Saturday, November 30, 2019

Right From The Beginning The Plot Is Almost Conveniently Evident. You

Right from the beginning the plot is almost conveniently evident. You find a woman, Edna Pontellier, tired of living her life as a pampered and "owned" wife and mother. She is searching for much more in her life, some sort of meaning for her whole existence. She searches for a long time but in the end, the inevitability of her life's pattern and direction wraps around her, suffocating her. She is overcome with wonder, confusion, and guilt for what she believes and what she does to express her beliefs. She finally finds a way to beat the "proper" 1890's lifestyle by committing suicide. During this story Edna struggles with three main opposing powers. First, there is the society's opinion of what a woman's "roles" in life was and how they should act, look, and feel. Second, is her independent nature. The last opposing power she comes across is her undying love for the charming Robert Lebrun. It is the unwritten rule that a woman should marry, have children, and be happy and content with that as their life. Society portrays this to be a woman's rightful job and duty. A woman should act and look "proper" at all times. This is what Edna is fighting against in this novel. She feels that, though many women agree with this "known" rule, it isn't fair. For six years Edna conforms to these ideas by being a "proper" wife and mother, holding Tuesday socials and going to operas, following the same enduring schedule. It is only after her summer spent at Grand Isle that her "mechanical" lifestyle becomes apparent to her. She sees how much she is unhappy with the expectations, held by society, of her life and she wishes to erase them and live her life as she wants. Edna has an independent, almost self centered, nature about her. Her need for an uncontrolled lifestyle is what leaves her feeling "owned" and wanting to break that label; she fights to do as she wishes. Little by little she breaks free of society's' image, letting her independence shine through. She cancels her Tuesday socials and helps out around the house doing little chores. The biggest step she made was her decision to move away from her mansion and into the "pigeon house", a little cottage around corner. After this move she was free to explore her new profound freedom and desires. She succumbed to the passion in her heart and had a meaningless affair with Arobin, a known heartbreaker. She was in control of this new relationship and she loved feeling in control. True, she felt nothing beyond lust for the man but she was able to do as she wished. Her love for Robert Lebrun was truly her biggest obstacle she was to overcome. Every thought and feeling she had sprouted from the love she had for him which kept growing long after the brief summer in Grand Isle. She thought about him always and was in constant yearning for him to return from his escapades in Mexico. When he finally did return, his love for Edna was apparent and he wished to be married to her. Once again she felt trapped, not wishing to become "property" to a man. She just wanted to be with him and love him without having to give up her independence. When she left to assist her friend in her childbearing, she bid him to stay and wait for her. Alas, when she returned he was gone, in his place was a letter. He stated his love for her and his inability to keep interfering with her life and her duties to her husband and children. That was the end of Edna Pontellier. She feels alone, with no one who would understand to confide into. Rather than be forced to live in such a world of tyranny and succumb once again to the mechanical lifestyle she had lived for so long, she chooses death. In death, there are no expectations, no one to impress or be "proper" for, and most importantly she has no one to answer to, except herself. It is all these aspects of the plot, in the story, that make it enticing. It was so rare for a woman to feel this way back in those days. Edna is truly an admirable character. Her fight for independence against a social world that shows no mercy was a courageous task to try and accomplish. She tried hard and even though she failed, it is her strength in which she fought that captured

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Lord Of The Flies Essays - English-language Films, Lord Of The Flies

Lord Of The Flies Essays - English-language Films, Lord Of The Flies Lord of the Flies Character Analysis: Ralph: main character- Ralph is the narrator of the story. Jack: Jack is Ralph main enemy in the story. He leads the hunters. Piggy: Piggy is the smart one of the group. Simon: He is my favorite character in the story. He is viewed as the Christ-figure and interprets the mysteries of the island. Roger: Roger is Jack?s ?sidekick? and is a vicious murderer at heart. Sam and Eric: The twins stick close to Ralph until they are forced to join the hunters. Their main job is to watch the signal fire. The littluns: The littluns are basically the younger boys and ride the bandwagon. The two boys Ralph and Piggy meet each other in a thick jungle and discover that they crashed in an airplane and are stranded. They also learn that there are no adults present on the island and that none of the adults survived the crash. As they approach a beach, they find an enormous conch shell. Piggy gives the conch a little toot and summons the rest of the boys on the island to the beach. The boys assemble and elect Ralph as the leader. Ralph then assigns the Choir, led by Jack, to be the hunters. Then Jack, Ralph, and Simon set out to explore the island. Near the end of their journey, they encounter a wild pig. Jack tries to kill it, but is unsuccessful. When the explorers get back, a meeting is held. The explorers explain that the island is deserted but there is enough food to keep them alive. Jack and the hunters promise to supply meat. Ralph makes a rule that whoever is in possession of the conch shell is allowed to speak. Ralph proposes the idea of a signal fire to alert passing ships of their presence. All the boys agree and everybody rushes to the hilltop to start a fire. The fire sparks the gathered wood into a blaze. One of the boys is reported missing but none of the boys will admit to the likelihood of an accident. Everyone is hard at work the next day, either building huts or hunting. Soon the younger boys loose interest and go off to play. A meeting is called and the boys come up with some new ideas and talk about problems. Meanwhile jack wanders off and enjoys the peace and quiet. Soon the boys get into a rhythm of everyday life. In the morning is the best time for activity because it is cool and quiet. Afternoons are associated with napping. Some of the littluns are suffering from diarrhea from eating too much fruit. While Ralph and Piggy sit on the beach they notice a ship on the horizon, and are horrified to see that the signal fire has gone out. The boys rush to the hilltop to try to get it going again but it is too late. Jack and the hunters who were in charge of the fire were nowhere to be found. Ralph scolds Jack about the fire and he apologizes though he does not really care. Another meeting is called at the familiar place and Ralph reprimands them about their irresponsibility. Then the subject of the so called ?beast? comes up. Ralph and Piggy try to give an explanation but it has no effect. Eventually chaos spreads though the crowd and the run off led by Jack, and Ralph is thoroughly agitated. That night, an air battle is going on and a dead pilot, with a parachute, lands next to the signal fire where Sam and Eric have fallen asleep. They are awakened and are terrified by the shadows and the body. The twins scramble down to the beach where a group has assembled, and they tell the story with farfetched details. A team of explorers is sent to investigate. They discover new land and plan what they will do with it, but Ralph reminds them of their mission and they continue. As they approach the hilltop, Jack accuses Ralph of being chicken and starts up by himself. They are frightened by what they see and spread even more panic with their report. Jack decides to hold a meeting and announces the threat of the beast and

