"About Permaculture: A Brief Introduction.† Tucson Food Co-op News, August 1994. http://members.ozemail.com.au/~askpv/organic-perma.htm. http://www.permaculture-hawaii.com/intern.html http://www.permaearth.org/

The Spanish Revolution :: essays research papers

Ever since the fall of 1930 when the Spanish Revolution began there has been no surcease of the struggle in Spain. For a long time there was a deadlock of forces, an equilibrium in the tug of war between the property holders and the destitute. Now the equilibrium is being definitely broken. The issue before Spain is either Communism or Fascism. The matter is being fought out not with ballots but with bullets and ruthless civil war. Slowly the political revolution is being definitively turned into a social revolution. From the very beginning, the mass of workers of Spain, both in the city and in the country were the decisive elements. When the students rioted before the universities in 1930 it was only when the workers joined them with a vast general strike that the regime of the military dictator, Primo de Rivera, fell and the temporary regime of General Berenguer set up. When General Berenguer tried to hold fake elections without extending the franchise to all, it was another general strike that overthrew the regime, compelled new elections, forced the king to flee and established the republic in April 1931. At this point the Syndicalist and Anarchist workers began to miscalculate their forces. Syndicalism and Anarchism, in spite of their revolutionary phraseology were able only to overthrow the old regime and to allow the new democratic republic to be set up; but these movements could not go forward to the positive constructive tasks of setting up the rule of the workers. These antiquated movements were good enough to accomplish the negative and critical tasks of overthrowing an antiquated monarchy; they did not know how to deal with a modern bourgeois republic. In the course of the revolutionary movement there was set up what in fact amounts to a dual power, the masses respecting the authority of the unions and the revolutionary organizations, the government being forced at times to yield to the opinions of these mass organizations on vital questions. At one time the bourgeois government was even forced to declare that Spain was a workers republic and to feign friendliness toward the Soviet Union. The leaders of the toilers' organizations, however, did not know what to do with their power. The lending groups were composed of four principal elements: the Anarchists, the Syndicalists, the Socialists and the Communists. The Anarchists were powerful enough within the trade union movement to exercise decisive influence for a time upon the whole situation.

Hate It or Love It Essay

In 1972 the Cross Bronx Expressway was completed; this marked the separation of the southern Bronx and was followed by the â€Å"Bronx is burning† which began the downward spiral for this urban, African American neighborhood. Around the same time hip-hop was founded and became an outlet for the frustrations of the poor, suffering people of this region. The result was the culture of hip-hop that glorifies violence, drugs, money, and a gangster persona. This has become the image of the Hip Hop artist, and is used by musicians to gain the approval or â€Å"street cred† of their fans/peers. With this proof of authenticity, however, many rap/hip-hop artists have sent messages of criticism and condemnation of the life in the â€Å"hood† and the failures of the Civil Rights Movement. In the song â€Å"Hate it or Love it,† these themes of hip-hop are portrayed throughout the song. Rappers The Game and 50 Cent both use signification and realism to gain credibility and critique the failures of the Civil Rights generation. As defined by Imani Perry, a processor of African American studies at Princeton University, realism â€Å"encourages a critique of the media and reflects the significant realities of social inequality† and signifying â€Å"[is] a metaphor for the revision of previous texts and figures (Perry, 61, 101).† Credibility is an idea that is very important in hip-hop. It is often referred to as â€Å"keeping it real† and calls attention to the authenticity of the rap artist (Perry, 87). According to Imani Perry, this entails maintaining â€Å"allegiance to black youth populations or subgroups within [their] community.