Human Resources †how individuals are managed within an organisation Essay

Introduction People are an extremely important resource for any organisation. To be a successful business you need to employ staff with the right qualifications skills and experience. The employees of an organisation are collectively known as its human resources, in many organisations, both public and private, the human resources department is also known as the personnel department. However, the difference in name reflects a shift in emphasis from a purely recruitment and welfare role to a greater concern about how to maximise the performance of staff. Human resource management is also an integral part of many job roles. There are many duties performed by a typical human resources department. These duties include drawing up and implementing equal opportunities and health and safety policies, staff consultation, negotiation, appraisal and staff development, as well as training, recruitment and selection of staff. They are the most important resource in the production of goods ands services. Many aspects of the employer-employee relationship are covered by legislation. However, employers are recognising increasingly that good human resource management practice, which goes beyond the letter of the law, can generate benefits for both the organisation and the individual. The role of human resources Human resource management involves managing a range of roles relating to people employed by a business including: Recruitment – The personnel department must advertise accordingly and try to attract the â€Å"best† candidates for the job, and the recruit the â€Å"best† applicants. If the wrong person is recruited, and then finds the job boring or too difficult, then the business will not get the most out of its human resources. Also where employees need to be flexible and autonomous and where direct control over employees is difficult, recruitment is becoming more and more important. To make sure the â€Å"best† person is chosen, personnel departments must be clear about: * What the job entails * What qualities the job requires * What rewards is needed to retain and motivate employees. There are many stages of recruiting, they are: – 1. Analyse what the job entails and decide what sort of person is needed. 2. Decide how the vacancy is to be advertised or announced. 3. The selection process needs to be planned and conducted in such a way as to ensure that the â€Å"best† candidate is successful. Training involves employees being taught new skills or improving skills they have already have. Why might a business train its employees? It is argued that a well-trained work force has certain benefits for a business. * Well-trained workers should be more productive. This will help the business to achieve its overall objectives such as increasing profits. * It should help to create a more flexible work force. If a business needs to increase production, workers then have to be trained in new tasks. * New machinery or production processes can be introduced more effectively, if the staff are trained. * It should lead to increased job satisfaction to employees. Well-motivated workers are more likely to be more productive. * It should reduce accidents and injuries if employees are trained in health and safety procedures. * It may improve the image of the company. * It can improve employee’s chances of promotion. How does a firm know if training is required? One method might be to use the job description to find the skills and knowledge needed to do the job. If the employee’s skills do not match up with the ones in the job description, then there is a need for re-training. Employees can also be asked about areas where they are not quite as confident, and think may need a little work on. This should make them more committed to training. Training needs are found at different levels within a business. Training is often divided into on-the-job-training and off-the-job-training. On-the-job-training takes place when employees are trained while they are carrying out an activity, often at their place of work. Off-the-job training takes place away from the job, at a different location. It may involve the employee being released for periods of time to attend courses at colleges or other institutions. This is by far the most popular form of training. One vital key task of HRM is to keep up to date with employment legislation (UK and EU) and to remain alert to the implications of such legislation for the firm and the workers. The main aim of such legislation is to ensure that employee’s rights are protected. Basic rights include: * Employees must receive a written statement of terms and conditions of employment within 13 weeks of starting work. * They must be paid the same as other people who carry out identical or similar jobs. * Working conditions must be safe and healthy. * Workers cannot be dismissed unfairly. * Employers must not discriminate against any member of staff. Employees have basic rights to: * They are expected to comply with the terms of their contract. * To do jobs with care and skill, to the acceptable standard. * Observe health and safety regulations. * Not to damage the firms property. There are many other responsibilities that then form the basis of the â€Å"contract of employment†. The contract is formed as soon as the employer offers a person a job and they accept it. Motivation at work For many years firms have given financial rewards in an attempt to motivate employees and improve productivity. However in the last 2 or 3 decades firms have realised that: – * the chance to earn more money may not be an effective motivator * financial incentive schemes are difficult to operate * individual reward schemes may no longer be effective as production has become organised into group tasks * other factors may be more important in motivating employees If other factors are more important than pay in motivating workers, it is important for firms to identify them. Only then can a business make sure its work force is motivated. Team work The Swedish car firm Volvo is a well-known example of a company that has effectively introduced teamwork. In both its plants at Kalmar and Uddevalla, it set up production in teams of 8-10 highly skilled workers. The teams decided between themselves how the work was to be distributed and how to solve problems as they arise. It is arguable whether these practices lead to an increase in productivity, but the company firmly believes this method of organisation was better than an assembly line system a similar system is used at Honda UK but with four person teams. If the firm is always changing due to the market, which is causing it to either, expand or de-layer. Then they will have to change the work force accordingly. The case study that I will be looking at is a position as a secretary for Ratcliffe College. P1- Recruitment One of the most important responsibilities of Human resource function is recruitment and selection. The costs of recruitment, training and retaining employees are high, but the costs of selecting the wrong people or losing key members of staff can be even higher. The processes of recruitment and selection must always relate the requirement for skilled staff to the business needs of the organisation. It is also essential that potential candidates be treated fairly. When vacancies arise because existing staff move to other jobs, retire or have to leave work because of illness. Some vacancies occur because the organisation expands or is restructured. Before the organisation advertises a post, it needs to decide whether there is a real need for the position to be filled. It might consider the following alternatives: * Amalgamating one job with another * Giving existing staff overtime * Recruiting temporary staff * Increasing the use of technology or machinery * Once an organisation decides that a vacancy exists, the recruitment process begins. Internal recruitment Internal recruitment strengthens employees commitment to the company, for example Kellogg’s have stated the following in their recruitment policy handbook: * Offer the job to an existing employee, as a promotion or transfer * Advertise internally, if suitable candidate is likely to available internally * Advertise externally if no suitable candidate is likely to exist internally(and display notice internally to the effect that the advertisement is appearing) Except in special cases, all vacancies should be advertised internally before external recruitment methods are used. There are a number of advantages to advertising jobs inside the business. * It gives employees within the company a chance to develop their career * There may be a shorter induction period as the employee is likely to be familiar with the company * Employers will know more about internal candidate’s abilities. This should reduce the risk of employing the wrong person * Internal recruitment may be quicker and less expensive than recruiting from outside the business. However, there are also disadvantages. * Internal advertising limits the number of applicants * External candidates might have been better quality * Another vacancy will be created which might have to be filled * If having investigated ways of filling the vacancy internally the business still does not appoint, then it must find ways to obtain candidates externally. External recruitment There are many ways of attracting candidates from outside the company. The choice of method often depends on the type of vacancy and the type of employee a business wants. Each method has its own benefits and problem, although it could be argued that the overall advantages of external advertising are the opposite of the disadvantages of internal advertising, for example, there is a wider number of applicants. Commercial employment agencies, these are companies that specialise in recruiting and selection. They usually provide a shortlist of candidates for a company to interview, but can also provide temporary workers. For example HMS, Alfred Marks and Kelly Accountancy Personnel. The advantage of commercial agencies is that they are experienced in providing certain types of worker, such as secretaries and clerical staff. They also minimise the administration for the employer involved in recruiting staff. Their main drawback is that they tend to produce staff that only stay in a job for a short time. Another problem for the business is the cost of paying fees to the agency. Recruitment and selection P2-Personnel Specification The first step is to prepare a job description. Before writing a job description, the job itself has to be analysed. This will identify the skills needed to perform the job and will also allow management to consider the overall effectiveness of the post and whether any changes are necessary. Clear job descriptions form the basis for preparing advertisements and for drawing up person specifications. Once individuals are in the post, job descriptions allow them to know exactly what their roles are, and what is expected of them. Before writing a job description, the job itself has to be analysed. This will identify the skills needed to perform the job and will also allow management to consider the overall effectiveness of the post and whether any changes are necessary. Clear job descriptions form the basis for preparing advertisements and for drawing up person specifications. Once individuals are in a post, job description allow them to know exactly what their roles are, and what is expected of them. When preparing a job description, it is important that the business to look to: * Describe the job accurately- if you overstate or understate the requirements of the job, you will be less likely to attract suitable applicants * Avoid discriminatory descriptions wording that implies one sex is preferable to another is unfair, illegal and unnecessarily restricts the number of people you are able to choose from. Below is an example of a job description, advertised in the local paper, for my case study. Ratcliffe College Job title School secretary Department: Administration, including Bursary Location Ratcliffe College, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake Salary à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15,000- 20,000 Requirements for the job: * Enthusiastic, sociable, hard working person. * Taking care of any paper work regarding the school, and answering calls throughout the day on any matter. * Computer skills and experience of working in an office. General information * The hours per day would from 9am-5pm, 5 days a week. * There is a team of six people who deal with the administration of the school; this includes the bursar, the head masters secretary and the four secretaries. The profile of the best person to fill a job is a vital reference document to use during the selection process. It helps eliminate unsuitable candidates, guide’s interviewers and allows selectors to compare candidates objectively. The following are the key areas in drawing up a person specification: * Knowledge and understanding required for the job * Skills and abilities required for the job * Experience required for the job * Educational requirements The following shows a person specification: To fill the receptionist post we are looking for people with most of the following qualifications: 1. GCSEs in Maths and English, additional qualifications such as computer skills required. 2. The applicant must have had previous experience in an office environment 3. Must be computer literate, and able to use a photocopier. 