Human Resource Management College Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Management College - Case Study Example Management of performance starts with recruitment and selection of the right person for the right job goes through the training and development of the employee and finally appraising him. Just because employees have the ability to do the job does not ensure that they will perform satisfactorily. A critical dimension of their effectiveness is their willingness to exert high energy levels - their motivation. In the case of Fifers Bakery, the plant is not automated, and therefore the situation demands for skilled workers, whereas, the majority of workers are unskilled. There are around 400 workers in the organization. The Appraisal process begins with the establishment of performance standards in accordance with the organization's strategic goals. These performance standards should also be clear and objective enough to be understood and measured. Performance is a vital component of the motivation model (Bradt, 1991; Guinn & Corona, 1991). Specifically, we must be concerned with the link between effort and performance, and between performance and rewards. Once performance standards are established, it is necessary to communicate these expectations; it should not be part of employees' job to guess what is expected of them. Too many jobs have vague performance standards and the problem is compounded when these standards are set in isolation and do not involve the employee (Tyler, 1997). To achieve the performance standards, the employees should be well trained in the skills expected out of them. In the case of Fifers, this aspect is lacking as many workers are unskilled. The third step in the apprai sal process is the measurement of performance. To determine what actual performance is, it is necessary to acquire information about it. We should be concerned with how we measure and what we measure. Four common sources of information are frequently used by managers regarding how to measure actual performance: personal observation, statistical reports, oral reports and written reports. The fourth step in the process is the comparison of actual performance with standards. The point of this step is to note deviations between standard performance and actual performance. This is followed by the fifth step, the discussion of the appraisal with the employee (Stack, 1997; Grote, 1997). The final step in the appraisal is the identification of corrective action wherever necessary. The challenges faced by Fifers can be linked to some commonly observed deficiencies. The Supervisor who is evaluating has two roles namely, judge and helper. Sometimes, there may be conflict between the two roles. Expectations of the supervisor and the subordinates regarding the job may be at variance. Very few supervisors have the skill to constructively convey to an employee how to improve his performance. Poor communication keeps employees in the dark about what is expected from them. These challenges could be overcome by taking some improvement measures. The employee job descriptions and performance standards should be periodically reviewed by the supervisors. The employees should be clearly communicated about what is expected out of them. This could help the supervisor and subordinate to overcome any variance in expectations. The employees sho

Netflix Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Netflix Analysis - Case Study Example On the basis of this an overview of analysis tools has been discussed such as the 3C’s, STP and the 4 P’s. The 3 C’s model is used to provide an overview of the company. Based on this overview the market conditions can be assessed which help the managers in forming strategies for the company. Based on this the company can rectify its weaknesses and progress towards success. Company: Netflix is a DVD rental and online streaming business. The services offered by the company are in a combined form and these have attracted the customers. The services of the company are slow but once the videos are acquired then the services and facilities which are offered are unmatchable and incomparable. Customers: For the success of the business, the needs and requirements of the customer are important and therefore they should be assessed. The company has faced losses when a new strategy of separating both the practices was introduced. This also increased the subscription charges of the company. Competitors: The business faces competition from products like Apple iTunes, Amazon video on demand (VOD), Google TV and YouTube and others. All these provide similar services and have benefited highly from the splitting decision of the company (Dau, and Wesley). Segmentation: In this process the company will identify the segment which will be interested most with availing the services of the company. The company has segments its consumers in order to market them in a better way. by segmenting consumers, the company can do well in the market. Targeting: Finding the most appropriate segment and finding the factors which will satisfy these individuals most must be assessed. On the basis of this all the price and the product related strategies are formed. By targeting different segments in a different way, the company can get better results. Positioning: In this segment the appropriate industry is

