Performance Management assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance Management assignment - Essay Example By doing so, organizations can easily project their profitability and thereby formulate effective strategies for business expansion. However, it is observed that budgetary forecasts in the modern era are not always accurate and result-bearing due to frequent market fluctuations. A recent statement from accounting press reflects that â€Å"the downturn has rendered budgets agreed last year largely irrelevant† (as cited in Jarman and Bibekar, 2009). This paper explores the scope of traditional annual budgeting process in the modern period. Generally, companies prepare budget for the whole financial period of 12 months. This forecast for a long period of 12 months seems useless in this fast changing business scenario as the deepening downturn and increase in economic volatility largely alter nation’s economic structure. Therefore, economic and market conditions after 12 months will probably be much different from that of the current situation. Similarly, today’s hig hly volatile nature of economy raises several constraints to the forecastability of the future economy. In short, the role of traditional annual budgeting process is not helpful in the present business era since it would not predict the future economic conditions accurately. In addition, the conventional practices associated with annual budgeting and forecasting processes involve higher costs. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey in 2009, on an average basis, every company employs an equivalent of ‘eight full-time staff to budgeting and forecasting’ (as cited in Jarman and Bibekar, 2009). The application of various modern financial and accounting tools is essential to predict the future economic variance. Similarly, under traditional budgeting system, a considerable portion of time is spent on data collection and tabulation activities. Hence, we can clearly assess the fact that budgeting and thereby forecasting process also includes cumbersome human efforts and it generally lasts up to three months. However, the degree of economic volatility would determine the success or failure of annual budget. As a result, if the economic conditions turn to be unfavorable in future, it will not only affect the success of the budget but also the cost spent on the formulation of the budget. Many economic conditions may adversely affect the effectiveness of a formulated financial budget. Most of the multinational companies value their various revenues and expenditures on the basis of predicted exchange rate of currency. If the fluctuation unfavorably exceeds the forecasted limits, then the expected revenues and expenditure would vary accordingly. Naturally, this situation may impede the successful progress of the designed annual budget. Similarly, different government regulations such as taxation and trade barriers raise further difficulties to the application of annual budgeting. When government increases tax imposition on trade activities, companies are forced to spend more on taxation which result in proportional increase in expenditure; and that will be higher than the budgeted expenditure. Moreover, economic downturn causes large deviation in budgeted figures. In such situations, firms are compelled to postpone their predetermined developmental policies since they need to spend more on other sectors in order to stabilize the economic growth. It is very difficult for the companies to predict whether there will be an economic downturn within

Adult education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adult education - Assignment Example The adult learner shall have developed a different perspective to learning and shall have garnered skills and experience from social and professional interactions. Based on the differences between adult and initial education, special challenges exist that face adult learners and formal policies towards learning strategies are necessary for efficient adult learning. This paper explores the scope of adult learning and its associated challenges and strategies with the aim of recommending a suitable strategy to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education for policy development. This aims at improving benefits of adult education to learners. Adult education: special needs Dynamism of adult learning over the past decades identifies the need for periodic changes in the scope of adult education that offers diversified utility to learners such achieved transformation through self-reflection and development of new knowledge base. The learning process however needs to consider special needs am ong learners. A rich knowledge base has been developed on adult learning mechanism to facilitate identification and management of the needs. Unlike young learners in initial learning frameworks, adult learners are slow in conceptualization and knowledge development. This means longer time in a learning process and possible needs for empowerment to aid the speed of learning. The adults are however able to compensate for this weakness through their vast experience and through effective time management. Differences in visual potentials across age also identify special needs among adult learners. While human development occurs with age, vision begins to decline after the age of 18 year. The decline is gradual until the age of 40 at which the rate of decline increases and means age is a factor to needs among adult learners. Hearing potential also decline among adult learners though this occurs at late ages and hearing aids may be used to facilitate learning processes. Adults also report memory problems during their learning but the problem is less significant in contextual learning (Florida State University, n.d.). Assumptions of adult learning Basic assumptions to adults learning are another set of important factors, to adult education, that educators and policy makers need to consider for successful learning processes. Learners’ self-concept that changes with age explains a transition from nature of learning among young people in initial learning environments. A level of maturity is evident among adult learners who prefer a more independent approach to learning. There is change from dependence on learning environment to a self-reliant approach in which an adult learner is an independent and active party to the learning process. Understanding the shift in self-concept is important among educators because implementing a learning strategy that fails to recognize a learner’s desired level of independence may communicate oppression and compromise effecti veness of the learning process. Transitions across cognitive development stages supports validity of the change in self-concept at adult learning stage because each developmental stage marks increased learning potential that identifies learners abilities to learn on their own. The cognitive development theory supports independence potential by early adulthood and while level of learners’ required independence may vary across age, it is significant among adult learners (Florida State University, n.d.). Adult learning also holds the assumption of significance of learners’ experience that plays to major roles in education. Having interacted with social and professional environments, adult learners

