The Kite Runner Chapter 21 Summary

Chapter 21 Summary of plot * Amir had gone back to Afghanistan. * He saw a dead body near the restaurant, that he she usually go there with Baba. * People in Pashtunistan Square had cut their leg and sell in the black market, because it can feed their kids for a couple week. * Amir had visit his house and went to the cemetery, where is his memories with Hassan. * He saw every girl wear in identical black dresses and white scarves. * He had stay in the Hotel with Farid. * Amir and Farid went to the soccer field to watch soccer. * During soccer there was a pair of dusty red pickup truck arrived. Amir saw a woman dressed in Burqa sat in the cab of one truck, a blindfold man in the other. * The woman and a man had die because they had thrown a stone to them. * Amir wants to meet with the guy with sunglasses on. * The sun glasses guy and nodded to the messenger’s ear that can meet up at three o’clock. Character * Farid – growing up in Mazar-i-Aharif, in Jalalalbad. Hi s father joined the jihad and fought the Shorawi in Panjsher Valley and ate locust to survive. * Amir- born in Kabul, in Afghanistan, ran to America with his father during the war when Russia came in and growing up in America. Theme Courage and Prejudice I learn about this theme are people don’t give a fair to each other. Amir not scared to come to Afghanistan. Quote * (Page 242) â€Å"How much more do you need to see? Let me save you the trouble: Nothing that you remember has survived. Best to forget† Mean even Amir try took around his house to remember his past, but it won’t the same anymore, because everything are gone and can’t come back. * (Page243) â€Å"Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul. † Mean Amir and Hassan are the ruler of Kabul. * (page 245) â€Å"No†¦. What I mean to ask is why that boy? You come all the way from America for †¦a Shi’a? Mean Why Amir come here for Hazara boy, because in Afghanistan is not safe plac e for him. He could end up his life in here too. * (page 242) â€Å"I don’t want to forget anymore. † Mean Amir don’t want to forget his past , that his childhood in the house with Hassan and every in the house, because he try to forget it already. * (page 246)â€Å"He gets caught, they’ll give him a flogging that will waken his father in the grave,† Mean if they caught, they’ll give him infection of punishment Amir doesn’t want to forget his past what he have done, he have to make it up what his wrong to make it better and his future.

What is steaming (food)?

Steaming is a cooking method that uses the steam from water under varying degrees of pressure. Low pressure cooking is food cooked either direct contact with the steam or an indirect contact. High pressure steaming, on the other hand is done when steam is not allowed to escape the cooking equipment that increases the temperature and pressure build-up that reduces cooking time. 2. What is a bamboo steamer?A bamboo steamer is a round wooden cookware made from bamboo with a lattice for a bottom and a snug top. It is placed on a wok or a pan with water and the food is cooked inside the bamboo steamer. It can also be stacked on top of one another to enable food to be cooked simultaneously. The holes under the bamboo steamer are what cook the food inside of it in low pressure cooking. 3. Brief history of bamboo steam in Asia? The first bamboo steamer was developed in China where ovens are not a common sight.In Asian cuisine, as opposed to Western cuisine, rice, not bread is their staple, a nd therefore, the idea of using an oven is not a common one. As a substitute, to be able to cook their breads, they developed the steamer which is commonly used in cooking steamed cakes such as the siopao. 4. Healthy and Efficient Advantages of steamed food with a Bamboo Steamer As already stated earlier, the bamboo steamer can be stacked on top of one another making cooking large amounts of food more quickly to accomplish.It is also designed to fit in any wok and could also fit in pans so no special equipment is needed to use them. The bamboo also helps to absorb excess moisture to keep the food from becoming soggy and retains heat. Health benefits of cooking with a bamboo steamer include being able to cook the food without using any sort of fat, oils, or butter, retaining its healthy properties and appears fresh and vibrant, and its naturally antibacterial properties. 5.How to care for your bamboo steamer? In cleaning the bamboo steamer, mild soap should be used along with warm wa ter to prevent any damages. After washing, the bamboo steamer should be thoroughly drained and dried before it is put away to prevent molds from accumulating. Also, bamboo steamers should never be put in the dishwasher and as much as possible, direct food to steamer contact should be avoided (this can be done with the use of parchment paper or lettuce).Removing food bits that get stuck to the steamer should be removed with a nylon scrubber 6. Other uses for bamboo steamer (favor box, centerpiece†¦)? Uses for the bamboo steamer include: †¢ Centerpiece †¢ Dim Sum and Food Steaming †¢ Tamales †¢ Pie Carrier †¢ Gift Box †¢ Wedding Favors †¢ Heating food †¢ Steam-Dye Fabrics †¢ Pet Treat Basket †¢ Food Basket Reference: http://www. gourmetsleuth. com/Articles/Unique-Cooking-Tools-641/bamboo-steamer. aspx http://www. wisegeek. com/what-are-bamboo-steamers. htm