Friday, November 22, 2019

Karl Benz and the First Practical Automobile

Karl Benz and the First Practical Automobile In 1885, a German mechanical engineer named Karl Benz designed and built the worlds first practical automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine. A year later, Benz received the first patent (DRP No. 37435)  for a gas-fueled car  on January 29, 1886. It was a three-wheeler called the Motorwagen or Benz Patent Motorcar. Benz built his first four-wheeled car in 1891. He started Benz Company and by 1900 became the worlds largest manufacturer of automobiles. He also became the first legally licensed driver in the world, when the Grand Duke of Baden granted him the distinction. Whats especially remarkable was that he was able to achieve these milestones despite coming from a relatively modest background.   Early Life and Education Benz was born in 1844 in Baden Muehlburg, Germany (now part of Karlsruhe). He was the son of a locomotive engine driver who passed away when Benz was only two years old. Despite their limited means,  his mother ensured he got a good education. Benz attended the Karlsruhe grammar school and later Karlsruhe Polytechnic University. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and graduated in 1864 when he was only 19 years old. In 1871, He founded his first company with partner August Ritter and called it the Iron Foundry and Machine Shop, a supplier of building materials.  He married Bertha Ringer in 1872 and his wife would go on to play an active role in his business, such as when he bought out his partner, who had become unreliable. Developing the Motorwagen Benz began his work on a two-stroke engine  in hopes of establishing a new source of income. He had to invent many parts of the system as he went along, including the throttle, ignition, spark plugs, carburetor, clutch, radiator, and gear shift.  He received his first patent in 1879.   In 1883, he founded Benz Company to produce industrial engines in Mannheim, Germany. He then began designing a motor carriage with a four-stroke engine based on Nicolaus Ottos patent. Benz designed his engine and the body for the three-wheel vehicle with electric ignition, differential gears, and water-cooling. In 1885, the car was first driven in Mannheim. It achieved the speed of eight miles per hour during a test drive. After receiving a patent for his gas-fueled automobile (DRP 37435), he began selling his automobile to the public in July of 1886. Parisian bicycle-maker Emile Roger added them to his line of vehicles and sold them as the first commercially-available automobile. His wife helped promote the Motorwagen by taking it on a historic 66-mile trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim to show its practicality for families. At the time, she had to purchase gasoline at pharmacies, and manually repair several malfunctions herself. For this, an annual antique auto rally called the Bertha Benz Memorial Route is now held annually in her honor. Her experience led to Benz adding gears for climbing hills and brake pads. Later Years and Retirement In 1893, there were 1,200  Benz Velos produced, making it the worlds first inexpensive, mass-produced car. It participated in the worlds first automobile race in 1894, finishing in 14th place. Benz also designed the first truck in 1895 and the first motor bus. He patented the boxer flat engine design in 1896. In 1903, Benz retired from Benz Company.  He served as a member of the supervisory board of Daimler-Benz AG from 1926 until his death. Together, Bertha and Karl had five children. Karl Benz passed away in 1929.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Healthy Eating Food Pyramid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthy Eating Food Pyramid - Essay Example Let us begin explaining the healthy eating food pyramid by looking at the whole pyramid in general. The following are the main sections of healthy eating food pyramid. The first and the biggest section of healthy eating food pyramid is the base section, which comprises of daily exercises and weight control. The second largest section of the healthy eating food pyramid comprises of vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and oils, and whole grains. The third largest section of the healthy eating food pyramid consists of nuts, seeds, beans, and tofu. The fourth largest section of healthy eating food pyramid consists of milk and vitamin D or Calcium supplements. The smallest section of healthy eating food supplement, the fifth section, consists of foodstuff like red meat, butter, and refined grains. According to this pyramid, for good health, people’s daily diet or daily servings should constitute various diets and minerals in proportion to the sections of the healthy eating food pyr amid; for instance, human being’s daily diet should consist more of vegetables and fruits than red meat. For better understanding of healthy eating food pyramid, it is important to look at each of the five sections of the pyramid in details. Let us begin with the first section, which is the base section of the healthy eating food pyramid. As we have already seen, the first section of healthy eating food pyramid consists of daily exercises and weight control. The fact that daily exercises and weight control appear in the base section of healthy eating food pyramid shows that daily exercise and weight control are quite important for good health; this means that, for good health, we should exercise daily and take measures to control our weights. This is because through, exercises, we burn more calories, therefore, avoiding gaining more weight and remaining healthy; through weight control, on the other hand, we control

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Annotated Bibliography Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Annotated Bibliography Assignment - Essay Example It elaborates on key steps such as peer criticism, observation, instructor guidance and personal experience. I gained access to this source through googlebooks.com, under the search name of informative speech. The book publication delves into three objectives critical in public speaking. This include, educating students on the ethical implications of their word, acknowledging respect to audience diversity and civic life preparation. Furthermore, the book advances advice necessary for effective public speaking and expounds on the logic behind the advice. . I gained access to this source through googlebooks.com, under the search name of informative speech. This book explains on the strategies and process that can be used by students in the process of developing into effective and confident public speakers. It offers a diverse and unique learning style that acknowledges audience diversity, ethical public speaking and taming of communication fear. I gained access to this source through googlebooks.com, under the search name of informative speech. This book highlights and describes the various challenges of effective public speaking such as anxiety. Furthermore, it offers a thorough six step process of â€Å"Speech Planning Action Steps,† designed to prepare students in effective speech delivery. Consequently, the reader is able to attain good grades in public speaking course. . I gained access to this source through googlebooks.com, under the search name of informative

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Hershey chocolate Essay Example for Free

Hershey chocolate Essay Go the Hershey website to learn how to make Hershey chocolate. (There is also a print friendly version of the chocolate making process at the end of the video.) Review the process and take a look at some of the videos. Pay particular attention to the process steps of milling and pressing, mixing the ingredients, and refining. In at least one paragraph, describe the costing system that you would recommend Hershey use to account for its cost of goods sold and why. Include a few product costs you think would be traceable, which costs should be allocated and how Hershey should account and apply the manufacturing overhead costs. After reviewing the production videos on the Hershey’s website, it seems likely the company would use process costing versus job costing techniques to track the costs associated with producing the various chocolate bars. Both techniques will identify the costs associated with producing the candy bars, the difference is the process costing technique allocates the total cost of production across all units of output. This usually entails accumulation of costs for each stage (or department) of production and assigning those costs to all output from that stage. I feel that the process technique best matches the production process Hershey utilizes. Even on their website videos, Hershey breaks the production of the candy bars into seven separate functions, each with the end goal of developing the finest chocolate bars possible but with unique and separate processes. Just as Hershey has multiple processes, they will also have multiple product costs. A few traceable product costs that come to mind are associated with the seven website videos. The first film shows the production of the raw cocoa beans. The company will determine the costs associated with the purchase of raw materials such as the beans, sugar, and milk. This cost would be variable costs, as the production is increased, the volume of raw materials would also increase. The second stage of roasting and breaking the beans may also have variable inventory costs, and possibly a combination fuel costs to heat the roasters. Hershey will always have the fuel costs, but the amounts will vary depending on the amount of beans being roasted. The third stage of milling and pressing the beans will also have a combination of fuel cost to run the machinery. The process of blending and mixing of the chocolate looks to have a lot of direct labor and once again fuel costs to run mixers, heaters and dryers in addition to the various  employees creating direct labor costs. The refining process runs many heavy granite rollers and mixers to develop the chocolate into a smooth texture and will also generate additional fuel and power costs. Finally, the wrapping and packaging stages will have variable costs for the materials to wrap and package the candy in preparation for transportation to the consumer. In each of the categories, fuels and power costs are utilized in the preparation of the chocolate bars. This is one cost that one that could be allocated to each department. In addition, the facility costs, square footage and non direct labor may be allocated to the various departments. I feel Hershey should debit factory overhead for the actual costs incurred and credit Factory Overhead as these costs are allocated to Work in Process, which eventually gets transferred to expense as Cost of Goods Sold as shown via the preceding entries.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Essay -- Essays on Anxiety Disorde

The human brain is a very powerful piece of structure; it is truly limitless when speaking about its potential. With a functional organ comes a dysfunctional possibility. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, (OCD), for instance, is nervousness in the mind. OCD is an anxiety disorder caused by repetitive intrusive thoughts and behaviors. It is a mental disorder marked by the involvement of a devotion to an idea or routine. Essentially, it is a false core belief which is believing that there is something wrong, causing the mind to overpower the body in order to better itself. The act, the compulsion, is performed in order to reduce the amount of anxiety the host experiences in his thoughts, the obsession. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders can be anything from excessively washing your hands, not stepping on cracks, and even excessively having your possessions clean such as your house, office, car, etc. These compulsions can be treated to an extent. Through observations, it is simple to conclude that everyone has a form of an obsession, very much like OCD, that can benefit bright and new concepts throughout the world. According to the history books, the anxiety disorder of OCD is said to originate in Europe during the 14th and 16th century. During that time, it was believed that people who experienced and had obsessive thoughts, specifically sexual, were possessed by the Devil. Exorcism was the treatment used for people of this manner to â€Å"cure† them. Nevertheless, in the early 1910s, Austrian born neurologist Sigmund Freud, who was the founder of psychoanalysis, attributed obsessive- compulsive behavior to unconscious conflicts that manifest as symptoms. He believed that in early childhood life, humans have and attain a â€Å"touchi... ...www.columbia-ocd.org/> [Smith, Melinda M.A., and Jaffe-Gill, Ellen M.A.]. â€Å"Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)†. Unknown. April 21st 2014. [Unknown]. â€Å"Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD†. Unknown. March 26th 2014. [Unknown]. â€Å"Anxiety & Panic Disorders Guide†. Unknown. May 1st 2014. [Unknown]. â€Å"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)†. Unknown. April 29th 2014. [Unknown], â€Å"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; What is it? And how to treat it?†. Unknown. May 5th. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Essay -- Essays on Anxiety Disorde The human brain is a very powerful piece of structure; it is truly limitless when speaking about its potential. With a functional organ comes a dysfunctional possibility. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, (OCD), for instance, is nervousness in the mind. OCD is an anxiety disorder caused by repetitive intrusive thoughts and behaviors. It is a mental disorder marked by the involvement of a devotion to an idea or routine. Essentially, it is a false core belief which is believing that there is something wrong, causing the mind to overpower the body in order to better itself. The act, the compulsion, is performed in order to reduce the amount of anxiety the host experiences in his thoughts, the obsession. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders can be anything from excessively washing your hands, not stepping on cracks, and even excessively having your possessions clean such as your house, office, car, etc. These compulsions can be treated to an extent. Through observations, it is simple to conclude that everyone has a form of an obsession, very much like OCD, that can benefit bright and new concepts throughout the world. According to the history books, the anxiety disorder of OCD is said to originate in Europe during the 14th and 16th century. During that time, it was believed that people who experienced and had obsessive thoughts, specifically sexual, were possessed by the Devil. Exorcism was the treatment used for people of this manner to â€Å"cure† them. Nevertheless, in the early 1910s, Austrian born neurologist Sigmund Freud, who was the founder of psychoanalysis, attributed obsessive- compulsive behavior to unconscious conflicts that manifest as symptoms. He believed that in early childhood life, humans have and attain a â€Å"touchi... ...www.columbia-ocd.org/> [Smith, Melinda M.A., and Jaffe-Gill, Ellen M.A.]. â€Å"Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)†. Unknown. April 21st 2014. [Unknown]. â€Å"Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD†. Unknown. March 26th 2014. [Unknown]. â€Å"Anxiety & Panic Disorders Guide†. Unknown. May 1st 2014. [Unknown]. â€Å"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)†. Unknown. April 29th 2014. [Unknown], â€Å"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; What is it? And how to treat it?†. Unknown. May 5th.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Aquinas on Conscience Essay

