Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Increase Motivation for Reading through Choice

Increase Motivation for Reading through Choice When the headlines report  that  the overall average reading score of 8th students in 2015 declined in comparison to the previous assessment in 2013, there was a chorus of educators who  most likely responded: But...they just dont want to read! The report released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is considered a benchmark on the academic progress of an estimated  60 million secondary students  attending private and public middle and high schools in the United States. The most recent statistics on these students indicate that there is a significant drop in reading proficiency levels in grades 7-12. For example, only 34 percent of 8th graders (2015) scored at or above proficient levels on the, the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment. This NAEP data also shows a disturbing trend, with reading scores of eighth graders across demographic groups declining from 2013 to 2015. The report confirms what secondary teachers have been saying anecdotally, that  both high and low achieving students are often unmotivated to read. This lack of motivation has been also explored as a cultural problem in David Denbys New Yorker article, Do Teens Read Seriously Anymore?  and illustrated in an  infographic created by Common Sense Media  (2014) titled  Children, Teens and Reading. Perhaps it is no surprise to researchers that the decline in reading proficiency coincides with a decline with student autonomy or choice in reading materials. That decline in choice is created by an increase in teacher control of reading materials at the higher grade levels.   TheyWere Once Readers In the elementary grades, students are given the opportunity to develop a sense of autonomy in reading choice; they are allowed and encouraged to independently select books to read. There is explicit instruction in making good choices in lessons that explain how to judge a   just right book using questions such as: Are there more than five words on a page you don’t know?Are you confused about what is happening in most of this book? This autonomy contributes to the growth of a reader. According to J.T.  Guthrie, et al, in the research brief Reading Motivation and Reading Comprehension Growth in the Later Elementary Years, (2007)  published in  Contemporary Educational Psychology: Children who valued choosing their own books subsequently developed elaborate strategies for selecting books and reported being more intrinsically motivated readers. By giving their students a choice of reading materials in the early grades, elementary teachers increase academic independence and motivation.   However, in most school systems, a students choice of reading material lessens as he or she moves up to the middle and high school grades. Assessment and Standards are Factors By the time a student moves into the middle grades, the  emphasis is on on discipline specific reading materials, as seen in the recommendation by the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards in  Literacy  (Key Design Considerations) . This recommendation has resulted in an increase in the reading percentage of nonfiction or informational texts in all disciplines, not just ELA: By grade 8, reading materials should be 45% literary fiction and 55% informational texts;By the time students graduate, reading materials should be 30% literary fiction and 70% informational texts.   These same education researchers,  Guthrie et al, have also published an e-book (2012)  Motivation, achievement, and Classroom Contexts for Information Book Reading, to  document their pursuit of what motivates students to read and what classroom contexts best promote motivation. They note in their e-book that because schools are seeing an increase in educational accountability at different levels and there are a variety of  reading materials are assigned in all subject areas so that teachers can take formal and frequent evaluations of their students. Much of this reading material used for accountability, however, is dull: Middle school students overwhelmingly describe the information texts they read in science classes as boring, irrelevant, and difficult to understand- hardly a recipe for positive motivation to read this material. The researchers who argue for student autonomy agree that  student interest in reading independently (for fun) diminishes  when teachers overly control reading topics or materials. This is especially true for low achieving students. Researcher  Carol Gordon noted  that for this population of adolescents, student attitude is another factor. She explains: Since low-achievers typically do not read voluntarily outside of school, most of their reading is mandated. These students express anger and defiance, as indicated by survey data. In many cases, low achievers don’t really hate to read- they hate to be told what to read. Paradoxically, low-achieving students are the population that would benefit the most from an increase in voluntary reading. To counter the recent drops in reading proficiency, educators need to stop telling students, high and low-achieving, what to read so that students can develop develop ownership over their reading choices. Choice Motivates Students to Read One of the best ways to move beyond assigning all reading is for teachers to provide time in the academic day for voluntary reading of texts for extended periods of time. There may be objections to the use of already dedicated academic time, but the research indicates that time spent reading in school improves academic performance. This is true even for the light or fun reading of young adult literature.  Gordon explains that the  practice of free voluntary reading is not only conducive to reading motivation, [but] it actually works better than direct instruction. She cites Stephen Krashens work (2004) with 54 students, with 51 of those students who scored higher on reading tests than similar students given traditional skill-based reading instruction. Another compelling  argument for providing time in the school day to reading practice is the comparison  to the practice necessary one needs to do in order to become proficient at a sport; the increased number of practice hours increases performance. Even 10 minutes a day of reading can have dramatic effects by simply exposing students to multiple texts text. Researcher  M.J. Adams (2006) developed a data breakdown that illustrates how ten minutes of daily book reading in middle school will increase a student’s exposure to print by about 700,000 words each year. This exposure surpasses the amount of reading currently done by the same grade level students who are performing at the 70th percentile.   