Facility design and learning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Facility design and learning - Research Paper Example Free education as we know it today did not come into existence until the 1840s, when a popular movement began with education reformers Horace Mann and Henry Barnard. Working in Massachusetts and Connecticut, these two men helped to create statewide â€Å"common-school† systems that would provide education for everyone. (â€Å"Honor America’s Schools†, 2002). Aided by common-school advocates, they worked to establish a free elementary education accessible to everyone and financed by public funds. (â€Å"Honor America’s Schools†, 2002). Public education across the United States remains much the same as the common-school movement that was started in Massachusetts and Connecticut over a century ago. Public education is still free to those that wish to use it; however, American students are scoring lower than other countries in subjects such as science and math (â€Å"Associated Press†, 2007), and the very buildings that were constructed for their education are now being examined as the cause behind the lower test scores. The first cause that is being examined in the correlation between learning and learning facilities are the buildings themselves. According to a study conducted by the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) in 2003, school facility factors such as building age and condition, among others, can affect student health, safety, sense of self, and psychological state. Further evidence of this was determined by Glen I. Earthman in his 2002 study entitled School Facility Conditions and Student Achievement. In this study, Mr. Earthman stated that, when the socioeconomic factors of a classroom were controlled, researchers frequently found a difference between 5 and 17 percentile points between achievements of students in poor quality school buildings when compared with students in standard quality school buildings. Though the terms of poor quality and standard quality were not specifically defined in the study, the evidence was clear – the quality of the building affected the ability of students to learn. The elements of facility design that can affect learning go far beyond the ‘brick and mortar’ approach to a school. Perhaps the biggest contributor inside a school to a student’s learning is the air that they breathe. According to the National Center for Education Statistics 2003 Planning Guide for Maintaining School Facilities, Indoor Air Quality, commonly referred to as IAQ, encompasses almost anything and everything that affects air in an educational building, from mold and pollens to dust, paint odors and other allergens. In 1995, the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that fifteen thousand schools in America suffered from poor IAQ, which affected more than eight million children in the American public school systems across the country (Schneider, 2002). Poor IAQ has been linked to a number of issues that affect student performance. Among the issues are eye, nose, and throat irritation, fatigue, headache, nausea, and sinus problems (Szuba, & Young, 2003). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in a 2000 study, referred to these symptoms in total

Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social Media - Essay Example Michael Haenle in and Andreas Kaplan describe social media to mean "a set of Internet-based appliances that exploit the technological and ideological basics of Web 2.0, as well as permit the formation and interchange of user-generated information (2010). Additionally, social media hinges on web-based and mobile technologies to form extremely interactive programs through which communities and individuals co-create, share, discuss, as well as transform user-generated information. It initiates pervasive and significant transformations to communication among organizations, individuals and communities. Social media is different from industrial or traditional media in numerous aspects, for instance, reach, permanence, quality, frequency, immediacy, and usability. Social media technology takes on numerous different varieties including Internet forums, magazines, social blogs, weblogs, wikis, micro blogging, social networks, pictures or photographs, podcasts video, rating as well as social b ookmarking. Through applying a collection of concepts in the arena of social processes and media research, Haenlein and Kaplan formed a classification system in their Corporate Horizons (2010) article. They used six varied kinds of social media: micro blogs and blogs (for instance, Twitter), collaborative projects (for instance, Wikipedia), content communities (for instance, Daily Motion and YouTube), and social networking websites, for instance, Facebook. Others include virtual social worlds (for instance, Second Life), simulated game worlds (for instance, World of War craft).The technologies comprise blogs, wall-postings, picture sharing, email, vlogs, instant messaging; voice over IP and crowd sourcing, and music sharing. Much of these packages can be assimilated through social network accretion programs. Social media net websites comprise sites like, Twitter, Facebook, Viadeo, Vkontakte, Tuenti, Hyves, Daniel's World , Dreams village, MySpace, and Bebo. Once social media is appl ied in sequence with mobile gadgets it is termed as mobile social-media. Therefore, social media is a set of mobile promoting applications, which permit the formation and interchange of user-generated information. Owing to the datum that mobile-social media operates on mobile gadgets, it distinguishes from outmoded social media since it integrates new aspects, for instance, the current user location (location-sensitivity) and the time interval amid sending as well as receiving texts (time-sensitivity) (Watts, 2010). Whereas traditional-social media provide a range of prospects for corporations in a comprehensive range of corporate sectors, mobile-social media utilizes the time - and location -sensitivity facets of it to take on marketing research, sales discounts or promotions, communication, and affiliation loyalty or development platforms. E-commerce businesses denote to social media as CGM (consumer-generated media). A shared thread running within all social media descriptions is a combination of social interaction and technology for the co-formation of value (Li & Bernoff, 2008). Individuals obtain information, news, education, and other facts from print and electronic media. Social media is distinctive from traditional or industrial media, for instance, newspapers, film television, since they

