Piper Alpha Case Studies Essay Example

Piper Alpha Case Studies Paper Abstract This research report is about the Piper Alpha Disaster that happened in 1988. Being one of the major oil production oil-rig in the UK, the accident that took place more than 20 years ago caught the attention of many, especially those in the field. The happening was largely due to the complacency of the supervisors as well as the safety measures of the management. Using the internet, academic journals and textbooks available, the research was conducted by referring to various sources of information regarding the incident. After the explosion there are many new prevention steps taken in this field of industry as well as new managing system of the offshore regulatory control. 1. Introduction 1. 1 Background The Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd. It accounted for around ten per cent of the oil and gas production from North Sea at the time. Located about 120 miles north-east of Aberdeen, The platform began production in 1976 first as an oil platform and then later converted to gas production (Drysdale Slyvester-Evans, 1998). For safety reasons, the modules were organized such that the most dangerous operations were distant from personnel areas such as the accommodation deck, but still this still one of the worst offshore oil disaster to date. 1. 2 The Happening The disaster began with a routine maintenance procedure. On the morning of the 6th of July 1988, a certain backup propane condensate pump in the processing area needed to have its pressure safety valve checked (Drysdale Slyvester-Evans, 1998). We will write a custom essay sample on Piper Alpha Case Studies specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Piper Alpha Case Studies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Piper Alpha Case Studies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The work could not be completed by 1800 and the workers asked for and received permission to leave the rest of the work until the next day. Later in the evening during the next work shift, the primary condensate pump failed. None of those present were aware that a vital part of the machine had been removed and decided to start the backup pump. Gas products escaped from the hole left by the valve. Gas audibly leaked out at high pressure, ignited and exploded, blowing through the firewalls. The fire spread through the damaged firewalls, destroyed some oil lines and soon large quantities of stored oil were burning out of control. About twenty minutes after the initial explosion, at 2220, the fire had spread and become hot enough to weaken and then burst the gas risers from the other platforms. Many jump out of windows into the sea hoping to be picked up by safe boats but only 67 were saved in this fashion. 167 out of 229 people on board were killed, mostly died suffocated on carbon monoxide and fumes in the accommodation area. The generation and utilities module, which included the fireproofed accommodation block, slipped into the sea. The largest part of the platform followed it. The whole accident took place in 22 minutes. 1. 3 Purpose of the Report The purpose of this research is to examine the objectives and structure of the management of the Piper Alpha platform in the North Sea, UK. The operation and industrial processes of the platform will be carefully evaluated and to spot the risk or any areas overlooked that contributed to the accident. To identify the consequences of the accident (e. g. amage and costs) and the improvements in the management systems to prevent such disaster from happening again. 2. Management and Operation 2. 1 Piper Field Oil Platform The Piper Alpha oil production platform was a North Sea oil production platform in the United Kingdom operated by Occidental Petroleum Ltd. It began production in 1976 until 1988 where the disaster sinked the whole platform into the sea. First th e Piper Alpha platform functions as an oil platform and then later converted into gas production. 2. 1. 1 Management Four companies that later transformed into the OPCAL joint venture to obtain n oil exploration license in 1972 that lead them to discover the Piper oil field located north of England, beside Scotland. At the time of the disaster the Piper Oil field was accounted for approximately ten percent of the North Sea oil and gas production. The offshore oil and gas was a very new industry introduced to the United Kingdom very briefly 30 years ago. The naive government was seduced by the very promising reward of the industry, knowing that it’ll be high risk. The management disregarded adherence to certain safety rules. There were regulations, but enforcement was not there. The nation and corporate pride rendered everything in disaster. 2. 1. 2 Structure and Function A large fixed platform, Piper Alpha was situated on the Piper oilfield, approximately 120 miles (193 km) northeast of Aberdeen in 474 feet (144 m) of water, and comprised four modules separated by firewalls. The platform was constructed by McDermott Engineering at Ardersier and UIE at Cherbourg, with the sections united at Ardersier before tow out during 1975, with production commencing in late 1976 (Drysdale Slyvester-Evans, 1998). The west and east elevation of the topsides of the Piper Alpha platform are as shown in figures 2 and 3. Module A, the wellhead module was considered to be the most hazardous were arranged so to provide a maximum separation with module D, which contain various utilities and also the accommodation deck above. Module comprises of 36 wellhead which is used to control the flow of hydrocarbons and water from the well. Module B is the production where separation of oil and other fluids took place. From there, the oil will also be pumped into the main oil-line for transmission to Flotta. It contained the manifolds, test and main production seperators and the main oil line export pump. Module C contains the gas compression equipment whereby gas from the production seperators will be compressed for export ashore via the main oil line. In the early 1980’s, a gas conservation module had been installed at the 107’ level but at the time of the disaster this module was under maintenance and therefore gas was compressed and processed only in module C. 2. 2 Objectives of the Management Consider the situation prevailing in the North Sea ten minutes prior to the incident, the standard operating climate in the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas industry could be characterized as a mixture of greed, ignorance, complacency and the lack of concern for the danger that the individual faced. Though this has been long recognized, but the conveniently ignored fact was given approval by the government. It excluded the offshore industry from the provision of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and allowed the government safety inspectors under the Department of Energy of watch over it. 3. Industrial Processes . 1 Operation Functions The Piper Alpha production level and deck support level are shown in figures 4 and 5 respectively. The oil platform started production in 1976 with about 250,000 barrels (40,000 m3) of oil per day increasing to 300,000 barrels (48,000 m3). A gas recovery module was installed by 1980. Production declined to 125,000 barrels (19,900 m3) by 1988. The OP CAL also built the Flotta oil terminal on Orkney Island, using the sub-sea pipeline to deliver the processed oil to the terminal. The terminal also acts as a terminal for some other oil platform like the Tartan and Claymore field. One thirty inch (0. 762 m) diameter main oil pipeline ran 128 miles (206 kilometers) from Piper Alpha to Flotta, with a short oil pipeline from the Claymore platform joining it some twenty miles (32 km) to the west. The Tartan field also fed oil to Claymore and then onto the main line to Flotta. Separate 46 cm diameter gas pipelines run from Piper to the Tartan platform and from Piper to the gas compressing platform some 30 miles (48 km) to the northwest. As mentioned in 2. 1. 2 structure and functions, module A, B and C are the main processing and production section. Module D located at the north face/ end of the platform consist of the control room, workshops, electrical power generation, the emergency diesel generator and some switch gear. The accommodation deck is also directly above module D. Module A-D were all separated by firewalls which were not rated for explosion over pressure (Drysdale Slyvester-Evans, 1998). The firewall between modules C and D was specified for a 6 hours fire rating while those between modules A and B and modules B and C were specified as a fire barrier of 4. 5 hours (see figure 4). At the time of the disaster, the hydrocarbon inventory within the production modules was approximately 80 tonnes, this mainly being located in module B and, in particular, within the two production separators. In addition, there was a further 160 tonnes of diesel located in tanks above module C. The location of the risers on the platform is shown in figure 5. Each pipeline had an emergency shutdown valve located in close proximity to its respective pig trap. Each valve was designed to be closed from the control room and provide a positive isolation of the pipeline from the platform. 4. Causes of the Incident 4. 1 Human Factors A number of human errors were identified to contribute to the severity of the incident including deficient analysis of hazard, deficiencies in permit to work system, inadequate training in this field of industry and emergency response procedure. There was a breakdown of the chain of command and lack of any communication to the platforms crew (Pate-Cornell, 1992). The Cullen report on Piper Alpha was highly critical of the management system in the company. Managers had minimal qualifications, which led to poor practices and ineffective audits. The workers on the platform were also not adequately trained in emergency procedures, and management was not trained to make up the gap and provide good leadership during a crisis situation. Other than that, Occidental Petroleum had regular safety audits of its facilities but they were not performed well. Few, if any, problems were ever brought up, even though there were serious issues with corrosion of deluge system pipes and heads and many other issues. When a major problem was found, it was sometimes just ignored. All these contributed greatly to the disaster. . 