Two Warriors A Comparison And Contrast Of Beowulf And The Knight From

Two Warriors: A Comparison And Contrast Of Beowulf And The Knight From The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales Character Knight Beowulf Quest - fights religious wars - fights for god - fights for the good of others - kills evil things - fights in order to have bragging right - fights for the good of others Society's View - most admired person of all the tales - seen as a hero - seen as boastful and overconfident - seen as a hero Religious Beliefs - believes in God - goes to church in his torn war clothes - believes in God and pagan gods - it is never mentioned of him going to church **Compare and/or contrast the Knight to Beowulf** All throughout literature there are characters that can be compared to each other. Two examples are the Knight from the Canterbury Tales and Beowulf from Beowulf. These two fictional characters exhibit both similar and diverse qualities. Their quest, society's opinion, and religious beliefs show both of these qualities. Victory is the quest of any great warrior. The reasons for war between the Knight and Beowulf are to be disputed. The Knight fights in religious wars. This means that he fights for God. On the other hand, Beowulf fights only to kill. Beowulf fights to obtain bragging rights. Both of these men fight for the good of others. Although Beowulf wants bragging rights, he dies to save his people. ?I sold my life for this treasure, and I sold it well. Take what I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people, help them; my time is gone.? In society, the public's view of a man means everything. Both are seen as heroes, but the Knight's reputation shows better than that of Beowulf. The Knight, the most admired of all the characters in the Canterbury Tales, is very humble and modest. ?And in his bearing modest as a maid The Knight resists any temptation to boast. Beowulf boasts of all his victories and amazing feats. Though ridiculed by many, Beowulf thinks that popularity means everything. He enjoys hearing people talk of his greatness, and he especially likes compliments. In the Canterbury Tales, religion is the main topic of discussion. The characters in the story are satirically described as moral or immoral. The Knight is moral. He believes in God and goes to church in his battle clothes just to be near God. While in church he asks for forgiveness for the slaying that goes on in the wars in which he participates. Beowulf is also moral. He not only believes in God, but also pagan gods. In this age in time it is accepted to believe in God and other gods. Opposed to Beowulf's society, in the Knights age in time the worship of pagan gods was unacceptable and unheard of. They are both heroes because of the things that were acceptable in their time. Beowulf is a hero for slaying horrible beasts. The Knight is a Christian man who spends his life fighting in the name of God. The writer never mentions of Beowulf going to church. It also does not mention of Beowulf asking for forgiveness for the slaying of others. The Knight and Beowulf are two fictional characters that spend most of their time fighting. They both are moral, but some of their qualities are quite different. The Knight, humble and virtuous, loves God and does anything for Him. Beowulf, boastful and arrogant, loves attention but dies to save his people. Both men are heroes in their time. English Essays

Most Common Answer on the ACT Guess C

Most Common Answer on the ACT Guess C SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Everyone knows that, when guessing on a multiple-choice test, the best answer to choose is C...right? A friend of a friend swears by it, it’s served you well in the past (maybe?), and it’s become such a commonly known â€Å"fact,† such an undisputed strategy, that you may feel as if you were born knowing it- †when in doubt, pick C and move on.† But does this time-honored tradition of picking C when in doubt actually work on the ACT? And if not, what can you do to improve your odds when guessing? Let’s look at the facts. Why You Should Answer Every Question on the ACT First of all, there is no penalty for choosing a wrong answer on the ACT, so make sure tonever leave a question blank. You'll earn one point for every correct answer you choose and zero points for any blank or wrong answers, so it doesn'thurt you to make a guess. If you don't knowan answer and guessit wrong, you'll earn the same number of points that you would have had you left it blank (zero). And if you guessthe question right, you'll earn yourself one point! Now when you're forced to guess on a question for whatever reason, you'll have to decide between thetwo main types of guessing: educated guessing and blindguessing. So let's break down how and when to go about making each type of guess. Educated Guessing You can make an educated guess when you: understand the gist of a question, butdon't have the timeto workthrough it completely, don't quite know how to work through a question completely, or you're torn between a few answer options. But if you've got some idea of what the answer can (and- just as important- what it can't) be, it's time to eliminate some answer choices and make an educated guess. For example, let's look at an ACT math problem: Even if you don't have enough time to completely work through the problem or don't know all the steps, just a little knowledge of lines and slopes will tell usthat the answer will be B, C, or D. Why? Because our given slope is $-{2/3}$and a negative slope will fall down towards the right when drawn through our given point (2, 5). This means we can eliminate answer choices A and E immediately. (Spoiler alert: D is the right answer.) BlindGuessing But let's say you've come up against a question and you have absolutely no clue where to begin. Or maybeyou've got ten seconds left on the clock and fifteen questions still left unanswered. You know that leaving a question blank is tantamount to throwing your points out the window, so now it's time to make a blindguess. There's no time for educated guessing or eliminating answer choices- you just have to fill in a bubble. Butwhen you have to make a blindguess like this (or multiple blind guesses), are you better off choosing C than any other answer choice? Let's see. Don't let their cheerful smiles fool you- three of them are hiding the wrong answer, dun dun DUN. Fact or Fiction: Is C the