To facilitate student voluntary reading, students need access to reading materials that allow for their choice of reading materials. Independent reading libraries in classrooms can help students generate a sense of agency. Students can discover and share authors, explore topics in the  genres that appeal to them, and improve their reading habits. Create Independent Classroom Libraries The publisher Scholastic produced a report, Kids Family Reading Report (5th edition, 2014) As a publisher of children and young adult literature, Scholastic has a vested interest in increasing the number of readers across the country. In their research based on student polling, they found that in populations aged 12-17,  78% of frequent readers who read books for fun 5-7 times per week are provided time and choice in contrast to the 24% of the infrequent readers who are not provided time or choice. Scholastic also noted that choice for adolescents requires easy access to a wide range of interesting texts. One of their recommendations was that school districts must begin to put money into texts and   allocate funds for high-interest books. They recommend that independent reading libraries should be developed with student input as the critical resource for increasing reading proficiency. Another proponent for independent reading is   Penny Kittle,  an  English teacher and literacy coach at Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire. She has written  Book Love.  a popular guide to helping secondary students read independently. In this guide,  Kittle offers strategies to help teachers, particularly English Language Arts teachers, to increase the volume of what students read and to deepen student thinking about what they read. She offers advice on how to build up those classroom libraries including  grant writing   or applications to  Donor’s Choose  or  The Book Love Foundation. Asking for multiple copies of texts from book clubs and going to warehouse, garage, and library sales are also great ways to grow the classroom libraries. Developing a good relationship with the school library is also important, and students should be encourages to recommend texts for purchase. Finally, teachers can look for the numerous options available wi th e-texts. Choice: ADesired Option The research concludes that there are millions of students who do not have the rudimentary reading skills that are needed to locate relevant information or make simple inferences. Without the necessary literacy skills for college or career, students may be retained in school or drop out of high school.   The consequences for underdeveloped literacy to the student and to the economic welfare of the country can mean the collective loss of billions of dollars in wages and earnings over a lifetime. Secondary educators need to guide students to associate reading with enjoyment and a worthwhile activity by offering choice. This association can result in making reading a desired option; to make students want to read. The benefits of allowing and encouraging students to make choices about reading will last beyond   school careers and throughout their lives.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

I refuse to answer that question! The new (intimidating) college essay

I refuse to answer that question! The new (intimidating) college essay On January 25, 2012, someone on the College Confidential discussion group posted this thread: Did you ever dump a college from your list because of the type (or number) of essays? Responses flooded in, mostly from parents of students who had indeed given up on an application because they were intimidated by the essay questions, and many from the students themselves.   One woman’s daughter dropped three applications and added one that had easier essay requirements. One aunt reported that her nephews applied to one school only – Iowa State – because the school did not require essays. And another self-proclaimed lazy procrastinator chose her colleges based on the ease of their essay requirements. Colleges dropped by students ran the  gamut and were headed up by Wake Forest and U Chicago:   Barnard, Brown (2x), BU, Bryn Mawr, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, University of Chicago (8x), Claremont McKenna (3x), Columbia University (3x), CMC (2x), Cornell, University of Delaware, Duke, Elon, Georgetown, Grinnell (2x), Marquette Honors Program, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, MIT (2x), UNC (3x), Northwestern, Notre Dame (2x), NYU (2x), U Penn (3x), Princeton, Puget Sound, Rice (3x), Rutgers, Tufts (2x), Stanford (2x), Syracuse, UVA, Wake Forest (8x), and Yale (2x). Why the aversion to unique essay topics? I could rant about how students are lazy or haven’t received sufficient training in thinking for themselves or thinking creatively.   I could suggest that if our educational system did a better job on these fronts, and with teaching writing in general, students would not avoid writing essays that challenged them to invest time and thought.   I could also suggest that students don’t start their application process far enough ahead of time to ensure they have the time and attention for some uncommon essay questions. All of those things might be true, but I am more interested in the schools’ logic behind asking unusual question such as â€Å"What does Play-Doh have to do with Plato?† (U Chicago), â€Å"What is your favorite ride at the amusement park?   How does this reflect your approach to life?† (Emory University), â€Å"Imagine you have to wear a costume for a year of your life.   What would you pick and why?† (Brandeis University), and â€Å"What would you do with a free afternoon tomorrow?† (Yale). Why the inclination toward unique essay topics? Colleges may be showing themselves to be current with the times, as suggested in The new college-admission essay: Short and tweet(ish).   Some applications ask for short essay answers of 25 words, such as â€Å"My favorite thing about last Tuesday† (University of Maryland), perhaps catering to the Twitter generation.   Tufts, George Mason and the University of Dayton allow prospective students to submit a video essay instead of a written one.   Students might jump at the chance to communicate in ways that are spreading like wildfire in the world of social media. The right fit In the College Confidential discussion, most students reported that they dropped schools not simply because of the essay requirements but because there was an additional reason the school was not a good fit.   Some were not excited about their on-campus visit.   Some realized when they were asked why they wanted to attend a particular school that they had no good reason.   Conversely, some students reported taking on writing difficult essays because a school was their clear first choice.   Some loved writing the very same essays that sent other students away (Wake Forest and Chicago essays included).   And one student actually rejected a school (Wash U in St. Louis) because they did not ask a supplemental essay question!   He thought the school was trying to increase its U.S. News rankings by encouraging applications.   