Westen Civilization. Christianity, ts rise and development within the Essay

Westen Civilization. Christianity, ts rise and development within the Roman Empire - Essay Example The period of civilization was marked by emergence of certain events such; fall of Romans empire, decline in population size in rural areas as most people migrates towards the cities. Additionally, the story expounds the issue of customary as well as providing a sharp insight of ideas, peoples and their cultural change over the past years (Hunt, PP 9-15). Western civilization had been broadly divided into subsection namely; civilization of the ancient world, civilization in the Mediaeval; periods as well civilization of early modern society (Hunt, Para 4). In above connection, the study will focus on the onset of western society since the earlier periods up to 17th century by scrutinizing on various changes in religion and culture (Hunt, Para-1).Therefore, this study will provide a sharp insight on how western civilization affected the rise and development of Roman Empire. Additionally, the study will provide an explanation of how Christianity was influenced by Romans Religious pract ices as well as the most important elements of conversation of the empire to Christianity. How was Christianity affected by its rise and development within the Roman Empire? The rise of western civilization affected Christianity within the Romans Empire in numerous ways. For instance, some religious wars erupted as people struggled for power and leadership (Hunt, P-159). A religious war erupted between the Turks and the Holy Roman Empire and another one emerged between Spanish and Muslims. Additionally, another religious war was reported to erupt between missionaries and Hussite (Hunt, P-549).In above connection, the Roman emperor viewed Christianity as a political force that aimed at taking leadership and powers away from him and therefore, Christians were prosecuted during this period of western civilization (Hunt, PP, 549-705).This further led to decline in number of Christians as many people feared to be prosecuted by the Romans government. However, even after medieval era and t he fall of Romans Empire, Christianity continued to prosper and the new leadership that came into place supported Christianity (Hunt, PP, 549-705). Through western civilization; the Roman Empire was able to absorb Christianity despite the fact that there were rivals between Pagans and Christians. For example after the fall of Romans Empire, Christianity becomes fully dominant within the Empire (Hunt, PP, 605). This further led to the development of Romans Catholic church which later established its roots in various parts of the world (Hunt, PP 549-705). In above connection, it can be scrutinized that western civilization affected Christianity in the manner in which people believed in God, this in turn affected the Romans Empire as people started believe that there was only one God unlike before when they used to believe in existance of numerous gods (Hunt, P-608). This indicates that Western civilization brought a transition on the way people perceived God. They moved from Polytheis m to Monotheism (Hunt, P-704). In above connection, through western civilization Christians within the Roman Empire were able to become united. For example, after the fall of previous leadership, Emperor Constantine who took over the leadership saw the church as one of the most significant unifying factors. He therefore used the church to unite the people by bringing people from different cultural and religious background together (Hunt, P-625). According to Emperor Constantine, the church could not unify the empire at that time but could have helped to unify the people and this could have made his leadership a beat easier (Hunt, P- 549). He

Representations of difference in comic books Essay

Representations of difference in comic books - Essay Example In doing so, one considers the range of potential readers and therefore thinks about gender balance to at least reach all kinds of people. Of course profitability is a serious matter to cartoonists and writers because it is not just an expression of their artistic side but it is also their job that should be well-compensated. Minority representation is a social issue that becomes a major concern in comics. It does not only make readers critical of social issues going around them such as feminism, sexism, racism and others which have been the theme of many comic strips that made great noise in the industry. Sometimes, the most daring themes often succeed because of the popularity it can cause from the criticisms it gains from the public eye. Nevertheless, there are laws that often hold back artists in seriously considering their kinds of material otherwise they will be considered pornographic just as it was ruled in 1973 by the Supreme Court that a material is â€Å"considered obscen e if they offended prevailing community standards†. Another important detail to consider in representations is diversity of genre. When genres are determined, it would be easier for writers and readers to identify what is most read. As a medium, some of the benefits of representations are becoming the voice for minorities, discuss on social issues in a catchy manner and educate and encourage children to become more critical of social issues. Comics are interesting because of the cartoonish drawings that attract the attention of readers from children to adults. Therefore it is a medium that one can use to speak to a variety of readers. The images represented and captions written on comics can reflect the environmental circumstances and oftentimes call the attention of readers of different ages who have diverse opinions as shown in â€Å"Say it Loud†. The representations became the voice of Lesbians (Bechdel), racial minorities (Coleman) and feminists (Farmer & Robbins). Although there have been various reactions from readers, there have been a lot who applauded the works of cartoonists who had the courage to speak for the ones they represented. The limitations of representations are interconnected. As mentioned earlier, writers and cartoonists are concerned about gender balance, minority representations and diversity of genre which often limit their decisions. In addition, technological advancements have a great effect on the products because of the use of television and computers which draw the attention of potential readers. There are diverse products that cater to diverse audience which results to a low percentage of possible comic readers. Therefore, the probability is the fear of many cartoonists, that when one starts small, it might stay small (McCloud). There have been tensions that arose among readers and writers about visibility and assimilation. For the artists, perhaps their objective was to create a critical mind in their readers with r epresentations that would appeal to their audiences. However, they have received various reactions. Some enjoyed comic strips while others were able to relate to them because they find that it is their very life that is being represented. Some simply acknowledged the genius of the artists but some had violent reactions. One of the readers of Aaron McGrouder’s is quoted to have said his comic strips are teaching children to become racists. The reader claims to understand the objective of the comic strips for the adult audience but