Most Common Answer on the ACT? The idea that C is the best answer to choose when guess-answering a question on a multiple choice test rests on the premise that ACT answer choices are not truly randomized.In other words, the implication is that answer choice C is correct more often than any other answer choice.After all, if the answer key were truly randomized, then why should C be any more likely to be the right answer than any other option? [Note: the ACT switches between using A, B, C, D (andE on the math section) and F, G, H, J (and K on the math). H is the equivalentto C.] Some (or even many) of your high school teachers likely still design their tests by hand, which means that their answer keys will not be statistically random.No matter how much your teachers try to randomize their choices, human beings are NOT random and cannot properly randomize a series.For instance, a truly random sampling will actually produce bizarre strings of patterns- e.g., five AB’s in a row, or twenty questions without a D- and most people do not (or cannot) create these patterns when they try their best to be â€Å"random.† Fortunately or unfortunately, this is NOT the case on the ACT. Unlike many of the tests you take in high school, ACT answer keys are completely computer generated. And computers are very good at being random. This means that the answer choices will have a statistically even distribution of 1 in 4 for each answer choice letter (or1 in 5 on the math section): there is no most common answer on the ACT. So, ultimately, guessing C (or any letter!) will give you the correct answer only a statistical 25% of the time(20% on the math section). Which meansit's NOT true that choosing C will give you a better rate of success than choosing any other letter for your blind guessing. What to do, then? So How Should You Guess? If C isn't the most common answer on the ACT, then which letter should you guess? The truth is that it doesn't matter which letter you pick, only that you stick to the one you choose. The best strategy,and the one that will maximize your overall point gain,is to pick your favorite letter and fill it infor every blind guess. Maybe that letter is A/F or B/G - it doesn't matter. Just be sure to stick with it every single time. So definitelygo ahead and choose C/H to be your designated letter if you like it best! (Just don't expect C to be any betteran answer choice than A, B, or D.) But maybe you're thinking that sounds completely illogical. Why should you fill in the same letter over and over? Why Does Sticking to One Letter Increase Your Odds of Guessing the Right Answer? Your overall score will improve if you stick to choosing the same letter again and again when making blind guesses. This isbecause people are never truly random. If you’re making "random" blind guesses in a spread, you will almost certainly reduce your overall guesses odds, because your best attempt at random guessing cannot replicate computer-generated randomness. But by sticking to your designated letter when making blind guesses, you are re-introducing an element of randomness. Let’s see this in action to better demonstrate why this works. Scenario: It’s crunch time and you’ve run out of minuteson the clock. You have 15 questions left to goand only a few seconds to bubble in your answers. This means you don’t have time to even look at the questions, so you must try to make the best blind guesses you can and maximize your point-gain. You are left with two options: make a random guess spread, or fill in every letter with the same answer choice. Let’s see how each option does when compared to a real ACT answer guide (in this case, we are using the first 15 answers of the 2015/2016 ACT reading section answers, with all F, G, H, J's converted to A, B, C, D's.) (Note: for our random spread, we tried to guess as randomly as we could without looking at the answer key, and for our consistent letter, we simply went with C.) â€Å"Random† Spread Consistent Guess (C) Correct Answers A C A C C D B C C A C C A C B B C D D C A B C C D C B B C D C C A A C D C C C C C D D C B By choosing a random spread, we earned 2 points out of a possible 15.But by sticking with one answer choice, we earned 4 points. Ultimately, sticking to the sameletter won't work better for each individual question, but on average and over a spread, the strategywill let you maximize your overall point-gain. Oh, statistics, you strange creature. The Take-Aways So is C the most common answer on the ACT? No! But is it the best letter to choose when you're in a bind and don't know what the right answer choice is? Well, that's more complicated. Always remember that it'sin your best bet to eliminate answer choiceswhenever possible. But if you can't, and you must make a blind guess, then stick to one letter and run with it every time. If you want this letter to be C (and it's equivalent, H), then go right ahead! Just make sure you stick with it every single time. C isn't any better or worse than any other letter, or any more likely to be the correct answer, but if you decide to stick with it for every blind guess you make, you'll be better off than trying to be "random." What's Next? Blind guessing strategy is great in a pinch, but elimination is always better! Check out our guides on how to make your best guesses on the ACT, how to eliminate answer choices on the ACT math section, and how to avoid the top elimination pitfalls that many students make. Want to get more ACT practice? Check out all the free ACT tests available online and gauge how you're scoring by checking out what falls into a "good" and "bad" ACT score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points or more? Check out PrepScholar's test-prep programour five day free trial. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Book Review On A Fine Romance By Judith Sills Essay