Academic electronic medical record system usability testing Coursework

Academic electronic medical record system usability testing - Coursework Example Some researchers suggest that the main reasons for the backlog in new technology applications are the following: a large number of end-users (e.g. physicians, nurses, and other medical technical personnel) are still strong followers of traditional pen-and-paper methods of information retrieval and storage; high costs of implementation and maintenance of the systems; the usability of the programs are highly variable amongst the software developers and the end-users, with those not having enough computer technical know-hows end up not using the system to their advantage; the use of computer-based records interfere with the time allotted to interact with the patient; and because future nurses are not taught how to use electronic health records (EHR) as early as possible during their studying years (McBride, 2011; Master of Technical and Scientific Communication Program Students, 2004; Moody, et al., 2004; Natarajan, et al., 2010). ... Common EHR Usage in Hospitals Using HER’s in hospitals provide improvements in health care delivery mainly due to the reduction of inaccuracies in patient health and medicine records. There is considerably less misinterpretation of information handled from the reduced use of handwriting which often leads to inaccuracies in patient records or from missing information due to illegibility (Garrido, et al., 2005; Simon, et al., 2007). But EHR is not limited to the storage and retrieval of patient health information, as it also functions as a database for other kinds of data such as drug dosage and actions, disease symptoms, and physician information which many identified users can access in order to synchronise patient medical information and history from (Wang, et al., 2008). At the same time, EHR can also function as an alarm or reminder notification system for regular users in their work duties, such as patient check-up times or administration of drugs, creation of electronic m emos such as patient health progress, among others (Bonnel & Smith, 2010; Moody, et al., 2004; Simon, et al., 2007). This makes for the EHR's contribution in enhancing care delivery for end-users and other stakeholders, and it is expected that the number of agencies putting EHR in effect will also increase in proportion to the improvements made in the program user interfaces. Impact of Teaching EHR in Schools Due to the costs of EHR instalment and maintenance, it can be expected that the bulk of end-users of such programs would be large health facilities such as hospitals or other medical institutions, or individual practitioners tied to these facilities. This is mainly from the high volume of patients or clients that enter regularly or intermittently and have their health records

Critical evaluation of the impact of the global financial crisis on Coursework

Critical evaluation of the impact of the global financial crisis on worker migration - Coursework Example 21-23). In addition, millions of jobs were lost by people, many lost their life time savings and earnings, and many dreams shuttered. These impacts of global financial crisis make my topic important and interesting to study. Everyone wants to know how worker migration was affected, the implication, and probably the causes of the financial crisis. That is what my study is seeking to achieve. Aims and objectives of the study The aim of this study is to critically evaluate the impacts of global financial crisis on the worker migration. In order to achieve this, the following objectives will be met by the study: 1. To identify the effects of global financial crisis on worker migration 2. To identify factors that caused the global financial crisis 3. To determine the implications of global financial crisis on the world economy and the job market 4. To assess and evaluate the rationale of the global financial crisis Literature review Financial crisis is a situation in which the values of f inancial assets or institutions falls rapidly; it can also be applied widely to various situations in which some financial assets all over sudden lose a very big part of their nominal value. Many financial crises are associated with banking panics- a situation where by a bank suffers a sudden rush of withdrawals by depositors and many recessions coincided with the panics. There are other situations that can also be termed as financial crises; stock market crashes- a sudden dramatic turn down of prices of stock in a significant stock market cross section that leads to a significant loss of paper wealth. Therefore global financial crisis means a worldwide period of economic difficulty experienced by consumers and markets. It is a difficult business environment where by potential consumers reduces their purchase of goods and services until the economic situation improves (Morris 2008, p. 24-25). The global financial crisis expressively impacted on the world leading to worker migration. United States of America is basically in control of the world and financial crisis that took place due to the decline in moral values specifically the economic and political power (Longstaff 2008, p. 19-20). In the second half of 2008, the financial markets of the United States, and ultimately all main financial markets of the world, were distraught by the repercussions of the unethical practices of lending carried out by the major lending institutions. The unethical loans were conducted at the height of the bubble real estate in the U.S. Aggressive and destructive lenders engaged in sub-prime mortgage loans (Cooper 2008, p. 17-19). These were extremely high risk mortgages and most of them were found in the violation of the standards of traditional underwriting practice for the industry. Ethics and prudence were ignored and greed dominated the ethical judgment among nationwide mortgage lenders. This problem was entirely aggravated by leveraging and packaging of such loans by the fi nancial companies of the Wall Street. Workers began a massive migration in search of greener pasture. They could no longer afford the cost of living (Cassidy 2009, p. 30-33). Global financial crisis occurred in the US in the year 2007 and spread to a number of other advanced economies through a combination of direct exposure to subprime assets which led to gradual loss of confidence in a number of asset classes and the drying up of wholesale