† Most enthusiasts believe that hip-hop artists should stay true to their roots and stick with the style of their home-region. The Game stays â€Å"real† by recording â€Å"Hate it or Love it† as West Coast style hip-hop and visually signifying N.W.A. (a hip-hop group also from the same city of Compton, CA) in the music video. The song also allows featured artist 50 Cent the chance to stay authentic when he signifies Tupac and Rakim, both of which were also from New York. The Game and 50 Cent though not directly sampling from these artist do cover the identity their predecessors created; as a result, they cover and maintain allegiance to the image of men from black American urban communities. In addition to signifying, â€Å"Hate it or Love it† uses realism throughout its lyrics to build credibility with the audience. Rappers/ Hip-Hop artists are expected to â€Å"witness† and â€Å"live out† the narratives that they tell. 50 Cent starts the song saying, â€Å"let’s take’em back† signifying the transition to story of a â€Å"real† time before he or The Game were known rappers. Both artist reference this reality by disclosing details of ghetto/gangster life in lines like â€Å"Brenda is still throwing babies in the garbage,† â€Å"niggas had stole my bike,† and â€Å"one phone call’ll have your body dumped in marshes.† These phrases all refer to personal or witnessed events that describe the problems like teenage pregnancy, theft, and gang violence in black American urban communities. This â€Å"reality† regardless of truth authenticates the rapper because it shows he has experienced the pa ins of racism, and poverty. It gives the listener a reason to believe the artist can sympathize with his/her own struggles and authenticates the words in the song. Imani Perry also says that, â€Å"[Realism is a] testimony to the emotional state resulting from the experience of poverty, blackness, and the crisis of urbanity (Perry, 87).† After proving oneself as â€Å"real† and establishing their ability to relate to black America, rap artist can further their credibility by targeting the emotional hardships of urban poverty. 50 Cent conveys these emotions when he raps, â€Å"Different day, same shit, ain’t nothing good in the hood. I’d run away from this bitch and never come back if I could.† Here he expresses a genuine hate for the â€Å"hood† and shows his vulnerability as a child, a sentiment not often admitted to in rap. It is this type of realism and openness with emotions that gives musicians the chance to connect and gain trust from the audience. With trust, sup port, and belief in the lyrics, credibility is established. The artist becomes â€Å"real.† Establishing a sense of being â€Å"real† is not restricted to the lyrics. In the music video for â€Å"Hate it or Love it,† The Game employs several images that create both emotion and establish his â€Å"witnessing† of gangster life. For example, both 50 Cent and The Game are represented as children in the music video. They are shown alone in an empty house, standing next to a dead body, and being arrested (as a child and adult). These pictures create feelings of pity and sorrow for the young rappers who appear to have nobody looking out for them, a truth often seen in poor urban communities. This again earns credibility for the rappers because it shows they have â€Å"lived out† the experiences that they rap about. (Perry, 90) With this evidence of living as a â€Å"real† African American, The Game and 50 Cent progress toward a manifestation of respect by contrasting the hood with their new â€Å"reality.† This new life is what Nelson Geor ge would describe as, â€Å"the black man crave[ing] a context for that style, one that often comes as part of a male-dominated collective (George, 52).† In other words, 50 Cent and The Game must cover a glorified version of â€Å"that style† ascribed to the black, male demographic to earn respect from their peers. This glamorized image of blackness is seen throughout the â€Å"Hate it or Love it† music video. The Game is shown standing on top of a building in suburban Los Angles, cruzing down the Boulevard in a red convertible, and wearing two Jacob watches. These images are all a â€Å"signifying call-response trope† between rapper to rapper and rapper to audience (Perry, 62). These images of wealth, and power are a cover of African American male’s desired collective style, a style formed by the previous generation of rappers, and a style African American public continually tries to mimic. It is with the success of achieving this â€Å"style† that 50 Cent and The Game earn respect, and it is with this respect that they gain that final amount of credibility that makes them â€Å"real† rap art ists. Realism is not restricted to the construction of credibility for an artist, it also has the ability to inform listeners about life in the â€Å"hood.† Imani Perry describes this type of realism as a â€Å"telling narrative.† She says, â€Å"[a telling narrative] is to inform and enlighten rather than simply depict (Perry, 91).† The Game accomplished this throughout the lyrics in his song. He raps, â€Å"Thinking how they spent 30 million dollars on airplanes when there’s kids starving,† and â€Å"No schoolbooks, they used that wood to build coffins.