Sex Determination and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sex Determination and Development - Essay Example The same pair of chromosomes results to female while the different pairs results to male product. (Doren, 2009) The production of new plant-line is also determined by the produced monoploids through genetics that result from favorable genotypes. Therefore, it involves the doubling of chromosomes to form homozygous, fertile diploids. There is abnormal number of chromosome aberrations in Aneuploidy which results to organism’s production in a non functional condition through meiosis. DNA component also help in the determination of the inherited chromosomes which form part of the development and sex determination. The components are cellular units that form basic components of chromosome cells that are inherited. This demonstrates how the living things are and how it is prone tom develop. Half of a child’s DNA is inherited from the parent’s DNA and is made possible through the sexual fertilization process when the eggs and sperms meet. Differentiation in terms of development in human starts appearing in the embryo. The difference is realized in gonad within the first six weeks of gestation. The development if female sex is visible in the primordial germ cell which plays a vital role in ovary development. Sry+ and Y-linked are essential players in the first stage of indifference. Y-linked helps in production control and development of testis during cell differentiation. This is also vital in the cell differentiation of two key hormones which gives secondary hormones that controls sex differentiation through Sry+ and Sox-9+ plus an active Dax-1+ gene. The germ primordial cells are enclosed by epithelial cells that help in the creation of primitive sex cords in female. These results to the development of female genital duct, Wolffian and Mullerian duct which forms the female organ when fully

The Status Quo Essay Example for Free

The Status Quo Essay In Howard Zinn’s book, Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice, Chapter 1 entitled, â€Å"Introduction: American Ideology,† begins with a discussion of a few instances in history where groups of people believed that other races and social classes were inferior to others (Zinn 1). The end result of these instances was that many, if not all, of the inferior people were killed (Zinn 1). From these occurrences, Zinn concludes that our thinking does not merely spark debates, but ultimately is a variable of life and death (Zinn 1). He also believes that although we live in a democratic country, the ideas of ethical behavior that were formulated by our forefathers has condemned us to accept them as right, without questioning why they are right (Zinn 3). These ideas were not framed by a group of conspirators, nor were they accidental; these ideas were a result of natural selection in which ideas were encouraged, financed, and pushed forward by those who were in power or by those who had great influence on the general public (Zinn 3). Although these beliefs were written off as correct, Zinn believes that if we decide to reexamine these beliefs, and see that they are not â€Å"natural† ideas, we have come to a major turning point: we are examining and confronting American ideology (Zinn 5). These ideas that are expressed in â€Å"Introduction: American Ideology,† are very sound because they help me to see why it is important to challenge the status quo. If I sit back and just allow people to feed me information about one fact or another, and I just absorb it all in, then I may not really be formulating my own beliefs, but accepting someone else’s. There should be a deeper meaning to what I believe further than what someone has dictated to me to be correct. I should ask intuitive questions about why someone views something as correct, and by that process, I might begin to clearly see their idea as acceptable. Oftentimes, many people, including myself, suppress what they believe in because as Zinn mentioned, these dissenting ideas are most often drowned in criticism because they are outside of the â€Å"acceptable or popular choices† (Zinn 4). By doing this, those who believe that their idea is right, maintain power. In a real world example, you may be hanging out with a group of friends at a party when all of a sudden, your friends start smoking marijuana. Everyone but you is an avid believer that smoking it is cool, and is acceptable because everyone else is doing it. You have never smoked marijuana a day in your life, but under the circumstances, you fall into peer pressure when a joint is passed your way. In this instance, you know you believe that smoking marijuana is wrong, but you suppress your beliefs since every single one of your friends is doing it, and by speaking up, your belief will most definitely be covered in criticism. The end result is that your group of friends maintains power over you, and will find it that much easier to influence you to smoke marijuana again. Metaphorically speaking, a great representation of how Zinn portrays the ideas of those in command is through â€Å"weeds.† A weed is a plant that overtakes the area in which it is located. Once it begins to grow, unless someone is willing to take the time to go and remove it from the area, it remains there. Likewise, the ideas that are seen in â€Å"Introduction: American Ideology,† are like weeds because they are established and passed off as right to the general public. Once these ideas are in place, they are hard to get rid of, even if many people dissent them. It must then take a strong group of people to try to â€Å"uproot† the ideas, and replace them with what the public believes is right. Moving forward, I can use the information that I have written about and apply it to my own life. I should begin to feel comfortable in challenging what I do not believe in, rather than being neutral about the issue because as Zinn mentions, in this day and age that we live in, neutrality is seen as a sign of acceptance in the way things are now (Zinn 7). I now see that I should begin to be my own self, and not just another grain of sand on the beach, living by the status quo. Works Cited Zinn, Howard. Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print.

Essay --

Tea tree oil was introduced to me in 2009 when I experimented in a series of piercings. A friend at the time informed me of the medicinal uses and how it was effective on scar tissue. However the plant in which the oil is extracted from is far more entertaining. Tea Tree (Malaleuca alternifolia) is a plant belonging to the Myrtaceae family, known for their cleansing properties. There are over two hundred recognized species of Myrtaceae which majority is native to Australia. However a few species from the Myrtaceae family occur in Malesia, New Caledonia and as of the mid-1880’s M. quinquenervia was introduced, as an invasive species to Florida to assist in drying out swampy lands. The indigenous people of northeastern New South Wales historically had known about the healing mechanics of their native tea trees for thousands of years. They used them as disinfectants to treat minor cuts and wounds. Eventually they progressed in the knowledge of the plants uses and found that by inhaling evaporative oil from the leaves that it alleviated congestion and respiratory tract infections. Figure A. Order: Myrtlales, Family: Myrtaceae. Characteristic of the myrtle family is its use of distilled essential oils, such as Tea tree oil (Melaleuca oil) Compound Background The leaves of M. alternifolia are the primary part of the plant that is used. Rarely twigs from the tree is also used, it hasn’t been proven to be anymore or less effective to use the twigs. To create the oil, the leaves are extracted and harvested for a few days leaving the leaves to wilt. Essentially the leaves are limp through heat and deprived of water. The leaves are then inserted into a boiler with even temperature, distilling the leaves. Eventually both the steam and t... ...uman rights laws protect them. However there is no uniformed legislation that directly protects indigenous medical knowledge. When regarding the plant of interest Malaleuca alternifolia, it is in deed protected because of its indigenous heritage to Australia. Tea tree oil coming from M. alternifolia proves to be the main source for commercial tea tree that is manufactured and shipped around the world. However tea tree oil can be extracted from other plants within the Malaleuca genus. Which unfortunately has left M. viridiflora an endangered species providing more protection to the specific plant. Regarding the current situation presented in Australia, the conditions seem optimal for protection of their indigenous knowledge and organic compounds. They have many laws to protect themselves from outside thieves and are very developed concerning them as a world status.

Coursework On Hard Times :: English Literature

Coursework On Hard Times Title: How does Dickens present the education system in Hard Times? How does this reflect life in Coketown? Hard Times reveals Dickens' increased interest in class issues and social observations. Dickens was extremely concerned with the miserable lives of the poor and working classes in the England of his day, and Hard Times is one of several of his novels that address these social problems directly. On hearing the name, Hard times, an imagination of people going through a difficult and hard way of life is revealed. This novel also reminds us of the hard times in the Victorian Times when children did not go to school; when education was varied according to social class- factory like schools for the poor and private tutors for the rich. Those that were able to have the so-called education suffered in the process. They were forced to learn a lot by heart because everything was formal and mechanical. They were put through a factory-like process, hoping to produce children that were possessed of nothing but facts. Not even a sense of fancy and imagination. They were educated to get the basics of life because they were going to be pushed into the outside world at a very young age of 12 and above or even below. At the end of the day, the education was worthless because most of the children died in the workhouse. Dickens used Hard Times to criticise the society for failing so many of its children. Dickens argues against a mode of factory style, grad-grinding production that exterminates the fun out of life. He believes that education should not be a thing of going through volumes of head-breaking questions and being put through an immense variety of paces. Hard Times not only suggests that fancy is as important as fact, but it continually calls into question the difference between fact and fancy. Dickens suggests that what constitutes so-called fact is a matter of perspective or opinion. The lack of education for children and factory like process of education has resulted to 'vast piles of building full of windows where there was a rattling and a trembling all day long' in Coketown. Coketown is portrayed in Hard Times as an industrial town with polluted atmosphere and place where people have the same lifestyle. Metaphorically, Coketown means carbon town. In science the word coke is another name for carbon. Dickens has described it as 'a town of machinery and tall chimney, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever, and never got uncoiled.' In the above quote, the word 'smoke' is the carbon produced from the