On Conflict Settlement Essay Example for Free

On Conflict Settlement Essay Schick (1995) defines a conflict as a â€Å"distinctive structure of desires and a belief† (p. 58). A conflict arises when an agent wants x and y wherein x and y are the only options available to the agent. Given this situation, an agent may choose to react in two ways. First, the agent may choose to avoid the conflict or second, the agent may choose to resolve the conflict. In the resolution of a conflict, the agent starts to think rationally by seizing to think that the options available to him involves choosing both x and y or losing both x and y. In this sense, the agent enables the resolution of the conflict through an internal mediation of his or her desires. The same thing applies when it comes to interpersonal conflict. The difference between the two merely lies in the existence of a particular situation wherein the desires and beliefs of two or more agents tend to counter that of the other. This shows the manner in which conflicts enable the â€Å"balancing of power† within an agent or within a group (Rummel, 1991, p. 76). The balancing of powers resulting from the occurrence of a conflict enables the balancing of the following elements: interests, capabilities, and wills. Rummel (1991) notes â€Å"conflict is a balancing of individual interests, capabilities, and wills. It is a simultaneous solution to the equations of power† (p. 77). Within an interpersonal conflict, it does not necessarily mean that the agent(s) whose beliefs and desires take precedence over the other is the agent(s) who hold power within a group. The balance of powers refers to the mutual satisfaction of the different and contending interests within a group. In other words, the balance of powers may be understood as the result of the mediation within an interpersonal conflict. In the previous presentation, one of the groups presented steps that may be followed in case a conflict arises. The steps that they provided involve the agent(s) development of self-awareness. The importance of self-awareness here can be seen if one considers that it is only through the agent(s) identification of the clashing beliefs and desires that the agent(s) will be able to achieve the resolution of the conflict. This was shown by the group through a skit that they presented in class. One might note that in the skit itself, the group was able to present that failure to develop awareness may lead to aggression which might further enhance the conflict at hand. The importance of this skit does not lie in its means of providing an example for those who were present; it also enabled the audience’s direct experience of a conflict. Deutsch et al (2006) notes, â€Å"observing models deal effectively with difficult situations allows the observer to achieve greater freedom in coping with current and future problems of all sorts (p. 309). Despite of this, the group however, was unable to show that resolution and aggression are not the only means in which a conflict may end. Matthews and Roberts (2004) notes that conflicts may also lead to â€Å"collaboration and appeals to authority† (p. 451). Although one might state that this also leads to the resolution of a conflict in the sense that it ends a conflict, it is important to note that conflicts that end in this manner further breeds the creation of further disagreements amongst the agent(s) involved. Matthews and Roberts (2004) further notes that in the resolution of a conflict, there are certain skills which individuals should learn. These involve â€Å"active listening, assertiveness, expression of feelings in appropriate ways, empathy and perspective taking, cooperation, negotiation, and methods for countering bias† (p. 451). Although the group was unable to present all of these point, they were able to relay well the information that they had prepared for the presentation. In summary, given the time constraints on the group, I think the group was able to relay helpful information that will aid the members of the audience in the process of understanding and handling situations that may lead to both personal and interpersonal conflict. References Deutsch, M. et al. (2006). The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Matthews, G. R. Roberts. (2004). Emotional Intelligence: Science and Myth. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Rummel, R. (1991). The Conflict Helix. London: Transaction Publishers. Schick, F. (1997). Making Choices: A Recasting of Decision Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Public Speaking Anxiety for ESL Students