† These two lines are extremely powerful and a harsh criticism of society as a whole. These words â€Å"enlighten† us of problems for children in black urban communities like hunger, poor education, and violence. The Game shows contrast when rapping that we spend â€Å"30 million dollars on airplanes.† He is clearly condemning society for its failure to take responsibility for African American children despite the availability of resources. A telling narrative does not only express disapproval for society in general, but also â€Å"provides an internal critique of sociological conditions and the prospects of social control through planned communities (Perry, 91).† The possibility of â€Å"social control† or an improvement of life style is implicitly suggested in The Game’s lyrics. He repeatedly shows the availability of wealth with references to items like â€Å"Jacob’s watches,† â€Å"Mercedes Benz,† and â€Å"sheepskin coats.† 50 Cent however provides a true internal critique of the African American community, not just society as a whole. Within the first stanza 50 Cent recounts the poor/lack of parenting he received from his mother and father. He says, †Coming up I was confused, my mom kissing a girl/Confusion occurs coming up in the cold world/Daddy ain’t around, probably out committing felonies.† These three lines are a direct criticism of 50 Cent’s parents and other ghetto parents of the same generation, the children from the Civil Rights Movement. It is commenting on their collective failure to use the momentum of the civil rights movement as a medium for change. Instead, many, like 50 Cent’s parents, went the opposite route. They fell into illegal activities and abandoned their children. This â€Å"reality† of an illegal life is further exemplified when 50 Cent says, â€Å"I wanna live good, so shit I sell dope.† With no parents, money, or real support, children of the Civil rights generation had to turn to drugs and other illegal activities to â€Å"live good.† Through these types of lyrics, 50 Cent and The Game â€Å"inform† and â€Å"critique† life in urban black neighborhoods. Criticism of ghetto life and the disappointment of the Civil Right’s generation are also accomplished with the use of signification. According to Imani Perry, â€Å"Signifyin(g) is a way of saying one thing and meaning another (Perry, 61).† The Game successfully does this with both images and lyrics. For example, he raps â€Å" ‘Pac is gone and Brenda still throwing babies in the garbage/I wanna know ‘What’s Going On’ like I hear Marvin.† This literally is somewhat confusing; however, if we look beyond the referencing previous black artist, The Game is â€Å"signifying† problems that the African American community has been enduring since the 60’s. Brenda, for instance, is not literally â€Å"throwing babies in the garbage.† Rather, The Game is addressing the continued issue of teen pregnancy in black urban communities and criticizing the lack of change in these problems. He is looking at a similar underlying â€Å"meaning† when he references Marvin Gaye’s song â€Å"What’s Going On.† An artist from the era of the Civil Right’s Movement, Gaye was concerned with issue of drug addiction, poverty, and the Vietnam War. It is clear that the Game is concerned with the lack of change that has occurred since the 1960’s and is calling out the failures of society. The Game continues this use of signifying as social commentator by sampling the background music from The Trammps’ song â€Å"Rubberband.† It is this â€Å"imitation†, as Glenn Gould calls it, that â€Å"[gives] art importance.† (Gould, 58) Gould argues that imitation â€Å"upsets the idea of progress.† This is exactly what The Game and 50 Cent are indicating. Since the Civil Rights Movement, the generation of the Trammps, there has been limited progress. The Game is thus â€Å"imitating† and covering a lack of change. He is criticizing the black people’s ability to make change happen. Progress for African Americans has been limited since the Civil Rights Movement. Despite the lack of change, many people have tried to help, improve, challenge, and change the urban black American’s way of life. Rappers, like The Game and 50 Cent, release music that alludes to the gangster life and its hardships. This signification often is criticized as an â€Å"affirmation of stereotypes;† however, on a deeper level the music is â€Å"challeng[ing] the assumptions† of what a black man is (Perry, 61). When The Game ends his music video, he stands looking at the camera holding, kissing, and loving his baby. Looking directly at the camera he is staring into every African American home in America saying I will be different, I will be a good father, I will make a change. The Game understands the power he has as a rapper, and though this may not be a revolution like the Civil Rights Movement, it sends a message that change is possible even if it is one person at a ti me.