Modern audience Essay Example for Free

Modern audience Essay The Taming of the Shrew involves a rich businessman, Baptista, who has two daughters. He forbids anyone to court his beautiful daughter, Bianca, until he finds someone to marry his other daughter, Katherina, who is labelled a shrew. The man marries Katherina is Petruchio; who treats her cruelly until she obeys and agrees with him.  At the time the play was written, the role of women in life was different. Today, we learn that men and women should be seen as equals. In act 5 scene 2 of the play, this is not seen. In Padua, women were seen as possessions of men among with other things such as the mans house or horse. It was a womans duty to obey her husband and because Kate did not, she is seen by the male characters as unnatural which is evidence of evil. With a modern audience, this role of women will cause some people, especially the women, to feel insulted or uncomfortable. In the play, if Kate is dressed in old-fashioned clothes then her speeches will be taken seriously, but if Kate is dressed in modern designer clothes with sunglasses and maybe a mobile telephone, then the audience will assume she is being sarcastic in her speech. A lot of what the audience thinks will also depend upon the other characters reactions to what Kate says. They could be shocked and surprised at what she says or they could see it as a big joke. I will describe how I would direct part of act 5 scene 2 to a modern audience. This is where most of the main characters are together and Petruchio shows all the other men that he has tamed Kate. All the men have had a bet on whose wife is most obedient.  The men will be playing cards and the women will be talking in a nearby room. The servants, Biondello and Gremio will also be playing cards with the men because they are good friends of their masters. The men will be dressed in casual suits with loosened ties to create the effect of the upper class relaxing. Kate will be wearing a long, flowing dress to show that she is like an ordinary upper class lady rather than the more radical clothes she would have worn before she was tamed. Bianca and the widow would also be wearing the same style of dress.  I want the audience to think that although Kate has been disciplined and obeys Petruchio, she is still her own person. All the other men will think she is her old self and will never be to be like her sister, Bianca. After being called for by her husband, Petruchio, Kate will enter the mens room, dragging Bianca by the hair. This will show the audience that even though Kate has changed to be more like her sister was, she still doesnt get on well with Bianca. Bianca is seen gradually becoming like how Kate used to be. The two are almost swapping personalities. Lucentio is very disappointed with his wife, Bianca and she would react to him by saying this line slightly crying:  The more fool you for laying on my duty  the audience would be quite astonished by this reply because she is usually very quiet and obedient. This would be a significant part to show how Bianca is also changing. I will now go through the play line by line and describe how I would direct it.  Katherine, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women/What duty they do owe their lords and husbands.  Petruchio wants Kate to tell the people how a lady should act towards her husband or lord. The crowd will now think that although Kate has changed, she will not do it. But she does with pride. Kate starts her speech by insulting the widow and saying that she should respect her master. Fie, fie, unknit that threatening unkind browThy governor.  I would get the actress to say this in a sarcastic but malicious way because although she respects Petruchio, she has her own free will and also wants to intimidate the widow. As she says this, I would get her to walk up o the widow and the widow would cower away into a corner. This will show the audience that Kate is still domineering.  Thy husband is thy lordsea and land. Whilst Kate is saying this part, she will go up to Petruchio and kneel in front of him to show the audience how much respect she has for her husband.  Too little payment for so great a debtowes the prince.  She is saying that women have a good life and hardly have to repay their husbands for all the things he does for her. As she says this she will scan across the room, glaring at the other wives as if to say that they dont repay their husbands enough and should be thankful he hasnt left them.

Guide to performing a Job Evaluation

Guide to performing a Job Evaluation What are the main issues faced by the residents in Portugal? Click on the play button to watch the video. Highlight the issues and look for the solutions. Share your opinions in the LMS Forum. [MMP: Create video screen and embed video as shown in link] Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vKDyPJmQD0 Job evaluation is the process of determining the worth of jobs assigned to employees.The worth of a job is determined by the demand for it in relation to its job description, job specification and the expected outcomes from that job. In some cases, it is found that an employee who holds a similar position as his colleague may hold a different role, and have different responsibilities and accountability. In such cases, he/she should receive different pay. This chapter discusses the importance of job evaluation, basic job evaluation methods, the hay guide chart method, and inputs to refer to when pricing jobs. Job Evaluation and Its Importance Job evaluation is the process of determining the value of one job in comparison to the other jobs within the organisation so a fair salary system can be established. The job evaluation process is the most common method used to provide a rationale for a pay structure and to assign a job to a pay grade. Job evaluation can also be defined as a practical technique for trained and experienced employees to judge the size of one job relative to others. It does not directly determine the pay levels but establishes the basis for an internal ranking of jobs. Among other definitions are as follows: Job evaluation is concerned with assessing the relative demands of different jobs within the organisation. Its usual purpose is to provide a basis for