ASSESSMENT OF PARENTAL SATISFACTION WITH DENTAL TREATMENT UNDER Essay

ASSESSMENT OF PARENTAL SATISFACTION WITH DENTAL TREATMENT UNDER GENERAL ANAESTHESIA IN PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY - Essay Example These programs have been implemented for all age groups, but children remain one of the most focused targets of these interventions. Among these programs are included the Children in Need of Treatment Program or CINOT, Ontario Works, which provides basic dental coverage upto 18 years of age, the Ontario Disability Support Program and the Dental Indices Survey or DIS and preventive services. There is also the emergence of clinics for low income residents, since many of the people who cannot afford dental treatment belong to low socioeconomic status. The University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario are two of the main providers of such dental services. Even these programs however, have not been able to cater to the needs of the Canadian public in general. Statistics show that one thirds of the residents of Ontario do not see a dentist on regular basis. The most common reason is the lack of insurance and inability of these people to afford dental care (The Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Truth, nd). Other issues include fear and anxiety towards dental treatment. This does not mean that the issue settles here. Even if patients do manage to get dental insurance, it is no guarantee that it will be sufficient for the particular treatment needs (The Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Truth, nd). Studies show that although 52% of the Candians and 60% of the Ontarians have some form of dental insurance, but these insurance programs have not been created equally, which again leads to cost becoming a barrier to dental care (The Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Truth, nd). There are many challenges that need to be overcome for children living in Ontario or for that part many areas of Canada. Accessing dental care in Ontario may not be possible unless a person has insurance. Dental care can be very expensive and therefore, prohibitive

Week 8 Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 8 Discussion - Research Paper Example as a result of the breach and more importantly, serve as a proof that the company is fully compliant with all applicable rules and regulations (Charlette, 1996). Basically, compliance starts with day to day compliance at the organizational level. The following are some of the benefits that accrue to an organization that implements an effective compliance program: 1) Good faith efforts in following the set rules and regulations whereby every organization that adheres to a compliance plan gives a good example of its efforts in compliance with set rules and regulations. 2) Sentencing guidelines whereby, if the government decides to sue a company for criminal offences, then a good record of compliance can act favorably for the company defense. 3) Proactive approach, whereby a company that voluntarily adheres to the compliance program portrays a good picture of both regulatory and statutory compliance. Every organization based in US and with a strong reputation for integrity and honesty must be fully compliant with the set plan. Therefore, such an organization must have a compliance plan within which to operate in pursuance of the organizational objectives. Further, such a plan could help an organization with investments across the borders to successfully conduct its business, therefore, not only the employees of local branches, but also those of foreign should comply with the set out procedures to ensure the overall success of the organization. As one of the largest energy companies, ExxonMobil have indicated on their website that environmental issues are of great concern. Further, by calling for extra vigilance to ensure environmental safety and protection, they remind us of the tragic incident of deepwater horizon, which led to massive oil spill (Engel, 1979). From their website, it is evident that the company has put in place measures that guarantee safety in their operations, emergency preparedness, environmental protection and management of climate change. More