For Aquinas, conscience is the act of applying our knowledge of good and evil to what we do (or might do). So in order to (naturally) know what is a good action or bad one, one needs to understand how things are naturally ordered by God — primarily what human nature is and what things it needs and deserves. This order which dictates what is good or evil behaviour is called the Natural Law by Aquinas. God can and does also supernaturally reveal what is and is not in accordance with his will, e.g. the Ten Commandments and Christ’s Two Great Commandments. One also needs to apply this knowledge to what one does, and so one needs to be free to act in accordance with what one knows to be the Divine order of things, or not. Our conscience is our realization that what we might do or have done is good or not, but it is not the actual doing or the choosing. On a technical note, for Aquinas conscience is the act of understanding what is right and wrong, though the name may be applied by extension to a habit or power of performing this act of understanding. The virtue of making correct judgments about right or wrong, i.e. appropriate exercises of conscience is called prudence. The reason that this is important is that one cannot do the right thing if one does not know what the right thing is. So, if someone has problems with their conscience, it does not seem appropriate to blame them. Children do not have fully formed consciences, and do not always understand what the right thing to do is. If a child does wrong because he or she didn’t know any better, or because he or she thought it was the right thing to do, we do not (or should not) blame and punish him or her. Aquinas therefore believes that not only is one excused from wrongdoing if one’s conscience is in error, one also is bound to do the wrong thing if one’s conscience tells one that it is the RIGHT thing to do. He also believes that one has a duty to have a well-formed conscience, one that knows what the right thing to do is. Even though an earring conscious excuses one from doing wrong, one may have done wrong in letting one’s conscience fall into error.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal is a process of identifying, observing, measuring and developing human performance in organizations and has attracted the attention of both academicians and practitioners. The process is also viewed as making an important contribution to effective human resource management as it is closely interlinked to organizational performance (Erodogen, 2002). Performance appraisal is a management tool that helps management in its drive towards optimizing performance, primarily individual performance and therefore, organization performance now and in the future. The aim of performance appraisal can be achieved through assessing how effectively employees are working in their present jobs and what they need to do and know to perform even better (Bono, 2003). (Gupta 2006) defines performance appraisal as a process of assessing the performance and progress of an employee or of a group of employees on a given job and his potential for future development. He further argues that performance appraisal consists of all formal procedures used in work organizations to evaluate personalities, contributions and potentials of employees. (Torrington et al. 2005), define performance appraisal as a system that provides a formalized process to review the performance of employees. Performance appraisal varies between organizations and covers personality, behavior or job performance and it can be measured quantitatively or qualitatively. Performance appraisal involves unstructured narrative on performance of the appraiser. Political behaviors in an organization consist of actions that are taken by individuals or group (Mintezberg, 1983). Their direction is pointed toward the goal of one's own self-interest without focusing on regard for the humans and others in the organization (Kacmar ; Baron, 1999). These actions are informal and are considered a part of an organization's culture, help to maintain interpersonal relationships. As Mayes and Allen (1977) noted, that the actions can implement a dynamic power of influence. When this influence is practiced within organizational boundaries, the behaviors are not considered political. Self-promotion and ingratiation are considered to be examples of political behavior in the workplace include (Godfrey, Jones, & Lord, 1986). Self-promotion actions are mostly proactive. Their purpose is to earn the attention, to build an image of oneself as a competent committed employee. Ingratiation behaviors are less proactive then self-promotion. They emphasis on â€Å"attention- giving† to a targeted person or persons relative to â€Å"attention is getting† from others. A recent study found that politically skilled employees who were involved in ingratiatory behavior toward their supervisors were not only graded positively by them, they were subsequently rewarded for doing this (Treadway, Ferris, Duke, Adams, & Thatcher, 2007). In fact, career success is typically affected by an ability to make accept others that one has the necessary skills needed to perform higher level jobs effectively (Rafaeli, Dutton, Harquail, & Mackie-lewis, 1997). Self-promotion is one important way to do this.Organizational Affective commitmentOrganizational Affective commitment refers to an emotional attachment. Employee beliefs and values regarding their job and role in the organization measure their organizational commitment (Swailes, 2012). Affective Organizational commitment is the measure of employee's identification with the mission and values of the organization perspectives (Mowday, 1982) and supervisor. It is the commitment approach that provides a clearer and more focused scale of organizational commitment (Jaros, 1997) . In addition, recent measures of organizational commitment are attitudinal (Ko, Price ; Mueller, 1997; McGee ; Ford, 1987), and the build validity of affective (attitudinal) commitment is provided support . With strong supervision from their current employers the level of employee knowledge understanding and their commitment level in operations will be higher (Okpara, 2014). Process in evaluating the performance of employees is one of the most important determinants of organizational justice (Greenberg, 1986; Folger et al., 1992). Affective organizational commitment is beneficial to the employee as well. Employees that have affective commitment at their higher levels, experience less stress levels even if they work for longer and harder hours than those not committed. Affective commitment helps in employee's motivation (Meyer & Allen, 1997) and low downs psychological physical, work-related stress (Reilly & Orsak, 1991).Employees are committed to the organization, their jobs and careers exists comfortable, and are able to spend more quality time to their families and hobbies (Reilly & Orsak, 1991). The employee's commitment is the perception of employees procedures used to evaluate their performance is fair (Greenberg, 1990; Colquitt et al., 2001). Further review in the literatures indicates that fair practices in human resource management, particularly in terms of performance appraisal has a predictive role in the employees' attitude such as the organization's commitment (Jehad, 2011). Performance appraisal is viewed as an important mechanism for changing employees' attitude and behaviors such as affective commitment (Morrow, 2011). Moreover, a study by (Tam 1996) indicates that the commitment of government employees is higher in the federal government agencies that implement a fair and transparent assessment.In our study the psychological attachment of the employee with the organization i.e. organizational commitment (Tella , Ayeni, Papoola, 2007). It can be due to the comfort level with the current organization, cost and fear associated with leaving of the organization and joining the other and social disruption caused by new acquaintances in the new environment and leaving the old ones. This particular component which is the need component is known as effective commitment. It may also be due to the feeling that after joining the organization the employee is ought to be loyal and faithful to it (Bruckner 2002). This sense of obligation towards the organization is also termed as the normative commitment. The attachment of the employee can be due to some emotional reasons by which the employees identify him with the goal of the organization. This shows that the employee is affectively committed towards the organization (Hyde, 2000). There can be many antecedents of organizational commitment as suggested by (Comelier 2012) who after investigating a state owned IT industry in Malta, Europe indicated that the employees with lesser educational qualification, having a higher position in the organizational hierarchy and with lesser ambiguity in the role performed, with lower role conflict and positive impact of overall state of roles played within an organization are more committed to their organization. It increases all the normative, continuance commitment and affective components of the organizational commitment (Delaney and Hustled, 1996; Becker and Gerhardt, 1996). Performance Appraisal A DISSERTATION PROJECT On â€Å"STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM AT WAY TO WEALTH† Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for MBA Degree of Bangalore University BY JYOTSNA Register Number 04XQCM6037 Under the guidance of Prof. S. Santhanam M. P. Birla Institute of Management Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bangalore-560001 2004-2006 DECLARATION I hereby declare that the report titled â€Å" STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AT WAY TO WEALTH†is prepared under the guidance of Prof. S. Santhanam in partial fulfillment of MBA degree of Bangalore University, and is my original work.This project does not form a part of any report submitted for degree or diploma of Bangalore University or any other university. Place: Bangalore Date: JYOTSNA M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 2 PRINCIPAL’S CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Ms JYOTSNA, bearing registration No: 04XQCM6037 has done a project and has prepared a report â€Å"STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APRAISAL S YSTEM AT WAY TO WEALTH â€Å"under the guidance of Prof. S. Santhanam, M. P. Birla Institute of Management, Bangalore. This has not formed a basis for the award of any degree/diploma for any other university. Place: Bangalore Date: Dr . NAGESH. S.MALLAVALLI PRINCIPAL MPBIM, Bangalore : M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 3 GUIDE’S CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Ms JYOTSNA, bearing registration No: 04XQCM6037 has done a project and has prepared a report â€Å"STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM AT WAY TO WEALTH â€Å"under my guidance. This has not formed a basis for the award of any degree/diploma for any other university. Place: Bangalore Date: Prof. S. Santhanam M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all those who guided me in the right direction to complete this report.I would like to thank Dr. Nagesh Malavalli ,principal for his support and also to thank my guide Prof. S. San thanam, faculty member, for his guidance and support for making this project a success. I would also thank my family and my friends for supporting me during the project. Place: Bangalore Date: (JYOTSNA) M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 5 CONTENTS Sl. No Page No CONTENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF PROBLEM OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY LIMITATIONS COMPANY PROFILE DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION SUMMARY & CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY 9 10 11 14 16 26 27 32 54 59 M. P.Birla Institute Of Management 2 LIST OF GRAPHS Sl. No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Graphs Graph showing whether PA is conducted every year in the company Graph showing whether job increments & promotions are based on PA Graph showing whether PA objectives are clearly defined Graph showing the purpose of PA Graph showing Feedback on Pa is collected Graph showing the Opinion of the present PA system Graph showing whether PA system needs to be improved Graph showing methods that can be suggested for PA Page No 33 34 35 36 38 39 42 43 PA: Performance Appraisal M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 3 LIST OF TABLES Sl. No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11Tables Table showing whether PA is conducted every year in the company Table showing job increments &Promotions are based on PA Table showing whether PA objectives are clearly defined Table showing the purpose of PA Table showing Ranking of methods employed in PA Table showing whether Feedback on PA is collected Table showing the Opinion on present PA system Table showing factors covered in PA Table showing Improvements to be done in PA Table showing whether Pa system needs to be improved Table showing methods that can be suggested for PA Page No 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 PA: Performance Appraisal M. P.Birla Institute Of Management 4 ABSTRACT It is a well-established fact the people differ in their abilities and aptitudes. These differences are natural to a great extent and cannot be eliminated completely by giving them education and trainin g. There will always be some difference in quality and quantity of work done by different employees. Therefore it is necessary for the management to know these differences so that it may develop certain programs in the organization for those employees who posses better potentials so that they may be developed to accept the challenges of higher jobs or wrong placement of employees may be rectified .The individual employee may also like to know his capability in terms of his performance on his capability in terms of his performance on the job qualitatively and quantitatively in comparison to his fellow employees so that he improve upon it. No firm has a choice as to whether or not it should appraise its personnel and their performance but the choice lies between the systematic and the unsystematic or casual appraisal. The system of appraising the man is not new but the systematic approach of evaluating the man is by any means a new development .The technique of appraising the man by s upervisors or others is widely known as â€Å" Performance Appraisal† . It is also sometimes termed as Personnel Performance Evaluation, Merit Rating. Thus main objective of the project is to study the Performance Appraisal process being practiced in WAY 2 WEALTH and evaluate its effectiveness. This project aimed at finding out effectiveness in terms of familiarity, and satisfaction level of performance appraisal among the employees WAY 2 WEALTH. The project also focuses on finding out how performance appraisal is matching in meeting the company’s goals and objectives.M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 5 METHODOLOGY The research methodology used in the project is the descriptive approach and it is done among 200 employees . The main sources through which data is collected are 1. Primary data 2. Secondary data The data collected for this research is through primary data collection method. The instrument used for collecting primary data is structured questionnaire fille d up by the employees Statistical tools were used to find inferences between the variables and analyzing the results.The following are the tools used. 1) 2) 3) Kalmograv Smirnov Test Chi – Square test (? 