Not surprisingly, two other students applied to Wash U (as well as to many other schools – Dartmouth, Harvard, and William Mary to name a few) b ecause of the simplicity of their essay requirements. Perhaps colleges like Wake Forest and U Chicago are shooting themselves in the foot.   Several anecdotes appeared in the College Confidential discussion about students who got accepted into one school with a simple application (Harvard, for instance) while they were still working on essays for another school.   Schools with longer or more complex essay requirements might be losing some qualified and motivated students in addition to the ones who just don’t care enough to jump through the hoops. Yet for most schools, it appears that they are doing a good job of weeding out applicants.   If an Honors application intimidates you, that’s a very good sign that you are not meant to be in that program.   If an essay challenge makes you realize that you’re not up for that challenge, regardless of the reason, then that school has done you and itself a favor.   What a great strategy for winnowing down the number of applications to a pool of students who will face an extra challenge or two because they want so much to go to a particular school. As one member of College Confidential, stated, â€Å"Frankly, there are too many well-rounded, excellent students applying to the best universities to distinguish a select few without asking stranger, creative questions. Its there that you begin to see a students personality and thats what gets you in.† Are essay questions scaring you away from a school?   Maybe it’s time to get some help.   If you want to brainstorm with a professional about what you could write in response to some of these wacky questions, contact The Essay Expert.   We’ll be happy to help.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Trade and Lending Act Violation Class Rescission Essay

Trade and Lending Act Violation Class Rescission - Essay Example The families now want to rescind their mortgages. The clinic has already sent a letter to LFB on behalf of all the families. The KF cannot afford individual lawyers and must sue as a class, requesting rescission of the mortgages. LFB has refused to rescind the mortgages, because the three day right of rescission period had passed. Probably. Class action rescissions under the TILA will likely be permissible because while the KF may not be successful in arguing that the plain language of the TILA included class rescissions, the KF will like prevail because of the Congressional intent in protecting consumers along with the KF seeking a judgment as a class in order to then individually seek rescission justify class rescissions under the TILA. The KF will also likely prevail because their particular situation can only be remedied by class rescissions. The TILA was enacted in 1968 to ensure that creditors provide a meaningful disclosure of credit terms giving the consumer the ability to easily compare the various credit terms available to them and avoid uniform uses of credit. Truth and Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. 1601 (1995). Creditors must clearly and conspicuously disclose certain key terms such as annual percentage rates, finance charges, and the total number of loan payments due before consummating a credit transaction. Elizabeth Renuart, Stop Predatory Lending 84 (National Consumer Law Center) (2002). The TILA allows the consumer a right to rescind a transaction for non-purchase money home-secured loans if a creditor fails to make specific disclosures for up to three years. Truth and Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. 1635(f) (1995). Rescission voids the security interest in the home and eliminates the obligation to pay interest or other finance charges or closing costs. Elizabeth Renuart, Stop Predatory Lending 99 (National Consumer Law Center) (2002). Courts have not accepted the TILA class actions lawsuits lightly. Williams v. Empire Funding Corp., 183 F.R.D. 428, 435 (1998). The TILA does create a right for debtors to rescind their contracts under 15 U.S.C.A. 1635, while the TILA addresses class action damages under 15 U.S.C.A. 1640, Truth and Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. 1635, 1640 (1995). It does not address class action suits for rescission explicitly. There is no controlling precedent on this issue; consequently, courts appear divided on this matter. Some courts say that class rescissions are inappropriate, while other courts have relied on carefully drafted complaints to assist in deciding on granting rescission. Elizabeth Renuart, Stop Predatory Lending 106 (National Consumer Law Center) (2002). The factors courts consider are considered in this memo: (1) the plain language of the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Real Cause of Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Real Cause of Conflict - Essay Example Over the years several psychologists have developed tests to evidence and describe the different personality types, including Jung, Myers-Briggs and the Big Five Personality Tests, which is now the most extensively acknowledged and used model of personality. The Big Five was developed in the 1970's by two different research studies which though completed differently came to similar conclusions: that a majority of personality traits can be defined under five broad themes, extroversion, emotional stability, orderliness, accommodation and intellect. All other personality traits can be correlated to one of these independent personality traits (Howard & Howard, 2007). However, there is a weakness with this theory, as researchers have not been able to completely agree on what exactly the fundamental aspect of each personality trait is (Howard & Howard, 2007). People frequently seek and admire personalities that are different from their own, and being appreciative to these positive attributes they have may hinder them to realise it could cause stress and be a significant contributor to disagreements. Usually people seek out individuals who fill these personality differences, in which to have personal or working relationships with. A lot of people who have personalities where they are exceptionally well-organized are often drawn to partners who have a preference to handling situations in an easy going and effortless manner. In comparison rational, sensible thinkers prefer affectionate, sensitive partners, and vibrant extroverts may have a preference for strong, quiet people (Landau & Landau, 1997). The same can be apparent in working relationships between co-workers. This is most likely because they perceive their counterparts as being more relaxed at managing situations they themselves would find hard to achieve (Landau & Landau, 1997). As Smallwood (2009) states, differences in individual personalities can work to an advantage in teamwork, as there is an chance for the