4. Must have an outgoing, friendly personality, and able to communicate efficiently with students and fellow members of staff alike. Most importantly, they must be able to answer the telephone and help with any enquiries. When preparing person specifications, there are several pitfalls to be avoided. * Asking for higher qualifications than are needed, it runs the risk of passing over less-qualified staff who are likely to become frustrated in positions that fail to extend their abilities * Asking for someone with particular or extensive experience, an individual with the right aptitudes, skills and temperament may be a quick learner * Stipulating particular age requirements, tasks that are traditionally regarded as junior can often be done as well, if not better, by older staff. Similar, jobs that have been regarded as the preserve of more mature employees may be performed by able, qualified and highly motivated young people. * Defining narrow physical requirements, these must only be specified where the requirement is genuine and essential. Remember that the specification of physical attributes can lead to direct or indirect discrimination. * Basing your specification on someone who is already doing the job, no matter how good that person might be, he or she is a unique individual and no one else will be a perfect replacement. The newcomer will bring his or her own personality, values and skills. P3-Reviewing Applications Miss Puddleduck- she seems to be able to get on with people and handle situations, as we can see this from her working as a carer in an Elderly Home. She is the eldest to apply for the job and has a good amount of previous experience, which give her the skills needed, like office and computer work. Seems to be a hard work and has good communication skills, and also she has worked with children before so is a strong candidate. From her CV I see that she has three young children, This may cause a problem, as she has a live-in child minder. Mr Langer- Mr Langer sent in an application form with exceptional exam results both from GCSE and A level. He gave some job experience which all showed experience but nothing that was relevant to the job description. His letter of application was very short with not much detail. Being as he hadn’t any experience in secretarial duties then I would have thought that he would have tried to impress me through the letter of application. This didn’t happen but because of his good exam results I offered him an interview hoping he would have something to offer the company. Mr Langer’s CV was average, he had typed it out so that it looked neat, and it was set well but the contented which he needed to impress me wasn’t there. Mr Langer was a very intellectual young man by the language which he had used on his recruitment forms and his given exam results but unfortunately he didn’t have the relevant experience to offer this post. Miss Hill- the weakest candidate looking from her application form, but she seems to be enthusiastic over the job, but from her CV she says she likes socialising, which may be a downfall as she may need to come in any day of the week. Miss Hill has no previous experience. From the CV her GCSE grades are not excellent, however, she has passed English and maths, and has computer skills. I am not sure how well she can communicate with people of different ages, as I have no evidence that she can. However, as she is young she may find it easier to communicate with the student, but she must be able to communicate effectively with the adults as well. She also has a young child, so she may know how to get on with the younger generation in the school Miss Hill has a young child, which could mean that she will need time off work to look after it. She states that her mum could look after the child at the weekends if necessary, however, her mum may not be available in the week if the child is unable to go to playgroup. So it may cause difficulties in the future, as she may have difficulties finding someone to look after the child or she may have to take days off. P4-Contract of employment Once a business has selected an employee, the successful candidates must be appointed. Once appointed. Employees are entitled to a Contract of Employment. This is an agreement between the employer and the employee under which each has certain obligations. It is binding to both parties in the agreement, the employer and the employee. This means that it is unlawful to break the terms and conditions in the contract without the other party agreeing. As soon as an employee starts work, and therefore demonstrates that she accepts the terms offered by the employer, the contract comes into existence. It is sometimes a written contract, although a verbal agreement or implied agreements are also contracts of employment. The employment Right Act, 1996 requires employers to give employees taken on for one month or more a written statement within two months of appointment. This written statement sets out the terms and conditions in the contract. Some common features shown in the written statement are: * The names of the employer and the name of the employee * The date on which the employment is to begin * The job title * The terms and conditions of employment * Remuneration and pay interval; * Hours of work; * Entitlement to sick leave and pay (if any) * Pensions; * Period of notice for employer and employee; * Disciplinary and Grievance procedures. Certain employment protection rights cover employees that are appointed by a business. Government legislation makes it a duty of employers to safeguard these rights. They fall into a number of areas. * Discrimination. Employees cannot be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race or disability. So, for example, a business cannot refuse to appoint a candidate for a job only because that person is female. * Pay. Employees must be paid the same rate as other employees doing the same job, a similar job or a job with equal demands. They also have the right to itemised pay statements and not to have pay deducted for unlawful reasons. Other conditions which may be included are: the need for medical examinations, working from different locations, the right to search employees, the need for confidentiality and the need to obey the specific rules of the organisation. If the employer fails to provide a written statement of the main terms and conditions of employment, an employee could exercise his or her legal right to ask an industrial tribunal to decide what ought to have been in the written statement. This is then imposed upon the employer. Employers with more than twenty employees are also obliged to ensure that every employee has a copy of the disciplinary and grievance procedures. Employers have always wanted workers to be as flexible as possible. In the past this has meant paying overtime for extra hours worked, or higher rates for ‘shift’ work. Faced with competition, businesses attempted to use their existing employees more efficiently. Sometimes this could benefit the employee. An example of a situation in Adam’s is a single woman with a child was able to work between the hours of 9 am to 3 p.m. each day while her child is at school. Working flexible hours could mean an employee may take time off for personal reasons and still work their required number of hours a week. Training would also be given to workers so they become multi -skilled – able to switch from one job to another if needed. This example of job rotation may perhaps lead to the employee being more motivated. From a firm’s point of view, an employee that can change jobs may prevent the need to have temporary workers to cover for illness etc. and so reduce labour costs. An example of this is the ‘workstyle’ initiative at Adams, where team working has been introduced so that workers can change from one process to another and do the work of others in the team if necessary. In 1985 John Atkinson and the Institute of Manpower Studies developed the idea of the flexible firm. They suggested that businesses have a ‘core’ and a ‘periphery’. As a result of increasing competition, firms have attempted to make the workforce as flexible as possible, to increase productivity, reduce costs and react more quickly to change. The business would try to motivate core workers, giving them job security, and employ periphery workers only when needed. Increasingly employers looked to make plans that allow a business to respond to changes. For example, if a large unexpected order arrives, a business will need workers that can ‘get it out on time’. Using a flexible workforce enables a business to react effectively to changes that take place outside the business. Examples of workers that are used by a business includes: * Part time employees. * Temporary employees to deal with increases in demand. * Workers on zero hour’s contracts who are employed by the business but only work and are paid when both the business and the employee agree. * Workers who work to annualised hour’s contracts, where they work a certain number of hours over a year rather than in a week. * Workers who ‘bank time’, by not working when demand is slack but being asked to work that time at a later date. * Office temporary workers to cover for illness. * Self-employed workers. * Job sharing, where two workers are employed to do a full time job that in the past have been carried out by the one person. P5-My Performance in the Interview Before the interview 1. The interviewer should check that the interview arrangements are satisfactory: * Is the seating adequate? * Is the lighting satisfactory? * Is the room quiet or private? * Has it been ensured that the interview will not be disrupted? * Has access for candidates with a physical disability been checked? 2. Check through the job description and the person specification. 3. Read the application forms again, not any special questions or queries. 4. Write down the agreed questions that every candidate will have to answer, so they can make comparisons of each interviewee, this could including: * Why did you apply for this job? * Why did you apply to this organisation? 5. At the beginning of the interview every candidate should be welcomed by name and invited to sit down. 6. Begin the interview with an open or easy question, which should help the interviewees to relax. 7. The interviewer should always stay calm and uninvolved and be ready to listen 8. Keep observing the candidates. Watch for body language signal such as: * The way they sit * Arm and hand movements * Eye movements and eye contact * Voice 9. At the end of the interview the interviewer should: * Thank the candidate * Find out if the candidate has any questions or wants to add anything; * Find out when the candidate could start work; * Ask whether the candidate still wants the job * Tell the candidate how and when they will be told the result of the interview After the Interview 1. The candidates should leave feeling that they have had a fair hearing. An interviewer can ask either open or closed questions. * Open questions cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Answering them allows individuals to express their opinions and to talk at length. Here are some examples of open-ended questions. – What did you enjoy most about a particular job? – Which skills do you think would be most useful in this post? – How do you plan to achieve that? * Closed questions require a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. It will always be necessary to ask a few closed questions, but their use should be restricted. Closed questions do not allow the candidate to talk freely, and they can make the interview somewhat stilted, with the interviewer doing most of the talking. When I was the interviewer I asked open ended questions, which allowed me to find out more about the candidate personality as well as there attitude to work. However from my colleagues point of view I was told that I was to laid back towards the candidate and to disorganise, this was because I had not gone through the CV’s and the application form. This could have meant that I missed some vital information about the candidates. Also I did not write any information down about each candidate, which meant that I could not remember what the candidates where like. Which meant that I could analyse and compare the candidates. As an interviewee I was confident going for the position, willing to answer the questions, with no problems. But in doing this I had not research the position enough, as I had a lack of information about the school. Knowing this would of help me to put across my views on how I would of achieved the job successfully, and showed that I was interested in the job. I feel that during the interviews I fulfilled most of these criteria. The seating was adequate; there were two seats for the interviewers and one doe the candidate. However, there was a desk in between, it would have been better to try and create a more relaxed atmosphere, by either not having the desk at all, or sitting to one side of the desk. I was familiar with the job description and person specification, and had already prepared certain questions for each candidate. I had prepared a sheet with the questions that I was going to ask all of the candidates, a copy of this can be found in the appendix. I welcomed all the candidates by name and shucked there hand, and tried to make them feel welcome. Throughout the interview I used a variety of open and closed questions. I should have used more open than closed questions to allow the candidate to talk more. This would be one aspect I would have to change in future interviews. I thought of some follow up questions, however, could have thought of some more. I observed the candidates several times throughout the interview, which gave me a good idea of their overall body language. At the end of the interview, I allowed the candidates to ask questions, found out when they could start work, and told them when they would hear of the result. I didn’t tell them how they would hear of the result, and I forgot to ask then if they were still interested in the job. After the interview I made some brief notes on the way the candidate had reacted during the interview. All these documents remained private between myself and the other interviewer M4-Local Labour Market Employment by sector Leicestershire TEC Area % East midlands % Great Britain % Agriculture & Fishing 1,500 0.4 6,900 0.4 71,000 0.3 Energy & Water 5,000 1.2 17,600 1.1 214,700 1.0 Manufacturing 116,700 29.4 418,700 25.8 4,060,000 18.0 Construction 13.300 3.3 70,700 4.4 987,900 4.4 Distribution, Hotels & restaurants 80,000 20.1 354,800 5.0 1,319,400 5.9 Transport & communication 22,000 5.5 81,100 5.0 1,319,400 5.9 Banking, finance & Insurance, etc. 58,600 14.8 230,200 14.2 4,183,700 18.6 Public administration, Education & Health 85,900 21.6 378,700 23.3 5,496,600 24.4 Other services 14,000 3.5 65,700 4.0 1,068,900 4.7 Total 397,000 100.0 1,623,800 100.0 22,534,900 100.0 The labour market is split up into three different labour sectors: – 1. Primary – these are businesses that are involved in extracting natural resources from the environment. Examples are the first two rows of the table. 2. Secondary – businesses convert the raw materials from the primary sector into a form that can be used by customers. The third and fourth rows on the table are examples of this sector. 