Human Resources Task Essay

First, we need to ask what performance appraisals are. They are â€Å"The identification, measurement and management of human performances within an organization.† (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) Performace appraisals are popular and used world wide to measure personal and team performace. Performance management has increased with the gripping economy and having less to do more. Managers have always thought of optimal performance, yet a poorly written performce appraisal has a devistating impact on the employee, the manager, and the company. Today we will discuss the negative affects of a poorly written appraisal and the positive affects of an effective written appraisal. We will cover the steps to take, the information to include, and the expected end results of the appraisal. Covering the core competencies is critical, they include: Inclusiveness, Stewardship, Problem solving and Decision Making, Strategic Planning and Organizing, Communication, Quality Improvement, Leadership, Service Focus, and Teamwork. So, are apprasials needed? Absolutly†¦the appraisal system identifies and ensures we retain the best employees. It gives an outlook of who can best do what, and where best to utilize them. It ensures they reach their highest potential within the company. It allows managers to provide coaching and feedback to the employees so they can improve performace levels in identified areas. Affective appraisals inhibit improvement and development of employee performance. On the other hand, they may be a source of justified legal documentation resulting in discussions or termination. Performance appraisals are critical when it comes to our customers, their survey comments are a source of manager documentation that allows a solid source for a well written employee appraisal. Our customers are our business, and without them our company would fail. (Levinson, 2003) Bonuses are also dependent on appraisals as they provide a fair and reliable merit system. Employees are evaluated on the exact same criteria. Target goals are based on performance and results, and are measures of expectations applying to all employees equally. Discrimination is also avioded as the employee (or team) is able to write their own successes down and have the ability to ensure they represent themselves as the best employee (or team) who deserves the highest (or lowest) recognition. Employees have to see the value in the appraisal system, and if the managers don’t display that value then the system fails. As managers embrace the system and its value, so too will the employees. This will lead to stronger performances as they take ownership in their own success. In short, Performance appraisals save time, inhibit accountability, reduce conflict, increase efficiency and consistency, and promote manager involvement in overall performance. They allow the employees to have a direct clarification of expectations, performance level, self-assessment of performance, and a clear idea of where they need to improve to attain their and the companies expected level of satisfaction. The company then benefits through time management savings, accountabiliity of managers and employees, accuracy in appraisal ratings, increased productivity, employee retention, and increased communication of expectations. PRE-APPRAISAL Collecting accurate data and documentation (D&D) allows an employee/supervisor/manager to create a solid performance appraisal. The day the employee is hired, both positive and negative D&D begins. How you collect D&D is up to you as a manager, but normally it is collected using emails, feedback from team members and the employee, performance reviews, status updates from different projects the employee is working on, knowledge of work scope, communication skills, customer feedback (when used appropriately), work attendance, and finally taking your own notes. These forms of communication and D&D collection will provide for the necessary  information in writing a firm and accurate performance appraisal, benefiting the company and the employee. It is important to know how and what is measured on a performance appraisal; quality and quantity of work performed, and social efficacy are examples of what is to be measured. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) Performance will certainly differ subject to occupation description and team objectives, yet company business goals will not differ and relevance between the two must correspond with one another. This is a serious tool for management as it has the potential of corrupting a respectable performance appraisal system Now lets address the social part of what should be in a performance appraisal. An easy way to approach this is to ask; what needs to be addressed? Areas and information might include: development intervention, establishing organizational mechanics and progression opportunities. It’s a must to discuss policy initiatives in order to govern company results. Using self-assurance, diverse assistance, joint ventures, area amalgamation and development will assist in the electives and results we are pursuing as a company. Looking back to prepare for the future minimizes and avoids common mistakes, benefiting all members. The following evaluation tools help prevent negative impacts using the pre-appraisal evaluation; relative, absolute, trait, behavior, and outcome. Let’s take these one at a time and strengthen our understanding of each. Relative – a supervisors tool used to compare employees one to another that perform the same work. An example of this is to classify employees to different categories of top, middle, and lowest; then from best to worst. It forces supervisors/managers to rank employees differently rather than equally (ranking employees the same, in effect, inulls the value of the appraisal). The downside is it also creates a difference in performance between employees when there may be none. Absolute – employee performace appraisals are according to company standards only. Supervisors s a better opportunity of a higher rating than that where  the relationship isn’t as strong with use a rating system from 1-10, lowest (1) to highest (10). The downside is that supervisors differ on who should be a 6 and who should be an 8. No consistency exists between supervisors. Personal favorites due to a strong bond between employee and supervisor haanother employee. As with all companies, supervisors change leaving the favored employee at a disadvantage because his next appraisal will not be based on the relationship he/she has with the supervisor. Integrity in the appraisal system then becomes questionable. Trait – consistent and enduring traits of the employee are judged by supervisors. These traits include: reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders, and great followers. Keep in mind that these are easily defined but hard to find in employees. The downside; bias occurs wheather intended or not. By virtue it is, unfortunately, unusable in a legal case if requested by the courts. Behavior – this is tool takes time to prepare as employees are ranked based on employee participation in events or meetings, and timeliness to attend such events and meetings. Appraisal comments are very tangible and exact, but essentially are only illustrations of preferred behavior. They measure from 1-10, poor (1) to exceptional (10), and allows employees to assertain which behaviors are favorible and which are not. The downside is because the comments are illustrations of preferred behavior, the actual behavior is perceived rather than authentic. Also, when company changes happen, it’s possible the change can nullify the measuring system of the appraisal. Outcome – employee result focused appraisal tool. This tool can be compaired with the Management By Objectives (MBO) system. There is litheness in rating the employee because bias is eradicated, a clear well-defined standard is set as a measuring tool and allows the employee to achieve the companies objectives. The downside is this tool focuses on output rather than quality and includes areas like: production numbers, and quantity not quality of products sold. If you have produced or sold 2,500 shirts in one day, but the seams in half the sales are defective, you cost the company more money than you made it because now you have to replace those defective orders. Now lets cover which evaluation method a company recognizes for their performance appraisal method. There are 2 common models used; competency, and 360 degree. Competency Model – a model used to measure observable qualities and characteristics employees display in successfully performing job tasks. A great deal of time is spent developing this model, but once complete it is effective in meausuring and developing a sustainable human resources, products, and financial areas within the company. The downside is there is a fineline between personality and performace traits. Supported forms of discrimination are not what a company wants in their performace assessment tool. 360 Degree Model – more of a global approach to measurement. It provides feedback to managers and administrators to review in determining objectives and goals a companies work components can work towards. This feedback consists of peer evaluations, subordinate evaluations, employee evaluations, employee interactions, and company performance from all viewpoints. Each pertinent to the performace objectives the company is attempting to attain. Employees want to promote within their division or company, and in order to do that they must have a clear and direct goal to follow. Employees may be strong in certain tasks, and weak in 1 or 2 others, so too are companies when evaluated. Identifying the weak areas and addressing them head on, the employee and company are destined to succeed. The 360 degree model gives a clear view of where the company stands with reaching their goals and objectives. POST APPRAISAL ACTIVITIES Now that the appraisal is complete we are done right†¦.wrong, we still have to create a plan for improvement and development for the employee. This is called the post appraisal activity as we are now working on making a good employee a great employee. Important during this time are the supervisor/manager records of the employees precise performance. Employee participation is critical as they may discuss how they perceive their  performace to be, allowing the supervisor/manager to develop a plan of continued growth based on both parties’ feedback of each objective. In order to attain a higher level of efficiency and sustainability, a proper evaluation proccess gives the needed information for this success. In order for progress to proceed, it’s imperative that we look back at lessons learned from our performance appraisal system. It gives a snapshot of where changes are required to minimize past faults, and imperious in developing an action plan. Distinct and detailed actions plans are imperative for employee comprehension of objectives and goals. As adjustments are identified and made, the action plan is created and offered for immediate action. They must be inspirational, measurable, specific, and attainable so as to promote compliance for success. Results are key and relevant to action plan success of company goals and objectives. Modification and time bound, these goals must be effective during implimentation. Now we need to close the plan once its been finalized. Performance appraisals are implortant to the employee because they want to see if the supervisor/manager has the same vision of their performance as they do. It is important to the company because they want to have the best success with the best employees, this is a way of measuring that success and making changes where necessesary to ensure that happens. It’s important that the employee be an active member of the closing of their performance appraisal as this is a time to celebrate their succcesses and action plan for increased success. It also gives management the opportunity to instill in the employee that they are a valuable asset to the company and want to ensure they succeed at all levels. An bi-annual review of the action plan allows both the supervisor/manager and the employee time to make adjustments where needed to ensure the path to success is achieved. It’s my recommendation that we use the 360 degree model as it offers more of a snapshot of where we are, where we need to be, and an action plan to get there. This model offers the greatest opportunity for a prosperous result  in our employee and companies success. I recommend a review of our current performance appraisal system be completed by the Human Resources Department with changes being presented to the Board of Directors within 45 days. Finally, I recommend annual training to our supervisors and managers starting immediately within 30 days to ensure they are up-to-date should these changes be implemented. The training will ensure that the staff is in strict compliance with the guidelines are equal for everybody. Communication is key to this being successful as it minimizes the opportunity for error. FEEDBACK MISTAKES Would you agree that employee development is extremely important? Of course it is†¦yet one of the â€Å"faults† a manager makes is they fail to provide timely performance appraisal feedback to the employee throughout the year. The employee has no way of improving in key areas because the manager has waited until the end of year performance appraisal to provide the feedback. This is an injustice to both the employee and the company as the employee now feels victimized, or targeted and becomes self-justifying in their response and actions. DO NOT WAIT†¦if you do the only feedback you will have on the appraisal will be negative because there was nothing the employee was aware of that needed improvement. Providing feedback throughout the year will balance both the positive and negative comments (hopefully more positive than negative). As the employee receives this feedback throughout the year, it reassures them that their manager and company have their best interests at hand, and that the feedback is to ensure they succeed to their fullest potential. A successful employee is a successful manager, something that must be emphasized in Manager’s meetings. I cannot stress enough how important that keeping notes on employee performance throughout the year is critical. Far too often, the most recent of events will bear the greatest of weight on a performance appraisal, I call this â€Å"Overstating Performance† reviews. The problem with this is it appears that the employee was only successful toward the end of the appraisal period, making it look as though he did not give that 100% throughout the rest of the year. This lack of leadership and understanding of the importance of the performance appraisal  system leads to reviews of imbalanced assessments. This is an injustice to the employee and undermines what the performance appraisal system is created to do. It has a high probability that average employee performances will receive exceptional reviews, and exceptional employee performances will receive average reviews. Unfortunately when this happens it becomes a â€Å"time period† based performance appraisal instead of a yearly review, and there is no time period where we have exceptional employees all the time; it just doesn’t happen! Keeping notes throughout the year allows the manager to systematically create a timeline of events that leads to an accurate and fair performance appraisal. It is up to the manager to ensure accurate employee performance reviews are conducted, and note taking throughout the year is critical in writing accurate re Being too critical on employee performance appraisals is not constructive criticism. Negative comments are a form of constructive criticism when given in moderation; employee inclusion is critical when devising a plan of correction for self-improvement. Likewise, being too critical is detrimental to employee morale as they feel they are worthless and cannot perform to the standards set by their manager. We want the employee to understand that they are valued, and critical to the success of the company. Being able to portray this while giving negative feedback takes time, skill, and an understanding of an employee’s limits of self-worth. We need to know our employee and how we can help them be successful without being too critical, yet still being constructive. It is imperative we maintain an open line of communication to make this happen. So we know that being too critical is negative in itself, so too is not providing the constructive guidance for employee improvement. Constructive advice must have value, and insure the employee feels and sees the legitimacy in the employee appraisal system. It is important that they know we want to see them succeed and promote within the company so they can feel pride and self-worth. When they see the value constructive criticism has in the appraisal system, they see a future the company has to offer. Being critical is good, but being critically constructive is better. The manager needs to know that when they provide constructive criticism, they must hold the belief that the employee is capable of making necessary changes to be  successful. The employee needs to know that applying the constructive criticism displays their abilities and desire to remain and promote within the company. Rather than being too favorable or damaging, it should be our goal as managers to give an honest a ssessment; allowing the employees to understand and increase in value what the appraisal has to offer also increases the opportunity to be successful. The appraisal should offer an equally balanced