relating differences in rates of pay to different in-job requirements. It is therefore a tool which can be used to help determine a pay structure. (Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), London 1984) A job evaluation system consists of compensable factors and a weighting scheme based on the importance of each compensable factor to the organisation. Compensable factors are the characteristics of jobs that an organisation values and chooses to pay for. These characteristics may include job complexity, working conditions, required education, required experience and responsibility. (Noe et. al. 2003) Job evaluation is a systematic procedure to determine the relative worth or value of jobs. Although there are several different approaches, each one considers the duties, responsibilities and working conditions of the job. The objective of job evaluation is to identify which jobs should be paid more than others. (Schwind et. al. 1999) The objectives of a job evaluation process in an organisation are as follows: Establishes the relative value or size of jobs, i.e. internal relatives. Produces the information required to design and maintain equitable and defensible grade and pay structures, critical in any organisation. Provides as a basis for grading jobs within a grade structure, thus enabling consistent decisions to be made about job grading. Ensures that the organisation meets ethical and legal equal pay for work of equal value obligtions. More recently the use of job evaluation is the hinge of most equal pay cases. Despite its popularity, it is often misunderstood. So, the following facts about job evaluation must be made clear: SELF-CHECK What is job evaluation and why is it important? What are the four facts about job evaluation? Job Evaluation Methods The human resource management is usually responsible for administering the job evaluation programme. However, actual job evaluation is typically done by a committee. The committee might include the human resource director as the chairperson and the finance, marketing and production heads. Job Evaluation Committee Chairperson (Human Resource Director) Head of Finance Head of Marketing Head of Production Figure 8.1: The job evaluation programme is typically performed by a committee within the organisation Small and medium sized organisations may elect to use outside consultants as they often lack job evaluation experience. When employing a qualified consultant, management should require the consultant to develop an internal job evaluation programme and train company employees to administer it correctly. This can be done by reviewing information obtained through job analysis regarding the duties, responsibilities and working conditions of the organisation. With this knowledge, the relative worth of jobs is determined and the consultant will be able to shape a job evaluation programme suitable to the company by selecting an appropriate job evaluation method. Figure 8.2: The 10 basic steps in conducting an effective job evaluation There are four basic job evaluation methods commonly used by organisations. They are job ranking, job classification (or job grading), factor comparison and the point system. Job ranking and job classification are categorised as non quantitative methods while factor comparison and the point system are classified as quantitative methods. A job evaluation committee or an outside consultant needs to choose one method and modify the method to suit the organisations particular need. Figure 8.3: Job evaluation methods Job Ranking Method In the ranking method, jobs are compared to each other and arranged in order according to their worth to the organisation. The worth of a job is usually based on judgements of skill, effort (physical and mental), responsibility (supervisory and fiscal), and working conditions. The steps involved in ranking jobs are Rank Jobs Make an overall comparison between jobs, by focusing on certain factors such as, responsibility, skills, effort, and working conditions. It is possible that elements of some jobs may be overlooked or weighed too heavily. Rank jobs from the highest to the lowest. The highest and lowest are ranked first, followed by the next highest to the next lowest, until all jobs are ranked. Conduct job analysis and write job descriptions. Pay scales are established based on the rankings, where more important jobs are paid more. However, as the ranking of jobs are subjective and lack precision, the pay levels may be inaccurate. The job ranking method is perhaps the simplest method of job evaluation but it is also known to be the least precise among the four evaluation methods. WEB-SITE Find out the ten worst jobs in the US of 2010. Go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06/worst-jobs-2010-careercas_n_413511.html Job Classification Job classification is a form of evaluation that assigns jobs to an existing grade/category structure according to their relative worth to the organisation. First, job grades or categories are established and each is given a standard description, as shown in Table 8.1. Table 8.1: A Job Classification schedule for use with Job Grading Method Job Grade Standard Description I Work is simple and highly repetitive; done under close supervision; requires minimal training and little responsibility, or initiative. II Work is simple and repetitive; done under close supervision; requires some training or skill. Employee is only rarely expected to assume responsibility or exhibit initiative. III Work is simple, with little variation; done under general supervision; training or skill is required. Employee has minimum responsibility and must take some initiative to perform satisfactorily. IV Work is moderately complex, with some variation; done under general supervision; requires high level skills. Employee is responsible for equipment and safety, and must exhibit initiative regularly. V Work is complex and varied; done under general supervision; requires advanced level skills. Employee is responsible for equipment and safety, and must show a high degree of initiative. Next, the standard description that most nearly matches a job description determines the grade of that job. Job classification or job grading is slightly more sophisticated than job ranking, but it too is not very precise. Factor Comparison In the factor comparison method, each job is ranked according to a series of factors. This method includes five major steps. Under this method, instead of ranking complete jobs, each job is ranked according to a series of factors (as shown in Figure 8.3). Figure 8.4: The five universal job factors Job evaluators must then identify factors relevant and common in a broad range of jobs as shown in Table 8.2. A numerical point value is assigned to each job factor. The weights might be different for different job