2 Design and Process Factors In the control room the monitoring panels were not clearly visible and operators could not tell were the alarms originated from during the explosion. The firewalls on Piper Alpha could have stopped the spread of a fire. They were however not built to withstand an explosion. The initial blast blew the firewalls down, and the subsequent fire spread unimpeded. The disaster would not have occurred if the pump where work was being done had been positively isolated when first detected the problem at night (Pate-Cornell, 1992). Isolation is not achieved by shutting a valve but requires means such as insertion of a slip plate or removal of a pipe section. Moreover, the emergency shutdown and backup valves were not in proper location where it is easily accessible in case of fire. Above all, there was no temporary safe refuge (e. g. a room that could withstand fire and have breathable atmosphere) on the platform to weather disaster of such kind. The escape and evacuation route was also very limited, causing much of the on board workers to die of suffocation. 4. 3 Roots Factors The main factors that cause this terrible incident would largely be blamed on humans. The overall attitude of the United Kingdom government and also the management were complacent and ignorant. There were many issues that were rushed over when delving into this industry, blinded by pride and the offer of high-tech sunrise industry. Regulations and rules set were just for legal purposes only, not really much enforced in the days. OPCAL invested a lot into this new technology. Thinking that so much had been invested and earned, they will obviously spend enough to make sure it won’t just lose everything so easily. There was a grim acceptance among the workforce that if a ? 500 million platform would go up in smoke, there must be 5000 lifeboat or more than enough rubber dingy would save their life. Lifeboat were being guarded by unprepared crew, nobody took the safety aspect seriously (Bull, 2004). The whole industry and project was full of complacency, from the government to the management, to the workers. This killing attitude was reflected in their work procedures, precautions taken and even the building of the structure itself. 5. Consequences of the Effects of the Incident . 1 Health 229 people were on board and 167 were killed, including two men from the standby vessel. Many of those saved were also seriously injured. Other than that, most of the survivors were diagnose of having a long term psychological problems. They were reposted of having psychological and behavioral symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (Pate-Cornell, 1992). 28 of the survivors had difficulty in finding employm ent following the disaster, it appears that offshore employers the Piper Alpha survivors as bringers of bad luck. Family members and friends of the victims were also greatly affected on their psychological and social life. Other than the drawbacks on health, it was also accounted that the Piper Alpha survivors were stronger than before the disaster. They’ve learned to values things more, having a change of perspective and strengthening the family bond they have. 5. 2 Environment and Ecology The impact of the disaster on the environment was notable. Scientist showed that a highly toxic chemical that fell into the North Sea during the explosion would not have been completely burned up. Up to 5. 5tonnes of cooling fluid, polychlorinated bithenyl (PCB) went into to the sea, disrupting the marine life. The chemical was very resistant toward fire and decomposition quickly went into the food chain. Fishes caught in the North Sea were found to be contaminated with the chemical. The burning of the oil and gas on the platform produces great amount of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. These gases could have contributed to the increasing green house effect and also air pollution. There was also oil spilled to the sea during the explosion. These oils contaminated the surrounding beaches, coastal areas and shallow lagoons. Some animals were totally wiped out due to the contaminated water such as the littoral crab. 5. 3 Costs The disaster costs a total insured lost of US$3. 4 billion. This is the worst offshore oil disaster. Not only does OPCAL lost the Piper Alpha platform, but the income that the platform generates every day. At the time of the disaster, the Piper Alpha platform produces 125,000barrels per day. The disaster led to insurance claims of around US$ 1. billion, making it at that time the largest insured man-made catastrophe (Bull, 2004). 6. Improvement and Prevention 6. 1 Design and Process There was a regulatory offshore installation control being implemented. The Offshore Installation Safety Case Regulations, a written document in which a company must demonstrate that an effective safety management (SMS) is in place on a particular offshore insta llation. Fire walls that can withstand explosion must be used instead of the normal fire walls to avoid explosion destroying the structure (Bull, 2004). There should also be protection against and mitigation of fire on the platform itself. Relying on outside assistance like the fire brigade is just too ineffective. The disaster would not have occurred if the pump where work was being done had been positively isolated. Isolation is not achieved by shutting a valve but requires means such as insertion of a slip plate or removal of a pipe section. Emergency shutdown valves and backup valves are essential to cutting off fuel supply in case of fire, so there must always be one at multiple point of the platform and also easily accessible. The temporary safety refuge (TSR) should have a breathable atmosphere and fire protection. Prevention of smoke ingress into TSR is available through smoke and gas detectors that initiate smoke dampers and prevent circulation of smoke throughout the TSR (Bull, 2004). More than one route to helicopters and lifeboats must be present at any given time to ensure evacuation of the platform in a crisis situation. To facilitate escape from a hazardous situation, luminescent strips and heat shielding provide visibility in smoke and protection from flames, respectively. Secondary escapes such as ropes, ladders, and nets are also available as backup for the more sophisticated escape methods. 6. 2 Human Resources Throughout the disaster there were too many informal communications. Communications between shift change was also lacking. A Permit-to-Work system was introduced, it is a system of paperwork designed to promote communications between all parties affected by the maintenance procedure done on the platform (Bull, 2004). Other than that, management systems in the company must highly qualify. Managers on Piper Alpha had minimal qualifications, which led to poor practices and ineffective audits, which should be avoided completely. To control such a system of high risk there should be someone who is highly qualified. Occidental Petroleum had regular safety audits of its facilities but they were not performed well. Few, if any, problems were ever brought up, even though there were serious issues with corrosion of deluge system pipes and heads and many other issues. When a major problem was found, it must be quickly attended. 6. 3 Safety and Health The workers on the platform were not adequately trained in emergency procedures, and management was not trained to make up the gap and provide good leadership during a crisis situation. Proper safety training should be given to all workers before working on any offshore platforms. Routine body check-up should also be carried out to ensure all workers on board are fit for duty at all time. In case of any accident, any offshore platform should always provide gas masks or smoke dampers installed in the platform to avoid toxic gas being inhaled by workers. To contain the oil spilled, facilities or standby ships must be ever ready to tackle any accident to minimize the damaged caused (Bull, 2004). 7. Conclusion The Piper Alpha disaster was clearly an accident of human errors. With a mixed of complacency and indifferent towards the needs for safety, there is no one to be blamed for that. It cost not only the company great losses but also the government and many innocent lives. On the other hand the accident caught enough attention to change a lot of regulations and attention towards safety at work, especially industry that involves dangerous working conditions such as oil and gas. Any other countries and companies started to have a strict enforcement on safety at work. Structures and designs of platform give more possible backup plans in case of accident. Nevertheless, the working attitude of a worker is the most important to ensure safety at any time, for it is the altitude depends on attitude, not aptitude. 8. List of References Bull, D. C. 2004, A critical review of post Piper-Alpha developments in explosion science for the Offshore Industry, HSE publications, Norwich. Centre Of RSK 2001, Piper Alpha Accident [Online]. URL: http://www. smd. mul. ac. uk/risk/yearone/casestudies/piper-alpha. html Drysdale, D. D. ; Slyvester-Evans, R. 1998, ‘The explosion and Fire on the Piper Alpha Platform, 6 July 1988’, A case study, Technical Note, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 2929-2951. Fire And Blast Information Group 2011, Piper Alpha [Online]. URL: http://www. fabig. com/Accidents/Piper+Alpha. htm Heaney, M. 2007, Lessons Learnt From The Piper Alpha Disaster [Online ]. URL: http://www. ecademy. com/node. php? id=80465 Learning from accidents, Kletz, T. , 3rd edition, Gulf Professional Publishing, 2001. Lees’ Loss Prevention in the Process Industries: Hazard Identification, Assessment and Control, ed. Mannan, S. , 3rd edition, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. Pate-Cornell, M. E. 1992, ‘A Post-mortem Analysis of Technical and Organizational Factors’, Learning From The Piper Alpha Accident, Technical Note, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 215-232. The Public Inquiry into the Piper Alpha Disaster, Cullen, The Honourable Lord, HM Stationery Office, 1990. Wikipedia 2011, Piper Alpha [Online]. URL: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Piper_Alpha

Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Example

Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Example Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Smu I Year Hrm Exam Notes Essay Explain the objectives and process of HRP? Human resource planning or manpower planning is essentially the predetermine process of getting the right number of qualified people into the right job at the right time. In Other Words Human resource planning is a process by which an organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position.Through planning, management strikes to have the right number and right kinds of people, at the right places, at the right time, doing things which result in both the organization and the individual receiving maximum long-run benefit. Process of HRP: 1. Assessing Human Resources The assessment of HR begins with environmental analysis, under which the external (PEST) and internal (objectives, resources and structure) are analyzed to assess the currently available HR inventory level. 2. Demand Forecasting HR forecasting is the process of estimating demand for and supply of HR in an organization.Demand forecasting is a process of determining future needs for HR in terms of quantity and quality. 3. Supply Forecasting Supply is another side of human resource assessment. It is concerned with the estimation of supply of manpower given the analysis of current resource and future availability of human resource in the organization. 4. Matching Demand and Supply It is another step of human resource planning. It is concerned with bringing the forecast of future demand and supply of HR. The matching process refers to bring demand and supply in an equilibrium position so that shortages and over staffing position will be solved. . Action Plan It is the last phase of human resource planning which is concerned with surplus and shortages of human resource. Under it, the HR plan is executed through the designation of different HR activities. The major activities which are required to execute the HR plan are recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, socialization etc. Objectives of HRP: 1. To recruit and maintain the HR of requisite quantity and quality. 2. To predict the employee turnover and make the arrangements for minimizing turnover and filing up of consequent vacancies. 3.To meet the requirements of the programs of expansion, diversification etc. 4. To anticipate the impact of technology on work, existing employees and future human resource requirements. 5. To progress the knowledge, skill, standards, ability and discipline etc. 6. To appraise the surplus or shortage of human resources and take actions accordingly. 7. To maintain pleasant industrial relations by maintaining optimum level and structure of human resource. 8. To minimize imbalances caused due to non-availability of human resources of right kind, right number in right time and right place. . To make the best use of its human resources; and 10. To estimate the cost of human resources. Q2. What are the factors affecting recruitment? What are the sources of recruitment? Definition of Recruitment: The process of finding and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization) for a job opening, in a timely and cost effective manner. The recruitment process includes analyzing the requirements of a job, attracting employees to that job, screening and selecting applicants, hiring, and integrating the new employee to the organization.The recruitment function of the organizations is affected and governed by a mix of various internal and external forces. The internal forces or factors are the factors that can be controlled by the organization. And the external factors are those factors which cannot be controlled by the organization. The internal and external forces affecting recruitment function of an organization are: Internal Factors 1. Size of the organization Recruitment process is affected by the size of the organization to a large extent. Experience suggests that larger organizations recruits more candidates than small ones. . Recruiting Policy The recruitment policy of the firm also affects the recruitment process. This policy is concerned with candidates from outside the organization, whereas others want to recruit from internal sources. 3. Image of the organization Image or goodwill of the organization also affects the recruitment. Organizations having good image can attract potential and competent candidates to a large extent. 4. Image of job Jobs having good image in terms of better remuneration, working condition, promotion, career development opportunities etc. an attract the potential and qualified candidates to a large extent. External Factors 1. Demographic factors A demography is the study of human population in terms of age, sex, occupation, religion, composition, ethnicity etc. The demographic factors have profound influence on recruitment process. 2. Labor market Labor market constitutes the force of demand and supply of labor of particular importance. For instance, if demand for a particular skill is high relative to its supply, the recruitment process evolves more efforts. Contrary to it, if supply is more than demand, the recruitment process will be easier. . Unemployment situations Unemployment rate of particular area is yet another influencing factor of recruitment process. If the unemployment rate is high, the recruitment process will be simpler and vice versa. 4. Social and political environment The forces of social and political environment also influence recruitment policy. For instance, the change in government can have a direct impact upon recruitment policy of the company due to change in government rules and regulations. Sources of Recruitment The different sources of recruitment are classified into two categories, viz.Internal: sources of recruitment are from within the organization. External: sources of recruitment are from outside the organization. Internal Sources 1. Promotions Promotion means to give a higher position, status, salary and responsibility to the employee. So, the vacancy can be filled by promoting a suitable candidate from the same organization. 2. Transfers Transfer means a change in the place of employment without any change in the position, status, salary and responsibility of the employee. 3. Internal Advertisements Here, the vacancy is advertised within the organization.The existing employees are asked to apply for the vacancy. External Sources 1. Public Advertisements The Personnel department of a company advertises the vacancy in newspapers, the internet, etc. This advertisement gives information about the company, the job and the required qualities of the candidate. 2. Campus Recruitment The organization conducts interviews in the campuses of Management institutes and Engineering Colleges. Final year students, whore soon to get graduate, are interviewed. Suitable candidates are selected by the organization based on their academic record, communication skills, intelligence, etc. . Recommendations The organization may also recruit candidates based on the recommendations received from existing managers or from sister companies. Q3. What are the main objectives of training? Explain on-the job and off the job training? Training is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes and behaviors to enhance the performance of employees whereas development is the act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining and future growth. Objective of Training To impart basic knowledge and skill to new entrants required for intelligent performance of definite task in order to induct them without much loss of time. To assist employees to function more effectively by exposure of latest concepts information and techniques and development of skills required in specific fields including production, purchase, marketing, logistics, information technology etc. To broaden minds of supervisors. Sometimes, narrowness of outlook may arise in supervisors because of specialization. In order to correct this narrowness they are provided with opportunities and interchange of experience. To build second line of competent employees and enable them to occupy more responsible positions as situation emerge. To prepare employees to undertake different jobs in order to enable redeployment and maintain flexibility in workforce so that ever changing environment of market can be met and downturns can be managed without losing experienced employees. To provide employees job satisfaction, training enables an employee to use their skill, knowledge and ability to fullest extent and thus experience job satisfaction and gain monetary benefits from enhanced productivity. To improve knowledge, skills, efficiency of employees to obtain maximum individual development. To fulfill goals of organization by securing optimum co-operation and contribution from the employees. On the Job-Training On-the-job training is training that takes place while employees are actually working. It means that skills can be gained while trainees are carrying out their jobs. This benefits both employees and the business. Employees learn in the real work environment and gain experience dealing with the tasks and challenges that they will meet during a normal working day. The business enefits by ensuring that the training is specific to the job. It also does not have to meet the additional costs of providing off-the-job training or losing working time. Methods of providing on-the-job training Coaching – An experienced member of staff will help trainees learn skills and processes through providing instructions or demonstrations (or both). Mentoring – Each trainee is allocated to an established member of staff who acts as a guide and helper. A mentor usually offers more personal support than a coach, although the terms mentor’ and coach’ are often used interchangeably. Job rotation – This is where members of staff rotate roles or tasks so that they gain experience of a full range of jobs. Sitting next to Nellie’ – This describes the process of working alongside a colleague to observe and learn the skills needed for a particular process. Off the Job-Training Off-the-job training is provided away from the immediate workplace. This might be at a specialist training center or at a college or at a company’s own premises. This type of training can be particularly useful for developing transferable skills that can be used in many different parts of the business.It may be used, for example, to train employees in the use of new equipment and new methods or to bring them up to date with changes in the law. Methods of providing off-the-job training Lecture In lecture method trainers used to communicate with spoken words which they want the trainees to learn, it is primarily one way communication of learned capabilities from trai ner to audience. Audio Visual Techniques Audio visual instruction includes overheads, slides and video. Video can be used for improving communication skills and customer service skills, it can also illustrate how procedures can be followed. Simulations It represents real life situations regarding trainees decisions resulting in outcomes that reflects what would happen if they were on the job. Simulations allow trainees to see impact of their decisions in an artificial, risk free environment. Case Studies This method involves studying cases from all perspectives, analyzing the various options available to the company for solving problems or address issues and arriving at most suitable answers. Q4. Define performance management. Write a brief note on 360 degree appraisal?Performance Management Performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. Performance management is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed. It ends when an employee leaves your organization. Many writers and consultants are using the term performance management as a substitution for the traditional appraisal system. I encourage you to think of the term in this broader work system context.Meaning of 360 Degree Appraisal An appraisal made by top management, immediate superior, peers, subordinates, self and customers is called 360 Degree Appraisal. Here, the performance of the employee or manager is evaluated by six parties, including himself. So, he gets a feedback of his performance from everyone around him. This method is very reliable because evaluation is done by many different parties. These parties are in the best