3. Tertiary – Organisations provide services. The reminding rows are businesses in the tertiary sector. * Manufacturing – contributes nearly 30% to GDP and employs some 27% of the workforce, goods produced range from textiles & clothing through aerospace engines. However, manufacturing output within the region is forecast to fall by approximately 0.5% in 1999 before recovering in 2000. * Service Sector – employment is growing faster than at the national level, but the service sector is still relatively under-represented. IT related employment, in particular, continues to expand. * Agriculture – the East Midlands accounts for 10% of UK agricultural output, and employs 45,000 people across the region, rising to nearly one in five of the workforce in some areas. * Unemployment – the regional claimant rate has been below the UK rate and currently stands at 3.9% compared to the UK 4.4% for May 1999. Current situation & prospects Within the East Midlands, growth in services was estimated to have been stronger than the UK as a whole during 1998. However, the region saw a sharp slowdown in business services growth, reflecting the dependence of the sector on local manufacturing. Manufacturing output declined significantly during 1998, due to deterioration in both domestic and export demand, and a strong pound. Manufacturing output within the region is forecast to continue to decline during 1999, before recovering in 2000. Subdued performance is also expected in retailing & distribution, and in transport & communications. Overall regional GDP is expected to rise only slightly by 0.3% during 1999, with employment levels expected to remain static. Short-term changes in the GDP by sector (% per year) Manufacturing Services Other All services Fin. & Bus. Services 1998 1999 2000 1998 1999 2000 1998 1999 2000 1998 1999 2000 E.M. 0.3 0.3 -3.1 1.5 0.2 1.2 4.9 2.2 1.9 6.8 -0.7 -1.9 UK -0.2 -0.2 -3.2 1.3 0.6 0.5 2.5 1.5 1.4 1.6 -1.4 -1.9 Inward investment The region has seen inward investment in manufacturing over recent years. In the first half of 1998 the East Midlands won 16 inward investment projects, which created a total of 2,240 jobs. Approximately 50% of the projects came from the USA. Other inward investment projects within the region include Toyota, the Japanese car manufacturer, which has expanded its plant at Burnaston in Derbyshire at a cost of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200m in order to build a second car model, the Corolla. The region has also been successful in attracting call centres, despite competition. In the future as direct banking and insurance services increase, further investment opportunities are likely to arise for the region. The East Midlands’ success in attracting inward investment can be explained by its central location, good infrastructure links with the rest of the country, relatively low land prices, and the quality of its workforce. Leicestershire’s Industrial Profile Leicestershire’s industrial structure has experienced a long period of change and this change is seen to continue. The manufacturing industry consists of textiles and clothing, electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, food processing, printing and publishing, and pharmaceuticals. In Leicestershire 26% of the population are employed in this sector compared with 19% nationally. The most important manufacturing industry group, in terms of output, remains â€Å"other manufacturing† which includes textiles and food manufacturing, currently accounting for half of all manufacturing output. The fastest growing sector was national transport and communications, with an average annual growth of 9.6% since 1992. This growth largely reflects the advantages of Leicestershire as a central location for distribution Industrial sectors Leicestershire TEC area Leicestershire county Leicester city Rutland 1999 Employee estimates Number % Number % Number % Number % Agriculture & Fishing 3,100 0.8 2,700 1.2 0 0 400 3.5 Energy & Water 9,200 2.3 5,600 2.4 3,200 2.1 400 3.5 Manufacturing 102,600 26.0 64,300 28.1 36,300 23.8 2,000 17.4 Construction 14900 3.8 10,000 4.4 4,300 2.8 600 5.2 Distribution, Hotels & restaurants 83,000 21.1 51,100 22.3 29,200 19.1 2,700 23.5 Transport & communication 23,100 5.9 16,100 7.0 6,500 4.3 500 4.3 Banking, finance & Insurance, etc. 54,800 13.9 28,100 12.3 25,600 16.8 1,100 9.6 Public administration, Education & Health 85,900 21.8 41,900 18.3 40,600 26.6 3,400 39.6 Other services 16,600 4.2 9,300 4.1 6,900 4.5 400 3.5 Total employees 393,200 100.0 229,100 100.0 152,600 100.0 11,500 100.0 M5 – Analysing the recruitment documents I think I should have spaced out the application form a bit better and left more room for the forenames and surnames. On the application form I didn’t put a space for sex, this should have been entered, as some people may see it as not giving equal opportunities. I think that it is of a good size, and the font is neither too small nor too large, however, if there had been more spaces left, then it may have been easier to read. There is not a final section asking for a supporting statement. This does not give the applicant opportunity to sell themselves. I should have put some spaces in the â€Å"Employment History† section for reason for leaving the job, and also how long they had been at their last job for. This would have given me some indication on how willing they are. Also if I had left space at the end of the form, there would have been space for the candidates to sell themselves, also giving me more information to base my questions on at the interview. There should have also been more space for them to fill in information about their education. In the references section there should be space to show what relationship the person given as a reference is to the candidate. As it is important for companies to enforce equal opportunities I should have had a section in the application form asking if they had a disability, what their ethnic origin is and also what colour they consider themselves (black, white, other, mixed). This should be an optional section; however, I should have included it. I also provided a sheet for the candidates to fill in just before the interview. This is where extra information could be gathered, and if any details have changed since they filled in the application form, then I could be notified of them. The appraisal documents: during the interview I made some basic notes of the candidates performance. These notes included how well they answered the questions, and their body language. I also gave them marks for their body language, their language and how appropriate it was, and how confident they were (1 being the best, and 5 the worst) In my personnel specification, I should have said more about the job so that they know more about the job and what jobs would be involved in the position. Also how to handle parents and children. Also in the job description, I should stated more about what the jobs would be involved with, like handling children from the ages of 5-18, so they need to be patient sometimes and also authoritative. M6-Strengths & Weaknesses Mrs Jemima Puddleduck Her letter of application was most impressive. It was typed, set out correctly, and lots of good language was used. The recruitment documents that we received from Mrs Jemima Puddleduck showed that she was a well-educated young lady, showing she had studied both GCSE’s, and ‘A’ levels with excellent grades, and also well qualified. The only factor, which made me a little unsure of her, was that she had children, which I felt it might cause some difficulty about the hours she could work. Plus a degree in sports management. It was a very encouraging letter, outlining her strengths and weaknesses, and also stating any previous relevant work experience as well as any other experience to show her enthusiasm for work. Her experiences in jobs show us a very caring girl and she has taken part in work experience in very useful places. Mrs Jemima Puddleduck sent me a very short but detailed letter of application it was in written form very neat and well set out. Her work experiences have given her experience of what this position requires and I feel she would be an excellent candidate for this job. Mr Brett Langer The documents that were given to us by Brett Langer shows that he is ma very hard working person, we know this by looking at his GCSE’s and ‘A’ Levels. So he should then have the basic skills available to do the job successfully, with A grades in Maths and English in his GCSE’s. My impression also was that he may be a little well qualified for the job, nonetheless a very promising candidate. It showed that he had some previous job experience, however, he had never worked in an office before. From the letter of application he seemed to be an all round person, being able to get on with people. We can also see this from his past work experience as a Waiter and Employee at McDonalds, this showing he should be able to get on with any sort of person and situations. The only problem is that he is going to be working on a temporary basis as he’s looking for a job in the business sector, so he will only be working here until he finds a job in the business industry. Miss Tracy Hill Miss Hill is the youngest candidate applying for the position as Secretary. The recruitment documents, which we received from Miss Tracy Hill, she seems to be a nice girl but lack the personnel skills and personality for the job. There are concerns on how sociable she is, and how this may affect her work, as she may have to come in on a Saturday or Sunday. She has the basic skills to do the job with having GCSE’s in IT, Maths and English. She also has no work experience in any field. She is the weakest candidate for the job, but we have decided to give her a chance to prove us wrong in the interview. Jemima Puddleduck questions 1. Will you be able to come in if there was an emergency? 2. Do you think you be able to handle the children when if they get rowdy? 3. Why have you decided to leave your present job? 4. How long would it take to hand in your notice at your present job? 5. How come you haven’t decided to go into the sports industry? Brett Langer questions 1. Do you know how to use the basics of computer software? 2. How long do you think you would work here? 3. Will you be able to come in if there was an emergency? 4. Do you think you be able to handle the children when if they get rowdy? 5. Do you think you would get along with the different age groups that go to the school? Tracy Hill question 1. Why did you leave school after your GCSE’s? 2. Why haven’t you got any work experience? 3. Would it be a problem with the hours you work with a child? 4. Who will look after the child? 5. Will you be able to come in if there was an emergency? 6. Do you think you be able to handle the children when they get rowdy? M7-My performance in the Interviews To start off with I was shy, I was not sure how they would react to me, but as the interviews went on my interviewing technique improved and I started to settle down. I found that I didn’t really help them to relax and settle down, which made them nervous and allowed them t make mistakes, as they didn’t know how to react to me. After settling down I became confident enough to ask the candidate questions about the job and putting them in situations and asking how they would handle a particular situation. Due to this I became to laid back, I was showing poor body language; for example my arms were crossed. I also acted to casual with the candidate; I was told this from my colleagues who were also interviewing the candidate. Due to me being confident and laid back, I asked the candidate opened ended questions, which enabled my colleagues and I to get to know the candidate more intimately and what there personality was like. I also found that I was too disorganised for the interview, compared to my colleagues who where ready for the interview, as they had questions readily decided to ask the candidate. Which didn’t show a good impression on the candidate and made me look silly. I also had not gone through the candidate’s information, which gave me a disadvantage, as I did not ask the relevant information for the job. Which lead to me not writing any information about the candidate, so it made it difficult on which candidate to pick for the job. I think that I also should have changed the tone of voice more, as I felt the candidate was finding the interview was getting to boring. Improvements 1. I should appear to be relaxed from the beginning of the interview so that they can give their best performances through out the interview. 2. I shouldn’t act laid back whilst interviewing the candidate. As this gives a bad impression to the interviewee, about the way things are running in the company. 3. I should look through the application documents before I interview the candidate to have some kind of information about the candidate and question to find out more about their personality. 4. It would be more fairer to all the candidates if I took notes on each applicant, so that I can offer the job to the best person, so that I can compare them with there good and bad points and offer the job to the best person. M8 – Our own design of a â€Å"Contract of employment† 1. Name of employer:_________________________________ 2. Name of employee:________________________________ 3. Job title: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4. Salary: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5. Start date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6. Pay rate:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7. Amount of hours that must be completed in one week:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8. Leave, you are entitled to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦days-paid holiday per annum in addition to statutory holidays. The leave is to taken at a time convenient to the employer. 9. Sick pay and allowances: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10. Amount of holiday entitlement: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11. What notice is needed when you want to finish that job:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. to ensure flexibility within our workforce, you will at times be expected to work extra hours as required, but you will normally be given advanced notice of times. 12. Grievance Procedures, if you wish to raise any grievance relating to your employment, you should do so in accordance with the grievance procedure shown in the employee information binder, which can be obtained from the Personal office. 13. Pension scheme, details of the contributory company pension scheme, for which you are eligible, may be obtained from the personnel office. 14. Discipline Rules, the company rules form part of your conditions of employment. These are shown in the Employee Information Binder and it is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with these and observe them at all times.

