Assessing a Underachieving Employee Essay

Executive Summary This is a short report about assessing an underachieving employee that I personally had to deal with. It discusses the problems that arose. I analysed them and then put into place a couple of solutions. The most problematic work situation that I personally encountered was with a work colleague who was a young lady working at the Cooperative food group and she was underachieving. This relates to the concepts of book2, An introduction to human resource management in business, session 4 Assessing and developing people at work. When my work colleague first started working at the Cooperative she was an excellent worker who gave 100% all the time. She had worked at the Cooperative for just over two years and we were in the process of thinking about promoting her from a customer service assistant to a supervisor. She started to make mistakes at the checkout, our manager noticed cash shortages, missing transaction paperwork and mistakes on the lottery and paypoint terminals. As a supervisor my manager asked me to monitor the situation over a two week period and to write down any mistakes or cash shortages and put the dates they happened so that our manager could decide what the next course of action would be. Assessing a Underachieving Employee The analysis of the problems that arose. I am using concepts from book 2, An introduction to human resource management in business, session 4, assessing and developing people at work. These mistakes that my work colleague were making could be happening for a number of reasons. She could be having financial difficulties so she has stolen the money that is why there are cash shortages, however that does not explain why the other mistakes have occurred on the lottery and paypoint terminals and it’s very easy to jump to the wrong conclusion when analysing this. I believe the main point to be about performance management as it states in book 2, session 4.1, performance management â€Å"ensuring that staff are motivated†. I don’t think she is motivated anymore, as when she is at work she is stuck on a checkout for very long periods of time. There is no variety in her job role to keep her motivated, and to be perfectly honest when other members of staff are busy she does get forgotten about and if she does not ask the other members of staff she would not even get her breaks as they forget about her. Doing the same thing day in day and day out can become a bit monotonous. This is why her performance has started to suffer as she feels deflated and demotivated. It is as though she has given up on this job and just turns up because she has to and she needs the money. As it states in book 2, session 4.2 Assessing performance â€Å"the person may lack direction or be working to less than full capacity†. Which in this case I believe to be true. This will affect how the business is run if not dealt  with as other members of staff could start to do the same. Customers will not want to shop there if the staff don’t show an interest. The standards that were once there will start to drop resulting in a negative impac t on the business. A solution to the problems that occurred The first thing I would do would be to set up a record of meetings with this work colleague and our manager. This is a discussion about what is happening and it is recorded for future reference. At this meeting I would discuss how we can move forward together as a team. I would explain to her the importance of her job role and how important it is to get it right. I would set her small achievable targets to aim for with rewards given when achieved. Arranging regular meetings is also a good idea; this could be done as a performance appraisal. As it states in book 2, session 4.4, table 4.2, it has the â€Å"Opportunity to motivate staff by recognising achievements†. I believe this is what is needed in this situation, she needs to feel like a valued team member, this would then give her the motivation needed to do her job correctly and to her full capacity, the business will then be more productive as it stated in book 2, session 4.2 Assessing performance. I may then look into whether she would be interested in changing her job role a little, for example, stock replenishment, and fetching deliveries in, checking dates on products, that sort of thing. This would give her some variety in her job and hopefully motivate her again. This would require more training and cost the business, however if she is just on the checkouts and not been monitored she is costing the business money anyway through the mistakes she is making. Some of this training would be done externally, through training courses, however most of the training would be done by coaching. As it states in book 2, session 4.6, Developing is not just training courses, â€Å"coaching; a way of transferring knowledge and skill from a more experienced person to a less experienced person†. I think this is the best way forward for this work colleague in this situation. Research from the Internet I looked on the internet and did some research to see how to develop underachievers at work. I found two the first one was Yourbusiness.azcentral.com. It basically states that underachievers inhibit teamwork and lower morale of other staff members. It also says you need to