Book Review On A Fine Romance By Judith Sills - Essay Example Dr. Sills wrote this book in 1987, and its complete title is A Fine Romance: The Passage of Courtship from Meeting to Marriage. In it she has used all her hard-earned 16 years of experience, and its title is a quintessence of its contents. In other words, A Fine Romance explains how becoming a couple is a matter of gradual unfolding of events in a succession of some predictable and some unpredictable stages and offers a clear and useful map to this process. Unlike some other psychology books which pick up a topic and aimlessly keep plowing through it throughout the remainder of the book, often making sweeping and mostly perplexing generalizations - without any sense what so ever, A Fine Romance is not only comprehensible and intelligible in its meanings and direction, but the plan it maps is easy to relate to, and with a little foresight - it is actually achievable. In other words Dr. Sills has beautifully identified and described the step- Best of all, Dr Sills has clearly and satisfyingly defined the meaning of love and relationships, but most importantly (for the readers); she also identifies the bottlenecks any relationship can face. She explains when a couple needs space and time to make sense of the scenario. She identifies, what she adequately calls the 'stuck points' in a path leading towards a successful relationship; the common and expected as well as some of the unexpected happenings that can put even thriving couples in a morass. That is exactly what makes it such a compelling must-read for anyone contemplating to find true love - it explains all the things they cannot understand along the way. She explains all the times when a call is misunderstood, or something meant to be for simple conversation misconstrued as something serious, and thus leading to a mix-up. Thus its readers get a clearer understanding of all the choices they would otherwise have been stumped by; a clearer perspective of what to do and what not to do when pursuing a relationship. Dr. Sills' writing style is pure perfection - a mixture of common sense and reassurance. Her insights are impressively eerie. It's like she was with you all the time; in the bedroom, in the car, the restaurant. She is with you when you are agonizing over something your partner said or did. If you're a woman, Dr. Sills knows what you did wrong when you stalked him after he didn't call you. She knows why your sweet little voicemail message was a put-off. If you're a man, Dr. Sills knows exactly what went wrong when she was trying to have a heart to heart conversation with you, but all you did was snap at her for interrupting your football game. Apart from this, the five-stage process she has mapped for a successful relationship is easy to relate to. For example, many readers were able to relate to the 'Switch' a process of changing your

The Library Organisational Project Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Library Organisational Project - Case Study Example Different data-gathering methods were used, such as conducting interviews, distributing questionnaires and searching information from various sources, to gather as much information as the project requires. Team members were assigned to conduct interviews with each senior manager. I was responsible for interviewing Mr. Antony Brewerton, Head of Academic Support. Initially, I asked Mr. Brewerton to fill out questionnaires with the intention to analyse his perspective against his employee's perspective. Afterwards, I proceeded to interview him on leadership and management so as to analyse his leadership style and how he manages his department. Organisational Diagnosis Questionnaire (ODQ) designed by Robert Preziosi (1980) was used and the questionnaires were distributed to cover the five departments in the library. Using this questionnaire, a variety of dimensions of an organisation could be studied-such as purpose, structure, leadership, relationships, rewards, helpful mechanisms and attitude toward change. The questionnaire was used the in the analysis because of its benefits, as enumerated below- With the data gathered from the questionnaires, I conducted the qualitative analysis. ... b) Questionnaires: Organisational Diagnosis Questionnaire (ODQ) designed by Robert Preziosi (1980) was used and the questionnaires were distributed to cover the five departments in the library. Using this questionnaire, a variety of dimensions of an organisation could be studied-such as purpose, structure, leadership, relationships, rewards, helpful mechanisms and attitude toward change. The questionnaire was used the in the analysis because of its benefits, as enumerated below- Relatively easy to analyse, People familiar with the questionnaire, A large sample of the given population can be conducted, Information is collected in a standardised way, The questionnaires can be used for sensitive topics, which users may feel uncomfortable speaking about to an interviewer, and Respondents have time to think about their answers because they are not usually required to reply immediately. After finishing the interview with Mr. Brewerton, I asked for his cooperation to distribute the questionnaires among his staff through emails and to kindly forward the responses to me. c) Various sources: To get acquaintance with the organisation, I searched the information from different sources such as library websites, articles and documents provided by the Librarian. 2. Data Analysis The findings were divided into two categories, which are qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis- a) Qualitative analysis With the data gathered from the questionnaires, I conducted the qualitative analysis. The ODQ questionnaires were grouped under the seven dimensions and I calculated the average ranking for each of the dimensions. I plotted graphs in MS

Literature review spontaneou pneumothorax Essay

Literature review spontaneou pneumothorax - Essay Example In order to attain this clinical ability, and add to knowledge and skills, this literature review focuses on addressing what is known about the condition, the signs and symptoms it presents, and the management of the chest drainage system which is the most common treatment for patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. Background and Definitions: Spontaneous pneumothorax is partial or complete lung collapse, either without any previous trauma, or with perceptible medical causes, and occurs as a result of the build-up of air in the pleural cavity. It is classified as primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP). PSP may be present in patients in the absence of any fundamental lung disease, typically affecting, for example, a young, healthy, tall thin man. Also, a history of smoking may be associated with an increased risk of PSP. More than one third of patients with PSP relapse within a few years. On the other hand, SSP is found in patients with the complications of underlying lung disorder, which