Padma Bridge Paragraph Essay

BANGLADESH ECONOMY IF PADMA BRIDGE NOT ESTABLISHED INTRODUCTION: The Padma Bridge is a multipurpose road raile bridge across the Padma river to be constructed in Bangladesh. When completed it will be the largest bridge in Bangladesh and the first fixed river crossing for road traffic. It will connect Louhajang, Munshiganj to Shariatpur and Madaripur, linking the south-west of the country, to northern and eastern regions. The project covers three districts — Munshiganj (Mawa point/North bank), Shariatpur and Madaripur (Janjira/South bank). The total area of land to be acquired and required for its components is 918 hectares. The requisition of land for the construction yard will be for six years on a rental basis. As per the new design, an additional 144.04 ha has been identified for acquisition, bringing the total to 1062.14 hectares. This additional land is required because project site lost significant land due to erosion, for transition structures and due to a change in railway alignment. The two-level steel truss bridge will carry a four-lane highway on the upper level and a single track railway on a lower level. The project will include 6.15  km long and 21.10 m wide bridge, 15 km of approach roads, toll plazas and service areas. Literature Review: It is a sad state of affairs when an entire nation has to suffer for the actions of just a few. The World Bank has claimed to have found credible evidence of a high-level corruption conspiracy among selected government officials involved in the Padma Bridge project. The cancellation of the $1.2 billion credit for the Padma Bridge project will have an adverse effect on the Bangladesh economy for years to come. It will also make it difficult for the current government to begin what it thought would be one of its signature achievements. The government will look for alternative sources of funding for the Padma Bridge. Malayasia has shown some interest. However, the World Bank decision will surely affect the terms and conditions that any prospective donor would offer for funding the project. And it definitely would not go in our favour. Hypothesis: If government of Bangladesh solve the problem about the corruption issue and find some other sources to build ta bridge and to help the busniess and economy of Bangladesh. Firstly we have to stop corruption and find out the sources who will help us to build Padma bridge. Objectives: 1. Main objective: The main objective is to find out the main causes of establishing of padma bridge and find out a solution of a problem. 2. Specific objectives:a. find out the potential causes of padma bridge corruption;b. find out a complete solution of this situationc. Business affects and benefits of the problem and solution.2. Materials and Methods: Description: Materials: I want to complete my research with possible data and documents from every source I can go through Research Methodology: a. reason of not starting the project; b. affects in business; c. who are responsible. Statistical Approach:business affect for not building padma bridgewhat is the solutions to solve this problem3. Timeframe:– I need approximately 15 days for this research. Because in 15 days I use 10 days for collecting the information and 5 days for analyze and complete the research. Working time : Every day 9:00am – 8:00pm (Except Friday & Saturday). 4. Statement of Budget:  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1. | tranportation| 4000/| 2. | food| 3000/| 3. | Equipment| 3000/| TOTAL| | 10000BDT| 5. Reference:  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The Daily star,13th january 2013 Wikipedia of padma bridge

Ellen and Edward represent Essay

Ellen and Edward represent the dynamic challenge of working with two people who enter therapy together, but present different levels of clinical symptomatology. In this case, Ellen appears to be experiencing the most difficulty functioning in her life. She reports a lack of energy, persistent sadness, and even occasional suicidal ideation. These problems are not new for Ellen as she has likely suffered from clinical depression for several years. Her termination of individual therapy may have triggered or intensified her recent increase in symptoms. Ellen’s diagnosis is Major Depressive Disorder. Her severity ranges from moderate to severe. At this time, Edward does not meet criteria for any Axis I disorders, but further information would be necessary to understand his personality and other areas of functioning more thoroughly. Neither member of this partnership meets criteria for an Axis II diagnosis. There are no medical conditions reported and therefore, no Axis III diagnosis. Axis IV psychosocial problems for Ellen include her previous abuse. As a couple, psychosocial difficulties include communication problems and marital discord. Ellen’s GAF is estimated to be 35 while Edward is functioning more effectively at a GAF of 65. The couple’s level of