form relationships with employees, so you can create a willingness to help the individual. It also says to set incremental goals for the employee. What this website was saying made sense, however I’m not sure how reliable this source is as it wants me to subscribe to them. The next one I looked at was www.acas.org.uk. I found this website very interesting as it gives a full list of different forms that you can print including appraisal forms, absence record sheets and lots of information about how to manage performance. I believe this to be a reliable source as this organisation is devoted to preventing and resolving employment issues, also it wasn’t trying to sell me anything. Tutor group forum I particularly enjoyed the tutor group forum activity 2.1 – Work Pleasure or Pain? It was nice that most people thought the same as me, in that they enjoyed their work. My husband hates work and never understands how I can enjoy going to work. I totally agreed with what Mark Pickering said in that work is a pleasure and that it allows me to achieve my goals in life, while providing for my family. References Book 2 (2012) ‘An introduction to human resource management in business’ The Open University, Milton Keynes. Study Companion (2012), The Open University, Milton Keynes. Yourbusiness.azcentral.com. www.acas.org.uk

Discuss Shakespeare’s dramatic technique in Act one scenes 1 to 7 Essay

The chief character of the play is Macbeth. He is first of all Thane of Glamis and then inherits the title thane of Cawdor from an executed traitor. Instigated by a prophecy from the Witches that he will become king, and urged on by his wife, he murders King Duncan, and has himself proclaimed king. To secure his position, he is driven to commit further criminal acts, and plunges his country into civil war. After he is killed in battle by Macduff he is described as a ‘dead butcher’. The first scene is set on the ‘moor’ that is bleak and desolate. This scene is one of desolation and devastation. The desolate countryside metaphorically separates the humans from the Witches who are used to open the play to introduce the idea of fate and destiny. From the stage directions, the ‘battlefield’ creates a scene of death, carnage and destruction in line 4, ‘when the battle’s lost and won’ and line 12 and 13, ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’ a paradox is offered. How can fair be foul? How a battle be lost and won? The Witches’ chant in rhyming couplets and their speech is deliberately equivocal to create confusion in the mortals, as it is open t interpretation. He rhyming couplets give the effect of an incantation, while the thunder and lightning echo the noise of the battle. Similarly strange is thepaaradox that closes the scene: contained within it is the oxymoron, ‘fair is foul, and foul is fair’, a paradoxical idea that the Witches are able to transform what is good into evil, and make what is evil appear virtuous. These are also the first words spoken in the play by Macbeth, the echo establishes an unconscious contact with the Witches and is dramatically effective. We discover that the Witches are on the ‘moor’ ‘to meet with Macbeth’. They seem to know where Macbeth will be. Once again they show that they can foretell the future. What can Macbeth the play’s eponymous hero have to do with these abnormal, ‘weird woman’ who ‘look not like th’inhabitants of earth’? How does he fit into their plans? The opening scene heightens the audience’s expectations, as Macbeth will soon appear on stage, the audience will try and establish exactly why the Witches hope t meet him. Witches held great significance for a Jacobean audience who believed in witchcraft. Witches were the objects of morbid and fevered fascination during this era. The Jacobeans were afraid and superstitious. They suspected that the Witches were credited with powers and could predict the future, fly, cause fogs and tempests, bring on night in daytime, kill animals and curse people, with fatal diseases as well as induce nightmares. By the use of this technique, Shakespeare knew that he would get his audience’s attention with the opening scene. Although brief, this scene sets the supernatural atmosphere of the play, which is central to its dramatic action. In scene two, Shakespeare cleverly moves the scene to establish a different mood when introducing the humans. The seething battlefield replaces the moor, foul thunder is replaced by the sound of the military alarum and the humans replace the Witches. In this scene we meet Duncan, the King of Scotland, and his sons, Donalbain and Malcolm. Duncan’s supremacy is instantly established for he is the first to speak. They receive a report of the battle fought against the King of Norway and Macdonwald, the thane of Cawdor who has proved disloyal to Duncan. From the report he audience learns about the heroism and bravery of one of the King Duncan’s generals, Macbeth. Shakespeare continues to build suspense as he introduces the humans. The audience are also introduced to evil in man and the evil in warfare. The playwright’s use of language helps to bring the battle to life and emphasises Macbeth’s importance. Dynamic verbs like, ‘smok’d’, ‘brandish’d’ and ‘unseam’d’ suggest Macbeth’s skills and courage as his sword ‘smok’d with bloody execution’. Once again we hear