position to evaluate the employee or manager because they are continuously interacting and working with him.This method is mostly used to evaluate the performance of the employees. However, it is also used to evaluate other qualities such as talents, behavior, values, ethical standards, tempers, loyalty, etc. Six Parties in 360 Degree Appraisal Top Management Immediate Superior Peers / Co-workers Subordinates Self-Appraisal Customers 360 degree feedback appraisal The 360 degree feedback appraisal systems collect information from a variety of people with whom the employee has frequent contact.The evaluation asks each participant questions about the employee’s behavior across a broad array of job related competencies. Its confidential nature and broad perspective make this appraisal tool more credible to many employees than traditional performance appraisal systems. Significance The performance evaluations utilize multiple anonymous sources to obtain honest feedback regarding an employee’s performance. The anonymous nature and multiple sources make the final findings harder to ignore.If an employee receives the same or similar feedback from the multiple sources, he cannot simply brush it off as an anomaly. Criteria Assessed The 360 degree appraisal process assesses the skills, behavior and knowledge of the employee, usually a manager. More specifically, the survey questions on knowledge assess how well the employee knows his job, the company and the industry in general. The skills portion evaluates the employee’s time management and organization skills, communication skills, specific job competencies and customer satisfaction. TrainingParticipants in the evaluation process should receive training regarding the interpretation of survey questions, the importance of confidentiality and the importance of complete honesty in ratings. Proper training of evaluators is critical to the success and validity of the 360 degree appraisal system. Planning Employees must view the performance appraisal process as credible and valid for the results to have any positive impact on their future performance. Warning The 360 degree feedback performance appraisal process works best when survey questions are customized to the company using it.Human resources can purchase pre-made, generic questions, but these often do not collect information relevant to that company’s specific operations. Q5. What is meant by job analysis? Explain its purpose and methods? Job Analysis Job analysis is the process of analyzing jobs. It is very broad concept. Therefore Before describing the meaning and nature of the job analysis, it is important to discuss about the meaning of the job. Job- job is the bundle of related task. For example, inspecting resume of a job seeker is a task. The whole lot of tasks relating to recruitment constitutes job.Job Analysis- it is the process of collecting job related information. Such information helps in the preparation of job description and job specification. There are two outcomes of job analysis: Job description Job specification Job Description- it indicates what all a job involves. For example, job title, location, job summary, duties machine, tools, equipment’s, material and forms used, supervision given and received and working conditions. Job Specification- the capabilities that the job holder should possess form part of job specification.For example, education, training, experience, judgment, initiative, physical effort, physical skills, communication skills and emotional characteristics. Purpose of Job Analysis Job Analysis plays an important role in recruitment and selection, job evaluation, job designing, deciding compensation and benefits packages, performance appraisal, analyzing training and development needs, assessing the worth of a job and increasing personnel as well as organizational productivity. Recruitment and Selection: Job Analysis helps in determining what kind of person is required to perform a particular job.It points out the educational qualifications, level of experience and technical, physical, emotional and personal skills required to carry out a job in desired fashion. The objective is to fit a right person at a right place. Performance Analysis: Job analysis is done to check if goals and objectives of a particular job are met or not. It helps in deciding the performance standards, evaluation criteria and individual’s output. On this basis, the overall performance of an employee is measured and he or she is appraised accordingly. Training and Development: Job Analysis can be used to assess the training and development needs of employees. The difference between the expected and actual output determines the level of training that need to be imparted to employees. It also helps in deciding the training content, tools and equipment’s to be used to conduct training and methods of training. Compensation Management: Of course, job analysis plays a vital role in deciding the pay packages and extra perks and benefits and fixed and variable incentives of employees.After all, the pay package depends on the position, job title and duties and responsibilities involved in a job Job Designing and Redesigning: The main purpose of job analysis is to streamline the human efforts and get the best possible output. It helps in designing, redesigning, enriching, evaluating and also cutting back and adding the extra responsibilities in a particular job. This is done to enhance the employee satisfaction while increasing the human output. Job Analysis Methods Most Common Methods of Job Analysis are: Observation Method: A job analyst observes an employee and records all his performed and non-performed task, fulfilled and un-fulfilled responsibilities and duties, methods, ways and skills used by him or her to perform various duties and his or her mental or emotional ability to handle challenges and risks. However, it seems one of the easiest methods to analyze a specific job but truth is that it is the most difficult one. Why? Let’s Discover. It is due to the fact that every person has his own way of observing things.Different people think different and interpret the findings in different ways. Therefore, the process may involve personal biasness or likes and dislikes and may not produce genuine results. This error can be avoided by proper training of job analyst or whoever will be conducting the job analysis process. This particular method includes three techniques: direct observation, Work Methods Analysis and Critical Incident Technique. The first method includes direct observation and recording of behavior of an employee in different situations.The second involves the study of time and motion and is specially used for assembly-line or factory workers. The third one is about identifying the work behaviors that result in performance. Interview Method: In this method, an employee is interviewed so that he or she comes up with their own working styles, problems faced by them, use of particular skills and techniques while performing their job and insecurities and fears about their careers. This method helps interviewer know what exactly an employee thinks about his or her own job and responsibilities involved in it.It involves analysis of job by employee himself. In order to generate honest and true feedback or collect genuine data, questions asked during the interview should be carefully decided. And to avoid errors, it is always good to interview more than one individual to get a pool of responses. Then it can be generalized and used for the whole group. Questionnaire Method: Another commonly used job analysis method is getting the questionnaires filled from employees, their superiors and managers. However, this method also suffers from personal biasness.A great care should be takes while framing questions for different grades of employees. Q6. What are the benefits and objectives of employee welfare measures? Employee welfare means anything done for intellectional physical moral and economic betterment of the workers, whether by employers, by Government or by other agencies, over and above what is laid down by law, or what is normally expected on the part of the contracted benefits for which workers may have bargained. Following features of employee welfare can be identified:Employee welfare is a comprehensive term including various services, facilities and amenities provided to employees for their betterment. Welfare measures are in addition to regular wages and other economic benefits available to employees under legal provisions and collective bargaining. Welfare measures may be provided not only by employers but by the government, trade unions and other agencies too. The basic purpose of employee welfare is to improve the lot of the working class and thereby make a worker a good employee and a happy citizen.Employee welfare is an essential part of social welfare. It involves adjustment of an employee’s work life and family life to the community or social life. Employee welfare measures are also known as fringe benefits and services. Benefits of Employee Welfare Compliance As a business owner, you are required by law to provide certain benefits for the welfare of your employees. You have to match the Social Security taxes your employees pay and obtain a workers compensation insurance policy. If ou terminate an employee, you have to provide Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) funds to extend his health insurance. Recruitment and Retention The benefits an employee receives from his employer for his welfare are often a significant reason why he decides to accept a job offer. As such, providing employee benefits allows you to compete with other businesses to recruit and retain qualify employees. If other employers offer better benefits, good employees may choose to go there. Employees Well-BeingBy providing a plan thats good for employees welfare, you show them that you value them. This can help make them feel welcome and happy in your company, motivating them to work harder. If your health plan has wellness coverage and preventative care, employees are more likely to stay healthy, cutting down on absenteeism and sick days. Company Image Providing a good employee welfare plan reflects well on your business, building a good company image. It may even earn you some press coverage, giving you free publicity to improve awareness among potential customers.This may boost your sales and increase your profits. Objectives of Employee Welfare Production One of the primary concerns of employee welfare promotion is to create happy employees. However, this type of objective has a greater purpose and is not always due to the benevolence of the employer. Instead, good employers both genuinely care for their employees and do so because they know that a happy employee is one that will be productive and do his job correctly. In careers ike sales where production is essential to making money, employers who promote employee welfare know that employees will make more money for themselves and for the company. Loyalty Another reason to promote the well-being of an employee is that it can improve employee loyalty. In the long run, employees who are taken care of by their employers are less likely to jump ship and change companies or careers. Even in situations where it might be possible to make more money with a different company, the employee who feels accepted and needed by their employer may not even consider other job offers when they come along.Organizational Improvement Because employee welfare deals specifically with the well-being of employees, employee welfare programs adopted by employers are more effective when the wants and wishes of employees are taken into consideration. In organizations where employees are well-cared for and employees are asked to provide suggestions as to how to better improve the company, employees feel as if they play an important role in the improvement of the organization. HealthHealth promotion is another major objective of most employee welfare programs. Prior to the rise of labor unions in the United States, most employees did not have health insurance or any type of programs to promote preventative health measures. However, the health of an employee is integral to the success of a company. Employees who are happy and healthy show up to work every day and do their jobs correctly, whereas those that are in poor health and have no means to change the situation will miss work and slow production.