Man’s Innate Evil †“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding Essay

The Savage inside us all, when certain situations are brought up the primitive human nature is unleashed. Aspects of human nature in the world alert us to our potential to descend from law and order to chaos, good to evil and civilization to savagery. The break down of civilization towards savagery dramatizes the struggle between the ruling element of society which include law, morality, culture and the chaotic element of humanity’s savage instincts which include anarchy, amorality, and a desire for power. Throughout the novel, Lord of the Flies, Golding explicitly articulates that circumstances creates decay in moral value, innocence of human being and deteriorates the democratic system. Ralph the leader is the symbols for morality and leadership, while their enemy Jack is the symbol for the desire for power, selfishness and amorality. Simon the intellect who was the only boy who realizes fear is innate and the beast is within the boys. Lord of the Flies reveals how people ca n descend into barbarism in an atmosphere of chaos. The protagonist, Ralph, who personifies order, pragmatism, and everyman’s natural weakness, displays power and influence in the beginning but is almost tempted into savagery in the end; his use of the conch in the beginning of the book exhibits his characteristics and his civilized nature. He at first is presented as an activist individual, but also possesses an innate savage nature like everyone else and this is displayed when he partakes in the killing of Simon. Dont you understand, Piggy? The things we did He may still be. Although Ralph commits murder, he is still not completely submerged into savagery since he is able to realize what they have done, and this is clearly allegorized when he says he is afraid of them and wants to return home. These examples of Ralph show that when humans are not under the right circumstance, or away from civilized world they are most likely to unleash their inner selves their evil side. They also show how Ralph descended from Civilization to Savagery. In spite of Ralph’s display of civility, wisdom and the confident view for man’s fate, Jack on the other hand reveals the credence of man’s fall into savagery. Jack, who personifies savagery, bloodlust, and the hunger for power, shows the unavoidable fate of man. When Jack painted his mask, he had liberated  from shame and self consciousness. This is one of the major turning points for the alteration of Jack’s character is his relevance of the mask. Jack’s hiding behind the mask is a way for him to unleash his savage nature without feeling repentance. He also desires power from the beginning of the novel to the point when he declares himself the new leader. Jack persuades the boys to join him by using fear about the beast, and he does so until they all come to believe in its existence. After Jack diffuse this fear and belief in the boys’ minds, all aspects of civilization, culture and dissolve quickly. Absurdity emphasizes Jack’s bloodlust when he kills the sow and when he attempts to kill Ralph also. Jack hunts not with the sole intention to get meat, but he particularly enjoy exercising power over living creatures while hunting. Though it is not accomplished, Ralph’s potential murder also illustrates Jack’s ridiculous and savage nature. Jack is completely descended from good to evil in an atmosphere of chaos. On the opposite side Simon is the only boy on the island who really knows who the beast is. Simon was the only boy who did not descend into savagery. He is really the only one on the island who realizes that the fear is innate and that there is no beast. What I mean is†¦ maybe it’s only us. Simon’s delirious confrontation with the Lord of the Flies confirms his theory of evil being instinctive to man and actually within all of us There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast†¦ fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! †¦ You knew didn’t you? I’m a part of you. These examples validates that savagery was always there in mankind but need a proper circumstance to come out. So when Simon climbs the mountain and sees the parachutist and comes back to tell everyone that there is no beast, the inner beast of the boys made them kill Simon thinking that it is the beast. As Jack had implanted that there is a beast in real into their brains. Even after Simons death Jack and his tribe did not stop hunting and did not think about the murder they did the night before. The inner beast led to the loss of religion, and turned Jack and his tribe into complete savages. These are examples of the events that happened away from the civilized world. Simon the only boy to know the original beast mans innate evil. Jack turning completely savage; and Ralph the leader who was often tempted by the  savagery of the others. All the above examples conclude that aspects of human nature in the world alter us to our possibility to descend from law and order to chaos, good to evil and civilization to savagery. Lord of the Flies showed that the evil residing within everyone could be unleashed. It proved the dark side of human nature could be really brutal and even the most innocent of us are vulnerable to it. Bibliography â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, William Golding, The Berkley Publishing Group, New York, 1954

Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas was born in France; being the oldest out of five children. His family was quite wealthy working as bankers. At a young age, he showed his talent and wanted to become an artist. Being in a wealthy family, he was able to go to good schooling growing up. His father wanted him to go to law school, so he attended Faculty of Law in the University of Paris. He didn't do well in his studies. So he then attended an art school, School of Fine Arts.He used a lot of his free time at an art museum in Paris ladled â€Å"Louvre,† Later, he went to Italy and stayed with his aunt Baron Bluebell to study about Michelangelo and Leonardo dad Vinci. While staying in with his aunt, he painted a famous family picture called The Bluebell Family. He wanted to be a famous artist, so he moved back to Paris in 1859. Degas mainly painted portraits and historical scenes. He turned in his artwork to the Salon for the first time in 1865. The Salon is the official art exhibition in Fra nce.They accepted his artwork of the Scene of War in the Middle Ages. Being enlisted as a national guard during the Franco-Prussian War, this meant little time for painting. He began to stay in Louisiana after the war with his family. During his stay, he mostly painted his family members. He got some attention in France when he painted The Cotton Exchange that was purchased by a museum. Edgar was forced to sell his house when he returned back to France because his brother, Rene, owned a lot of debt. He helped his brother pay the debt by selling his artwork.When the salon started feeling disappointed about his nettings, Degas and a few other artists started organizing their own â€Å"society. † They were called The Impressionists. Edgar took lead in the in organizing the exhibitions. Ingress, Delicacies, and Dandier were the three artists he idealized. Later around the late sass he began to have a passion for photography. He took pictures of his friends, nudes, and dancers. He believed artists should live alone, so he was never married. He spent the rest of his life wandering around Paris, nearly blind. He died 1917.Edgar Degas was known as an Impressionist. Meaning using bright colors, using the effects of light. Degas once said, â€Å"No art was ever less spontaneous as mine, what I do is the result of reflection and of the study of the great masters; of inspiration, spontaneity, temperament, I know nothing. † Collecting Japanese prints influenced his work. He was famous for painting horses, and dancers, although he started off his career painting historical events. Degas changed from painting historical events to modern art. He began to paint people at work, for example, milliners and laundresses.Ever since he started painting modern life, he urged other artists to do the same as well, instead of painting mythological and historical paintings. He changed his brush work, palette, and composition. With his eye troubles of nearly being blind, he n ever really â€Å"finishes† his paintings. In the sass, he mastered oil on a canvas and pastel. Edgar began to draw and paint women in a towel, drying their hair, combing their hair, and taking a bath. He simplified the backgrounds, not too dramatic. He always painted in doors in his studio.Around 860 Degas had a lot of paintings accepted by the Salon. When Edgar Joined the Impressionists, and giving strict rules and Judgment, the Salon rejected the Impressionists. When he submitted the paintings of the nudes, it produced â€Å"the most concentrated body of critical writing on the artist during his lifetime. The overall reaction was positive and laudatory. † Since he was a leader for the Impressionists, Degas was known to be â€Å"one of the founders of impressionism. † Being in the Impressionist movement, he was one of the greatest early artists.

An analysis of a TESOL learning activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An analysis of a TESOL learning activity - Essay Example Many had not considered a career at all. This is most likely because they did not have any experience of guided career exploration before making these choices, or being unsure about doing so. After completing the activity, the students attitude towards choosing a career as well as the appropriateness of the career they chose to pursue were measured by student interviews. Most students showed an increased awareness in choosing careers that were better culturally fitted to their own lifestyles and skill sets, including their English language acquisition. There was also a noticeable difference in the confidence level of each of the participants in regard to how they felt about entering the world of work. Many students came into the program somewhat reluctant to complete mock interviews and share resume writing skills. Most of these students, however, were eager to share their testimonies on how the program had changed their perception of themselves as well as their career goals by the e nd of this six week activity.

Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Literature review - Essay Example Ancient Western viewpoint Intellectually In the early period of the High Middle Ages, the Islamic communities had greatly contributed to the intellectual growth of the European people. Goddard (2000) stated that the medieval Muslim scholars (e.g., Averroes) had translated into Arabic language the scientific ideas and philosophies of the Greeks such as Aristotle (Goddard, 2000: 97). He further noted that it was in the eleventh century that the Europeans were able to obtain, translate, and read the works of the Greek scientists and philosophers via their Arabic version. Goddard (2000) said that there were two specific European locations wherein the readings and translations of the Arabic texts of the Greek intellectuals were made: Spain and Sicily. By and large, Muslims were viewed by the medieval Christians, based from Goddard’s analysis, as transmitters of scientific knowledge and intellectual tradition (Goddard, 2000: 98). Economically Moreover, Glick (2005) said that the Isl amic communities had greatly shaped the notion and praxis of urbanization for the pre-11th century European people. Prior to A.D. 1000, the administration of justice practiced by the Christian nation-state of Iberian descent was â€Å"dispersed among a multiplicity† of institutions or courts throughout the land (Glick, 2005: 113). In contrast, the administration of justice prominent in Islamic communities was remarkably concentrated in the al-Andalus towns. With respect to urban practices, the influence of Muslims to the medieval Iberian Christians took place when the former created the al-Andalus region as an international market in the 8th-century period. Here, European Christians perceived Muslims as civilized people with highly organized activities pertaining to urban function. Glick’s reading of medieval Spanish urbanization significantly viewed Islam as the promoter of civilization as we know it today: concentrated at the center. Theologically In spite of the con tributions of Islam to the preservation and institution of knowledge and urbanization, the European elite had attempted to demonize, and eventually succeeded in demonizing, the expanding Muslim communities. Tolan (1996), p.xv) described how Peter the Venerable, a Christian abbot of Cluny, travelled to Spain in order to meet and convince its king for a sinister plot of attacking Islam (Tolan, 1996: xv). The abbot of Cluny conceived a plan to rationally criticize the ideas and teachings characterized in the Islamic faith; through the aid of the king of Castile and Leon, Peter the Venerable created a team of translators with the main task of translating the Qur’an and other Islamic texts from Arabic to Latin language (Tolan, 1996). Thence, Christian scholars attacked the philosophy or ideas prominent in the Islamic texts. In the process, they perceived the Muslims as akin to pagans or heretics (Lumbard, 2009: 156). Militarily In the Early Middle Ages, it must be noted that Islam was not highly considered by the medieval Christians as a religion in

Energy Wedges Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Energy Wedges - Lab Report Example Our energy wedge is mainly concerned with efficient utilization of energy and use of renewable sources as the major active ways of reducing carbon emission by the year 2055. Faced with only two solutions of either maintaining the current emission of carbon in the next 50 years or reducing the production of carbon in the atmosphere by the similar amount of time, we opted to build our wedge on the basis practical reduction of carbon in the atmosphere by half for the next 50 years. This option was opted for the various reasons of changing environmental conditions and the sudden changes in technology that demand use of carbon energy (Levy, 2010). The world is required to reduce atmospheric carbon from current 8 billion tons per year by half hence ensuring only 200 billion tons by the year 2055. This is only possible by increasing sufficient use of transport. This is mainly by adopting efficient fuel engines in terms of motor vehicles. Another way is by reducing the distance travelled while at the same time ensuring efficiency in construction and building hence reducing electricity use. This is possible by utilizing solar energy and using materials that conserve energy during winter. Use of renewable sources of energy is our next energy wedge which aims at using sources in the environment that do not produce carbon in the atmosphere. Use of solar energy is just one of the means. Using wind-generated electricity is already in use in many countries in the world. In addition to this forest, conservation and soil storage are also means thorough which carbon emission can be reduced. Lakes, rivers, forests, and soils absorb atmospheric carbon from the atmosphere (UNEP, 2007). The group believes that if the above energy wedge proposal is implemented then the world is likely to achieve its objectives. According to the work sheet above, taxpayers failed to recognize the importance

Paying for Hospital Services Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paying for Hospital Services - Assignment Example Here, patients are advantaged in a way that they enjoy the freedom to choose directly on the physician they want and generally benefit from a sufficient access to health care services. In addition, these patients can see their physicians even out of state and they do not have to wait for long to consult a specialist. The disadvantage of FFS is that, they are not quite affordable when compared to other mechanisms. Since it gives providers a strong incentive to offer more and rewarding items, FFS can be a disadvantageous tool for containing costs. Lastly, it is anticipated that the fee application plans must comprise lots of administration costs to view resources required for monitoring, adjustments, and monitoring of schedules (Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, 2010). Per Diem simply involves daily payment of services given by physicians or the hospital. It is beneficial because it encourages physicians to deliver better services. In some cases, the average per diem rate is forthright to implement and calculate since it can be founded on the total historical expenses divided by the entire number of bed-ways for a given group of services, such as maternity care. The average rate in this method can also be adjusted to mirror case-mix and patient characteristics, which may be a significant transition method, since per diem are manageably simple to implement and can be a good starting point when collecting data essential in case-based systems (Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research, 2008). According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (2009), the Diagnosis-Related Groups system classifies patients into groups basing on their economic and medical records, similar hospital resource costs and use. Here, providers are paid at a fixed rate for every discharge depending on the diagnosis, type of discharge, and treatment. For this reason, DRGs possess a

Letting the Big Ones Get Away Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letting the Big Ones Get Away - Case Study Example This discussion stresses that another standard that applies in respect of prosecutors is that they should refrain from initiating or encouraging efforts to waiver rights from an accused person who is unrepresented. According to Gershman, prosecutors should maintain neutrality. Some of the dilemmas that prosecutors have to deal with include those related to knowing use of false evidence, threatening a person of criminal prosecution with the aim of discouraging them from appearing before the court as a witness. It is also unethical for prosecutors to present false statements of material fact during court proceedings. In the case of the big-name drug dealer and his girlfriend, it is a fact that the prosecutor must uphold justice above his desire for promotion. In addition, he/she should see to it that instead of trying to convict, his duty to justice remains steadfast. Clearly noting, the deal that the drug dealer presents to the prosecutor in respect of transferring his case to his gir lfriend if accepted by the prosecutor will present a situation in which justice is defeated. This is so considering that the big one will be let off the hook and someone innocent in respect of the drugs will be the scapegoat. Furthermore, subjecting the innocent pregnant girl to charges is tantamount to punishing the unborn child for a wrong neither it nor its mother committed. The drug dealer by all means should face justice for his actions. Given that he is well connected and has escaped from the rule of justice several times shows that he is unwilling to change his cause. Furthermore, accepting his offer will result in the defeat of justice in respect of his pregnant girlfriend. However, the strength of the case lies with the girl’s cooperation.  