2) Spearman’s Rank Correlation M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 6 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 7 INTRODUCTION An organization’s goals can be achieved only when people put in their best efforts . How to ascertain whether an employee has shown his or her best performance on a given job?. The answer is Performance Appraisal. Employee assessment is the fundamental job of HRM, but not easy one though.Thus â€Å"Performance Appraisal† is the systematic evaluation of the individual with respect to his or her performance on the job and his or her potential for development . The performance is being measured against such factors as Job Knowledge, quality, initiative, leadership abilities, supervision, co-operation, versatility etc. It is systematic in th at it evaluates all performance in the same manner utilizing the same approach so that the ratings obtained to separate personnel are comparable. It is undertaken periodically according to plan .The essential purpose is the accurate measurement of human performance It attempts to reduce, if not eliminate human bias and prejudice, by means of a system that is subject to impartial review and check. Often such personnel performance appraisal are labeled as ratings where an individual employee, after comparison with another, is rated or ranked as â€Å"Excellent, normal or average† and are commonly used for determining an employees eligibility for promotion or transfer and widely being used for the development of the individual.Any appraisal program will involve time and money . The wise manager should plan up a program with the minimum cost to give maximum benefit . The rationale for using any particular method should be determined by the size ,financial resources ,and philosoph y of the organization . M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 8 Appraisal can be made by one or more superiors or subordinates or by the peers . There can also be committee of members from various related departments to appraise an employee.There may even be a system of self –appraisal in which each employee evaluates his own performance and potential. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 9 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM To evaluate is to assess the worth or value. In social life, we generally evaluate or appraise the behavior of others in relations to our own needs or goals. Appraisals are judgments of the characteristics ,traits and performance of others. On the basis of these judgments, we assess the worth or value of others, and identify what is good and bad.In industry, performance appraisal is a systematic evaluation of personnel by supervisors or others familiar with their performance because employers are interested in knowing about employee performance. Employees also wish to know their position in the organization. Appraisals are essential for making many administrative decisions: selection, training ,promotion ,transfer ,wage and salary administration ,etc . Besides ,they aid personnel research . Performance appraisal thus is a systematic and objective way of judging the relative worth or ability of an employee in performing his task . Performance ppraisal helps to identify those who are performing their assigned tasks well and those who are not and the reasons for such performance . Differentiating between individuals is easy provided one knows what aspects to take into account. Identifying performance measures is easy if job is clearly defined but difficult if it is broad. At the lower levels of an organization, there are specific jobs and certain tangible and objective standards of performance can be identified. Further up in the hierarchy, jobs become more complex and clear–cut, tangible standards of performance are difficult to specify.Irr espective of the level by and large, most companies use various parameters for measuring the performance like quality of work, quantity of work, job Knowledge, meeting the job requirements, initiative, team working, communicative etc. And they would be rated in accordingly quarterly, half yearly or annually depending on company’s policies. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 10 Many companies would have a standard format for appraising the performance. Ironically many of the employees would not know the norms of the appraisal and to the surprise many of them may not be fully familiar with contents of the appraisal form.This would be great hazel for the company as well as to the employees because if the employee is not aware of what basis he is appraised, he may not put up all his efforts for better improvement which indirectly effects the companies profits by not meeting the companies objectives and targets. Thus this project â€Å" A Study On Effectiveness of Performance Sy stem† aims at complete study on performance appraisal system and finding out effectiveness of the system in terms of familiarity and satisfaction level of the employees in WAY 2 WEALTH, ChennaiM. P. Birla Institute Of Management 11 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY PRIMARY OBJECTIVES ? To find out the effectiveness of PA system in way-2-wealth ? To Know employee satisfaction on PA system in way-2-wealth ? To suggest the way-2-wealth improve the employee satisfaction on PA system SECONDARY OBJECTIVES ? To find the opinion of employees on various factors involved in PA system ? To find out the openness of personal department in PA ? To find out the scope of critical attributes and other factor coverage of PA system ?To know post appraisal measures taken b way-2-wealth M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 12 REVIEW OF LITERATURE Once the employee has been selected, trained and motivated, he is then appraised for his performance. Performance appraisal is the step where the management finds o ut how effective it has been at hiring and placing employees . If any problems are identified steps are taken to communicate with the employee and to remedy them. A â€Å"Performance Appraisal† is a process of evaluating an employee’s performance of a job in terms of its requirements.It is the process of evaluating the performance and qualifications of the employees in terms of the requirements of the job for which he is employed, for purposes of administration including placement, selection for promotion, providing financial rewards and other actions which require different treatment among the members of a group as distinguished from actions affecting all members equally. _ Heyel Performance Appraisal seeks to provide an adequate feedback to each individual for his or her performance. It purports to serve as a basis for improving or changing behavior toward some more effective working habits .It also aims aat providing data to managers with which they may judge future job assignments and compensation -Levinson M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 13 Performance Appraisal determines who shall receive merit increases; counsels employees on their improvement ,determines training needs ,determines promo ability, identifies those who should be transferred -Ronald Benjamin PURPOSE OF APPRAISAL It can serve as a basis for job change or promotion ? By identifying the strengths and weakness of an employee it serves as a guide for ? formulating a suitable training and development program It serves as a feedback to the employee ?It serves as an important incentive to all employees ? The existence of regular appraisal system tends to make the supervisors and ? executives more observant of their subordinates Performance appraisal often provides the rational foundation for payment of ? salaries and bonus M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 14 ESSENTIALS OF GOOD APPRAISAL SYSTEM It must be easily understandable ? An appraisal plan must be integrated into the or ganization so as to have clear cut ? relationships between the appraisal plan and organization policies relating to performance of the employees.It must have the support of all line people who administer it ? The system should fit the organizations operations and structure ? The system should be both valid and reliable ? The system should have built in incentives that is a reward should follow satisfactory ? performance The system should periodically evaluated to be sure that it is continuing to meet its ? goals What should be Rated? The seven criteria for assessing performance are: 1. Quality 2. Quantity 3. Timeliness 4. Cost Effectiveness 5. Need for supervision 6. Interpersonal impact 7. Training M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 15Trends in employee Appraisal ITEM Terminology Purpose FORMER EMPASIS Merit Rating Determine qualifications for wage increase, transfer, promotion, lay- off Application For hourly –paid workers Heavy emphasis on personal traits Techniques Ratin g scales, Statistical manipulation of data for comparison purpose PRESENT EMPHASIS Performance Appraisal Development of the individual, improved performance on the job, and provide emotional security For technical, professional and managerial employees Factors Related Results, accomplishments, performance Mutual goal–setting, critical incidents, group appraisal, performance standards, less quantitative Post Appraisal Interview Superior communication his rating to employees and tries to sell his evaluation to him; seeks to have employee conform to his view Superior stimulates employee to analyze himself and set own objectives in line with job requirements superior is helper and councilor M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 16 Approaches to Performance Appraisal: 1.A casual ,unsystematic and haphazard appraisal: This method was commonly used in the past . The basis of this method are seniority or quantitative measures quantity and quality of output for the rank and file personn el 2. The traditional and highly systematic measurement: This measures the employees characteristic and employee contributions or both. It evaluates all the performances in the same manner ,utilizing the same approach so that the ratings obtained of separate personnel are comparable 3. The behavioral approach ,emphasizing mutual goal setting: here emphasizes has been laid upon providing mutual goal setting and appraisal of progress by both the appraiser and the appraise .This approach is based on the behavioral value of fundamental trust in the goodness ,capability and responsibility of human beings. The Evaluating Process The process of performance appraisal follows a set pattern viz, a man’s performance is periodically appraised by his superiors. Questions are raised . Is his potential the greatest as a manager or as a staff specialist? What are his strengths and weakness? Where can he make his great contribution? Next sometimes in consultation with the man himself, tentati ve decisions are made on what might be done to advance his development. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 17 Thus the process would involve following steps ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS COMMUNICATE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS TO EMPLOYEES MEASURE ACTUAL PERFORMANCECOMPARE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE WITH STANDARDS DISCUSS THE APPRAISAL WITH THE EMPLOYEE IF NECESSARY, INITIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 18 TOOLS/METHODS FOR APPRAISING PERFORMANCE: Several methods and techniques of appraisal are available for the measurement of the performance of the employee . The methods and scales differ for obvious reasons 1. They differ in the sources of traits or qualities to be appraised. 2. The variations may be caused by the degree of precision attempted in an evaluation. 3. They may differ because of the methods used to obtain weightings for various traits. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 19 Methods of Performance appraisalTraditional Methods ? Straight Ranking ? Man-t o-man Comparison ? Grading ? Force choice Description ? Graphic Rating Scales ? Forced distribution Method ? Check Lists ? Free Form Essay Method ? Critical Incidents ? Group Appraisal ? Field Review Method y Modern Methods Assessment Centres Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 20 COMPONENTS OF APPRAISAL EVALUATION ? â€Å"Who† of the Appraisal ? â€Å"What† of Appraisal ? ? ? Common Pitfalls in Appraisal: ? There is often tendency to rate not only the employee but also the job ? Errors are introduced in the appraisal because of a defect or bias in the person conducting the appraisal ?As Appraisal are in fact opinions ,it is difficult to remove from the subjective element whilst making the judgment ? Performance appraisal do require a lot from the supervisor as they require periodic observation of subordinates performance by them which becomes difficult in case of a first line superior have a large number of subordinates ? There is of ten a large variations in the standards and ratings because some raters are tough where as others are lenient ? There is often lack of communication where by the employee does not know how he is rated ? Often Superiors are reluctant to give a low rating to ineffective subordinate and gives him an average rating ?Sometimes communication of the rating of the employee if done properly would be taken as criticism and may even result in his performing more poorly The â€Å"Why† of Appraisal The â€Å"When† of Appraisal The â€Å"where† of Appreciation M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 21 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The researcher has made efforts for an errorless study but the following limitations were occurred ? The survey was restricted to only in Way 2 Wealth and the sample size was 200 ? There may be some changes if the sample size and the geographical segmentation were increased ? Time was a handicap for a detailed study ? A few respondents might have been given biased information, which may affect the reliability of the results ?Unwillingness and inability of the respondent to provide information M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 22 COMPANY PROFILE Way2Wealth is a premier Investment Consultancy Firm that has been launched with the aim of making investing simpler, more understandable and profitable for the investors. Way2Wealth brings a wide range of product offerings from Fixed Income Securities, Life Insurance and Mutual Funds to Equity and Derivatives (on the National Stock Exchange) for the convenience and benefit of it customers. Way2Wealth has over 40 easily accessible Investment Outlets spread across 20 major towns and cities in the country. Mission Way2Wealth is a premier Investment Consultancy Firm, launched with the ission â€Å"to be the pre-eminent destination for personalised financial solutions helping individuals create wealth†. Philosophy We believe that â€Å"our knowledge combined with our investors trust and in volvement will lead to the growth of wealth and make it an exciting experienc Sivan Securities started in 1984, has a long and illustrious track record of being amongst the premier Financial Intermediaries in the country as well as being an incubator for IT start-up firms. The Venture Capital division came to be known as Global Technology Ventures (GTV has provided venture capital to companies such as Kshema Technologies, MindTree, Ivega etc. ) and the Financial Intermediary Division was spun off as Way2Wealth in the year 2000. M. P.Birla Institute Of Management 23 Way2Wealth is promoted by Sivan Securities and Global Technology Ventures Ltd. Prudential ICICI AMC provides further strength to Way2Wealth as strategic equity partner. Over the years, Sivan has developed a strong reputation for navigating its investors through all the ups and downs in the market. Way2Wealth has inherited these same values in addition to a base of 75,000 individual customers, over 300 corporate/institutio nal clients. Other companies in the group include Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Ltd. (one of the largest Coffee Exporters in India) and Cafe Coffee Day, a chain of youth hangout coffee parlors.Way2Wealth has very credible management teams, who have well over 100 man-years of experience amongst themselves Way2Wealth Investment outlets are designed to be places where retail investors can come in touch with Investment opportunities in an atmosphere of convenience and comfort. The look and feel of the offices across India project a consistent branch image for the company. The features that enable a unique facility for retailing financial services include among others: ? Most branches are located in the ground floor sporting huge glass frontage promoting easy accessibility and reflecting our attitude of complete transparency. ? The major portion of the branch area dedicated for customer use.The furniture is in CKD formats to add flexibility in using the branch for Investors pur poses. ? ? Connectivity to NSE for trading facilities. TV and other electronic mediums to facilitate real time update and dissemination of information to our customers. ? Each branch comprises of trained and qualified Investment advisors to take care of the needs of the customers. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 24 The Way2Wealth Research Desk Research is at the core of the advice. It believes that sound investment decisions are made on sound analysis of facts, past performance and credible market information. The research cell focuses on providing data and analysis to help customers make sound investment decisions.The Research cell is managed by a highly qualified team that is handpicked and trained extensively in the proprietary Way2Wealth Investment Philosophy centered on finding the best investment solutions for our customers. Based in the commercial capital enables the team to have a pulse of the trends allowing dissemination of the most up-to-date and latest information. ? Personalised Investment Solutions: All the customers receive individual attention ? Full choice of Investments: Mutual funds, Life Insurance, Fixed Income Instruments, Equity and Derivatives ? Processing support: take care of all the paper work and provide service at the doorstep. ? Investor eligibility criteria: Customers with a minimum investment amount as low as Rs. 2500 per month can avail of the services.This unique Way2Wealth concept can be easily experienced through the innovative and customer friendly network of Investment outlets that spans 20 major towns and cities in the country. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 25 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The following points are considered in carrying out the research. A. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: A research design is purely ad simply the framework a plan for a study that guides the collection and analysis of the data. Descriptive Research Here the research is been done on 200 members through a media of questionnaire B. DATA COLLECTION METH OD: The main sources through which data is collected are 1. Primary data 2. Secondary data The data collected for this research is hrough primary data collection method. The instrument used for collecting primary data is questionnaire from the employees. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 26 E. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Non – probability (non random ) sampling method is used in this project. F. STATISTICAL TOOLS USED: Statistical tools were used to find inferences between the variables and analyzing the results. The following are the tools used. 1)spearman’s rank Correlation 2) Kalmograv Smirnov Test 3) Chi – Square test (? 2) M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 27 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 28 DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION TABLE 1 TABLE SHOWING WHETHER PA IS CONDUCTED EVERY YEAR IN THE COMPANY S.NO 1 2 YES NO TOTAL OPINION NO OF RESPONDENTS 60 0 60 PERCENTAGE (%) 100 0 100 100 80 60 40 20 0 YES NO INFERENCE: All the respondents feel that PA is conducted eve ry year in the company. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 29 TABLE 2 TABLE SHOWING WHETHER JOB INCREMENTS AND PROMOTIONS ARE STRICTLY BASED ON PA S. NO 1. 2. YES NO OPINION NO OF RESPONDENTS 41 19 PERCENTAGE (%) 68 32 100 TOTAL 60 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 YES NO INFERENCE: Majority of the respondents feel that job increments and promotions are strictly based on PA is 68%and whereas few of them feel that it is not strictly based on PA 32%. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 30 TABLE 3 TABLE SHOWING WHETHER PA OBJECTIVES ARE CLEARLY INFORMED S. NO 1. 2. 3.CHOICE CLEARLY INFORMED PARTIALLY INFORMED NOT INFORMED AT ALL TOTAL NO OF RESPONDENTS 22 28 10 60 PERCENTAGE (%) 36 46 18 100 50 40 30 20 10 0 PERCENTAGE CLEARLY INFORMED PARTIALLY INFORMED NOTINFORMED AT ALL INFERENCE: Majority of the respondents feel that PA objectives are partially informed, some of them feel it is clearly informed and whereas few of them feel that it is not informed at all. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 3 1 TABLE 4 TABLE SHOWING PURPOSE OF PA S. NO 1 2 3 4 CHOICE SALARY INCREASE PROMOTION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT FEEDBACK TOTAL NO OF RESPONDENTS 18 22 14 6 120 PERCENTAGE (%) 30 36 24 10 100 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 PERCENTAGE SALARY INCREASE PROMOTION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT FEEDBACKINFERENCE: Majority of the respondents feel that purpose of PA is for promotion, some of them feel it is for salary increase and whereas few of them feel it is for training and development. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 32 TABLE 5 RANKING OF METHODS EMPLOYED IN PA NO OF RESPONDENTS FACTORS 1 GRADING RANKING METHOD CHECKLIST METHOD FORCED CHOICE METHOD 15 22 13 11 2 18 17 16 10 3 12 16 20 13 4 15 6 11 26 INFERENCE: From the table it is seen that the ranking of methods employed in PA is give below: FACTORS GRADING RANKING METHOD CHECKLIST METHOD FORCED CHOICE METHOD RANK II I III IV M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 33 TABLE 6 TABLE SHOWING WHETHER FEEDBACK ON PA IS COLLECTED S. NO 1. 2. YES NO OPI NION NO OF RESPONDENTS 25 35 60 PERCENTAGE (%) 42 58 100 TOTAL 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PERCENTAGE YES NOINFERENCE: 58% of the respondent feel that feedback on PA is not collected ad whereas some of them feel that feedback on PA is collected. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 34 TABLE 7 TABLE SHOWING OPINION ON PRESENT PA SYSTEM IN THE COMPANY S. NO 1. 2. 3. 4. OPTIONS VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL NO OF RESPONDENTS 6 24 18 12 60 PERCENTAGE (%) 10 40 30 20 100 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 PERCENTAGE VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR INFERENCE: Majority of the respondents opinion regarding present PA system in the company is good, some of the respondents opinion is average and whereas few of the respondents opinion is poor. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 35 TABLE 8TABLE SHOWING OPINION ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS COVERED IN PA FACTORS Job knowledge Quality of work Quantity of work Ability of work Hard work Manner & obedience VERY GOOD 6 7 6 7 10 10 GOOD 21 29 14 24 26 24 AVERAGE 22 13 18 16 12 14 POOR 9 6 12 8 7 9 VERY POOR 2 5 10 5 5 3 INFERENCE: Majority of the respondent’s opinion regarding the factors covered in PA is good, some of them feel it is average and whereas few of them feel it is poor. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 36 TABLE 9 TABLE SHOWING IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE IN PA FACTORS Strongly agree 12 9 10 5 6 7 11 Neither Agree Agree nor disagree 27 25 24 22 20 24 25 11 14 8 14 18 13 14 6 7 11 13 11 11 6 Disagree Strongly disagree 4 5 7 6 6 5 4Confidentiality Critical attributes Role related attributes Post appraisal actions Introducing bars in PA Feedback on PA White paper on PA & after PA INFERENCE: Majority of the respondents agree that improvements has to be made in PA, some of them neither agree nor disagree ad whereas few of them disagree that improvements has to be made in PA M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 37 TABLE 10 TABLE SHOWING WHETHER PRESENT PA SYSTEM IS TO BE IMPROVED S. NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. OPTIONS STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEITHER AGR EE NOR DISAGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE TOTAL NO OF RESPONDENTS 11 20 15 9 5 60 PERCENTAGE (%) 18 34 24 16 8 100 35 30 25 20 18 15 10 5 0 PERCENTAGE 34 24 16 8 STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREEINFERENCE: Majority of the respondents agree that present PA system is to improved, some of them neither agree nor disagree ad whereas few of them disagree. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 38 TABLE 11 TABLE SHOWING METHODS THAT CAN BE SUGGESTED FOR PA S. NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. OPTIONS ESSAY METHOD FIELD REVIEW METHOD BARS APPRAISAL BY RESULTS 360 DEGREE APPRAISAL TOTAL NO OF RESPONDENTS 9 8 11 14 18 60 PERCENTAGE (%) 16 12 18 24 30 100 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 PERCENTAGE ESSAY METHOD FIELD REVIEW METHOD ARS APPRAISAL BY RESLTS 360 DEGREE APPRAISAL INFERENCE: Majority of the respondents suggest 360 degree appraisal for PA, some of them suggest appraisal by result and whereas few of them suggest essay method. M. P.Birla Institute Of Management 39 TOOLS USED F OR ANALYSIS KALMOGROV SMIRNOV TEST The Kalmogrov Smirnov Test (KS – Test) tries to determine if two data sets significantly. The KS – test has the advantage of making no assumption about the distribution of data. (Technically speaking it is nonparametric and distribution free). It is a goodness of fit used to examine the distribution function of the random variable (X). Test statistics T = = Sup | F (x) – S (x) | Supremum of the absolute value of the difference between F (x) and S (X) H0 is rejected if T exceeds the 1 – a quantile (W1 – a) of the Kalmogrov Smirnov’s Statistic. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 40TO FIND OUT THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENT’S RATING PATTERN ABOUT â€Å"WHETHER PRESENT PA SYSTEM IS TO BE IMPROVED† H0: H1: Response Pattern obtained is uniformly distributed Response Pattern is not uniformly distributed Null Hypothesis S (x) 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 Opinion F (x) Cumulative Percentage 0. 18 0. 52 0. 76 0 . 92 1 Cumulative Percentage 0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 1 Difference F(x) – S(x) -0. 02 0. 12 0. 16 0. 12 – STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEITHER DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE 0. 18 0. 34 0. 24 0. 16 0. 08 TEST OF UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION Calculated Value is: T (F (x) – S (x)) Tabulated Value is = 0. 16 T (tab) = 1. 22 / ? n When n = 5, T (tab) = 0. 5456 for 5 % significance level. Calculated value is less than tabulated value. H0 is accepted. INFERENCE: Response pattern obtained is uniformly distributed. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 41 PAIRED ‘T’ TESTTO IDENTIFY THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE STATEMENTS THAT ARE GIVEN FOR OPINION ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS COVERED IN PA Ho: Job Knowledge is very good than Quality of Work H1: Quality of work is very good than Job Knowledge VERY GOOD JOB KNOWLEDGE QUALITY OF WORK 16 24 GOOD 12 96 AVERAGE 80 44 POOR 24 20 VERY POOR 8 16 N=5 X1 16 72 80 24 8 Y1 24 96 44 20 16 D1 -8 -24 36 4 -8 d=0 d1 – d -8 -24 36 4 -8 (d1 – d )2 64 576 1296 16 64 2016 d = 1Od N = 0 where N = 5 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 42 S2 = 1 O (d1 – d) 2 (n – 1) = S T = = 10. 13 3. 19 d S/ vn = Degree of freedom 0 = n-1 =4 Table Value = 2. 132 Calculated Value is less than Tabulated Value, Ho is accepted INFERENCE: Job Knowledge is very good than Quality of Work M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 43 SPEARMAN’S RANK CORRELATION The rank correlation co – efficient is a measure of correlation that exists between two sets or ranks.Spearman’s Rank Correlation Co – efficient is calculated as follows: r = 1 – 6 O di2 n (n2 – 1) where n is number of packed observation d is the difference between one paired observation. The value of Spearman’s Rank Correlation will always lie between –1 and +1. If the coefficient is HO the ranks given by two sets of judges show perfect positive correlation. If it is –1, the ranks given by two sets of judges have a perfect negative correlation between them. NULL HYPOTHESIS HO: There is no correlation between the ranking of Checklist Method and Ranking Method among respondents i. e. ,  µr = 0 H1: There is correlation between the ranking of Checklist Method and Ranking Method among respondent’s i. e. ,  µr > 0 M. P.Birla Institute Of Management 44 RAN S. NO K (X) RANK (Y) RANK DIFFERNCE (RANK X – RANK Y) DIFFERENCE SQUARE di2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 3 4 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 4 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 1 4 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 3 4 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 -2 1 -1 1 1 -1 3 1 1 -1 -1 2 2 1 -1 2 2 2 -1 -1 -1 4 4 4 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 9 1 1 1 1 4 4 1 1 4 4 4 1 1 1 O di2 =59 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 45 X = CHECKLIST METHOD Y = RANKING METHOD Spearman’s r = 1 – 6 O di2 n (n2 – 1) = 1 – 6 x 59 25 (252 – 1) = 1 – 0. 0226 = 0. 977 or tabulated or (t), n = 25 at 5% level of significance or calculated or (c) = 1 vn – 1 = 1 v25 – 1 = 0. 20Upper limit (U1) =  µr + or (t) x or (c) = 0 + 0. 3977 x 0. 20 = 0. 08 INFERENCE: Since the ‘r’ value = 0. 977 it lies in the rejection region therefore we reject the null hypothesis at 5% level of significance and we accept the alternate hypothesis. Hence, we conclude that there is positive correlation between the ranking of Checklist Method and Ranking Method among the respondents. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 46 CHI – SQUARE TEST Chi – Square is an importance non – parametric test and as such no test are necessary in respect of the type of population. We require only the degree of freedom (implicity of course the size of the sample) for using this test.As a non – parametric test, Chi – square can be used (i) as a test of goodness of fit and (ii) as a test of independence. Since the researcher used test of independence only the details about test of independence is given below. TES T OF INDEPENDENCE o2 test enables us to explain whether or not two attributes are associated. In order that we may apply the chi – square test either as a test to judge the significance of association between attributes, it is necessary that the observed as well as theoretical or expected frequencies must be grouped in the same way and theoretical distribution must be adjusted to give the same total frequency as we find in case of observed distribution.Karl Pearson developed a test for testing the significance of discrepancy between experimental values and the theoretical values obtained under some theory or hypothesis. This test is known as o2 test of goodness of fit. Karl Pearson proved that the statistic o2 = ? (O – E) 2 / E O – Observed Frequency E – Expected Frequency o2 is used to test whether difference between observed & expected frequencies are frequent. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 47 To find o2 table value degree of freedom should be cal culated. Degree of freedom is calculated using the formula (r – 1)(c – 1). The table value for this degree of freedom is seen using 5% or 1% of significant level. If o2 table value is greater than o2 calculated value, Null Hypothesis is accepted or Null Hypothesis is rejected.To determine whether there is significant difference between gender & whether PA is inherently unfair Ho: There is no significant difference between gender & whether PA is inherently unfair H1: There is significant difference between gender & whether PA is inherently unfair GENDER CHOICE MALE FEMALE TOTAL NO OF RESPONDENTS YES 28 20 48 NO 104 48 152 TOTAL 132 68 200 Expected Frequencies are: (48 * 132) / 200 = 31. 68 (152 * 132) / 200 = 100. 32 (48* 68) / 200 = 16. 32 (152 * 68) / 200 = 51. 61 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 48 CALCULATION OF O2: Observed Frequency (O) 28 104 20 148 Expected Frequency (E) 31. 68 100. 32 16. 32 51. 68 (O – E) 2 13. 54 18. 66 18. 66 13. 54 (O – E) 2 / E 0. 427 0. 168 1. 14 0. 261 2. 01 Calculated o2 = ? O – E)2 / E O – Observed Frequency E – Expected Frequency = 2. 01 Calculated o2 = 2. 01 Degree of Freedom = (4 – 1)(2 – 1) = 3 d. o. f at 5 % level of significance Therefore, Tabulated o2 = 7. 815 Since Calculated o2 < Tabulated o2 Therefore, we accept the hypothesis. i. e. , There is no significant difference between gender & whether PA is inherently unfair M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 49 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 50 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY. ? All the respondents feel that PA is conducted every year in the company. ? Majority of the respondents feel that job increments and promotions are strictly based on PA and whereas few of them feel that it is not strictly based on PA. Majority of the respondents feel that PA objectives are partially informed, some of them feel it is clearly informed and whereas few of them feel that it is not informed at all. ? Majority of the respondents feel that purpose of PA is for promotion, some of them feel it is for salary increase and whereas few of them feel it is for training and development. ? From the table it is seen that the ranking of methods employed in PA is give below: FACTORS GRADING RANKING METHOD CHECKLIST METHOD FORCED CHOICE METHOD RANK II I III IV ? 58% of the respondent feel that feedback on PA is not collected and whereas some of them feel that feedback on PA is collected. Majority of the respondents opinion regarding present PA system in the company is good, some of the respondents opinion is average and whereas few of the respondents opinion is poor. ? Majority of the respondents opinion regarding the factors covered in PA is good, some of them feel it is average and whereas few of them feel it is poor. ? Majority of the respondents agree that improvements has to be made in PA, some of them neither agree nor disagree ad whereas few of them disagree that improvements has to be made in PA. M. P. Birla Inst itute Of Management 51 ? Majority % of the respondents prefers PA by the HR department, some of them prefer by third party and whereas few of them prefer through top level management. Majority of the respondents agree that present PA system is to improved, some of them neither agree nor disagree ad whereas few of them disagree. ? Majority of the respondents suggest 360 degree appraisal for PA, some of them suggest appraisal by result and whereas few of them suggest essay method. M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 52 SUGGESTIONS The top management should take up periodic programs to explain the objectives and the related issues to the executives and queries should be thoroughly cleared It is necessary to improve the performance analysis and review system in following areas ? There should be clear definition of rewards basing performance ?PA’S should have direct bearing in promotions ? PA should be incident specific & productivity linked & not as per personal linking. ? Self-a ppraisal discussion with the assessing officer & then the officer recording his appraisal will be ideal. Awareness is less in catering department ? Employees to work hard to achieve & a panel of officers with which interaction happens during the course of your job should be appraising officer ? Every year a appraisal letter should be given to employee because that can make a employee to show great affection to their job ascertained ? Subordinate & peers also should have a role in individual’s assessment ?Before or during PA, the reporting officer may discuss with the employee about his plus or minus points in order to educate & improved the employee’s performance in future ? Most of the assessment is based on personal interaction with evaluating officer ? Instead of giving overall rating in the paper good workers should be appreciated by the way of given extra perks or increment ? The decision obtained at performance analysis should be implemented. M. P. Birla Institut e Of Management 53 CONCLUSION The effectiveness of a system is to be determined by the people in it, the system cannot become effective automatically. Simply by basing upon few assumptions about the people involved in it.The same is the case with the executive appraisal system of Way 2 Wealth a considerable number of them have come under Halo effect and stereotyping Objectives of the appraisal system are not clear to most of the employees and behavioral dimensions are not clearly understood Unsatisfactory opinion in respect of existing system and self-assessment Wide gap between formal appraisal system and self-assessment Training needs are not met by the organisation inspite of doing serious exercise in identifying them There is lot of paper work in this system of appraisal by which the appraisal is time consuming The analysis has shown that most of the executives are in favour of a better appraisal system, which is more transparent and has provisions for unbiased assessment of per formance M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 54 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 55 BIBLIOGRAPHYPERSONNEL MANAGEMENT STATISTICAL METHODS MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES HUMAN RESORCE MANAGEMENT – C. B. MAMORLA, S. V. GANKAR S. P. GUPTHA BOHLANDER ASHWATHAPPA M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 56 QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Gender : Male ? Female ? 2. Employee Category: 3. Age Group: 4. Experience: 5. Is every year PA is conducted by the company? Yes ? No ? 6. Job increments and promotions are strictly based on PA? Yes ? No ? 7. PA objectives are Clearly informed Partially informed Not informed at all 8. Is PA inherently unfair M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 57 ? ? ? Yes ? No ? 9. PA serves the purpose of Salary increase Promotion Training and development Feedback ? ? ? ? 10.What methods are employed in PA Grading Ranking method Checklist method Forced choice method ? ? ? ? 11. PA forms/procedures are Management oriented Employee oriented M. P. Birla Institute Of Management ? ? 58 12. After PA, Feedback on PA is collected Yes ? No ? 13. The opinion on present PA system in the company? Very good Good Average Poor ? ? ? ? 14. Your opinion on the following factors covered in PA? FACTORS Job knowledge Quality of work Quantity of work Ability of work Hard work Manner & obedience VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR VERY POOR M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 59 15. What is to be improved in PA? Strongly agree Neither Agree Agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree FACTORSAppraisal by result Confidentiality Critical attributes Role related attributes Post appraisal actions Feedback on PA 16. Among the following which one do you prefer? PA by the HR department PA by the third party PA by top level management Assessment center ? ? ? ? M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 60 17. Is the present PA system is to be improved? Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree ? ? ? ? ? 18. What method you can suggest for PA? Essay method Field review metho d BARS Appraisal by results 360 degree appraisal ? ? ? ? ? M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 61 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 62 M. P. Birla Institute Of Management 63