Industrial and Personnel Psychology Essay Example for Free

Industrial and Personnel Psychology Essay 1. Personal biographical characteristics of note are factors that describe an individual. Factors such as age, gender, marital status and tenure. These characteristics have an impact on the attitudes that an individual may have towards work and dependent variable such as productivity, absenteeism, and turnover and job satisfaction. The relationship between age and job performance is of great importance because it is believed that job performance decreases as age increases. Though not all employers have perceptions of older employees. From a positive perspective it is noted that older employees have more experience, judgment, ethics and commitment. In addition, with older employees, labour turnover is reduced. Because of their longer tenure within the organization they tend to enjoy increased wages, pension and many other benefits and are therefore less likely to leave. With regards to absenteeism and older employees, the evidence is however mixed. Although there are decreases in avoidable absenteeism rates compared to younger employees, there is an increase in unavoidable rates due to poor health due to age, and longer recovery periods. However from a negative point it is noted that older employees lack flexibility, there is a decrease in their productivity due to decreased speed, agility, strength and co-ordination and resistance to change in a changing environment. Consequently, organizations are reluctant to hire older employees. In addition, they tend to retrench them first when it comes to downsizing. Gender in job performance has no evidence that it affects job satisfaction. However there is a difference in work schedules because women mostly prefer part time work or work flexibility due to family responsibilities. With regards to absenteeism women usually have a higher rate of absenteeism than men as women traditionally care for the family. For example when children are sick, it is the mothers who tend to take off work in order to take care of such sick children. Married employees generally have a decrease in absenteeism, turnover and an increase in job satisfaction. This may be due to increased responsibilities. With regards to tenure, there is a positive relationship between seniority and job performance and a negative relationship between tenure and absenteeism. That is an increase in tenure and seniority tends to lead to better performance and an increase in tenure to lead to decrease in turnover. People are organization’s most valuable and expensive resource, but they are the most difficult element of an organization to manage. Individuals are almost infinitely different, they act differently in different circumstances and are, in many ways, entirely unpredictable. This means that, unlike machines, they are not interchangeable or able to be easily designed to do the jobs required of them. In terms of the organization, what we are interested in is the way in which people behave at work-that they perform effectively in pursuit of the organisation’s goals. The starting point for this is an understanding of what makes people behave in the way they do. Although psychologists do not agree on a single definition of personality, there is some consensus that it is concerned with characteristics patterns of behavior and modes of thinking that determine a person’s adjustment to the environment (Hilgard et al 1979:108). Two features of the above definition are noteworthy. In the first place, the word â€Å"characteristic† suggests a degree of performance in personality. In the second place, â€Å"environment† suggests that personality is displayed in a social and physical context. Beyond this consensus, there is a great deal disagreement over the development, structure and dynamics of personality. The correct interpretation and use of the results of personality measures and tests depends a great deal on the theory or approach on which the instruments are based. Without this knowledge, the description of personality may well be miused. Personality can therefore be referred to a dynamic concept describing the growth and development of a person’s whole psychological system. It looks at the whole person rather than at the sum of the individual parts. It is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his or her unique adjustments to his or her environment. An altogether different approach to personality concentrates on identifying and classifying those features that individuals may share. The different categories or types serve to emphasise the similarities within each group and the differences between the groups. These attempts to classify personality features are often referred to as the type or trait approach. There are a number of personality determinants, namely, Heredity, the Environment, or the Situation. Heredity is the process of transmitting biological traits from parent to offspring through genes, the basic units of heredity. Heredity also refers to the inherited characteristics of an individual, including traits such as height, eye color, and blood type. Heredity accounts for why offspring look like their parents: when two dogs mate, for example, they have puppies, not kittens. If the parents are both Chihuahuas, the puppies will also be Chihuahuas, not great Danes or Labrador retrievers. The puppies may be a little taller or shorter, a little lighter or a lot heavier than their parents are. Their faces may look a little different, or they may have different talents and temperaments. In all the important characteristics, however—the number of limbs, arrangement of organs, general size, fur type—they will share the traits of their parents. The principles of heredity hold true not only for a puppy but also for a virus, a roundworm, a pansy, or a human. Genetics is the study of how heredity works and, in particular, of genes. A gene is a section of a long deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule, and it carries information for the construction of a protein or part of a protein. Through the diversity of proteins they code for, genes influence or determine such traits as eye color, the ability of a bacterium to eat a certain sugar, or the number of peas in a pod. A virus has as few as a dozen genes. A simple roundworm has 5000 to 8000 genes, while a corn plant has 60,000. The construction of a human requires an estimated 50,000 genes. Personality characteristics are not completely dictated by heredity however, as otherwise they would remain the same throughout life despite the experiences we have. Environment is referred to all of the external factors affecting an organism. These factors may be other living organisms (biotic factors) or nonliving variables (abiotic factors), such as temperature, rainfall, day length, wind, and ocean currents. The interactions of organisms with biotic and abiotic factors form an ecosystem. Even minute changes in any one factor in an ecosystem can influence whether or not a particular plant or animal species will be successful in its environment. Organisms and their environment constantly interact, and both are changed by this interaction. Like all other living creatures, humans have clearly changed their environment, but they have done so generally on a grander scale than have all other species. Some of these human-induced changes—such as the destruction of the world’s tropical rain forests to create farms or grazing land for cattle—have led to altered climate patterns. In turn, altered climate patterns have changed the way animals and plants are distributed in different ecosystems. Scientists study the long-term consequences of human actions on the environment, while environmentalists—professionals in various fields, as well as concerned citizens—advocate ways to lessen the impact of human activity on the natural world. Situation is one of the determinants of personality which influences the effect of heredity and environment on personality. Personality, which is generally stable, often changes in different situations.  For example, we may behave very differently at a party with our friends as opposed to how we would do at a social gathering of work colleagues and our managers. 