team members to merge together, not in the case that everyone thinks the same and agrees, but that everyone's individual strengths and abilities can work together to create a stronger, and more effective conclusion or solution to the problem they are working on. HowveHHowever, these personality differences can also cause significant problems when working in a team, as they clash rather than compliment each other (Smallwood, 2009). These problems may occur when one individual feels that their way is the only 'right' way to do something. However, as evidence shows there is always more than one way to reach the same result, and an individual can learn a lot from watching how another person achieves these results. Smallwood (2009) suggests that teams do require different personalities to produce an effective work environment where the different attitudes and abilities produce an effective whole, from its different parts; however, it is easy for an individual to become judgemental of another team member who does a task in a different way from which they would, rather than appreciating the differences. In addition, team members will sometimes judge the behaviour of a co-worker, by assuming they are feeling a certain way because of their outward behaviour. For example, if a co-worker is quiet, the individual may assume that they are angry, as this is how they

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Education in Britain Essay Example for Free

Education in Britain Essay ?Each child in England at the first school term after their third birthday, is entitled to 15 hours per week free childcare funding. This entitlement is funded by the government through the local council. The Early Learning Goals cover the main areas of education without being subject driven. These areas include Personal, social and emotional development (prime area) Communication and Language (prime area) Physical education (prime area) Literacy (specific area) Mathematics (specific area) Understanding the World (specific area). Expressive Art Design (specific area) Until the mid-1980s, nursery schools only admitted pupils in the final year (three terms) leading up to their admission to primary school, but pupils now attend nursery school for four or five terms. It is also common practise for many children to attend nursery much earlier than this. Many nurseries have the facilities to take on babies, using the Early Years Foundation Stage, framework as a guide to give each child the best possible start to becoming a competent learner and skillful communicator. A primary school (also Elementary school) an school which where children receive primary or elementary education between the ages of about five to about eleven, coming before secondary school and after preschool. It is the first stage of compulsory education in most parts of the world, and is normally available without charge, but may be a fee-paying independent school. In England and Wales secondary school is for children from the ages of 11 to 18. After 11 years of compulsory education ends, and young people can decide whether to continue their studies further at school or sixth form college, or leave the education system. After five years of secondary education, at the age of 16, pupils take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination. When they are in the third or in the forth form, they begin to choose their exam subjects and prepare for them. After finishing the fifth form pupils can make their choice: they may either leave school  and go to a Further Education College or continue their education in the sixth form. Those who stay at school after GCSE, study for 2 more years for A (Advanced) Level Exams in two or three subjects which is necessary to get a place at one of British universities. The typical first degree offered at English universities is the bachelors degree, and usually lasts for three years. Many institutions now offer an undergraduate masters degree as a first degree, which typically lasts for four years. During a first degree students are known as undergraduates. The difference in fees between undergraduate and traditional postgraduate masters degrees (and the possibility of securing LEA funding for the former) makes taking an undergraduate masters degree as a first degree a more attractive option, although the novelty of undergraduate masters degrees means that the relative educational merit of the two is currently unclear. Some universities offer a vocationally based foundation degree, typically two years in length for those students who hope to continue on to a first degree but wish to remain in employment. Postgraduate education Students who have completed a first degree are eligible to undertake a postgraduate degree, which might be a: Masters degree (typically taken in one year, though research-based masters degrees may last for two) Doctorate (typically taken in three years) Postgraduate education is not automatically financed by the state.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Les Miserables :: essays papers

Les Miserables "Les Miserables" is about a man, Jean Valjean, who has just been released from the galleys after 19 years of imprisonment. He is in search of food and shelter, but all the taverns and inns in D----- have rejected him, because he is a former convict. He then meets a woman in front of the church who tells him to go to the house where the bishop lives. Although the bishop knows Valjean is a convict, he takes him in, and gives him food and shelter. However, Valjean is still tempted to steal from the bishop. He takes his silverware, and flees. Valjean is caught by the police, and forced to return to the bishop's house. The bishop gives Valjean a second chance, by telling the police that the silverware was a gift, and giving him the silver candlesticks in addition. Valjean is instructed to start a new life as an honest man. In M---- sur M----, Valjean invents a new manufacturing process, and earns a great fortune. He has his own factory, and has been elected Mayor Madeline, a new name, to begin a new life. In his factory, works a woman, Fantine, who has given up her child so that she could work to begin a new life, as well. Her daughter, Cosette, was left with the Thenardiers. She was treated terribly, and was forced to eat under the table, with the dog. Meanwhile, Javert, an officer in the galleys where Valjean served, denounces Valjean, because he claims he recognizes him as a former convict. However, he later changes his point of view, claiming that he has found the real Valjean, who is being charged with stealing a branch off an apple tree. Valjean could not live knowing that someone else may be charged more harshly because of the crimes he had committed in the past. Valjean announced his true identity to save the man. He returned to his factory to collect all his money, and then to escape from the police. Javert eventually caught Valjean. At this time, Fantine, who was deathly sick, thought that Valjean had brought Cosette to her. When Javert arrested Valjean, Fantine died. Valjean was sent to the galleys again, but escaped, by faking his death.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

