The Women of the Aeneid

The Roman epic of Virgil's Aeneid describes the hardship and misadventures of Aeneas and the Trojans quest from Troy to Italy. Like Homer’s famous epics, the Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s narrative style and structure portrays similar attributes in the finding of Rome. Aeneas encounters several women on his journey who play a significant role throughout this epic in assisting or destroying his journey to Rome. His representation of female characters provides the readers with a better understanding of gender politics and reasons why some female leaders failed.Each of Virgil's female characters demonstrates a combination of traits throughout the epic; however, such behaviors of these women tend to develop unwanted conflict due to emotions. Like in every great story the female characters tend to have a enormous influence on the main character in both positive and negative ways. The first female that Virgil introduces is Dido, the queen of Carthage, in Book I of the Aeneid. V irgil provides evidence that Dido is a strong and powerful leader. â€Å"In her stride she seems the tallest, taller by a head than any At the door†¦Of the goddess' shrine, under the temple dome, All hedged about with guards on her high throne, She took her seat. â€Å". This statement illustrates just how supreme and crucial she is. Virgil portrays Dido with a goddess type of image. Not only did she rule Carthage with a strong hold, but she also provided fairness and equality. â€Å"Then she began to give them Judgments and rulings, to apportion work With fairness, or assign some tasks by lot†. This quote certainly demonstrates Dido’s type of rulership.Even though, she is commanding the people of Carthage to do their duties, which provides evidence that she is feared because the people do as she says without questioning her demands; she distributes the work evenly and fair throughout the citizens. Usually people would assume that the men go to the king for help or advice, but ironically, the men of Troy, leaded by Aeneas, were taken to Queen Dido for help. â€Å"When suddenly Aeneas saw approaching, Accompanied by a crowd, Antheus and Sergestus And brave Cloanthus,1 with a few companions†¦He was astounded, and Achates too Felt thrilled by joy and fear:† I feel as though Aeneas and his men did not know what to expect when they came forward to Queen Dido. They were nervous of what was going to happen. Until Dido laid eyes on Aeneas. In every great epic, love plays a key role in bringing people together but also destroying plenty in its way. Even though Dido is characterized as this powerful leader, she slowly starts to fall as her passion for Aeneas starts to grow.As Aeneas tells his story to all the people, Dido slowly starts falling more and more in love with Aeneas. Throughout this Book you slowly start to see the demise of Queen Dido. â€Å"Towers, half-built, rose no farther; men no longer trained in arms†¦ Projects w ere broken off, laid over, and the menacing huge walls with cranes unmoving stood against the sky†. Virgil provides images of how Carthage is being affected by the downfall of Queen Dido. Dido is so infatuated with love that she cannot see how she is running Carthage to the ground for the love of Aeneas.The goddess Juno, the queen of gods, saw this as an opportunity to keep Aeneas from reaching Italy. Dido even broke her vow of chastity and surrenders to her desires for Aeneas. â€Å"Dido had no further qualms as to impressions given and set abroad; She thought no longer of a secret love but called it marriage†. This statement demonstrates how she is becoming weak-minded. She is starting to trick her mind into making something that she knows is not moral in her eyes, into something that seems right. Only to find out that she will regret it in the end.When Mercury, the messenger god, reminds Aeneas that his destiny is not in Carthage and that he must leave for Italy imme diately, Aeneas is not too excited to leave Dido, but he knows he has to obey. Dido at first was furious and cursed Aeneas, â€Å"Midway at sea you’ll drink your punishment and call and call on Dido’s name!†¦ and when cold death has parted.. you will pay for this! †. As soon as Dido realizes that he is gone forever, her emotions transform from furious to depressed and lost. She decided to make an impulsive decision and goes to the extreme of commits suicide.The title for Book IV tells it all â€Å"The Passion of the Queen,†. Queen Dido was supposedly known for being this powerful, supreme, strong minded leader, but her passion for Aeneas turned her soft. She put her responsibilities before love and did not see that Aeneas did the complete opposite. He loved her but he knew what he had to do. I feel as though her importance in the epic was just a distraction for Aeneas to reach his goal. Book XI, Virgil presents another female character that holds pow er like Queen Dido. Camilla, the warrior queen of the Volscians, who just joined the Latins to provided assistance in the war with the Trojans.Camilla shows a lot of strong, composed, and leadership like qualities just like Dido in Book I. Vergil’s epic portrays Camilla’s true powers and strength, â€Å"Amid the carnage, like an Amazon, Camilla rode exultant, one breast bared for fighting ease, her quiver at her back, At times she flung slim javelins thick and fast, At times, tireless, caught up her two-edged axe†. Unlike Dido, Camilla is does not seek love or passion, she is aware of what her duties are and acknowledges that she has to complete such duties. Camilla remains powerful because she has no distractions.Before Aeneas came into Dido life, she had full control on Carthage and all her focus was placed on that; therefore, her land thrives under her leadership. However as soon as she encounters Aeneas, she becomes distracted and slowly starts to lose her c ommanding hand on Carthage. But no one is perfect. Camilla is given this pure and righteous image by Virgil until she also gets distracted. After slaughtering many opponents with her javelin and axes, Camilla’s eyes get caught onto this one Tuscan warrior named Arruns and was left dumbfounded. Camilla Began to track this man, her heart's desire Either to fit luxurious Trojan gear On a temple door, or else herself to flaunt That golden plunder Blindly, as a huntress, following him†¦ she rode on through a whole scattered squadron, recklessly, in a girl's love of finery†. As soon as Camilla laid eyes on this stunning man, her whole mindset changed. Arruns notices and takes advantage of the situation and slays her immediately. Both females were killed by love and lust. Another female that had a huge impact on Virgil’s Aeneid was Juno, the queen of gods.Juno despises the Trojans because of Paris’s judgment against her in a beauty contest. She is also an ad vocate of Carthage, â€Å"And Juno, we are told, cared more for Carthage Than for any walled city of the earth,† and knows that Aeneas’s descendants are destined to destroy Carthage. â€Å"But she had heard long since That generations born of Trojan blood Would one day overthrow her Tyrian walls, And from that blood a race would come in time†. This causes hatred in Juno towards both Aeneas and the Trojans.Throughout Aeneas’s journey, Juno releases her anger on him to make his quest more of a challenge. Juno was the cause of the storm in the beginning of Book I because she summoned Aeolus, the god of winds, to cause an enormous storm while Aeneas was at sea. Vergil provides example of Juno being a manipulative, grudge holding, evil Goddess. In order to stop Aeneas quest to Italy, Juno uses the love Aeneas has towards Dido to her advantage. Juno came up with a scheme to convince Venus to get Aeneas and Dido alone so they can marry and the Trojans and the Ty rians would inally be at peace, even though that was not her true intention. â€Å"Aeneas and Dido in her misery, plan hunting in the forest†¦ My gift will be a black rain cloud and hail†¦ As Dido and the Trojan captain come to one same cavern†¦ There I shall marry them and call his her, a wedding, this will be†. That plan failed when Jupiter found out of such horrid behavior and sent Mercury, the messenger god, to remind Aeneas of his true mission. The goal was to keep the idea of him leaving Carthage a secret from Queen Dido, but she eventually finds out.These get Juno even more furious towards Aeneas and his Trojan men, but she does not give up with her plans to halt Aeneas quest. In Book VII, Juno instructs Allecto, one of the Furies, to create a civil war between the Trojans and the Latins. â€Å"You can arm For combat brothers of one soul between them, Twist homes with hatred, bring your whips inside Or firebrands of death. A thousand names Belong to you , a thousand ways of wounding. † This statement demonstrates how badly she wants to end the Trojan empire and see Aeneas fail.The importance of Juno’s role in Virgil’s epic is that she is Aeneas mortal enemy and will do anything to stop him in his path. Not only does she dislike Aeneas but anyone that is from the Trojan descent. Virgil’s representation of female characters provides the readers with a better understanding of gender politics and reasons why some female leaders failed. Each of Virgil's female characters demonstrates a combination of traits throughout the epic; however, such behaviors of these women tend to develop unwanted conflict due to emotions.Dido was so possessed on the idea of her and Aeneas falling in love, that she did not see how she was burning her city, Carthage to the ground. Camilla, drowned in lust as she laid her eyes on Arrun, causing her to put her guard down and effectively getting killed. Juno is so blinded by hatred towar ds Aeneas and the Trojans, that she makes it her mission to delay his journey. Virgil demonstrates how a female ruler brings too much emotions with her ruling, while a male ruler can run things smoothly without any distractions.

Traffic Jams in Jakarta

Traffic Jams in Jakarta By: Juwendi Jaya Putra I. Introduction Thesis statement: The most significant causes of traffic jams in Jakarta lay on some factors. II. Body A. There are too many vehicles in the streets. 1. Many kinds of public transportation are running in the streets. 2. Too many private cars and motorcycles. B. Indiscipline motorists cause additional problems to traffic jams. 1. Bus drivers stop everywhere they like. 2. Bus drivers drive carelessly. 3. Motor bikers don’t obey the traffic signs and regulation. C. Traffic lights in Jakarta are sometimes in malfunction and take too long time. 1. Some intersections in Jakarta have problems with traffic lights. 2. They take too long that they don’t suit the frequency of vehicles, and make vehicles pile up. D. There aren’t enough highways. 1. Highways are still too few. 2. Many dense areas in the suburbs like Bekasi, Bogor, and Depok are still difficult too reach from Jakarta without highways. E. â€Å"Busway† as another alternative to reduce traffic jams in fact also gives a problem to the traffic. III. Conclusion Too conclude, the city government must do the research in order to find the solution for these problems and build more facilities like highways and streets. Creating and implementing strict regulation for the traffic systems can also solve the problem. Traffic Jams in Jakarta Jakarta as the capital city of Indonesia has quite many problems. One of them is traffic jam. Traffic jams are everywhere in Jakarta. It is hard for people in Jakarta and in its suburbs like Tangerang, Bekasi, Depok, and Bogor to move around. It takes too long than it should be to get to one place from another. The most significant causes of the problem lay on some factors. One of the causes is the number of vehicles in Jakarta. There are too many buses, cars, motorcycles, and any other kinds of public transportation in the streets. Too many vehicles make too many problems. Their over crowded number makes the traffics jammed. Parking is another problem that caused by the number of vehicles. On the other hand the streets aren’t enough anymore to support the running vehicles. Another cause of the problem is indiscipline motorists. They are bus drivers and even motor cyclists. Many bus drivers don't obey the traffic rules, like stop wherever they like, use low speed in wrong way, ignore the traffic light and many more. They take and get passengers down in wrong place. Motor cyclists also do the same things like other motorists. They never give ways to other motorists. It seems they compete each other in the streets to get faster to their destinations. In addition to careless motorists the traffic lights in Jakarta also give a problem to traffic jams. Many traffic lights in most intersections are malfunction. Some of them are out of order and some don’t suit the frequency of vehicles that pass through the intersections. They take too long that make the vehicles pile up. The next factor to cause the traffic jams in Jakarta is the lack of highways. There aren’t enough highways that connect one place to another. Many dense areas like in the suburbs like Bekasi, Depok, and Bogor are difficult to reach from Jakarta without highways. The last thing that gives additional factor to the traffic jams is the â€Å"bus way†. At first, the government tried to solve the problem by providing an alternative way for public transportation, but later on the bus way has taken some parts of the road. The aim is right, to reduce vehicle using in Jakarta. But it's not so successful, and finally just tighten the road. Too conclude, the city government must do the research in order to find the solution for these problems and build more facilities like highways and streets. Creating and implementing strict regulation for the traffic systems can also solve the problem.

