15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Adjectives

15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Adjectives 15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Adjectives 15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Adjectives By Mark Nichol Some of these similar-looking words do have, among various meanings, the same sense, but their primary definitions are quite different. Know these distinctions: 1. ambiguous/ambivalent: To be ambiguous is be able to be understood in more than one way (or, less commonly, of uncertain identity); to be ambivalent is to express uncertainty or contradictory opinions. (The latter term is also distinct from indifferent, which implies a lack of opinion or concern.) 2. alternate/alternative: To be alternate is to occur by turns or in a pattern that skips from one side to the other, or to provide another possibility; to be alternative is to offer a choice, or to be a variation from a norm. 3. abstruse/obtuse: Something abstruse is, because of complexity, something not easily comprehended; something obtuse is unclear because or careless or imprecise information. (Obtuse also describes someone who is dull or insensitive, or an object that is blunt or round, and alternatively refers to an angle greater than 90 degrees.) 4. arrant/errant: Arrant means â€Å"immoderate† or â€Å"extreme†; errant means â€Å"traveling† or â€Å"being aimless, or â€Å"straying† or â€Å"misbehaving.† 5. celibate/chaste: A celibate person is one who abstains from sex or marriage; chaste is a synonym but can also mean â€Å"modest† or even â€Å"spotless† or â€Å"austere.† 6. climatic/climactic: Climatic refers to climate; climactic applies to a climax. 7. concerted/concentrated: Something concerted has been conducted in a coordinated manner; concentrated means â€Å"focused† in the sense of organizing toward a common goal. 8. desirable/desirous: Something desirable is attractive or advantageous; desirous refers to being driven by desire. 9. disinterested/uninterested: Both terms can mean â€Å"apathetic,† but disinterested also has the sense of â€Å"neutral.† 10. drastic/dramatic: Drastic means â€Å"extreme†; dramatic refers to something suggestive of drama, or emphatic. 11. exceptional/exceptionable: Something exceptional is superior, or rare (it is also employed to refer to those with mental or physical abilities); something exceptionable is offensive or undesirable people take exception to it. 12. extended/extensive: Extended means â€Å"lengthened† (though it is also sometimes used as a synonym for extensive); extensive means â€Å"to a great degree† or â€Å"of a great magnitude.† 13. forceful/forcible: To be forceful is to be strong or persuasive; something forcible is accomplished by using force (though it can mean â€Å"powerful,† too). Forced, meanwhile, refers to involuntary action or something done only with effort. 14. ironic/sarcastic: An ironic statement is one meant to be understood as meaning something other than its literal meaning indicates; a sarcastic statement can be ironic, but the word sarcastic generally refers to something said facetiously to express ridicule. 15. luxurious/luxuriant: Something luxurious is resplendent in luxury; something luxuriant is fertile and lush, though the word may also be used as a synonym for luxurious. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With50 Nautical Terms in General UseShore It Up

Assessment Process and Need Statement Essays - Labour Economics

Assessment Process and Need Statement Essays - Labour Economics Assessment Process and Need Statement Mohave County Workforce Development One-Stop Centers offers opportunities to build the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for a vibrant local workforce. Mohave County Workforce Development One-Stop Centers is proposing a new program at the Kingman, Arizona chapter. They are proposing a new program called Helping Hands. Helping Hands is a brand new program that is hoping to fulfill a mission. If Helping Hands can create qualified and well prepared applicants then the applicants will have a better chance of filling the positions that are available and reducing the unemployment rate, which is skyrocketing in Mohave County especially in rural areas like Kingman, Arizona. Helping Hands works with numerous corporations to find the right applicants for each position that they need filled. When a corporation needs a specific position filled, Helping Hands suggests applicants that would be good to interview for that position. Helping Hands helps individuals find jobs, teaches them how to do professional resumes, how to do job searches, what to know about the company before applying or going to an interview, how to prepare for an interview, and how to conduct oneself at an interview. Helping Hands also instructs the applicant on proper attire, what to do, and not to do at interviews. Helping Hands also offers youth instruction on proper job practices, classes on current business programs, classes on how to better handle work situations like proper cash handling practices or how to handle difficult customers, and second language courses to further an individuals chance of getting that job. Mohave County Workforce Development One-Stop Centers Helping Hands is seeking a proposed budget of $320,000 for a one year plan to start the program and classes. Each fund is designated to help draw in participants and help them to succeed in their goals (see appendix for three year budget). Although this will not correct the unemployment problem itself it will give the participants the best opportunity to get the jobs that are available. Helping Hands mission is to help citizens help themselves to get the jobs they need to survive. Mohave County Workforce Development One-Stop Centers has seen how the unemployment rate is getting out of control aproposes this program to help address this issue. The state reports last season that, 9.7 percent of the population of Mohave County is currently filling for unemployment (FRED, 2013). Some individual cities in the county are having even higher rates of unemployment. This is surprising in tourist towns like Lake Havasu. Lake Havasu Citys August unemployment rate climbed nearly 1 percent to 11.3 percent, but community leaders say the latest numbers dont reflect what they are seeing in the local community. The citys August unemployment rate is eight-tenths of a percent higher than the 10.5 percent in July, according to numbers released last week by the Arizona Department of Administration. Mohave Countys rate climbed four-tenths of a percent from 9.7 percent in July to 10.2 percent in August. Both Lake Havasu City and Mohave Countys unemployment rate havent changed sign ificantly throughout the year ranging mostly between 9 percent and 10 percent. Lake Havasu Citys unemployment rate has been as low as 9.5 percent in February and May. Mohave Countys rate was lowest in May at 8.9 percent and highest at 10.4 percent in January (Moberly, 2013). This does not include those who are not working, but not filling like mothers with small children, students, and seniors living off the pensions of spouses. There are numerous contributing factors that make this even harder on the population of Mohave County to survive. The need is evident with the growing rate of people only surviving because of benefits like food stamps and unemployment checks that things need to change. This is even more of an issue right now with the government shutting down and putting a stop to programs like WIC and possibly food stamps. The need is for there to be more available positions. The reasons this occurs is due to numerous factors like the number of companies going out of business, lack of job growth, future plans for job growth does not meet the need, founding fathers not allowing large business to come to town, education level of