assessment of what the employee is doing correct, their accomplishments, what they need to work on, and (if any) failures with lessons learned. Again, taking notes will allow for an equally balanced assessment that guarantees to promote success with the individual employee and the company. Finding value in the performance appraisal takes interaction between the manager and the employee, not just the manager talking. Both the manager and the employee need to be able to talk and listen, creating an environment of trust, understanding, responsibility, and accountability. The appraisal system is not designed to be a one-way discussion. Employee interaction is not only pertinent to a successful appraisal, but also necessary for understanding underachieved job performance. Two-way communications is required for both parties to attain common goals and realizing the importance in achieving those goals in the upcoming year. This two-way communication requires that the manager be prepared ahead of time by reviewing his notes from the previous year, listening to the employee and not just appearing to be in the same room, and not interrupting the employee when he/she is talking. Proper scheduling is very important, because you want to allow yourself enough time to read over the review, listen and communicate with the employee, wrap up the review once the employee has left, prepare for the next review by going over your notes on the incoming employee, then do it all over again. If your schedule does not allow for extra time, one employee Smith’s appraisal information is sure to be mixed with employee Wright’s appraisal information. This would be a drastic oversight as a deserving employee may receive not so deserving results. Scheduling a break between reviews will minimize this risk preventing a miss rating of employees. As we identify a problem in the performance appraisal process, managers must focus on the employee and not the performance, (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) as this allows the manager to be objective. The employee needs to know their manager is more concerned for  their individual development. Keeping that two-way communication is instrumental to a successful relationship, appraisal, and success of the manager, employee, and the employee then takes possession in their success, and personal and professional growth. Employee performance is what we are looking for; allowing the employee to actively discuss future goals builds trust between the manager and the employee. The employee’s future success is up to them, and taking an active role in setting achievable goals for the upcoming year they are also able to communicate possible solutions to current performance levels. HOW TO ACHIEVE PEAK WORTH Performance appraisals are usually divided into two separate categories: Performance evaluation and salary judgement. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) The supervisor/manager provides feedback from the performance review so the employee can better comprehend the cooresponding performance score they attained. Relative advice is needed for employee understanding and compliance. During the performance appraisal, the supervisor/manager must become a mentor to support, teach, encourage, and energize employee and team members while providing guidance. If the employee/team believe in their abilities, they are more likely to adapt and overcome. As a supervisor/manager, it’s critical that you perfect the skill of giving guidance in a positive manor to develop their performance . Supervisors/managers want their employess to display passion, drive, skill, and belief that they are the best qualified to ensure optimal results. When the employee is assisted by his manager to move them above his position, then the manager becomes a pronounced leader and is the foundation to a companies capability to endure trying times. A managerial assessment is required on the staffs performance. It concentrates on providing appraisal feedback for administrative conclusions. Next, managers must recognize and deliver advice/feedback for the action plan with a emphasis on proficiency expansion. This process needs to involve the employee as they generate the prosperous results creating the  companies success. In the closing phase, the manager and employee discuss the action plan, it’s timeline, and their successes. All performance appraisals should be the same across the board, meaning there is no change based on position or reputation within the company. Once the performance appraisal and action plan are offered, they must be signed by both parties with the understanding that they are both in agreement with the appraisal, the action plan, the timeline, and have a new found commitment to working as a team to reach the anticipated result. THE BENEFITS Why is it necessary for our employees to succeed? Because their success is the companies success, it’s the only time we benefit. With the employee and manager on the same page and working together for a common goal, it aligns their actions with the goals and objectives of the company. Our companies future depends on how much time and energy we invest in our employees. Image is everything (so they say) and when we can display successful employees, then we have the image of a professional organization that invests in it’s future through it’s employees. Employee turnover rate reduces with a successful appraisal system in place, experienced managers, and professional employees. All these contribute to production increase, contractural agreements met, and customer/employee satisfaction. As an employee takes interest in the success of the company, they are able to relay their approval through great customer service and word of mouth (creating that positive image). Largely the internal philosophy and image of the company improves, profit margin increases with lowered revenue loss and is the single most significant stock we as a company must invest in. EVALUATIONS OF TEAMWORK There are different approaches to teamwork evaluations; these are a few:  ·Managers rate team performance centered on pre-set standards, also known as the Traditional performance review. Team performance assessments can be idiosyncratic, creating very little change, if any, in total performance.  ·Another evaluation type is called the 360 degree assessment, this type includes feedback from what I like to call the â€Å"4 corners†; managers, peers, supervisors, and customers. This type of assessment, or review, displays strengths and weaknesses based on thorough feedback from a 360 degree â€Å"4 corner† view. Unfortunately there is a drawback from this type of multi-source assessment, deciphering the information requires education and training. Once the information is properly interpreted, then performance growth sprouts like fruit on a tree. (AMISANO, 2012)  ·A third type is called objective performance appraisals. This type takes a set of pre-determined objectives and goals and evaluates them based on similar job titles. As this is effective in Individual performance appraisals, it has no bearing on team performance appraisals.  ·The concluding evaluation selection is a team performance appraisal. This assessment type allows you to have an overview of team compatability and performance in a team building environment. This type of evaluation consist of common principles, team effort, and actions achieved on the project. (AMISANO, 2012) Team evaluations are based on financial results, not individual performance results. This type of assessment takes a different approach in that you now are rating based on vital performance indicators like:  ·Customer service quality  ·Marketplace success  ·Financial strength  ·Individual growth  ·Team growth  ·Product deliverable quality These areas, as deemed by leadership as necessary measurement factors, can include other areas as approved by the appraising authority. All approved areas are used in evaluating the team as one entity and how that team functions. It’s important for you to know that there are two sections to team evaluations 1.The individual contribution to team performance 2.The team performance as one entity Outcomes, traits, and behaviors are the areas a manager uses to assess the individual contribution to the team, and behavior measurement assessment for individual involvement to the group’s outcome. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) This is another system that needs to be in balance when evaluating. For example, we would not use the same standards of measuring financial goals as we would with customer service approval/fears. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) It’s imperative that the result measurements compliment the measurements of the method. Results are important, but strong personal relationships are what drive team performance to success. A new team will not assess the same as a veteran team that has built a relationship of trust, knowledge, and teamwork. It takes time, education and training to be a successful team member, this is where the team assessments come to play. They assist new members in becoming solid team performers in a limited amount of time. These team assessments are essential in ensuring that they swiftly align with company goals and standards while minimizing undesireable behavior. Criteria influenced by team members must be united with assessment measurements to be effective. Team performance appraisals are specific, calculable, achievable, outcome determined, related, and time assured. Every team member provides feedback to management during their assessments, this is called team inclusion. Team goals must be prioritized by importance as it provides a timeline of tasks forthcoming, and allows focus to be shifted where needed. Teams are a relationship that must be nurtured prior to being effective. As issues arrise, team members are able to adequately adjust and apply changes necessary to avert disaster and solve the issues. This is important because minimal time is spent on a damaged processes and channeled to  product progression. Downside to team assessments are that some members of the team who are not as productive and not pulling their weight, receive acculades on project milestones when in essence they ought not. Employees prefer individual performance appraisals because of this reason. Their work ethics and sacrifices are who they are, and to be judged by somebody elses is an injustice that depletes morale and professional development. RECOMMENDATION Due to the amount of research completed, I feel confident in recommending the use of the 360 degree appraisal model to impliment integration of the individual performance appraisal with the individual contribution to the team appraisal and an overall team performance appraisal. Allowing the combination of appraisals ensures accurate assessments of all employees and how they performed as a team. Following previously mentioned tools, supervisors and managers will utilize all feedback from employees, customers, and individual notes to accurately evaluate the employees. The employees will evaluate their individual performance, they will evaluate their team members performance, and be evaluated by each of the team members resulting in a 360 degree evaluation method. This becomes critical as it separates individual assessments from team assessments so credit is given where credit is deserved. Team performance evaluations are also recommended to use the 360 degree appraisal model. A 360 degree snap-shot view allows the manager to see team performance and functionality from all angles. It exhibits if the team is aligned with company goals and objectives. Utilizing the following evaluator approved evaluation areas, we are able to include the finance department, customer service department, Marketing department, and the quality assurance department in the feedback stage of the assessment.  ·Customer service quality  ·Marketplace success  ·Financial strength  ·Individual growth  ·Team growth  ·Product deliverable quality With feedback from all these sources, including the managers notes, we will create a baseline to revisit when measuring growth. An precise blueprint minimizes risk! TEAM V. INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS Parameters, Objectives, Results, Recognition The differences between Team performance evaluations and individual performance evaluations are simple. Individual evaluations require an individual to be hired, provided a job position that comes with a job description with job responsibilities requiring accomplishment. As managers we then have a baseline of the job description and responsibilities, by which we can then evaluate their performance in accomplishing (or not) said job. After which we rate that performance by comparison to another employee with a similar or same job title. The result is a direct reflection on the employees individual performance. He/she takes ownership of their evaluation without fear of other employees mis-deeds. Team evaluations have pre-set conditions approved by the evaluation team and aligned with the company goals and objectives for a determined project. Generally team performance is a result of team member effort, and therefore performance (good or bad) is reflected on the rating of team members. Evaluation results differ based on team member abilities, training, self-reliance, knowledge, and communication. It only takes one bad apple to spoil the harvest, meaning if one team member fails at their part of the mission, the whole team looks bad and receive a disearning review. On the flip side the other team members may be skilled enough to overcome the one team members incompetency and still complete the project on time, under  budget, and to the customers satisfaction. In this case the whole team most likely will receive a great review, including the employee who did not succeed. While the most common appraisal is an individual performance appraisal, companies see the benefit of using team power to complete assigned tasks. As this team-oriented change happens, having team performance evaluations on hand has given us an unfair advantage as we now have a baseline for future team performance evaluations. We know what works and what doesn’t, we know what to look for and what to avoid. We have the tools required at our disposal to ensure our team performance evaluations become flawless. Having said that these evaluations tools can easily be imprudent in a way that causes caos and frustration among team members. That is why it is important that my previous recommendation be taken seriously and implemented immediately. As for recognition, Individual performance evaluations are subject to bonuses, salary increases, and promotions. Team performace evaluations are trickier, but not impossible. If my recommendation is implemented, it becomes a lot easier as we then can include individual contribution to the teams success (or failure) rather than to the team as a whole. Imagine the conflict that would take place if a team failed to successfully accomplish a task because of one team member, and because of that team member they failed to receive recognition for their individual successes. SUMMARY ANALYSIS Performance appraisals: 1.Improves the development and overall performance improvement of the employee 2.Aligns employee performance with company strategy  3.Defines and aligns strategic planning for the employee to emulate (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) 4.Justifies legal action (termination) due to documentation, as well as promotions, bonuses, and raises. 5.Promotes a professional image Progression Planning 1.Needed for future stability 2.Removes fear, instability and uncertainty when leadership changes 3.Delivers our company mission and strategic priorities (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) 4.Investment is with our employees, and therefore with the guaranteed future of our company. Team Appraisals 1.Teams identify issues and initiate change for faster resolution (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) 2.Increased productivity as less time is spent identifying an issue and a resolution implemented 3.Production progression is amplified 4.Teams are an investment as society and the environment dictate change 5.Teams are what make progression planning a success. We owe our stakeholders and ourselves to remain professional, profitable and ethical in our business and personal lives. It is only right to invest in those who invest in you, and that is what our company is dedicated itself to accomplish. Their investment in you guarantees their investment in the company’s future. It is a obligation we can accomplish using the proven tools provided†¦strong performance appraisals creating better employees, a progression plan with strong teams to ensure results and growth. Increased revenue is due to the tools we have in place; it is due to customer satisfaction, increased profit margins, employment gratification, and a riveting public image projecting International quality Works Cited AMISANO, C. (2012, OCTOBER 17). METHODS FOR EVALUATING EMPLOYEE & TEAM PERFORMANCES. Retrieved October 17, 2012 GOMEZ-MEJIA, L. (2010). MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES, SIXTH EDITION. INDIANAPOLIS: PRENTICE HALL. Levinson, H. (2003, January). Management by whose objectives. 81(1), pp. 107-116. Univeristy of California, B. (2012, October 24). Human Resources at University of California, Berkeley  © UC Regents. All rights reserved. Berkley, UC. Retrieved October 24, 2012, from Core Competencies and Behavioral Anchors: http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/files/attachments/behavioral-anchors-matrix-core-competencies.pdf

