Sunday, August 23, 2020

Ecological Theory Typical And Atypical Child Development Social Work Essay

Vital Management for Bunkers Indoor Golf Center Paper Fortifications Indoor Golf Center is an extraordinary spot for individuals of all golf capacities to appreciate the sport of golf all year. Dugouts brings 42 diverse fairways from around the globe to the individuals of Spokane. Anybody can play the most mainstream courses in as meager as 60 minutes, on the off chance that they are playing without anyone else or around three hours if playing a foursome. Notwithstanding the incredible courses Bunkers will offer proficient golf exercises, proficient club fitting, a nine opening putting green, and four delicate white sand dugouts for chipping practice. Dugouts is an incredible spot to learn and appreciate the game. To guarantee the business gets off on the correct foot the executives has directed a SWOTT investigation and a fair scorecard. We will compose a custom paper test on Strategic Management for Bunkers Indoor Golf Center explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom paper test on Strategic Management for Bunkers Indoor Golf Center explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom paper test on Strategic Management for Bunkers Indoor Golf Center explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer Key Management and Planning Key administration is the way toward making and actualizing choices that will empower an organization to accomplish its drawn out goals. It is the way toward indicating the companys mission, vision and targets, creating strategies and plans, frequently as far as activities and projects that are intended to accomplish these destinations, and afterward allotting assets to actualize the arrangements, plans, tasks and projects. Key administration looks to arrange and incorporate the exercises of the different practical territories of a business so as to accomplish long haul hierarchical goals. (Wikipedia.org, 2009) To guarantee Bunkers Indoor Golf Center is sorted out appropriately structure the absolute starting point the organization will use the four elements of the board. These four capacities are as per the following, arranging, sorting out, coordinating and controlling. Vital Planning is a procedure for figuring out what a business could become and how it can accomplish that objective. It investigates the maximum capacity of the business and attempts to interface the businesss destinations to the activities and the most ideal approach to accomplish them. Key Planning offers a deliberate procedure to ask and answer inquiries going up against a supervisory crew. The initial step to incredible administration is arranging. This is the most significant advance as it will make way for everything to follow. Since Bunkers Indoor Golf Center (Bunkers) is another organization it is as yet working out the bugs; arranging is consistently a continuous procedure. The organization plans everything from the sort of promoting to the manner in which it handles representative execution assessments and everything in the middle. During the key arranging stage the executives is occupied with distinguishing objectives, targets, strategies, and the assets expected to do those techniques, including representative duties and dates for consummation of undertakings. During this arranging stage the proprietors have utilized a few sorts of methodologies; the first being a field-tested strategy, trailed by program arranging and key arranging. In the field-tested strategy the proprietors will distinguish the development of the business and set an arrangement for the initial five years. This arrangement is the most significant first and foremost in light of the fact that it is the one the banks take a gander at to decide whether the business has course. It incorporates budgetary objectives, recruiting of extra representatives, destinations, a crucial the keys to progress. It is a huge arrangement and is utilized as the diagram for different plans. As pioneers make the marketable strategy, the organization will focus on the projects and systems it will use to pick up and hold clients. The projects comprise of a rebate program, corresponding things for clients, and numerous different contemplations. During this arranging stage Bunkers attempted to discover programs that would be valuable to the organization and its clients and help it to hold existing clients and increase new ones. Now, its proprietors are settling on the choices with respect to worker clothing regulations, set of principles, the representative hand book, and choosing the manner in which it ought to assess worker execution. The proprietors will likewise choose what steps they would use during worker discipline, and what they could offer representatives. Each piece of the program arranging stage makes the way for another. The methodology period of arranging is fundamental to the accomplishment of Bunkers. It incorporates the sorts of publicizing, how to increase new clients, how to hold existing clients, how and where to advertise the business, just as who to market to. The technique stage is the most energizing since it offers an opportunity to be innovative and make new associations. This region of business is serious and requires a lot of time and exertion to secure clients. This stage will be the most charming and is one that can never be halted, it is basic to keep developing. Realizing how to make and deal with a vital arrangement is fundamental to the achievement of the organization both in the first place and during its proceeded with progress. The entrepreneur can't stand to overlook the arranging phases of the business and it is something that can't ever be halted. The general achievement of any business can be added to the exertion and commitment put into the key arrangement just as the administration of the arrangement. It is a basic piece of the business and must be kept up and changed as the organization develops. Strategic Statement A significant capacity of the vital arrangement is to make a strategic the organization. At times this can be troublesome, however compensating to the organization whenever done effectively and sincerely. The statement of purpose ought to be an away from of the companys reason. It should fuse important data that tends to ideas, for example, the good/moral situation of the organization, open picture, the objective market, items/benefits, the geographic zone and desires for development and productivity. (Community for Business Planning, 2009) The vision proclamation is an alternate idea by and large, albeit here and there mistook for a statement of purpose. A dream explanation is a portrayal of an ideal result that rouses, stimulates and enables the organization to make an image of the objective. The best vision explanations for result regions depict results that are five to ten years away, albeit some glance significantly farther. (Time Thoughts, 2008) To get the business starting off on a decent strong foot a statement of purpose was made. It was done as such to give the proprietor, the executives, representatives and the clients a thought of who the organization is and what it needs to do. Coming up next is the statement of purpose for Bunkers Indoor Golf Center. Fortifications Indoor Golf Center (Bunkers) is a desert spring for all golf addicts all things considered, from low handicappers and end of the week golf warriors the same. Dugouts is committed to giving eager client care and backing to golf players who request the most ideal golf involvement with an indoor domain. Shelters is likewise devoted to giving the biggest and broadest choice of virtual greens in Spokane. Dugouts unites a group of committed individuals who love golf and trust they must assistance its clients to appreciate this incredible game much more. Each representative offers a similar pledge to greatness, a dedication that will guarantee that every single client has a fulfilling and agreeable golf understanding. This basic one section statement of purpose summarizes the organization and its objectives to assist them with bettering appreciate the sport of golf. The statement of purpose gives the clients and representatives a general rule and can assist them with understanding the inspiration driving Bunkers. It is significant that everybody associated with the organization get this and is prepared to help meet and surpass the clients desires. The vision articulation is a totally unique procedure all together. This announcement drives the organization forward to accomplish its drawn out objectives. Shelters vision articulation is generally straightforward and direct. Dugouts is focused on satisfying individuals by giving a reliably top notch experience that underlines the total golf involvement with an indoor setting. This vision explanation is short to the point and shows the responsibility that Bunkers needs to endeavor to surpass the golf players desires. Spokane is a little city and is home to a few great fairways. Be that as it may, because of the coordinations of the city, a portion of the more well known and energizing greens are troublesome play. The proprietor has had the chance to play a portion of the countrys best courses and when conversing with different golf players found that most end of the week golf players couldn't want anything more than to play these, yet given their capacity or accounts they would not or couldn't play them. Fortifications has collaborated with the main golf test system organization on the planet (Full Swing Golf) to offer these popular courses to the golf players in Spokane. Without the expense or dread the golf players of Spokane can play 42 courses from around the globe year around without leaving the city. Notwithstanding the low handicappers and end of the week warriors, Bunkers might want to work with the neighborhood school golf crews to offer a year around training office to help build up their abilities. The schools can save tee times in a similar way as the overall population however at a limited rate. The enthusiasm for golf runs profound at Bunkers and as such might want the chance to uncover the same number of first time golf players to the fervor the game offers. To help in this Bunkers needs to work with the Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts and Big Brother and Big Sister Clubs. There are such a large number of kids that could never need to chance to encounter golf; Bunkers feels it is important to connect with the greatest number possible a push to advance the sport of golf and to expand a mind-blowing encounters. Golf shows numerous l

Friday, August 21, 2020

Learning He, She, or It in English

Learning He, She, or It in English English syntax expresses that individuals are alluded to as the person and that every single other item are alluded to as it in the particular or they in the plural. In numerous dialects, for example, French, German, Spanish, and so forth protests have sex. As it were, things are alluded to as the individual in question. English understudies rapidly discover that all articles are it, and are most likely upbeat since they dont need to become familiar with the sexual orientation of each item. I live in a house. Its in the countryside.Look at that window. Its broken.I know that is my book since it has my name on it. He, She or It With Animals When alluding to creatures we run into an issue. Would it be advisable for us to allude to them as the person in question? When talking about creatures in English use it. Be that as it may, when talking about our pets or tamed creatures, its normal to utilize the individual in question. Carefully, creatures ought to consistently take it, however local speakers by and large overlook this standard when talking about their own felines, pooches, ponies or other local creatures. My feline is so well disposed. Shell say howdy to any individual who comes to visit.My hound adores running. At the point when I take him to the sea shore, he runs for quite a long time and hours.Dont contact my reptile, he chomps individuals he doesnt know! Wild creatures, then again, as a rule take it when spoken about in a general manner. Take a gander at the hummingbird. Its so beautiful!That bear resembles its very strong.The zebra in the zoo looks worn out. It just stands there throughout the day. The Use of Anthropomorphism Humanoid attribution - Noun: The attribution of human qualities or conduct to a divine being, creature, or article. You regularly hear wild creatures alluded to as the person in question in narratives. Natural life narratives educate about the propensities for wild creatures and portray their lives in manners people can comprehend. This kind of language is alluded to as a humanoid attribution. Here are a few models: The bull perseveres moving anybody to a battle. He reviews the group searching for another mate. (bull - male cow)The female horse secures her foal. She watches out for any interloper. (horse - female pony/foal - child horse) Humanoid attribution is likewise utilized with certain vehicles, for example, vehicles and pontoons. A few people allude to their vehicle as she, while mariners normally allude to ships as she. This utilization of she with certain vehicles and vessels is most likely because of the close connection individuals have with these articles. Numerous individuals go through hours with their vehicles, while mariners can burn through the majority of their lives on board dispatches. They build up an individual relationship with these articles and give them human characteristics: humanoid attribution. Ive had my vehicle for a long time. Shes part of the family.The transport was propelled twenty years back. Shes cruised around the world.Toms in affection with his vehicle. He says shes his perfect partner! Countries In formal English, particularly in more established composed distributions countries are frequently alluded to with the female she. The vast majority use it in present day times. Be that as it may, its still very basic to run over the utilization of she in progressively formal, scholarly or some of the time devoted settings. For instance, some energetic tunes in the USA contain ladylike references. The utilization of she, her and hers is regular when talking about a nation somebody adores. Ok France! Her abundant culture, inviting individuals and astonishing cooking consistently call me back!Old England. Her quality radiates through any trial of time.(from Song) ... favor America, land that I love. Remain close to her, and guide her ...