Public Speaking Anxiety for ESL Students Findings The purpose of this research is to determine the primary factors of public speaking anxiety and speaking English as a second language amongst students from LG221 and LG241. Besides that, to check upon the gender differences between these students when it comes to public speaking anxiety, whether gender differences have an impact towards the level of public speaking anxiety. Last but not least to find out the relationship between students’ public speaking anxiety as well as fears for negative evaluation by their peers and educators. Upon completion of both the questionnaires, the data was tabulated and analyzed by calculating the mean values in order to obtain needed information. In addition to finding the connection between students’ public speaking anxiety together with their fears for negative evaluation, Karl Pearson’s correlation method is used. Result Figure 4.0 illustrate the demographic data of this research. Samples for this research consist of students of Bachelor of Applied Language Studies (Hons.) Malay Language for Professional Communication, also known as LG221 and LG241 of MARA University of Technology (UiTM), Shah Alam. Participants are at the ranging of 20 to 24 years old. The total numbers of participants are 50 students consisting of 27 male and 23 female. Figure 4.0 Factors of Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) To determine the underlying factors behind both male and female students public speaking anxiety, factor analysis was accomplished on the of the 34 item in the PRPSA questionnaires. All 34 items are then characterized onto six different factors that are related to making public speaking. These six factors are as followed: Positive speaking perceptions. Emotional effects of speech anxiety. Physical effects of speech anxiety. Lack of preparation. Feeling vulnerable. Perfectionist. Out of 34 items in PRPSA, 12 items are put into the first factor which was labelled positive speaking perception (Factor 1). Items loading on this factor pertained to the positive feeling a person has during the preparation and actual speech presentation. Students with this kind of attitude tend to have little or no problem when giving a speech. Besides that, six items are put into the second factor which was labelled emotional effect of speech anxiety (Factor 2). Items loading on this factor pertained to the supposed emotional consequences a person feels during the preparation of the speech, as well as when asked to give a speech. The third factor is labelled physical effects of speech anxiety (Factor 3) with six items loaded into it that pertained to the supposed physical consequences a person feels during the preparation of the speech. The fourth factor is labelled lack of preparation (Factor 4) and is loaded with three items from PRPSA. These three items pertained to the perceived consequences of insufficient speech preparation. Meanwhile, the fifth factor is labelled vulnerability (Factor 5) with four items put into it. Items loading on this factor pertained to the perceived feeling of helplessness during the preparation of the speech. Lastly, the sixth factor is labelled perfectionist (Factor 6) with three items from the PRPSA that pertained to the supposed consequences of being perfectionist. The mean value of each items scored by both male and female students as well as the total mean value were calculated to check upon the real reason to the occurrence of public speaking anxiety amongst students as well as to distinguish the differences in public speaking anxiety between the two gender as shown in Table 4.0. Table 4.0 Within these six factors of the PRPSA that has been characterized, the factor Emotional effects of speech anxiety scored the highest with a mean of 3.52. Although the result is moderate, it still shows that most students tend to have public speaking anxiety because they have a sense of nervousness together with uneasiness when giving a speech and this can negatively affect students’ speech by making them seem unsure about what they are saying. The next factor resulting in students’ public speaking anxiety is Perfectionist with a mean of 3.13. Students who are considered themselves perfectionists tend to have a tendency to set standards that are so high that they either cannot be met, or are only met with great difficulty. Perfectionists tend to believe that anything short of perfection is horrible, and that even minor imperfections will lead to catastrophe. This is followed by the third factor which is Vulnerability. Factor vulnerability scored a mean of 3.13. This factor shows that students think about an upcoming encounter negatively and may intensify feelings of anticipatory anxiety associated with the encounter. Besides that, speakers’ will also have depressive thoughts about their speech and this may contribute to public speaking anxiety before, during, and after a speech performance which lead to them believing they will not succeed when giving a speech. Factor Lack of preparation is found to be factor number four with a mean of 2.93. The level of preparation determines the level of students’ success in giving speeches. Most students hardly prepare enough for their speeches. This is often because they do not start their preparation early as to why they resort to a last minute approach, which then lead to them feeling unprepared and unready for a speech. The final factor that leads to students having public speaking anxiety is Physical effects of speech anxiety with a mean of 2.89. Speech anxiety can overwhelm the senses, the thoughts, as well as the body. Some of the common symptoms of speech anxiety include shaking, sweating, butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and squeaky voice. The first factor which is Positive perceptions towards speech anxiety is not an underlying factor to students’ public speaking anxiety. This factor is actually the opposite of it. Positive perceptions towards speech anxiety factor scored a mean of 3.34. This proves that students’ public speaking anxiety is not that serious. However these students need improvement as it is hinted that students are still not that keen towards the importance of English speech proficiencies. More importantly, it is known that the students still felt uncomfortable and unsure of their own potentials and that that they are still not capable of handling themselves during speeches. Gender Differences in Public Speaking Anxiety On the other hand, to determine whether there is a difference in public speaking anxiety between male and female student, the mean value for PRPSA of each gender is distinguished. Results are as shown in Table 4.1. Table 4.1 The above table revealed that although both male and female students fell in the moderate level of PRPSA, female students tend to have a higher public speaking anxiety level as their mean value is bigger as compared to the male students. On Figure 4.1, it can be seen on which aspects students, whether male or female, face their difficulties when giving a speech. This figure is based on the factors that have been deducted from PRPSA. Figure 4.1 Despite the female students monopolizing all factors, there are some items from PRPSA that the male students scored higher mean values as compared to the female students. Examples of these items include; Statement 13: â€Å"I am in constant fear of forgetting what I prepared to say.† From the statement above, 28 out of 50 students agreed to it with 16 of them being male students. It can be concluded that male students experienced more anxiety compared to male respondents in terms of forgetting to say things they know even though the result is quite similar. Statement 30: â€Å"During an important speech I experience a feeling of helplessness building up inside me.† On the hand, 17 out of 50 students agreed to statement above with 10 of them being males students while the other 7 are female students. In this statement, it can be said that the male students can still be nervous and more anxious compared to the female students. For the gender differences in public speaking anxiety, it can be indicated that both male and female students are equally anxious when involve in giving speeches although the male students show less significant anxiety as compared to the female students. Correlation between Public Speaking Anxiety and Fear of Negative Feedback In order to determine the correlation between two variables and they are students’ public speaking anxiety together with their fears of negative feedback, Karl Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient method is being used. Karl Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient In statistics, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) is a common measure of the correlation between two variables X and Y. When measured in a population the Pearson Product Moment correlation is designated by the Greek letter rho (Ï ). Whilst computed in a sample, it is designated by the letter r and is sometimes called Pearsons r. Pearsons correlation reflects the degree of linear relationship between two variables. It ranges from +1 to -1. A correlation of +1 means that there is a perfect positive linear relationship between variables whereas a correlation of -1 means that there is a perfect negative linear relationship between variables. A correlation of 0 means there is no linear relationship between the two variables. Correlations are rarely if ever 0, 1, or -1. The result of the correlation could indicate whether correlations are negative or positive. Mathematical Formula: The quantity r, called the linear correlation coefficient, measures the strength and the direction of a linear relationship between two variables. The linear correlation coefficient is sometimes referred to as the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient in honour of its developer Karl Pearson. The mathematical formula for computing r is: n = number of pairs of scores ∑xy = sum of the product of paired scores ∑x = sum of the x scores ∑y = sum of the y scores ∑x ² = sum of squared x scores ∑y ² = sum of squared y scores The strength and significance of the coefficient. The following general categories indicate a quick way of interpreting a calculated r value: Results for the relationship between public speaking anxiety and fear of negative feedback were displayed in a graphical representation Figure 4.2. From the table 4.2, it can be seen that the result showed a weak correlation between the students’ public speaking anxiety and their fear of negative evaluation as it only scored 0.256. This proves that the relationship between two variables is weak and not very significant. Table 4.2 Figure 4.2 The mean value for fear of negative evaluation score was 51.5. This demonstrates that the average for fear of negative evaluation level is in moderate level. However, out of 50 students that answered the questionnaire, 9 students fell on the high level for fear of negative evaluation, 27 students are on the moderate level while the remaining 14 students have low level for fear of negative evaluation as illustrated in Figure 4.3. Figure 4.3 The students average anxiety level also fell on the moderate level that is at mean value 106.02. From the 50 students that answered the questionnaire, none of the students fell in highly active category. Meanwhile, 94% of the students are in the moderate category while the remaining 6% are in the low category. This can be illustrated as shown in Figure 4.4. Figure 4.4