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Computers as an Artifact essays

Computers as an Artifact essays In 1942, John P. Eckert, John W. Mauchly, and their associates at the Moore school of Electrical Engineering of University of Pennsylvania decided instead of doing their jobs they would build a machine to do their jobs for them. This machine became known as ENIAC (Electrical Numerical Integrator and Calculator) the size of ENIACs numerical "word" was 10 decimal digits, and it could multiply two of these numbers at a rate of 300 per second, by finding the value of each product from a multiplication table stored in its memory. ENIAC used 18,000 vacuum tubes, about 1,800 square feet of floor space, and consumed about 180,000 watts of electrical power. It had punched card I/O, 1 multiplier, 1 divider/square rooter, and 20 adders using decimal ring counters , which served as adders and also as quick-access (.0002 seconds) read-write register storage. The executable instructions making up a program were embodied in the separate "units" of ENIAC, which were plugged together to form a "route " for the flow of information. These connections had to be redone after each computation, together with presetting function tables and switches. This computer is significantly slower and bigger from the computers we think of today. (Siman) Computers were a major step in the human exploration of knowledge. They make complex tasks simpler by 1000 fold. Mathematical computations can be completed in mere seconds using computers. Also the editing and reprinting of documents is extremely easier now that you can go and edit one word and the reprint it out instead of typing the entire thing over. The computer field continues to experience huge growth. Computer networking, computer mail, and electronic publishing are just a few of the applications that have grown in recent years. Every year companies produce cheaper and more powerful computers offering making it easier for everyone to have one at their home. Computers today use thousands of little resist...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay)