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

The Performance Of European Funded Projects Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

The anfractuous integration of Romania in the European Union implies a complex process of modernization and structural reorganization. One of the most important aspects of this process is the economical efficiency. In the perennial context of the economic crises, enterprises, more than ever, have to follow a complex process of reorganization in order to respect the community rules and standards. In order to fulfill this objective, the Romanian enterprises are encouraged by the possibility of receiving non-refundable funds from the European Union (80%) and Romanian Government (20%). The lack of any advertising and public relation campaigns about the process of receiving these kinds of funds has often put the final beneficiary in a predicament. Most of the Romanian investors have no idea what their obligations imply, they are focused on the idea that the money they receive neednt be refundable. The present article means to analyze the way the European funded projects are implemented, focusing mainly on the costs and obligations that the investors enter. The non-refundable European funds are an excellent opportunity for the business environment as long as the beneficiaries are aware from the beginning of the social and institutional cost of this process. KEYWORDS: cash-flow, grant, IRR JEL CLASSIFICATION: F35, F36 1.INTORDUCTION Since the 1st of January 2007 Romania has been a full right member of the European Union. Having this position, our country receives non-refundable funds, available through projects, for the development and reducing the socio-economic gaps/disparity in comparison with the other members. Romania presently has several financing programs with different levels of aid intensities (depending on the kind of eligible beneficiaries and the type of investment funded), the most relevant of them are: National program for rural development 2007-2013 The operational program Increase of economic competitiveness The operational program for Human resources development The operational program for environment The operational program for transport The operational program administrative capacity development. The magnitude and complexity of the non-refundable funds do not admit an exhaustive analysis of the problem, only in case of studies involving teams formed by specialists in this issue. For this present analysis we chose a line of funding from the National Program for Rural Development 2007-2013, the third axis Improving the quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy, 313 Measure Encouragement of tourism. This line sets the overall objective of financing the development of tourism activities in rural areas in order to help increase employment and alternative income, as well as increasing the attractiveness of rural areas (EC, 2009; EC, 2005; MARD, 2009). Given this ample general objective, within the 313 Measure we have four kinds of investments, namely: a) Investment in tourism accommodation infrastructure (this component is broken down in turn into agro-tourism and rural tourism), b) Investments in recreational activities, c) Investment in small-scale infrastructure such as information centers, tourism signs, etc.. and d) development and / or marketing of tourism services relating to rural tourism (PARDF, 2012). Another effect of the extensive overall objective is the diverse range of eligible applicants. Eligible within the 313 Measure are: micro-enterprises, freelancers, local authorities and NGOs. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS OF RESEARCH In the present material we performed an analysis of a hypothetical project implemented by a micro-enterprise, within the component Investment in tourism accommodation infrastructure (rural tourism). In this example, the non-refundable financial aid is 50% of the eligible value of the project (but no more than ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ 200.000). The total value of the project is 496.000 Euros, of which the eligible amount is 400.000 Euros (this value was chosen since it covers the costs of a bed and breakfast of four daisies (the equivalent of four stars) with ten double rooms and a restaurant) and ineligible value 96.000 Euros (which is VAT, which is not funded by the European Union as it is recovered from the National Tax Administration Agency). The implementation period of this hypothetical project is one year. Given the value of the non-refundable financial aid and of the eligible value of the project, the investor would receive 200.000 Euros from structural funds. The problem that is overseen by many potential investors is that the European funding is granted on the principle of reimbursement of expenses made by the beneficiary. Many investors do not take into account the additional costs associated with this principle (short-term financing). Another omission made by potential beneficiaries is related to the monitoring period. A beneficiary who has implemented a project with non-refundable funds within the 313 Measure should keep the bed and breakfast into service and do not to alienate/sell it at least five years after completion. During this monitoring period the beneficiary must maintain all of the jobs foreseen in the project. In this example, (considering the value of 200.000 Euros of the non-refundable financial aid) the appropriate number of jobs created by the project must be eight (given the selection criterion no. 3 non-refundable financial amount / number of jobs created ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¤ 25.000 Euros (PARDF, 201 2). These two omissions generate additional financial efforts for potential beneficiaries that can be considered a cost of the non-refundable financial aid. This article trays to determine the level of these costs and the actual percentage of co-financing of such an investment. To see the differences that arise between the various scenarios with and without the influence of personal costs and the costs of short-term financing, we must take into account two indicators: a) IRR F/(C) financial internal rate of return calculated on the investment, quantified by the formula: (1) ) where: I0 is the initial investment (the eligible value + ineligible value of project); CFi is the value of the cash flows generated by the project in operation (flows from investing activities, financial and operational); VR residual value, estimated at the end of the time horizon taken into consideration. b) IRR F/(K) financial internal rate of return calculated on the value of its own contribution. In this case we use the formula: (2) ) where: K is the private co-financing (financing the eligible amount (50%)) + other ineligible costs incurred during the implementation; CFi is the value of the cash flows generated by the project in operation (flows from investing activities, financial and operational); VR residual value, estimated at the end of the time horizon taken into consideration. (EC, 2008; Hazen, 2003) Ignoring the costs of short-term funding (generated by the principle of reimbursement of expenditure already made) and costs related to the number of jobs to be created and maintained during monitoring period, the investment has a IRR F / (C) -1.95% , which reveals that the project is not attractive for financing from a bank or investor. Also there is an IRR F / (K) of 10.12%, showing that through a 50% non-refundable financial assistance, the project would become viable (two indicators detailed in the Table 1 Variables initial investor). Table 1. Variables initial investor Implementing year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Investment value 2.083.200 Cash-flow 55.785 121.441 124.969 128.497 132.025 Residual value 1.344.000 Flow for IRR F/(C) -2.083.200 55.785 121.441 124.969 128.497 1.476.025 IRR F/(C) -1.95% Flow for IRR F/(K) -1.243.200 55.785 121.441 124.969 128.497 1.476.025 IRR F/(K) 10.12% Source: Own calculations based on data previously presented The data in Table 1 are based on the following assumptions: the analysis was done in constant prices without the effect of inflation and private co-financing of the project relies on a credit for a period of 20 years, with an interest rate of 10% and a period of grace of 12 months (equivalent to project implementation period). The value of this credit is 50% of the eligible value of the project. Staff considered is presented in Table 2. The And management and supply functions will be provided by the sole shareholder of the company. Table 2. Staff minimum variant No. Position Gross monthly salary lei 1 Shareholder 0 2 Chef 2.200 3 Waiter 1.700 4 Maid 1.700 5 Reception staff 1.900 6 Accountant 2.000 Total 9.500 Source: Average estimate Table 3. Staff optimal variant No. Position Gross monthly salary lei 1 Manager 2.500 2 Supply staff 2.000 3 Chef 2.200 4 Waiter 1.700 5 Maid 1.700 6 Reception staff 1.900 7 Accountant 2. 800 Travel Guide 2.000 Total 16.000 Source: Average estimate Based on the specifications in the Guidelines for Applicants on measure 313, in order to get a good score and therefore to be selected for funding a project needed to create jobs in proportion to its value, i.e., for each 25.000 euro received as grant the applicant must be created and maintained for at least five years a full-time job. Table 3 presents the structure of personnel as specified by guide (in quantitative terms). It is also well balanced, covering all activities that might take place in a boarding houses. In Table 4 the two indicators calculation is done, this time taking into account the jobs that must be created. Table 4. Project attractiveness with correction for jobs Implementing year Operating period Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Investment value 2.083.200 Cash-flow -44.055 21.601 25.129 28.657 32.185 Residual value 1.344.000 Flow for IRR F/(C) -2.083.200 -44.055 21.601 25.129 28.657 1.376.185 IRR F/(C) -7.52% Flow for IRR F/(K) -1.243.200 -44.055 21.601 25.129 28.657 1.376.185 IRR F/(K) 2.50% Source: Own calculations based on data previously presented Cash Flow Estimation was done based on Annex 1. It appears that after this correction the attractiveness of the project significantly decreased, but not so as to be abandoned and unfunded (IRR F / (K) 0%). Table 5.1. Extract from cash flow during the implementation small credit Period Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Net cash flow for the period 509.600 161.000 -7.000 -330.400 161.000 -330.400 Available cash of the previous month 200 200 509.800 670.800 663.800 333.400 494.400 Available cash at end of period 200 509.800 670.800 663.800 333.400 494.400 164.000 Source: Average estimate Table 6.2. Extract from cash flow during the implementation small credit Period Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12 Total year Net cash flow for the period 161.000 -330.400 161.000 -330.400 161.000 -7.000 -21.000 Available cash of the previous month 164.000 325.000 -5.400 155.600 -174.800 -13.800 200 Available cash at end of period 325.000 -5.400 155.600 -174.800 -13.800 -20.800 -20.800 Source: Average estimate Analyzing the cash flow for the implementation period we can see that in the eighth month, the company runs out of available cash, a delicate problem, most often synonymous with insolvency. Although hypothetically the company would pass over this impasse, because the amount involved is relatively small, in the tenth month the cash requirements to continue are much higher. This situation occurs due to the gap of about a month, between the investment and the reimbursement (the grant). The investment is made in five installments (thus the needs for cash are minimal), during 1, 4, 6, 8 and 10. These invoices are paid in propor tion to the investment company and made ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹grant aid is granted in months: 2, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Another cost factor is determined for the cash depletion rates. The negative cash flow is covered in the fourth year of the operation period (see Table 6). Table 7. Extract from cash flow from operating period small credit Period Implementing Year Operating period Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Net cash flow for the period -44.055 21.601 25.129 28.657 32.185 Available cash of the previous month -20.800 -20.800 -64.855 -43.254 -18.126 10.531 Available cash at end of period -20.800 -64.855 -43.254 -18.126 10.531 42.716 Source: Average estimate In order to implement the project, the company will have to contract a greater loan, which allows it to sustain the interest expenses and differences arising between payments and reimbursements. The second scenario in which the company relies on a credit (under similar conditions: 20 years repayment period, interest of 10% and 12 months grace period), but the higher value of the loan, surmounts the problems outlined above. In this situation, the grater loan allows the company to operate under normal conditions, avoiding liquidity risk without lags during the implementation period (see Table 7.1 and 7.2) or in the first five years of the operational period (see Table 8). Table 8.1. Extract from c ash flow during the implementation high credit Period Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Net cash flow for the period 866.600 158.000 -10.000 -333.400 158.000 -333.400 Available cash of the previous month 200 200 866.800 1.024.800 1.014.800 681.400 839.400 Available cash at end of period 200 866.800 1.024.800 1.014.800 681.400 839.400 506.000 Source: Recalculate from Scenario 1 Table 9.2. Extract from cash flow during the implementation high credit Period Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12 Total year Net cash flow for the period 158.000 -333.400 158.000 -333.400 158.000 -10.000 303.000 Available cash of the previous month 506.000 664.000 330.600 488.600 155.200 313.200 200 Available cash at end of period 664.000 330.600 488.600 155.200 313.200 303.200 303.200 Source: Recalculate from Scenario 1 From Table 7.1 and 7.2 we can see that the available cash at the end of each period is positive, denoting the fact that the company has sufficient cash resources to operate normally. Table 10. Extract from cash flow from operating period high credit Period Implementing Year Operating period Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Net cash flow for the period -97.080 -29.624 -24.296 -18.968 -13.640 Available cash of the previous month 303.200 303.200 206.120 176.496 152.199 133.231 Available cash at end of period 303.200 206.120 176.496 152.199 133.231 119.591 Source: Recalculate from Scenario 1 As a side effect of the higher credit we can observe (see Table 8) that the cash flows generated by the investment are lower than those caused by lower loan (see Table 6), this being blamed on higher interest rates Table 11. Annual rates of both loans Large Credit Small Credit Differences Loan Value 1.200.000 840.000 360.000 The value of annual installments 60.000 42.000 18.000 Source: Own calculations based on data previously presented The two credits are obtained in similar conditions, both repayment periods are 20 years, but because of amounts differ, the values of the annual rates differ as well. Table 12. Annual interest of both credits Amount of interest Implementing year Operating period Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Large Credit 120.000 116.750 110.750 104.750 98.750 92.750 Small Credit 84.000 81.725 77.525 73.325 69.125 64.925 Differences 36.000 35.025 33.225 31.425 29.625 27.825 Source: Own calculations based on data previously presented Interest calculation was performed by applying 10% annual margin outstanding of the loan (the amount remaining to be paid). Table 13. The additional cost of the higher credit Discount rate 5% Period (Years) 0 1 2 3 4 5 Difference in credit 54.000 35.025 33.225 31.425 29.625 27.825 Discount factor 1 0,95238 0,90702 0,86383 0,82270 0,78352 Difference in loan discounted 54.000 33.357,14 30.136,05 27.146,1 24.372,56 21.801,62 Discounted total costs 190.813,47 Source: Own calculations based on data previously presented In terms of time, the costs of credit will be carried forward, to ensure the unit of analysis, they are discounted (the discount rate used is 5% without the effect of inflation). Table 14. Project attractiveness after correction for jobs and correction for necessary credit Variant 1 Implementing year Operating period Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Investment value 2.083.200 Cash-flow -97.080 -29.624 -24.296 -18.968 -13.640 Residual value 1344000 Flow for IRR F/(C) -2.083.200 -97.080 -29.624 -24.296 -18.968 1.330.360 IRR F/(C) -10.30% Flow for IRR F/(K) -1.243.200 -97.080 -29.624 -24.296 -18.968 1.330.360 IRR F/(K) -1.26% Source: Own calculations based on data previously presented Recalculating the IRR F / (C) and IRR F / (K) taking in to account the high credit (see Table 12) we can see that the attractiveness of the project has fell drastically, both indicators have negative valuesÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹. This requires a rethinking of the entire project, the most viable solution is the reduction of the investment value, introducing new products that bring additional income or finding more attractive funding sources). III. Research results Plotting the evolution of the two indicators before and after making the corrections, it appears that both indicators registered a strong downtrend. Figure 1. Evolution IRR/ C and IRR/K Source: own representation of the results The analysis of the indicators illustrates the fact that the project initially seemed viable, but now it has to be rethought because even with the non-refundable financial support it cant be profitable. Investors who do not know the system of awarding grant can reach difficult situations such as: projects blocked because the beneficiary has no more financial resources, facilities constructed through grant projects that have to be kept in operation although no profit is being made etc. Table 15. Actual percentages of co-financing Category Value Percentage Eligible value 1.680.000,00 100.00% Grant 840.000,00 50.00% Private contribution 840.000,00 50.00% Real Grant 840.000,00 33.28% Real Private contribution 1.120.813,47 66.72% Source: Own calculations based on the scenarios previously presented If we consider the additional cost generated by a higher loan necessary for covering the gap between the investment and the reimbursement of expenses, the grant aid intensity (expressed as percentage) decreases from 50% to 33.28%. This new value can be called the actual grant aid. A counter argument could be that the investor has sufficient financial resources and a credit is not needed. However, in this case he blocks a certain amount of money for a determined period of time, during which he cant use it. Although this cost is difficult to place in a cash flow, as an opportunity cost, it exists, and interferes on a long-term perspective, the investor renouncing the use of those amounts, which could generate income. IV. Conclusions Grants are an opportunity for all businesses and a diverse pallet of investors. The decision to start such a project must be analyzed very well, because all sources of capital even grants have a specific cost, sometimes hard to quantify explicitly. In the case of grants, the cost derives mainly from the social side and the process of reimbursement. However, through a detailed economic and financial analysis of the project that takes into account of all the elements, both obvious and most discreet, the success of the investment can be ensured and thus fulfill all the objectives and commitments of the grant recipient.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