positions. Some organisations use different factors for managerial, professional, sales and other positions. Table 8.2: Factors relevant and common in a broad range of jobs Job Mental Skill Physical Responsibility Working Condition System Analyst 1 4 2 1 3 Data Entry Clerk 4 1 1 4 1 Programmer 2 3 3 2 4 Operator 3 2 4 3 2 Note: In the mental requirement, systems analyst ranked highest (1), followed by programmer (2), operator (3) and clerk (4). The evaluation allows the committee to determine the relative importance of each job. In this method, pay will be assigned by comparing the weights of the factors required for each job. This method of job evaluation is more systematic. Point System This method evaluates the critical factors of each job. But instead of using wages, as the factor comparison method does, it uses points. Under the point rating system, a number of factors such as skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions are identified as being common to all jobs being evaluated. Each factor is then given a weighting indicating its values relative to the others and for each factor there are varying degrees (as shown in Table 8.3). Table 8.3: Point system matrix No. Critical Factors Levels or Degrees Minimum I Low II Moderate III High IV 1 Responsibility Safety of others 25 50 75 100 Equipment and materials 20 40 60 80 Assisting trainees 5 20 60 50 Product/ Service Quality 20 40 60 80 2 Skill Experience 45 90 135 180 Education / Training 25 50 75 100 3 Effort Physical 25 50 75 100 Mental 25 70 105 150 4 Working Condition Unpleasant condition 20 20 60 80 Hazards 20 40 60 80 Total Points 100 A job description is prepared for each job and a committee then considers each description in turn, comparing it factor by factor, with the degree definitions. Points are allocated for each factor and the total point value determines the relative worth of each job. A point system is more precise than the factor comparison method because it can handle critical factors in more detail. This method is also used more than the other methods. Some 95% of the major corporations in the US are thought to use some variation of this method to evaluate jobs. Accountability Accuracy Analysis and judgment Complexity Contact and diplomacy Creativity Decision-making Dexterity (clever, skilful, neatness) Education Effects of errors Effort Initiative Judgment Know-how Knowledge and skill Mental effort Mental Fatigue Physical demands Physical skills Planning and coordination Problem-solving Responsibility for cash/material/confidential Information equipment, process, record and reports Social skills Supervision given/received Task completion Training and experience Work condition Work pressure Figure 8.5: A list of factors used most frequently in the point rating method as prepared by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) SELF-CHECK Describe how each of the four job evaluation methods below determine the worth of a job to an organisation. a) Job ranking b) Job classification c) Factor comparison d) Point system Hay Guide Chart The job evaluation process is enormously time consuming, complex and often a frustrating task as it is subjected to political pressures and biases that is natural among committee members who represent different functional areas. It has been proven that the job evaluation process is easier to do if the committee compares factors common to all jobs (compensable factors). For evaluating management jobs, the Hay Guide Chart Profile Method is the most popular method. This method provides a common language, an organised framework and the criteria to ensure that judgements applied can be tested and defended in an objective, consistent and equitable manner. This method is based on assessing three main factors, which are: know how problem solving accountability INPUT PROCESS CONTRIBUTION KNOW-HOW PROBLEM SOLVING ACCOUNTABILITY Figure 8.6: The Hay Guide Chart Method (a) Know How Knowledge, skills and experience needed for acceptable job performance. It consists of three dimensions which are: Scientific disciplines, specialised techniques, and practical procedures The depth and range of specialised knowledge required to perform the job. It requires a deep authoritative knowledge in areas of considerable significance to the organisation disciplines or general knowledge required to deal with strategic issues at the most senior level within the organisation. Managerial know-how Requirements needed in the job to plan, supervise, coordinate and integrate different activities, resources or parts of the organisation. Human relation skills Skills needed to communicate with and influence individuals and groups within and outside the organisation to achieve the necessary results. (b) Problem Solving The span, complexity and level of analytical, evaluative and innovative thought required in the job. The problem solving factor has two components. They are: Thinking environment The environment in which thinking takes place. Identifies and addresses problems that arise. Depends on the absence or presence of policy, procedure, supervision as well as other guidance. Thinking challenge Thinking done to assess the complexity of problems encountered, ranging from simple to complex situations. Also involves the extent of original thinking needed to arrive at conclusions. (c) Accountability Discretion given to the job holder to influence or determine the course of events and his/her answerability for the consequences of his/her decisions and actions. Accountability has three dimensions which are: Freedom to Act Assesses the degree of freedom of action given to a job by the organisation. Magnitude Gauges how much of the organisation is effected by the job holders accomplishment of the job. Job impact on end results Concerned with how directly the job affects end results in that area. SELF-CHECK Explain the three factors that the Hay Guide Chart method considers in evaluating the worth of a job to the organisation. Pricing Jobs Pricing jobs are divided into two activities: Establishing the appropriate pay level for each job. Grouping the different pay levels into a structure that can be managed effectively. It would not be unusual, for instance, for the personnel manager of Motorola to regularly share wage data on key positions. Firms in the community like Hewlett Packard identify job positions such as maintenance engineer, electrical engineer, key punch operators or clerk-typists and give comprehensive descriptions of these jobs. During the wage survey, various information can be requested (as shown in Figure 8.7). Figure 8.7: Information that can be requested when conducting a wage survey (a) Pay Level The appropriate pay level for any job reflects its relative and absolute worth. A jobs relative internal worth is determined by its ranking through the job evaluation