Failing Public Education In America Education Essay

The American public instruction system is neglecting on the international graduated table. This is no longer the sentiment of merely a few people ; it is being proved clip and clip once more over the old ages by many bureaus describing upon academic accomplishment of pupils worldwide. In this essay, I will back up my claim that the instruction system presently in topographic point is unequal, and that there are many successful theoretical accounts that could be followed in order to reform our system, and accomplish success internationally. Some of the most successful school systems in the universe, such as those in South Korea or Finland, have immensely different patterns from schools in the United States, in things such as length of school twelvemonth and makings required for pedagogues, and the success from these patterns is much greater relatively. I enjoy larning and I succeeded in the public schooling system, but I can candidly impute about all of that success to personal motive. Of class over the old ages I had a few phenomenal instructors, unluckily, they were immensely outnumbered by instructors who did n't care about the success of their pupils in the least spot. I had instructors like Ms. Leighton and Mrs. Friedman, who inspired me to work harder than of all time before and are my motive to go a instructor. On the other terminal of the spectrum, I had instructors like Mrs. Phillips, who believed the schoolroom was her public forum for touting her spiritual beliefs and dedication upon an waxy group of kids, as opposed to learning English, or Mr. Connell, whose category consisted of nil at all related to Geometry. He would speak his cell phone and topographic point commands for points on EBay, while the pupils were left to their ain devices. I can retrieve from a really immature age that I was actively engaged in school. I loved everything about school, the societal interaction, the new experiences, and particularly the acquisition of cognition. I was non matched in enthusiasm by any of my fellow pupils until the 2nd class. That was when I met Daye. Daye ‘s household had moved here from South Korea merely a couple hebdomads before the school twelvemonth started. Daye completed her work rapidly and expeditiously, and managed to be personable with the instructor and her fellow pupils, even though she was non talking her native linguistic communication. I can candidly state, for a seven twelvemonth old, she was more dedicated to her instruction than any individual I have of all time met, even to this twenty-four hours. Even though I was really immature at the clip, this was the first clip I had of all time felt challenged academically. I was self-motivated to maintain gait with Daye, chiefly because I refused to be 2n d best. And despite the fact that she challenged me, or possibly because of it, she became my best friend. Her household moved off the following twelvemonth, and we did n't maintain in touch. Possibly holding a pen buddy was excessively dashing a undertaking for eight twelvemonth olds, even for childs every bit motivated as us. As I furthered in my instruction beyond simple school, I started to detect a difference in my instructors. The older I got, the less interested they seemed in their occupations. Of class a few instructors were still involved with their pupils, and challenged them to work harder than accomplishing at the course of study ‘s low criterions, but the remainder merely acted as though instruction was merely a manner to pay the measures, and nil else. In the 6th class, I clearly remember one of my instructors, upon being told by a pupil that they could non read, she merely shrugged and walked off. I was smart and a good pupil ; I was besides despairing for the attending of my instructors. I would raise my manus for every inquiry that was asked, merely to have a simple â€Å" right or wrong. † By the clip I reached high school, even I had lost the motive I one time had. I still completed all of my work to the best of my ability, but all of the enthusiasm I one time held for my instruction was gone. Equally shortly as the school allowed, I started taking advanced arrangement and awards categories. There, I found instructors who cared about their pupils, and other pupils who really wanted to larn. The remainder of the school still consisted of all the things I had grown to resent. I ‘m certain I was told about hebdomadal about how my school was rated among the best public high schools in the state, with their star jocks with 3rd grade reading degrees and the D norms required to take part in athleticss or â€Å" honor pupils † with straight A ‘s, three out of their four categories being Gym, Weightlifting, and Fitness Principles, all of which they could take every semester throughout high school. I had found advanced arrangement categories to be an flight from my disappointment each twenty-four hours, but I was non convinced that thi s is what school should be ; I ‘m still non convinced. Over half of my category graduated with awards ; I ‘m certain that was a hard effort sing approximately 90 % of work was graded on completeness as opposed to correctness, but the school bragged about it however. Success of a school should n't be based upon an award winning football squad or the ability for most pupils in classs nine through 12s to go through a trial based on the reading, authorship, and arithmetic accomplishments that should hold been mastered by 6th class. I know from both the statistics and from friends and household that my school is non the lone one of such low quality or substandard patterns, but that it represents our state ‘s public schools as a whole in most instances. My sister Teachs 6th grade math in Baltimore, and has told me on several occasions about how non merely herself, but even English instructors, are non allowed by the disposal to rectify kids ‘s grammar, and that her pupils come to her category with math accomplishments accommo dating that of a 2nd or 3rd grader, but she is expected to hold them prepared for the 7th class by the terminal of the twelvemonth. Teachers at my sister ‘s school are told non to rectify the kids ‘s grammar in fright of aching their feelings, but if no 1 corrects them in school, what are the opportunities that kids form these accomplishments by the clip they enter the work force? Administrative policies, non single instructors, are to fault for the low criterion of instruction. What instructors could genuinely be motivated to learn in a system where wage class is non based upon success or consequences, merely clip physically spent in the schoolroom? The public school system is neglecting both nationally and in single provinces. Among the international rankings every bit late as 2010, the United States ranks fourteenth in reading, 25th in mathematics, and seventeenth in scientific discipline ( Shepherd ) . The United States is non even within the top 10 of any mensural topic. The top five states in the universe for instruction include South Korea, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan ( Shepherd ) . Twenty-five per centum of United States high school pupils fail to graduate within the allotted four old ages, and as the Miami Herald states it, â€Å" many of those who do graduate are ill-prepared for the demands of college and calling, † ( Bush ) . Why are other states turn outing more successful in their instruction patterns? House Education and Labor Chairman, George Miller, claims, â€Å" The difference between the states at the top of these rankings and the U.S. is that the states who are surpassing us have made developing the best instruction system in the universe a national goalaˆÂ ¦They ‘ve recognized that the strength of their economic system will be inextricably tied to the strength of their instruction system in the twenty-first century, † ( Graves ) . This is evidently support for the fact that instruction should go a greater precedence in this state. As George Miller stated above, a successful instruction system in bend leads to a successful economic system. Any significant addition in quality of instruction would straight ensue in economic addition in the millions, merely in the following few decennaries ( Graves ) . Despite passing some of the highest sums globally on instruction, we are still n on wining, imparting to the thought that the support is non the job, but how it is being put to utilize ( Bush ) . One author, Amy Richards studies, â€Å" 25 per centum of the United States population is functionally illiterate, unable to confer with a dictionary, to read marks or follow basic written waies, † ( Richards ) Based upon recent nose count informations, the population of the United States is about 311,591,917, which harmonizing to Richards ‘ claim, means that there are about 77,897,979 people in the United States entirely that are illiterate ( Google Public Data Explorer ) . That is surely a huge figure of people, and an unexpected figure for such a developed state as the United States. One account as to why precisely our public school systems are neglecting is the being of zero-tolerance policies for regulations within schools, which in bend lead to increased rates of suspension and ejection. Amy Richards cites the illustration, â€Å" Philadelphia provides a perfect instance survey in interior metropolis instruction, throw outing pupils at a rate of three 100 per twenty-four hours. On norm, pupils are about four old ages behind in reading degree in Philadelphia, † ( Richards ) . Higher rates of suspension and ejection mean one thing for the instruction system, less pupils are in the schoolroom acquisition. Richards cites Philadelphia as an illustration, nevertheless the same tendency can be found in inner-city school systems throughout the state. One school system that critics argue is really much the gilded criterion is that of Finland. Finland ranks 2nd in both reading and mathematics severally, but ranks highest in scientific discipline in the universe ( Shepherd ) . One compelling statement for Finland ‘s success in instruction is the fact that private schools do non be, even on the university degree. There are really few independent schools in being, but even those are all publically funded. What this means is that all pupils in Finland are having an equal instruction, that which can non be elevated by any tuition fee ( Partanen ) . Pasi Sahlberg is the manager of the Finnish Ministry of Education ‘s Center for International Mobility and has late authored the book Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? ( Partanen ) . In an interview about his new book, he cites the deficiency of private schools as one ground for success, but besides includes many strong statements as to why their system is so successful. Some of the patterns that Sahlberg claims are the most successful include the absence of standardised trials, and besides the fact that â€Å" in Finland all instructors and decision makers are given prestigiousnesss, nice wage, and a batch of duty. A maestro ‘s grade is required to come in the profession, and teacher preparation plans are among the most selective professional schools in the state, † ( Partanen ) . Pasi Sahlberg besides brings up thoughts that are n't frequently contemplated as success enabling in the United States such as, â€Å" Finland offers all students free school repasts, easy entree to wellness attention, psychological guidance, and individualised pupil counsel, † ( Partanen ) . Are the absences of such patterns the ground for the huge spread between Finland ‘s esteemed instruction plan and the second-rate opposite number of the United States? Standardized testing is considered a aspect in public i nstruction in the United States, yet pupils in Finland merely have single testing created and graded by instructors, and have a much greater border of success. Finland implements educational patterns that are about wholly opposite to those of the United States. Critics argue that the Finnish theoretical account would non work in the United States because of the utmost differences in size and cultural diverseness, nevertheless Samuel Abrams, of Columbia University ‘s Teaching College argues against this point by mentioning the state of Norway as a premier illustration. Abrams argues that though Norway is similar in size and cultural diverseness to Finland, Norway ‘s educational system is much more similar to that of the United States, and granaries similar, sub-par, consequences to those of the United States ( Partanen ) . I have explained possible grounds for the defects of the United States. These include, betterment of instruction non being a chief end for Americans, standardised testing, high-rates of suspension and ejection, and unequal pay-grade determiners for instructors. For some of these jobs, there are obvious solutions, such as abolishment of standardised testing and zero-tolerance policies. I have besides offered a possible solution, the Finnish theoretical account, which our state ‘s instruction system would be more than capable of accommodating to if there was governmental policy alteration. Any alteration for the better to our instruction system could potentially give unfathomable sums of economic growing and the ability to vie in international rankings. Citations: Shepherd, Jessica. â€Å" World Education Rankings: Which Country Does Best at Reading, Maths and Science? † The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 07 Dec. 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education- rankings-maths-science-reading & gt ; . Bush, Jeb. â€Å" How To Better Our Failing Education System. † The Miami Herald. N.p. , 30 May 2012. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/30/2824609/how-to- improve-our-failing-education.html & gt ; . Graves, Lucia. â€Å" House Education Chair: U.S. School System Is ‘Failing Our State ‘ † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Dec. 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/george-miller-education- failing_n_793363.html & gt ; . Richards, Amy. â€Å" Why The American Public School System Keeps Failing Our Young person. † ReLIFE ‘s Blog. N.p. , 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //relifeinc.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/why-the-american-public-school-system- keeps-failing-our-youth/ & gt ; . â€Å" Google Public Data Explorer. † Google Public Data Explorer. N.p. , n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.google.com/publicdata & gt ; . Partanen, Anu. â€Å" What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland ‘s School Success. † The Atlantic. N.p. , 29 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring- about-finlands-school-success/250564/ & gt ; .