Social Aspects of Law (UK) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Aspects of Law (UK) - Essay Example tain, as well as deport. In all of these instances except for deportation, the UK Border Agency’s activities apply to both citizens and non-citizens of the UK. In this regard, there is reason for consideration of application of PACE-like standards to the UK Border Patrol in order to standardize its police powers and procedures. 18b. Suppose we had NO state-provided legal aid or advice systems whatsoever in place in this country. Make 5 suggestions for the introduction of an entirely new system of state provision in this area. (1.2) If the country were completely lacking in legal aid and advice systems, an opportunity would exist to suggest an arbitration system that would resolve problems through alternative dispute methods rather than through escalation into the legal justice system. Legal aid can be considered in regard to both civil and criminal matters, as well as in assistance to plaintiffs and defendants. In most instances, the aid is provided to criminal defendants, but there are instances of activist cases where plaintiffs form a claim for reparations or damages, as in a class action procedure. Thus, the recommendation would be do create two distinct assistance foundations for criminal and civil cases to be heard by experts in each field, and for sections to be dedicated to the defense and prosecution as required by the local caseload. Public funding for defenders should be used for paid staff on a permanent basis, and where demand for assistance exceeds the time of staff on-hand, provisions for budgetary supplement and additional hiring should be undertaken. Law students should be provided an opportunity to volunteer and assist with various clerk, paralegal, and advice counseling. Finally, defense assistance should work with and develop more functional ties with social services and volunteer groups helping people to recover from aspects of crime, addiction, abuse, trauma, etc. in society. 19a. Explain the context and meaning of Strict Liability and discuss whether or not it is fair to include it in certain laws. Do you think that the type or extent of punishment for someone found guilty of a strict liability crime should be different to the type and extent of punishment for someone found guilty of a crime where Mens Rea has to be provided? (2.1) Legal standards restrict the application of strict liability primarily to Tort Law as a consequence of business practices or corporate operations where the field of operation has an acknowledged consumer responsibility such as food products, pharmaceuticals, or transportation operations. In these instances, it is accepted as a course of operation that standards of safety must apply to all aspects of operation. In this context, strict liability may apply even when there is no â€Å"guilty mind† or Mens Rea and intention to cause damage on behalf of the business. Indeed, the company may sincerely regret the harm and damage done to

Psychologists & prejudice Essay Example for Free

Psychologists prejudice Essay According to Dollards et al (1939) frustration-aggression hypothesis aggression that cannot be expressed directly at the source of frustration can be displaced unto a ‘representation’ of the source (scapegoat), leading to bias and prejudice. Unlike the previous cases which have their origins in social learning or social identity this form of prejudice is borne out of the frictional component of social interaction. A ‘solution’ is therefore to reduce this friction as much as possible. The apartheid era in South Africa did recognise the problem of ‘cultural friction’ and sought to address it by separating black from white. However, the separation was not fair favouring white (supremacy) over black. This in effect only amounted to replacing one source of friction and frustration with another. Typically, social frustrations are linked to exogenous economic conditions where the contrast between the rich and poor is clearly sharpened. The challenge for any government to implement a solution to such frustrations may be simply be too difficult, or not at all practical. Germany in the late 1930’s and early forties provides a good example of national frustration followed by an explosion of national prejudice and aggression. The application of the ‘solution’ shaped the history of the 20th century. By understanding the origin and causes of prejudice, psychologists are able to propose methods and conditions that can lead to a reduction of prejudice. However, economic factors, social learning, and identity beliefs based on religion or culture may mean that any attempt to remove prejudice from ‘free’ society will be met with limited success.