process. The absolute worth of the job is controlled by what the labour market pays for similar jobs. Figure 8.8: Pay level Source: http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/acute-care/pay-levels-confirm-lower-status-of-nurses/5008226.article (b) Scattergram In order to set the right pay level, the job evaluation ranking and the survey wage rates (the going rates in the industry) are combined through the use of a graph called the scattergram. [GD: Insert image of scattergram] Figure 8.9: Scattergram (c) Wage-trend line Through the dots that represent key jobs, a wage-trend line is drawn as close to as many points as possible (the line can be drawn freehand). Most importantly, this method can be used to identify jobs whose pay is out of the trend line. When a jobs pay rate is too high, it should be identified as a red circle rate. Undervalued rates (wage rate is too low) carry a green circle and attempts should be made to grant these jobs an average pay increase. Figure 8.10: Wage-trend line (d) Pay structure Jobs that are similar, in terms of class grades and points, are grouped together. For instance, pay grade 1 may cover 0-100 points, pay grade 2 from 1-200 points, and so on. The result is a hierarchy of wages. The more important jobs are paid more, and as individuals assume jobs of greater importance, they rise within the wages structure. Figure 8.11: Pay structure Source: http://skorcareer.com.my/images/salary-survey-asia.jpg Rate ranges are simply pay ranges for each job class. For example, the wage-trend line indicates that $8.00 is the average hourly rate for a particular job class. With a rate range of $1 for each class, a marginal performer is placed at a midpoint or $8.00. When performer appraisals indicate above-average performance, the employee may be given a merit rise of, say 25 cents per hour. Once the employee reaches the top of the wage range, no more wage increase will be forthcoming. Either a promotion or a general across-the-board pay raise needs to occur for this worker to exceed $8.50 an across-the-board increase moves the entire wage trend line upward. As new jobs are created, the wage and salary section of the personnel department performs a job evaluation. For this evaluation, the new job is assigned to an appropriate job class. If rate ranges are used, the new incumbent will start at the bottom of the range and receive raises, where appropriate, to the top of the rate range. SELF-CHECK What are the inputs that can be requested when conducting a wage survey to price jobs? Case Study The Thai Silk Company, Ltd. Source: http://www.retireearlylifestyle.com/ThaiSilk.html (a) Thai Silk Industry The production of Thai silk involves a number of stages. The earliest fiber production, was carried out by approximately 500,000 individual peasant families primarily in the economically-depressed northern portion of the country. Several hundred family firms located in the larger provincial towns and in Bangkok undertook intermediate stages dyeing, spinning and weaving. The final stages printing, converting and retailing were dominated by fewer than 100 enterprises located in Bangkok. (b) Finishing and Converting Thai silk moved directly from weavers into retail channels to be sold as fabric. However, a portion was finished (e.g. printed with a design) and/or converted (e.g. made into a pillow case, garment, window drape, etc.) before reaching retail. There were seven finishing establishments in the country, all located in Bangkok. The largest of these was a 51%-owned joint venture of Thai Silk Company Ltd. (TSC). It contained 16 hand painting tables compared to only 10 by its next largest competitor. It was the only finisher in the country specialising in silk to own an automatic printing machine. (c) Proposed New Weaving Mill On top of these changes, an important new development is currently under consideration. It involves a proposed 51-owned weaving joint venture, the Thai Silk Handweaving Co. Ltd. (TSHC). The plant was to be located at Pakthongchai in Korat Province about 100 miles northeast of Bangkok. It would initially contain 120 hand looms of the tradiational variety with capacity to supply about 20% of TSCs fabric needs. Currently, there are plans for an increase in the number of looms to 600 over a 6 year period. TSCs share of initial capitalisation would amount to 2.4 million Baht. SELF-CHECK The silk production involves many processes and stages, from dyeing to printing and retailing. As the Human Resource manager, how would you price the pay for employees working in the different stages of the silk production? Summary This chapter introduced you to job evaluation, its methods, the hay guide chart method, and inputs to refer to when pricing jobs. We have learned that: Job evaluation is the process of determining the value of one job in comparison to the other jobs within the organisation so a fair salary system can be established. It is the most common method used to provide a rationale for a pay structure and to assign a job to a pay grade. Job evaluation is usually administered by the human resource manager. However, it is typically performed by either a committee within the organisation or by outside consultants. The four basic job evaluation methods commonly used by organisations are: Job ranking Job classification (or job grading) Factor comparison The point system The hay guide chart method of evaluating jobs assesses three main factors: Know-how Problem solving Accountability When performing a job survey to price jobs, the following information can be requested: Pay level Scattergram Wage-trend line Pay structure Glossary Terms Definition Factor comparison Each job is ranked according to a series of factors, namely mental requirement, skill, physical requirement, responsibilities and working conditions. Hay guide chart method A job evaluation method that considers know-how, problem solving and accountability. Job classification/Job grading A form of evaluation that assigns jobs to an existing grade/category structure according to their relative worth to the organisation. Job evaluation The process of determining the value of one job in comparison to the other jobs within the organisation so a fair salary system can be established. Job ranking Jobs are compared to each other and arranged in order according to their worth to the organisation. Pay level What the labour market pays for similar jobs. Pay structure Jobs that are similar, in terms of class grades and points, are grouped together. Point system method Evaluates the critical factors of each job. But instead of using wages, as the factor comparison method does, it uses points. Scattergram A graph that uses plotted points to represent a set of data. Wage-trend line A line drawn as closely as possible to as many points representing key jobs in a graph.