Essay on Wwii World War Ii and Czech States

Essay on Wwii World War Ii and Czech States Essay on Wwii: World War Ii and Czech States WWIl Being the most destructive war in history, World War II was responsible for killing about 55 million men. The war made a difference in the way the world was scene. There were many causes for the war. These causes include the following; the end of World War I, appeasement policy, expansion of Japanese military and Hitler with his policies of expansionism. World War I caused massive destruction and the world became alert to another major war evolving. This led to the formation of the League of Nations and Britain’s appeasement policy. Then end of WWI was proclaimed with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty placed guilt and responsibility of World War I on Germany and included territorial clauses that ordered Germany to give up African Colonies and forayed annexation of German Austria. The treaty also ordered Germany to repay 226 billion for the damages caused by the war. This treaty was a major cause for WWII because it wasn’t harsh enough to prevent German y from becoming a world force again. This treaty also managed to upset all Germans. They saw it as unfair. ( pg 751- 752) The Appeasement policy was another cause of WWII. This policy was set in place by France and Britain. It allowed Nazi Germany to have anything it wanted in hopes that Hitler would be appeased and disregard his aggressive policies. Germany entered Rhineland under the Versailles treaty in 1936 and Hitler was forbidden not to. In 1938, German armies entered into Austria and annexed the country. Germany violated the treaty of Versailles in more than one way. Britain and France did not protest the violations in hopes that another war would not occur. Lastly, Hitler and his armies entered the Czech states to take Sudetenland back and France and Britain raised their objections. Hitler proceeded and implied that war was in the making. WWII would not have occurred if Hitler didn’t have chance to construct a great arm Lastly, Hitler and his armies entered the Czech states to take Sudetenland back and France and Britain raised their objections. Hitler proceeded and implied that war was in the making. WWII would not have occurred if Hitler didn’t have chance to construct a great army.(pg. 838-839 The major root cause of WWII was the expansion of Japanese militarism. The war in the pacific was not avoidable. The US and Japan didn’t agree on

Muet Speaking †Question ; Answer Essay Essays

Muet Speaking – Question ; Answer Essay Essays Muet Speaking – Question ; Answer Essay Essay Muet Speaking – Question ; Answer Essay Essay Try non to handle or believe of MUET as a chilling trial. However. don’t under estimation the readying. clip and attempt required for this trial either. If you have friends or schoolmates who have taken the trial. inquire them about it. You’ll likely get many many different types of replies. â€Å"OMG! It’s tough! † or â€Å"Actually. its non that difficult. † Their experiences may change depending on the sum of readying done every bit good as their background in English. Well. MUET is a trial. So. you have to set some attempt and clip into fixing for it. Many pupils inquire me all the clip. â€Å"How many hours do I have to analyze? † Then. I would inquire in return. â€Å"What’s your mark set mark? Band 6? 5? 4? 3? † If you know that you need Band 3 to prosecute and go on your surveies in Business Management. Marketing. Histories etc. and you’re non really confident about your English proficiency and ability. so. be prepared to work on it. If you know that you need Band 4 or 5 to prosecute your instruction in Law. Pharmacy. Medicine etc. so. be prepared to work really hard. The clip and attempt that you put into fixing for MUET besides ensures that you won’t struggle with English when you are prosecuting your grade or Master’s. Imagine the defeat of fighting with English words. vocabulary etc. It makes analyzing your class boring and disputing. You should be seeking to understand the constructs and thoughts of your class instead than waste clip on looking up about every individual word in your text book. Ok. so one time you’re mentally prepared to work hard on acquiring your mark set mark for MUET. What should you make? Tip # 1 Check out the construction and format of the trial. Get your custodies on theoretical account trial documents or past twelvemonth documents. You can obtain this easy from the bookshop or from your MUET coach. How many papers/components do you hold to take? How many inquiries? What type of inquiries? How much clip do you hold to finish the trial? Tip # 2 Prepare a program of action When do you necessitate to take the trial? When do you necessitate to subject your consequences to your university? You need to make up ones mind and pull up a timeline or agenda. If its July now and MUET is in October/November. inquire yourself. how much clip would you hold to apportion to MUET readying for the following 3 months or 12 hebdomads? 3 times a hebdomad. 2 hours a twenty-four hours? Self-study? Form a survey group? Join a category? I would propose all three. Tip # 3 Practice. pattern. pattern Yes. its merely that simple. However. easier said than done. You need to pull off you clip and motive degree. How severely do you desire this? Think about the effects. If you don’t acquire the set you need. what happens? You truly want to prosecute third instruction or in some instances. alumnus from university. Then. pattern. pattern. pattern. After go toing Sessionss with your MUET coach and survey group. do the followers. Practice Speaking. Get MUET talking inquiries and imitate the trial. Speak to yourself. Feign you are in the trial. Visualize the trial scenario. This is the best manner to forestall traveling clean. terror in the REAL speech production trial session. Practice Reading. Its of import to try theoretical account inquiries. You need to pattern skimming and scanning for replies. You need to cognize that you can complete the 45 inquiries in 90 proceedingss. Practice Listening. When trying the listening trial. DON’T listen to every individual word of the recording. You need to larn the techniques of listening for significance and effect. That takes pattern. If you are fighting to spell words. don’t desperation. merely pattern even more. Practice Writing. Yes. the inquiries that have appeared in past twelvemonth documents will non come out once more. And how likely are you able to foretell the inquiries for authorship. So. what should you make? You need to pattern showing your ideas. positions. sentiment. thoughts in composing on paper. in the most consistent mode and with suited vocabulary. This. takes pattern. Tip # 4 Read. read. read What should you read? Be smart about it. What sort of subjects are you likely to acquire in your trial. Read articles that are relevant to those. Do you cognize about Plastic surgery? Social jobs? Crime rates? Crime bar? ICT updates? Work related emphasis? Not much? Then read about them. Read on-line magazines. newspapers. good quality web logs. articles from English linguistic communication web sites. Salvage them. e-mail to your friends. portion and exchange articles. Tip # 5 Vocabulary. vocabulary. vocabulary Get a good academic workbook and work on it. Academic vocabulary which is required for MUET is different from normal mundane English. I’ve uploaded a vocabulary workbook on my web log. Download the pdf file. acquire it printed and complete it.