Free Destiny vs. Controlled Fate in Antigone Essay -- Sophocles

Fate is an old debated concept. Do one's actions truly play a role in determining one's life? Is fate freedom to some or is it binding to others, in that no individual can make completely individual decisions, and therefore, no one is truly free. Nowadays, fate is a subject often rejected in society, as it is seen as too big, too idealistic, and too hard to wrap a persons head around. However, at the time of Antigone, the concept was a terrifying reality for most people. Fate is the will of the gods, and as is apparent in Antigone, the gods' will is not to be questioned. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the god’s law. Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were unrealistic. In Sophocles' Antigone, fate plays a crucial role the choices that the characters make. Most people believe that Creon and Antigone were under the influence of forces that they could not control, in the decisions they made and the actions that they took. Despite Antigone's morals and her practice of those morals, she cannot escape the family curse. She states, â€Å"You would think that we had already suffered enough for the curse on Oedipus† (prologue.2-3). Ironically Antigone will suffer the rest of her life because of what her father/brother did. Her life had been rocked so much by this family curse that only Ismene remains, and she lost the last thing that mattered to her--her sister Antigone, who surprisingly took her own life. Antigone’s strong beliefs in the god’s laws can really be heard when she said â€Å"†¦Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of god. They are not merely now: they ... ...n offering at the altar but the god of fire failed me so the flame never blazed† (5.10-22). The birds may symbolize the family, two brothers killing each other, Creon sentencing Antigone to die. Or Antigone opting to hang herself which leads Haimon to try and kill his father but getting killed himself instead, and as a result Creon's wife commits suicide. The gods don't show acceptance of this situation, because the family has been doomed into the fate of death. A lot can be learned about an author by just reading his or her works. For instance one can easily learn about Sophocles’ view on fate just by reading Antigone. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the god’s law. Sophocles believed that Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were completely unrealistic.

Contemporary Approaches Essay

Explain how the four contemporary approaches to management are different from one another. Define â€Å"open systems† and describe the internal, competitive, and macro environments of an organization. Lastly, indicate whether the four contemporary approaches to management are relevant in these three environments and why or why not. You may research external sources to support your answer. Cite any external sources used. Sociotechnical Theory suggests that organizations are effective when their employees have the right tools, training, and knowledge to make products and services that are valued by customers. Sociotechnical promotes the use of teamwork and semiautonomous work groups as important factors for creating efficient production systems. They believed that workers should be given the chance to correct problems at an early stage of production rather than wait until products were finished creating waste. Quantitative Management helps a manager make a decision by developing mathematical models of the problem. Computers facilitated the development of specific quantitative methods. It included techniques such as: statistical decision theory, linear programming, queuing theory, simulation, forecasting, inventory modeling, network modeling, and break even analysis. Despite having all these methods, many managers will use results that are consistent with their experience,  institution, and judgment. Many managers have not been trained to use these techniques. Organizational Behavior studies and identifies management activities that promote employee effectiveness through an understanding of the complex nature of individual, group, and organizational processes. Organizational behavior draws from a variety of disciplines, including psychology and sociology, to explain the behavior of people on the job. Systems Theory organizations are open systems, dependent on inputs from the outside world, such as raw materials, human resources, and capital. They transform these inputs into outputs that meet the market’s needs for goods and services. The environment reacts to the outputs through a feedback loop; this feedback provides input for the next cycle of the system. System Theory also emphasizes that an organization is one system in a series of subsystems. â€Å"Open Systems†/ organizations are open systems meaning they are affected by and in turn affect their external environments. They use inputs like goods and services from their environment to create goods and services that are outputs to their environment. Open System is a system that interacts with its environment by exchanging energy, materials, and information with an aim of system renewal and growth. A feature of an open system is negative entropy, where the open system continues to import energy, information and resources to function while becoming more heterogeneous and complex.- http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/open-system-in-management-definition-example-quiz.html#lesson. Internal Environment is the conditions, entities, events, and factors within an organization that influence its activities and choices, particularly the behavior of the employees. Factors that are frequently considered part of the internal environment include the organization’s mission statement, leadership styles, and its organizational culture.   Competitive Environment is the immediate environment surrounding a firm; includes suppliers, customers, rival and the like. This includes the consisting of rivalry among existing competitors and the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitute and complementary products, and the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers. Macro environment is the general environment that includes governments, economic conditions, and other