about Macbeth before we see him. Hw=e is spoken of in glowing terms and he becomes a hero in the eyes of the audience. Though he is referred to as a ‘worthy gentlemen’, there is still the memory that his name is connected with the Witches. ‘Brave Macbeth’ kills Macdonwald by carving ‘out his passage’ ’till he unseem’d him from the nave to the chops’ ‘with his brandish’d steel’ that ‘smok’d with bloody execution’. Part of this description highlights Macbeth’s bravery and valour, but the captain’s description of Macbeth’s ‘unseeming’ of Macdonwald can be interpreted in different ways. Shakespeare intentionally paints an ambiguous picture of Macbeth. Macbeth, however, is still not satisfied until he had ‘fix’d [Macdonwald’s] head’ upon the ‘battlements’. The decapitation of Macdonwald would support a more negative reading of Macbeth as oppose to his courageous behaviour. Scene two concludes with an ironic note as Macbeth is rewarded with the title of ‘Thane of Cawdor’ which has been taken from ‘that most disloyal traitor’ and given to Macbeth, who will prove to be more treacherous: ‘No more than Thane of Cawdor shall deceive, Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his death, And with his former title greet Macbeth’. The audience will realise that to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor is a great mistake. We see Macbeth, the loyal subject and great hero who fought for good, change and become corrupt, and gradually deteriorate into a vicious tyrant. At the start of scene three, we meet the Witches once again in foul weather and we begin to witness their spiteful destructive nature. One ‘sister’ has been ‘killing swine’ while another has possession of a ‘pilot’s thumb’. The other Witch punishes a sailor’s wife by conjuring up a storm, therefore getting at her husband. From this the audience learns that the powers the Witches carry are limited. They cannot kill, but are able to create a climate for evil to flourish. ‘Though his bark cannot be lost Yet it shall be tempest-toss’d’. The Witches’ curse on the sailor can be read as a prediction of Macbeth’s future. We are shown that the Witches are determined to make people suffer. They torment the sailor and drain him ‘dry as hay’. They deny him sleep at ‘night’ and in the ‘day’. They ensure that ‘he shall live a man forbid’. However, Macbeth can be destroyed because the forces of veil are present within him. He alone causes chaos in the world by destroying the natural order when he deliberately choose the path of evil. The ship is a metaphor for the state of Scotland which is going to ‘tempest toss’d’ when Macbeth becomes king. ‘A drum beats and Macbeth makes an entrance. We finally meet him and it is significant that his first appearance is with the Witches on the ‘moor’. This represents his connection with evil. His paradoxical word ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’ arrests us because it replicates those of the Witches. This once again draws inferences between Macbeth and evil. This could suggest that the Witches have control over Macbeth, or that the ‘hags’ are in some way similar to him. The appearance of the Witches like their speeches is equivocal. It is Banquo, who is used now as a dramatic device, who first comments on the bizarre appearance of the Witches. They ‘look not like th’inhabitants o’th earth, and yet are on’t’ and they appear to be ‘women’ though they have ‘beards’. Banquo is calm and is looking for a reasonable explanation to why the Witches are on the moor, whilst Macbeth is impatient and wants an immediate answer to why the Witches have come with ‘such prophetic greetings’. The Witches prophesise that Macbeth, ‘Thane of Glamis’ will become ‘Thane of Cawdor’ and ‘king hereafter’, and that Banquo will have kings. Part of the prophecy is immediately fulfilled when a messenger announces that Duncan, King of Scotland has promoted Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. We the audience realise, that from the previous scene, Macbeth with his courage and bravery, and not the Witches’ powers, has won him the title ‘Thane of Cawdor’. Macbeth is ‘rapt withal’ and becomes lost in his thoughts, as the Witches have articulated his secret desire of killing the King. His mind has been corrupted and he wants glory for himself. Shakespeare shows how evil can control what is good in Macbeth. Macbeth is torn between the forces of good and evil and he believes that he cannot be king unless evil wins over good. Macbeth reveals a disturbed mind, when he speaks his own thoughts aloud in a soliloquy, as murder is in his mind. His first thought is to leave everything to chance: ‘If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, Without my stir’ Macbeth has asked Ross and Angus, the messengers, why they ‘dress [him] in borrow’d robes’- why they call him by the name of Cawdor, when Cawdor lives. By the end of the scene Macbeth is contemplating ‘borrowing’ the king’s ‘robes’. The reference to clothing in this scene is symbolic. The imagery of clothing indicates status, prestige and symbolises a person’s title. By using the imagery of clothing, Shakespeare is trying to show that if you wear someone else’s clothes they may feel uncomfortable and they may ‘cleave not to their mould’ because they are ‘borrow’d’. Therefore if Macbeth wears the