Bussiness plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bussiness plan - Essay Example Diamond B will receive start-up funding from a Colorado lending institution, namely a commercial bank, requesting a loan for $50,000 to cover start-up and miscellaneous expenses. The following represents the start-up needs for Diamond B: Diamond B will operate inside of lower-cost strip mall space, in a centralized location, with over 1,200 square feet of retail space. This was chosen to avoid the high start-up costs of building new constructions so that more money could be devoted to product variety. This will give Diamond B more flexibility by being in the strip mall and allow the company to expand without concern over the expenses of real estate agents. Diamond B can simply work on a contracted lease that allows for easy exit if the business ever decides to move or expand. On the start-up chart, frozen foods represent the different ice cream bars, sandwich cookies, and fresh frozen pizzas that will be available to customers. Refrigerated items include a variety of sodas, energy drinks, and other dairy products such as milk and cheese that customers of all varieties will require. Non-perishable foods include magazines, cigarette lighters, and other basic convenience products found commonly in this type of store model. Promotions are a high expense on the start-up list as it is necessary for Diamond B to set up a strong brand immediately after launch. The company will use the logo strongly in its promotional materials so that customers have awareness of Diamond B and can recognize it on sight. The Diamond logo will be trademarked for intellectual property reasons and for building a better competitive image. These materials include in-store displays, posters, direct mailing literature sent to random customer households, and other needed advertisements for pre- and post-launch of Diamond B. Computer systems on the start-up list include the different credit card machines that will be needed to perform basic transactions, along with inventory monitoring

Robinson fruit shoot market share Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Robinson fruit shoot market share - Essay Example To understand better preference and market share, it was worthwhile taking the time to study previous reports on the Robinson Fruit Shoot brand that had been compiled earlier by different studies. This helped the researchers go to the field with knowledge of the perception of the brand and an expectation of opinion. This, however, could, however, influence the objectivity due to response anticipation. From the studies done by Mintel, Fruit Juice, Juice Drinks, and Smoothies - UK - November 2012 and Fruit Juice and Juice Drinks - UK - November 2011 placed Robinson Fruit Shoot at number three and number two respectively as a market share player. They proved that the Shoot was popular among the other brands but was not in pole position as to control the market. That, therefore, seemed to suggest that more marketing and sales were required so as to make the brand the market leader. From another survey by Mintel for Cordials and Squashes in October 2012, there was increased demand for sof t and low alcohol drinks in the United Kingdom hence showing that there was an increasing market for the Shoot as more, consumers preferred soft drinks. The third survey used in the secondary research was Fruit Juices, Energy & Juice Drinks Market Report 2013 that showed the preferences of the children aged between 1 to 15 years, the target consumer group. The survey’s findings are important for the marketers of the shoot to execute a marketing plan that carters for the children’s taste and preferences.

An Outline History of the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

An Outline History of the World - Essay Example It is possible that this pagi consisted of specific clans which later migrated and got divided into large families which were headed by the father, the paterfamilias. Each of these, in turn, had acquired possession of slaves of both genders, called famuli, in the beginning from the native land and later from other regions. The slaves, like women and children, were excluded from the participatory realm of governance in the polis. Individual rights were restricted to the adult male community, in a similar manner to the Greek system, on which the early Roman civilization has borrowed a lot. However, as Boris Piotrovsky points out, there is a different version to the legend of the founders of Rome, Romulus, and Remus, as â€Å"they were the sons of a slave woman and the hearth deity†. 1 Hence the history of ancient Rome, the rise of its Empire, glorious battles and its eventual fall is replete with references to slaves, predominantly from the perspective of the dominant community but interspersed with events that were the first instances of slave revolts which led to legendary epochs. Tacitus’ Annals presents a case of the city prefect Padanius Secundus’s murder by his slaves. The general sentiment regarding the case was to execute all the slaves who were employed in his house. There was a riot in which some members of the Senate were concerned about the cruelty involved in such a decision, taking into account the fact that the slaves included many women and children who were ostensibly innocent. However, the strong arguments made by Gaius Cassius in support of the decision to execute all the slaves won over this concern by some senators to â€Å"eliminate excessive cruelty†2. According to him, â€Å"if we must die, we will not be unavenged nor will the guilty survive†.  

Social Mention Defined Essay Example for Free

Social Mention Defined Essay Social Mention Social media is serves as an outlet for public relations practitioners to provide around the clock management for clients and publics. Cites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are just a few of the social media tools that are used to maintain relationships with publics and build brand names. The hassle of managing a variety of social media pages has produced the need for social media management tools. Social media management tools available are used to help further manage social media relationships and monitor success and failures of clients in social media. Social Mention is a management tool analyzes different content from a multitude of social media networks at one time. Public relations practitioners can use this tool to evaluate client’s relationships with publics on various social networks and measure their presence online. PR professionals utilize this tool to gauge the success of a brand, client, organization or product. This tool allows for quick and easy access to social media crisis management in order to maintain a positive image. Social Mention provides information such as the amount of users discussing a topic and what time of day a particular subject is being discussed. The tool provides in time reports covering what is going on at that exact moment in social media. Social Mention is a beneficial tool in the PR field. The tool provides reports describing categories such as strength, sentiment, passion and reach. Strength measures the possibility of a client being discussed in social media. The calculation for strength is simply the number of mentions of a keyword over the hours of a day. Sentiment determines the positive and negative ratio of a client referenced in social media. Passion is the measurement of how likely a client’s brand will be discussed repeatedly. Reach is the category that determines how many users the specific topic reaches and can potentially reach via social media. Reach is found by the number of authors referring to the specified word over the number of times it is mentioned. The different categories allow a user to tailor their image to improve positive popularity in social media. Social mention provides alerts to users e-mail accounts upon relevant updates regarding clients or brands of interest. Unfortunately, the updates only recognize keywords noted about a particular topic and disregard the context of the keywords. Therefore some notifications are unnecessary. Across the Internet PR practitioners take advantage of the benefits Social Mention has to offer. Bloggers rave about the efficiency and convenience of managing social networks all in one place. Healthy Choice launched a PR social media campaign based on the information gathered by Social Mention. The company used the feedback given on social networks to configure a campaign that would improve the Healthy Choice brand image in consumer’s minds. Once Healthy Choice improved social media relationships with its publics, social media involvement with the company skyrocketed. After offering a coupon on the Healthy Choice Facebook page, â€Å"likes† increased from under 10,000 to over 60,000. Social Mention helped Healthy Choice reach out to its publics and respond to their feedback. The data gathered from Social Mention provided Healthy Choice with the material it needed to increase the company’s popularity and improve the brand name.