Quote The Raven The ABCs of Job Searching

Quote The Raven The ABCs of Job Searching TheJobNetwork’s expert advice series Quote the Raven, hosted by Raven Chiara and her special guests gives you the best advice on finding and keeping a job. In this episode, the team covers the ABC’s of Job Searching. A is for Apply when Appropriate:Don’t apply at work, dummy!Don’t send an email at 2am drunk, dummy! Use Boomerang for Gmail!B is for Bringing Your Best:Dress to impress for the interview, you shlub.C is for Customize Your Communication:Hot Tip!Take words from job description and snap, crackle, pop and sprinkle into your resume and cover letter.Don’t lie. You are not a good liar.Use some tools to pimp your resume ride, like etsy.com, fiverr.com, loftresume.comShare your thoughts with us†¦or your embarrassing job searching stories using #quotetheraven.Follow the hosts on   Twitter and Instagram @ravenchiara and @whybegee.

Special education and collaboration Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Special education and collaboration - Coursework Example Another component is the interaction process, which takes an interaction from the beginning to the end. Here there are such processes as problem solving and responding to conflict and resistance, which requires effective communication skills (Friend & Cook, 2009). Another component is a set of programs and services. These provide the baseline for the collaborative activities to take place. In these services, there are interactive processes that are meant to design and deliver student services takes place. The last component in the collaborative process is context. This is the surrounding where the collaborative processes take place. According to me, the most difficult component to implement is communication skills. This is mainly because of the diversities in cultural backgrounds that you come across when you meet different colleagues and parents. In this case, disagreements can easily come along since some people tend to be ethnocentric. For example, the student to be assisted may be living with grandparents, who may be illiterate, and can only communicate in their mother tongue. As a teacher, or any other team member, it will really need you to have the knowledge of that particular language, or else there will be no communication progress. The problem-solving process entails sequential procedures that have to be followed in order to come out with good results. The first step is to analyze the problem-solving context. Here, you examine the conditions related to the possibility of the problem-solving process to succeed. You also come up with ideas on what might happen if the problem is not solved. The next step is to identify the problem. In this case, you explore all data that can give information concerning the problem, having your main goal in mind (Friend & Cook, 2009). The next step is to find out if the amount of resources needed in addressing the problem in question. Here you can conduct some form of estimations and approximations. You will have

Marketing in the Media 2013 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing in the Media 2013 - Essay Example Everybody wants the best for their pet, which in most cases receive as much attention as their loved ones. In fact, to some, they are their only source of companionship. Therefore, people want the best for their best friends, and the best way of doing this is by feeding them on the best quality food available. This is the marketing strategy that Blue Buffalo had when it launched the campaign series. Uploaded videos are short, directly addressing the main aim of the advertisement, which is showing the advantages of using Blue Buffalo food over other brands. Blue buffalo advertisement is not just an ordinary advertisement; it incorporates creativity, emotional appeal, engages the customers, and assures them of quality and results. Additionally, it is daring and convincing, especially by challenging the customers to take a test of their brand quality. Relevance of the advertisement Advertising is the manner in which producers of either goods or services seek to convince the public to pu rchase their goods or services, or sell their ideas to the people in order to make a sale. Marketing on the other hand is the act of communicating the value of an idea, good or service to a particular target audience in order to make a sale. ... Among the common strategies used by organizations, include educative advertising strategy, informative advertising strategies, and aggressive advertising strategies, among others. The Blue Buffalo campaign highlights the need for an aggressive marketing strategy for the success of any brand. Most of the companies, despite having a strong brand, fail to make sales due to lack of aggressive marketing and advertising. Aggressiveness of an advertisement seeks to catch the attention of the target audience, convincing them that theirs is the best choice. Not unless a company embarks on an aggressive marketing strategy, people will never know of the existence of their brand. By aggressively advertising, Blue Buffalo aims at catching the attention of all pet owners, within and outside United States to use its brand. Persuasive advertising, according to (Armstrong, 2010) aiming at persuading people to purchase a product or service, is an example of advertising strategy that Blue Buffalo adver tisements use. Blue commercials particularly aim at persuading pet owners to use their food to feed their pets (â€Å"Blue.com.† 2013). In order to consider a pet as successful, it must have achieved its purpose of sending the required information to the audiences. In this case, the success of Blue advertisements is persuading target market to purchase Blue Buffalo pet food. While advertising, different organizations use different methods in order to win target customers. Creativity is very significant in an advertisement, and every advertisement seeks to incorporate different styles in order to make the advert rather appealing and captivating. Not only does it capture the attention of the people, it also shows the uniqueness of the

Tata Motors Going Global Essay Example for Free

Tata Motors Going Global Essay TATA Motors-International Business Indian Automobile Industry Hailed as ‘the industry of industries’ by Peter Drucker, the founding father of the study of  management, in 1946, the automobile industry had evolved continuously with changing timesfrom craft production in 1890s to mass production in 1910s to lean production techniques in the1970s. The automotive industry in India grew at a computed annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11. 5 percentover the past five years, the Economic Survey 2008-09 tabled in parliament on 2 nd July’09 said. The industry has a strong multiplier effect on the economy due to its deep forward and backwardlinkages with several key segments of the economy, a finance ministry statement said. The automobile industry, which was plagued by the economic downturn amidst a credit crisis,managed a growth of 0. 7 percent in 2008-09 with passenger car sales registering 1. 31 percentgrowth while the commercial vehicles segment slumped 21. 7 percent. Indian automobile industry has come a long way to from the era of the Ambassador car to Maruti800 to latest MM Xylo. The industry is highly competitive with a number of global and Indiancompanies present today. It is projected to be the third largest auto industry by 2030 and just  behind to US China, according to a report. The industry is estimated to be a US$ 34 billionindustry. Indian Automobile industry can be divided into three segments i. e. two wheeler, three wheeler four wheeler segment. The domestic two-wheeler market is dominated by Indian as well asforeign players such as Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto, Honda Motors, TVS Motors, and Suzuki etc. Maruti Udyog and Tata Motors are the leading passenger car manufacturers in the country. AndIndia is considered as strategic market by Suzuki, Yamaha, etc. Commercial Vehicle market iscatered by players like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, Force Motors, Eicher Motors etc. The major players have not left any stone unturned to be global. Major of the players have gotinto the merger activities with their foreign counterparts. Like Maruti with Suzuki, Hero withHonda, Tata with Fiat, Mahindra with Renault, Force Motors with Mann. Key Facts: †¢ India ranks 12th in the list of the worlds top 15 automakers †¢ Entry of more international players †¢ Contributes 5% to the GDP †¢ Production of four wheelers in India has increased from 9. 3 lakh units in 2002-03 to 23lakh units in 2007-08 †¢ Targeted to be of $ 145 Billion by 2016 †¢ Exports increased from 84,000 units in 2002-03 to 280,000 units in 2007-08 TATA Motors-International Business Submitted by: Sameer, Sohail, Sankar, Himanshu, Arun Page 5 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis of Indian Automobile Sector1. Industry Rivalry †¢ Industry Concentration: The Concentration Ratio (CR) indicates the percent of market share held by a company. A high concentration ratio indicates that a high concentration of market share is held bythe largest firms the industry is concentrated. With only a few firms holding a largemarket share, the market is less competitive (closer to a monopoly). A low concentrationratio indicates that the industry is characterized by many rivals, none of which has asignificant market share. These fragmented markets are said to be competitive. If rivalryamong firms in an industry is low, the industry is considered to be disciplined †¢ High Fixed costs When total costs are mostly fixed costs, the firm must produce capacity to attain thelowest unit costs. Since the firm must sell this large quantity of product, high levels of  Ã‚  production lead to a fight for market share and results in increased rivalry. The industry istypically capital intensive and thus involves high fixed costs †¢ Slow market growth In growing market, firms can improve their economies. Though the market growth has  been impressive in the last few years (about 8 to 15%), it takes a beat in even slighteconomic disturbances as it involves a luxury good. Aggressive pricing is needed tosustain growth in such situations †¢ Diversity of rivals: Industry becomes unstable as the diversification increases.