Informative interview memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Informative interview memo - Essay Example succeeded because he had interest on computers and really wanted to know more about programming in computer of which today, he is a profession in that area. My interest to visit Mr. Lyson, is because he had programmed a software for my father that he used in his general shop for recording of sales, profits and losses in that shop. The software functioned very well and interested many people including me. Because I am studying computer information and technology, that’s why I called for this meeting, in which he gave me several ideas to be successful in my study. He advised me to be serious in everything I learn and do. He told me to carefully listen and do what my lecturer will tell me to do and just follow simple instructions given, like he did during his time. He also told me that he has part time learning after job, where he meets with some students for computer study classes at his home. He advised me to join them for extra learning. Although he is qualified, he faces some challenges in his job. We discussed some of this challenges and how he avoids them whenever he meets them. In his company, they deal with computer repairs, software development and management. He gets a lot of orders from different companies requesting him to create some programmes and software for them. The great challenge that he gets in his company is lack of qualified workers. He don’t have enough workers to assist him develop his company. This is because there are no qualified people around to employ in the company. The reason of this is that people take computer programming to be very default lesson to learn. Most people don’t have interest on this study. To solve this problem, he decide to come up with an idea of building school, that is now under construction, to make people have interest and easier thee access of utilities this people require to study computers. Mr. Lyson repeatedly explained that, to be successful in anything you must be committed and have interest in

Professor Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Professor Interview - Essay Example I am interested in finding out the about the specific strategies that help college students achieve proper management of their time, life and scarce resources. The current task will require me to create a plan to meet the emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of college students. The information from the interview will be beneficial to college students because at the end I will prepare a PowerPoint presentation to teach college students to teach them about time management, self-management, and learning strategies. Concerning time, what do you understand by the phrase â€Å"time management†? Professor : Human beings are required to live in two time dimensions at once; that is, the present and the future (Forsyth, 2010). People need to manage their time effectively if they desire to realize their goals as scheduled. This inevitably creates a conflict between focusing on the pressing demands of the day while creating some space to make strategic plans for future. The conc ept of time management deals with planning time utilization in such a manner as to perform effectively and efficiently all planned activities. Allen (2005) argues that the fundamental objective of time management is to organize strategically a person’s activities in order to increase the possibilities of achieving the intended objectives. Time is money; therefore, time that is not used well translates into wastage of critical resources. Owning a watch does not promise a lasting solution to time management defects; however, people need to understand time management techniques in order to counteract the barriers to time management. Student : What are the primary strategies that college students can apply to ensure proper management of time at their disposal? Professor : Time management techniques that are used frequently include time budgeting, daily planner and time log. I will explain to you what each of them means and show you how students should apply them to ensure they do not waste their time in unnecessary activities. Felton and Sims (2009) defines time budgeting as the setting of standards for spending the available time effectively and efficiently. College students need to budget for their time since it helps to minimize chances of time wastage. Levin (2007) proposed the procedure for accomplishing time budget incorporating dividing the available tasks into unit projects, assigning priorities to project units in order to determine the level of urgency, deciding the amount of time to be spent on each project unit and spreading the available time over specified days required to complete the task. The second strategy of time management is the daily planner. The daily planner enables college students to plan for their daily activities in order of urgency. Time planners should be based on realistic deadlines to avoid unnecessary frustrations. The third strategy is the time log. The time log is a chart that allows a student to keep track of the time sp ent on each activity by connecting both regular and unexpected activities of the day (Felton & Sims, 2009). A review of the time log at the end of the day enables students to trace the loopholes for time wastage and eliminate them accordingly. Time management techniques are foundations for both personal and organizational prosperity. Student : What are the most common barriers to time management that college students need to avoid in order to stop time wastage? Professor : The crucial part of any time management endeavor is identifying potential barriers to

Case 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case 1 - Assignment Example Development is more important to Aldi as compared to training. This is because it comprises training in itself and provides long-term solutions to any issues that may be facing an organization. Since development also incorporates the acquisition of a wider range of skills by the employees, it could help the organization in securing its future and acquiring sustainability, more than training would. The key benefit with development is the long-term factor. Aldi attracts its employees through offering competitive and industry leading salaries in all levels. The promise for development also plays a critical role in this perspective. With regard to training the employees, it uses both on-the-job and off-the-job training methods. On-the-job training involves employees working while undergoing training ensuring that then provided training is specific to the job. It involves coaching, mentoring, and job rotation. Off-the-job training is provided away from the work environment and is important in provision of transferable skills. The most important training method for Aldi is on-the-job training. This is because it provides job specific skills that are crucial in productivity. It is directly related to the profit making capability of the

Rectorseal in India Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Rectorseal in India - Research Paper Example Rectorseal is a Houston USA based corporation established in the year 1937 and deals with the manufacture of chemical based products that are intended for use to various trading companies like automobiles and other manufacturing industry segments. The company operates in multiple global markets including USA, Brazil, China, France, and Germany. The company sells its products through a network of wholesalers based across these international markets to serve a wide and diversified target market audience. The company has a diversified product portfolio with the primary products being chemical sealants plastic based pipe cement, thread based sealants, other forms of sealants. Other products also include chemicals that are used in cleaners apart from a host of customized specialty products that are manufactured through a blend of innovation and technology as well as customer demands that are manufactured with high level of expertise and quality to meet the full satisfaction from the clien ts.Financially the company is quite sound with the company earning about 9571 thousand US dollars and generating a total business revenue of around 10207500 US dollars in the year ended 31st March 2010 showing a significant increase over its value from the previous years. The following sections would try to analyze the aspect and the possible reason for investing capital to enter the Indian market. The choice of market assumes significance for Rectorseal considering the growing influence and high growth rate of manufacturing activities.

Existentialism vs. Relativism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Existentialism vs. Relativism - Essay Example Existentialists believe that personal choices are unique and do not have to be based on an objective form of truth (Waugh, 2004: pp. 432). Relativism serves as the antagonist of absolutism. These are individuals who perceive every situation in life as having two different perspectives and understanding. Relativism personalities believe that the truth or falsity of a concept is relative to the social context from which the idea is generated. Their idea is that what is true for an age group, social class or tribe, might not be true for the same age group, social class and tribe in a different setting. They appreciate that there exists diversity in the norms that are upheld by various societies (McLachlan, 2005: pp. 92). Key Distinctions between Existentialism and Relativism Sartre used existentialism following the World War II as a basis of framing the political and social issues. Camus on the other hand assisted in the popularization of the philosophy, by focusing on personal freedom and individualism. It served as a justification to challenge the regimes at that time and the administrators and citizens embraced the philosophy as a solace to the frustrations they were encountering from domestic and foreign policies between 1960s and 1970s (Waugh, 2004: pp. 432). ... Unlike the existentialists who try to understand the events in their life after happening, the relativists expose the events of other people to research and gain knowledge that depict their future events (McLachlan, 2005: pp. 92). Existentialists believe in human free will. They believe that religion, law, society, and ethics do not indentify an individual. They believe that an individual is able to define himself if he violates the norms set by the society and challenges the preset standards. They believe that an individual is at his best when he is struggling against nature and struggling to maintain his life. They are excited by challenges and find pleasure in going against all the preset rules. Existentialists believe that in doing this, they are able to attach meaning to what they believe in and also attach meaning to their life since they just do not follow rules without understanding them (Waugh, 2004: pp. 432). However, relativists believe that an individual is defined by the society in which he exists. They believe that rules define the norms of a society and set apart what is right from what is wrong. Besides, they acknowledge the fact that different societies have different rules and regulations and hence respect the diversity that exists in individuals. Relativists do not struggle with life and they believe that life flows with nature and the life of others should be used as a specimen not to make the same mistakes. They have the notion that life should be programmed and should not be haphazard in bid to discover oneself (McLachlan, 2005: pp. 92). Relativists believe in having their own way and they do not have the â€Å"it is my fault† mentality. They have the rationale that what they are experiencing is better placed than what

Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome Essay

Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome - Essay Example However, other issues that are related to the study of literary works such as style are usually the same. The thematic concerns that are centered in literary works are also mostly the same. These are the various factors that are discussed when looking at literary works. This paper will be a discussion of two literary works Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. Focus will be on content, form, style and setting of the two literary works. These features will be analyzed so as to ascertain the rationalization that they have towards developing the themes of race and ethnicity that are common in both works. All these aspects as pertains to the two stories will be compared and contrasted. Both literary works, Country Lovers and The Welcome Table are short stories. They can be found in a number of collected anthologies. However, despite the fact that they are both story stories, they are quite different. While Gordimer’s story is long and quite detai led, this is not the case in The Welcome Table. This story is quite brief but still manages to pass the message that it was intended to. Through descriptive words, the author has still managed to come up with a plot that is interesting to follow. Therefore, while both literary works are short stories, one is long and much more detailed than the other. This is what contrasts the two literary works of art in terms of form. It also makes them quite interesting to study. ? ­ One aspect that is similar in both Country Lovers and The Welcome Table is the protest about racism; this is followed by the tragic human consequences that this practice comes with. Despite the fact that the stories are written based on the same thematic concerns, the context in which they are written is very different. Moreover, the way in which they are written and the emotional impact that they have on the readers are not the same. For example, whilst Gordimer’s story is written in South Africa when the apartheid regime was rampant, Walker’s story is set in the United States during the post civil war period. These were different historical times that occurred in places that are far apart and the experiences that the characters in this stories had may not have been the same. During the Apartheid system, the law, under the operation of the state was used to impose difficult living conditions on the non-whites in South Africa (Union of South Africa, 2012). This situation can be seen from the text, while Paulus went to school and lived in full comfort and sometimes even enjoying some luxuries, like movies, this was not the same case with Thebedi, she was supposed to do manual labor on the white man’s house with education being a secondary objective to her and the other black children (Gordimer, 1975). This was as per the law that ensured that there was a great disparity between the lives of the blacks and the whites. While this was the situation for the blacks, all wealth , economic and educational opportunities were privileges that were exclusively reserved for the whites in South Africa. On the other hand Walker focuses on the plight that the older rural based African Americans go through. This is through the life of complete slavery that they have been subjected to and they are still subjected to. Even though some reforms were made during the Civil Rights era, there is a lot of subjugation that the blacks

Muslim and Christian Medieval Theocracies Essay

Muslim and Christian Medieval Theocracies - Essay Example Generally speaking, a theocracy exists when the ruler of a government is also the religious leader of that same government. In many theocracies of the past the ruler has been one who was designated by the religious leader of that time and place. The major religions during medieval times were Christianity and Islam. In many cases the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire bordered the boundaries of the Muslim world. Oftentimes these borders changed as both the Holy Roman Empire and the Muslim world conquered or lost territory. This can be seen in the maps of both worlds (Appendix A). The timeline of this comparison begins at 1500 AD and moves forward in time. The state of the Holy Roman Empire at 1500 AD was one that had the leadership struggling to maintain control of the Empire through select leaders and communication methods. As with any government, communication is vitally important to the success or failure of the ruling party. Most of the Empire was located in what is now Eastern Europe. Western Europe was constantly under assault from barbarians thus making it hard to maintain control and rule over land and peoples. In the late 1400's publishing of books became a profession. The power of the written word was used by the Holy Roman Empire to maintain control over land and peoples. ... Between 1500 AD and 1700 AD the Holy Roman Empire began its decline. By this time the Hapsburgs held the imperial crown. "Frederick was the last Emperor to be crowned by the Pope in Rome and did much to consolidate the Habsburg possessions."2 As the last appointed emperor Frederick was the last theocratic leader of the Holy Roman Empire. The Hapsburg line had died out by 1740. While there are individuals that hold titles resulting from The Holy Roman Empire to this day, the powerful hold on Europe that the Empire had no longer exists. For the most part many Catholics throughout the region still hold the papacy as their religious leader while maintaining citizenship of their countries and following the laws of their government. In essence, the Christian theocracy no longer exists (except in Vatican City, Italy where the Pope presides). During the last years of the Holy Roman Empire the Ottoman Empire was at its peak. The Ottoman Empire bordered the Holy Roman Empire on many fronts. In 1500 Pope Alexander declared a Year of Jubilee and ordered a tithe to the Empire to fund the crusade against the Ottoman Turks. The struggle against the Turks took a hit when Henry VII declined the Pope's request to fight against the Turks. In 1792 Napoleon Bonaparte led France in its bid for independence from the Empire. Later the Prussians reunified the German state by defeating the forces of the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire crumbled. It is important to note that the Holy Roman Empire is no more but Christianity is still a strong group of observant peoples. Christianity has spread around the world despite the fact that few Christian theocracies exist. In contrasts the Muslim world did not crumble and end. If

Taxation and Tax Environment in the United Kingdom Essay

Taxation and Tax Environment in the United Kingdom - Essay Example When a person is resident for tax purposes in the UK but he is a foreign domicile, he is perhaps only liable for paying tax on the money which has been brought in to the UK. So if a person offshore accounts in his own mother country, but he does not use that money in the UK, he has the chances to exempt from UK taxation but if in doubt he needs to check with an accountant. There are some sorts of income on which tax is not binding. These include certain benefits, special pensions, and income from tax-exempt accounts. These are ignored as well as when working out how much Income Tax may be needed to a taxpayer. HMRC is an association which is responsible for collecting the bulk of tax revenue, as well as paying Tax Credits and Child Benefits, and strengthening the UK's frontiers. It has a huge volume of information on these matters and it can get more as the individual banks are likely to follow suit. HMRC is also committed to targeting tax evasion. "Self Assessment" is the matter of personal taxation which is used in the UK regime. It is introduced in 1996/97. Self Assessment applies to such types of taxpayers who are self-employed. Their tax affairs are so complicated that can not be fully dealt with under the normal system. For example, we can say about the directors, higher rate taxpayers and those who have more than one source of income. The phrase "self-assessment" is ambiguous because the tax will be calculated by the HM Revenue and Customs in certain circumstances or the taxpayer can use the services of an accountant to calculate the tax on his behalf. The regular income-tax system involves the filing of a return of income with the Income-tax Department along with the statement of accounts maintained if any, production and examination of books of accounts, determination of total income, issue of a demand notice for payment of tax and finally its payment.  

Slide animation Essay Example for Free

Slide animation Essay Successful presenting entails focusing on important points, controlling the flow of information, and holding the audience’s interest in the presentation. We can include two types of animation — within a slide and from slide to slide. Animation on a slide, often called builds, determines how and when objects on the slide appear. Animation from slide to slide, called transitions, specifies how a new slide appears after the previous slide disappears. The last version of the PowerPoint includes powerful animation effects and features. Animation can certainly enliven a presentation, but too much animation will distract the audience from the main message. All professionals make the same point about animation — pick one or two effects and stick to them. This principle applies to both animation on a slide and transitions between slides. Animating objects has an additional purpose — to focus the audience’s attention on what one is saying. To animate a slide, one needs to know what he is going to say while that slide is displayed — and in what order. He then uses that order to determine the order in which the objects appear on the slide. Object animation is sometimes called a build because the objects build up on the screen, one after another. One can control the following aspects of the animation: †¢ How the object appears. †¢ In what grouping the object appears. For example, text most often appears paragraph by paragraph but can appear by the word or even by the letter. †¢ Whether the animation occurs when one clicks the mouse or automatically after a preset number of seconds. †¢ Whether a sound plays during the animation. †¢ What happens, if anything, after the animation. For example, one can change the color of a previously displayed object when the next object appears or hide it completely. For a quick solution, PowerPoint offers animation schemes — a complete group of settings that one can quickly assign to a slide or presentation. Animation schemes apply only to slide titles and text placeholders. To animate other objects the custom animation is used. Several animation schemes also include slide transitions. When one animates placeholder text, all the text in the placeholder is considered one object. However, it is automatically animated paragraph by paragraph — that is, bullet by bullet, which is usually what is wanted. To animate by word or even letter, the custom animation is used too. For more control over animation, than the animation schemes proposed one need to create own settings. New features of custom animation include attaching more than one animation type to an object, animating an object along a path, and animating an object when another object is clicked. The number of the animation options that are included is vast. One can also animate objects such as AutoShapes and text boxes. Because these objects often serve to draw attention anyway, adding animation to them only increases the effect. One can animate WordArt text too. Another type of animation controls how each new slide appears. Because these effects control the transition from one slide to another, they are called transitions. While some of these effects have the same names as animations, they look quite different when applied to an entire slide. Transitions, like slide animation, has to be used with reserve. Many options are available, but that doesn’t mean that one should use them all in one presentation. One of the best solutions is to choose a simple transition and apply it to every slide in the presentation. If the presentation is divided into sections, one could use a second transition to introduce each new section.