robes of the kingship they will ‘cleave not to [his] mould’ as he is not worthy of the kings throne. When the Witches depart in this scene, Macbeth orders them to, ‘Stay, you imperfect speakers tell me more’. Macbeth’s curiosity has got the better of him and his demand of the Witches indicates his obsessive interest with these ‘weird women’ and their prophecies. The Witches ‘vanish’ into the air as they do not receive orders from mortals and will not be dictated to. The source and purpose of their evil remains a mystery to the audience. Shakespeare metaphorically compares the disappearance of the Witches to ‘bubbles’. Macbeth’s life can also be represented as a bubble, as the ‘honour, love, obedience’ and ‘troops of old friends’ that he has will soon disappear under the wishes they had ‘stay’d’. Ross and Angus enter, they are used as dramatic devices to convey to Macbeth the Kings decision to reward Macbeth with the title ‘Thane of Cawdor’. Macbeth and Banquo are both shocked as the ‘devil’ has spoken the truth. Macbeth is already snared by the Witches’ prophecies, as he believes that, ‘The greatest is behind’ On the other hand, Banquo can see through the trickery of the Witches. He is sceptical and can see through Macbeth’s motives in asking him whether he hopes his heirs will become kings. Banquo tries to warm Macbeth against the ‘instruments of darkness’. He tries to convince Macbeth that the Witches tell simple truths that are easy to believe, so that when they want to deceive people with more important matters they will also be believed. ‘And often times, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence’. Banquo is portrayed b by Shakespeare in a positive light, as he does not make him an accomplice in Duncan’s murder. The stage directions show that Macbeth turns ‘aside’. This informs the audience that he is talking to himself. This symbolises Macbeth turning away from the other characters in the play as well as the path to righteousness. Shakespeare uses dramatic language to emphasise Macbeth’s horror. His ‘seated heart knock’ at his ‘ribs’ and his hair is ‘unfix’ed’. The scene concludes with Macbeth and Banquo following Ross and Angus to meet the king. The audience are filled with a sense of apprehension and anticipation. One question remains: how will Macbeth get the crown? Scene four opens with a focus on treachery and betrayal. King Duncan hears his son, Malcolm, relate how the treacherous Cawdor has been executed. Also in this scene Duncan reveals his lack of knowledge regarding his own thanes. He exposes a very human weakness-one which lies at the heart of the play- the difficulty of working out who is loyal and who is pretyending loyalty: ‘There’s no art to find the Mind’s construction in the face’. It seems likely that there is an implicit criticism of Duncan here: a good King should be able to assess the loyalty of all his servants. Duncan’s failure to do so reveals his limitation as a monarch- one who is taken in by appearances. Dramatic irony is introduced where Duncan announces that Cawdor was a Kinsman in whom he had ‘absolute trust’. Macbeth’s betrayal will replicate that of Cawdor’s. When Macbeth and Banquo enter, Duncan immediately singles out Macbth for praise, ‘o’worthiest cousin’. The superlative ‘worthiest’ subtly reveals that Macbeth is yet another thane in whom Duncan has ‘absolute trust’. Macbeth is the most dangerous of the potential traitors because he is closest to the king. Scene four is the only time we see Macbeth and Duncan together and Shakespeare contrasts the forces of good and evil. Macbeth’s deceit and hypocrisy is shown in this scene when he praises King Duncan and promises to honour him with ‘loyalty’. He convinces Duncan that servicing ‘your highness’ will be its own reward. Macbeth is a hypocrite because in the previous scene he has contemplated the ‘murder’ of Duncan. Duncan ironically comments that he has started to metaphorically ‘plant Macbeth’, meaning that he will make sure that Macbeth grows greater and stronger as a reward for his services. This is ironic because what is growing in Macbeth is the seed of ambition to be King himself. Shakespeare deliberately plants an obstacle in Macbeth’s path when Duncan announces that his eldest son, Malcolm, is to succeed him as king. Macbeth now sees Malcolm as an obstacle between himself and the throne ‘which he must fall down’ or ‘else o’er leap’. Shakespeare uses the euphemism that Malcolm is a ‘step’ he must ‘o’er leap’, in order to disguise the realisation that Malcolm must be eradicated. In an ‘aside’, symbolically turning his back on the King, Macbeth reveals to the audience, and articulates for the first time his ‘black and deep desires’. He invokes the powers of darkness to ‘hide [their] fires’. At the beginning of scene five, we see that Macbeth and his ‘dearest partner of greatness’, Lady Macbeth, have a very close relationship. This is a contrast to how distant they become later on in the play when Macbeth’s ‘fiend-like queen’ is ‘innocent of the knowledge’. She is ‘innocent of the knowledge’ as Macbeth does not confide about his plans to kill Banquo, and she shows ignorance of Macbeth’s murder of Macduff’s family. She asks in her rambling state ‘where’ the Thane of Fife’s wife is ‘now’. Macbeth’s lack of sorrow when he hears of his wife’s