include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or infectious lung disorders. The risk of recurrence in patients with SSP is higher than with PSP, due to underlying pulmonary disease (Baumann, 2006; Baumann and Noppen, 2004; Guo, Xie, Rodriguez and Ligh t, 2005; Sheah and Peh, 2003; Roman et al, 2003; Ryan, 2005; Wakai, 2006). Symptoms Identified and Recorded in the Literature: There are two main symptoms presented by spontaneous pneumothorax, namely chest pain and dyspnoea. Chest pain is the most common symptom with regard to PSP. In Seremetis' study, (cited in Roman, 2003), 90% of patients with PSP presented with chest pain, which was commonly described as sharp and limited to the region of the pneumothorax, increasing with deep inhalation. Other symptoms include dyspnoea, tachycardia, decreased or absent chest movement and breath sounds in the affected area. However, patients with SSP commonly present more severe dyspnoea, making it potentially fatal. In particular, hypoxemia and hypotension can be severe in COPD patients with SSP. Symptoms of SSP can be difficult to detect, due to underlying pulmonary disease (Baumann, 2006; Baumann and Noppen, 2004; Roman et al, 2003; Ryan, 2005). Treatment: The most widely used treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax is the chest drainage system, the management of which is the nurse's responsibility. Therefore, it is very important that nurses know the functions of the chest drainage system and nursing interventions for managing patients. (Allibone, 2003; Lehwaldt and Timmins, 2005; Thorn, 2006). Chest drainage removes abnormal accumulations of air or fluid in the pleural cavities, while preventing air or fluid returning. It is necessary to ensure that chest drainage bottles are placed below chest level. The system includes three basic components: suction control, water seal, and collection chambers (Allibone, 2003; Roman et al, 2003; Thorn, 2006). The suction control chamber is used to advance the drainage rate and lung re-expansion. The British Thoracic Society guidelines (Lehwaldt and Timmins, 2005), recommend low pressure suction, approximately -10 to -29 mmHg; however, there is no consensus on the amount of suction that s hould be applied.

International Human Resource Management At Iceland Business Essay

International Human Resource Management At Iceland Business Essay Current business changes have also led to difference in viewpoint and opinion of strategists who now believe that HRM and Personnel management are two completely different scenarios where HRM is a broader concept mainly responsible for managing a large number of manpower for efficient working of the firm. On the contrary Personnel management is more inclined towards supervision and administration related to payroll and legal scenarios of labour employment. Looking at the working environment of Iceland and other food companies, the difference between personnel management and human resources is quite clear. In the sense that, Human resource management of Iceland encompasses and promotes personnel management tasks and also develops and groom the workforce for attaining maximum efficiency and improving the working of the organization. As personnel management is reactive, human resource management is proactive, involving a holistic approach to continuous development of employee skills to handle personnel related tasks and activities A major difference between the two lies in the fact that personnel management is responsible for employee satisfaction which is realized through incentives , bonuses, rewards etc whereas HRM practice in the firm works on the ground that enhanced performance of employees through challenging work, job creativity etc leads to employee satisfaction. HR Specialists Role and Responsibilities HR specialists are quite influential and have a unique role in managing the human workforce of the firm. Iceland too recognizes the importance of a HR specialist who is mainly responsible to attain and extract the maximum potential and capacity through the firms human workforce. They are involved in functions of staffing, training and development, labor relations etc. on the whole a HR strategists role can be categorized under three main heads, the strategic process, the legal aspects and the operational aspects (Carolyn W, 1992). Under strategic process, HR specialists are involved in: Strategic planning They perform the role of a consultant who advices the management in all key areas A diagnostician who identifies the various loopholes and recommends necessary action for the same innovator/change agent who implements the dynamic changes in the corporate practices of the firm A catalyst who triggers the positive areas of business A cost manager who minimizes cost and maximizes returns. Under legal process, HR specialist performs the role of: Auditor/controller who assesses the companys personnel policies and strategies A consultant who advices the company on personnel matters and issues related to employment laws and other areas A conciliator who acts as a peace maker and negotiator for resolving conflicts and issues arising between different employees and existing workforce (Carolyn W, 1992). From operational perspective, HR specialist Deals with handling daily operations such as staffing, compensation, appraisal, rewards etc Interface between employees and management regarding the framing of employee policies and procedures Coordinating and motivating employees (Carolyn W, 1992). 1.3 Line Managers are Responsible to Manage People at Work Line managers have a special role to play in managing people as they reside in the lower layers of management hierarchy and deal with people who have no obligation or any sort of managerial responsibility (Hutchinson S HYPERLINK http://www.cipd.co.uk/research/_bringpolstolife.htmHYPERLINK http://www.cipd.co.uk/research/_bringpolstolife.htm Purcell J, 2003). Line managers execute a critical role in implementing HR policies and strategies. Their role revolves around: Managing people effectively Minimizing operational costs to maximum possible extent Extending and forwarding technical advice and guidance Assigning work and allocating tasks Continuous monitoring and supervising work Detect errors and take prompt corrective actions Handling customers effectively Setting standards for measuring operational performance of the firm When it comes to managing people effectively, line managers perform vital functions such as Performance appraisal of employees Imparting training and counselling to new recruits and existing workforce Maintaining proper communication and employee involvement Maintaining work life balance etc Giving due recognition to employees (HYPERLINK http://www.cipd.co.uk/research/_bringpolstolife.htmHutchinson S HYPERLINK http://www.cipd.co.uk/research/_bringpolstolife.htmHYPERLINK http://www.cipd.co.uk/research/_bringpolstolife.htm Purcell J, 2003) Thus well managed front line managers help in leading high productive and high performing workforce. It is the organizations and senior management responsibility to promote and support capable and efficient line managers by clearly drafting their role and responsibility. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS Human Resource Planning Process in Iceland Iceland being one of the renowned frozen food chains depends a lot on the human resource department which is well managed through s systematic human resources planning process that helps in anticipating the end results of the applied business strategy in regard to the firm human resources. The HR planning also involves the need of required workforce with special skill and competencies to perform the necessary tasks and activities. The Iceland human resource planning process involves the following steps: Analyzing the already existing organizational plans Secondly to forecast the demand of the total headcounts required in the firm Then forecasting the supply, that is obtaining data about current human resource present in the market and future changes Fourthly, the net human resource requirements are finalized considering all the departments of the firm After which, the deployments, retrenchments etc are taken into consideration and future demand is planned In case future deficits are confronted, reference plans are also chalked out. Lastly, the plan to modify and adjust the organizational plan in accordance with the market changes is also taken into account. Analysis After analyzing the human resource planning process of Iceland Company, it can be deducted that the information system regarding human resources is still inadequate. The internal deficiencies are well accounted for but the external market changes are not acknowledged such as the labour market, the current trends in human resources etc are not well adapted into the human resource system. Thus, the global perspective needs to be included in the entire process for giving the procedure a holistic view. The stages involved in the planning process in Iceland consist of: 2.2 Link Between Human Resource Planning and Organization Structured Process. The human resource planning of the firm has a deep impact on the structure of the organization, the needed information and the three stages including strategic, intermediate and operational levels of the planning process in various forms which involve: Organizations work culture is affected if things are taken in a casual and unsystematic manner such as a distance is created between the key decision makers and the workforce, secondly senior management no more remains trustworthy, reduces the contribution from the workforce in terms of creativity, risk taking, new talent is reluctant to be a part of the company, the image of the company is hindered, infact the entire process is impeded. The human resource succession planning is affected which may further lead to improper promotions or demotions, team evaluation, inappropriate performance reviews leads to hindered employee development etc. The operation costs are intensely affected by human resource decisions such as high turnover cost, replacement cost, slack time , hampered motivation, restructuring of employee cost, health cost , increase in insurance costs etc Ultimately the workforce is affected which in turn has an impact on the organizations working and performance such as reduced productivity, sub standard customer service quality etc. 2.3 Interview Selection Technique Evaluation Most of the organizations depend mainly on the interview technique to select the required workforce. Iceland is also one of them where potential candidates are screened and selected by conducting various interviews at different stages of selection process. Iceland is now the only food retailer recognized among the best 25 companies of UK having more than 200 stores running in different countries. Such wide network requires huge labour that is selected after conducting various interviews such as: Preliminary interview Core interview Decision Making Interview Various levels of interviewing help the organization to extract the best talent from the market as the initial rounds help to better general interaction with the candidate and judge his suitability for the job. Many candidates who are not suitable for the organization and its work culture are eliminated right in the beginning of the process that saves a considerable amount of time and cost to the company. Selection by Invitation: one of the methods of selection could be inviting the key executives of competitors by constantly observing their performance and offering them attractive incentives and benefits. Such technique helps in saving tremendous cost and time to the company and attracting the best and experienced candidates. Leasing: Company may benefit by leasing that is employee expert and depute the employees to the needy companies on a lease basis. In regard to which the leasing company charges a reasonable amount. Such kind of activity helps the organization to utilize the resources in the best optimum manner and select candidates as and when required without much hassles. 