Use of Technology in Law Enforcement and Against Terrorism :: Technology Essays

Use of Technology in Law Enforcement and Against Terrorism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technology has a definite impact not only on our everyday lives but also on the ideologies we pursue or abandon.   This change can be clearly seen as society has progressed through from an agrarian culture through the growing pains of the industrial revolution, and into the current wave, the information wave.   The role of technology was seen as a tool in the agrarian culture and also as a means for physical exploration of humanity's surroundings.   During the industrial revolution that tool, used to better the agrarian age morphed into a guiding force for social change, intellectual idealism, and scientific exploration.   As the industrial age drew to a close, marked by increased warfare and frightening new discoveries, there was a backlash against the ideological representation of technology.   Technology in the information age has become not only a force that produces wonderful new things, but ultimately a tool in the hands of a very flawed and occasiona lly noble society.   The current views on technology are diverse and cover grounds that span from technology being a way to save, to that same technology being a means to an end or power.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The personification of technology ranges from a way to place power firmly in the hands of the few, to technology being a means for anyone to do things that before required a specialized education.   The publishing liberty of the Internet creates a forum in which any one can be taken seriously; whether they are in truth serious is another discussion.   This liberty of forum is available to anyone with a modicum of knowledge or the desire to gain such knowledge.   This is in direct contrast to the publishing world where it requires a specialized knowledge and education to produce some thing or to become published.   Often the knowledge needs to be combined with a fair amount of luck as well.   Technology has also become a way to put social power into the hands of the few as well.   The existence of surveillance systems, the exorbitant prices of medical matters, and the existence of issues such as the digital divide are all exampl es of technologically based ways to shift a balance of power in an arena.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As technology is always in a state of flux so are our society's attitudes regarding technology.   There is a definite polarization of issues in the field of

Emotions Research and Theories

Emotion is a feeling that causes physical and psychological changes as well as, influence thought and behavior. Like motivation emotion is categorized into three separate categories: neurological, physiological, and cognitive. Emotionality is associated with a range of psychological phenomena including temperament, personality, mood, and motivation (Cherry, 2010). Emotion is both an intrinsic and extrinsic source of motivation. The emotions that we feel internally drive us like an instinct. Externally what we experience teaches us how to react in the future. The James-Lange theory was an early theory individually discovered by two scientists in the 20th century, William James and Carl Lange. The James-Lange theory states that emotions happen because of physiological reactions to events. For example; you are walking down the street and see a person who wronged you in the past; your teeth clench and you nostrils flare. The William-Lange theory proposes that you will interpret your physical reactions and conclude what emotion you feel. â€Å"My face tightened therefore I am angry. ) The Cannon- Bard theory sought to dispel the William-Lange theory and stated that we feel emotions and experience physiological reactions such as, trembling, sweating, and muscle tension simultaneously. Example- the toddler sees a doctor with a needle and is scared so she cries. The cognitive arousal theory focuses on the interaction between the two arousal and cognition. The first experiment for this theory was created by Schachter& Singer in 1962. This theory focuses on two dimensions of emotion the quality and intensity. They believed that emotion was produced with psychological arousal. When someone is aroused psychologically this can produce a variety of feelings. For example, anger, fear, happiness, anxiety, or sadness depending on the intensity some kind of action will be produced behind these emotions. For instance, a student that lives in a dorm room alone she is just watching television then suddenly hears a struggle to get her door open. Immediately she feels fear and anxiety her next action will be determine by the intensity of her emotions. The arousal in this case would be everything she is thinking is it a burglary, she can get hurt in the process, or is someone there to hurt her. The first thing she grabs is a knife and some mace her father gave her before leaving for college. Her second move would be to call 911. Therefore this scenario proves this theory is correct if there were not any psychological arousal there would not been any action (DeckersL. 2010). Category analysis is a way of analyzing emotion with the study of words associated with that emotion (Deckers, 2010). Category analysis assumes that the development of words happened to describe the emotional experiences of individuals (Deckers,2010), â€Å"in other words, the reason for words such as love, hate, sad, happy, afraid, and angry is because each labels a distinctly unique feeling in a particular situation† (Deckers, 2010. p. 317). These words exist because people have experienced a specific feeling and associated that word to that feeling. To understand the different ways a person express his or her emotions Johnson-Laird and Oatley did a study of 590 English words meanings to classify each word into an emotion category, and words with similar meanings are classified together (Deckers, 2010). One concern with their study was determining if a â€Å"word† used to describe a feeling was subjective. Though their research the results were; categories of five basic emotions, which are happiness, fear, sadness, disgust, and anger. Happiness, fear, sadness, disgust, and anger are words describe basic emotions (Deckers, 2010) Facial expressions are another research method used for uncover basic emotions. The thought in reference to facial expressions is that basic emotions have facial expressions is in accord with that emotion, such as a frown coincides with sadness (Deckers, 2010). Ekman and Izard reported, â€Å"If there is no distinctive facial expression, then the corresponding subjective state should not be considered an emotion facial expression† (Deckers, 2010, p. 18). Ekman along with Izard discovered that facial expressions together with emotions were precisely identifiable by people of differing cultures worldwide, which inspired Ekman’s proposal of the six basic emotions along with the matching facial expressions. The six basic emotions that have recognizable facial expressions are surprise, happiness, fear, sadness, disgust, and anger. The more dramatic the facial expression, the strong er the emotion is for the individual. Lopatovska and Arapakis (2010), â€Å"facial expressions, are the result of facial muscle contractions, which induce movements of the facial skin and temporary deformations of the facial features, such as eyebrows, nose, and mouth† (p. 5). For example, an individual usually expresses sadness through his or her eyes, eyebrows, and mouth regions. Ekman asserts that â€Å"in sadness, the inner corners of brows are drawn up, skin below the eyebrow is triangulated with the inner corner up, upper eyelid inner corner is raised, corners of lips are down or the lip is trembling† (as cited in Lopatovska & Arapakis, 2010, p. 5). Facial expressions are a channel for emotions associated with the effect of the emotions, and serve as a universal language, which enriches the interactions between humans. Many studies of Facial Feedback Hypothesis simply say facial expression is the emotional responds to a person’s emotional feelings. One does not cause the other, but both are in response to an emotion stimulus (Buck, 1984, 1985). Viewing cartoons evokes smiles, laughs, and feelings of amusement (Decker, 1994). Unpleasant scenes such as traffic accidents and ritual suicides however evoke facial expression indicating that the feelings induced are unpleasant (Zuckerman et al. 1981). All are affects from an emotional stimulus but one does not have an effect on the other. The more intensified the stimulus the more intensified the facial expression. For example, if you find something funny you may just smile but, the funnier the situation the smile will eventually turn into laughter. The Event-Appraisal-Emotion Sequence can be broken up into four different emotion-inducing situations: (1) different appraisal of different events can produce different emotions. 2) the same appraisal of different events can produce the same emotion (3) the outcome of the appraisal process elicits the involuntary unfolding of emotion (4) appraisal can happen both above and below the level of awareness (Deckers, 2005). This simple says that first an emotion is introduced. Then that emotion is predetermining which way it should go, either negative or positive. After the emotion determines which way to go it starts to see which personal scheme, attitudes, or need it wants to display. Last but not least the emotion is transformed in and affect which is a physiological response, expression, and or a behavior. In conclusion, emotion is something that we all have, some emotions are more noticeable than others and some are hidden, it can be physical and psychological, and influences behavior, emotions are a strong set of feelings that can change rapidly from person to person, emotions influence motivation and cause people to do what they do. There are many theories and hypothesis that try to explain emotion and try to understand why people feed off of three emotions.