Comparing Oedipus Rex and King Lear Essay -- comparison compare contra

Comparing Oedipus Rex and King Lear   Ã‚   Oedipus Rex and King Lear are, as their titles announce, both about kings. These two plays are similar in theme and in the questions they pose to the audience. The kings in each play both fall from the pinnacle of power to become the most loathed of all classes in society; Oedipus discovers that he is a murderer and committer of incest, and Lear becomes a mad beggar. Misjudgments occur in both plays, and the same questions about the gods, fate, and free will are posed. In spite of these similarities, however, the final effects of these two plays differ greatly.    For me, as I read Oedipus Rex again this fall, I experienced a sensation nearly of agony. Because I had already known the myth as well as read the play, I was in the Greek's position of foreknowledge. This caused me to feel acutely the irony of Oedipus' confident declarations that the murderer of Laius should be "driven from every house, / Being, as he is, corruption itself to us," and again on the next page,    As for the criminal, I pray to God- Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number- I pray that that man's life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. And as for me, this curse applies no less If it should turn out that the culprit is my guest here, Sharing my hearth. (13-14)    Oedipus has absolutely no idea that the murderer he is denouncing so vehemently is, in fact, himself. The fact that the reader knows that, and he does not, becomes increasintly painful, especially in the line where Oedipus says, "And as for me, this curse applies no less...." Oedipus means only that he will not protect the guilty, even under the constraints of hospitality; he has absolutely no ... ...n has already occurred, is concentrated fully on them. King Lear comes to a much more acceptable resolution.    At the end of Oedipus Rex, I felt nothing but relief that the worst was finally over. King Lear also made me sigh heavily with relief, but it was more cathartic than the other. There is less agony in the experience of the play, and the ending is more resolved. While Sophocles leaves the audience with a burden of unresolved issues, Shakespeare, though not resolving them, makes them less cumbersome. In this way, King Lear, though no less a tragedy than Oedipus Rex, seems less ponderous and sad.   Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Ed. Russell Fraser. Newly revised ed. New York: Penguin Group, 1998. Sophocles. "Oedipus Rex." Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. The Oedipus Cycle. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1939.