The Command and Control or Top-Down Management Style Research Paper - 2

The Command and Control or Top-Down Management Style - Research Paper Example In addition, the whole team must agree on the course of action taken by the organization concerning diverse issues (Yee-Melichar, Boyle & Flores 2011, p. 159). This paper wishes to examine the top-down management approach in the management of organizational change. The top-down approach in managing change implies imposed change since the change plans come from senior levels. Top-down style involves implementing changes more quickly as well as dealing with problems if necessary. Thus, this style is effective in organizations in which employees tend to resist changes. However, the style has the potential of increasing resistance to change due to the failure of incorporating employees in the change process. The managers at senior levels require being very specific when spelling out the change expectations as those following such plans do not participate in the process of planning (Anderson, Ackerman-Anderson 2001, p. 100). Since employees are not incorporated in the decision-making course and are repeatedly only motivated via either incentives or fear, moral can turn out to be an issue but these are usually countered by strict organizational requirements for all employees. However, change management could is inadequate since the top management may ignore a substantial part of the organization irrespective of how effectively such top-level decisions are reached (Morgan 2000, Para 4). In recent years, the top-down style of management is perceived as less favorable compared to the other management styles. However, it is sometimes very essential towards the success of projects and organizational change as seen above. An organization’s style of management plays a crucial role in determining whether the organization will triumph or fail. In this case, an organization can adopt a top-down style of management or a participative/inclusive management style (Dogra 2000, Para 1). Now, this paper can only say that both means of management are good as some projects  and organizational change management processes may work differently with the different management styles.

Product Costing - Traditional Methods and Activity Based Research Paper

Product Costing - Traditional Methods and Activity Based - Research Paper Example By doing this they maintain zero inventory of building parts or what is called as raw materials (RM). Dell enjoys a loyal customer trust globally. One of the reasons for this is that the base prices of their laptops and other products are practically the same across continents. Product pricing at Dell is a serious and well thought over process through strong market research and consumer inputs. Based on the marketing debrief the research and development (R&D) center starts developmental activities on the consumer centric product. The engineers work under the strict constrict of the product cost based on the marketing requirement. The first level of product cost brainstorming is between the marketing, sales and engineers at the R&D. All quality cost parameters namely prevention, appraisal and failure (both internal and external) are considered. In the six sigma jargon another cost is considered, cost of poor quality (Juran, 1988). Dell as an organization completely negates this hidden quality cost. The costing activity of consumer goods in my organization follows the above mentioned steps towards deciding pricing of a bathing soap. The main ingredients of a bathing bar are soap noodles, fragrance, permitted colors and fillers. The cost of a 100 g net weight of bathing bar is $1.5.

What Principles of Time and Stress Management are Violated by Chet Assignment - 1

What Principles of Time and Stress Management are Violated by Chet - Assignment Example Chet is more focused on how effective he was during that day forgetting that an effective manager should have results for what he has done during the day. Indeed he is a manager who has studied his work habits, a very crucial step to determine his strengths and weaknesses but his work habits survey is mainly based on time management and not the results. As a manager, he should be more concerned with performing top-level management functions which will include long-term decisions planning and delegate the other duties to middle and first line management. The structure of management in Chet’s company has a major role to play in his shortcomings, there doesn’t seem to be a defined middle level and supervisory branch this is seen when the pressmen report directly to him instead of reporting to a foreman Carl Jung in his trait theory categorizes people into type A and type B in relation to their ability to handle stress. Type A personalities when in a managerial post tend to not trust their subordinates to handle anything so they do it all themselves. This leads to them being stressed because they have too much work to handle all at once. Chet, in this case, is a type A personality. The second aspect of his personality is that he anticipates stress and does not have a procedure to handle them he instead faces them head-on. This increases his level of stress and negatively affects his ability to make the sound judgment on what’s important and what’s urgent. Chet should, in this case, adopt type B personality. This personality when in a management post according to Carl Jung is one who is good at delegating duties to his subordinates, he focuses only on important aspects of the institution leaving the rest to be sorted by middle or first line management. He should try as much as possible to delegate the trivial duties to other employees.