death is also indicative of how they have drifted apart. In all the public scenes in the play she acts ‘like the innocent flower’; in the private scenes we see the ‘serpent under’t’. It is suggested that she commits suicide as she has become lonely and rather isolated. Lady Macbeth does not live up to the expectation of a typical Jacobean/Elizabethan woman. She wants the spirits the ‘spirits’ to ‘unsex’ her so that she can be tough and strong. Lady Macbeth uses strong imperatives and determined language that is brutal and violent. This is because she is delighted with her husband’s letter and shows determination that he will become king. The letter form Macbeth describes the Witches’ appearances, their prophecies-in particular that which promises the throne to Macbeth- but does not mention King Duncan’s announcement of his heir; the audience can therefore, assume that this letter was written immediately after the events which occur in the third scene. Although Lady Macbeth knows that her husband is ambitious, she is aware that he ‘is too full o’the milk of human kindness’. She says that ruthlessness is an ‘illness’ that Macbeth does not have. This is not a true portrayal of Macbeth, because from the previous scenes and throughout the play we see that Macbeth is not ‘too full o’the milk of human kindness’ but lacks it. Perhaps she is comparing Macbeth to herself and is saying that Macbeth is not as ambitious as she is. Lady Macbeth under estimates the powers of her conscience. She see her conscience as her weakness, not realising until after Duncans ‘murder’ how she will pour[her] spirits in his ear’. She has also decided that nothing will stand between him (or her?) and the ‘golden crown’ ( a metonym for the throne). Lady Macbeth greets her husband like the Witches, which subconsciously links her to evil and believes that her call to the ‘murdering ministers’ has been answered. She feels ‘now the future in the instant’ and that she is ‘beyond this ignorant present’. This is ironic as Lady Macbeth is still being ‘ignorant’. Lady Macbeth’s confidence is a contrast to Macbeth’s uncertainty. She advises him to ‘look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t’ and to ‘only look up clear’. She is in control of their relationship and tries to help Macbeth find the necessary determination to do the ‘deed’. Though Lady Macbeth appears to be confident, she uses euphemisms when talking to Macbeth about the ‘nights great business’. At this point in the play, Macbeth has been tempted to commit regicide, however he has tried to resist temptation. Macbeth’s resistance, however, is not vigorous enough to stand up to his wife’s ability to manipulate him. The scene closes dramatically with Lady Macbeth’ emphatic affirmation that Duncan’s fate rests in her hands- ‘leave all the rest to me’. Scene six sees King Duncan arriving at Macbeth’s castle, he and Banquo talk about how ‘pleasant’ a place it is to visit. They comment that the air ‘recommends itself’ and ‘is delicate’. This is ironic in view of Lady Macbeth’s words in the previous scene, and even more so when compared with that of the Witches say about the ‘fog and filthy air’ surrounding their evil deeds. Duncan also says that he is grateful for the ‘love’ which is shown to him. Here again, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony. The idea that Duncan feels safe and loved in the surroundings is ironic as this will be the scene of his murder. This creates a sense of anticipation for the audience. It shows Duncan’s naivety, as he keeps full trust in Macbeth and his ‘fair and noble hostess’. We are presented in this scene with images of tranquillity and the words ‘host’ and ‘guest’ are repeated. At the beginning of scene seven, we once again see the struggle between the forces of good and evil. Macbeth cannot make up his mind whether to kill Duncan and he wrestles with his conscience in his soliloquy. He knows that the murder would be wrong and would he would end up paying the price for his crime, but he has ‘vaulting ambition’ that is very persuasive to his conscience. Though Macbeth is driven by ‘his vaulting ambition’ he redeems himself and ‘will proceed no further in this business’, as Duncan’s murder will be ‘like angels, trumpet-tongu’d’ and heaven would be outraged. The verb ‘will’ shows Macbeth’s determination to keep his soul. Toward the end of his soliloquy Macbeth compares his excessive ambition to a horse that tries to jump too high and fall on the other side of the fence. Within the soliloquy Macbeth’s thoughts seem to be fragmented, this is shown by the use of many full stops. Lady Macbeth verbally assaults her husband using violent language that becomes heightened. She accuses him of being a ‘coward’ and questions his manhood: ‘when you durst do it’, she says, ‘ then you were a man’. She is forceful in her language and she conjures up images of horror. She knows, ‘How tender’tis love the babe that milks me: I would, While it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from boneless gums, and dash’d the brains out†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Lady Macbeth seems to have been granted her earlier wish to the evil spirits to ‘Fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty’. Macbeth’s earlier decision not to kill Duncan crumbles under the scornful attack of his wife, especially when his bravery is questioned. However, he is still worried bout what will happen to then if they ‘should fail’. Shakespeare cleverly ends the scene with rhyming couplets. ‘Away, and mock the time with fairest show, False face must hide what the false heart doth know’. The rhyming couplets symbolise their connection with the Witches and evil as they complete their preparations for murder. The audience waits in anticipation. Throughout Act one Shakespeare creates an atmosphere of tension by exploring the theme of evil against good. Symbolism is used to emphasise this theme. Dramatic irony, dramatic language and strong descriptive scenes also help to build up an atmosphere of tension.