Patron and Patronize

Patron and Patronize Patron and Patronize Patron and Patronize By Maeve Maddox Someone in my Facebook feed posted this about an aging celebrity who has recently published a book: â€Å"Don’t buy her books and don’t patron her movies.† I’d never seen patron used as a verb. Patronize is the verb commonly used to mean: â€Å"to frequent or support as a customer.† For example: I have patronized The Brown Derby since its inception and have always found the food to be second-to-none. A Web search turned up many examples of the unconventional use of patron in this sense. Here are two examples: The owner is very racist and I REFUSE to patron this place.   My wife and  I refuse to patron movie  theaters on Thanksgiving or Christmas.   Not surprisingly, the most common source of this nonstandard use of patron is social media. What did surprise me is that I found patron used as a verb in some British news sources. It was, however, used in the context of a well-known person agreeing to act as spokesman for a nonprofit enterprise: Lambeth Palace told The Times: â€Å"Since taking office in March this year, the Archbishop has received many kind invitations to patron a large variety of charities and good causes. –The Telegraph. Celebrity Piers Morgan to patron cat rescue centre –Bristol Post The prince has also agreed to patron Daresbury’s sister site at Harwell, Oxfordshire. –Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News. The noun patron derives from pater, the Latin word for father. In Latin society, a patron was a protector, someone who looked after the well-being of a former slave or other dependent. The feminine form was patrona. (A matrona was simply â€Å"a married woman.†) The earliest documentation in the OED of the verb patronize to mean, â€Å"to act as a patron towards† is dated 1593. The use of patron with this meaning has three 17th century citations, and one by Dickens in the 19th. (The use by Dickens is probably meant to be humorous: â€Å"Why am I to be Patroned and Patronessed as if the Patrons and Patronesses treated me?†) The first modern citation for patron used as a verb to mean â€Å"act as patron† is dated 1954, and this use is still rare even in Britain. In my unscientific browsing of British newspapers, I found that constructions like â€Å"agreed to serve as patron† outnumber constructions like â€Å"agreed to patron.† In addition to its meanings of â€Å"protection and support,† patronize has acquired a negative connotation. Human nature being what it is, the beneficial act of patronizing a good cause is often accompanied by an overt attitude that the donor is superior to the recipient. As a result, â€Å"to patronize† has become a synonym for â€Å"to condescend.† condescend (verb): to assume an air of superiority (as to one inferior or less fortunate) Here are some examples of patronize in this sense: How do you feel when people patronize your religion? Candidate In Iowa Makes Patronizing Offensive Comments About Women Voters Dont patronize me, she  said  heatedly. Im not one of your witless lady friends. Patron as a verb meaning, â€Å"serve as a spokesperson for a worthy cause† may catch on. Such use would serve to distinguish the act of serving as a spokesman from the less altruistic meanings of patronize. On the other hand, patronize is just one of many English words that have different meanings according to context. It’s the sort of thing one is expected to learn in English class. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives 30 Baseball Idioms30 Nautical Expressions

Georg Hegel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Georg Hegel - Research Paper Example He saw the problems that were prevalent in Scotland and England and considered whether these problems could be avoided in Germany. In addition, he showed concern as to what had happened to the European promise of enlightenment. Because of Germany’s perceived backwardness, Hegel was able to see a distinctive angle to most of these questions. After studying the works of the Scots, he contended that the two countries were outside and inside a developing civil society. Vital for him was a comparison with an idealized view of the Polis in Greece where there was harmony contrasted with the modern world’s discord (Hegel 85). Hegel was particularly enamored with Ferguson who had pointed out clear parallels between the Greek Polis, the Native North Americans, and the Scottish highland clans, which Hegel found to contrast with civil society favorably. Hegel, rather than choosing to ignore the bourgeois class’ repulsive forms that were appearing throughout the continent, ch ose to reconcile these with humanity and its advance to freedom. 2. Does Hegel see reality as static or dynamic Hegel disputes reality’s static nature as proposed by Aristotle, choosing to view it as essentially dynamic. This was because reality tends to pass into nothing by its nature, before going back in the higher concept of itself and becoming again (Hegel 87). This contrasts with Aristotle’s view that nothing was ever more certain than what was the same as itself and that everything was the exact way it was. If that would be a table, according to Aristotle that was the entire truth of the table. However, for Hegel, reality was dynamic and another truth was equally essential about the table; it will become ashes and was previously a tree. Therefore, dynamism and becoming is reality’s best expression, rather than being. Becoming is the best expression of thought since when we become, we get the best knowledge, especially because one knows what it is, what it was, and what the thing will be and the way in which it developed. Hegel contends that mind and life appear when one advances in the development scale, just like nothing and being develop to become, to appear as the process’ third term, which, in turn, develops to higher concepts and forms (Hegel 87). 3. Give an example of the Hegelian Dialectic Hegel gave an outline of his dialectics and gave its purpose as the study of things as they are, as well as their movement, in order to give a demonstration of the finite nature of partial understanding categories. An important principle in his dialectics was the transformation of quantity into quality (Hegel 89). Hegel termed this as a measure, which is the qualitative amount and the amount is quantity’s existence. The identity that exists between quality and quantity that is in the measure is only implicit at first. The two categories that are united by measure have a different and independent authority. While it is possible to alter the existing features of quantity sans any effect of on quality, the diminution and increase, even if immaterial, has limits that when exceeded causes the quality to suffer. When the present quantity in a specific measure goes past a particular limit, the corresponding quality will also suffer. However, it does not negate quality, only definite quality. Hegel uses water’s aggregation whose temperature is not a consequence

Foreign Policy of North Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Foreign Policy of North Korea - Essay Example The intention of this paper is North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as a country under the authoritarian rule of the military and the KWP, or the political party of Kim Jong-Il. Since the government and the military regulate every domestic institution in North Korea including the media and the schools, there is no known freedom of speech in the country. Moreover, according to the Amnesty International, North Koreans who are imprisoned or detained usually suffer from torture and other forms of cruelty and degrading treatment without due process of law. The prisoners are either beaten, forced to exercise, made to sit without moving for several hours, and publicly humiliated. Usually, because of these forms of cruelty as well as forced hard labor, lack of hygiene and inadequate food, prisoners usually fall ill and die some time during custody. As a response to the lack of respect for human rights in North Korea, the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, or NKHR, was established on May 4, 1996 in Seoul. The purpose is to defend the human rights and defend the lives of North Koreans. The founder and current chairperson, Reverend Benjamin H. Yoon, emphasizes that the goal of the NKHR is for the creation of a peaceful reunification of the North and the South and the formation of a democratic national community that is expected to result from such reunification. The NKHR also seeks to assist North Koreans who have just settled in South Korea in the education of their youth and the protection of their rights. Moreover, the organization seeks to collect and publicize facts and information regarding the status of human rights in North Korea, especially those in political prison camps (â€Å"Citizens’ Alliance,† 2011). Nevertheless, the NKHR, since it is based in Seoul, cannot do much to help North Koreans in North Korea. Nevertheless, the institution of the NKHR is a crucial step and a beacon of hope for North Koreans whose rights are still being violated in their own country. II. Relations with Asian Countries ` North Korea’s relations with South Korea have been â€Å"difficult and acrimonious† since the Korean War and have been a sort of â€Å"mixed† policy since North Korea seeks to develop strong economic ties with South Korea but the former does not stop denouncing the latter’s relations with the United States (â€Å"Democratic People’s,† U.S. Dept. of State, 2011). After the Korean War, both countries actually affirmed their desires for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula but until 1971, there have been no possible way for the two Korean governments to officially communicate with each other (â€Å"Democratic People’s,† U.S. Dept. of State, 2011). The differing ideologies of the two Koreas, where the north assumes a rather communist and conservative role but the south a rather a democratic one, have been responsible for the delay of goals aimed at reunification. Moreover, the intervention of the United States and other member countries to the Six-Party talks and North Korea’s continual violation of international laws against nuclear missiles have also helped put aside and indefinitely postpone reunification. However, South Korea remains as one of the DPRK’s leading partner in trade (â€Å"Korea, North,† CIA.gov, 2011). Aside from South Korea, among the countries with which North Korea has had firmly established ties with was China. China is North Korea’s largest source of food, fuel and arms, and is its biggest trading partner. As to food, China is the leading producer and importer of 45% of North Korea’s food and 80% of the latter’s consumer goods. When it comes to energy resources, China provides North Korea with around 90% of the latter’s fuel. With North Korea’s current volume of imports from China, the economic dependence of the form er on

Failures of Banks in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Failures of Banks in UK - Essay Example The scope of the project is to explore and understand various issues related to short term bonus culture, UK banking sector with respect to current economic conditions. This will also help in understanding the drawbacks and benefits of the short term programmes. There are various limitations of this study. These limitation ranges from the availability of adequate resources like human, time and finance to the availability of required information and data. Data required for the software gaming industry is difficult to obtain due to complex and unorganised industry structure. The second chapter covers literature review and contains compilations and analysis of previously conducted research studies and other publications having direct or indirect relevance with the present research. The conceptual framework and research gaps will be discussed in this chapter. This chapter provides methodological and procedural presentation of research process and provides research design. The research comprise of qualitative and quantitative methods. The primary data of the research will be collected from the customers using the products and professionals working in the online gaming sector. The self -administered questionnaires will be used for data collection process. The secondary research will be based on information available on various secondary resources. Chapter 4 This chapter is the presentation of all the findings and analysis of the data collected. Chapter 5 This chapter provides conclusion and research implications on the basis of the findings from

Small and medium enterprises and the effectiveness of technology Essay

Small and medium enterprises and the effectiveness of technology business incubators in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The combination of all these forces has set the pace for the progress in global economy and defined the way firms have to operate at the global level. What is also important to note that the combination of these forces has actually resulted into economic progress, equality, democratization, equality in income distribution as well as a renewed focus on knowledge growth? Technology specially has made knowledge based progress an important element of new era where only those can survive who have access to knowledge and who can basically innovate and generate new knowledge. The flourishing of technology has been made possible due to an enormous increase in the computing power coupled with the reduced communication costs which has allowed technology to actually flourish and dominate the current market place. (Phillips, 2002) It has been argued that the technology business incubators are the necessary equipments in order to achieve progress through technology led knowledge base enterprises. Different studies clearly outlines that the use of technology business incubators not only allow the firms to gain access to the technology but also improve their chances of survival thus making them stronger enough to better manage risk and uncertainty. Rice (1995) outlined that the basic purpose of business incubators is to help support the process of creation of new business ventures. This focus therefore categorically suggest that the role of business incubators is only limited to the providing of necessary support to the new ventures to become self sustaining and develop enough to manage risk effortlessly. (Rice, 1995) The basic nature of a business incubator is to provide the shared support, training,... According to the research findings business incubators are formed to provide support and resources to the new start up businesses in order to upgrade their ability to survive. Numerous studies have suggested that when new start up firms is passed through incubators, their chances for survival increase. Technology business incubators are focused on providing support for the technology oriented start up businesses to provide them necessary support. Studies have suggested the role of different stakeholders in formation, development and running of business incubators. Further, studies have also been mentioned which focused on different criteria which are used by business incubators to select the firms for support and development. Developing countries face different factors and environment under which they have to develop their technology business incubators. Developing countries like Saudi Arabia therefore will have to improve their human resource base as well as upgrade the resource lev el of its universities to make them equipped enough to provide support. Further, the need for appointing appropriate management to run incubators has also been discussed. This has been discussed with special reference to developing countries and how they can actually visualize different factors which may be considered as necessary to ensure that SMEs are duly supported by technology business incubators. The failure to properly integrate such factors into policy response may not result into desired results of social change and economic progress for developing countries.

Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Academic Integrity & Plagiarism - Research Paper Example Some of the fundamental values of academic integrity include fairness, honesty, trust, respect, and responsibility. When a student fails to meet the standards of academic integrity, he cannot develop these values which are the major elements influencing his personality. According to the Code of Conduct of Walden University, a student’s academic integrity is inevitable for tutors/professors to evaluate whether or not a student has met the standards of academic excellence. In other words, teachers cannot assess a student’s progress in the specific area of study if he practices academic dishonesty. Undoubtedly, this situation would adversely affect the academic performance of students. As experts point out, academic integrity would assist students to be genuine in their studies and to develop their long term career through quality innovations. According to the Code of Conduct of Walden University, academic integrity also contributes to an individual’s professional d evelopment and long term career growth. In an academic environment, it is inevitable for students to demonstrate respect for others’ ideas being professional and honest.... It is to be noted that plagiarism not only refers to the world-for-word copying of another piece of work, but also a close reproduction of the original work (Code of conduct). The second step for students to avoid plagiarism is to be familiar with the topic that they are talking about. Students can write more in their own words if they have in-depth knowledge about the topic. It is particularly advisable for students to restate the subject a number of times as this practice would enable them to express a borrowed idea in their own style and without any resemblance to the original one. By including a bibliography or works cited section in the paper, students can properly cite the quotes and sources they used for the work. If the student is doubtful regarding the use of any quoted idea, it is better to give credit to the author so as to avoid plagiarism issues. It is identified that most of the students become prone to plagiarism charges while paraphrasing others’ ideas. It is a dvisable for students not to paraphrase in a way that would closely resemble the original sentences. Finally, students must have good understanding of some basics of copyright so as to avoid plagiarism. Self-plagiarism Self-plagiarism happens if a student replicates any portion of his previous works for obtaining credit in another course, or an author reproduces some parts of his previous writings in his/her subsequent papers. However, it must be noted that self-plagiarism does not constitute intellectual theft although it represents an act of academic dishonesty. The concept of self-plagiarism has been a hot debated topic because many scholars argue that this

Small and medium enterprises and the effectiveness of technology Essay

Small and medium enterprises and the effectiveness of technology business incubators in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The combination of all these forces has set the pace for the progress in global economy and defined the way firms have to operate at the global level. What is also important to note that the combination of these forces has actually resulted into economic progress, equality, democratization, equality in income distribution as well as a renewed focus on knowledge growth? Technology specially has made knowledge based progress an important element of new era where only those can survive who have access to knowledge and who can basically innovate and generate new knowledge. The flourishing of technology has been made possible due to an enormous increase in the computing power coupled with the reduced communication costs which has allowed technology to actually flourish and dominate the current market place. (Phillips, 2002) It has been argued that the technology business incubators are the necessary equipments in order to achieve progress through technology led knowledge base enterprises. Different studies clearly outlines that the use of technology business incubators not only allow the firms to gain access to the technology but also improve their chances of survival thus making them stronger enough to better manage risk and uncertainty. Rice (1995) outlined that the basic purpose of business incubators is to help support the process of creation of new business ventures. This focus therefore categorically suggest that the role of business incubators is only limited to the providing of necessary support to the new ventures to become self sustaining and develop enough to manage risk effortlessly. (Rice, 1995) The basic nature of a business incubator is to provide the shared support, training,... According to the research findings business incubators are formed to provide support and resources to the new start up businesses in order to upgrade their ability to survive. Numerous studies have suggested that when new start up firms is passed through incubators, their chances for survival increase. Technology business incubators are focused on providing support for the technology oriented start up businesses to provide them necessary support. Studies have suggested the role of different stakeholders in formation, development and running of business incubators. Further, studies have also been mentioned which focused on different criteria which are used by business incubators to select the firms for support and development. Developing countries face different factors and environment under which they have to develop their technology business incubators. Developing countries like Saudi Arabia therefore will have to improve their human resource base as well as upgrade the resource lev el of its universities to make them equipped enough to provide support. Further, the need for appointing appropriate management to run incubators has also been discussed. This has been discussed with special reference to developing countries and how they can actually visualize different factors which may be considered as necessary to ensure that SMEs are duly supported by technology business incubators. The failure to properly integrate such factors into policy response may not result into desired results of social change and economic progress for developing countries.

Market Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Market Research - Essay Example One of the weaknesses of Macdonald which is experienced in the industry is the increasing concern on ethics. Offering mobile catering would capture the market potential for the increasing change in the socio-economic structure of the society in which some people may require services in funerals and weddings. This kind of data constitute oral interview as an aspect of primary data. It is evident that various events nowadays require caterers who offer mobile services within the event venue and this is the unexploited demand gap that has not been filled in this industry (Wiid & Diggines, 2009) . The target market in this case is the working class who is involved in employment and has little time to organize and provide local manpower to offer catering services in weddings and funerals. Critical evaluation of the three questions below can boost the progress of market research. It is important to underscore the aspect of competition in any market and catering industry is not exceptional. Survival in such a market would therefore require strategic planning in which mobile catering will have to contend with lest they are pushed out by the other firms in the . Mobile catering falls in catering and accommodation industry and has several competitors. Direct Sales Model is therefore critical as far as the success of the firm is concerned. Mobile catering requires face to face interaction with customers which is equally healthy in terms of determining the demand gap in the market (Wiid & Diggines,2009). This business model has been preferred in the industry as it promotes long term relationship between the firm and the clients. It is critical to note the significance of a sound Mission/ Vision Statement and Value Proposition in enhancing the chances of better performance of the