HR Practices in the Private Sector and MNC Banks

HR Practices in the Private Sector and MNC Banks Indian banking sector, especially commercial banks, have started realizing the need for a strong human resource orientation for their survival in the face of the rapid changing environment, global competition and other upcoming challenges. With attrition becoming a stark reality in the Indian banking sector, it is increasingly being understood that employee loyalty has to be created by organizational interventions and not something that can develop on its own. It is in this backdrop, it is an important topic to consider shaping your HR policies and practices around the workforce. Indian Banking Industry The banking sector in India is an integral part of countrys financial services industry. The banking index has grown has grown at a compounded annual rate of over 51 per cent since April 2001. The strong banking structure has been able to fuel continued growth, which has prospered long-term economic growth. Market cap of Indian banking industry 7500 Billion contributing to 7.7 % of GDP Human Resource Management Practices in India Indian banking sector is making efforts to adopt international best standards in HRM with the local customs and sensibilities. HRM function in a bank is being increasingly recognized as a strategic business partner with responsibility of managing key corporate resources. It is expected that HR Function must: Help the organization to be more agile by adopting practices that allows it not only to adapt to changes in the external environment but also to benefit from the same. Ensuring that the company is able to sustain its operation over a period of time. Ensure efficiency in the use of HR resources in the organization in an integrated manner with all other corporate resources. The success of any business depends as much on appropriate, effective, well-communicated, HR and business practices as it depends on meeting the requirements of mandated laws and regulations. In fact, good planning and the development of effective practices make regulatory compliance much easier. HR practices helps in increasing the productivity and quality, and to gain the competitive advantage of a workforce strategically aligned with the organizations goals and objectives. Organizations are becoming increasingly aware about the impact of generation gaps in the interaction between the various parts of its workforce. With increasing globalization, the diversity (both geographical as well ethnic) is on the rise in the organizations operating on a global scale. At the same time, the composition of the workforce itself is changing and different generation groups, with differing viewpoints on the same subject, are required to work together. This requires adjustments to be made by all categories. Organization must facilitate such adjustments by creating enabling environments so that the needs of all generation groups are satisfied, simultaneously with the achievement of the organizational goals. At minimum, the organizations must be aware about the diversity of generation groups within its ranks and tailor their personnel practices accordingly. 1.3 Key Performance Indicators for HR Practices Some of the key performance indicators for Human Resources include but are not limited to the following. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employees clarity on HR policies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employees clarity on roles, responsibilities and expectations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Development of qualitative staff à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Number of HR issues arising for which there are no clear policies and guidelines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Competitiveness of compensation structure relative to industry benchmark à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Usefulness and accuracy of compensation survey à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lead time to respond to staff welfare issues à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employees assessment of promotion criteria and process (clarity, fairness) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Measurement of HR policy violation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Average time required to fill vacancies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Proportion of training programs resulting in productivity improvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staff attrition rate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Understanding / Clarity of the Organizational philosophy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Outline internal capabilities and identify gaps on skills-competencies-behavioural aspects In response to the change in the business environment, the competencies required by HRM present in any Indian or MNC banks are necessary to be studied. Objective of Study HRM department depends upon the HR practices of the organization. HRM is done according to HR practices. HR Practices differentiate the organization from its competitors by effective and efficient HR Management. By following this, the organization does its whole work process. HR Practices increase productivity and quality, and help gain the competitive advantage of a workforce strategically aligned with the organizations goals and objectives. In addition to aforesaid goals following are our additional objectives: Literature review Various online journals on HR practices were referred. Along with it articles on different banks were also referred for the purpose of this project. Methodology Secondary data from books and internet resources were used for reference to write this report Analysis and discussion HR practices differ from one organization to the other. Even though the concept remains same its implementation differs from each because of the difference in its policies. Hence the analysis on the concept of HR practices and its implementation is carried out for three main multinational banks which include ICICI, Citi bank and HSBC. Their HR practices along with its approach towards HR, the different ways of implementation and innovative changes brought about by them in its policies are discussed for each of these banks mentioned above in detail. Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation Holdings HSBC Holdings, a British financial holding company with origins in Hong Kong and Shanghai, where offices were opened in 1865 under a special charter which allowed Hong Kong rather than London as a headquarter location ( 2003). HSBC was in intense competition all over Asia with Chase Manhattan which showed interest in a small bank in India and Malaysia. HSBC pre-empted by purchasing the bank in 1959 (1991). Diversification had taken a beating although it was only in 2000 when acquisitions in Asia became topical again, in a small way. Two of them were part of the private banking drive, PCIB Savings Bank in the Manila area and Taiwans leading asset manager China Securities Investment Trust Corp. in 2001, to be followed by an 8 per cent stake in the Bank of Shanghai. HSBC had returned to its roots. Afterwards many more events unfolded including the turnover of Hong Kong to china this prompted HSBC to transfer headquarters to United Kingdom (2003). HSBC sees the Internet as one of several exciting new media, to be incorporated as an integral part of its working. The bank has concluded that e-commerce will change the fabric of the financial services sector and sees it as a way of finding new customers all over the world and improving its services to existing customers. The companys current approach to HRM HSBC has over 260,000 employees at present. The company employs and manages diverse kinds of people all around the world. Such is done by the company because they believe that these people can give them a balanced and well-rounded  organization. This also makes the company adaptable to different kinds of situation. The company wants to reach out to all parts of employment for maximum productivity and value. The company believes that a companys difference with its competitors can be seen in the way it serves it consumers and the way they treat their employees. The company makes sure that they treat the employees with outmost respect for their rights and it makes certain that the company is given the treatment they deserve. The companys personnel policies are geared to attract motivate and develop people who are perceptive, respectful, fair, progressive and responsive. The company aims to make itself a place people would like to work to. In the future the company can steer the g oal of its HRM to making the personnel the most competent people in the industry. The company can initiate activities that will make the personnel more competent without ruining their good relationship. Workforce Diversity HSBC claims that they are the Worlds local bank. Their tagline also applies to their work culture. They believe in the fact that no matter how diverse the work force may be, the ultimate aim of the bank is to have a work culture which is Global in nature. But at the same time they do give regional considerations in order to have synergies with the employees who are from the local population of a particular city/country. This in turn helps the corporation in becoming an employer by choice. Respecting individuals of all types inspires loyalty in both employees and customers, which has a direct line of sight in achieving business goals is their HR departments logo. The strategy is based on the premise that the most important competitive differentiators are the quality of individual service provided to our customers and the way we treat our employees. It connects with Managing for Growth, the brand and the people strategy. What is Diversity? Definition: According to HSBC, diversity is a source of opportunity, whether in employment or the customer markets. Appreciation of this diverse culture fuels group dynamics and helps in creating an environment where teams can perform to their fullest potential. Competitive edge can be gained from the variety present in their workforce and customer base, and specific attention to market variation. Example: In todays global environment, Banking corporations give finance to foreign companies. Now lets say that a company from USA wants to invest in emerging country like India in the field of agricultural technologies and approaches HSBCs New York branch for a loan to fund their new