NSTP or National Service Training Program Essay

â€Å"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.† – Ralph Waldo Emerson. NSTP or National Service Training Program for me has become more than just a required two-semester course for me to graduate. It taught me life lessons that cannot be learned inside the four walls of our classroom. It taught how I can serve my country in my own little way. It taught me that in helping others, no matter how small we think it may be, could make a big difference and impact to other people. To be honest, I chose LTS or Literacy Training Service as my NSTP course just for the sake of choosing. As months passed by, I unexpectedly start to love LTS. I learned the basics in first-aid and disaster risk reduction management. We went to a school in Samal Bataan for two Saturdays for our fieldwork. There I met a lot of grade six students which I immediately became friends with. We prepared art work projects, science experiments, played charades for their enjoyment while at the same time making sure that they are learning from the activities. We were assigned to review them for the upcoming National Achievement Test. I was assigned to two students which I admit was pretty challenging at first because I am a shy person and I am not really patient when it comes to teaching others so having to teach two grade six students was really hard for me. It definitely made me step out of my comfort zone. I was pretty sad after our field work because I was already attached to my two students. So before we parted ways, we gave each other a little something so that we would not forget each other and promised to meet again someday. Over-all, LTS taught me three things: patience, deeper appreciation in life, and valuing education more. First, I learned how to be patient in terms of teaching my students. They have different personalities so I have to extend my patience and be more flexible when it comes to teaching them. Second is deeper appreciation in life. I realized that I am more than blessed because I get to study in a good university while others are struggling hard financially just to attend school every day. I also learned to value education more.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Social Impacts of Smart Phone Addiction

There is a serious negative impact on social relationships with the widespread use of cell phones and smart phones. Notwithstanding the fact that technology allows people to be constantly connected to the world, it leads people to become even more disconnected from each other as well. The first evident change of the social norm Is that people are starting to have less real communication with others, and more plumbing.It has become a very common sight In today's society to snub someone In social setting by looking at a mobile phone Instead of paying attention to him or her. Besides, teenagers nowadays are testing all the time rather than chatting with friends and employees are receiving work-related phone calls or e-mails after work and even during holidays. It can Interrupt real social life. The Intimacy, one of basic human needs, Is hard to achieve or malting when a mobile phone keeps beeping with alerts, notifications, and e-mail reminders.To sustain good social life, It Is very Im portant for people to form meaningful relationships based upon mutual respect and sportiveness, and marked by a sense of loyalty, trust, and commitment with their family and friends in lieu of socializing online. Furthermore, reduced real life activities due to excessive use of mobile phones can bring isolation of individuals. People are becoming so distracted by their mobile phones that they are unable to make meaningful connections in social life.Some researchers even found that people re commonly choosing smartness instead of going to work or school and cultivating personal relationship. Some might contend that video chatting can substitute an actual meeting; however, it only provides a temporary solution in limited situations. Face-to-face interaction, which cannot be replaced with electronic devices, is absolutely essential for people. Therefore, people should not be so involved in their mobile phones and engage in actual human interaction.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Management of a Diverse Workforce

Management of a Diverse Workforce Globalization has facilitated the growth of multinational; an increasing number of companies are diversifying their operations in different part of the globe. When operating in the international arena, a company has to manage a diverse work force; managing diverse human capital has continued to be a challenge to human resources managers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Management of a Diverse Workforce specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main challenge is how to develop a universal performance management system amidst changes occurring in different environment that affect personnel differently. With diverse human capital, companies need to develop strategic human resource management practices, which will provide the company with global consistency of purpose as far as human performance management is concerned. One major role that strategic international human management (SIHM) plays is to manage diverse human capita l performance; performance management is a continuous process through which the output of human capital is gauged to ensure that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner. The policy addresses activities affecting the performance of human capital in the efforts of formulating and implementing strategic needs that will facilitate an improve business within an organization; to undertake this task in a diverse human resources capital, is a challenge to personnel managers (Fernandez-Alles Ramos-Rodrà ­guez, 2009). This paper looks into the problems encountered by human resources managers when performance managing their human capital from a diverse origin, it will also offer some suggestions on ways that the problems can be minimized. Problems of performance managing in diverse human capital Human resources are precious, they need to be managed effectively; when developing a personnel’s management strategy; an organization needs to have an effective p erformance appraisal and rewarding system. When an effective performance management is implemented, it boosts employees’ confidence and motivates them.