Careers is Purposeful

In my opinion, this course should sway from promoting improving learning skills to actually researching careers and options. As a student, I have felt inclined to only research careers that are somewhat related to my learning skills. Not to mention, this course encourages everyone to become the â€Å"model citizen†. It directs my attention from planning my career pathway to become an all-around person based on improving my weaknesses. I also believe that the assignments are too much alike each other.It would have been reasonable if learning skills and working habits were Just in the first unit. However, since It has carried all the way to the culminating, I have often found myself going back to my previous assignments and repeating parts of my answers. For instance, I liked the idea of having a Doctor Issues revisited but the results were far from promising. I understand that it's an online course, but how much are you going to change your perspectives about what you think Is a â€Å"good path† In about a week?To Improve this course, I would suggest focusing on more post-secondary options that are available to us. I found the concept of co-pop programs and apprenticeship programs very confusing. The websites I found did not clearly explain how to apply to them and what you can do after that. Although I thought It was beneficial to compare the pros ND cons of college and university, I felt that the Information pertaining to degrees and other Information was missed. Specifically, telling students to research a career of Interest Is not as helpful as telling us what we can do with each degree.Whilst we will be choosing our university In the upcoming years, It would have been beneficial to give us tips on what to look for when choosing a university. For the purpose of self-regulation, the Careers course has done a good Job. However, In terms of assisting me with my career options and pathway, It has not been as purposeful as It could have been. Assign ments Like Planning All Possible Pathways are excellent assignments to assist students with the career planning. I think that If this course Implements some of my Ideas Like this, then It can be more purposeful and beneficial.Careers is Purposeful By armillary learning skills and working habits were Just in the first unit. However, since it has perspectives about what you think is a â€Å"good path† in about a week? To improve this what you can do after that. Although I thought it was beneficial to compare the pros and cons of college and university, I felt that the information pertaining to degrees and other information was missed. Specifically, telling students to research a career of interest is not as helpful as telling us what we can do with each degree.Whilst we will be choosing our university in the upcoming years, it would have been beneficial self-regulation, the Careers course has done a good Job. However, in terms of assisting me with my career options and pathway, it has not been as purposeful as it could have been. Assignments like Planning All Possible Pathways are excellent assignments to assist students with the career planning. I think that if this course implements some of my ideas like this, then it can be more purposeful and

Business Opportunities in Food and Beverage Industry Essay

Business Opportunities in Food and Beverage Industry - Essay Example Food is a very defining element of a culture. Eating different kinds of foods does more than just satiating the craving for taste; it provides a greater insight into other cultures. This paper discusses a business idea of establishing a South Asian Tea Restaurant in New York. Americans generally like the South Asian foods a lot. â€Å"one should not be surprised if a seven-year-old American kid walks up and asks for aloo mater samosas and his mom is keen on having the complimentary chai† (Deccan Chronicle, 2013). Popular food items include but are not limited to samosas, pakoras, halwa poori, murgh cholay, and lassi. These foods are not only very tasty, they also have a high nutritious value since they are all made from natural products and do not include the use of any preservatives or chemicals that is a big plus point. â€Å"Everything is made right there, even the samosas(no frozen boxed samosas here), pakoras, and chutneys(not jarred like most places serve) are all made fresh here and delicious† (Justin, 2013). The fundamental purpose of establishing any business is to make money. Most of these food items are extremely cheap to make and yet sell for a very large price primarily because of their nutritional