project. Now HSBC on its part would have to study various factors pertaining to the feasibility of the business plan submitted by the borrower. In order to decide whether they should grant a loan to the US company, HSBC will take a long time to collect data about the Indian agriculture prospects, the growth witnessed for the last 5 years, government policies, trade restrictions etc. This process will take a long time. However, now lets consider that this project is assigned to a handful of employees from India or from Indian origin in HSBCs New York branch. These employees by the virtue of being familiar with the country in question (India) would be very much familiar (there is a chance) with the aspects like agriculture in India, government policies pertaining to agriculture, trade etc. And hence, they would be able to prepare a report considerably faster than the employees who are not of Indian origin. This would considerably reduce HSBCs labour hours and would help them in coming up a quicker decision. This would thus make HSBC more competitive against a bank which does not have a diverse workforce. Recruitment and Selection HSBCs recruitment and selection policies are scripted in accordance with the organizations Equal Opportunities Policy. HSBC ensures that each stage of the recruitment procedure is conveyed out in a methodical manner and is based on pre-agreed criteria. They strive to eradicate individual bias that can influence the conclusion producing process. They ensure that all conclusion points are completely documented to aid followed by monitoring. HSBCs intentions are to make the entire hiring procedure as open as possible, and to double check that all candidates realize why conclusions have been taken and, where they desire, to get significant feedback. Demonstrate robust, clear methods and hence supply a cornerstone for appropriate defence in the event of a challenge. There are seven major phases to the procedure in the recruitment process in HSBC: Pre-advertisement Placing advertisements and considering with investigations and applicants Short-listing Interviewing and selection Post-selection procedures Induction Monitoring The following are the directing values for recruitment and on-boarding process. Attracting and employing suitable employees is one of the most significant undertakings of the association Merit will be the most significant factor in the recruitment process. Diversity of gender and ethnicity is to be achieved by with the assistance of recruitment vendors and the referral program. While abilities play an important role, they will charter persons who are group players and have the right mind-set most applicable to the heritage of the organization. Attitude is as significant as aptitude. They focus on hiring people who can push the organization to greater heights. They believe in allowing their employees to fulfil their vocational paths. They try and fill vacancies with internal candidates before assessing external candidates. They believe that each nominee consulted becomes an ally of the organization, irrespective of whether she/he is chosen. They treat all the candidates with the utmost respect and are open and equitable in connection with them They will relentlessly consider, recognize and cultivate strategic gifts for universities, administration schools, and community forums to address their long period needs. Hiring Approval All recruitment undertakings will be founded on the chartering design as accepted by the Business Head, HR Head the CEO. For each position, a chartering requisition will be needed prior to initiation of any recruitment activity. If the chartering is not encompassed in the designed allowance, it will also need acceptance from the CEO founded on a recommendation from the Head HR and the CFO. Recruitment total cost and expenditure should be budgeted and pre-approved by the HR Head. Candidate Sourcing: The chartering supervisor along with the Human Resource Department would conclude the source to use founded on the environment of the recruitment. The next causes of recruitment may be considered: Internal Sources: Whenever any vacancy arises, the likelihood of fulfilling the obligation internally via reassignment and relocation, re-allocation of the responsibilities or interior advancement will be discovered by the chartering function along with the HR Department. Employee Referrals: HSBC will boost workers to mention apt candidates for open positions. Other external causes include: Recruitment agencies External job postings College / campus requirement Employment of Relatives The association uses, solely on merit, the relations of employees as long as it does not bring about a conflict of interest. To decrease the possibilities of favouritism the following guidelines should be followed: Relatives are not allotted to a place where he/she has the opening to ascertain, method, and reconsider, accept, review or else sway the work of the individuals cited and above. If an employee is aware of a position that seems to be an opening for people to indulge in favouritism towards relations, one should communicate to the Department Head or Human Resources Department. Employees will not be part of the chartering method of their relations. Internship Program HSBC supplies internship possibilities to students. Such internships will result in young students producing genuine assistance to the company. HSBC will pursue the process as follows: HR will coordinate with enterprise assemblies to recognize possibilities for intern hiring. Internship demands could be obtained either from the students directly or as nominations from the informative institute. HR and chartering supervisor tele-interview the candidates and later conduct individual meetings in the office. Based on the illustrated capability, the intern will be appointed to work in multiple agencies to gain a broader enterprise comprehension. Probation Policy Probation is a test that is mutual opening for the worker and HSBC to affirm suitability for proceeded employment. The probation time span is to set up based on capabilities, anticipations and training required. The worker should illustrate suitability for proceeded employment. An evaluation will be conducted on components associated with work presentation, work customs, productivity, mind-set and compatibility, attendance and punctuality, and any other issue that is connected to the job profile. All new charters will be put on probation for a time span of 6 months from the designated day. HR will dispatch an appraisal pattern to the direct supervisor before culmination of the probationary period. The appraisal pattern is required to be accepted by the supervisors leadership. All notes of confirmation or extension of probation will be marked by the HR head and will be retained in worker records. HR practices in Citibank  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The different steps in which Citibank implements HR practices are given below: I  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Staff Meetings: Staff Meeting aims at group synergy, team building, open culture, family feeling and talent recognition which individually and cumulatively benefit the organizations. Goals/Targets set for the unit/Bank is discussed in the monthly Staff Meetings conducted at all branches/units and action plan is drawn in achieving them. The forum is being effectively utilized for harmonious functioning of all the branches and administrative units through greater involvement and collective contribution of all staff members. II  Brain Storming Sessions This is a technique for generating ideas and suggestions on topics of relevance and also to provide alternate solutions to problems by simulative thinking and imaginative power of cross section of employees. Corporate Topics are selected for each quarter and BSS are conducted in administrative offices/ braches on the topic during every quarter. Worthy implement able suggestions emanated are circulated for necessary action. III Study Circle: Concept of Study Circle aims at self development of employees by kindling the desire to acquire/update knowledge, information and experience. Guest lectures/ Power Point Presentation / Group Discussions, etc. are arranged on topics of general interest by inviting experts in the field. Study Circle Meeting are conducted once in two months in administrative offices and once in a quarter in branches   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  IV Quality Circles It is a time tested tool of Total Quality Management (TQM) which promotes team spirit, cohesive quality work culture, commitment and involvement of employees. Challenges faced by Citibank: The real challenge of that Citibank faced while entering India first time was adopting its HR strategy according to the Indian culture. As most part of the jobs in the banks are monotonous/repetitive and routine, the HRD Department has to empower, engage and energies employees to create effectiveness efficiency through motivation organizational structures, systems procedures are facilitators of these, and there is a need to focus greater attention on these aspects by the industry. However, the emergence of a core and peripheral workforce in many organization has presented new challenges for HR managers public private sector organizations are fast becoming diverse communities for core workers, flexibly employed casual and part-time workers, consultants, contractors business partners. Certain rigidities have also developed in HRD within Citibanks banking system itself because this industry is still largely in the public sector. Suggestions: Following suggestions are very essential to adhere for effective Banking Administration in Citibank: HR functions to be linked to corporate goals. Shift from Industrial relations manager to Business manager or Commercial manager. Team work is another important and essential soft skill that is necessary in this industry. The HR Professionals have to introduce improve the adaptability of their structure that will be able to absorb, draw and retain the best. As people are primary asset, it is essential not only to invest in them, but also to ensure that the supporting elements for this asset are such that it can provide the maximum value on a sustainable basis. HRD is to be regularly reviewed against business outcomes as part of strategic and operational planning. To overcome the public sectors hierarchical structure, which gives preference to seniority over performance, is not the best environment to attract the