The Homeless Population - 953 Words

There are many avenues one could choose when looking for a way to give back to the community. I decided to focus on giving back to the homeless population. For one week, a group of church members, and myself went to the state of California to serve the homeless population in Los Angeles, and San Francisco in more ways than one. We started the journey in downtown L.A.. That first morning we were given beaten-up clothing, and sent out the door of the hotel with no breakfast or money. In partners we headed toward skid row to seek out a corner for pan-handling before meeting at The Mission for lunch. Skid row is an area of L.A. that most do not venture into. The streets are filled to capacity with many different people that all have one thing in common, homelessness. The filth is outrageous, and the smell of different bodily fluids is unbearable. There are no smiles, or warm feelings; it is survival of the fittest. The experience opened everyone’s eyes to the pain, and unseen stru ggles of homelessness. We were better equipped to help the people we would be meeting as the trip continued. At the end of the day, the money collected as a group was donated to The Mission. The next major stop was in the â€Å"Tenderloin† of San Francisco. This area was stricken by homelessness as well, but held a culture all of its own. My different viewpoint of this homeless culture may have been based on the type of work we did here, none the less, I noticed more working poor, open drug trade, and mostShow MoreRelatedThe For The Homeless Population1695 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The population I chose for this treatment group is the homeless population with a focus on life skills; more specifically with barriers to employment. The general population puts unrealistic expectations upon the homeless rather than meeting them with empathy and realistic support. Having a support group for the homeless population to talk to one another is beneficial in numerous ways. The group members can share tips and tricks, can validate one another, can build a sense of belongingRead MoreHomeless Population And The Homeless Families1421 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper will talk about the homeless population and the homeless families. It will explore the multiple causes of family homelessness and the struggle has on homeless family life. The three main reasons for homeless families within America are the following: 1) the lack of affordable housing, 2) low income 3) Inadequate federal subsidy. This paper will also give possible solutions to family homelessness and improvement plans for the future. Home is where the heart is. -Pliny the Elder We haveRead MoreHomelessness : The Homeless Population843 Words   |  4 Pages Seven billion people, that is the number of individuals that fill this vast world and 25 percent are homeless. Homelessness does not just transpire overnight, in poor countries, and to adults. This dire circumstance can develop anywhere: from poverty stricken countries to the wealthiest in the world and to people of any generation. Tragically, 30 percent of the homeless population is comprised of children (HomeAid.). Government and communities need to work together to develop more solutionsRead MoreThe Problem Of Homeless Population1401 Words   |  6 Pagesnumber of homeless people; this situation has been highly overlooked by media and political attention. Cities in many parts of the world may be known as centers for poverty whether if it s a developed or developing country. No city, state, or country is prone to homelessness. Los Angeles in particular is an entry point for many immigrants who come to look for jobs. The intentions are not to cause there to be a vulnerability to poverty but to try to make a living some how. â€Å"Skid Row homeless populationRead MoreHomelessness And The Homeless Population1570 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States spends over a billion dollars each year to assist homeless persons to find permanent supportive housing. Federal programs provide funding for specific sub-groups with the idea that providing housing for these groups will end the national problem. Without continued analysis of the social construction that hinders the homeless population, funding will not reach the target destination resulting in misplaced effort. This paper provides an informational and critical analysis of homelessnessRead MoreHomelessness : The Homeless Population Essay1703 Words   |  7 Pagesyear. Homelessness is an endless epidemic that continues to grow. There isn’t one specific causal factor to this every increasing population. Individuals experien cing homelessness come from various backgrounds and cultures physically, financially, and emotionally. They could be considered the melting pot for diversity. Often times individuals experiencing homeless are judged by their outer appearance with no regard for the contributing factors to the situation. According to the National AllianceRead MorePoverty And The Homeless Population Essay1704 Words   |  7 Pagespercent increase since the homeless count in 2013 (Halstead). These numbers are only expected to go up in the coming years, as long the problem of not enough room in shelters exist. In addition to the individual homeless population growing, the streets of Marin will see another consequence that the county faces due to this problem. The community will see a significant increase in the number of homeless families. Marin now more than before is seeing more families living on the streets. AccordingRead MoreA Research On The Homeless Population942 Words   |  4 Pages the author discusses his research on the homeless population. He refers to the many routes one can take to become homeless. Choose two populations from his list that you think might work in your career as a human service professional. Describe two possible interventions or tasks that you might be involved with in working with each population. What are some of the general skills a human services professional might need to work with these populations? There are many types of homelessness in ourRead MoreVulnerable Population : The Homeless1212 Words   |  5 PagesVulnerable Population: The Homeless Having the privilege to work in one of the busiest emergency departments in Florida, I get to meet many different types of individuals, many of those being homeless. Homeless persons are high risk individuals requiring ED services due to their poor health status, high rates of morbidity, lack of health insurance, chronic use of alcohol and drug abuse, unintentional injuries and much more (Tang, Stein, Hsia, Maselli Gonzales, 2010). According to the NationalRead MoreHomeless Population Essay991 Words   |  4 PagesHomeless Populations HN200 1. In your text on pages 206-207, the author discusses his research on the homeless population. He refers to the many routes one can take to become homeless. Choose two populations from his list that you might work with in your career as a human services professional. Describe two possible interventions or tasks that you might be involved with in working with each population. What are some of the general skills a human services professional might need to

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Roosevelt, Immigration, and “Tru Americanism” - 1706 Words