A Case Study Of Social Work With Families Social Work Essay

A Case Study Of Social Work With Families Social Work Essay This was my third contact with Mrs G however my first contact with Mrs G on her own without Ps presence. The purpose of the visit was to carry out a carers assessment which focused on Mrs Gs needs separate from Ps needs. It was important that I tuned into the visit in order to work with Mrs G effectively. The process of tuning in helped me consider the legal mandate for the intervention, it helped me prepare myself for areas Mrs G may have wanted to discuss, I was able to consider relevant theories, Mrs Gs feelings, my feelings as a worker and how I would address these feelings through the use of good knowledge, skills and values. Before meeting with the family I had read through the existing case file which allowed me to gain an insight into the social work involvement of MS the transition co-ordinator to date, other professionals involved and an insight into the family background. I had previously carried out a UNOCINI assessment on P, had been on a few visits to P and Mrs G and liaised with several other professionals involved with P such as the Renal Team at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC), the school, Ps G.P, Clinical psychologist etc. I had already gathered relevant information and thus obtained a good insight into the family situation, particularly through liaising with the Clinical Psychologist who had done some brief family work with the family. From liaising with him, I was able to determine that there were strained relationships within the home. As my role in this instance involved assessing the needs of a carer, I read around carers in Northern Ireland, their needs and what the y often experience etc. This allowed me to tune into what Mrs Gs life may involve with regards to caring for P and consider some of the challenges carers experience on a regular basis. As I had already been involved with the family and completed a UNOCINI assessment, I gained a great insight into the familys circumstances, history/background. During this contact I wanted to obtain a greater insight into how Ps disability impacted is currently impacting on Mrs G, the primary carer of P. I prepared myself for the contact by familiarising myself with the carers assessment form however I had already decided to approach the situation by allowing Mrs G to take control and explain openly how she was coping etc. My practice teacher also discussed her expectations with me during supervision. My primary purpose in this piece of work was: The purpose of the work was to meet with Mrs G in her home. Carry out an assessment of Mrs Gs needs as a carer separate from Ps needs by allowing Mrs G to talk openly about her situation, how she was coping as a carer etc, express any concerns she had and ask her how she feels we could best support her at this time. This allowed Mrs G to take control of the discussion and identify areas to discuss. My main aims and were they achieved I contacted Mrs G prior to the visit to explain the observation so that she was aware of the situation before we arrived at the house. On arrival, I discovered that Mrs G had forgotten about the visit and planned to go into town. I asked Mrs G if she would like to reschedule but she said she would prefer to go ahead with the visit. I did not have to introduce myself at the beginning of this contact as I had clarified my role and function within the agency during the first visit with the family. I firstly introduced my practice teacher, reassuring Mrs G that she was there to assess me and my practice and that anything she would be writing would be about myself and not her. I further reassured Mrs G that anything discussed within the visit would not be discussed outside of the visit. At this stage I feel I could have explained the boundaries of confidentiality. I explained to Mrs G she was entitled to a carers assessment under the Carers and Direct Payments Act and that this would focu s on her needs as a carer as apposed to Ps needs. On reflection I do feel I could have explained to Mrs G at this stage what the assessment involved and I could have summarised what I intended to cover during the visit. Instead I just explained her entitlement to a carers assessment and that it focused on her needs. I acknowledged how difficult life has been for Mrs G and her family up until this point and asked Mrs g what it was like caring for P. Mrs G gave a very detailed account of Ps medical history and how his condition affected him. Issues arising were Ps restricted diet intake, Ps noncompliance to take medication and his personal care. On reflection, although I did attempt to probe further on these issues as an attempt to determine if and what triggers may have been contributing, looking back I do feel I could have used more effective questioning as an attempt to determine the impact this has had for Mrs G as a carer. Other issues arising were Ps lack of self-esteem and body issues which clearly contributed to his low mood. Looking back I feel I could have explored into this area more through probing more however I recall the carer at this stage having given me allot of in-depth information. I had reacted by probing further on another topic and had forgotten to go back and explore this a rea. On reflection I feel it would have been important to have explored this area further to gain a greater insight into how Mrs G coped with knowing that her son was insecure and body issues. Does she attempt to talk to P? Does this worry her, make her feel stressed etc, how does she cope seeing how Ps disability impacts upon him? Looking back another issue which Mrs G explained was the fact that P had fell out with their local Church over his diet. This was a clear issue/concern for Mrs G, however looking back, I did not probe further on this issue as once again, I recall Mrs G explaining a number of issues at once. I explored further on one issue and again I forgot to go back and explore this concern. At this point I feel I should have listed back to Mrs G the concerns that were arising and explored each of them one by one. Instead I feel I became overwhelmed by all of the information she was giving me, I consequently responded by exploring into one issue, which then led into another issue and I forgot to cover the other issues arising a the beginning. This has been a big learning curve for me as a worker. From this in particular I have learnt that I need to be more assertive and take more control of the conversation, particularly if you are with a service user who is quite talkative. In future I plan to say , ok, mrs G, youve given me quite a lot of information there. You have raised concerns about this, this and this. I would then cover each of the issues separately to ensure I have explored all areas fully that the service user has identified as being problem areas. I will also ensure to take more control of the conversation by stopping the service user if I feel she has overwhelmed me with information and pace the flow of the interaction to ensure each area is being fully explored. I recall Mrs G explaining that P had been abiding by his restricted fluid and diet intake recently as apposed to what he had done in the past. Mrs G did however express that P would still sometimes push the boundaries. I recall just reassuring Mrs G that this was very positive, however on reflection, I feel that I could have picked up on the fact that she had expressed he still pushes the boundaries at times and explored more into how they managed this, how he reacts when she reminds him the importance of his restricted diet and how Ps reactions impacted on Mrs G and other family members within the home. Mrs G went on to explain that the clinical psychologist P had been to see recently had diagnosed P as being biologically depressed and not clinically depressed. I recall probing further as an attempt to determine how Mrs G felt about this diagnosis, and asked whether P would continue to see the psychologist. However on reflection I do feel I could have explored further with regard to the possible risks this presented for P, how P was behaving, had she noticed any significant changes in his mood, behaviour etc. Looking back I feel this would have been very important and usually I feel a very obvious area to cover however I recall reminding myself of my role within that visit and that was to focus on Mrs G as a carer and how she was coping as a carer. Looking back however I do feel it was important to have explored further on this issue as there evidently could have been risks involved which could have led me to determining how Mrs G felt and coped with these. I recall Mrs G explaining about Ps argumentative nature. I did attempt to explore this area further however again at this stage I recall Mrs G giving a lot of detailed information and again I do feel it would have been beneficial to have redirected the information she had given back to how Mrs G was affected and how she was coping. I summarised by explaining to Mrs. G the main issues which we had discussed during the visit and what Mrs G was currently dealing with. I then reminded Mrs G of the main reason for the contact which was an assessment of Mrs Gs needs as a carer, how things have impacted on her and how she was coping as a carer. I summarised by asking Mrs G to once again eplain what the main concerns were for her in coping and caring for P at the minute. Mrs G once again clearly highlighted that the main concern for her as a mother was the fact that P had no opportunities at the minute to meet, socialise and interact others his own age group. She further explained that she felt this would undoubtly help to promote Ps independence while giving her and her husband a little respite. I paraphrased this back to Mrs G to have her clarify what I understood in relation to Ps needs and how this would ultimately benefit them as carers. I summarised by acknowledging and explaining to Mrs G that I understood the l evel of Ps care needs, what the family have come through in their lives to date and the impact of caring for P and other family members. At this stage I recall advising Mrs G of some support groups which may be of support to Mrs and Mrs G. Mrs G however clarified that she felt it was not them as parents who needed the support but their son, P who would benefit from some sort of social outlet. Furthermore, she did highlight she felt this would additionally benefit her and her husband as P relied quite a lot on her and her husband to take him out. Mrs G expressed she felt it would be beneficial for P if someone Ps age were to come and bring P out for a few hours. I mentioned a voluntary befrienders scheme however I was unsure as to the likeliness of getting a befriender that age within the locality thus I reassured Mrs G I would follow this up and get back to her. At this stage I recall introducing the topic of direct payments. Looking back, I feel the conversation had flowed up until this point. On reflection I had no reason to bring up the topic of direct payments as the conversation up until this stage had been centred on Mrs G, her life as a carer and how this was impacting on her. I had prepared to cover this topic solely on the basis that this was one of the topics covered within the agencys Carers Assessment forms. Looking back, I feel there was no reason to introduce this topic as there was simply no purpose in this instance. I recall asking Mrs G if she was aware of direct payments and or if she received direct paymen ts. Mrs G was not and asked if this was the same as carers allowance. At this stage I recall going completely blank. I knew it wasnt however I went completely blank and I could not think and turned to my practice teacher for reassurance and ask her if they were the same. At this stage I felt quite nervous and found it hard to refocus my mind back on the topic of conversation. I then recall trying to explain the concept of direct payments to Mrs G. I was able to explain that It focused on empowering service users through allowing them to be employers and this was a payment paid to them which would allow them to effectively employ someone if for example they wanted to pay someone to come in and care for their disabled child. I recall stumbling through this explanation as I consciously knew I wasnt communicating my understanding of direct payments effectively in a way to ensure that Mrs G understood it and furthermore I doubted what I was saying. I feel I cold have tuned in better to w hat direct payments were, whether Mrs G and P would have been eligible for this service, what the options were for them and been able to explain to them in a way that they understood and have given an example of their circumstances as apposed to a child. i.e. considering the fact that P was turning 18 in a few months. I feel if I had prepared better by doing this, there would have been more structure and purpose to introducing the topic in the first instance, Mrs G would have grasped a clear and concise understanding of what direct payments were, I would have come across as a more competent and knowledgeable worker and this would have lessened the likeliness of confusion or unrealistic hopes and expectations on Mrs Gs behalf on their eligibility and entitlement for the service. Straight away following the visit I acknowledged how my responses could have potentially have given Mrs g unrealistic hopes and expectations with regard to what they could get. I feel nervousness and lack of concise preparation significantly contributed to my inability to explain the service effectively and concisely, particularly after I was unable to explain the difference between carers allowance and direct payments initially. I finally summarised what I was going to do for Mrs G such as looking into the befriending scheme, their eligibility for direct payments, as she queried if she would be able to pay someone to come and take P out for a few hours a week etc. I then explained Mrs G that I would be in touch to arrange a time and date to talk through the assessment once I had completed it and have her sign it. Mrs G agreed. Skills I do feel I listened to Mrs G and demonstrated respect by being empathetic towards her and her situation past and present. I was very aware of the sensitivity around what Mrs G has come through in her life to date and used silence allot to allow Mrs. G to gather her thoughts before answering the questions. When she was talking I continued to use silence as a means of letting Mrs G tell her story and express her feelings. I ensured to maintain eye contact. My non verbals I hope indicated to Mrs G that I was listening to what she had to say. Although I contently listened to Mrs G and what she had to say, I do feel she overwhelmed me with information a lot of the time. Although I managed to explore further some of these issues by probing further on certain issues, I feel I failed to probe further on all the issues/concerns expressed by Mrs G. I feel I could taken control of the interaction more by stopping Mrs G at times and sensitively saying for example, ok Mrs G, you have given me quite a lot of information there. You mentioned this, this, this and this.. Can you firstly tell me a bit more about (1st issue), how does this affect you as a carer etc. I would then have gone through each issue separately and have explored each issue fully. I then would have got Mrs G to proceed. This would have ensured that I was using my probing skills more effectively and ensured I was exploring and analysing equally all areas which arose. Furthermore, I feel I did probe further on certain subjects to gain a further insight into how G fe lt about certain things although in doing this I do accept that I still may not have kept the topics focused on Mrs G as much as what I could have. I do feel however that in this instance, the needs of Mrs G was very dependent on that of meeting Ps needs first as she