best talent from among the young. ICICI Banks HR Practices Selection Process As per ICICI Banks research and in-depth study, following competencies are required to succeed in ICICI Bank: Customer first Passion Dynamism Compliance with conscience In order to assess the same a set of tools are used a. Aptitude Tests (for applicants with 0-2 years of work experience) The tests are designed to assess basic aptitude of candidates including numerical comprehension, verbal comprehension, logical reasoning and basic checking abilities. These are important skills for the role of an entry-level manager and people who do well in these tests tend to do well in their jobs at ICICI Bank. The total time taken in this exercise is 55 minutes. b. Occupational Personality Questionnaire Applicants are also required to complete the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) before they appear for the selection, the results of which are integrated into our selection process. Recruitment As a rapidly growing organization the bank looks to induct post-graduate management talent from various business schools across the country. Enthusiastic and talented youth form the backbone of their banking operations. The bank offers a wide range of careers in all functions including Finance, Marketing, Operations, Information Technology and Human Resources. According to Ramkumar (Group Chief Human Resources Officer of ICICI Bank in 2005), 4,000 of the recruits are freshers (2,500 MBAs from different management schools and about 1,500 graduates from various colleges). The banks growth in the retail segment is the driver for sharp hike in headcount of the bank. There is need of recruits to serve the fast growing small and medium enterprise, rural/agriculture, private banking and wealth management segments. Theres also a concurrent need for technical, back-office operations and quality assurance personnel. The bank recruits about 75 students from IIMs and another 100 from the next tier such as SP Jain, NMIMS, Symbiosis, Bajaj, etc., every year. It recruits only some persons from other banks. About 7.5 lakh persons working in the public sector bank generally dont change jobs and rather prefer job security. As a result, the remaining one lakh in private sector is a limited supply pool for a growing banking sector. So, the bank looks out for other companies in aviation and hospitality sector so that persons who like to serve customers are recruited. The group has some 50,000 employees on its direct payroll and another 1, 00,000 are indirectly employed as insurance agents and people working under service providers. The bank gets 4 lakh CVs each year. This benefits the bank and it does not face any hiring problem as there is plenty to choose from. While most of the hiring happens directly, consultancy firms are used for some of the higher level recruitments. The plans are to hire more people for insurance and securities broking businesses as these sectors are growing very fast. The bank has tied up with local colleges. With this, it is easy for them to create a local supply and also consume locally. Also, it would be able to gain the respect of the community and create loyalty. The recruits would be able to speak the local language. The motive is partially social and also makes good business sense. Also in a bid to control recruitment costs and raise productivity of its HR personnel, the bank has collaborated with Internet service providers such as Reliance Infocomm for providing interview cubicles with audio-visual recording and tele-conferencing facilities. By this process it would be convenient for candidates to attend interviews at centres nearest to their homes, instead of travelling to Mumbai, where interviews generally take place. The interview centres are expected to improve productivity of the banks human resources personnel by about 30%. It will also reduce the time invested by HR heads as they have to spend a lot of time traveling to tier-II cities to interview candidates. These interview centres would remain open 24 hours a day. This is a boon for working candidates who can find time only after office hours. Online application forms and an in-bound call desk are other initiatives the bank is taking to support recruitment. Bringing a Change The professional work culture, high salary and faster growth prospects make the group a preferred destination for top business school students. The senior bank officials have also met representatives of the countrys top 20 B-schools to discuss changes to their curricula so as to make them reflect the changing business dynamics. As per the current industry trends, retail and rural banking are emerging as big areas. So, the bank has suggested B-schools to forge them in the curriculum. Also, the nature of internships for B-school students should be changed from those involving mere summer training and data collection to the ones undertaken by doctors and lawyers. Research should be India centric and Indian case studies should be prepared for students. According to him, the group is not worried about getting skilled people as it has the infrastructure to train the well educated people. ICICI Bank, which boasts an extremely high proportion of women by industry standards (32,000 women or one-third of their headcount), has been running a campaign on campuses for last two years to bust notions regarding career options for women. There are some male stereotypes about certain kinds of job profiles and that is a misplaced notion which the bank is trying to correct. The average age of an employee at ICICI bank is 30 year. And 70% of these employees have additional qualifications they are CAs, MBAs or have diplomas in business management. Training Talents The banks HR Head believes that it is up to organizations to train the fresh talent so as to be able to retain them in the future. ICICI Bank spends 1.5% of its profits on training and has nine training centres across the country today. It employs 30,000 people and recruits 15,000 people annually. The training sessions are customized to enable employees to handle an irate customer without being aggressive or defensive; instead reassure him/her and work towards a solution in the right attitude. It also helps the employee handle difficult situations such as 5 customers appearing at the counter at one time. Training sessions are more or less on grooming, etiquette and more on presenting ones company, product and oneself, identification of customer needs, listening, and so on. To add to it, the senior managers of ICICI Bank take regular classes at B-schools and this provides an opportunity for interface with the institutes as well as help supplement the theoretical inputs with practical cases. The organization is tech-savvy, non-hierarchical, where early responsibility and independent decision-making enable each employee to reach their potential. Coupled with this is a strong performance management system that has built a meritocracy where high performing-high potential individuals are duly rewarded. Understandably, its a good time for bankers. Few years back, branch managers in private sector banks were getting Rs. 6 lakh a year. Now, they are being offered salaries as high as Rs. 25 lakh by MNC banks. Human Capital ICICI Bank views its human capital as a key source of competitive advantage. Consequently the development and management of human capital is an essential element of our strategy and a key management activity. Human resources management in fiscal year 2002 focused on smooth integration of the employees and human resource management systems in the context of the merger, as well as on continuous improvement of recruitment, training and performance management processes. The process of integration involved defining the organizational structure of the merged entity, people placement in various positions across the business and corporate groups, and integration of the grade and remuneration structure for the employees of the four entities. The organizational structure was announced in February 2002 and became effective on May 3, 2002. The people placement process was based on appropriate competency profiling tools and matching employee profiles to job specifications. The grade integration process has also been successfully completed, using job evaluation techniques. The recruitment process has been streamlined and a uniform recruitment policy and process implemented across the merged organization. Robust ability-testing and competency-profiling tools are being used to strengthen the campus recruitment process and match the profiles of employees to the needs of the organization. ICICI Bank continues to be a preferred employer at leading business schools and higher education institutions across the country, offering a wide range of career opportunities across the entire spectrum of financial services. In addition to campus recruitment, ICICI Bank also undertakes lateral recruitment to bring new skills, competencies and experience into the organization and meet the requirements of rapidly growing businesses. A Six Sigma initiative has been undertaken for the lateral recruitment process to improve capabilities in this area. ICICI Bank encourages cross-functional movement, enriching employees knowledge and experience and giving them a holistic view of the organization while ensuring that the bank leverages its human capital optimally. The rapidly changing business environment and the constant challenges it poses to organizations and businesses make it imperative to continuously enhance knowledge and skill sets across the organization. ICICI Bank believes that building a learning organization is critical for being competitive in products and services and meeting customer expectations. ICICI Bank has built strong capabilities in training and development to build competencies. Training on products and operations is imparted through web-based training modules. Special programs on functional training and leadership development to build knowledge as well as management ability are conducted at a dedicated training facility. ICICI Bank also draws from the best available training programs and faculty, both international and domestic; to meet its training and development needs and build globally benchmarked skills and capabilities. ICICI Bank seeks to build in all its employees a total commitment towards exceptional standards of performance and productivity, adaptability to changing organizational needs and the demands of the business environment and a willingness to learn and acqu