The Power of a Complaint Letter Essay Example for Free

The Power of a Complaint Letter Essay Every business hungers to be successful. Businesses want to put their best foot forward, and their best product to the consumer. However, on occasion, people become upset or disappointed when the product or service does not reach expectation. In this case, businesses often receive the dreaded complaint letter from customers. The purpose of a complaint letter is to bring a grievance to the attention of an owner or manager of the business, so action can be taken as soon as possible. When writing a complaint letter it is important to include appeals to the audience, structure of the letter, tone, and context. Also keep in mind, that playing into the emotions by usage of ethos, pathos, and logos can positively sway the result. Three complaint letters written by Ken Thomas, Chad Bradley, and Kyle Westergren are about having recently bought a pair of shoes from Reebok, PUMA, and Cool Sports Inc. Complaint letters are the reason that businesses strive to please their customers, and take into consideration the constructive criticism of another person. Before crafting an effective complaint letter, one must first realize who their audience is, and what the purpose is. Consider who will be reading the letter and how likely or unlikely it is that the recipient will be sympathetic toward the complaint presented. Be clear on solutions given, and what can be done in return to fix the problem. The writers of a complaint letter want to address their issue by appealing to a specific audience. This audience could be board members, general managers, or even CEOs. In this case, the three complaint letters written by Thomas, Bradley, and Westergren, have expressed their problem to the general managers of the stores in which they purchased the shoes, and are seeking some sort of credit towards a new pair of shoes. By asking for a credit, one also wants to provide the reader with reason as to why restitution is being asked of, which is why one must first recognize the organization and structure of a persuasive complaint letter. The basic context and structure of a complaint letter is pretty simple. Usually, the letters will first contain a heading in the upper left hand corner. It will include all the credentials of the writer and business, including the address of both the addresser and addressee. Then, there is a greeting, such as â€Å"Dear Sir or Madam†. I have written a complaint letter before and usually put â€Å"To Whom It May Concern†, because it may be forwarded to different departments of the company. The opening paragraph should also include context of the situation. The context is basically a form of background information. In the letter written by Chad Bradley, he explains how he had left his shoes in his front porch overnight, and now they had shrunk at least three sizes (Bradley). This type of information should help picture the situation and should provide the writer’s problem to the reader. An account or tracking number can also be beneficial to the reader so that he or she may reference the order, see exactly what was purchased, and how much of a credit should be given if need be. The next section of the letter should include relevant dates or times of when the merchandise was purchased. In the letter to Cool Sports Inc. by Ken Thomas, he explains the chain of dates throughout his order. â€Å"I had been looking at your website since the beginning of June, placed my order on June 21st, and received my package on June 26th† (Thomas). This clarification of time can help the reader produce a timeframe of the events. The last section of a well-written complaint letter explains what type of restitution the writer wishes to receive; it shows the reader of the assertiveness the writer is trying to prove, without being rude or offensive. â€Å"To resolve the problem, I would like you to credit my account for the amount charged on my credit card† (Thomas) explains what Thomas would like done in order to please him, and resolve the issue. When writing a complaint letter, one does not want to be rude to the reader, because a temperamental, rude letter will not go far. By being assertive, yet respectful, one can achieve proper settlement. Now that a basic structure is known when writing a complaint letter, one must appeal to the reader by use of logic. Appealing to logic, or logos, includes both an overall argument and the evidence used to support the argument. To build an effective argument, one must first provide some sort of background information to provide the reader with context as to why the letter is being written in the first place. This was done in the previous paragraph to also show the chain of events in order for the reader to know the timeframe of the situation. In Westergren’s letter, he clearly states why he is upset: â€Å"The problem came when these sneakers turned out no different than the last two pairs, and fell apart. I expect quality when making a purchase, especially when spending almost $100 on shoes. † Westergren clearly states his problem, and I feel he plays a little bit into pathos as well by accusing the company of selling low quality materials. Once one has identified their primary arguments, provide supporting evidence such as details as to what happened to the product, how long ago the product was purchased, and were there other products of the same brand that this has also happened to. By explaining this information to them, it can provide the company with the knowledge that it may not have happened to just you, the writer, but other valued customers as well. Logical appeals are most effective in complaint letters when they are based on both reasoning and credible, supporting evidence. Some people feel it is beneficial to play the â€Å"poor me† card when writing a letter, by directly channeling to the readers moral emotion; pathos. When appealing to readers’ emotions, or pathos, one can also strengthen a complaint letter, especially when wanting to convince the audience. Emotional appeals can be engaging to the audience, but the use of pathos should be appropriate to the situation and the audience. If one is writing a letter of complaint to a shoe manufacturer, in this case, with the intention of receiving a replacement product or account credit, one should appeal to the readers emotions in such a way that she or he can identify with the same concerns so that it does not happen again. Bradley explains in his letter beforehand that this is his only pair of running shoes, works at a gym, and does an incredible job in his last paragraph of expressing pathos. I blame Reebok as much as myself for the shrunken shoes, but now I am worried that I may lose my job, and I do not know where else to turn† (Bradley). By this statement, he is invoking the reader to feel sorry for him, and assuring he is unable to do his job without a pair of running shoes. On the other hand, avoid expressing emotion in such a way that your audience will feel angered or aliena ted. This type of slander will only anger the manager or owner, and nothing will be done of the issue. In complaint letters, one can make strong emotional ties through the use of compelling supporting evidence and persuasive language. One must also make sure to not forget the powerful evidence of credibility when trying to prove the worthiness of a settlement. Appealing to authority, or ethos, begins with one’s own credibility or trustworthiness. In a complaint letter, one can appeal to authority through overall tone as the writer. One must convince the audience of respectfulness towards them and truthfulness about the subject. One can do this by using language that is fair and unbiased. One can also use examples and illustrations that show how well-known the subject is. Such evidence could be how long one has known the business or been a customer since. Westergren provides a perfect example of establishing his credibility in his opening paragraph. â€Å"I really enjoy the style and type of sneaker your company makes (PUMA) because it is a unique style, and that is my reasoning for being a repeat customer for more than 5 years. By stating this, Westergren shows that he has been a satisfied customer for over five years, and now is shocked that he found a flaw in this company, which is the reason he is now writing this letter. Another example comes from Ken Thomas’s letter: â€Å"I have been a satisfied customer for many years, and this is the first time I have encountered a problem with your company. † This quote also shows that Thomas has been a customer for many years, and is also shocked to have had an issue. By stating that you, as a customer, have bought many years’ worth of merchandise from a company or business shows that you, as the customer, know what quality is expected. Taking the time to use ethos in a complaint letter helps to build greater trust and establishes credibility in a positive way for the writer. Lastly, the tone of the writer can cause all of the other appeals to be thrown out, because if the writer has a tone where it is insulting, slandering, or rude, the reader will toss it aside. In order to have the letter read, one must appeal to an assertive, yet polite form of writing. Tone by definition is the writers’ attitude toward the reader, and subject of the message. â€Å"Me, I prefer to stay with the classics: a nice suit, a warm cardigan, socks from Marks Spencer, that kind of thing† (Bradley) shows that Bradley is almost joking with the reader when he writes this statement. He is trying to form a personal connection with the reader, because the reader might agree with his form of style. I feel that by opening yourself up to the reader will show that anger, haste, and revenge are not in the idea behind the letter, but simply the need for a credit, or new pair of hoes. The purpose of a complaint letter is not to slander or be disrespectful to the company or business, but to state your opinion, the problem, and a reasonable solution so that you, as the customer, can tell others of the experience, and provide positive feedback to others as well. By using logic to explain the problem, pathos to explain the problems that are now happening, and ethos to establish why a credit should be received, a writer of a complaint letter can easily earn the respect from a business. By also appealing to the context, which provides background information of the situation, and audience to provide a stance as to who you are trying to reach out to, and voice to still be respectful to the reader, one can ultimately put together a fierce argument, with solid evidence, and an all-around worthy letter. Businesses are always striving to have the highest ratings of their customers, and by taking in the criticism of a few letters, can provide the highest quality service possible.