value, their exceptional taste, their exotic looks, and their cultural affiliations. Even more, when these food items are made in bulk, they become all the cheaper to make and more profitable to sell at the same time. At a famous Indian restaurant, â€Å"While Samosa and Idli Sambar are available for $5.50, one has to spend $7 for Masala dosa and $7.5 for two pieces of gulab jamun† (First Post, 2012). Considering the ingredients used in the making of a samosa, one samosa might cost the owner no more than $0.15. Comparison of this to the amount it sells or provides evidence of the profitability of the business. The other food items are similarly cheap but with a huge profit margin. It takes careful planning and strategy to establish s uch a business at the right point. The owners should look for an area where the population of South Asians is relatively higher as compared to other regions in America since the prime consumers of this business are people from such countries as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Such areas are not hard to find since most of these families tend to live together in neighborhoods since they have common cultural values and find one another helpful in America. In order to have an edge over other such restaurants, the owners need to pay special attention toward ambiance. Songs of old legendary singers like Noor Jehan, Lata, Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore can provide the place that extra boost that it requires to appeal massive in-pour of consumers. South Asians mostly like to have samosas and pakoras with tea during the lunch breaks and as snacks, so these items should be available all day long whereas other items like halwa poori and murgh cholay should be made available in the breakfast. Menu for lunch and dinner can be decided depending upon how large the owner wants the business to be. Establishment of this business successfully imparts the need to advertise it in such a way that the benefits of these food items in general and what they offer in comparison to the typical Western food, in particular, are easily noticeable for the audiences. To achieve this, the contemporary issue of diseases caused by consumption of chemicals needs.

Acid base balance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Acid base balance - Essay Example This is so because the physical diagnosis of the patient showed that the man had a systematic blood pressure of 85 mm Hg/50 mm Hg. His heart rate was 175 beats per minute, his respiration was at the rate of 32 breaths per minute, and his temperature was 37.3 degrees Celcius. The arterial blood diagnosis revealed a pH of 7.23, pCO2 of 69mm Hg, O2 saturation of 88%, and the HCO3 2.2 meq per litre. The patient’s pH was 7.23. This was a clear indication that the patient was suffering from an acid-base disorder. The patient was extremely acidemic, and the acidemia appeared to be secondary towards the metabolic acidosis with a base mean observed to be excess more than 7mEq/I. This was linked to the problems with the compensation in the respiration that was insufficient to maintain the normal limits of the pH (Stewart, 2003). This is evidenced from the fact that his breathing was heavy; he had a weak and rapid pulse. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide was 31mm Hg in comparison to the normal range that is 40 mm Hg. The oxygen’s partial pressure was 69 mm Hg in comparison to the normal range, which is 90 to 100 mm Hg (Wilkes, 2008). Compensation is the regulation of acid-base imbalances in the body (Story, 2001). Different agents do exist to reversibly bind the ions of hydrogen and impede the pH change. The extracellular buffer involves agents such as ammonia and bicarbonate. The phosphate and proteins play the role of intracellular buffers. The patient’s body began compensating the disturbances in the acid base. This was done when the patient’s pressure started to be laboured and his blood testing showed increased elevation of creatine phosphokinase amounts of cardiac muscles. This showed a bicarbonate system of buffering which is normally the key since carbon dioxide was shifted by carbonic acid to the ions of hydrogen and biocarbonate. More often than not, acid base imbalances, which may overcome the system of buffer, could be compensa ted for a short time through altering the ventilation rate. This will change the carbon dioxide concentration within the blood, hence altering the body’s pH. If the body begins to compensate the disturbance in the acid base status, the blood pH will normalize. In this case, the blood pH will move towards the normal range. There are different types of acid base disturbances. The first disturbance is the mixed disorder. The existence of one derangement leads to a simple acid base disorder. It may involve alkosis and acidosis happening at the same time, hence counteracting partially with each other, or there can exist at least two conditions that may affect pH of the body. For instance, mixed acidosis involves a combination of the metabolic acidosis together with the respiratory acidosis. There is no specific arrangement as any of the arrangements is possible, except respiratory acidosis and alkalosis respiration as a person will not breathe too slowly or rather slow for the sam e time (Knaus, 2005). Other types of acid base imbalances that could lead to the increase in pH include carbon dioxide retention, non-volatile acid production from the protein metabolism and different molecules of organic, biocarbonate loss in the urine, acid and acid precursor’s intake (Figge, 2002). Those sources that may lead to the reduction of pH include hydrogen ion use in the metabolism of various organic anions and acid loss in the urine or through vomiting. Human errors are responsible for the false and incorrect results though implications of such errors are somewhat minor, non-existent, and sometimes merely lead to some inconveniences. In the context of health care, this might not necessarily be the case, given that there are increased chances of such