Book Review of Fiddling for Norway: Revival and Identity, by Chris Goer

Missing Figures Book Review of Fiddling for Norway: Revival and Identity, by Chris Goertzen. After extensive field research in Norway, Chris Goertzen explores and sorts a folk genre, which by nature resists tidy taxonomy. Fiddling for Norway: Revival and Identity is a successful ethnographic documentation of a musical tradition that is learned primarily by insiders through oral/aural channels and by customary example. Implicitly he asks: how can a book culture audience understand a tradition that does not depend on notation for maintenance or transmission? Likewise, how might we classify a collection of such music? He begins by describing in detail how the revival of Norwegian fiddling took place in the later nineteenth century and what its dimensions and scope have been up to the present. Goertzen’s field methods include participant-observation of local and national fiddle contests in Norway, starting with a year-long stay, while teaching at the University of Trondheim in 1988-1989. He attended the District Fiddle Contest in 1988, the largest national fiddle contest for the normal fiddle, in Rà ¸ros. There he was able to hear and record players from around the country play two contrasting tunes each, which gave Goertzen a large collection to consider. He later returned to Norway during the summers of 1991 and 1993 and conducted interviews, made more field recordings, and mined the largest archive of music for the fiddle, Rà ¥det for Folkemusikk og Folkdans (the Council for Folk Music and Folk Dance), at the University of Trondheim for past interviews and field collections. Goertzen points out that the archival holdings privilege the oldest of musicians and repertories, indicating a belief of Norwegian scholars that â€Å"the pres... ...luable book with appeal for ethnomusicologists, scholars of Scandinavian and European culture, historians, and lay audiences. As Goertzen says, these fiddlers, their large repertoires, and the holdings in archives comprise a diachronic living museum of enormous size. Chris Goertzen has done the English-reading public a great service by producing such a splendid study of this lively folk institution. Works Cited Cowdery, James R. 1990. The Melodic Tradition of Ireland. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. Geertz, Clifford. 1988. Works and Lives: The Anthropologist as Author, pp. 1-24. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Fiddling for Norway: Revival and Identity, by Chris Goertzen. University of Chicago Press, 1997. ISBN 0-226-30049-8 (cloth), 0-226-30050-1 (paper), notation, bibliography, index, 16 figures, 17 plates, xv, 347 pp. Cloth $57, paper $22.50

Corruption in India Essay

CORRUPTION ï‚ §Corruption is defined as the misuse of any power of public consequence for private gain. ï‚ §Corruption is not something new, as per Arthasastra of Kautilya ( around 3rd century B.C) : â€Å"Just as it is impossible not to taste the honey(or the poison) that finds itself at the tip of the tongue, so it is impossible for a government servant not to eat up, atleast, a bit of the king’s revenue.† â€Å"Just as fish moving under water cannot possibly be found out either as drinking or not drinking water, so government servants employed in the government work cannot be found out (while) taking money( for themselves)† Major Scams in India Year 1976 1981 1987 1987 1991 1991 1992 1992 1994 1995 1996 1996 1996 2000 2001 2002 2006 2009 2009 2010 2012 Scam KUO OIL DEAL SCAM ANTHULAY TRUST (PAY OFF) HDW COMMISSION BOFORS SCAM TELGI SCAM JMM BRIBE SECURITY SCAM(HARSHAD MEHTA) INDIAN BANK RIP – OFF SUGAR IMPORT BHANSALI SCAM FODDER SCAM HAWALA SCAM UREA DEAL UTI SCAM MUTUAL FUND SCAM HOME TRADE SCAM IPO SCAM MADHU KODA SCAM SATYAM SCAM THE 2G SCAM (MOTHER OF ALL SCAMS) COAL ALLOCATION SCAM TOTAL AMOUNT Amount (In crore) 2.2 30 20 64 43000 0.3 4000 1300 650 1200 950 810 233 32 1350 600 61 4000 24000 1,76,000 1,85,591 4,43,894 Effect Of Corruption On Poor Brought Out By CMS-TII †¢With special focus on BPL household’s 2008 survey shows the following results. †¢About one third of the BPL families paid bribe in the last one year for one or more of the eleven public services covered in the study. †¢ This shows that even the poorest of the poor are not spared in their targeted programs. †¢The survey shows that about 3.4 % of people paid a bribe for a school education and 48% in the case of police service. †¢4% BPL households used contacts for PDS ,school education & electricity as they could not pay the bribe. †¢2% of the people could not get the above services sine they could not pay the bribe or had no contacts. Effects Of Corruption On The Poor BREAK UP OF BRIBES PAID FOR 11 BASIS SERVICES IN MILLION Services covered Public distribution system Hospital School education (up to class XII) Electricity Water supply National rural employment guarantee scheme Land record / registration Forest Housing Banking Police Total for 11 basic services of BPL families Total bribe paid in an year 450 870 120 1050 240 70 1240 240 1570 830 2150 8830 Source: TII-CMS India Corruption Study (2007) CPI – Corruption Perceptions Index-2012 ï‚ § As per the data for the year 2000 , India was in the 69th rank with CPI score of 2.8. ï‚ §As per Ratan Tata â€Å"Corruption has become worse after liberalization†¦Prior to 1991, corruption was in the form of granting licenses. Now, it’s replaced by the award of contracts and in changing the terms of contractual obligations.