functioning is more reflective of Ellen’s more severe difficulties (Weeks & Hof, 1995). They are failing to communicate, meet basic needs of the household, and sustain meaningful aspects of the relationships. Because Ellen has experienced a mood disturbance for longer than the duration of her marriage, it is possible that even her mate selection of Edward was related to her diagnosis (Weeks & Hof, 1995). For this reason, Ellen’s individual diagnosis should be seen in the context of the relationship for the purposes of couple’s therapy. It is an integral part of their relationship and cannot be extracted if the couple wishes to fortify their relationship through marital counseling. Ellen would still be encouraged to seek her own individual therapy and consultation with a psychiatrist to address the severity of her depression. Ellen’s diagnosis was reached through the decision-tree method presented in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). This method is a thorough way to match the presenting symptoms to the most appropriate clinical diagnosis. In this case, Ellen’s experience of a mood disorder was clear early in the initial session. The details she described about her past provided enough clinical information to eliminate bipolar disorders and more mild forms of depression. Major depressive disorder encompasses the duration and severity (i. e. occasional suicidal ideation) of her condition. The single criticism of the decision-tree method may be its tendency to over-diagnose. While this client clearly met criteria, there are very few paths out of the decision-tree should a client present mild symptoms that do not yet merit a full diagnosis. There are many different medication options that may supplement Ellen’s participation in psychotherapy. Lexapro and Zoloft, members of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class, may be useful. If Ellen does not respond to these drugs or is at-risk for their adverse side-effects, Wellbutrin is another option. This drug has a complete different action mechanism than the others in the SSRI class. Ellen’s response and compliance with any antidepressant medication should be monitored closely. Her history of abruptly terminating treatment could indicate a potential to also stop taking her medication without warning. Many antidepressants need to be tapered off in gradually decreasing dosages. Abruptly ceasing treatment can cause dangerous side effects. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM IV- TR. (4th ed. ). Washington, DC: Author. Weeks, G. R. & Hof, L. (1995) Integrative Solutions: Treating common problems in couples therapy. New York: Psychology Press.

Course notes conflict recreation Essay

Major factors behind outdoor recreational conflicts have been found to be: 1. Activity Style: The various personal meanings assigned to an activity. differences in personal meanings assigned to an activity, 2. Resource Specificity: The significance attached to using a specific recreation resource for a given recreational experience. differences in the level of significance attached to using a specific recreation resource, 3. Mode of Experience: The varying expectations of how the natural environment will be perceived. c) differences in expectations of the natural environment, 4. Lifestyle Tolerance: The tendency to accept of reject lifestyles different from one’s own. (d) differences in lifestyles. According to Jacob and Schreyer (1980), there are four major classes of factors which contribute to conflict in outdoor recreation: (a) differences in the level of significance attached to using a specific recreation resource, (b) differences in personal meanings assigned to an activity, (c) differences in expectations of the natural environment, and (d) differences in lifestyles. Users who become â€Å"attached† to a resource are believed to develop a sense of possession or perception of the place as a â€Å"central life interest. † The degree to which a particular activity or place represents a central life interest can vary substantially among groups using an area, even among groups participating in the same activity. Thus, one individual or group may believe they are more attached to an area or an activity than a competing individual or group. This perception of differences can initiate feelings of conflict. Variation in the personal meanings visitors attach to particular activities may also be linked coping are strategies as those that people use more typically during active participation (recreationists can respond to unwanted situations by substituting one place for another, by altering their use patterns, and by maintaining satisfaction by enjoying different activities. ? Displacement ? change activity pattern if negative setting, experience change ? temporal: shift visit time (weekend–weekday, peak–off-peak ? spatial ? intersite: shift from one area to a different area ? intrasite: shifts within recreation area (e. g. , other campsite) ? Rationalization ? recreation voluntary, investment of time, money, effort ? reduce internal conflict, report high satisfaction, low conflict & crowding regardless of actual conditions. ? Product Shift ? alter definition of recreation opportunity in congruence with conditions experiences; change way think about area Major factors behind outdoor recreational conflicts have been found to be: 1. Activity Style: The various personal meanings assigned to an activity. 