Energy supply chains and states Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Energy supply chains and states - Essay Example This paper will discuss the main actors in the oil supply chain and the roles they play, and analyze relations of power among the actors and regulation. It will also discuss the key arguments linking oil to war. Supply chains serve the key purpose of overcoming the gap between customers and suppliers and manufacturers (Bowersox, Closs & Cooper 2007). Operations that can only be done, or are best done, in distant locations are made possible by supply chain networks. Apart from their ability to bridge physical distance, or space gaps, supply chains also overcome, time gaps, quantity gaps, variety gaps and information gaps. Time gaps occur when the time between products being available and the time when consumers need to buy them differ. Quantity gaps occur when the stocks available from the suppliers cannot match the consumers’ demands, while variety gaps occur when consumers demand a wider product variety than can be available from one supplier. When there is an information gap , consumers are not able to know of the source or availability of products and the suppliers are also unable to know of potential consumers. The Main Actors and their Roles in the Oil Supply Chain In the oil industry, the key actors are the oil companies (which are the operators), the main contractors and sub contractors, and then the suppliers and consumers (Rushton, Croucher & Baker 2006). The existence of numerous actors has been necessitated by highly specialised and unique business processes, which encourage fragmentation. In the oil industry, the supply chain can distinctly be viewed through the different fragments concerned with exploration, production, refining, marketing and finally, the consumer. The oil companies, which may be state-owned or private organizations, interface on a worldwide scale with governmental entities, whereby some have direct links with the governments themselves. The main contractors are usually traditional service, construction or engineering firms, most of which have undergone nurturing under protective government policies on development for years. Suppliers and sub contractors are made up of regional agents, service companies and manufactures. The supply chain network is bound together by expertise, and the assumption that safety requirements and interruption-free operations should never come under compromise. Conventional definitions dictate that the large part of petroleum reserves are held by state-owned (or national) oil companies, which also produce most of the world’s crude oil supply. By virtue of their privilege of holding exclusive rights to the development and exploration of petroleum resources in their home countries, national oil companies also have the power to decide to what degree they may require the private companies’ participation in the activities of the industry. Further, the national oil companies are typically not compelled to strictly operate basing on market principles. For countries tha t are members of the

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Personal statement - Essay Example hough deeply religious, he has the modern outlook and he has paved way for participation of women, in the nation-building projects and I wish to be a part of the process actively through those endeavors. Personally, I am deeply interested in the subject of political science and my grandfather is my role model in this area. I am sure to have his guidance and blessings in my chosen career. He was a practicing politician and that provided the strength to our family. He was a great man of political integrity and character and we, the family members have imbibed his virtues. As for my academic credentials, I hold the bachelor’s degree in library science and information. I have three years’ experience as a librarian in a business school and that gave me a unique opportunity to be friends with the latest business management books. I am a voracious reader and have read and studied the autobiographies of famous leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Joseph Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Kar l Marx, Mahatma Gandhi, Mao Tse Tung etc. besides many leaders of Saudi Arabia. I am seeking admission to Master in Political Science to strengthen my theory knowledge of the subject of Politics. Your benign consideration of my application for admission at this important juncture in my life will be the deciding factor for my future goals and career