† Source: Transparency International 2012 CPI score. CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX 2012 Source: Transparency International 2012 Corruption Stifles Economic Progress Agents Role In the Licensing System †¢Corruption leads in reduction in efficiency. †¢Corruption leads to wastage of public funds and Resources. ï‚ §Institutionalization of corruption. †¢Most prevalent form of corruption in India. Eg: Driving Licensing Process in most states. †¢Willingness to pay bribes. †¢Bounce back on the society. Source: February 2, 2008-Economic & Political Weekly. What Is The Root Cause Of Corruption ? †¢Traditional practise. †¢Government services being monopolistic in nature. †¢Lack of trans-parency. †¢Lack of efficient and review monitoring mechanism. †¢Issues with electoral process (funding). †¢ Corporate politician nexus-(State Capture). †¢Socio economic divide. †¢Lack of effective grievance redressal system. Major Demands Of The Team Anna and Kejriwal †¢All govt. servants under the jurisdiction (Including PM). †¢Election and removal be independent of the govt. authorities. †¢CBI’s corruption investigation agency shall be brought under the admin control. †¢Investigation procedure shall be in tune with the criminal investigation procedures. †¢Setting up of lokayuktas. †¢Provision for the citizen’s charter. †¢Effective grievances redressal forum. Earlier Movements Against Corruption: †¢1974 Navnirman movement of Gujarat. †¢Jayaprakash Narayan’s (JP) anti-corruption movement in Bihar of 1974-75 were both against corruption. †¢Other movements: †¢Farmers movements. †¢Dalit movement. †¢Womens Movement. †¢Environmental Movements. †¢RTI Movement. India Against Corruption Movement -How it Differed ? †¢Anna’s Image. †¢Political Vacuum at its peak. †¢Media coverage. †¢In the first phase it seemed completely detached from existing political establishment. †¢Second phase suggested a political alternative. †¢Pan Indian image. ADVANTAGES: †¢Gave a very strict dead line. †¢Proposed several use full amendments. †¢His is a political struggle backed by a moral struggle. †¢Attracted the Youth. †¢Advantages of formation of a political party : †¢Other parties tend to choose better candidates. †¢Other parties tend to give more freedom to the lower level workers. †¢Other parties tend to function more transparently. †¢Could be a failure in election. But politically success. DISADVANTAGES: †¢Less features to prevent corruption prospectively. †¢Based on the assumption that Lokpal will be full of honest and efficient people. Lessons From Karnataka Lokayukta Lessons learnt : ï‚ §Lokpal should have the power of a criminal court. ï‚ §Selection of right candidate . ï‚ §Including PM ministers and MPs under the jurisdiction of the bill. Recommendations by Hegde : ï‚ §Powers to implement recommendations of the Lokpal should be the authority of Lokpal rather than the government. ï‚ §Lokpal to have a separate police force for investigation. ï‚ §Lokpal to have the administrative control over CBI’s corruption investigation team. ï‚ §Making CVC answerable to Lokpal. WAYS TO PREVENT CORRUPTION †¢We need a complete overhaul (holistic approach). †¢Bottom up approach will not work (top officials are also corrupt). †¢We need a top down approach (bring all levels of officers under the jurisdiction of Lokpal). †¢Have faith in the citizens. Emphasis on decentralized the governance structures. †¢Better salaries. †¢Better discipline (accountability and other related aspects). †¢Better recruitment process (importance of Attitude, Aptitude, Ethics). †¢Better automation (Transparency and related aspects). †¢Political will/commitment. †¢Social norms/values should change. †¢Electoral reforms. Question & Answer Session

Brannigan Foods Essay

Strategic Marketing Planning for the Soup Division Brannigan Foods Soup Division is a 100 year old company with mature products which account for 40% of the whole soup market and it is the most significant division of the Brannigan Foods group. The most important category is the RTE soups which account for 78% of total sales. (Exhibit 2) Other products include Low sodium RTE â€Å"Heart Healthy†, dry soups and mixes and private label and Annabelle’s fast and simply. Annabelle’s was a soup company acquired 5 years ago in order to add healthier sups, dry soups and fast to the company’s portfolio, a growing trend in the market. In terms of costumer perception of Brannigan comparing with competition, Brannigan’s falls behind in the following: Health trends Diet claims Convenience offerings Flavors-especially popular regional ones Seasonal products outside cold weather Retailers perceive Brannigan to be: -Category leader -not innovative -less profitable than store brands and competition Over the past 3 years the results of the division have been decreasing and there are several reasons behind this: The whole soup industry has been declining for several years. The largest and most loyal segment of soup consumers, the baby boomers, which account for 20% of American population and are the main target, have been showing increasing concerns with processed food and high sodium content shifting to healthier alternatives. Increasing trend within working mothers who tended to prefer â€Å"convenience†. Bert Clark, vice-president and general manager of Brannigan Foods’ Soup Division needs to take action and present a plan to senior management to go back to growing sales within the division and increase profits by 3% next year, reversing the 1-2% declining turnover and 2-3% declining volume. With this in mind he has asked his key directors to submit a plan of action independently and now he has to decide which of the 4 proposals he will bring to senior management. The fact that Clark has his 4 keys managers working separately limits their assessment to each of their experiences and thus their proposals are narrowed to their field of expertise. Also, by choosing one particular direction may leave 3 directors uninvolved hence with a minor sense of responsibility. When making hard decisions it is always better, in my opinion, to have everyone on board. On the other hand it provides Clark with 4 proposals instead of one. Nonetheless making the 4 directors work together would have a provided a team solution and a broader approach to the problem. Now, by choosing one particular approach, Clark will have to find a way to involve all directors in this strategy. Looking closely at each proposal: 1st proposal Srikant Tipha, Director of the Simple Meals unit Srikant wants to strengthen the strategy of growing categories of dry soups, healthier soups and meal-in-pouch soups by investing $18 million on advertising and promotion. These products were a direct result of Annabelle’s acquisition, a smaller competitor Brannigan had acquired 5 years ago. Skirant wants to induce trial by increasing advertising; to provide coupling for new flavors: Gazpacho for the warmer months and Teriyaki for positioning in the fast growing Asian soups category. Pros: Focuses on growing segments which address health concerning issues and/or focus on the new flavors Cons: Srikant focuses his whole strategy on the new lines/products which account for 15% of the revenues of the division and completely leaves out the 78% which are the star products, or the cash cow and basically finance the new developments. 