2. Resource Specificity: The significance attached to using a specific recreation resource for a given recreational experience. differences in the level of significance attached to using a specific recreation resource, 1. Activity Style: The various personal meanings assigned to an activity. 2. Mode of Experience: The varying expectations of how the natural environment will be perceived or in other words, differences in a person’s expectations of the natural environment. 4. Lifestyle Tolerance: The tendency to accept of reject lifestyles different from one’s own. (d) differences in lifestyles. When a conflict is asymmetrical such as those identified in between hikers and trail bikers (Ramthun, 1995;Watson et al. , 1991), and water skiers and fishermen (Gramann & Burdge, 1981) one way conflict relationships often based on stereotyping from one group to the other based. These conflicts often require management intervention. Substitution alternatives (Shelby & Vaske, 1991), is a coping behavior where a recreationists use behavioral choices when faced with an unwanted crowding or other undesirable situation. Alternatives that can be substituted include the resource, timing of participation (temporal substitution), and mode of participation (activity substitution). In other words, substituting one place for another, changing when they go or how they participate, but still keeping their satisfaction by enjoying different activities. This paper specifically examines the issue of participant skill level as a factor in out-group and in-group conflict by conducting surveys with skiers and snowboarders at five different Colorado ski resorts. Two particular hypotheses were tested: 1) individuals with greater skills in skiing and snowboarding would experience more conflict than those with less ability, and 2) across all skill levels, skiers and snowboarders would experience more out-group than in-group conflict. A total of 383 skiers and 212 snowboarders were asked to rate their skill level on a four-point scale (beginner, intermediate, advanced, or expert). Conflict was measured by asking respondents the frequency with which other skiers or snowboarders a) failed to be aware of others around them, b) were not keeping an adequate distance from others, c) failed to yield the right of way to the downhill skier/snowboarder, d) behaved in a discourteous manner, e) cut others off, and f) failed to be aware of and yield to less advanced skiers/snowboarders. The results of the study supported both hypotheses. As perceived skill level increased, out-group and in-group conflict increased for both skiers and snowboarders. Within each skill level, skiers reported more unacceptable behaviors by snowboarders than with fellow skiers, and snowboarders also identified more out-group than in-group conflict. Conflict is between different activities. Conflict can be as great or greater within the same activity as it is between different activities. While earlier studies were generally limited to conflicts caused by other activities, some researchers have included both in-group and out-group comparisons in their assessments. Thapa (1996) found that skiers were as likely to attribute conflict to other skiers as they were to snowboarders. Todd (1987) found that conflict among Delaware River canoeists was more likely to be caused by other canoeists than other water-based recreationists like motorboaters, tubers or rafters. Additionally, the intra-activity conflicts among river users were more likely to result from other members of one’s own group (intra-group conflict) than from other canoeists (inter-group conflict). Some conflict is not activity-based, but rather, based on undesirable behaviors that may be exhibited by participants in any activity. Gibbons and Ruddell (1995) found more goal interference attributed to discourteous behavior than to encounters with helicopter skiers. Todd (1987) also found that some conflicts perceived by canoeists resulted from non-. In-group conflict is when the recreationists are participating in the same activity such as the conflict between conoeists on the same river or skiers on a mountain. Out-group conflict is conflict between different users/activities. In the same example above, the out group conflict would be with canoeists and motorboats user or with skiers and snowboarders. Some conflict is not activity-based, but rather, based on undesirable behaviors that may be exhibited by participants in any activity. Thapa.