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Performance management is defined as a continuous process that involves assessment of an employee in all dimensions with the aim of rewarding and establishing areas that can be improved for better performance. When dealing with the international human resources management, there are three focus areas that managers have to look into, they are inter-unit linkage, internal operations, and competitive requirements; all the above areas have challenges they pose to personnel management (Hampden–Turner Trompenaars, 2006). To handle this section effectively, this section will look into every area and the problems/challenges associated: Inter-linkage issues Diverse human capit al has a variety of human components that need to be managed effectively; the differences in how people of different cultures, believes, traditions and values have offers the performance managers the problems of establishing key performance parameters. When appraising the performance of an employee in the global arenas, factors that are likely to impact on his performance need to be well understood; in the case of an expatriate, he is likely to be affected by culture of the new country, job requirements and personal attributes. When appraising and gauging the level of performance of such an employee, the above variables should be put into consideration. External and internal environment has an impact on the general performance of the company; the ease of adoption and the environment that an expatriate operated in determines whether he will be able to work effectively and pose satisfying results at the end of the year.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managem ent of a Diverse Workforce specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When appraising an expatriate, the culture adoption rate of the expatriate should be considered, they should be one of the parameters that need to be taken into account; the issue comes with how the human resource managers gauge the rate of adoption (Maznevski DiStefano, 2000). Internal operations An effective human resources management should ensure that internal operations of an organization are operating in their optimal form; human capital have the role of ensuring the operations are to the expected standards; the issue that face multinationals is how to control the internal structures in their absences. Internal management is based on information from output and the inputs offered by human resource of a company; people have different viewpoints thus in a diverse human capital environment, the information that will be available for management to react on will be diverse and i ncomparable. This make developing of internal similar business policies become a challenge to multinationals. Other than internal business operations, different countries have different labor policies that are mostly determined by the rate of economic development of the country that a multinational is operating. The company has to ensure that it complies with the rules; the move may call for special or micro human resources policies that are challenging to manage. For example, there are countries that have wage limits while others do not have, others have fifty-five as the retirement age while others have sixty years, and this poses a challenge to personnel management. An effective performance process helps an organization to learn and understand its staffs strengths, weaknesses, talents and capabilities. When the above attributes of employees are known, then a company can devise appropriate motivational, rewarding, training and mentoring programs to enhance performance within the o rganization. When gauging the strengths and weaknesses of human staffs, management faces the challenge of harmonizing the available technological developments and favorability of production across different countries.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sometimes a company may think that a certain employee is highly effective and a high performer but this is only facilitated by the level of technological development and the rate at which the business is doing in the country of establishment. On the other hand, another employee who operates in an area of low technological development, and the business there is not as favorable, then the employee is gauged as a poor performer. The differences in technological development and general condition in the country of establishment can thus become an issue in performance management. Multinationals have to keep in touch with the situation on the ground for all countries as well as implement measures that will ensure that an equitable performance appraisal is conducted putting all the parameters affecting the situation at hand. International business communities are volatile and keep changing with changes in political, economical and social situations; management when appraising the level of p erformance has the task of ensuring they keep adjusting their policies with the situation on the ground; this will enhance the development of appropriate policies of management. The changes in political situation keep affecting the rate of operation in an organization thus to effectively performance appraise, managers have the role of implementing flexible performance appraisal models of which managing them is an issue. Separation of time and distance is another threat that challenge international human resource management performance; the differences limit the rate of contact between head managers and the subsidiary managers; there lacks the close interaction and sharing of ideas and issues becomes an issue. The differences may also mean that some policies successfully implemented in a certain area are not applicable in another area. This may hinder the entire multinational operation. Gauging the level of performance of such an employee Different countries have different intellectu al power; there are people who have highly innovative power while others have an abstract power. When managing people of this two areas, the personnel managers may have the problem of determining the best method that should be used in both cases and yet offer satisfactory results. The differences of human beings capabilities affects the implementation of uniform policies to enhance performance since some countries may call for an innovation based appraisals while others calls for abstract power appraisal approach; whichever the approach, then the managers have a challenge developing best performance appraisal models to implement in their organizations (DiStefano Maznevski, 2000). Suggestions on ways that the problems can be minimized Despite the challenges offered by international performance appraisal methods, the process is crucial and needs to be handled with utmost care and strategic moves adopted to ensure that the method has been successfully been handled. The approach that h uman resources management will take will be of utmost good to the company and should ensure that all areas have been covered effectively. The following are the best approaches to such an international appraisal strategy: Developing uniform appropriate performance standards Since the company is same, the