Social jugdement in mary shelley’s frankenstein; an analytical approach

Throughout the story you find that a man named Frankenstein has the desire to create another human being. After his creation was over with he says, â€Å"I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart†(Shelley 1).   He abandons this creature when it needs him the most. â€Å"Frankenstein's original reasons for creating life from dead parts are noble. He wants to help mankind conquer death and diseases. But when he reaches the goal of his efforts and sees his creature and its ugliness, he turns away from it and flees the monstrosity he has created. Mary Shelley seems not to condemn the act of creation but rather Frankenstein's lack of willingness to accept the responsibility for his deeds. His creation only becomes a monster at the moment his creator deserts it† (Shelley 3) To the creature Frankenstein is his father and when he left him, he felt neglected and abandoned, not knowing how to take care of himself. So he left not knowing where he would go or how he would survive. He abandoned his creature as if it were an animal. â€Å"Every day, a significant number of people abandon animals in the world today. They are animals who are not equipped to survive on their own. On their own, they starve or freeze to death† (Shelley 2). â€Å"Frankenstein is not willing to fully take the role of the mother of his â€Å"child.† Immediately after its birth he leaves his child and thereby evades his parental duty to care for the child† (Shelley 3).   In today's society people neglect and abandon there children like there nothing. When Frankenstein abandoned his creature he didn't even think how the creature felt, he just deserted him. â€Å"The Monster appears to be an almost perfect creation (apart from his horrible appearance), who is often more human than humans themselves. He is benevolent (he saves a little child; he helps the De Lacey family collecting firewood), intelligent and cultured (he learns to read and talk in a very short time; he reads Goethe's Werther, Milton's Paradise Lost and Plutarch's works). The only reason why he fails is his repulsive appearance. After having been rejected and attacked again and again by the people he runs into only because of his horrible physiognomy, the Monster, alone and left on his own, develops a deadly hatred against his creator Frankenstein and against all of mankind. Therefore only society is to blame for the dangerous threat to mankind that the Monster has become. If people had adopted the Monster into their society instead of being biased against him and mistreating him he would have become a valuable member of the human society due to his outstanding physical and intellectual powers†( Shelley 3). His hatred grew from neglect and abandonment. Every person he came in contacted with immediately hated him. Nobody could look past his horrified appearance to see what was inside. His hatred then turned into revenge against his creator. The creature wanted Frankenstein to feel what he feels. The concept of Social Judgement in the Novel: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a complex novel that was written during the age of Romanticism. It contains many typical themes of a common Romantic novel, such as dark laboratories, the moon and a monster; however, Frankenstein is anything but a common novel. Many lessons are embedded into this novel, including how society acts towards anything different. The monster fell victim to the system commonly used by society to characterize a person by only his or her outer appearance. Whether people like it or not, society always summarizes a person's characteristics by his or her physical appearance. Society has set an unbreakable code that individuals must follow to be accepted. Those who don't follow the â€Å"standard† are hated by the crowd and banned for the reason of being different. When the monster ventured into a town†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ [Monster] had hardly placed [his] foot within the door †¦children shrieked, and †¦women fainted† (Shelley 101). From that moment on he realized that people did not like his appearance and hated him because of it. If the villagers hadn't run away at the sight of him, then they might have even enjoyed his personality. The monster tried to accomplish this when he encountered the De Lacey family. The monster hoped to gain friendship from the old man and eventually his children. He knew that it could have been possible because the old man was blind; he could not see the monster's repulsive characteristics. But fate was against him and the â€Å"wretched† had barely conversed with the old man before his children returned from their journey and saw a monstrous creature at the foot of their father attempting to do harm to the helpless elder. â€Å"Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore [the creature] from his father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shelley 129). Felix's action caused great inner pain to the monster. He knew that his dream of living with them â€Å"happily ever after† would not happen. After that bitter moment, the monster believed that â€Å"†¦the human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union [with the monster]† (Shelley 138).   And with the De Lacey encounter still fresh in his mind along with his first encounter of humans, he declared war on the human race. The wicked being's source of hatred toward humans originates from his first experiences with humans. In a way, the monster started out with a child-like innocence that was eventually shattered by being constantly rejected by society time after time. His first encounter with humans was when he opened his yellow eyes for the first time and witnessed Victor Frankenstein, his creator, â€Å"†¦rush out of the [laboratory]†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shelley 56). This wouldn’t have happened if society did not consider physical appearance to be important. If physical appearance were not important, then the creature would have had a chance of being accepted into the community with love and care. However, society does believe that physical appearance is important and it does influence the way people act towards each other. Frankenstein should have made him less offensive if even he, the creator, could not stand his disgusting appearance. There was a moment, however, when Frankenstein â€Å"†¦was moved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shelley 139).   By the creature. He â€Å"†¦felt what the duties of a creator†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shelley 97), where and decided that he had to make another creature, a companion for the original. But haunting images of his creation, from the monster's first moment of life, gave him an instinctive feeling that the monster would do menacing acts with his companion, wreaking twice the havoc. Reoccurring images of painful events originating from a first encounter can fill a person with hate and destruction. We, as a society, are the ones responsible for the transformation of the once child-like creature into the monster we all know. We all must come to the realization that our society has flaws that must be removed so that our primal instincts do not continue to isolate and hurt people who are different. We have entered a new millennium with tremendous technological resources at our disposal. Why do we still cling to such primitive ways of categorizing people? Rà ©sumà ©: Mary Shelley made an anonymous but powerful debut into the world of literature when Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus was published in March, 1818. She was only nineteen when she began writing her story. She and her husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, were visiting poet Lord Byron at Lake Geneva in Switzerland when Byron challenged each of his guests to write a ghost story. Settled around Byron's fireplace in June 1816, the intimate group of intellectuals had their imaginations and the stormy weather as the stimulus and inspiration for ghoulish visions. A few nights later, Mary Shelley imagined the â€Å"hideous phantasm of man† who became the confused yet deeply sensitive creature in Frankenstein. She once said, â€Å"My dreams were at once more fantastic and agreeable than my writings.† While many stage, television, and film adaptations of Frankenstein have simplified the complexity of the intellectual and emotional responses of Victor Frankenstein and his creature to their world, the novel still endures. Its lasting power can be seen in the range of reactions explored by various literary critics and over ninety dramatizations. Although early critics greeted the novel with a combination of praise and disdain, readers were fascinated with and a bit horrified by the macabre aspects of the novel. Interestingly, the macabre has transformed into the possible as the world approaches the twenty-first century: the ethical implications of genetic engineering, and, more recently, the cloning of livestock, find echoes in Shelley's work. In addition to scientific interest, literary commentators have noted the influence of both Percy Shelley and William Godwin (Mary's father) in the novel. Many contemporary critics have focused their attention on the novel's biographical elements, tracing Shelley's maternal and authorial insecurities to her very unique creation myth. Ultimately, the novel resonates with philosophical and moral ramifications: themes of nurture versus nature, good versus evil, and ambition versus social responsibility dominate readers' attention and provoke thoughtful consideration of the most sensitive issues of our time. Sources Cited http://www.indigorescue.org/Abandonment.html http://members.aon.at/frankenstein/frankenstein-novel.htm Shelley, M.   Frankenstein. 1818.               

Life Under Hammurabis Rule in Ancient Babylonian Cities

Life Under Hammurabi's Rule in Ancient Babylonian Cities Babylonian cities during Hammurabis day were made up of royal compounds with palaces, gardens, cemeteries, and Mesopotamian temples known as ziggurats. Residential areas in cities such as Ur consisted of ordinary houses on winding streets, dotted with elite housing, shops, and shrines. Some of the cities were quite large, reaching their maximum size in the late 3rd or early 2nd millennium BCE. Ur, for example, measured 60 hectares in size during the Isin-Larsa period, with additional suburbs outside the city walls. Urs population at that time has been estimated at 12,000. Babylonia was a kingdom in ancient Mesopotamia, located to the west of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq. Although famous in the West for its cultural advances- including the legal code of its greatest ruler, Hammurabi- the city of Babylon itself was of minor importance throughout much of Mesopotamian history. Far more significant was the city of Ur and its rivals (at various times) for regional power: Isin, Lagash, Larga, Nippur, and Kish. Ordinary and Elite Residences Ordinary houses in Babylon and Ur were house complexes rather like a Roman villa, consisting of a rectangular internal courtyard open to the air or partially roofed, surrounded by blocks of rooms opening up on to it. The streets were curving and generally unplanned. Cuneiform texts from the period tell us that private householders were responsible for taking care of the public streets and were at the risk of death for not doing so, but archaeologists have found trash deposits in those streets. Simple house plans without internal courtyards and single-roomed structures probably representing shops were scattered throughout the residential quarters. There were small shrines located at street crossings. The grandest houses at Ur were two stories high, with rooms around the central courtyard again open to the air. The walls facing the street were unadorned, but the internal walls were sometimes decorated. Some people were buried in the floors beneath the rooms, but there were separate cemetery areas as well. Palaces The palaces were, in comparison to even the grandest of regular houses, extraordinary. The Palace of Zimri-Lim at Ur was built of mud brick walls, preserved to heights as much as 4 meters (13 feet). It was a complex of over 260 rooms on the ground floor, with separate quarters for the receiving rooms and the kings residence. The palace covered an area of about 200 by 120 meters, or about 3 hectares (7 acres). The exterior walls were up to 4 meters in thickness and were protected with a coat of clay plaster. The main entrance to the palace lay off a paved street; it had two large courtyards, an antechamber and an audience hall thought to be the throne room. Surviving polychrome murals on Zimri-Lim show the events of the kings investiture. Near life-size statues of goddesses graced the courtyard. Below is a list of some of Babylonias most significant cities at the height of Hammurabis empire. Agade (Akkad): exact location between the Tigris and Euphrates is not known. They spoke Akkadian.BabylonEridu (Eridug/Urudug): Site of the temple of EnkiEshnunna: Located in the Diyala Valley, gateway to the kingdom of ElamKish: Symbolic center of northern MesopotamiaUr: Biblical home of the Hebrew forefather Abram, later AbrahamUruk: Seat of the legendary king GilgameshNippur: Symbolic center of southern MesopotamiaSippar: Sun-cult center on the banks of the EuphratesUmma: Rival to LagashLarsa: Another center of a sun cultAdab: A vassal of KishLagash: Especially ancient city and center of artistic developmentIsin: Important city to the Third Dynasty of Ur, ca. 2000 BCE, and thereafter