The Relevance of Sophocles to Today’s World :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Relevance of Sophocles to Today’s World A play is meant to entertain. A play that amuses the audience is considered a comedy, and a play that saddens is classified as a tragedy. Sophocles wrote tragedies about ordinary people and their interaction with fate. All of Sophocles’ major characters posses a heroic flaw. A heroic flaw is a trait that brings both good and bad events upon the character (Magill 3). Sophocles’ use of heroic flaws, the irony between a prophecy and a characters attempt to avoid it, his definition of what makes someone great, and his view of laws are the reasons why his plays are still read almost two thousand years after they were written. Sophocles was born in Colonus, Greece in 496 b.c.e. At the time of his birth, there was a legend about an exiled Theban king, Oedipus. It was said that Oedipus disappeared somewhere around Colonus, and because of this he protected the area (Magill 1). This tale was the source of three of Sophocles’ greatest plays: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone (Romilly 2). Sophocles’ involvement in theatre started at a young age. He sang in a chorus celebrating an Athenian naval battle. As an adult, Sophocles was credited with playing the lyre, a musical instrument, and he also played the lead role in one of his plays. However as he aged, he stopped appearing on stage because of his weakened voice. This ended the Greek custom of playwrights playing the lead role in their own plays (Magill 1). Sophocles won his first award for his plays at the festival of Dionysius in 648b.c.e. The other contender for this award was Aeschylus, an older and more experienced Greek playwright. A legend about this first victory states that because of high tensions over the competition, ten Athenian generals presented Sophocles the award instead of the customary ten government officials. Sophocles went on to win this award twenty more times, more frequently than any other playwright. When he did not win, he came in second. He never came in last place (Magill 2). A position in the government was a symbol of a person’s status in society. When Sophocles’ plays were at the peak of their popularity, he served as the head of the treasury and as a general for the city of Athens (Magill 2). Sophocles’ power, popularity, and the greed of his eldest son provide an insight into how he viewed himself.

Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Essay

What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century?| The major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century included the radio, television, and communication gadgetry, such as personal computers, cable TV, DVDs, DVRs, direct broadcast satellites, fax machines, cell phones, smartphones, and PDAs.For a large part of the 20th century, televisions and radios where stationary devices. More recently, devices such as, laptops, ipads, and smartphones allow people to view magazine articles, radio programs, songs, TV shows, and movies, from almost any location they want. On the Internet, multiple images, texts, and sounds are digitally reproduced and transmitted globally. These devices are constantly being update to provide consumers with the newest technologies possible. The Internet and social media, such as Facebook and e-mail are other large developments in the evolution of mass media. In fact, Facebook alone has more than 500 million users worldwide. Social media allows people from all over the world to connect through ongoing online conversations, share stories and interests, and to produce their own media content. This also gives people the choice to upload photos and homemade videos, and share them with others around the world.The media convergence has allowed media marketers to consolidate multiple media services such as, cable connections, phone services, television transmissions, and Internet access, under one corporate umbrella. For example, when a company owns more than on media outlet they can have a reporter or producer to create multiple different versions of the same story for multiple media outlets. This helps companies to manage resources and maximize profits. How did each development influence American culture?| The rapid development of cable television and the Internet have caused traditional leaders in communication to lose some of their control o ver information. For example, ABC, CBS, and NBC lost some of their audience to other networks, like MTV, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Comedy Central, and radio talk shows. Internet Bloggers have become a large factor in the news as well because blogging allows anyone to speak  their mind at any time. The Internet and social media are changing the ways in which we absorb and interact with the media culture. Sending letters through the mail has, to some, become a thing of the past, as e-mail has become the quickest way to send communication to one person or a group of people in a matter of seconds. In addition, several repressive and totalitarian regimes have had difficulties with controlling messages sent through the borderless Internet.Along with these types of developments, we have also seen differences in the types of content that is put on news shows, television shows, video games, radio shows, and the Internet. From personal problems to dangerous stunts, this type of content has consumers worried about the overwhelming amount of information now available. Research indicates that there is a connection between aggression in children and violent games and entertainment shows. According to Campbell (2012), â€Å"children, who watch nearly forty thousand TV commercials each year, are particularly vulnerable to marketers selling junk, food, toys, and â€Å"cool† clothing†. The evolution of mass media has come a long way, but it plays a controversial role in society. | Resource Campbell, R., Martin, C.R., & Fabos, B (2012) Media & culture: An introduction to mass communication (8th.) New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

1 Problem 20 Beyond Essay

1 Problem 20 Beyond Essay 1 Problem 20 Beyond Essay Chapter 1 the equity method of accounting for investments 20. (10 minutes) (Reporting of equity income and transfers) a. Equity in investee income: Equity income accrual ($100,000 Ãâ€" 25%) $25,000 Less: deferral of intra-entity unrealized gross profit (below) (3,000) Less: patent amortization (given) (10,000) Equity in investee income $12,000 Deferral of intra-entity unrealized gross profit: Remaining inventory- end of year $32,000 Gross profit percentage (GP $30,000 à · Sales $80,000) Ãâ€" 37 ½% Profit within remaining inventory $12,000 Ownership percentage Ãâ€" 25% Intra-entity unrealized gross profit $ 3,000 b. In 2015, the deferral of $3,000 will likely become realized by BuyCo’s use or sale of this inventory. Thus, the equity accrual for 2015 will be increased by $3,000 in that year. Recognition of this amount is simply being delayed from 2014 until 2015, the year actually earned. c. The direction (upstream versus downstream) of the intra-entity transfer does not affect the above answers. However as discussed in Chapter Five, a controlling interest calls for a 100% gross profit deferral for downstream intra-entity transfers. In the presence of only signification influence, however, equity method accounting is identical regardless of whether an intra-entity transfer is upstream or downstream. 21. (25 minutes) (Conversion from fair-value method to equity method with a subsequent sale of a portion of the investment) Equity method income accrual for 2015 30 percent of $644,000 for  ½ year = $ 96,600 24 percent of $644,000 for  ½ year = 77,280 Total income accrual (no amort. or unearned gross profit) $173,880 Gain on sale (below) 31,000 Total income statement effect – 2015 $204,880 Gain on sale of 9,000 shares of Marion: Cost of initial acquisition- 2013 $435,000 10% income accrual (conversion made to equity method) 35,900 10% of dividends (10,700) Cost of second acquisition- 2014 1,000,000 30% income accrual- 2014 150,300 30% of dividends- 2014 (39,750) 30% income accrual for  ½ year- 2015 96,600 30% of dividends for  ½ year- 2015 (22,350) Book value of 45,000 shares on July 1, 2015 $1,645,000 Cash proceeds from the sale: 9,000 shares Ãâ€" $40 $360,000 Less: book value of shares sold: $1,645,000 Ãâ€" (9,000 à · 45,000) 329,000 Gain on sale $ 31,000 22. (25 minutes) (Verbal overview of equity method, includes conversion to equity method) a. In 2014, the fair-value method (available-for-sale security) was appropriate. Thus, the only income recognized was the dividends declared. Collins should originally have reported dividend income equal to 10 percent of Merton’s dividends. b. The assumption is that Collins’ level of ownership now provides the company with the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of Merton. Factors that indicate such a level of influence are described in the textbook and include representation on the investee’s board of directors, material intra-entity transactions, and interchange of managerial personnel. 22. (continued) c. Despite holding 25 percent of Merton’s outstanding stock, application of the equity method is inappropriate absent the ability to apply significant influence. Factors that indicate a lack of such influence include: an agreement whereby the owner surrenders significant rights, a concentration of the remaining ownership, and failure to gain representation on the board of directors. d. The equity method attempts to reflect the relationship between the investor and the investee in two ways. First, the investor recognizes investment income as soon as it is earned by the investee. Second, the Investment account reported by the investor is increased and decreased to indicate changes in the underlying book value of the investee. e. Criticisms of the equity