360Â ° Selection Programme: Involvement of subordinates, employees working at the same level of job are better in determining the skills, knowledge and performance of potential candidates as they are accustomed and tuned to the specific job environment. A 360Â ° appraisal is the best fit between the job and the candidate and at the same time lessens the burden of the superior administrators as well. Thus the above procedure and techniques can help Iceland to put into practice a rigorous and dynamic selection process for attracting the best talent within the organization. The core interviewing is conducted for potential candidates where major emphasis lie on stress interview and probing technique as the candidates are required to deal with customers of various nature and temperament. Depth interviews are also considered where special skills of candidates are examined by judging critical answers to posed questions. Such drilling exercise helps in understanding the mental capacity of individual to handle stress and intense situations. The candidates behaviour during the interview process is a good criteria to determine his reasoning and analytical abilities. Finally the decision making or the final interview is conducted whereby the top authorities or managers examine the interest level of the candidates for the job and find about his acceptance and decide whether to select the candidate or not. Icelands interviewing process is rigorous and in-depth which eliminates the changes of wrong decisions and adding extra cost to the company. Various aspects of interviewing are taken into account which renders the entire process a structured approach. The company is able to select the best pool of talent through its own skills and capabilities. Alternative methods of selection Selection by Invitation: one of the methods of selection could be inviting the key executives of competitors by constantly observing their performance and offering them attractive incentives and benefits. Such technique helps in saving tremendous cost and time to the company and attracting the best and experienced candidates. Leasing: Company may benefit by leasing that is employee expert and depute the employees to the needy companies on a lease basis. In regard to which the leasing company charges a reasonable amount. Such kind of activity helps the organization to utilize the resources in the best optimum manner and select candidates as and when required without much hassles. 360Â ° Selection Programme: Involvement of subordinates, employees working at the same level of job are better in determining the skills, knowledge and performance of potential candidates as they are accustomed and tuned to the specific job environment. A 360Â ° appraisal is the best fit between the job and the candidate and at the same time lessens the burden of the superior administrators as well. Thus the above procedure and techniques can help Iceland to put into practice a rigorous and dynamic selection process for attracting the best talent within the organization. 2.4 Recruitment and Selection Process of Iceland Iceland is regarded to be one of the highest rated among the big companies to hire the best talent available and provide complete staff satisfaction like pay and benefits. The practices and procedures adopted in the selection process by the company are best taking into perspective the legal framework as well. The recruitment and selection procedures of the firm comply with the IPCCs diversity policy which includes the requirement of the following acts: The Sex Discrimination Act, 1975 The Race Relation Act, (1976, 2003) The disability Discrimination Act, 1995 The Employment Equality(Sexual Orientation) Regulation, 2003 The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulation, 2003 (IPCC, retrieved on 17th September, 2010) All interviews are conducted by authorized panel who design competency based questions. Proper pre and post arrangements for interviews are made and decisions for appointment are based on the content, qualification, performance and the right to work norms in the UK (IPCC, retrieved on 17HYPERLINK http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:ZzAuwNGdp24J:www.ipcc.gov.uk/foi/agreed_recruitment_and_selection_policy-4.pdf+legal+requirements+of+selection+in+UKhlthHYPERLINK http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:ZzAuwNGdp24J:www.ipcc.gov.uk/foi/agreed_recruitment_and_selection_policy-4.pdf+legal+requirements+of+selection+in+UKhl September, 2010) . Proper reference and security checks and clearances are made. Iceland follows complete legal norms to select candidates, hence no major discrepancies are found in the selection procedure. PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING AND REWARDING EMPLOYEES 3.1 Iceland Job Evaluation Process Job evaluation is conducted in the firm in order to rank the jobs on the basis of certain duties, responsibilities and performance attached with the job. In accordance to which the pay package is designed and defined keeping the minimum and maximum limits intact. Information about every job type is retrieved through the medium of job analysis questionnaire, job descriptions, observations and interviews involving 360 Â ° selection processes. Based on the above information, each job is rated based on evaluation factors which comprise of: Education Experience (Technical and Commercial) Problem Solving Impact Physical Effort Executive ability Analytical skills Complexity of job Iceland makes use of both the Non quantitative techniques as well the Quantitative Techniques of job evaluation such as the Ranking Methods including paired comparison, simple ranking, points rating method as well. The Equity motivational theory is applicable in Iceland also where the concerned managers should consider the balance between the input and resulting rewards taking into consideration the input factors such as loyalty, diligence, ability, skill, enthusiasm, support, patience, sincerity, trust, relation with superior etc , backed by reward or output in form of financial and no financial rewards such as wage increase, increased job responsibility, recognition, appreciation , tangible monetary benefits, job security etc (Baxamusa N B, retrieved on 17HYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.htmlthHYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.html September, 2010). The equity theory works best when the over recognized and benefitted employees are able to produce higher output and quality service and on the contrary the less rewarded employees tend to decrease their output when they compare themselves with other employees. It becomes the utmost responsibility of the managers to link the rewards with the performance and efficiency of the employee. For this consistent development programmes, regular meetings, and discussions can be undertaken to communicate with employees and make things more clear for better understanding and fairly link reward with performance. Such kind of evaluation process is logical and objective in nature as it helps to include the newly created job in the pre existing structure of the firm. The undesirable factors of evaluation are eliminated such as fluctuations in market rate etc and help to attain fair wage and uniformity in fixing wages for all employees. Maximum employee satisfaction is realized by maintaining wage equity and sound evaluation structure. 