How to Conjugate the Verb Vedere in Italian

How to Conjugate the Verb Vedere in Italian Vedere Can Be Defined As To seeTo look atTo meetTo visitTo consultTo go overTo checkTo find outTo grasp What to Know About â€Å" Vedere† It’s an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow the typical -ere verb ending pattern.It’s a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object.The infinito is â€Å"vedere.†The participio passato is â€Å"visto.†The gerund form is â€Å"vedendo.†The past gerund form is â€Å"avendo visto.† Indicativo/Indicative Il presente io vedo noi vediamo tu vedi voi vedete lui, lei, Lei vede essi, Loro vedono Ad esempio: Ti vedo bene. - You look good.Dalla sua finestra si vede il mare. - From her window you can see the sea. Il passato prossimo io ho visto noi abbiamo visto tu hai visto voi avete visto lui, lei, Lei, ha visto essi, Loro hanno visto Ad esempio: Ho visto Giulia al bar. - I saw Giulia at the cafe.Questo film l’abbiamo gi visto. - We have already seen this movie. L’imperfetto io vedevo noi vedevamo tu vedevi voi vedevate lui, lei, Lei vedeva essi, Loro vedevano Ad esempio: Lui vedeva il mondo come un posto magico. - He saw the world as a magical place.Col sole in faccia non vedevo niente. - With the sun in my face I couldn’t see anything. Il trapassato prossimo io avevo visto noi avevamo visto tu avevi visto voi avevate visto lui, lei, Lei aveva visto essi, Loro avevano visto Ad esempio: Non avevo mai visto uno struzzo prima d’ora. - I had never seen an ostrich before now.Vi avevo visti insieme in piazza. - I had seen you together in the middle of the square. Il passato remoto io vidi noi vedemmo tu vedesti voi vedeste lui, lei, Lei vide essi, Loro videro Ad esempio: La vide e si innamorà ² subito, era un colpo di fulmine! - He saw her and fell in love right away, it was love at first sight!Quel Natale i bambini videro per la prima volta Babbo Natale! - On that Christmas, the children saw Santa Claus for the first time! Il trapassato remoto io ebbi visto noi avemmo visto tu avesti visto voi aveste visto lui, lei, Lei ebbe visto essi, Loro ebbero visto TIP: This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io vedr noi vedremo tu vedrai voi vedrete lui, lei, Lei vedr essi, Loro vedranno Ad esempio: Chi vivr, vedr. - Who will live, will see. (Figuratively: time will tell) Il futuro anteriore io avr visto noi avremo visto tu avrai visto voi avrete visto lui, lei, Lei avr visto essi, Loro avranno visto Ad esempio: Mi avrai visto nella zona. - You must have seen me around the neighborhood. Congiuntivo/Subjunctive Il presente che io veda che noi vediamo che tu veda che voi vediate che lui, lei, Lei veda che essi, Loro vedano Ad esempio: È importante che non ci veda insieme. - It’s important that she doesn’t see us together.Assicurati che vedano bene! - Make sure they can see clearly! Il passato io abbia visto noi abbiamo visto tu abbia visto voi abbiate visto lui, lei, egli abbia visto essi, Loro abbiano visto Ad esempio: Sembra che tu abbia visto una fantasma. - It seems like you saw a ghost. L’imperfetto io vedessi noi vedessimo tu vedessi voi vedeste lui, lei, egli vedesse essi, Loro vedessero Ad esempio: Vorrei che tu vedessi questo panorama. - I wish that you could see this view.Se i nonni vedessero come sei cresciuto! - If grandpas could see how grown up you are! Il trapassato prossimo io avessi visto noi avessimo visto tu avessi visto voi aveste visto lui, lei, Lei avesse visto essi, Loro avessero visto Ad esempio: Se ti avessi visto, sarei rimasto. - If I had seen you, I would have stayed.Se avessi visto il cartello non mi saresti venuto addosso! - If you had seen the sign you wouldn’t have crushed into me! Condizionale/Conditional Il presente io vedrei noi vedremmo tu vedresti voi vedreste lui, lei, Lei vedrebbe essi, Loro vedrebbero Ad esempio: Se ti desseha dato una possibilit, vedrebbe che sei un uomo fantastico. - If she gave you a chance, she would see that you’re a fantastic guy. Il passato io avrei visto noi avremmo visto tu avresti visto voi avreste visto lui, lei, egli avrebbe visto essi, Loro avrebbero visto Ad esempio: Ti ho detto che l’avrei visto. - I told you that I would see him.Se foste venuti avreste visto uno spettacolo indimenticabile! - If you came you would have seen an unforgettable show!

The Financial Crisis in Greek Banking Industry Dissertation

The Financial Crisis in Greek Banking Industry - Dissertation Example However, it is an important part of the dissertation because it makes a significant contribution in backing the researcher’s point of view while providing current knowledge including substantive findings in terms of theoretical and methodological contribution. It reviews the books, journal articles, and magazines to give new interpretations to old sources. In the article written by Li and Xu (2002), it is stated that higher- risk assets give higher returns in comparison to low-risk assets like treasury bills (see table1 below). It forms a basis for the decision of asset allocation and making an estimation of interest rates in financial markets (Haitao Li and Yuewu Xu, 2002). During the process of bidding demand for firm’s products and its value influence the financial premium of the firm. It is so because there is a direct correlation between net expected value and performance of the firm as it yields higher returns. This implies that the higher the value of the firm th e higher premiums. Barberis, et al, (2001) held the view that higher volatility is recorded in the stock prices of a company when performance if its assets are not up to the standard. The entire banking industry came under pressure due to credit turmoil and subsequent deterioration of global market which in turn prompted the intervention of the central banks particularly the IMF and the World Bank. This sector was adversely affected by the inherent weakness of the Greek economy that is a result of rising debt and deficits. However, improvements have been noticed in the premiums paid because of the strong legal framework and improvements to the operational model. A similar report finds that, as a way of increasing the economies of scale, merger and acquisitions were imminent. The risk in the assets can be reduced by diversification of the assets. It also brings profitability and promotes growth besides improving the survival rate in similar future financial crises. According to Nenov a (2006) desire of having effective control over the firm and then pressurize the shareholders to sell the firm at a lower price is the reason why banks overvalue premium during the process of mergers and acquisitions. In addition to this, the value of the premium is also influenced by enforceability of ownership rights and confidence in the target banks ( LaPorta et al., 1998; Djankov et al., 2008; Nenova,2006; Bris and Cabolis,2008). As provided, the weaker the shareholder protection creates get-out for managers, shareholders to seize smaller, and minority shareholders with motives of gaining higher private benefits (Dyck and Zingales, 2004). A research study conducted by Hunter and Wall (1995) stated that acquirers are interested to pay more premiums for the banks that adopt strategies such as diversification for reducing combined firm’s overall risk and for the banks that would increase the value of the government safety net to the combined firm. With the help of regressi on analysis, it can be understood that a target with high variance of own profitability and high covariance with the acquirer’s profitability will yield less premium. Theory of diversification will also make the similar implication. MANNER OF PREMIUMS COMPUTATIONS: a) An Informal Model of Bank Takeover Pricing During the process of valuation of a bank for merger and acquisition, several factors are considered by the bidder.