Last Chance in Texas

Hubner, John. (2005) Last Chance in Texas: The Redemption of Criminal Youth. New York, NY. Random House Inc. Last Chance in Texas is an eye opening look into the efforts of the juvenile justice system to rehabilitate youth offenders and integrate them back into society. The book chronicles the research of author John Hubner who heard about a facility in Texas that ran an aggressive and one of the most successful, treatment programs in America for violent young offenders. He was particularly curious how a state like Texas, known for its hardcore attitude toward crime, could be a leader in rehabilitating violent and troubled youths.Through a span of over nine months at The Giddings School in Texas, Hubner discovered that making offenders understand their past and how their actions affected others was key to successful rehabilitation. By observing school’s therapists and students, Hubner learned that the rehabilitation process was an intense self realization program that forced o ffenders to review and re-live their past experiences that led up to the crimes they committed. The staff at Giddings challenged offenders to step into their past and visualize their crimes before and after they were committed, as well as the impact of those around them.Different techniques were used help the students remember their pasts that most have tried to forget. Forcing them to recall specific details of their lives and the pain they suffered allowed them to address these experiences that ultimately led to them to violent crime. In most cases, the offenders were victims of violence well before they became violent offenders themselves. It was an emotionally painful and time consuming program designed to reprogram them and their behavior by understanding their own feelings and how their actions affected other people.In the program at The Gidding School there was a specific gang member named Ronnie who was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping of an elderly couple. Through intense therapy it was learned that he previously suffered from different forms of abuse throughout his life. Family fighting, drug use, poor parental guidance ultimately led to a life of anger and violence. As a child, his mother would often leave Ronnie and his brother Kenny alone while she went out to use drugs. On occasion, his aunt would look after the two boys while their mother was away.Not only did their aunt physically abuse them, but later on their mother’s boyfriend introduced them to using and selling drugs, stealing, and guns. Re-living these memories was as agonizing and traumatic as one could imagine but it was paramount in learning how and why he became the person he did. Many boys at Giddings were convinced that no one loved them, and Ronnie was no exception. Giddings therapists used these sessions to break through the wall he put up thinking that no one loved them or cared what happened to them. More often than not, they were successful reaching students thi s way.One unique approach to developing self worth for the students at Giddings was the organization of a football program where they actually played surrounding schools. Hubner saw that this not only was a great release of aggression but also created a sense of trust and camaraderie among students based on mutual respect. Ironically, it was on the football field where they learned that there are alternatives to the violence they usually used to resolve differences. Unlike many football teams with teenage boys, winning was not the ultimate goal for the players at Giddings. In fact, they lost their final game.However, they all felt a sense of pride and recognition for starting and finishing the football season as a team. The girls at Giddings, on the other hand, were treated somewhat different than their male counterparts. They had different ways of expressing their emotional pain that led to the crimes they committed. Surprisingly, one hundred percent of them had been sexually or ph ysically assaulted. With females, therapist had to dig even deeper than they normally would have with boys. This could be somewhat dangerous since the girls were much more emotional and measurably more violent during therapy sessions.Oddly enough, female fights were more unexpected, viscous, and ended more painfully than those of the boys. One interesting approach in therapy was when parents of murdered children visited the program and told their stories. The idea was to appeal to the inner hearts of the emotionally withdrawn young female offenders. It was thought that females would better identify with the stories of these families and be able to tell their own story. It proved effective as many made great emotional progress and were able to tell their own stories in therapy.One by one all the young women opened up, pouring out their feelings they had been holding inside for so long. It was an incredible experience to witness for everyone in attendance. Upon graduation from The Gid dings School, each student goes their separate way. For many, going back to institutions and detention centers was their next stop in their journey. Others went back to their respective homes with their families. Many of these students managed to change their lives for the better and become someone they never thought they could.They are the rehabilitation success stories for The Giddings School. Sadly however, there are many that are not rehabilitated and eventually return to correctional facilities. This book is an intense story about rehabilitation and hope within the juvenile justice system. The young men and young women at Giddings can go through years of intense therapy and counseling. Only after they learn how to deal with their past and the pain they have endured, can they begin to heal. Most kids enter Giddings with no feelings of love, self worth, respect for others, or hope.However, through very structured program administered by loving therapist and staff members, most st udents begin to realize that though they have made mistakes, they too are loved. This book would be an outstanding reference for anyone interested in learning about a more positive approach to rehabilitating violent youth offenders who seem to have no hope. The Giddings School consistently provides some of the best results in the county. At Giddings, kids with no hope they leave with feeling of self worth, love, and sometimes even a new family.