I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms. Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my huge face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little. I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them. I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father. When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have. I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future. As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay) I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms. Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my huge face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little. I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them. I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father. When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have. I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

MAPS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

MAPS - Essay Example The organisation secured a substantial new contract that can create 850 new jobs in the next two years but has to live up to the avowed standard of customer service. The company specializing in management services to businesses and the general public has a turnover of 40 million and employs a staff of 1400 (fifteen years ago the company employed 3500 people) in 4 divisions in different locations in the North East of England. The special techniques and management systems the company developed made it an attractive 'outsourcing' destination for business services from a broad customer base including engineering and construction industries. Increasing operational costs and the advent of information technology altered the business scenario and dwindled contracts. In order to ward off staff lay offs, the company opened its services to the general public. The services include the contract purchase of telecommunications time, gas, electricity and oil sold at a premium. However the business remained unprofitable and the company had to continually discharge staff in spite of many re-structuring activities. 2.1 MAPS' human resource management: Human resource development according to Armstrong (2003 523) is "concerned with the provision of learning, development and training opportunities in order to improve individual, team and organisational performance." One of the axioms of huma... Training employees to develop necessary skills Evaluating, motivating and rewarding performance Resolving or avoiding conflict situations Creating an atmosphere of security (psychological contract) and equitable opportunities A properly implemented human resource management system ensures attracting and retaining the right talent, motivating the workforce, developing workforce skills and resolving or avoiding conflict situations to achieve organisational goals cost effectively. Marchington et al. describe the best HRM practices as: Employment security and internal promotion Selective hiring and sophisticated selection Extensive training, learning and development Employee involvement and voice Self-managed teams/teamworking High compensation contingent or organisational performance Reduction of status differentials/harmonisation (2003 179) 2.2 Selection and recruitment: The absence of an HRM department at MAPS is stark. The company has no rational organisational structure. It has four divisions: operations, supporting services, (which lumps together finance and accounts, estates management like maintenance, security, porters and catering, internal information technology and personnel services), information technology services and marketing and sales. These divisions are located in different parts of the country making intra-divisional co-ordination very difficult. Each division has devised its own system for recruiting, negotiating pay structures and staffing. The largest and most important of the divisions viz., 'operations' employing a staff of 950 has the most ad hoc recruitment policies. Operational managers recruit staff either from within the organisation or without, based on the exigencies of work. The