2. Attitude refers to an opinion or general feeling about something. Attitudes are, essentially feelings towards people or things. How people feel, what they believe, what they intend to do, and whether and how they do it may all be connected, and may all be related to the process of perception. To try to reduce the confusion in this area over the use of words and concepts such as â€Å"feelings† and â€Å"beliefs†, Fishbein (19670 put forward the following hierarchical model. Beliefs What we think about people, things, relationships etc â€Å"My work provides no challenge† Attitudes Affective responses to those people, things, relationships etc. â€Å"I see work only as a means to getting money† Intentions Congnitive states â€Å"I will look for my challenge in my leisure time† Behavior or Action Observable events â€Å"I take up mountaineering† Attitudes are learned. They derive from our personal reaction to information and events, which manifest themselves as beliefs and feelings about a particular subject. We learn many of our attitudes when we are very young. They are conditioned by those around us and the conditions or situations in which we find ourselves. Some-particularly feelings-are so strong that they stay with stay with us and affect us for the rest of our lives. The range of influences is complex, but it includes the following: * The groups to which we belong-most notably, in early life, the family, but also friendship groups, work groups * Education * Life experiences- particularly the most profound personal ones such as bereavement, etc. but also those experiences which we observe e. g on Tv, or read about. We are aware, too, that our attitudes change over time as a result of the influence of the above factors. For example, it is very often the case that young people have more liberal attitudes than older people, but as they enter work and acquire family and financial commitments and responsibilities they tend to become more â€Å"conservative†. One of the key elemen ts of management in organizations is how to modify or change people’s behaviour. This is central to such features as motivation, securing effective performance, introducing change, etc. whilst as noted above, attitudes do not necessarily condition behaviour, and they are a significant determinant. In organizations, managers use attitude survey to measure and thereby predict behaviour. Managers use information gathered in attitude surveys to guide them in decisions relative to employees. Attitude surveys elicit responses from employees through questionnaires about how they feel about their jobs, work- groups, supervisors and or the organization. Attitude surveys provide managers with valuable feedback on how workers perceive working conditions, and alert them to problems or employee intentions early so that action can be taken in time. Increasingly, attitudinal surveys are being used within organizations to find out about the potential reactions of staff to particular courses of action (for example, organizational change) or to form judgments about their suitability for particular posts (in a similar way to how personality tests are used). Operational methods for attitude surveys generally seek to measure fire components for each belief. Thus, attitudes to work could be measured as follows: * Strength of feeling about the job itself. The strength with which various attitudes are held about different aspects of the job which are listed, measured on perhaps a seven point scale, from â€Å"agree totally† through neutral to â€Å"disagree totally†. * Value of job to self. Evaluating various aspects of the job, again, but in relation to its meaning to the individual. * Social factors. Attitudes and behaviour do not depend on inner perceptions alone, but also upon surrounding social pressures-the person’s perceptions of what others think he/she should do. The social factors must be investigated in order to understand all the factors determining behaviour. * Overall attitude An overall assessment of the respondent’s attitudes to the contex of the job and to work itself, for example, the value and meaning it has in his/ her life. This is a useful measure as it allows more generalized attitudes to the job to be explored. * Intended behaviour Potential reactions to different scenarios about the job or its context. Although hypothetical, this prediction makes an interesting correlation with actual behaviour. Surveys must have a very clear specification of what they are seeking to measure. Just as with personality tests, there is the ever present danger that the way in which questions are phrased, or the underlying assumptions made, will influence the outcome. Job satisfaction and its opposite, job dissatisfaction, refer to the attitudes and feelings job holders have towards their work. Morale can be viewed as a state of mind dependent on the dependent on the degree of job satisfaction experienced by an individual or group. There is general agreement that job dissatisfaction can have harmful effects on both job holders and the organization. Research has associated job dissatisfaction with all the indicators of low morale-high labour turnover, skills wastage, absenteeism, high accident rates, poor timekeeping and a lack of commitment to quality. An individual with low job satisfaction may suffer frustration and stress. Although stress may arise from many quarters, it is the inability to deal with and manage stress that afflicts the individual who suffers job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction is determined by a number of factors namely, mentally challenging work, equitable rewards, supportive working conditions, and supportive colleagues. Research has shown that employees prefer jobs that give them opportunities to use their abilities and skills. Characteristics such as freedom, feedback and a variety of tasks make work mentally challenging and allow employees to feel pleasure and satisfaction. On other hand, jobs that are not mentally challenging create boredom, frustration and feelings of failure. Employees want rewards (e. g. pay, promotions) that they perceive as just and in line with their expectations. Satisfaction will occur if pay is seen as based on job demands, skill and community standards. It is not the actual amount of pay that counts, but rather the perception of fairness. Individuals that also perceive promotional decisions as fair will be job satisfied. Employees are concerned with working conditions that are comfortable and that enable one to do an optimal job. Environmental factors such as temperature, light, noise should not be too extreme. Factors such as proximity to home, cleanliness, technology and adequate tools, help increase job satisfaction. As well as tangible achievements, employees also work for social interaction. Therefore having friendly and supportive co-workers and superiors also lead to increased job satisfaction. On many occasions managers’ interest in job satisfaction centers on its effect on employee performance. Therefore studies have been made to identify the relationships between satisfaction and performance. Organized studies in particular have focused on the effect of satisfaction on the dependent variables such as Productivity, Absenteeism and Turnover. There is no real proof that satisfaction leads to productivity. The saying â€Å"a happy worker is a productive worker† is wishful thinking. Often productivity leads to satisfaction and not the other way around. Productivity leads to increase in rewards, recognition, which in turn increases satisfaction. Satisfaction may lead to productivity on an organization level rather than on an individual level. Dissatisfied workers are more likely to be absent. This relationship can be affected however by sick leave benefits which might encourage workers to be absent. While satisfied employees are less likely to leave work. This can however be affected by, labour market conditions, expectations about alternative job offers and length of tenure. Level of satisfaction is less important in predicting turnover for superior employees as more effort is made to keep these individuals. Satisfaction-turnover relationship is also affected by the individuals disposition towards life. If two people are dissatisfied the positive one is more likely to leave.