As one of the presidents during the Progressive Era, Theodore Roosevelt led the United States of America through a series of dramatic changes that interrupted the lives and ideologies that Americans during the time were more than familiarized with. Industrialization, women’s suffrage, the sexual revolution, imperialism, and â€Å"muckraking† journalism were just a few of the controversial, yet significant characteristics of this era. However, perhaps one of the largest and most vital influences during this time period came from the outside. Immigration was an issue that Roosevelt himself addressed rather perceptibly in his paper entitled â€Å"True Americanism,† which first appeared in a magazine called The Forum in April, 1894. However, it is not†¦show more content†¦Therefore, it is un-American to imitate the ways and/or plans of other countries. Roosevelt says that it is better to be an original than a copy, even when the copy is of something better t han the original, because despite all of this country’s faults and shortcomings, no other land offers the possibilities offered here (3). One must realize that there is a certain esteem that comes with even being called an American, and he/she is not truly American until this is fulfilled. In relation to immigration, Roosevelt calls upon immigrants to forget about the ways of the governments of their native lands. The American government now rules them, and they must accept the common law just as any American is required to do. Roosevelt’s second level of Americanism is to make a sense of national pride priority over sectional, or what Roosevelt likes to call, parochial pride (2). To place any other pride above pride in the nation is considered disastrous and un-American. â€Å"We do not wish in politics, literature, or in art, to develop that unwholesome parochial spirit, that over-exaltation of the little community at the expense of the great nation, which produces what has been described as the patriotism of the village, the patriotism of the belfry

DO I HATE OR LOVE YOU Essay free essay sample

DO I HATE OR LOVE YOU? Essay, Research Paper Do I Hate You Or Love You? Why is it that you leave me experiencing so entirely and confused? All I want in our relationship is a feeling of love, non the feeling of being used. I feel so used and abused, but something supports me coming back to you. Possibly it # 8217 ; s your smiling that keeps me from stating we # 8217 ; re through. Or possibly your eyes that I merely fall into. Possibly it # 8217 ; s the sweet words you claim you mean. I don # 8217 ; t believe you mean them, from what I # 8217 ; ve seen. It # 8217 ; s difficult to understand why you hurt me when you say you love me. I wish you would demo me you want to be with me. When I think of you, I think I hate you. When I hear your voice, I can # 8217 ; t experience any manner other than I love you. We will write a custom essay sample on DO I HATE OR LOVE YOU Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Please, merely give me a mark you # 8217 ; rhenium still at that place. Merely, please, demo me you truly care, About me and about # 8216 ; us # 8217 ; , Because right now I # 8217 ; m experiencing low and entirely. With no 1 to turn to. I wanted to easy give you my bosom and my psyche. But, you stole my bosom and my soul whole. You left no love for me to love others with. You are the lone one I love and want to be with. Merely, please, demo me you want to be with me, excessively. For I know what I feel and I feel that I love you. Do I Hate You Or Love You? Why is it that you leave me experiencing so entirely and confused? All I want in our relationship is a feeling of love, non the feeling of being used. I feel so used and abused, but something supports me coming back to you. Possibly it # 8217 ; s your smiling that keeps me from stating we # 8217 ; re through. Or possibly your eyes that I merely fall into. Possibly it # 8217 ; s the sweet words you claim you mean. I don # 8217 ; t believe you mean them, from what I # 8217 ; ve seen. It # 8217 ; s difficult to understand why you hurt me when you say you love me. I wish you would demo me you want to be with me. When I think of you, I think I hate you. When I hear your voice, I can # 8217 ; t experience any manner other than I love you. Please, merely give me a mark you # 8217 ; rhenium still at that place. Merely, please, demo me you truly care, About me and about # 8216 ; us # 8217 ; , Because right now I # 8217 ; m experiencing low and entirely. With no 1 to turn to. I wanted to easy give you my bosom and my psyche. But, you stole my bosom and my soul whole. You left no love for me to love others with. You are the lone one I love and want to be with. Merely, please, demo me you want to be with me, excessively. For I know what I feel and I feel that I love you. Do I Hate You Or Love You? Why is it that you leave me experiencing so entirely and confused? All I want in our relationship is a feeling of love, non the feeling of being used. I feel so used and abused, but something supports me coming back to you. Possibly it # 8217 ; s your smiling that keeps me from stating we # 8217 ; re through. Or possibly your eyes that I merely fall into. Possibly it # 8217 ; s the sweet words you claim you mean. I don # 8217 ; t believe you mean them, from what I # 8217 ; ve seen. It # 8217 ; s difficult to understand why you hurt me when you say you love me. I wish you would demo me you want to be with me. When I think of you, I think I hate you. When I hear your voice, I can # 8217 ; t experience any manner other than I love you. Please, merely give me a mark you # 8217 ; rhenium still at that place. Merely, please, demo me you truly care, About me and about # 8216 ; us # 8217 ; , Because right now I # 8217 ; m experiencing low and entirely. With no 1 to turn to. I wanted to easy give you my bosom and my psyche. But, you stole my bosom and my soul whole. You left no love for me to love others with. You are the lone one I love and want to be with. Merely, please, demo me you want to be with me, excessively. For I know what I feel and I feel that I love you.

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Shakespeare Poems Essays - British Poetry, , Term Papers

Shakespeare Poems Past, Present, and Future: Finding Life Through Nature William Wordsworth poem "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey" was included as the last item in his Lyrical Ballads. The general meaning of the poem relates to his having lost the inspiration nature provided him in childhood. Nature seems to have made Wordsworth human.The significance of the abbey is Wordsworth's love of nature. Tintern Abbey representes a safe haven for Wordsworth that perhaps symbolizes a everlasting connection that man will share with it's surroundings. Wordsworth would also remember it for bringing out the part of him that makes him a "A worshipper of Nature" (Line 153). Five different situations are suggested in "Lines" each divided into separate sections. The first section details the landscape around the abbey, as Wordsworth remembers it from five years ago. The second section describes the five-year lapse between visits to the abbey, during which he has thought often of his experience there. The third section specifies Wordsworth's attempt to use nature to see inside his inner self. The fourth section shows Wordsworth exerting his efforts from the preceding stanza to the landscape, discovering and remembering the refined state of mind the abbey provided him with. In the final section, Wordsworth searches for a means by which he can carry the experiences with him and maintain himself and his love for nature. . Diamantis 2 In the first stanza, Wordsworth lets you know he is seeing the abbey for a second time by using phrases such as "again I hear," "again do I behold," and "again I see. He describes the natural landscape as unchanged and he describes it in descending order of importance beginning with with the "lofty cliffs" (Line 5) dominantly overlooking the abbey. After the cliffs comes the river, , then the forests, and hedgerows of the cottages that once surrounded the abbey but have since been abandoned. After the cottages, is the vagrant hermit who sits alone in his cave, perhaps symbolizing the effects being away from the abbey has had on Wordsworth. Wordsworth professes to "sensations sweet / Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart" (lines 28-29) which the memories of nature can inspire when he is lonely, just as the hermit is lonely. Wordsworth desires nature only because of his separateness, and the more isolated he feels the more he desires it. This is described in "Lines" : As that blessed mood, In which the burthen of the mystery, In which the heavy and the weary weight Of all this unintelligible world Is lightened:- that serene and blessed mood, In which the affections gently lead us on, Until, the breath of this corporeal frame And even the motion of our human blood Almost suspended, we are laid asleep In body, and become a living soul. (Lines38-47) In the second stanza, Wordsworth parallels his experience upon returning to Tintern Abbey five years later to his previous visit. He has changed from thinking of the present to the past. He describes using the abbey as a consolation whenever he felt overrun by the dismal, uniform, urban landscapes he had become accustomed to. However, after his first visit he began to forget the details of the abbey and what it meant to him: "as gleams of half-extinguished thought, with many recollections dim and faint, and somewhat of a sad perplexity" (Line 57-60) Diamantis 3 In the third stanza, Wordsworth begins a transition back to the present moment. He enjoys the pleasure of this time and also anticipates that he will enjoy it again in future memories. In the fourth stanza, however, he starts to recapitulate his life as a series of stages in the development of a relationship with nature. At first he roamed as freely as an animal, but as he grew he felt joy and rapture and passionate involvement with his own youth. Now he is involved with human concerns. He has become more thoughtful and sees nature in the light of those thoughts. He still loves nature, but in a more mature and more emotionally subdued way. Can he salvage the meaning of the abbey and take it with him as an inspiration? In the second stanza he relates how in the five intermediate years he would often attempt to remember Tintern Abbey, to recapture that harmony of mind and environment. He has spent some time away from the region and has forgotten the experience, he becomes doubtful and feels isolated from nature. He recapture the feeling, however, when he refers to these lines in the fourth

Monday, March 16, 2020

Post Lab Questions Essay Example

Post Lab Questions Essay Example Post Lab Questions Essay Post Lab Questions Essay 1. Describe a polymer in your words.A substance which has a molecular structure that is primarily made up of many similar repeating units known as monomers that are bound together. 2. As the number of initiators increase, what happens to the length of the chains?The length of the chains increases. Polymerization begins at initiation, and only two molecules are involved in the chain reaction; monomers and initiator molecules. An increase in the number of initiators leads to more activated monomers that can polymerize hence resulting in an increase in the length of the monomers. 3. Predict how the strength and flexibility of the polymers change as the number of cross-linkers increases. 4. A branched polymer is formed when one chain is attached to the body of another chain. A branched polymer resembles the branches of a tree. Rebuild a structure and insert a picture here, so that is shows branching. Structure of low-density polyethylene 5. What did you have to do with one of the terminal ends to create the branching requested for your polymer?The introduction of branching required replacement of a substituent such as a hydrogen atom on one of the monomer subunit with a covalently bound chain of the polymers. 6. Below is the structure of the monomer ethylene chloride, the building block of polyvinyl chloride, PVC. Draw a five repeating unit of the polymer. (You will need to draw this by hand and then insert a picture of your work here.) 7. Below is a picture of the polymer known as polyethylene: What does its monomer look like? Draw its structure here: (You will need to draw this by hand and then insert a picture of your work here.) Summary ParagraphPolymers are a unique molecular structure made up of repeating monomers units. Synthesis of polymers takes place in three reactions: initiation reaction, propagation reaction and termination reaction. It requires different molecules such as the monomers to be covalently bound and the initiator molecules. The length of the polymers increases with the number of monomers and initiator molecules. Crosslinking is essential for increasing the strength of polymers however it reduces their flexibility. Branching in polymers occurs through substitution of substituent molecule with a chain of the polymer at one of the carbons of the polymers.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