2nd proposal Claire Mackey, Director of Finance & Planning Claire focuses on the new healthier and more convenient products gaining territory in the market. Claire suggests the best way to quickly have a strong presence in these segments would be to acquire a small competitor with significant presence on these new products. Pros: Brannigan would very quickly be able to have an adequate response to new trends, as the whole operation is set up and products are already tested. By maintain the current brands, they would increase their shelf space. With joint synergies, the new acquired products would have a margin increase by reducing costs. Cons: Recent bad experience with Annabelle’s Foods although the project is gradually gaining track. It would take a large investment in advertising and promotion if they kept the acquired brands, if they changed into their own, there was a greater risk of cannibalization and of losing shelf space in big retailers. 3rd proposal Anna Chong, Chief Innovation Officer Anna feels that her department could develop new lines that meet the market’s new trends and that the company should increase investment in advertising and promotion for the new products already tested with consumers and investment in R&D for new products. Pros: the proposal addresses the markets new trends, avoiding the risk and investment of a new acquisition and all risks it entails. The new flavors would allow a price increase hence increase in margin. Cons: 1/100 products developed were actually launched in the market and reached Brannigan’s threshold for success. The costs of developing 100 products and launching 9 with only 1 to be successful are very heavy. Also launching products that may eventually fail means also costs for retailers which are becoming increasingly intolerant and more demanding for better conditions. 4th proposal Bob Pugh, VP Sales and Marketing, Brannigan Soups Bob focuses his proposal on the core products: reduce selling price to make the gap between private label and Brannigan less significant (PL increasing by 5%) . Also he wants to invest in advertising the products and wants to optimize the plants in order to recover losses due to reduction of selling price. Bob also wants to bring back a former campaign more appealing to younger generations. Pros: The aimed products are guaranteed successes and retailers will appreciate the strategy. Cons: This plan totally ignores the new market trends and price reduction could damage margin objectives as well as brand positioning. Looking at each proposal individually I think Clark should favor Bob Pugh’s proposal because it focuses strongly on the divisions main core, enables to increase gross margin by reducing production costs and increasing volume and there is no cannibalization effect. However, in long term this strategy does not secure the new trends which may or may not be the next cash cows. Then also noteworthy is the proposal by Anna Chong which goes in a very different direction but is as well an interesting approach. Anna, as the Chief Innovation Officer, focuses, not surprisingly, on developing new products, there is of course a large investment involved, but it does take into account the new trends. My last pick would be the proposal made by Claire Mackey, Director of Finance & Planning, since it represents a very large investment and recent experience with Annabelle will make it hard to pass it by the board. Her preference goes to Red Dragon Foods: Current Sales: $36 million Cannibalization of Sales: 0.45% (Mackey says 0.3%; Clark 0.6%): $13 million Estimated EBITDA $4.2 millions Estimated Cost: $29.4 million (considering highest price) Amortization + interest per year: 2.54 million (in 10 year period) Gross Margin: $16.2 million Gross Margin with cannibalization effect: $10.3 million Cost of A&P: $11 million Net Earnings in the First Year: -$3.24 million In 5 years: Estimated revenues: $75.85 million (growth rate of 2.5% for whole division) Estimated Gross Margin in 5 years (50% instead of 45% as Clark estimates increase of 10% I will be more conservative and just add 5% ): $38 million From the analyzed companies by Mackey, the emerging competition is mainly focused on the area where Brannigan’s is not as strong: health oriented products (MSG free and low sodium), new flavors (Asian flavors) and trends (Deli like). These yet small sub categories may well grow in the next years and this may pose as a problem because costumers will lose brand awareness, recognizing other brands as the Healthy soup or as the Chinese Soup. On the other hand, it will be difficult for new brands to try to compete with Brannigan on their strongest products and in which they are the unquestioned leader. So the natural strategy for new companies is to target the products where there is not such a strong recognized brand. This point must be considered by Clark when making his decision. Can Brannigan’s afford to leave these new products wide open or should he get his hands on this before it escalates? In my opinion Clark needs to take action on the growing needs of the market before it is too late. Brannigan’s Soup needs to lock its position as market leader in soups as a whole concept and not as a segmented market. Clark needs to address two main issues: maintain leadership in the classic flavors and keep up with new demands. For this he should bring in Anna Chong and Bob Pugh and have them work together in defining the new strategy. Bringing their proposals together the cons of each of them are mitigated. Anna addresses the new trends Bob has left out and Bob will secure the financing of the new products that Anna will develop which may become the next cash cows. Reinforcing the current strong products of the company is important but may not be enough in a permanently evolving market. A leader position requires investment in R&D in order to keep up with changing trends.