3.2 Reward System There are different reward systems that can be linked to the organizational compensation packages offered by Iceland to boost up the morale and productivity of employees (Stockley D. 2006)HYPERLINK http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=enq=Motivation+and+financial+and+non-. Monetary Reward System Payment for unproductive work in form of Hours of work Paid holidays Paid vacations Security of employees Retrenchment compensation Lay off Compensation Safety and Health Workmens Compensation Health Benefits Welfare Recreational Facilities Canteen Benefit Housing Benefit Legal Aid Holiday Homes Educational Benefit Transportation benefit Old Age and Retirement Benefits Provident Fund Insurance Gratuity Medical benefits Non Monetary Reward Treats Free Meals Festival bashes Dinners Knick Knacks Accessories Planners Recognition Letters of appreciation Plaques Social Acknowledgement Informal Recognition Solicitation of advice Memberships On the Job Benefit Enhanced responsibility Job rotation Training Special tasks All the above rewards in some form or the other have a deep impact on the performance of employees as: Positive Impact Employees are motivated to work to the best of their potential Build self esteem and confidence Increased loyalty Easy acceptance to change Close bondage between company and self Negative Impact Demotivational impact on employees under conditions of biasness Short sightedness Unhealthy competition 3.3 Motivation Theory and Icelands Reward System Icelands reward system could be directly linked to the Adams Equity Theory of Motivation which believes that the factors of motivation can affect the performance of employees and their relationship with the employer as well (Baxamusa N B, retrieved on 17HYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.htmlthHYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.html September, 2010). The theory is based on the belief that if the employees inputs are more in comparison to the benefits or rewards derived, it can lead to employee dissatisfaction and reduced productivity. The Equity motivational theory is applicable in Iceland also where the concerned managers should consider the balance between the input and resulting rewards taking into consideration the input factors such as loyalty, diligence, ability, skill, enthusiasm, support, patience, sincerity, trust, relation with superior etc , backed by reward or output in form of financial and no financial rewards such as wage increase, increased job responsibility, recognition, appreciation , tangible monetary benefits, job security etc (Baxamusa N B, retrieved on 17HYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.htmlthHYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.html September, 2010). The equity theory works best when the over recognized and benefitted employees are able to produce higher output and quality service and on the contrary the less rewarded employees tend to decrease their output when they compare themselves with other employees. It becomes the utmost responsibility of the managers to link the rewards with the performance and efficiency of the employee. For this consistent development programmes, regular meetings, and discussions can be undertaken to communicate with employees and make things more clear for better understanding and fairly link reward with performance. 3.4 Iceland Monitoring Strategy Iceland has a well planned strategy to monitor the performance of employees that includes: Reviewing work of employees on a consistent basis Regularly observing the activities of employees and guiding them when require Preparing charts, records and using techniques for measuring performance Encouraging self reporting by employees Timely redressal of complaints and issues for uninterrupted performance The latest methods of performance monitoring are adopted by the company such as the Balanced Scorecard method that involves a holistic approach of monitoring by taking into various perspectives such as customer perspective, financial perspective, training and development perspective and innovative aspect as well. After defining the various factors on which the performance is analyzed such as efficiency, growth, training, development, productivity, behaviour, relations, creativity and innovation at work etc, methods such as Gantt chart is prepared this is a pictorial description of employees performance. Thus, a comprehensive performance analysis is conducted by Iceland which helps to depict a fair view of efforts put in by candidates. The Equity motivational theory is applicable in Iceland also where the concerned managers should consider the balance between the input and resulting rewards taking into consideration the input factors such as loyalty, diligence, ability, skill, enthusiasm, support, patience, sincerity, trust, relation with superior etc , backed by reward or output in form of financial and no financial rewards such as wage increase, increased job responsibility, recognition, appreciation , tangible monetary benefits, job security etc (Baxamusa N B, retrieved on 17HYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.htmlthHYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.html September, 2010). The equity theory works best when the over recognized and benefitted employees are able to produce higher output and quality service and on the contrary the less rewarded employees tend to decrease their output when they compare themselves with other employees. It becomes the utmost responsibility of the managers to link the rewards with the performance and efficiency of the employee. For this consistent development programmes, regular meetings, and discussions can be undertaken to communicate with employees and make things more clear for better understanding and fairly link reward with performance. The Equity motivational theory is applicable in Iceland also where the concerned managers should consider the balance between the input and resulting rewards taking into consideration the input factors such as loyalty, diligence, ability, skill, enthusiasm, support, patience, sincerity, trust, relation with superior etc , backed by reward or output in form of financial and no financial rewards such as wage increase, increased job responsibility, recognition, appreciation , tangible monetary benefits, job security etc (Baxamusa N B, retrieved on 17HYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.htmlthHYPERLINK http://www.buzzle.com/articles/equity-theory-of-motivation.html September, 2010). The equity theory works best when the over recognized and benefitted employees are able to produce higher output and quality service and on the contrary the less rewarded employees tend to decrease their output when they compare themselves with other employees. It becomes the utmost responsibility of the managers to link the rewards with the performance and efficiency of the employee. For this consistent development programmes, regular meetings, and discussions can be undertaken to communicate with employees and make things more clear for better understanding and fairly link reward with performance. 