Selection Strategies for Clapton Commercial Construction Essay Example for Free

Selection Strategies for Clapton Commercial Construction Essay Summary Atwood Allen Consulting has been retained by Clapton Commercial Construction (CCC) to assist them with their expansion into the Arizona market. We are in the final stages of assisting them with their transition, and the final step is to discuss recruitment and selection strategies for the expansion. We will provide details on how to proceed with recruitment and selection of employees to find the best candidates for their organization. Meticulous consideration and planning of staffing requirements, and the steps involved to find the ideal candidate with the right skill set is one of the most important jobs to perform. Cascio (2013) states that the first step in recruitment and selection is managing the candidate applications and creating a talent pool of potential participants that may be qualified for the position. The following steps include the initial screening, interviewing, selection process, and candidate placement. Organizational Goals CCC is currently based in Detroit and employs 650 individuals. With their planned expansion into the Arizona market, they expect to add 130 employees. Their projected annual revenue is 10 million, with a -3% growth predicted for 2016. They currently have a 20% turnover rate that they foresee will remain unchanged in the next year when they move into Arizona. Recruitment and selection will need to be aligned with the company’s organizational goals. Carefully planned goals provide a blueprint for an organization and keep it going the right direction. Griffin (2015) states that organizational goals assist organizations with evaluating and organizing performance. The functions they serve are: 1) give direction and guidance 2) facilitate planning 3) motivate staff 4) assist organizations with evaluating and organizing performance. CCC should choose individuals who share the similar values and beliefs to help them achieve  their organizational goals. Values are qualities and traits that an individual holds close and represents that persons driving force (Heathfield, 2015). Develop a mission statement of what Clapton Commercial Construction does and why it exists. Each employee should be able to address the mission statement verbally. The commitment to quality workmanship, customer satisfaction, and on-time completion of projects should all be included when developing the mission statement. This mission statement will be critical for your organization to be successful as you move into a new market. You need to brand yourself and let the market know you stand for quality and customer service. Demographic Changes According to The Associate General Contractors of America, Arizona lost more construction jobs than any other state in the nation in 2014 and the only state in the West to lose jobs. Experts warn that the declining numbers could be the states new average. It was reported that between December of 2013 and December 2014, Arizona lost 4,300 construction jobs. This number converts to a 3.4 percent job loss overall in construction (Fishler, 2015). According to Minter (2015) the construction trade is still hovering at the ground level of the 2008 recession. Following a recession a construction market usually does well, however, Arizona has not recovered and is operating at approximately half of the strength it was prior to the recession. The demand for housing is sluggish now because it was overbuilt prior to the recession, and the population growth has not been as strong. Because of this there is a high vacancy rate and no demand for new construction. However, the latest population estimates out by the States Office of Employment and Population Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau forecasts growth ahead. Future growth will eventually convert to an increase in construction workers (Hansen, 2015). Workforce Diversity â€Å"Diversity should be linked to every business strategy† including recruitment, employee selection and placement, reward structure, succession planning, and performance evaluation (Cascio, 2013 p. 160). There are several selection methods to choose from when looking to hire new employees. Let’s explore these one can see how they may affect decisions to hire. First, there is passive non-discrimination, this method treats all sexes and  races equally in regards to hiring practices. There is no attempt to recruit minority applicants actively. This method does not observe the history of discriminatory practices and may block candidates from seeking job opportunities. Second, pure diversity-based recruitment, this is a planned effort by the organization to expand the pool of candidates so that no one is ruled out based on past or present discrimination. And lastly, diversity based recruitment with preferential hiring. This method of selection goes one step further than pure-diversity based recruitment and favors ethnic minorities and women for hiring and promotions. This process is also referred to as the soft quota system (Farooq, 2011). Atwood and Allen Consulting would recommend the pure diversity method for CCC. The decision to choose one individual over another must be made based on multiple factors. The Supreme Court has ruled that staffing decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, sex, race, age and other factors must be considered but ultimately the decision to hire or promote is based on the