ETHICS AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IN LEGAL PRACTICE essays

ETHICS AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IN LEGAL PRACTICE essays In the decades following the Nazi Holocaust of World War II, endeavored to understand the psychology behind mass acceptance of and in large-scale moral atrocities. In 1967, Burt Ross' controversial "Wave" into group identification and blind obedience using high school students to offer insight into Nazi Germany. In 1972, Stanley Milgram designed a (filmed) experiments at Yale University, which dramatically illustrated the susceptibility of otherwise "normal" individuals to perpetrate brutality was ever conducted on the post-war German population, for whom the was initially intended (Luban, p.97). Almost simultaneously, in 1971, Philip Zimbardo conducted another (filmed) experiments at Stanford University that were originally designed investigate the effects of captivity. Unexpectedly, they revealed dramatic relating to the intoxicating power of authority and the acceptance of behavioral realities that had to be terminated very prematurely for the and emotional well being of some of the subjects. Indeed, Zimbardo was so concerned about potential long term psychological trauma from the study maintained regular, periodic consultations with the participants for afterwards. Zimbardo's famous experiment involved the creation of a using undergraduates assigned randomly to be prisoners and prison guards. Under subsequent analysis, the revelations of all these pioneering the roles played by agency, authority, obedience, corruption of judgment, cognitive dissonance theory in human behavior suggest that as many as two- the human population is capable of accepting and participating in horrific conduct under the right circumstances and external influences. The also consistent with the findings of Hannah Arendt (Luban, p.104) who the notorious Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann prior to his execution in Israel. In the everyday practice of law, these principles regularly in...

King Corn Movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

King Corn Movie - Essay Example The film presents the revolution that has occurred in the process of farming, whereby the tractor has replaced the use of horses to pull the plow. In this case, the tractor is one of the equipments that have been introduced in the process of farming. Some of the other aspects in farming, which are discussed in this documentary, regards the decision by the government to subsidies the corn in order to keep their price low. Essentially, the small farmers were offered a low chance of expanding, thereby leading to significant changes u the quality of corn over the years. Besides, most of the production of corn had been used as for feeding animals and production of corn syrup, which has nutritional quality in the manufacture of foods high in a variety of starch. Therefore, the new variety of corn that was introduced could not be consumed before being possessed; thus farmers were no longer able to consume the products that they were growing. Some of major problems presented in film involved the growing and production of crops that are not consumable by farmers until they processed. In this case, there was a large area in Iowa, where corn was grown on a large track of land, and this was longer there by the time Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis were undertaking their experiment. Apparently, as the farmers continued to understand the problem of growing corn for being inedible until processing; hence, they decided stop growing the crop. On the other hand, there was another problem, which involved the crop being stripped of vital nutrients as a result of genetic engineering in order to facilitate increased populations of the crop. In this case, there... The paper tells about the story in which two college graduates Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis argues that they have identified the significance of consuming corn. This leads to curiosity of travelling in search for a way they could grow corn. However, they both trace their ancestry at a small town of Iowa, and they made a decision to lease an acre of land, which could enable them undertake their experiment. In this case, the movie explains that some families had the same piece of land, and there was an aspect of chance from the crop size due to the establishment of merchandise farming and degradation of product quality. Therefore, their experiment and documentary portrayed an aspect of change and the perception towards corn. Some of major problems presented in film involved the growing and production of crops that are not consumable by farmers until they processed. In this case, there was a large area in Iowa, where corn was grown on a large track of land, and this was longer there by the time Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis were undertaking their experiment. The film presents ideas that corn is the process into various products such as a sweetener and ethanol, animal feeds, and the corn syrup, which is consumed by most of the Americans in the present days. Finally, Cheney and Ellis realized that their acre was untraceable due to the magnitude of the corn industry; in fact, this proofed that government subsidies play a significant role in ensuring that corn production remains profitable.

Agenda - Disparities and access to healthy food in the United States Essay

Agenda - Disparities and access to healthy food in the United States - Essay Example On the other hand, the healthy foods are very expensive compared to the unhealthy ones leading people to opt for the cheaper food and especially in the hard economic times (Smith, et al. 2013). This disparity in access to healthy food in the nation needs to be addressed immediately if the mortality rates from unhealthy eating habits are to reduce. This issue is more important than other agendas as it is in regards to the survival of human beings. Humans need food in order to live, be healthy enough to work as well as to reproduce. Without the necessary balanced diet food for every individual in the nation, the productivity will reduce and mortality will increase as has been established above. A nation cannot be built when people are unhealthy and if this agenda is not taken seriously and overlooked, then the economy of the nation will start plummeting. The issue is not about food scarcity as per se but rather about healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables which are available in the grocery stores. The ones being sold in supermarkets are organic in nature and not many Americans can be able to afford them. When people fail to afford, it means their access is curtailed and the other option is to purchase the unhealthy food that is cheaper and accessible (Smith, et al. 2013). Support for the agenda is needed to not only reduce the disparity but the access to healthy food as well. The support can be structural or economic and can be offered by the government which has a lot of influence as well as work in conjunction with the private sector which has more resources. The support to reduce and completely eliminate the issue of disparity as well as access to healthy foods is a joint effort. The government alone cannot be able to support the issue on its own. Farmers need to be encouraged to grow more of these healthy foods to curb the demand (Larson, Story and Nelson, 2009). With the supply being in plenty,