continually stated, if I thought that P was getting ready and looking forward to going out and meeting with others his age, I would be able to relax and when he would be away, this would act as respite for me. I truly feel this was the main issue for Mrs G and she clarified this towards the end of the visit. I was particularly ware of this as I had tuned into the fact that in a typical encounter involving two people, it is estimated that the actual spoken or verbal content is likely to carry only one third of the social meaning in any given event, whereas the non verbal forms convey roughly two thirds of the meaning (Birdwhistell, 1970). Communication is a two way process. It involves listening as well as speaking. Non- verbals used were: nodding, having an appropriate body posture, using eye contact, smiling and sitting in the SOLAR position. Allot of the time Mrs G was talking. I hope my non-verbals indicated to her that I was listening to what she had to say, respected the information she was sharing and demonstrated empathy and respect. I feel I used my interpersonal skills throughout the visit ad this contributed to a relaxed atmosphere and interaction. I do feel however I had developed a good rapport at this stage with Mrs G as I had been on a few previous home visits through carrying out the UNOCINI assessment. I feel I had a generally good structure to the contact however I do feel I could have explained at the beginning the content of what I hoped to cover with Mrs G instead of just summarising that I would be looking at her needs as a carer. I feel I demonstrated good non verbal communication through appropriate facial expressions, a good sitting position with an open posture, good eye contact and nodding my head to reassure Mrs G I acknowledged, was listening and understood what she was saying. I feel I laughed when appropriate and showed empathy when covering sensitive issues such as Ps past medical history of cancer and chemotherapy. I did ask various open questions which I had planned as a means of applyin g the exchange model and allowing Mrs G to talk openly about her life as a carer. This also allowed me to gain an insight into what Mrs Gs life was like, what her caring role entailed and how she coped with her caring responsibilities. I asked closed questions to gain more information on certain issues and clarify information. I feel my tone of voice was appropriate considering we were covering issues which were sensitive to Mrs G. Generally, I feel I effectively communicated with Mrs G. Effective communication is an essential component of traditional social work activities (Lishman, 1994, pg 1). I communicated clearly with Mrs G by explaining why I was there, introducing my practice teacher, explaining her role, reassured Mrs G my practice teacher was there to observe me and not her. I explained clearly what I hoped to cover during the contact and under ground she was entitled to a carers assessment. The process of engaging entails social workers being explicit about what we are do ing and why (Munro 1998a: 98). I feel I engaged well with Mrs G by clearing explaining my role and purpose. I paraphrased back to Mrs G what she had said at certain stages, particularly towards the end of the contact to show Mrs G that I understood what shed told me. This involved me paraphrasing or feeding back to Mrs G what theyd conveyed, in a meaningful way. This was also useful in having Mrs G clarify that this is indeed what she meant. Empowerment- Empowerment is more commonly used to describe service users being given meaningful choice and valuable options (Clark 2000: 57). I feel I provided Mrs G with choice and valuable options by providing her with information, informing her of the services available. I do feel I actively listened to G and responded by probing further on certain issues. On reflection, I feel the type of questions I asked G could have been more focused on the needs of G and Ge as apposed from having her explain about P. Initially I felt this may have given R an insight into what Gs life is like and I thought it may have been a good starting point however I feel I could have covered aspects such as how she coped when P was away to college, to dialysis. In saying this I do feel that G made it very clear particularly towards the end that the main concern for her at the minute was the fact that her son had no friends his age, was unable to get out and had nothing to look forward to. And continually expressed that this was the main issue for her and that if he had an opportunity to get out and socialise with others his age, this would positively impact on her as she would be able to relax if she felt P was happy and this would also act as a few hours respite for her as relationships in the family had been strained recently. I feel I did not communicate to Mrs G in a clear and concise manner what direct payments was and was unable to provide her with a clear distinction between that of carers allowance and direct payments. Looking back I went blank at this point and felt I could not think and panicked. As a result I looked to R for re-assurance. I do not feel I came across as a competent worker as on reflection I turned to my practice teacher when G asked me if a carers assessment was the same as a direct payment. Looking back on this I feel very silly as I knew the difference but I just recall going blank as I stumbled with how to explain the difference. I feel this was down to nervousness and as a result I panicked and turned to R for advice. I will definitely try to avoid doing this in future as it is not professional and service users expect that we as workers know what we are talking about. I feel I could have been better prepared with regard to knowledge in relation to direct payments and carers allowance etc. Although I thought I knew what they were, obviously hadnt read enough around them or had the information prepared in a way that would enable me to effectively communicate to the service user what they were. Although prior to the contact I felt I was prepared, On reflection, I feel I could have been better prepared with regard to familiarising myself better with direct payments and carers allowance etc. I should have prepared in my head how I would explain this to G in a way that was clear and concise that she would have understood. My main aims achieved were: I was successful in getting Mrs G to open up about her situation and her feelings I was successful in determining what it was she felt would best help and support her and her husband at the moment, which was providing them with respite by providing P with opportunities for social interaction. The main knowledge used and how it impacted upon my work: I had an understanding of Mrs Gs circumstances through previous visits with the family and carrying out a UNOCINI assessment and liaising with other professionals already involved with the family. I feel I tuned in thoroughly to Mrs Gs past history, current circumstances and her life and needs as a carer. I did not have a lot of knowledge about the appropriate way of completing the carers assessment form. From discussing the topic with my practice teacher and other work colleagues, I felt it was better to not bring the form in with me during the visit. I felt this may have put Mrs G of or have distracted her. I considered the sensitivity of some of the issues that Mrs G may be relaying to me and I wanted to give her my utmost attention, reassure that I was fully listening to her, engage fully with Mrs G and let her lead the interaction and speak openly about her situation. This then led me to apply the exchange model of assessment which looks upon service users as experts in their ow n lives. I tuned into the fact that no-one knew Mrs G and her life situation as well as herself and so I felt this model was ideal to apply as a method of assessment. The Life needs model is another model which informed my knowledge base prior to the visit. This is a developmental and social-ecological model and increased my knowledge base on key transitions in childrens lives. Although this model informed my knowledge base more so with regards to Ps UNOCINI assessment, it also allowed me to consider how Mrs G as a carer may be coping with Ps transition and current life stage of adolescence, as a carer and mother. Knowledge around assessment theory increased my knowledge base on what assessment is and what it involves. Erik Eriksons life stage theory increased my knowledge base around Mrs Gs life stage. Theories around loss increased my knowledge base as to how Mrs G had experienced loss as a consequence of Ps physical disability and his cancer. This was very significant as the focu s of the work was on assessing Mrs Gs needs as a carer, considering who she cares for, how that impacts on her life and how she effectively copes with her caring responsibilities. As a carer of a child who has a physical disability and who had had cancer and been treated with chemotherapy and has had two failed kidney transplants, this theory allowed me to tune into a number of losses Mrs G may has or may have had, losses in terms of lack of socialisation, independence etc. This knowledge allowed me to consider that Mrs G may have been affected psychologically, physically, emotionally and socially. One of my objectives for the visit was to discuss direct payments. I feel that I did not carry out sufficient research to allow me to explain this service clearly and concisely in a manner that Mrs G would have understood. I recognise that direct payments is a relatively new way of receiving services and other professionals are still learning about what they are and how they are used. How ever, this is an area I had planned to cover with Mrs G as it is one of the questions within the carers assessment form and thus I do feel I could have researched this area more concisely to ensure I was confident in explaining it in a way that Mrs G would have understood. I also feel I had a good grasp of the current family situation through completion of the initial UNOCINI assessment and thus I could have enquired into the familys eligibility for receiving direct payments prior to the visit. I feel I had already previously adequately researched into Ps renal condition, kidney dialysis, the effects, the importance of a restricted fluid and dietary intake and the consequences of not abiding by a restricted diet from completing Ps UNOCINI assessment. This information allowed me to further consider what life is like for Mrs G as a carer. I had already gained a great insight into the family circumstances through liaising with other professionals and completing the initial UNOCINI asse ssment. This knowledge was significant as it allowed me to consider the challenges Mrs G was facing as a mother and carer and thus I already had an insight into how she was coping with caring for P. I also done some research on carers of children who have disabilities which allowed to familiarise myself with what pressures and stresses carers are faced with on a daily basis. Throughout my work with this family I am constantly aware of overarching legislation such as the Childrens Order (NI) 1995, the Human Rights Act 1998, Disabled Persons Act (NI) 1989, and The Education (NI) Order 1996. The main piece of legislation that informed this piece of work however was the Carers and direct payments Act (NI) 1996. I must always be aware of the legal and statutory context in which I work. It is impossible to practice without coming up against the Law: it is impossible to practice effectively without an in-depth understanding of how the Law affects everyday social work practice (Johns, 2005:1). Looking back I strongly feel I could have increased my knowledge base more effectively around direct payments and familiarise myself with what the criteria is for eligibility for families. I have since spoken to other workers in the team and have read around the topic more and thus feel much more confident about the topic. The main values I used were: The NISCC Codes of Practice for Social care Workers underpins my professional value base and I felt this impacted when working with this family. I feel that I treated Mrs G and her home environment with respect by asking Mrs G prior to the visit if she would mind my practice teacher being present to observe my work. I feel I empathised with G by being understanding of her all that her and her family have come through in their lives to date. I felt I could easily empathise with her when she was referring to P and his medical history and his cancer. I considered prior to contact how devastating this particular time would have been in their lives and acknowledged the importance of showing empathy, particularly if this service user was willing to talk openly to me who she may have looked upon as a stranger, about such a sensitive area in her life. I empathised with her further when she talked openly about her older son also having been born with a renal condition and the ongoing everyday stresses and strains this had. I did not judge Mrs G. I listened openly to what she had to say and demonstrated empathy by being understanding of Mrs Gs circumstances at present and what she has come through to date. By being empathetic and understanding towards Mrs G, I feel she was more motivated to work in partnership with me. I feel I demonstrated respect by explaining the issue of confidentiality, explaining my student status, gaining consent and ensuring Mrs G was happy and content working with myself, a student, by reminding Mrs G of my student status and allowing her to clarify she was happy to proceed. Furthermore, I feel I respected Mrs G by pre arranging the appointment and turning up on time. I feel I demonstrated respect at all times throughout the visit by maintaining eye contact, listening to Mrs G, using silence when appropriate and allowing her to speak, gather her thoughts and express her feelings. I was genuinely interested in what Mrs G had to say, finding out m ore about her life and past experiences and I was honest and open which I feel contributed to an effective, positive working relationship with Mrs G. I made myself aware of any cultural/structural oppression that the service user may be experiencing, such as gender, religious issues. I also considered that Mrs G attended a Church group and that she and her family held firm religious beliefs and attended Church on a regular basis. Future learning requirements indicated by this piece of work What I hope to improve upon in the future: From looking back I can see that there are significant areas I need to develop my knowledge and experience in. For example I strongly feel I could have increased my knowledge base more effectively around direct payments and have familiarised myself with what the criteria is for eligibility for families. My lack of experience delivering direct payments is obvious here. I feel that my understanding on this topic could be improved through reading further on the topic and possibly shadowing other social workers in the team when they visit service users about direct payments. Being well prepared for what it is I want to cover during contacts is another significant area I need to work on. Looking back, I feel the contact had flowed up until the point at which I introduced the topic of direct payments. I feel, I already had an insight into the family situation through completing the initial assessment ad I knew that Mrs Gs main concern was that P did not have enough opportunities for social outlets and if I had prepared to introduce this topic, I should have previously enquired into whether this was an option for Mrs G and her family. On reflection this would have made much more sense as I would have had reasoning for introducing the topic and I would have been able to inform Mrs G of information that was clear, concise and accurate, preventing informing Mrs G of information that was inaccurate, risking false hopes and possible dis