4. EXIT FROM THE ORGANIZATION 4.1 Employee exit procedure in Iceland On the contrary, when the exit procedure of Iceland was compared with ASDA it was found that the above procedure was quite similar to ASDA, however ASDA adopts an in-depth interview procedure with extra steps such as analysis of exit interview, reasons for absenteeism, Work Interview, analysis of labour turnover, comprehensive Exit Interview Data analysis judging the company benefits provided etc Analysis The organizations have drafted suitable exit procedures in order to determine the reasons for employee exits, yet they cant be termed as best. They are scope for improvement and modification as little emphasis is laid on the employee background and his contribution towards the organization. A fair view can be extracted only when organizational inputs and employee outputs are compared. Thus while studying about the exit analysis, managers should also emphasize on the employee relations with the firm and subordinates. On the whole, the procedure adopted is satisfactory and solves the purpose for the same. Employee Redundancy Redundancy is a situation when the organization , Iceland for this case decides to dismiss an employee on the basis of ceased business or intended to cease the area of business where the concerned dismiss employee was employed. For the redundancy to actually be called legal, it is necessary that the employee under question must completely vanish. If the organization declares any candidate redundant, it is liable to pay the necessary statutory payment in regard to it. Iceland has adopted certain criterias for declaring an employee redundant, they are: Dismissal cant be on grounds of individual capability but organizational circumstances When certain specific designations are no longer required in the company along with reasons for decease or reduction in business process In the course of a business slow down When a specific business line is altogether eliminated from the organizations business portfolio If the employees who are to be redundant are more than twenty, then the matter is to be put forward for consultation with the employees representative before making a final decision Reasons for selecting few employees from the group for redundancy The selection criteria is not based on any unfair means such as race, age, sex or any disability Conclusion Iceland has been able to formulate a systematic and well organized human resource management policy and strategy in the organization, keeping into consideration all the details right from human resource planning to redundancy. Their recruitment and selection criteria are as per the norms of the UK government and in accordance with the legal requirements as well. The company aims to impart maximum employee satisfaction in all respects.

American Racism Exposed in Poems by Langston Hughes and Sherman Alexie

American Racism Exposed in Langston Hughes' "Let America Be America Again" and Sherman Alexie's, "Capital Punishment" The issue of racial discrimination has become societal norm in America. Poems like Langston Hughes' "Let America Be America Again" and Sherman Alexie's, "Capital Punishment" show the injustice that still exists. Both poems speak to the prejudice that is accepted and current in America's past and present. Alexie and Hughes, both from minority groups, have seen the ugly face of racism. Both poems have many similarities, including the obvious tone of anger. The pieces also have their differences, while Hughes poem speaks from the viewpoint of one of the oppressed; Alexie's speaker is just a witness. Both writers draw attention to the injustices that minority groups face daily in this land of the free. Sherman Alexie, A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, grew up on a reservation in Washington yet attended a high school where he was, as he so eloquently said, "the only Indian...except for the school mascot."(Alexie) Even though he was a star basketball player he still faced the torment of his schoolmates due to his heritage. This injustice influenced Alexie to compose the poem, "Capital Punishment." This poem tells the story of an Indian who was sentenced to death, the story is told from the perspective of the cook who prepares his last meal. The line "I am not a witness" is repeated throughout the poem, it is said after Alexie addresses a sensitive societal issue. Topics concentrated on are prejudice, homosexuality and clearly capital punishment. Alexie uses subtleties at first, alliterating to his stance on capital punishment but by the end of the poem the anger and frustration is prevalent. The speaker o... ...ure. Not only does Hughes reject the idea of "the American Dream" he discards the proposal that America is the land of the free. Would America properly function without the oppressed, the people who work 50 hour weeks at minimum wage, the people who created this "America?" Without those people the comfortable lifestyle most of us know would be gone. So, the poor, colored and those of a different nationalities are denied chances to succeed to keep the traditional values. Both poems address the widespread societal issue of racism that is so prevalent in America. Hughes and Alexie seem to agree that judgment of others has been the disgrace of our nation. If the color of a man's skin did not have such a great value in our society maybe then America could be everyone's. Not just the rich white man's but the immigrants, the Africans, the Indians and the poor.