Essay --

The marketing environment has influenced the decision making of Dixons through the micro environment. This "consists of those organisations who either directly or indirectly influence an organisations operational performance" (Baines et al 2011) It consists of for example competitors. For Dixons in the uk they were influenced by "Best Buy" a retailer in the US, who is renowned for going the extra mile for their customers. They were going to open their first store in the uk in 2009, which would give Dixons even more competition in an already highly competitive market. This prompted Dixons to change their strategy to customers focused, as they knew with other firms offering service led businesses, they would fall behind. Best Buy delayed their launch until the first quarter of 2010, this allowed Dixons time to get their strategy in place before best buy launched. This enabled Dixons to get ahead of the competition. By the time Best Buy did roll out their first store, it was not a ma jor success and they eventually closed all stores, exiting operations in the uk in 2011. Dixons was a... Essay -- The marketing environment has influenced the decision making of Dixons through the micro environment. This "consists of those organisations who either directly or indirectly influence an organisations operational performance" (Baines et al 2011) It consists of for example competitors. For Dixons in the uk they were influenced by "Best Buy" a retailer in the US, who is renowned for going the extra mile for their customers. They were going to open their first store in the uk in 2009, which would give Dixons even more competition in an already highly competitive market. This prompted Dixons to change their strategy to customers focused, as they knew with other firms offering service led businesses, they would fall behind. Best Buy delayed their launch until the first quarter of 2010, this allowed Dixons time to get their strategy in place before best buy launched. This enabled Dixons to get ahead of the competition. By the time Best Buy did roll out their first store, it was not a ma jor success and they eventually closed all stores, exiting operations in the uk in 2011. Dixons was a...

Aggression in the 1930s

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are two of the most prominent figures in world history.   Both are intimidating personalities recognized as dictators in their own countries.   Hitler and Stalin are also similar for having significant roles in the aggression in the 1930s that was World War II.   However, it must be noted that Hitler had a more distinct role in the World War II than Stalin.   Though both men were active dictators during the Second World War.Adolf Hitler had a bigger responsibility in the conflict than Joseph Stalin.Hitler and Stalin were both dictators.   It is appropriate to give them such title as they had absolute power over their respective countries.   They had similar strategies and motives in terms of their aggression that resulted in the war.For instance, both men were motivated by a superiority complex.   Hitler was a firm believer in the superiority of the German race (Weinberg, 2008).   He asserted that Germany needed vast areas of land for ex pansion, so he attacked other countries to create an expansive territory for Germans.   It was this attack which brought Hitler and Germany at the helm of the global conflict.Likewise, Stalin also had a superiority complex.   Immediately after succeeding Lenin as the head of the Soviet Union, Stalin inspired a culture of self-glorification (Perry, 1989).   It was therefore no surprise that Stalin entered into an agreement with Hitler.The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact stated that the Soviet Union would not intervene with the German aggression against Poland on the grounds that it would receive half of the acquired Polish territory (Knight, 2008; Perry, 1989).However, despite the distinct similarity, there was a significant difference between the political roles they played in the Second World War.   Hitler proved to be the more aggressive dictator, as he initiated the war itself.   On the other hand, Stalin merely tolerated Hitler’s aggression.   Though the Sovi et Union had made an alliance with Germany, this did not guarantee immunity from the said aggression (Weinberg, 2008).Stalin and the rest of the Soviet Union were alarmed when Germans attacked them (Knight, 2008).   It became evident that Germany was in the center of the war, since it began to bypass the authority of the nations it had alliances with.Eventually, it was proven that Hitler had a more dominant political role in the war than Stalin.   Stalin was a mere participant in the German aggression; in time, he and his country became the victims.   It was Hitler who was in control of the war situation.Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were dictators who took part in the aggression during the 1930s, resulting in the historical event known as World War II.Their aggression was both motivated by a sense of superiority, and their strategy included the participation in the war.   Nonetheless, there was a difference between the leaders.   Hitler had a more dominant political role in the war, since he started the international conflict.   He was powerful enough to undermine an alliance with the Soviet Union to further his ends.Meanwhile, Stalin’s aggression was only evident in the agreement with Germany.   Hence, Adolf Hitler had a bigger political role in the Second World War.ReferencesPerry, M. (1989). A History of the World.   Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin.Knight, A. (2008). Joseph Stalin. In Microsoft Encarta Online Dictionary. Retrieved December 18, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559200/Stalin.htmlWeinberg, G. (2008). Adolf Hitler. In Microsoft Encarta Online Dictionary. Retrieved December 18, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761556540/Hitler.html