Impact of the Stressors of Undercover Operations

Impact of the Stressors of Undercover Operations The present paper has three purposes: (a) to discuss undercover operatives and the stressors inherent to undercover operations based on literature review, (b) to outline the proposed research project, (c) and to examine the expecting findings, conclusions, limitations and relevance for policy and practice of the proposed research project. Keywords: undercover officer, police, stress, personality test It is almost impossible to turn on the news or to watch prime time television without a reference to a takedown or a main character on a sitcom who is an undercover operative. Society is fascinated and romanticizes undercover operatives. These operatives are often portrayed in high risk situations which they usually take on and survive triumphantly. Nevertheless, what most of these news headlines and sitcoms miss is the very complex and difficult work that make up most successful undercover operations. In fact, the public rarely if ever hears or reads about the impact that undercover operations have on the operatives and their personal lives. With the increase in the numbers of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents working undercover, in 1979 the FBI administration became concerned with the detrimental aspects of the personal commitment required for undercover operations. In 1980 a study was conducted to determine the nature and extent of the stressors being experience by undercover operatives in order to devise methods of reducing their negative effects. The current study will replicate the analysis conducted in 1980. In addition, the present study will further examine the stressors inherent to undercover operations and will focus on undercover operatives negative emotions, reactive behaviors and coping strategies. Problem Statement Undercover operations impact not only the undercover operatives professional life but their personal life as well. There is very little research that addresses this impact or the strengths and limitations of undercover work. The empirical research on police stress in general and undercover stress specifically is limited by quantity, how current and relevant the results are, and the methods employed. The current study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by examining the stressors inherent to undercover operations and determining an undercover agents coping strategies (personality, psychological and social) when dealing with these stressors. Relevance of the Problem As the numbers of FBI agent and task force officers conducting undercover work continue to increase, so do the numbers of psychological assessments being conducted by the FBI Undercover Safeguard Unit (USU). Currently, many of these undercover operations include the infiltration of terrorist and extremist groups. These types of operations have successfully prevented planned terrorist operations in Portland, WA and Baltimore, MD. Nevertheless, the literature has little to offer on the stress brought on by issues such as dual betrayal which is inherent in these types of operations, and represents one of a number singular stressors involved in undercover operations. It is important to examine dual betrayal and other stressors inherent to undercover work in order to determine the risk factors as well as the protective factors that can contribute to the psychological well being of an undercover operative. Implications for policy and/or practice Based on the results of this study recommendations can be made on selection, supervision and administrative procedures designed. These recommendations will seek to minimize the extraneous forms of stress which may negatively impact an undercover operative. In addition, the outcome of this study should help to sensitize the undercover operative and their supervisors to the most destructive forms of stress and to identify the warning signs which indicate that these forms of stress have reached a dangerous level. Lastly, the result of this study can be used to develop new and innovative investigative approaches and techniques in psychological assessments and counseling that would address the undercover employees psychological well-being and operational readiness to engage and/or continue to function in covert or day to day investigations. Literature Review Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are faced with very unique and stressful situations. These situations may include face to face encounters with violent offenders as well as crime scenes with diseased and injured offenders and victims. Many times these law enforcement officers are rejected by the same community they have taken an oath to protect. There are communities which lack respect an admiration for an institution they deem as cruel and corrupt. Therefore, law enforcement officers must effectively mediated and counteract the inherent job related stressors as well as those stressors which are unique to their identity as police officers (Noblet, Rodwell, Allisey, 2009; Adams Buck, 2010; Shane, 2010; McCarty, Zhao Garland, 2007). Many LEOs are unable to successfully incorporate adaptive strategies for mediating occupational stressors. Unfortunately, some of these LEOs succumb to traditionally maladaptive coping mechanisms. This in turn negatively impacts their personal and professional lives which results in more stress and unfavorable outcomes. There are particular segments of the law enforcement community that are exposed to greater number of systemic stressors than others. These LEOs often have workloads that significantly impact their opportunity and ability to utilize coping strategies and to minimize the effects of experienced stressors (Waters Ussery, 2007; Gersho, Barocas, Caonto, Li Vlahov, 2009). Undercover operations attract LEOs who are highly conscientious and have performed well and reliably under stressful and demanding circumstances. Undercover operations are sought out by agents/taskforce officers and their supervisors alike. These types of assignments are often viewed as a stepping stones to professional advancement and personal achievement. There are LEOs who excel in undercover assignments; these officers successfully adapt potentially harmful distress changing it into beneficial stress (eustress). Nevertheless, a review of the literature indicates that LEOs who have healthy coping mechanism are the exception and not the rule. Undercover operations impact the LEO as well as those who surround them. Long-term undercover operations in particular required excessive amounts of time and dedication that are at times inconsistent with the perception and ideologies of many experienced officers (Cuttler Muchinsky, 2006; Cochrane, Tett, Vandecreek, 2003). Long-term operations require the development of a unique relationship with the target. Additionally there is a different relationship between these undercover operatives and their supervisors which at times can intensify an undercovers feelings of isolation and abandonment. These undercover LEOs role playing requirements can be confusing and distressing which in turn negatively impacts their social relationships. Many times the unspecified but understood requirements of undercover operations can end in the downward spiral of a brilliant career, resulting in dysfunctional relationships, personal hardship, a loss of self-esteem and self-respect, and mental and physical damage (Noblet, Rodwell, Allisey, 2009). Several factors can contribute to this downward spiral. Lack of adequate training, lack of effective supervision, unrealistic work demands and an under covers constant need to succeed in an operation are some of the factors that have been observed. Unfortunately, undercover operatives who do not succeed in their respective operations as perceived by the undercover or their supervisors succumb to feelings of shame and embarrassment, become withdrawn, irritable, at times lashing out against the target due to fear, frustration or displaced anger. Undercover operations would seem to heighten the emotional stressors already present in the law enforcement community. Nevertheless, those undercover operatives who acknowledged the negative effects of stressors and reach out for assistance are likely to be ridiculed and ostracized by their colleagues and supervisors. These officers are at times labeled as weak, untrustworthy and/or damaged goods (Cuttler Muchinsky, 2006). In order to understand the impact of stress on law enforcement operatives, it is important to examine stress from an individuals perspective. This examination should include the detrimental and beneficial impact of undercover operations on the professional, personal and social environment of an operative. Most individuals seek to minimize stressors and maximize the rewards (psychological at times) in order to carry on their everyday lives. The sense of purpose from successfully performing an assignment at work and at home can be one such reward. An individuals occupation can provide a source of pride, accomplishment and personal achievement. Nevertheless, this same occupation can be embedded in a stressful environment that fosters frustration causing mental and physical harm. LEOs are constantly exposed to dangerous situations, emotional distress by others, threats to personal safety and life altering split second decisions. This may be compounded by the lack of respect from the public, frustration with the criminal justice system and accumulated experiences of critical incidents. This leaves the LEO susceptible to chronic stress. This is considered a unique trait of the law enforcement profession (Swenson Plebanski, 2009). Additionally, an undercover operatives self expectations and demands from the law enforcement subculture can add to the experiential stressors and behavioral responses. Unique coping strategies in dealing with these stressors have been observed within the law enforcement community. The literature has examined the maladaptive coping strategies that are utilized and the impact that these strategies may have on undercover operatives personal, professional and social lives. These maladaptive coping strategies include but are not limited to; emotional detachment cynicism, alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, and high risk behavior (McCarty, Zhao, Garland, 2007; Shane, 2010) . The impact that these maladaptive coping strategies may have on the undercover operatives life has not been succinctly analyzed or discussed in the literature. The empirical research indicates that work assignment can be related to levels of experienced stress within the law enforcement community and can contribute to the subsequent use and acceptance of alcohol as an attempt to mediate levels of stress. Coping strategies that are utilized to address the issue of work related stress are serious concerns for all LEOs; however, some assignments within the law enforcement community may be seen as more stressful than others and may be more pertinent for examination of both work related stress and coping strategies (Gershon, Barocas, Canton, Li, Vlahov, 2009). Undercover assignments, for instance, have been identified as one of the most stressful duties within the law enforcement community. Consequently, further examining the impact of undercover assignments on LEOs can provide a valuable contribution to the literature on police stress (Krause, 2008; Varela, Boccaccini, Scogin, Stump, Caputo, 2004). The psychological problems that can be encountered by a LEO in undercover operation include but are not limited to paranoia, isolation, nervous tension, depression, fear, and anger. Furthermore, more serious personality disorders appear common among officers, both during and after the completion of undercover operations. These disorders also may involve depression, anger-hostility, differing phobias, paranoia, psychotic ideation, and interpersonal insensitivity (Adams Buck, 2010; Carlan Nored, 2008). Overall, the level of suspicion that many officers encounter, and cannot effectively deal with, may cause problems in all areas of their professional and personal lives. In addition to the inherent stressors of undercover work, officers also can experience levels of alienation from society, as well as from their colleagues. The anger and resentment experienced by undercover officers may lead to a self alienation, which exacerbates previous feelings and contributes to the stressors being experienced by the LEO (Carlan Nored, 2008). Finally, undercover assignments can place additional, and sometimes overwhelming, pressure on the personal lives of those involved in such operations. Partners of those assigned to undercover operations are subjected to odd working hours and unpredictable schedules. They are faced with days and even weeks of the officer partner being away from home, and they may experience continual concern for the safety of the LEO. Additionally, operatives engaged in undercover operations are often involved in a role that requires late night partying, the consumption of alcohol, and interactions with members of the opposite sex with whom the officer is attempting to gain trust and confidence. In this setting, the officer may undergo changes in personality and lifestyle as a result of the role, which becomes apparent to the significant other. These stressors represent only a number of the issues that most undercover operatives must effectively deal with day in and day out. Research Strategy Undercover law enforcement officers are dealing with a number of stressors such as divorce, psychological disorders and suicide. In some cases undercover law enforcement officers, given these and other stressors, have been involved in criminal behavior, corruption, and espionage. It is important to determine the nature and extent of the stressors inherent with undercover work and to devise methods of reducing their effects. The purpose of this study is to: Identify those stressors inherent to undercover assignments within federal and local LEOs and to determine the relationship between specific personality, psychological and interpersonal relations orientation styles and the ability to cope with stressors prevalent in undercover operations. The questions being examined are: Is there a significant correlation between personality styles (independent variable) and an undercover law enforcement officers ability to cope with stressors prevalent in undercover assignment (dependent variable)? Is there a significant correlation between psychological characteristics (independent variable) and an undercover law enforcement officers ability to cope with stressors prevalent in undercover assignment (dependent variable)? Is there a significant correlation between interpersonal relations orientation (independent variable) and an undercover law enforcement officers ability to cope with stressors prevalent in undercover assignment (dependent variable)? The research questions will be addressed through the use of validated and reliable psychometric tests. A quantitative research design consisting of psychometric test administered to LEOs assigned and formerly assigned to undercover operations, as well as those who never have been so assigned, will be utilized. Recognizing the impact of undercover assignments on the individual officers involved can assist in addressing the bigger issue of the impact on the law enforcement community. This research has implications for law enforcement agencies concerned with the emotional and professional welfare of officers assigned to undercover duties, and it provides some understanding of the effects of such operations on officers at the individual, social, and professional levels. Furthermore, the results of this study can provide valuable insight into the human toll of undercover operations and allows for the examination of this issue from a holistic and concerned perspective. Data Independent Variable The independent variables will an under covers personality style as measured by the 16PF or 16 Personality Factors test. An under covers psychological characteristics as determined by the MMPI-II, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Lastly an under covers interpersonal relations orientation will be analyzed with the FIRO-B, the fundamental interpersonal relations orientation assessment. Dependant Variable Ideally, measuring the stressors inherent to undercover operations and the coping strategies used by undercover operatives would address the research questions. Thus, the dependant variables measured will be the inherent stressors of undercover operations and coping strategies used. Sample The sample of participants will be a representative stratified sample. The focus will be on undercover law enforcement officers. Ideally, there will be a total of approximately 100 participants in the control and three experimental groups in order to conduct an adequate statistical analysis. This would be a total of 400 participants. Methods Approximately 400 undercover law enforcement officers will be separated into four categories: No experience (control group)- No actual experience as an operative although may possess considerable experience in undercover operations as a contact of back up. Occasional experience (experimental group)- Occasional assignment as an undercover operative for short periods of time (2 days or less). Frequent experience (experimental group)- Frequent assignment as undercover operative but not extended or continuous undercover role requirements (30 days or less). Long term experience (experimental group)- Long term or deep cover experience with extended or continuous role requirements (in excess of 30 days). Execution Procedure: The undercover law enforcement officers will be administered the following test during regularly scheduled safeguard assessments: 16 PF: 16 personality factors a personality assessment (APPENDIX I.) MMPI-II: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is test is used to assist in identifying personality structure and psychopathology (or SCL-90R, Millan Instrument MCMI-3) (APPENDIX II.) FIRO-B: Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO) is an assessment for interpersonal relations (APPENDIX III.) The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale: The Holmes and Rahe stress scale is a list of 43 stressful life events that can contribute to illness. (APPENDIX IV.) The Coping Strategies Inventory: is an assessment designed by Rory C. Reid, MSW, Provo Counseling Center. (APPENDIX V.) Anticipated Data Analysis Plan The researchers plans on using Structural Equation Modeling in order to test and estimate causal relations (between personality traits, psychological characteristics, interpersonal relations orientation and an UCs ability to cope with stressors) using a combination of statistical data and qualitative causal assumptions. Expected Findings and Conclusions I expect to identify the stressors inherent to undercover operations. In addition, to determining the specific personality, psychological and interpersonal relations orientation needed to effectively cope with the stressor inherent to undercover work. Expected Relevance for Policy and Practice Research focused on police stress and undercover operations has provided important, but limited insight into the impact of undercover operations on the professional, personal, and social lives of the operatives. There is a lack of empirical research addressing the positive values of undercover assignments from the individual perspective. Therefore, further research is required to identify the impact that undercover assignments have on the lives of those who function in this capacity. Such an understanding is required for efforts to prevent the psychological and physiological damage that can result from continual and high impact stressors faced in undercover operations, and reduce the maladaptive coping methods utilized to counterbalance such stressors. Limitations of the Research The results of this study can only be generalized to the undercover law enforcement population. The researcher also understands that sample size will also determine the genralizability, validity and reliability of this study results to the undercover community. In addition, the operational definitions for four categories of undercover officer, coping strategies and inherent stressors to undercover operations can create bias and may affect the end results of the study. Relevant IRB Issues The IRB will be concerned with determining and assuring that the information obtained on the undercover operatives is recorded in such a manner that the operatives cant be readily identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the operatives; and any disclosure of the operatives responses outside the research could reasonably place the operative at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the operatives financial standing, employability, or reputation. Given the fact that the study will use historical data currently stored at the Undercover Safeguard Unit (USU), the IRB will further be concerned with making sure that the collection or study of existing data, documents, and records is recorded by the investigator in such a manner again that operatives cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the operatives. Lastly the IRB will ensure that the approvals of academic and professional department or agency heads are obtained.