College Fly-In and Diversity Programs: A Complete List

Campus visits are a great way to learn about a college’s culture and determine whether it’s the right fit for you. Unfortunately, not every student can afford to visit every college on their list. If you’re unable to visit colleges for any reason, you should make sure to thoroughly review them online . However, for high-achieving, underrepresented students, there is an alternative. Some colleges offer fly-in or multicultural programs to high-school seniors who are low-income, first-generation, and/or students of color. Read on to learn about these programs and how to make the most of them. College fly-in programs are highly competitive college visitation programs for underrepresented students. Institutions fly students in to stay at their campuses for two or three days, allowing students who might not get a chance to visit otherwise to get a feel for the college and campus. In most cases, the college covers costs including transportation, room, and board or offer to reimburse you for some of your expenses associated with visiting their campus. Most colleges just fly in admitted students, but some offer the opportunity to prospective students. Examples include: Keep in mind that these programs are very competitive. To apply, you usually need to submit an application, essay, letter of recommendation, transcription with junior-year grades, and ACT/SAT scores. Below is a list of colleges and universities that offer some form of a fly-in program. There are several steps you should take to ensure that you’re making the most of this opportunity. It’s important to research the colleges thoroughly before attending the program. You want to make sure you’re truly interested in attending and understand what the college offers. Plus, you should figure out what activities, courses, and other aspects of the school you want to investigate further. In general, the college will cover transportation, room, and board for your stay. Most colleges are unlikely to cover your parents’ transportation and costs if they want to come with you, though there are some exceptions, such as Vanderbilt . Research which classes you want to observe and make appointments to talk to admissions counselors and financial aid officers before you leave. When you’re on campus, walk around and get a sense of the culture and atmosphere. Attend events and talk to students about their experiences. You want to get a sense of your fit with the college and make sure you can see yourself there. Fly-in programs can significantly ease the financial burden of the college process. If you qualify, make sure to take advantage of this important resource. When you sign up for our program, we carefully   pair you with the perfect admissions specialist based on your current academic and extracurricular profile and the schools in which you’re interested. Your personal application specialist will help you with branding, essays, and interviews, and provide you with support and guidance in all other aspects of the application process. How To Balance SAT Test Prep With School Schedule Balancing SAT prep with a busy school schedule, never mind extracurriculars, can be challenging. You may think that you can ease up on prep in favor of your schoolwork, but don’t fall into that trap. You need to succeed in both arenas; colleges will be consider your GPA and you test scores. Here’s your plan to help you balance test prep with your schoolwork—and excel at both. You may already have an existing action plan for high school, and test prep should be part of it. (For tips on building one, check out Your Ultimate Guide on How to   Make a High School Action Plan .) Writing down what you need to accomplish and why will help motivate you to put in the time and effort. Be specific; for instance, commit to a certain number of hours of studying for the SAT each week. You should also be specific in terms of areas you need to hone. If you’re weaker in reading comprehension, for instance, commit to a number of hours focusing on learning tricks for reading difficult passages. Once you determine your target score, you can figure out what you need to study and how much time should commit. Use your PSAT scores or a diagnostic test to help you set a realistic score goal . This can also help you identify weak areas , so you can concentrate on them the most. Remember that you need to be realistic. You will probably improve if you stick to your prep plan, but it’s unlikely that you’re going to go from a 1000 to a 1570. Instead, aim for a more reachable goal, like a 1250. Once you reach it, you can inch it up further. While your overarching plan should include specifics, the reality of your day-to-day schedule will become clearer in the moment. Invest in a planner , or use a calendar to keep track of your daily commitments. For instance, if you have a big test coming up, factor in the number of hours you need to study for it each day. Also factor in test prep. You might, for example, note when you want to take a complete practice test, or add in half an hour of practice on Khan Academy’s app . Figure out when you want to take the SAT, using this guide to help you decide. Compare it to your school commitments, seeing when you have big tests and projects due. You probably won’t have as much time to prepare for the SAT in the weeks you’re working on school assignments, so plan accordingly. Make sure you set aside time to make up for lags in preparation. You’ll be able to stick to your plan more easily if you start early . That way, you’ll have time to understand your weaknesses and develop strategies for overcoming them. You also need to make your plan realistic, just as when you’re setting your score goals. In other words, don’t plan for six hours of studying in one day when you have school; that’s just not possible. You’re more likely to stick to your plan if it’s doable. Use time management strategies to allow yourself to get everything done. If you share your plan with family and friends , someone else is holding you accountable. You might ask them to hold you accountable, but remember that the ultimate responsibility is yours. You should be holding yourself accountable, too. Set reminders on your phone, and tell yourself why this is important. You might also ask your parents to help you stay on track, without nagging, of course. Our students see an average increase of 250 points on their SAT scores. You should make an effort to follow your plan as closely as you can, but remember that it’s not set in stone. Things might happen to make you alter your plan, such as tests you don’t know about now or family circumstances, so you need to be willing to adapt. You’ll also want to reevaluate based on your comfort with your scores. For instance, you might want to retake the SAT. (Check out Should You Retake the SAT for tips on how to decide.) Read you score report, and pay attention to weaknesses. That way, you can adjust your plan accordingly and improve for next time. You may have some work over the summer, but it’s probably a lot less than you have during the school year. Take advantage of this time to work on test prep. You’ll have more free time to really familiarize yourself with the layout, hone your weak areas, and practice. Read Seven Ways to Make SAT Test Prep Your Summer Focus to learn how you can do just that. Remember to take breaks and reward yourself for your hard work. Build these rewards into your study plan. After finishing a practice test or reaching a certain point on a project, you might have a snack or watch half an hour of TV. This will incentivize you to do the hard work you need to do. Just be strict with yourself; don’t let a 20-minute social media break turn into an hour. Remember to pay attention to self care, too. Don’t neglect your health and well-being in favor of cramming or overworking yourself. Not only will your body suffer, but your mind will, too. Make sure you’re eating properly, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Take plenty of breaks—they’ll help you retain information. The challenge of staying on track with SAT prep while keeping up with your schoolwork may seem difficult, but having a plan and following through can ease the burden. Remember that the SAT is something most college-bound students take, and many have survived this obstacle. Be strict with yourself, but don’t neglect your health and sleep in favor of studying. Both are important—and both should be your priority! Looking for some more help for acing the SAT? The SAT Tutoring Program will help you achieve top scores on your test. We’ll pair you with two private tutors, one for English and writing, and one for math and science. All of our tutors have scored in the 99th percentile on the section they are teaching and are chosen based on teaching skills and ability to relate to their students.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

The Electoral College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Electoral College - Essay Example This research will begin with the definition of the Electoral College as a system of indirect voting applied for the presidential elections in the USA. The Electoral College concept can be interpreted as an opposite voting mechanism to the majority system which counts directly the citizens’ votes and whoever candidate gets the majority of votes becomes president of the state. If the majority system had been applied to the Presidential elections in 2000, for instance, Al Gore would have been the winner since he received the majority of popular votes. When the Electoral College cast their votes the winner in that elections turned out to be his opponent: G.W. Bush. I will refer to the case as one of the four exceptions of the general rule according to which if a candidate wins the public vote he presumably wins the Electoral college vote too. During the times of the state legislation formation a group of framers, The Founding Fathers, known as the   "Committee of Eleven" in the Constitutional Convention, proposed an indirect election of president through a College of Electors: The function of the College of Electors in choosing the president can be likened to that in the Roman Catholic Church of the College of Cardinals selecting the Pope. The structure of the Electoral College can be traced to the Centurial Assembly system of the Roman Republic. Under that system, the adult male citizens of Rome were divided, according to their wealth, into groups of 100 (called Centuries).... citizens go to local voting booths to elect the next president and vice president of the country. Their votes are recorded and counted, then winners are declared. But the results of the popular vote are not guaranteed to stand because the Electoral College has not cast its vote. The size of the Electoral college has been set at 538 since the election of 1964. Each state is allocated as many electors as it has Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress. The number of electors is equal to the total membership of both houses of Congress (100 Senators and 435 Representatives) plus the 3 electors allocated to the District of Columbia, totalling 538 electors. How different is the process in different states - For 48 states it's known as the "winner-take-all system." The "district system," is observed in both Maine and Nebraska. In these states, two electors' votes are made based on the candidate who received the most votes statewide. The remaining electoral votes go by congressional districts, awarding the vote to the candidate who received the most votes in each district. How the electors are chosen in each state - All depends on the state legislature. According to Howstuffworks web site there are two common ways of selection: The elector is nominated by his or her state party committee (perhaps to reward many years of service to the party). The elector "campaigns" for a spot and the decision is made during a vote held at the state's party convention. (Howstuffworks) According to the Constitution there are no real educational or racial restrictions in order to classify for elector. In fact, electors are usually people devoted to politics, active political party members or political

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Business-to-Business Marketing Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business-to-Business Marketing Report - Essay Example (Zoltners, Sinha & Lorimer 2009: 3). A motivated sales force will usher higher sales as compared to an unmotivated sales force. A well-coached, well-trained sales force ushers more sales than an untrained sales force. 2.1 â€Å" Sales Force Structure â€Å" If a company markets a single product to one industry with customers spreading over many locations and in such an event, it is ideal to employ a territorial sales force structure. On the other hand, if a company sells different products to many varieties of customers, it may either engage a product sales force structure or a customer sale force structure or a mixture of both. Under the territorial sales force setup, an exclusive geographic province is assigned to each sales person to market the company’s whole range of products to all customers in that geographical area. Under this structure, each sales person role and accountability are clearly defined. Company with diversified products engages different kinds of product s sales forces. For instance, Lear Corporation’s employ outstanding 145-sales force that brings many feats to the company. Lear sales force is good at relationship building and to satisfy customer’s needs. (Kotler 2008:423). American Express ,PepsiCo, and the Hartford Financial Services Group. sales personnel comprise one of the company’s most expensive and productive assets and increasing their figures may increase both revenue and costs to the company. (Kotler 2008:423). 2.2 â€Å" Various Sales Promotional Tools† A company’s sales promotion mix includes a mixture of various types of sales promotional tools employed by it to market its products or services. The chief six sales promotional tools are – advertising, personal...About $ 800 billion is being spent by all American companies each year on sales force, which is about 3 times the quantum of dollars spent on advertising. Many past empirical studies have found communication; commitment, trust, social contracts and co-operation are the variables that influence B2B relationships. As per eMarketer, about 88% of the shoppers prefer to do shopping online instead of traditional shopping as they can shop through online 24 hours a day and 365 days during a year. According to DoubleClick research study, about 73% of interviewees answered that they purchased a product through online due to email marketing. This demonstrates that B2C marketing is gaining momentum nowadays. SPSL should maintain adequate sales force and should launch its own website. SPSL should publish some success stories, offer the visitors some plumbing tips on how to keep their plumbing system hassle-free, and there should be a review section where its customers can post their views and recommendations about the SPSL services. SPSL can also introduce e-mail campaigns, pay-per-click campaign, local SEO programs and other online marketing strategies to attract new customers. SPSL should also publish in their websites positive reviews’, blog entries, and forum discussions section, about its past deals and upcoming ones.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