top management should come up with uniform corporate goals, objectives, mission statements and vision statements; they should define the expectations that stakeholders have from an organization, these policies cut across the board and employees in whichever the country should understand the role they have to play in their attainment. Managers’ acts as agents of shareholders so they should be allocated some expectation that they should deliver form their teams and country of operation. With the overall expected and promised goals, human resources should get their position; every employee is seen to be performing a certain duty to fulfill the goals directly or indirectly. Huma n resource departments should develop the performance standard that they want from every employee, having attained; they are the same standards that are used in performance appraisal. The corporate goals should be taken as overall but should be some goals that countries should be following depending with their potential and the capability that they have. To ease the burden of appraisal, every country should have a competent team of human resources managers who have been empowered to appraise the performance of employees in the areas of their operation and if need be offer some advice to the higher office on the best approach they need to implement when managing their human capital. The regional performance appraisal should be empowered to offer sound advice to the top management on the right policies unique to a certain country they should implement (Bullen Eyler, 2010). Using a balanced score card for evaluation Management should develop a balanced score card performance managem ent approach; balanced scorecard assist human resources to look into qualitative and qualitative performance of an employee. It does not concentrate on one area of the human capital but goes into other specific areas that need to be appraised for an effective operation of the business. When developing standards, human resources department looks into two main aspects: qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative standards are the deliverables that an employee is expected to produce when offered maximum support and mentorship from the management and the organization as a whole (Kaplan Norton, 2001). The tangible outcome that can be attributed to a certain employee when supported by other members of the team should be the vocal point in quantitative performance standard setting. When setting the expected level of quantitative output, the company should ensure that the potential of a certain country has been gauged. It may be tricky to have similar expectations across the board but the e xpectation should reflect the potential that a certain country has. There are different ways of coming up with the target that every individual is likely to get; the most common method is a top down approach where the top managers define the corporate goals and general target, then divide it among the departments that produce quantitative results (Takeuchi, Chen Lam, 2009). The next performance standard that an organization should set is qualitative performance; the performance is more concerned on the general attitude and conduct of employees within the organization; this is of importance especially when dealing with different cultures and environments. It is important to note that depending with the country of operation, the way people portray their feeling and attitudes is different, so there is need to ensure that the right approach has been used. The quantitative standards that are set in an organization are mostly the human resources policies that an organization should uphol d; they include ethical conduct, the general accepted organizational behavior and the corporate principles. The attitude and behavioral appraisal method can be universal but the expected results weighed against the level of social-cultural environment of the country of operation (Trudel, 2009). Culture intelligence approach With the diverse cultures that multinationals gave to deal with, there is need to understand the culture of the country of operation, the culture of the people should be crucial in determining the approach to measuring their performances, attitudes, level of output, and expectations. When the company understands what is actually happening in a certain country, then the managers can be able to implement the best policies and strategies that meet the needs of human capital in a certain country. The strategy of approach is mostly different in different countries thus there is need to have their cultural believes well-noted (Triandis, 2006). Other than culture inte lligence tools, managers should have root human resources management approach, this is where when they are diversifying and probably sending an expert, experts with a certain cultural affiliation should be sent to those countries that have similar cultural back ground (Hampden–Turner Trompenaars, 2006). Conclusion Managing diversity is a challenge that faces multinational businesses; they have to deal with people of different cultural backgrounds and varying labor laws. Developing effective performance management strategic assists multinationals to manage diversity in an appropriate manner and be able to tap diverse intellectualism and talents available in the diverse human capital. The best approach that multinationals should use is a micro-management approach where at country of operation level, they have competent human resources department with the authority to performance manage employees in that locality them advice the human resources department at corporate level. Re ferences Bullen, M. L., Eyler, K. (2010). Human resource accounting and international developments: implications for measurement of human capital. Journal of International Business Cultural Studies, 31-16. DiStefano, J. J., Maznevski, M. L. (2000). Creating Value with Diverse Teams in Global Management. Organizational Dynamics, 29(1), 45-63. Fernandez-Alles, M., Ramos-Rodrà ­guez, A. (2009). Intellectual structure of human resources management research: A bibliometric analysis of the journal Human Resource Management, 1985–2005. Journal of the American Society for Information Science Technology, 60(1), 161-175. Hampden–Turner, C., Trompenaars, F.(2006).Cultural Intelligence: Is Such a Capacity Credible? Group Organization Management, 31(1), 56-63. Kaplan, R. S., Norton, D. P. (2001). Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Measurement to Strategic Management: Part I. Accounting Horizons, 15(1), 87-104. Maznevski, M. L., DiStefano, J. J. (2000).   Global Leaders Are Team Players: Developing Global Leaders Through Membership On Global Teams. Human Resource Management, 39(2/3), 185. Takeuchi, N., Chen, Z., Lam, W. (2009). Coping with an emerging market competition through strategy-human resource alignment: case study evidence from five leading Japanese manufacturers in the Peoples Republic of China. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(12), 2454-2470. Triandis, H.C.(2006). Cultural Intelligence in Organizations. Group and Organization Management, 31(1), 20-26. Trudel, J. M. (2009). International Human Resources Management: A New Challenge. Portuguese Journal of Management Studies, 14(2), 149-161.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Open a Genealogy GEDCOM File