Challenges Faced by Teachers

Challenges Faced by Teachers Availability of resources for the students with literacy difficulties While most of the participants didnt have clear views about this question, the teacher brought to light the necessity to include i-pads and laptop to support SEN students (APPENDIX 3). In the researchers notes, there are some points made like, The only essential support for the students is obviously the teacher. Teaching assistants are consumed in the behaviour management of the class and it is a luxury for a student to receive prolonged support during the lesson. Obviously, there is no computer program that is supporting students currently. It is the teachers responsibility to improvise and provide his own resources for the students (APPENDIX 1). Availability of Time and Support There has been a recognition by one teacher that it is very challenging to completely focus their attention only to dyslexic students during the lesson, due to the lack of time and assistance. Classroom assistance specifically for dyslexic students is really a luxury that no school could afford, which could save (APPENDIX 3). Also, in researchers notes is stated that, The assistants help in the delivery of the lesson could save me time to support more efficiently the dyslexic students (APPENDIX 1). Differentiation Differentiation, based on the Training and Development Agency for Schools, is the process by which differences between learners are accommodated so that all students in a group have the best possible learning (Barlett, 2016, p.5). Differentiation can be met by using a variety of resources, tasks, groupings, outcomes and support for the students (Barlett, 2016). The evidence from the interviews suggests that a wide range of support is provided for dyslexic students. However, the researcher felt that, It is very difficult to plan and differentiate the lesson for every single student, and as a trainee, it is for me particularly difficult to find time in explaining the lesson to the teaching assistant(TA), which can lead to questions on whether responses from participants were actually realistic (APPENDIX 1). Training of the Staff All the participants commented that they received sufficient training to support the SEN students in the school. The SENDCO argued that schools staff are receiving continuous training to ensure that they know how to support the later, in all circumstances. Specifically, the staff know how to be looking specifically at key words, how to teach key words to students, how to check their knowledge, how to ask the students to create paragraphs, how to tap into the reading and support reading. Also, they are trained to be looking very carefully and do marking for spelling (APPENDIX 6). Co-Curricular Activities in School SENDCO made clear there are multiple activities that are designed to help dyslexic students including, enrichment activities, extra-curriculum activities, activities that include homework clubs, that can aid students who are not able to do independently their homework. She argued that, SEN students are always welcome to attend these weekly activities and be benefited (APPENDIX 6). However, there was a point raised by one Teaching Assistant stating that additional support can be provided. She argued that it would be wise for the school to make a greater effort in making Disabled and non-disabled learners learning together as this will help create new opportunities to build relationships (APPENDIX 5). Individual Learning Plan (IEP) To produce an effective IEP for students, it is crucial for parents, students and school staff should actively collaborate to investigate in depth the needs of the students and plan a strategy that will support the students effectively (NCSE, 2010). However, one of the major concerns from parents is that during the meeting with professionals their views are not usually highly regarded by the later (Pinkus, 2005). Except the fact that parents are being communicated about the inclusion practices of the school, in SENDCOs interview, evidence suggest that parents are not actively participating in the decision-making and assessment process. Therefore, including parents more in the decision-making process, would be of key importance. The profiles of the 2 selected students for observation The selection of the two students was mainly based on the fact the they were being taught by the researcher of this study. The researcher came in contact and consulted the class teachers and teaching assistants that were supporting him during his placement to discuss and ask permission for discussions that would specifically focus of these two SEN students. The 2 students had similar special educational needs and their names have been changed to ensure anonymity. Oliver is a boy in year eight who has difficulties with spoken language and retaining information (memory). Kelly is a girl in year eight, who has a mild learning disability, presenting many of the symptoms associated with Dyslexia. More information can be found in Appendix 7. Limitations The study was conducted during a 3-month period, from October to December 2016. As it has been mentioned in section 3.2 there has been a limitation of time, resulting in the reduction of the sample tank. Moreover, time restrictions led the researcher to the selection of only two students with similar needs. In addition, Jupp characterises the sampling technique of Opportunity Sampling, as the weakest sampling method. It is argued that the selection of the participants is considered as biased and is not accurately representing the actual, real world results (Jupp, 2006). Considering Reflexivity as stated in section 3, the researchers stay in his placement school along with his personal attributes, gave him the opportunity to select and interview only those four participants. Consequently, researchers subjectivity is acknowledged in the collection and interpretation of the data, as well as the discussion of the results. In general, findings are linking closely to the existing literature. The interviews are showing that staff is confident towards the inclusion policy of the school for the dyslexic students. However, the school can become more inclusive. Most the interviewees expressed the necessity for further assistance inside the classrooms and for further provision of resources. In addition, the researcher identified that there are severe time limitations for the teachers regarding lesson planning and differentiation. Therefore, there should be provided sufficient funding from the local authorities and government. Also, stronger links between teachers, teaching assistants, supporting staff and parents should be established. Last but not least, critical role to this venture should play the schools proactive leadership.

A cellular network

A cellular network A cellular network is a radio network made of number of radio cells, each severed by fixed positioned based station. These cells stations cover several different areas and provide large radio coverage. In order for this to happen a variable number of portable transceivers can be used in any cell and moved through one cell during transmission. The use of multiple cells means that if the distributed transceivers are mobile and moving from one point to another point they should change also from cell to cell. This mechanism could be different according to the type of network and change of circumstances. In this case clear coordination between base station and mobile station is must in order to avoid communication interruption. The most common example of cellular Network is a cell or mobile phone, which is a portable telephone that could be dialled or receives calls through base station or transmitting tower. Radio waves transfer signal to and from mobile phone. The coverage area of service provider sometime is split into small cells in order to prevent signal losses and also a large number of active phones in the area. The range of signals could be different in cities and rural areas. All base stations are connected to mobile phone switches centre, which connect to a public telephone network or to another mobile company switch. As the mobile consumer moves from one cell area to another cell, the switch automatically commands the handset and a cell site with a stronger signal (reported by each handset) to switch to a new radio channel (frequency). When the handset responds through the new cell site, the exchange switches the connection to the new cell site. Modern cell phones networks use cell as radio frequencies are limited, shared resource, base stations and handsets change frequency and use low power transmitters in order that limited number of radio frequency can be used at the same time by many users with less interferences. To distinguish signals from a varieties of different transmitters, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) and code division multiple access (CDMA) has been developed. Advantage of cellular Network over other alternative solutions is: Increase capacity. Power usage reduced. Huge coverage area. Interference from other signals reduced. Reference paper 10 The evolution of the cellular Network started to flourish during the last years in which several different systems were developed; as a result we have first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G) cellular networks and the trend is continuously increasing. The first generation (1G) was used from 1970-1980 and now is retired. In 1990 the second generation (2G) of Networks were launched such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Personal Communications Service (PCS), and Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN) and so on. The second generation (2G) of networks replaced the (1G) and became very popular with digital processing, enabling wireless transmission of voice as well as data and have different Variety of new features such as a Push to Talk, Short Messaging service(SMS), caller ID, conference calling, voice mail, email messaging and so on. After the ongoing success of 2G, carriers to respond to the worldwide demand of the speed trend, they developed a robust interim generation of cellular Networks which is the 2.5G such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data (HSCSD) and so on. This upgrade increase bandwidth needed to support a diverse variety of new applications including large email messages resourceful web browsing, navigation, basic multimedia faxing and different data at typical dialup speed. This generation of network become popular and supported many firm’s workers. Carriers continuously competing to add further enhancement to the new generation of Networks and from as a result we have the third generation (3G) with increased bandwidth to DSL with range of 144 Kbps to 2+Mbps are produced to provide support for more demanding multimedia applications such as video conferencing, voice over (VOIP), full motion video and streaming music to support television programs (satellite radio) and faster file downloads. GSM IT is standard mobile telephone system used across Europe and created in 1982. Global system for mobile communication (GSM) is one of the second generation (2G) of mobile Networks promoted by the GSM association, became the most popular standard mobile phone in the world with over 3 billion customers in more than 212 countries. GSM is a cellular Network and this means that mobile phones connect to it by searching for cells or nearest site. GSM has five different cell sites and its presents everywhere makes international roaming very common between phones operator; also allow mobile users to use their device in many parts of the world and change carriers without changing phones. On the other hand GSM benefits Network operators who have the possibility to choose equipment from any worldwide vendors using GSM. Features of GSM are: Low cost alternative to voice calls. Text messaging. Worldwide emergency telephone number (112/999), which connects international travellers to emergency service without knowing the local emergency service number. The GSM standard enhanced their services adding the general pocket radio service (GPRS), higher speed data transmission using enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE). GSM Network operates in a number of different frequency ranges with continuously enhanced full rate coder-decoder (CODEC). One of the key features of GSM is the SIM card or subscriber identity model, which contains the user’s subscription information and phone book. Finally the GSM system and service are governed by ETSI standard, which is a European telecommunication service institute. BTS BSC MSC GMSC VLR HLR Access Network MS BSS SMSS OMC EIR AUC OMSS ISDNPSTN GSM Sub Systems architecture GSM is a part of 2nd Generation systems. GSM’s purpose was to provide a circuit switched telephony service to mobile users. GSM uses Time Division Multiple Access. GSM has a different core network than 2.5 Generation and 3rd Generation infrastructure. The Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) or Synchronous Digital Network (SONET) standards provide a conventional transmission line in fixed connections as like from BSS to SMSS interfaces. Inside of the core network, Mobile Application Part signalling (MAP) is used. Functionality of Various Modules of the GSM System There are three subsystems in GSM network .These are: Base Station Subsystems (BSS) Switching and Management Subsystems (SMSS) Operation and Maintenance Subsystems (OMSS) Base Station Subsystems (BSS) In GSM networks, the access network plays a very important role to connect terminals to the network. The access network BSS is connected to the core network. The main purpose of BSS is to set the connection between a Mobile Station and the Base Station. The first component of a BSS network is the Base Transceiver Station (BTS), which is responsible from air interface and creating a bridge between the network and the Mobile Station (MS). The second component is the Base Station Controller (BSC), which is responsible from all the Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). Simply it is responsible to allocate and release channels at air interface. Base Station Subsystems are connected to SMSS and OMSS. Switching and Management Subsystems (SMSS) SMSS is divided into two components. These are Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) and Gateway Mobile Switching Centre (GMSC). MSC is responsible for all the base stations which are connected onto Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) over Base Station Controller (BSC). The GMSC is responsible from the external fixed network line. Whenever there is a phone call, it comes in or goes out from GMSC. All the incoming calls are directed to Home Location Register (HLR) to detect and look at the profile of subscriber in order to determine if the subscriber is able to make a phone call or not . If the call is accepted it goes to MSC, then from MSC the call goes into Visitor Location Register (VLR), VLR knows the location of mobile stations. Simply we can say that the VLR is responsible from the access network and also from MSC too. Operation and Maintenance Subsystems (OMSS) Operation and Maintenance Subsystems (OMSS) is mainly responsible for the security of the network. For example, if the phone is stolen or if the subscriber didn’t pay his bill. One of the important data bases in OMSS are Equipment Identity Register (EIR) and the Authentication Centre (AUC). Ref 11 wiki Universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) Universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) is one of the third generation (3G) mobile telecommunication technologies, which is also being designed in a (4G) technology. The name UMTS is introduced by ETSI and is usually used in Europe but adapt other names outside the continent, instructed by 3GPP and is a part of a global ITU IMT-2000 Standard. The most common form of UTMS Network uses Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (IMT direct spread) as the underlying air interface. The idea that lies behind the UMTS is to create a network component which is close to GSM/GPRS and also to be able to operate under this existing GSM/GPRS Network (GERAN). UMTS has an additional Access Network to GERAN. All the components in this new access network are totally different than the components in GERAN access network. As it is mentioned before UMTS can work with both Circuit Switch (2G) and Packet Switch domain (2.5G 3G), therefore there are two access networks. One of these is called Radio Access Network (GERAN) and the second one is called UMTS Terrestrial Access Network (UTRAN). Showing UTRAN infrastructure The GSM network is a circuit switched network, which means, that there are no IP, high data rate or multimedia messages. UTRAN is a packet switched network, where everything is based on IP address, high data rate and many other facilities are available. In GSM infrastructure, we have got a Mobile Station (MS), Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and Base Station Controller (BSC). But this infrastructure is totally different in UTRAN infrastructure. In UTRAN, there is user equipment (UE) which is the same as Mobile Station in GERAN/BSS. Another component is Node B (NB). The Node B is the base station as BTS and this Node B (NB) is controlled by Radio Network Controller (RNC). RNC is the same as BSC in GERAN/BSS. The main differences are higher data rates, enhanced security, new protocols and signalization for enhanced service factors. These are all provided by the new components in an access network of UTRAN/RNC. UMTS there are two core networks and two access networks. The advantage of UMTS is that it is very flexible. UMTS supports both circuit switch and Packet Switch Networks. One core network is designed for CS domain and the other one is designed for PS domain. Circuit switch is for the old generation mobiles but still in use. CS domain is not based on IP; we can simply say that CS domain is needed for GSM network. Packed switch domain is based on internet protocol (IP) and has different new protocol and signalling. PS domain enables high speed data rate as a result of this is that video messaging and all these other internet based and high speed data rates can be obtained. PS domain is needed for GPRS and UMTS. In UTRAN/RNS, user wants to make a call. In this case the user equipment (UE) searches for the nearest Node B and sets the connection. Once the connection is set the call is transferred from Node B (NB) to Radio Network Controller (RNC), From RNC the call goes to PS domain Core Network in GERAN/BSS. Mobile Station (MS) searches for the nearest Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and from here the MS is directed to BSC, if the call is IP based from BSC then the call will be directed to PS domain core network, if the call is not IP based than it goes to CS Domain core network. UMTS Block Architecture Iub – This interface happens between the Node B and RNC. RNC is using I-ub interface to control one or more Node B. The I-ub interface is standardized interface; there is also a signalling protocol which uses NBAP. Iur – This interface happens between the Radio Network Controllers (RNC). Iur helps the RNC to pass its information or data to another RNC. After this process, the user equipment is transferred to new RNC; the signalling protocol uses Radio Network Subscriber Application part (RNSAP). There are two Iu interface for both PS and CS core networks, one for Iu CS another one is for Iu PS. Iu CS This interface happens between UTRAN/RNS and the circuit switch core network domain. Iu-CS carries voice and signalling between UTRAN/RNS and PS domain core network. The signalling protocol is called RANAP. Iu PS This interface happens between UTRAN/RNS and the packet switch core network domain. This core network is designed for UMTS and GPRS. Iu–PS carries voice and signalling between UTRAN/RNS and PS domain core networks. The signalling protocol is RANAP.