most qualified individual (Cascio, 2013). The United States Census Bureau 2014 estimates Arizonas population at 6.7 million. The percentage of white alone is 56.7, Hispanic or Latino is 30.3% and African American is 4.6%. Considering these numbers, it would be advantageous to have employees that are bilingual. It should not be required but should be strongly preferred since there is a large population of Spanish speaking individuals and would be an asset to the organization. Recruiting/Screening/Selection Clapton Commercial Construction should begin the recruitment process by posting the available positions internally. When you promote from within there is a positive impact on employee morale. Employees feel the company compensates hard work for better opportunities and can inspire employees to work at a higher level of productivity. Internal recruiting is also associated with lower costs. The HR department can post the position on the intranet and bulletin boards throughout the organization versus the high cost of external postings (Root, 2015). If an external recruiting effort is launched prior to considering the talents, desires and future of the current pool of employees it may cost the organization more money in both short term and long term. Ultimately, for a successful internal recruitment process to occur, strong management support is critical (Cascio, 2013). After posting the positions, internally it is recommended to move forward with the external process. If there are top management position to be filled, we would recommend a search firm that makes diversity a priority and one with good ethical reputation. There are many external sources that are valuable when searching for qualified applicants. Examples of online job engines where you can post an ad are, monster.com, Career.Builders.com, Indeed.com. Consider posting on the business social network site LinkedIn, Arizona Job Services, local trade publications, and Craig’s list. A benefit of hiring externally is bringing in new talent and ideas that can create growth and development in the organization. Once CCC is ready for the interviewing process, there are several methods available. However, we would recommend two different types. 1) Behavioral- style interviewing, this method of interviewing asks the individual to answer a question with a story of how they responded to a situation in the past. 2) Situational-style interviewing, this method asks an individual to solve a problem. They are given a situation, assess it and provide the best way they would resolve the situation (Doyle, 2015). In addition, prepare ahead of time and have the complete list of questions ready. Conduct the interview in a designated, quiet place free from distractions. Listen to what the person is saying, pay close attention, make eye contact and take notes. In addition to the previous measures discussed, Atwood and Allen Consulting would also recommend asking potential candidates to take an integrity test or a personality-based test. These are tests given to prospective employees to gauge their views on dishonest behavior and has shown to be a useful indicator of future disciplinary problems (Cascio, 2013). Selection of candidates will be the final step. CCC will analyze all the information during the recruitment and interviewing process and make their selections. Select the most qualified individual based on pure-diversity based recruitment. The best applicant for the position should always be the one considered as ruled by the Supreme Court. Conclusion The recruitment and selection process is critical to your expansion into the Arizona market. There is much to consider and a lot to accomplish before your arrival. Your future success is heavily dependent on the steps  we have discussed here. Take all necessary steps to hire the right candidates that are aligned with your values, organizational goals and mission. Ensure that you are doing everything possible to be a diverse organization, this will encourage success in your expansion and make your company more marketable. Atwood and Allen Consulting wishes you success as you move forward with your endeavors. It has been a pleasure working with you. References Doyle, A. (2015). Behavioral and Situational Interviewing. Retrieved from http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobinterviewtypes/qt/situational-interview.htm Farooq, U. (2011). Employee Selection Methods Polices of Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.studylecturenotes.com/management-sciences/human-resource-management/108-employee-selection Fishler, M. (2015). Arizonas construction industry saw significant job loss last year. Retrieved from http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2015/02/arizona%E2%80%99s-construction-industry-lost-most-jobs-nationwide-in-2014/ Griffin, D. (2015). Goal Setting Definitions. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/goal-setting-definitions-1064.html Hansen, R. J. (2015). Arizona labor market finished 2014 on an upswing. Retrieved from http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/2015/01/22/arizona-labor-market-finished-upswing/22176861/ Heathfield, S. M. (2015). More About Building An Organization Based On Values. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/str ategicplanning1/a/organizvalues_2.htm Root, G. N. (2015). Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal Recruitment. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-internal-recruitment-11212.html