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/

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Recruitment & Selection

Recruitment and Selection Part 1 Produce a report, advising HiTech on how it should move forward as far as recruitment is concerned i. e. what advice would you give? Introduction HiTech International is one of the fastest –growing companies in the world. It currently employs over 30’000 people in 60 countries and has annual turnover in excess of $19billion. Located in West Dublin, HiTech European headquarters employs 2’500 people. 90% are employees of the company and remaining 10% are employed on a subcontracted basis.HiTech specialise in provision of computer hardware and bespoke software solutions for corporate clients to assist them in maximising the use of the internet. HiTech also provide a complete after-sales service which goes beyond regular software maintenance. The company is recognised as global market leaders in several of its principal line of business. Due to the competitive market that HiTech operates in innovation and continually evolving technolo gy developments through research and development department is central to the company’s future success.HiTech offers employees excellent terms and conditions of employment with top-salaries, generous bonus schemes, discounts, pensions, health and life insurance. The environment in which they work is very attractive with excellent facilities such as staff cafeterias, fitness facilities and valet services. Staff retention is very good; turnover levels are currently at 5% of which half are accounted for by dismissals and non-renewal of fixed-term contracts. HiTech are experiencing some difficultly with finding sufficient number of employees with the required skills to meet its expansion needs.Due to the fast-moving nature of the industry graduates are not utilised as by the time they are trained with a set of skills technology has moved on making their training redundant. Some graduates do succeed but most struggle, and are dependent on too much from the start. HiTech’s m ain source of new recruits is staff employed by competitors or working in closely related fields. They also have adopted a ‘no poaching’ policy with companies that HiTech has a customer relationship with or partner companies.Currently HiTech have two principle methods of recruitment in addition to a small- scale graduate training programme; advertising in national newspapers and head-hunters. HiTech are not satisfied with either method; adverts bring in too many applications that take up too much time to work through them. Head-hunters have found some suitable candidates but put at a great cost plus there is a risk that candidates would be lured away again by the same agent. And with the small pool of labour agencies are unable to identify the required individuals that are not already know to HiTech.Recommendations Improve on employer brand Although HiTech has global market leadership in several lines of its business and is recognised for its products as potential a bra nd leader but has it adopted an employer brand. Edward (2005) â€Å"employer branding is clearly aimed at attracting and retaining staff† (Edwards, 2005 Employer Branding) HiTech aim should be to develop and maintain a strong brand image as an employer that will reinforce their efforts to attract and subsequently retain the most effective performers.According to CIPD Survey â€Å"nearly three quarters of organisations have made efforts to improve their employee brand over the last year, most commonly through employee surveys and developing online career sites† (CIPD Annual Survey 2011/resourcing and talent planning). HiTech need to project a favourable impression of experience working there, similar to the reputation or brand that Google and Face book have. Evidence strongly suggested that employers can gain an edge in labour market through development of a good brand.Charles Schwab from US investment bank states â€Å"having a strong brand for an employee is a compet itive advantage and strategic advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ it really does help to attract the best candidate†¦.. †(The Conference Board 2001, pg 5/people resourcing Chp 3 pg 68) Using different media to search for talent Website One of the most effective methods that attracts applicants to an organisation is the organisations own corporate website. Corporate websites is an excellent pool for attracting potential candidates. HiTech would have the skills in house to setup a corporate website at a minimum cost.The website should attract people to the careers section, convince them of the desirability of a career in HiTech and capture them as a candidate with an exceptional online response process. Furthermore to the website development HiTech should improve process of applying for a position within the organisation which would address the large quantity of applications received when they run a national newspaper advertisement. Adopting an online application will eliminate unquali fied candidates from first round and then suitable applicants can progress onto the second stage of competency test.This would highlight the qualified personnel with the required skills much more effectively. Trade Journals HiTech could sign up to the specific trade journals that are relevant to the specific industry, profession, trade or business that it in association with. Trade journal would effectively reach a number of the potential candidates that HiTech need to make their presence aware. LinkedIn It would be in HiTech best interest to get connected with social networking website LinkedIn that is geared towards companies and industry professional looking to make new business contacts, keep in touch with previous co –workers and clients.According to CIPD annual survey on resourcing and talent planning professional networking 16% of organisations find that it is an effective method of attracting applications to an their organisation (CIPD annual survey 2011 on resourcing and talent planning). HiTech can create profile that details the company profile and can link in with similar professional establishments and people. This can then form a platform for HiTech to search through profiles of people that they are interested in hiring new employees and also for candidates to search for potential job opportunities.Education Development Even though HiTech skills shortage is an immediate concern they also need to think long term especially when it comes to skills shortages as planning for the future will ensure the organisations continued success. Linking up educational establishments to ensure that the curriculum being taught is relevant to skills set required and preparing students for work and developing their internal talent pipelines around skills shortage areas.HiTech could also offer work experience placements with students to begin the internal training process of the organisation and therefore once qualified will be more up to date with the technol ogy and possible bring new ideas in order to remain innovate. Apple have developed an excellent link in with local colleges and students ; they approach colleagues in different fields and establish a campus rep that is trained in the apple technology and then the campus Rep hosts workshops , demonstrations and build up the Apple brand as a desirable employer.They also have an internship programmes to students through summer placements or co-op during academic year. Apple provides hands on experience by allowing interns to work on critical projects and also offer employment opportunities after they have graduated. Graduate Recruitment From the case study it is said that HiTech has a small scale graduate training programme and that they have difficultly employing graduates with limited experience and train them.HiTech need to further resource and enhance their graduate programme to ensure that candidates get the best possible opportunity during their studies and that they receive the relevant work experience so that once they graduate they can ‘hit the ground running’ . Sony has launched a European Graduate programme that is well structured and offers graduates the experience of all elements of the organisation. The structure is divided up into Business Experience – which is run over two years and graduates rotate on two assignments taking in all roles.They are then provided with training modules that are delivered by top management and highly skilled personnel giving them a unique networking opportunity. Each graduate receives a mentor from the middle management leadership development programme. And finally they are offered social entrepreneurship were they collaborate in groups and apply their business skills making a real contribution to a social project. â€Å"One in ten organisations is considering sponsoring students through university† and â€Å"over a quarter of organisations operate a structured graduate programme† (CIP D annual survey 2011/resourcing and talent planning).Talent Management Graduates struggle to succeed in developing their careers within the company and it doesn’t mention in the case study about any development programmes for employees. Talent management is â€Å" systematic attraction , identification, development , engagement , retention and deployment of individuals who are of particular value to an organisation, either in view of their ‘high potential’ for the future or because they are filling business/operation –critical roles†( CIPD Factsheet; Talent Management An Overview).HiTech need to develop this further for their graduates and employees, it would include a range of activities such as formal and informal leadership coaching, networking events and board-level and client exposure. This would assist HiTech to maintain competitive advantage and get the best from their people. This can be achieved by focusing on four areas of the talent manag ement loop; Attracting talent – as previously mentioned attracting external talent through corporate website to offer a recognised graduate programme enhance the employer brand which will attract new talent.Developing talent- learning and development initiatives should be in implemented to enhance employees and assist graduate to succeed in their career. Managing Talent – this could be linked to development aspect but focuses more on the retention. Succession planning can help HiTech to identify future and potential skilled personnel. Tracking and evaluating talent – continuous evaluation of talent will help improve the staff retention and give focus to areas that management need to work on. SecondmentSecondment refers to the temporary movement of an employee to another part of organisation. HiTech could find this very beneficial if they temporary moved the employees from other countries to Dublin based office. It would certainly assist with the immediate shorta ge of skills, they would not have to train the candidates as they would be familiar with the organisation and it would provide the time for the organisation to adopt the recommendations mentioned above to improve the employer brand and training and development programmes.Another option would be external secondment , HiTech have develop relationships with partnership companies and even with no poaching policy in place they could come to an agreement with another organisation to loan a required skill employee to them for short-term basis to relieve the immediate requirement . Conclusion HiTech International case study highlighted the fact that even been the fast growing company it the world and recognised as global market leaders without the requires skilled staff can cause significant effect on the companies continued success and to maintain competitive advantage.Without a defined, well recognised employer brand an organisation that depends on innovation and creativity attracting spe cialised skills in a relatively small pool of people can be difficult. Reviewing the organisations methods for recruiting talent and researching how successful they are and be willing to adapted and change to the diverse global market is important. Making connections with educational establishments and encouraging graduates to sign up with the programmes will help to prevent future shortages but all programmes and connections must be supported, managed and evaluated on a regular basis.Focusing on in house training and development of staff with career structures will further enhance the organisation and challenges employees to continue to be creative and motivated. Sourcing staff from other branches in other countries could relieve short-term shortage of staff while progress is being made on the employer brand to attract external candidates, training and development programmes are set up and implemented. Regardless of how successful an organisation is, skills shortages can cause sign ificant negative effects on the competitive advantage of an organisation.Continuous assessment of organisation recruitment strategy and ensuring that it is linked to the corporate strategy of the organisation should be re-evaluated on a regular basis to remain a successful organisation and a global market leader. Part 2 With reference to relevant academic literature; evaluate the effectiveness of the interview as a selection method. Introduction â€Å"There is a long tradition going back to the beginning of the twentieth century of academic research into the relative merits of different selection tools (People Resourcing Chp 11 Pg 254). Organisations worldwide must adapt selection method to recruit personnel in order to operate their businesses. The method that they select, be simple or sophisticated depends on a number of factors such as financial, cultural, resources that are available and if their requirements are immediate or for the future. â€Å"You are attempting to predict how a person will perform their work, interact with their future colleagues, treat your customers and respect your business†. (Recruitment and selection slide 8 Selection) All selection methods have positive and negative results and none are infallible.According to CIPD Annual report 2011, interview remains the most common selection method. (CIPD Annual report 2011 resourcing and talent planning). Main Body â€Å"Interviews of one kind or another are almost universally used â€Å"(IRS 2002c, CIPD 2007c). Interviews are popular as they provide the opportunity to meet face to face with the potential future employee, assess candidate’s ability to carry out the job. It also provides the opportunity for the employer to describe job specification, discuss the terms and conditions of employment and project a positive impression of the organisation and emphasise the organisations brand. A controlled conversation with a purpose â€Å"(Torrington, 1995). Despite their widespr ead use, interviews are often questioned as to how effective in selecting people for specific roles they really are. A number of draw backs that Anderson and Shackleton (Anderson and Shakleton, 1993) gather from a variety of studies show some of the reasons why interviews can been criticised. These include; Expectancy Effect – this is where the interviewer gains impression of the candidate before the interview Stereotyping – interviewers assume that particular characteristics are typical of a particular group of people.Personal Linking – interviewers may make decisions on whether they liked or disliked a candidate. Halo and Horns Effect – interviewers may rate candidates as simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Mirror Effect –interviewers may give preference to candidates that perceive to be similar to them. Contrast Effect – the interviewer may allow the experience of interviewing one candidate to affect the way they interview o thers. Primary Effect – interview puts too much emphasis on information gained in initial part of interview. Information overload Effect- interviewers may make decisions on only part of the data available to them.Temporal extension Effect – interviewers may assume that a candidate’s conduct at interview is their general personality. One thirds of employers make an initial hiring decision in the first ninety seconds of an interview, based entirely on interviewees appearance† (XpertHR 2011 selection interviews survey). It could be said that interview selection tool is prejudiced and biased but it is the responsibility of the organisation to ensure that interviewers are adequately trained to help eliminate these errors.It would appear that recruiters are positive, although not passionate about the effectiveness of the interviews as a selection tool (XpertHR 2011 selection interviews survey) Two thirds of employers rate interviews as â€Å"effective† bu t just 16. 