1850-1860 :: Essays Papers

1850-1860 The decade of the 1850’s bought about an era of change for American citizens, which included economic revolutions and a rise in agriculture and manufacturing. This was largely due to a revolution in transportation. In 1851, a 483-mile Erie Railroad was completed which linked the Hudson River to Lake Erie (Brown 88). 1852 transformed the history of the Chicago railroad with the construction of Illinois Central. This proved to be very profitable. In fact, an 1852 report to Congress concluded "a farmer would save a large amount of money by shipping his goods by railroad, rather than by steamboat or ordinary roads" ("The City Transformed" 14). Trains raised the standards for the U.S. because it enabled people in our economy to transport cotton and wheat to European markets. Trains were able to ship material faster to different harbors, which helped the shipping industry. During this time, however, slavery and child labor were very common. Consistent with economic expansion, the na tion also began to expand communications. People had access to a mailing system, a daily newspaper and the use of the telegraph. However, most of the people in the country were unable to use these resources. For example, only 10 percent of the nation could afford the paper (Brown 51). These changes were not only facing America, but spread globally throughout this decade. Influential world events took place during these years. Many kings and emperors were replaced, and wars between foreign countries began. In 1851 President Louis Napoleon led a coup d’etat in France. Only one year later he proclaimed the Second Empire in France, and Louis Napoleon was named Napoleon III on December 2, 1852. During this time, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, and Auguste Comte wrote works on social class structure. In 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (Brown 8). Religion was also an important issue during this time period. Catholic Bishops began to accept titles in Europe, and religious organizations began to form. Landscape painting was the major art movement during this period. Most of the paintings were depictions of the wilderness, but they also portrayed ideas such as mortality. Between the periods of 1850 to1870, a new era of artists introduced a greater sense of realism rather than the romantic style used by their precursors (Brown 27). Their work was more detailed because they used a style called luminism. This style relied heavily on the effects of light, the atmosphere and scenery (Brown 27).

Essay --

THE GOOD OLE USDA â€Å"United States Drug Addiction† I was laid back puffing on a phat stack of reasoning and sipping on some old memories just passing the time away this morning and decided to tap into my genius. Yeah, it’s me, Maestro; your (resident legal analyst) reporting to you live from the privacy of my own space. For those of you who don’t know, I am a graduate from the â€Å"School of Hard Knocks† with a PHd in Human ology. Let me be the first to inform you that I never made the â€Å"Fiends List†, in school and for the record, I never will. First and foremost, there is absolutely nothing traditional about my flow. So what! If my subject-verb don’t agree at times or my opinion comes from an Afrocentric point of view. â€Å"Can we just get along?† My sky scrapper is immune from media attack. So don’t try to intimidate me with your law—because I hit back. Like most of you, I listen to the news and social media to keep up with current events. Which is why I take my time to perceive each comment I make before I forget. So if what I say hurts you in any way, then indict me. Because as far as I’m...

Muddy Waters :: Blues Music

Blues as an art form gave Blacks a medium to manifest their feelings. Feelings ranging from humorous to silly to depressed. Fortunately for a entire genre of music, the only way for Mckinley Morganfield to express himself was through song. Morganfield better known as Muddy Waters became a legendary blues vocalist /guitarist. When the Blues industry saw commercial success many of its artists also saw rising fame. Muddy Waters enjoyed success in the industry up until and even after his death in 1983. Morganfield was born April 4, 1915 to Ollie Morganfield and Bertha Jones. He was born in Rollingfork, Mississippi. Near their two room shack in Rollingfork there was a creek, Deer Creek. As a youngster he used to play in the creek and get all dirty and muddy. It was at this point when his sisters gave him the nickname ‘Muddy Waters’. Bertha died when he was about three. After her death he had to move in with his grandmother in Clarksdale. Raised in Clarksdale, he also went to school there. He went to school until he was old enough to work in the fields. Much like all of the other field laborers Muddy Waters hollered in the fields to pass time or just to get things off of your chest. Waters would also teach himself to play instruments. When he was fifteen he knew how to play the harmonica and he would later teach himself the guitar. The young Waters followed in his fathers musician footsteps. He was part of a band at fifteen, with Scott Bowhandle on guitar and Sonny Simms playing the violin. They would play some Saturday nights in downtown Clarksdale and others he would sell fried fish on nights. And other nights he would watch the greats like Son House, Robert Johnson and Charlie Patton were great musical influences on Waters. The main influence on Waters was Son House, although Waters style of play was more similar to that of Robert Johnson. Muddy Waters was first recognized by word of mouth. Alan Lomax of The Library of Congress went to Clarksdale to r ecord Robert Johnson. But to his dismay, he found out that Robert Johnson was dead and had been for two years. The word on the street at that time led Lomax to Muddy Waters. Waters would record two songs with them in 1941, far before he became famous.