How to Open a Genealogy GEDCOM File If youve spent much time online researching your family tree, then it is likely that youve either downloaded a GEDCOM file (extension .ged) from the Internet or received one from a fellow researcher. Or you may have an old GEDCOM file on your computer from research you entered years ago into a now-defunct family history software program. In other words, you have a nifty family tree file which may contain vital clues to your ancestors and your computer cant seem to open it. What to do? Open a GEDCOM File Using Stand-Alone Genealogy Software These instructions will work to open GEDCOM files in most family tree software programs. See your programs help file for more specific instructions. Launch your family tree program and close any open genealogy files.In the top: powellgedcomClick Save or Import.The program may then ask you to make a few choices regarding the import of your GEDCOM file. Just follow the directions. If youre not sure what to select, then just stick with the default options.Click OK.A confirmation box may appear stating that your import was successful.You should now be able to read the GEDCOM file in your genealogy software program as a regular family tree file. Upload a GEDCOM File to Create an Online Family Tree If you dont own family tree software, or prefer to work online, you can also use a GEDCOM file to create an online family tree, allowing you to easily browse the data. However, if you have received a GEDCOM file from someone else, you should be sure to get their permission before using this option as they may not wish the information they have shared with you to be available online. Most online family trees do offer the option to create a completely private tree (see below). Some online family tree builder programs, most notably Ancestry Member Trees and MyHeritage, include an option to start a new family tree by importing a GEDCOM file. From the Upload a Family Tree page on Ancestry, click on the Browse button to the right of Choose a file. In the window that comes up, browse to the appropriate GEDCOM file on your hard drive. Select the file and then click the Open button.  Enter a name for your family tree and accept the submission agreement (read it first!).From the main MyHeritage page, select Import Tree (GEDCOM) under the Get Started button. Navigate to the file on your computer and click Open. Then select Get Started to import the GEDCOM file and create your family tree (dont forget to read the Service Terms and Privacy Policy!). Both Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com offer options to create a completely private online family tree, viewable only by you, or the people you invite. These are not the default option settings, however, so if you want a private family tree you will need to take a few extra steps. See What are the Privacy Options for My Family Site? on MyHeritage or Privacy for Your Family Tree on Ancestry.com for step-by-step instructions.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Tobacco Companies and Product Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tobacco Companies and Product Safety - Essay Example The unethical activities by a firm appear in different forms and nature (Curwen and Whalley, 2005). In this report, analysis of one such case will be carried out. Hence, a brief overview of the case chosen for this study is detailed below. The case entails about the significance of product safety and the role played by companies in managing these safety standards. The case highlights a real life incident of 2004 where the US district court ruled eminent tobacco manufacturing and marketing companies such as Liggett, Philip Morris and Reynolds to pay a hefty fine of $ 280 billion if the US Department of Justice (DOJ) proves that these companies are continually deceiving the customers despite knowing the risks of smoking and its addictive nature. The case also highlighted about the fact that tobacco manufacturing companies have formed a committee so as to carry out research and developmental works on the adverse effects of Tobacco. However, the committee deceived people by denying the f act that smoking causes cancer or any other type of health effects. Ironically, research carried out by other researchers clearly showcased that smoking did causes cancer. Furthermore, the case also made it evident that Tobacco companies advertised that nicotine is not an addictive material and even campaigned to target teenagers. One of the key findings from the case was that tobacco is a product that kills around 400,000 American people in a calendar year. Regarding this matter, DOJ claimed that it is the duty of the firms to design a safe product and at the same time test its quality before launching in the market. Even these companies have also intentionally not warned the customers about the ill effects of nicotine consumption. Hence, the case makes it evident that it is a sheer violation of the ethical norms and morality of business for such kind of finds is a subject of question. This report seeks to investigate the ethical and moral issues associated with the selling of good s in the market and along with that moral and ethical issues will also be highlighted. The duty of a company towards its customer is another vital area which will be covered during the course of the study. In addition, theories and literature pertaining to this area will be highlighted in the study in order to strengthen and justify the claims made in the study. The study will begin with a brief summary of the duties that a company has towards its consumers. Duties to Consumer Ethics have been defined as one branch of philosophy that deals with the systematization and recommendations related to the conception of right or wrong. It helps in addressing to the issues that are arising in moral diversity. Now the question arises that what is morality. Morality can be described as a systematic procedure that helps to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. Moral theories provide exact framework for analysing, discussing and finally evaluating all the moral disputes in very reasoned manner. As mentioned earlier, it is the emergence of globalization which has lead to increase of the need of business ethics. Generally an organization has three main goals: One being incur of high profits, the second being responsible environmentally and the third one being responsible socially. In order to attain such goals, it is significant that the organizations perform certain responsibilities