7% say they are â€Å"very effective† (App1). Studies have found that the predictive validity of the structured interview is quite high (Campione et al. 1988; Wiesner Cronshaw 1988). Structuring interviews can also help improve the ability to predict performance in the role as they provide interviewers with a framework to follow when interviewing each candidate, based on the criteria for the job.Adapting structure to the interview means that questions are planned carefully before the interview, all candidates are asked the same core questions, answers are scored using a rating system and all questions focus on the attributes and behaviours needed in the job. Evenden and Anderson ( 1992) suggest that the choice of questions and the appropriate use of them can ensure greater balance and flow in the interview itself (Gunnigle Human Resource Management in Ireland Chp 5 pg 128) The types of questions that can be used are ; * Direct or Closed – are useful to get f acts but too many lead to repetition. Leading – no real value in this type of question as most interviewee would follow it. * Topic Changing- help to create a flow through interview. * Probing and developing- help to test the interviewees specific knowledge or skills. * Open-ended- are useful to encourage interviewee to talk and get involved. * Reflecting back – are useful to ensuring information is understood. * Command – are useful retrieve additional information on specific area. Structured interviews can be behavioural, they focus on past performance or situational, they focus on future performance. A growing number of employers are now taking his approach, 60% carry out structured interviews as part of the selection process. (XpertHR2011 selection interview surveys). Interview format can also provide additional structure to the interview selection process, where her they are one to one, panel interview or sequence of interviews but whatever format is chosen the effectiveness of the interview should be the same. Newell (2000) warns that while efforts have been made to improve the selection process through a more systematic approach , currents trends in organisations make ‘best practises’ model somewhat problematic.Job specification and analysis can become difficult if job requires flexibility and also with a number of organisations looking for innovation and creativity the term ‘fit’ has less relevance. (Gunnigle, Human Resource Management in Ireland, Chp 5 pg 124). Other criticism of the structured approach is although highly effective method with the use of controlled questioning etc its doesn’t actually represent the more relaxed environment that a candidate can easily open up. â€Å"The main disadvantage of using a structured interview is that its rigidity can limit the information-gathering process.Instead of exploring an applicant’s responses by further questioning during the interview, th e process is often rushed in order to get through all the questions on the schedule, and the assessment of the individual can inaccurate as a result. Also, since the interviewer takes the lead, he or she may dominate the process, denying the applicant sufficient time to provide a considered and accurate response† (Du Plessis 2003 Pg 170). Approaching a system in reality there is always so sort of compromise as without flexibility systems wouldn’t be sustainable.The interview selection tool would need to adopt a degree of flexibility and would help to improve the problems that have been suggested above. Adopting a mixed approach of semi-structuring or mixed approaches into the process would create the more open relaxed situation that interviews are perceived as but also the structure process remains which overall would make the interview selection method more effective. Conclusion Through the research that has been carried out and reflecting back on some of the statistic s that have been reviewed , the interview process across a wide ange of organisations and even in different markets would be reasonable to say that it is and will continue to be an effective selection tool. Even more so structured interviews have a greater effectiveness, however rigid the process is interviewing remains essentially a selective process. Organisations must ensure that they provide adequate training to equip their interviewers with the essential knowledge and skills required to maximise the interview process and also that they offer the best opportunity with no bias or error for the candidate in question.Furthermore organisations need to be flexible in order to adapt to external and internal factors effecting their organisations environment for example economic, political cultural and technology. Thus the selection processes also needs to be adjusted; we can see this through compromising with the structure approach to interviewing with semi-structure or mixed approache s that slight modifications can improve the outcome. Organisations need to be flexible in order to maintain best practise for their organisation and jobs roles would need to be adjusted accordingly.The interview as a selection tool is still by far the most effective and widely used method across the globe. There are a number of draw backs and there are other selection tools that are more effective but a cost. The interview is the most cost effective, time effective method and with selecting the wrong candidate for the role costing an organisation approximately â‚ ¬15’000 you are not going to offer a position to someone that you haven’t meet face to face now are you ? Appendences 1Bibliography Anderson and Shackleton(1993) Successful selection interviewing. CIPD Fact Sheets Selection Methods. CIPD Fact Sheets Secondment. CIPD Fact Sheet Talent Managment. CIPD Annual Survey Report 2011 Resourcing and Talent Planning. Gunnigle Human Resource Management in Ireland. Tayl or People Resourcing. www. sony. com www. apple. com XpertHR 2011 Selection Interviews Survey; Effectiveness and Training Article. XpertHR 2011 Selection Interviews Survey; Interview tools and record-keeping. Recruitment & Selection Recruitment and Selection Part 1 Produce a report, advising HiTech on how it should move forward as far as recruitment is concerned i. e. what advice would you give? Introduction HiTech International is one of the fastest –growing companies in the world. It currently employs over 30’000 people in 60 countries and has annual turnover in excess of $19billion. Located in West Dublin, HiTech European headquarters employs 2’500 people. 90% are employees of the company and remaining 10% are employed on a subcontracted basis.HiTech specialise in provision of computer hardware and bespoke software solutions for corporate clients to assist them in maximising the use of the internet. HiTech also provide a complete after-sales service which goes beyond regular software maintenance. The company is recognised as global market leaders in several of its principal line of business. Due to the competitive market that HiTech operates in innovation and continually evolving technolo gy developments through research and development department is central to the company’s future success.HiTech offers employees excellent terms and conditions of employment with top-salaries, generous bonus schemes, discounts, pensions, health and life insurance. The environment in which they work is very attractive with excellent facilities such as staff cafeterias, fitness facilities and valet services. Staff retention is very good; turnover levels are currently at 5% of which half are accounted for by dismissals and non-renewal of fixed-term contracts. HiTech are experiencing some difficultly with finding sufficient number of employees with the required skills to meet its expansion needs.Due to the fast-moving nature of the industry graduates are not utilised as by the time they are trained with a set of skills technology has moved on making their training redundant. Some graduates do succeed but most struggle, and are dependent on too much from the start. HiTech’s m ain source of new recruits is staff employed by competitors or working in closely related fields. They also have adopted a ‘no poaching’ policy with companies that HiTech has a customer relationship with or partner companies.Currently HiTech have two principle methods of recruitment in addition to a small- scale graduate training programme; advertising in national newspapers and head-hunters. HiTech are not satisfied with either method; adverts bring in too many applications that take up too much time to work through them. Head-hunters have found some suitable candidates but put at a great cost plus there is a risk that candidates would be lured away again by the same agent. And with the small pool of labour agencies are unable to identify the required individuals that are not already know to HiTech.Recommendations Improve on employer brand Although HiTech has global market leadership in several lines of its business and is recognised for its products as potential a bra nd leader but has it adopted an employer brand. Edward (2005) â€Å"employer branding is clearly aimed at attracting and retaining staff† (Edwards, 2005 Employer Branding) HiTech aim should be to develop and maintain a strong brand image as an employer that will reinforce their efforts to attract and subsequently retain the most effective performers.According to CIPD Survey â€Å"nearly three quarters of organisations have made efforts to improve their employee brand over the last year, most commonly through employee surveys and developing online career sites† (CIPD Annual Survey 2011/resourcing and talent planning). HiTech need to project a favourable impression of experience working there, similar to the reputation or brand that Google and Face book have. Evidence strongly suggested that employers can gain an edge in labour market through development of a good brand.Charles Schwab from US investment bank states â€Å"having a strong brand for an employee is a compet itive advantage and strategic advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ it really does help to attract the best candidate†¦.. †(The Conference Board 2001, pg 5/people resourcing Chp 3 pg 68) Using different media to search for talent Website One of the most effective methods that attracts applicants to an organisation is the organisations own corporate website. Corporate websites is an excellent pool for attracting potential candidates. HiTech would have the skills in house to setup a corporate website at a minimum cost.The website should attract people to the careers section, convince them of the desirability of a career in HiTech and capture them as a candidate with an exceptional online response process. Furthermore to the website development HiTech should improve process of applying for a position within the organisation which would address the large quantity of applications received when they run a national newspaper advertisement. Adopting an online application will eliminate unquali fied candidates from first round and then suitable applicants can progress onto the second stage of competency test.This would highlight the qualified personnel with the required skills much more effectively. Trade Journals HiTech could sign up to the specific trade journals that are relevant to the specific industry, profession, trade or business that it in association with. Trade journal would effectively reach a number of the potential candidates that HiTech need to make their presence aware. LinkedIn It would be in HiTech best interest to get connected with social networking website LinkedIn that is geared towards companies and industry professional looking to make new business contacts, keep in touch with previous co –workers and clients.According to CIPD annual survey on resourcing and talent planning professional networking 16% of organisations find that it is an effective method of attracting applications to an their organisation (CIPD annual survey 2011 on resourcing and talent planning). HiTech can create profile that details the company profile and can link in with similar professional establishments and people. This can then form a platform for HiTech to search through profiles of people that they are interested in hiring new employees and also for candidates to search for potential job opportunities.Education Development Even though HiTech skills shortage is an immediate concern they also need to think long term especially when it comes to skills shortages as planning for the future will ensure the organisations continued success. Linking up educational establishments to ensure that the curriculum being taught is relevant to skills set required and preparing students for work and developing their internal talent pipelines around skills shortage areas.HiTech could also offer work experience placements with students to begin the internal training process of the organisation and therefore once qualified will be more up to date with the technol ogy and possible bring new ideas in order to remain innovate. Apple have developed an excellent link in with local colleges and students ; they approach colleagues in different fields and establish a campus rep that is trained in the apple technology and then the campus Rep hosts workshops , demonstrations and build up the Apple brand as a desirable employer.They also have an internship programmes to students through summer placements or co-op during academic year. Apple provides hands on experience by allowing interns to work on critical projects and also offer employment opportunities after they have