Analysis of Human Resources (HR) Department

Analysis of Human Resources (HR) Department We have chosen Al Futtaim group as the subject of our research. The aim of our research is to review the HR department and point out the weaknesses. To achieve this goal we will review the background and history will give us an idea about the achievements and/or obstacles that faces the company. Also, we will look at the organizational structure of the group and the key people who are managing it. It is important for our research to have a complete idea about the managerial practices and the HRM role in accordance with the other departments. We will evaluate the strength and weaknesses of the HRM and we will end our research with recommendations with for possible improvements. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND Al Futtaim group is a family business which was established in the 1930s as a trading company. The owners of the group hold the upper management positions headed by Majid Al Futtaim as the chairman of the board of directors. The companies working within the group have developed quickly and became a regional integrated commercial, industrial and services business located in the Gulf Area. Currently, the group consists of more than 40 companies dominating many market segments in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Egypt and Pakistan. The group has four subsidiaries which are Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Trust, Retail, and Ventures. The group was created with a purpose of managing its subsidiaries and supervising the work in order to develop the business and achieve unified goals. The managements promise is to respond quickly to the customers need and satisfy the groups shareholders. Moreover the management gives its word to provide challenging opportunities for the employees in orde r to enhance their performance. Another promise is to serve the community, protect the environment and achieve a notable corporate social responsibility. (companys official website) MANAGEMENT PRACTICES The Group consists of several core businesses that complement each other, however they are separately managed. This strategy provides higher flexibility and better potentials because the separate operating divisions can grasp different opportunities. At the same time, different divisions work together on key projects and contribute, as a group, to the achievements and the profit. There are business agreements of cooperation and management within the group. The management relies on the differentiation of the retail brands in order to gain customer loyalty which in turn will enhance the sales growth and business development. (companys official website) To face the market challenges, and because the group has large companies and diverse employees which serves diverse customer segments, the management has continually brought innovations and change to a conventional industry. The group declares that they are both; socially and environmentally responsible which has positive consequences such as increasing employees loyalty, ensuring growth and increasing profit. Moreover, the groups strategy is built on creating a win-win situation for the organization, main stakeholders (such as employees and customers), and the communities where they are functioning. To achieve this strategy, the group has a well established HR department responsible for a large number of employees and workers. With its objectives and goals in mind, Majid Al Futtaim group cares about the human resources working for the group. As an example, we can look at one important division which is Al-Futtaim Electronics Sanyo. In this department, the management has laid down the ground for its human recourses to take ownership of the initiative called Customer 2000. This initiative calls for a change in the staff attitude and approach as well as a change in the working environment as a whole. In other words it is a call for a change in the way business is conducted. This initiative is a mean to enhance productivity and effectiveness of the employees. They are trained to become more alert and aware of the Internal Customers and at the same time they should have the ability to focus on the External Customers. By taking this step, and to be able to coordinate the efforts and expertise of their staff, the management formed a core committee whose role is to open the communication channels between the mana gement and the employees. The committee performs as a forum to convey and formalize the concepts and ideas that will eventually lead to the objective of total customer satisfaction. The committee organizes open sessions and ensures the participation of all the managers and department heads of profit-centers. These sessions provide a chance for healthy discussions and exchange of ideas and points of views. The group functions according to the philosophy of Prosperity through Customer Satisfaction. To face the new challenges and to maintain the growing thrust, the core committee holds its sessions on a weekly basis and ensures through one on one meeting that the information is absorbed by all the staff. (companys official website) THE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Strategy and planning process need a powerful management to transfer the perspectives into reality. Al Futtaim is a diversified group and a large organization managed by the owner, Majid Al Futtaim, as the president and the head of the management hierarchy. The chairman is Sir Michael Rake, an international expert who is an asset for the group because of his long experience and professional background. The board consists of a group of members who have particular expertise in certain areas and who can contribute to the decisions and the prosperity of the group. The CEO is Mr. Iyad Malas a young Arab who earned his education in one of the American universities in the region. Mr. Iyad and his executive team are responsible for the strategy for the whole group which includes what the businesses are in addition to the whole financial performance of the group. At this level of the management planning includes anticipation of change in all the functions of the group. The CEO Deputy is Mr. Ahmad Bin Brek, who is also a competent manager who has the ability to lead the group to its goals. The next level is the business executive team which consists of several young and well educated employees who implement the plans and run the business according to the agreed upon and well thought out strategy. Based on the bottom-up input, the business executive managers report to Mr. Iyad and contribute to the business strategy process. The following level in the hierarchy consists of the department heads and their assistants. Their roles are to orient, empower and manage their staff in order to contribute to the general performance of the company. The line managers report to their managers and they in turn report to their presidents who are responsible for the specific business strategy. At the end of the management hierarchy come the line and office managers and their assistants who work in the field with the staff and monitor the implementation of the plans and report to their superiors in the same business unit. At this organizational level the unit executive managers are responsible for the strategy. Part of the groups business planning scenario is the industrial context; economy, government, territories, existing market cultures. The other part is of the planning is the goals and targets which are specified in the groups strategy and the strategic group model. In the second level come the department managers then the line managers then the supervisors who report to their direct managers. In each department there are the employees with different jobs and responsibilities. If the whole working team does not work together, no goals will be achieved. And if the human resources are not satisfied by the working environment in general they will not be able to perform well. (companys official website) At this point, HRM has a main role to play. Without the human resources, none of the aforementioned strategies would be achieved without having efficient employees. These employees must be managed effectively in order to gain their loyalty and ensure that they will perform t the best of their abilities and lead the company to meet the vision, mission, and goals of the company. HRM has several functions all of them are related to the human resources in the group. Some of the functions are the following: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION One of the most important functions of HRM is the staffing process. This process is costly and time and effort consuming. The HR professionals know that this process should be well planned to save the group the continuous expenses of advertisements, legal procedures, and training the new employees. HRM is responsible for analyzing the jobs, generating job descriptions, advertising the openings, analyzing the applicants CVs, interviewing the candidates, selecting the best candidates and closing the deal by offering the new employees the contract. All these processes are completed in cooperation with the managers of the different departments After signing the contract, the HRM is always ready with an orientation program delivered by the direct managers. The orientation includes the policies and procedures, group culture, security and safety issues, work practices and other related issues to help the new employee to get acquainted with others, place and the new tasks he/she will perform. Later on, when the new employee starts the job, the HRM is responsible, in cooperation with the managers, for the appraisal process. The result of the appraisal helps the HR professionals to set the training plan in order to empower the employee with any required skills. Majid Al Futtaim group has a strategic vision concerning its employees. The strategy recommends that employees be chosen based on fixed criteria. The staffing process, to an extent, ensures recruiting the experienced and efficient employees. As a private LLC, the management worries about the shareholders value and prosperity and the strategies and plans revolve around increasing sales, profit and expansion of business. These reasons are behind hiring effective people who can contribute to the groups success. HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING Also, HRM controls the number of employees and keep it in the appropriate range; too much employees is costly and wasteful of resources. On the other hand, too little employees is a barrier to meet the goals and affects the overall performance of the group. Staffing in Al Futtaim group is affected by many factors such as the budget, the need of expertise and the turn over of employees. Also, the need to control the staffing process depends on the yearly appraisals, business outcomes, and the efficiency of current employees in relation to the change and development. Government regulations and changes in business trend are important factors in terms of increasing or decreasing the number of staff. The role of HRM goes beyond the planning role to implement the plans and take decisions about what is better for the organization. HRM in AL Futtaim Group are seen as reactive rather than being proactive because they are doing the minimum expected from a big and rich group. The reason is not the inefficiency of the HR professionals or in the plans and documentation. The issue is that the group is owned by a family and the last decision is for the owner. Usually in this type of company what really matter is decreasing the expenses and increasing the profit. In this case the HRM cannot implement the change nor can they function according to the international high standard and ideal practices. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION Empowering and motivating employees to complete their tasks efficiently is an HRM responsibility. Employees must be rewarded for their efforts or else they will transfer to another company and the company will lose their experience and knowledge of the ideal work practices. As mentioned before, recruiting new staff member will cost the company money, effort and time. Moreover, a company with high retention is never the choice of professionals who look for job security. AL Futtaim group care about its human resources. The HRM has a training plan and it was implemented for many years in the past. Now things are changed. The world financial crisis affected the business in general and the extra benefits for the employees are reduced to the minimum and the new workers are getting lower salaries and zero benefits. According to one of the groups employees, the workers are complaining in regards to their salaries and the overall standard of living. As everyone knows, the rents have risen tremendously in the last year. This issue has put a burden on the foreign employees and some of them left the work to another job for less then AED 300 raise in their salaries. This would not happen if the HR management in accordance with the financial department adjusts the pay rate and implement a plan to offer financial reward to the good employees so that the group will gain their loyalty. The employees need to be motivated in order to increase their efforts and work to the best of their abilities. In AL Futtaim Group, Bonuses as incentives are offered to the managers and they are excluding the workers. The common way to encourage the workers is choosing one of the good workers as the employee of the month. This will influence the workers appraisal at the end of the year and the chance of getting a raise becomes higher. More incentives are required if the group wants to attain the loyalty of all the employees. EMPLOYEES APPRAISAL HRM has a main role in assessing the performance of the employees. It is a very important process because the decision makers will have a full picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the staff. Based on the appraisal decisions will be taken to improve the performance of individuals and to point out the potentials within the company. Al Futtaim group HRM pays a special attention to the assessment process. The employees are assessed formally and informally through the year. The main appraisal is conducted on yearly basis and based on the results, some changes are made. Based on the result of the appraisal HRM sets a training plan to enhance the performance of the staff members. Another importance of the yearly appraisals is to link the payments to the competency of the employee. What is happening now is that due to the recession, the group did not give a pay raise to the majority of the staff which has a negative impact on their performance of the individuals. Yet, the appraisal is used efficiently to make use of the talents which already exist in the group. When openings are posted internally, the chance is given to the employees to apply and they are chosen based on their performances, yet not for the upper management posts. The weakness in this process is the results of the appraisal are not used to give the employees the incentives they deserve. The raise in the salaries and wages, if decided, is based on the market situation not on the performance and achievement of the individual. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Among the HRM roles is to manage the complex employee (industrial relations) between the following parties: Workers and their official and unofficial representatives. Workers and their managers Government, organizations and related agencies. The UAE is shifting to a service based industry. The business requires qualified and skillful people to do the jobs which make the influence of workers more influential. The wise management of the group is aware of this issue and has built, to an extent a relationship with the employees and to maintain the psychological contract with them. HRM in Al Futtaim Group have an industrial relations program. The employees do have a voice and it is reflected in the management actions. A good example is the (customer 2000) project where workers can express themselves while developing their skills. It gives them a chance to get involved in the planning for offering better services to the customers. There are several evidences demonstrating that HRM policies demonstrate groups concern of the individuals performance. As a result we expect to see these policies are well implemented for the benefit of these individuals. Cost based barriers could be responsible for not taking the right actions. Workers are still considered as machines and no margin for mistakes is allowed. The work time is calculated by minutes and the overtime payments are less than the working hours wage. In al Futtaim group there is no win-win situation because the main concern as we have mentioned before is the customer. Satisfying the customer means more profit tor the shareholders. The only benefit for the workers is that they keep their jobs. There are hard workers in the company who were never acknowledged or took any bonus as an appreciation for their achievements. It is true that HRM in A Futtaim Group is effective in terms of generating all the documents which govern the relationship with the employees. HR professionals prepared the job specification, job appraisal, induction programs, training courses, performance management and reward management, malpractice policy, etc. But in general all these documents are for the benefit of the business first and none of them demonstrates the importance of the employee as an individual. So we can say that the importance of the psychological contract is not fully considered. For example, competent employees in Al Futtaim group are offered opportunities to upgrade their positions and their income but these chances are never open to reach to the upper management positions. Such actions affect the relationship with the employees and reduce their loyalty and level of job satisfaction. Another issue is that the cost based management implemented in Al Futtaims private companies affects the psychological contracts with the staff members. Employees lose trust in their management and it would be impossible to retain them. The minute they find a new job they will leave taking with them their experience and their relationships with the customers. A part of the HRM is that the employee relations professionals prepare reports for the management to keep them updated about the current situation, changes or new trends. The mangers/ owners use this information in negotiations, conferences and press releases. The staff interprets and administers the contract in terms of problems, salaries, insurance, safety, management practices etc. in AL Futtaim Group as there are no labor unions or employee association representatives, and this is done with individuals who have no power over the management of the group. So, the real purpose of these negotiations is not achieved. PROVISION OF EMPLOYEE SERVICES Caring about the employees well-being functions is one of the HRM functions which aim to retain good staff and attracting others to work with the company. Services that can be offered to the employees are many. They vary between understanding the personal circumstances of the employee such as extended sick leaves, allowing emergency leaves, and offering loans to the employee in need. Another service is to help the employees to resolve personal issues, to move them to an easier work in case they have special medical needs, and assisting the sick people to benefit from better treatment in better hospitals. In Al Futtaim group HRM has a plan for the provision of employee services but it is not fully amended. The following points can be seen as weaknesses: Number of the disabled people working in the company. Lack of financial and other activities conditions such as sports and hobbies related to the work Offering financial aids to workers in need or maybe having a fund program to help workers in difficulty. On the other hand the group has good safety and security practices. They have a good safety manual with clear policies and procedure. The employees are trained on first aid and evacuation in case of fire. SO we can say that HRM in Al Futtaim group care about their employees in terms of maintaining safety by raising the workers awareness and training them on the policies and procedures. EMPLOYEES TRAINING AND EDUCATION Training the employees to develop their skills and to raise their awareness is one of the HRM functions. Also the training courses are necessary to prepare some of the employees to acquire higher positions. Training and empowering the employees in Al Futtaim is part of the groups promise. The aim behind focusing on training the employees is enhancing the performance of the staff members. As a result of monitoring and assessing the employees work a training plan is set. Lists are prepared and training agencies are approached but, not all the plan is usually implemented. Financial factors affect the process, so sometimes the training courses are cancelled or the number of participants is reduced. The other option is Another plan is usually set for the in house training courses which are better implemented because of the cost is less and the timing can be adjusted. Also from time to time the Group outsources some technical or information based training courses. These trainings are usually attended by the supervisors whom in turn give the information to the workers. This does not work well all the time because not all the supervisors have the ability to train and convey clear information to others. OUR COMMENTS In any organization the HRM is effective when the functions are related to the vision, mission and vision and values. The organizational structure influences the implementation of the plans. In Al Futtaim Group, the HR department is managed by professionals who are aware of and experienced in the best practices of HRM. There are some obstacles which derives from the type, culture, policies and procedures of the Group. As a family business, the main purpose is to satisfy the customers in order to increase the profit. In this case the employees are required to perform to the best of their abilities and no mistakes are allowed. Individuals who have any special circumstances and cannot do the job effectively will not be given the chance to go back to the track. The management will look for a substitute who will not cost the Group extra expenses. The recruitment process is done carefully because the management wants to decrease the expenses. They look for the good qualification in the applicant but the person who will cost them less will be employed. The relation between the management and the individuals is limited to how much this person will benefit the company rather than how can we make this person comfortable and satisfied. The global political and economical issues affects the plans as the group is managed based on cost. Any factor can affect the employees benefit and the company will not accept to pay any extra expenses or increase the HRM budget. In the contrary, if the market is down the budget is decreased. If we are going to compare HRM in Al Futtaim with other similar companies, we can say, as aforementioned, that it has some advantages. Yet, what we are looking for is an HRM who has the authority and the power to fulfill the functions as they should be done. HRM is about the human resources in the group. Their satisfaction influences the outcomes of the group positively. It is not enough to pay the minimum salary and follow the basic labor laws in the country to gain the loyalty of the workers. There are several functions for the HRM that should be decided and implemented internally to distinguish the employees and the business as a whole from others. Open channels with the employees, empowering them, building a relationship with them, offering them opportunities to meet their personal goals, helping them to solve their problems and supporting outside activities will enhance their belonging top the group and will reflect on the work environment and the business as a whole. APPENDIX MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The organizational of the group give an idea of the hierarchy of power in the group. We can see there is a diversity in the managers nationalities which adds to the experiences and the qualifications of the management team as a whole. Al Futtaim Group is managed by qualified people who have a long experience in management of similar industries and who are able to lead the company according to the international standards. .The local and foreign managers are working hand in hand for the benefit of the company and its stakeholders. The group includes several companies and a diverse work force which has to be managed effectively by managers who have cultural awareness and UAE work experience. In AL Futtaim group, the management has proved its efficiency in running the business. In the following page, we included the biography of the chairman and other managers to demonstrate their effectiveness and experience in managing the group and meeting the goals. President Majid Al Futtaim Chairman Sir  Michael Rake   Chief Executive Officer Mr. Iyad Malas Board Members Sir  Michael Rake   Mr. Waldemar Schmidt Mr. Tarek Ben Halim Mr. Richard North Dr. Fahad Almubarak Mr. Paul Manduca Mr. Trevor Coates Mr. Philip Yea Dr. Khalid Alkhazraji   Management Mr.  Iyad Malas   Chief  Executive Officer Mr. Ahmed Bin Brek Deputy Chief Executive Officer http://www.majidalfuttaim.com/images/maf_chart.jpg BIOGRAPHY Majid Al Futtaim Majid Al Futtaim, the Founder and President of the Majid Al Futtaim Group has successfully brought the concepts of regional shopping malls and hypermarkets to the region. His pioneering vision has changed the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Majid Al Futtaim opened his first shopping mall in 1995 and has since created a business of international significance. Over the past decade the Group has taken his groundbreaking concepts into other major cities in the United Arab Emirates and throughout the Middle East and North Africa including; Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and Lebanon. Sir  Michael Rake   Sir Michael Rake is Chairman of BT Group and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, as well as a director of Barclays PLC, McGraw-Hill Inc and the Financial Reporting Council. He is also chairman of the private equity oversight group the Guidelines Monitoring Committee. BT pays him an annual salary of  £600,000.[1] From May 2002 to September 2007 Rake was Chairman of KPMG International. Prior to his appointment as Chairman of KPMG International he was Chairman of KPMG in Europe and Senior Partner of KPMG in the United Kingdom. He joined KPMG in 1974, and worked in Continental Europe before transferring to the Middle East to run the practice for three years in 1986. He transferred to London in 1989, became a member of the UK Board in 1991, and had a number of leadership roles in the UK before being elected UK Senior Partner in 1998. Rake is also a Vice President of the RNIB, a member of the Board of the Trans Atlantic Business Dialogue, a member of the CBI International Advisory Board, the Chartered Management Institute, the DTIs US/UK Regulatory Taskforce, the Advisory Council for Business for New Europe, the Ethnic Minority Employment Taskforce, an Association Member of BUPA, The School of Oriental and African Studies Advisory Board, the Advisory Board of the Judge Institute at the University of Cambridge, Senior Adviser for Chatham House and the Global Advisory Board of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation. He was Chairman of Business in the Community from 2004-2007 and a member of the board of the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum from 1998 to 2007. Rake is also a Governor of Wellington College and a board member of Guards Polo Club. He is married with four children and five stepchildren, and was knighted in 2007. Mr. Iyad Malas Iyad Malas is the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Trust, the family office of the Majid Al Futtaim family in Dubai. Previously, Mr. Malas was the Regional Director for South Asia for International Finance Corporation, based in New Delhi. He had responsibility for all of IFCs investments in all sectors in the South Asian markets, including India. Mr. Malas worked with IFC beginning in 1987, investing in many regions of the emerging markets and was the Division Manager for Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa before working for four years in Egypt, first as CEO of Fleming CIIC and then as the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Asset Management for the preeminent Egyptian investment bank, EFG-Hermes from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Malas was educated at the American University in Beirut and earned an MBA from George Washington University. Mr. Malas is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.