graduated. Graduate Recruitment From the case study it is said that HiTech has a small scale graduate training programme and that they have difficultly employing graduates with limited experience and train them.HiTech need to further resource and enhance their graduate programme to ensure that candidates get the best possible opportunity during their studies and that they receive the relevant work experience so that once they graduate they can ‘hit the ground running’ . Sony has launched a European Graduate programme that is well structured and offers graduates the experience of all elements of the organisation. The structure is divided up into Business Experience – which is run over two years and graduates rotate on two assignments taking in all roles.They are then provided with training modules that are delivered by top management and highly skilled personnel giving them a unique networking opportunity. Each graduate receives a mentor from the middle management leadership development programme. And finally they are offered social entrepreneurship were they collaborate in groups and apply their business skills making a real contribution to a social project. â€Å"One in ten organisations is considering sponsoring students through university† and â€Å"over a quarter of organisations operate a structured graduate programme† (CIP D annual survey 2011/resourcing and talent planning).Talent Management Graduates struggle to succeed in developing their careers within the company and it doesn’t mention in the case study about any development programmes for employees. Talent management is â€Å" systematic attraction , identification, development , engagement , retention and deployment of individuals who are of particular value to an organisation, either in view of their ‘high potential’ for the future or because they are filling business/operation –critical roles†( CIPD Factsheet; Talent Management An Overview).HiTech need to develop this further for their graduates and employees, it would include a range of activities such as formal and informal leadership coaching, networking events and board-level and client exposure. This would assist HiTech to maintain competitive advantage and get the best from their people. This can be achieved by focusing on four areas of the talent manag ement loop; Attracting talent – as previously mentioned attracting external talent through corporate website to offer a recognised graduate programme enhance the employer brand which will attract new talent.Developing talent- learning and development initiatives should be in implemented to enhance employees and assist graduate to succeed in their career. Managing Talent – this could be linked to development aspect but focuses more on the retention. Succession planning can help HiTech to identify future and potential skilled personnel. Tracking and evaluating talent – continuous evaluation of talent will help improve the staff retention and give focus to areas that management need to work on. SecondmentSecondment refers to the temporary movement of an employee to another part of organisation. HiTech could find this very beneficial if they temporary moved the employees from other countries to Dublin based office. It would certainly assist with the immediate shorta ge of skills, they would not have to train the candidates as they would be familiar with the organisation and it would provide the time for the organisation to adopt the recommendations mentioned above to improve the employer brand and training and development programmes.Another option would be external secondment , HiTech have develop relationships with partnership companies and even with no poaching policy in place they could come to an agreement with another organisation to loan a required skill employee to them for short-term basis to relieve the immediate requirement . Conclusion HiTech International case study highlighted the fact that even been the fast growing company it the world and recognised as global market leaders without the requires skilled staff can cause significant effect on the companies continued success and to maintain competitive advantage.Without a defined, well recognised employer brand an organisation that depends on innovation and creativity attracting spe cialised skills in a relatively small pool of people can be difficult. Reviewing the organisations methods for recruiting talent and researching how successful they are and be willing to adapted and change to the diverse global market is important. Making connections with educational establishments and encouraging graduates to sign up with the programmes will help to prevent future shortages but all programmes and connections must be supported, managed and evaluated on a regular basis.Focusing on in house training and development of staff with career structures will further enhance the organisation and challenges employees to continue to be creative and motivated. Sourcing staff from other branches in other countries could relieve short-term shortage of staff while progress is being made on the employer brand to attract external candidates, training and development programmes are set up and implemented. Regardless of how successful an organisation is, skills shortages can cause sign ificant negative effects on the competitive advantage of an organisation.Continuous assessment of organisation recruitment strategy and ensuring that it is linked to the corporate strategy of the organisation should be re-evaluated on a regular basis to remain a successful organisation and a global market leader. Part 2 With reference to relevant academic literature; evaluate the effectiveness of the interview as a selection method. Introduction â€Å"There is a long tradition going back to the beginning of the twentieth century of academic research into the relative merits of different selection tools (People Resourcing Chp 11 Pg 254). Organisations worldwide must adapt selection method to recruit personnel in order to operate their businesses. The method that they select, be simple or sophisticated depends on a number of factors such as financial, cultural, resources that are available and if their requirements are immediate or for the future. â€Å"You are attempting to predict how a person will perform their work, interact with their future colleagues, treat your customers and respect your business†. (Recruitment and selection slide 8 Selection) All selection methods have positive and negative results and none are infallible.According to CIPD Annual report 2011, interview remains the most common selection method. (CIPD Annual report 2011 resourcing and talent planning). Main Body â€Å"Interviews of one kind or another are almost universally used â€Å"(IRS 2002c, CIPD 2007c). Interviews are popular as they provide the opportunity to meet face to face with the potential future employee, assess candidate’s ability to carry out the job. It also provides the opportunity for the employer to describe job specification, discuss the terms and conditions of employment and project a positive impression of the organisation and emphasise the organisations brand. A controlled conversation with a purpose â€Å"(Torrington, 1995). Despite their widespr ead use, interviews are often questioned as to how effective in selecting people for specific roles they really are. A number of draw backs that Anderson and Shackleton (Anderson and Shakleton, 1993) gather from a variety of studies show some of the reasons why interviews can been criticised. These include; Expectancy Effect – this is where the interviewer gains impression of the candidate before the interview Stereotyping – interviewers assume that particular characteristics are typical of a particular group of people.Personal Linking – interviewers may make decisions on whether they liked or disliked a candidate. Halo and Horns Effect – interviewers may rate candidates as simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Mirror Effect –interviewers may give preference to candidates that perceive to be similar to them. Contrast Effect – the interviewer may allow the experience of interviewing one candidate to affect the way they interview o thers. Primary Effect – interview puts too much emphasis on information gained in initial part of interview. Information overload Effect- interviewers may make decisions on only part of the data available to them.Temporal extension Effect – interviewers may assume that a candidate’s conduct at interview is their general personality. One thirds of employers make an initial hiring decision in the first ninety seconds of an interview, based entirely on interviewees appearance† (XpertHR 2011 selection interviews survey). It could be said that interview selection tool is prejudiced and biased but it is the responsibility of the organisation to ensure that interviewers are adequately trained to help eliminate these errors.It would appear that recruiters are positive, although not passionate about the effectiveness of the interviews as a selection tool (XpertHR 2011 selection interviews survey) Two thirds of employers rate interviews as â€Å"effective† bu t just 16. 7% say they are â€Å"very effective† (App1). Studies have found that the predictive validity of the structured interview is quite high (Campione et al. 1988; Wiesner Cronshaw 1988). Structuring interviews can also help improve the ability to predict performance in the role as they provide interviewers with a framework to follow when interviewing each candidate, based on the criteria for the job.Adapting structure to the interview means that questions are planned carefully before the interview, all candidates are asked the same core questions, answers are scored using a rating system and all questions focus on the attributes and behaviours needed in the job. Evenden and Anderson ( 1992) suggest that the choice of questions and the appropriate use of them can ensure greater balance and flow in the interview itself (Gunnigle Human Resource Management in Ireland Chp 5 pg 128) The types of questions that can be used are ; * Direct or Closed – are useful to get f acts but too many lead to repetition. Leading – no real value in this type of question as most interviewee would follow it. * Topic Changing- help to create a flow through interview. * Probing and developing- help to test the interviewees specific knowledge or skills. * Open-ended- are useful to encourage interviewee to talk and get involved. * Reflecting back – are useful to ensuring information is understood. * Command – are useful retrieve additional information on specific area. Structured interviews can be behavioural, they focus on past performance or situational, they focus on future performance. A growing number of employers are now taking his approach, 60% carry out structured interviews as part of the selection process. (XpertHR2011 selection interview surveys). Interview format can also provide additional structure to the interview selection process, where her they are one to one, panel interview or sequence of interviews but whatever format is chosen the effectiveness of the interview should be the same. Newell (2000) warns that while efforts have been made to improve the selection process through a more systematic approach , currents trends in organisations make ‘best practises’ model somewhat problematic.Job specification and analysis can become difficult if job requires flexibility and also with a number of organisations looking for innovation and creativity the term ‘fit’ has less relevance. (Gunnigle, Human Resource Management in Ireland, Chp 5 pg 124). Other criticism of the structured approach is although highly effective method with the use of controlled questioning etc its doesn’t actually represent the more relaxed environment that a candidate can easily open up. â€Å"The main disadvantage of using a structured interview is that its rigidity can limit the information-gathering process.Instead of exploring an applicant’s responses by further questioning during the interview, th e process is often rushed in order to get through all the questions on the schedule, and the assessment of the individual can inaccurate as a result. Also, since the interviewer takes the lead, he or she may dominate the process, denying the applicant sufficient time to provide a considered and accurate response† (Du Plessis 2003 Pg 170). Approaching a system in reality there is always so sort of compromise as without flexibility systems wouldn’t be sustainable.The interview selection tool would need to adopt a degree of flexibility and would help to improve the problems that have been suggested above. Adopting a mixed approach of semi-structuring or mixed approaches into the process would create the more open relaxed situation that interviews are perceived as but also the structure process remains which overall would make the interview selection method more effective. Conclusion Through the research that has been carried out and reflecting back on some of the statistic s that have been reviewed , the interview process across a wide ange of organisations and even in different markets would be reasonable to say that it is and will continue to be an effective selection tool. Even more so structured interviews have a greater effectiveness, however rigid the process is interviewing remains essentially a selective process. Organisations must ensure that they provide adequate training to equip their interviewers with the essential knowledge and skills required to maximise the interview process and also that they offer the best opportunity with no bias or error for the candidate in question.Furthermore organisations need to be flexible in order to adapt to external and internal factors effecting their organisations environment for example economic, political cultural and technology. Thus the selection processes also needs to be adjusted; we can see this through compromising with the structure approach to interviewing with semi-structure or mixed approache s that slight modifications can improve the outcome. Organisations need to be flexible in order to maintain best practise for their organisation and jobs roles would need to be adjusted accordingly.The interview as a selection tool is still by far the most effective and widely used method across the globe. There are a number of draw backs and there are other selection tools that are more effective but a cost. The interview is the most cost effective, time effective method and with selecting the wrong candidate for the role costing an organisation approximately â‚ ¬15’000 you are not going to offer a position to someone that you haven’t meet face to face now are you ? Appendences 1Bibliography Anderson and Shackleton(1993) Successful selection interviewing. CIPD Fact Sheets Selection Methods. CIPD Fact Sheets Secondment. CIPD Fact Sheet Talent Managment. CIPD Annual Survey Report 2011 Resourcing and Talent Planning. Gunnigle Human Resource Management in Ireland. Tayl or People Resourcing. www. sony. com www. apple. com XpertHR 2011 Selection Interviews Survey; Effectiveness and Training Article. XpertHR 2011 Selection Interviews Survey; Interview tools and record-keeping.