Balance in Life

Living in today’s fast-paced lifestyle is a very common scene among us and sometimes we took for granted that our life is no longer in balance. Our way of life is already a very stressful one for the reason that we do not know how to balance it anymore. Some of us may able to ask ourselves with â€Å"what does it feels like having a balance life? †, â€Å"how can we achieve that balance so we could minimize our stress? †, and â€Å"what is life in balance means? † Defining balance in life is a very vague perception among people.We all have different ideas about the subject and we have different ways of measuring it (Mundell, 2004). Moreover, knowing what balance in life means would also depend on the context of the conversation and the person’s viewpoint. (Lockwood, 2003) â€Å"A figurative definition of balance refers to a big-picture notion of our lives as a whole. † (MSN Arabia, 2005) We try to define balance by comparing our normal daily activities with an additional tasks, like for instance of being a mother, a wife and going on a job. Achieving this balance in life is through adjusting our priorities and knowing what is important to us.As a mother, a wife and a worker/employee, we try to balance the conflicts that exist between the need for security with work and the need to satisfy our family. (MSN Arabia, 2005) We define balance in life as it relies on our desire to feel successful both at work and our personal life at the same time. (Mundell, 2004) Balance in life could mean having a balance diet also. Our body needs a well balanced diet, like good supply of carbohydrates, especially high-fiber foods, water, vitamins and minerals, a certain amount of protein, fat, and bacteria.Thus, in preparing our meals, we can control what we are going to add on it and what we are going to cut back, like adding more fruits and vegetables to our food and cutting back those saturated fats. (MSN Arabia, 2005) Balance in life al so imply achieving physical balance both internal and external, thus, when we are able to achieve that physical balance, we can attain a sense of beauty. Because natures follow a balancing act, when we attain physical balance, we become more beautiful in the eyes of the beholder. (MSN Arabia, 2005)Generally, when we speak about balance, what comes into our mind is the management of time. Sometimes we always run out of time for ourselves, we always gave this time for other people especially for our love ones. When we already have to do something for ourselves to make us better, we always makes excuses that we are busy enough that we do not have time to do it, and we are tired of doing it. Continuing this unhealthy habit of time management would just make our task or work unproductive, even worst we could also make the people around us feel ungrateful.Thus, if we both have balance in life and time management in harmony with each other, we can have effectiveness in everything we do. We could find a room and a time to do everything that we enjoy. Finding time for ourselves benefit us of self-confidence and pride in ourselves. (MSN Arabia, 2005) Balance in life could also mean helping conquering our limitations. Since fears set our limitations of doing something we love to do, we get frustrated in life by not achieving what we want. Once we can conquer that fear we are facing, our lives gets easier and we can enjoy being ourselves.We could accept our limitations at present but we could look forward improving it. Finally, balance in life means achieving a fulfillment. We need to balance ourselves such that the various elements in our life focus on our fulfillment, to help us eventually reach a level where we can pursue our personal desires. (MSN Arabia, 2005) We need to work in balancing our life or else we will lose the balance of body, mind, and soul. Sources: MSN Arabia, (2005). Adding Balance Back to Life. Retrieved March 27, 2007, from MSN Arabia Web site: http ://www.arabia. msn. com/Family_Home/health_fitness/17/ Mundell, Heather (2004, November 9). Ending the Battle for Balance. Retrieved March 27, 2007, from Selfgrowth. com: The Online Self Improvement Encyclopedia Web site: http://www. selfgrowth. com/articles/Mundell1. html Lockwood, Nancy R. (2003, June). Work/life balance: challenges and solutions – 2003 Research Quarterly. HR Magazine, Retrieved March 27, 2007, from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_6_48/ai_102946878 (Lockwood, 2003)

Counrywide Financial

Countrywide Financial: The Subprime Meltdown 1. Are subprime loans an Unethical financial instrument, or are they ethical but misused in a way that created ethical issues? In my opinion I think subprime loans is an ethical in some ways but for the most part it’s got misused. One way that I think subprime was misused was the fact that when the economy began to slow down, people started working more and earning less money, subprime lending continued to lend to increasingly risky buyers.Another cause of misusing subprime lending was the fact that they allowed real estate appraisers to inflate the value of a home to insure loans would go through 2. Discuss the ethical issue that caused the downfall of countrywide Financial. One of the Ethical issue that cause the downfall of countrywide financial is the allegations that accused them of increasing its profit by offering subprime loans to people who qualified for regular loans.Another Ethical issue that caused countrywide financial to there downfall was the fact that they gave out liar loans. Liar loans were loans that required no proof of borrowers income or assets allowing consumers to purchase homes while having few or no assets. Many homeowners with liar loans could not pay their mortgages nor were they able to refinance their homes. 3. How should Bank of America deal with potential ethical and legal misconduct discovered at countrywide?One of the ways I think Bank of America should deal with potential ethical and legal misconduct is by dealing with all the lawsuits that have been filed against the company for dumping homeowners with predatory loan practices. Something else I think Bank of America should start doing is managing Countrywide’s debt by helping homeowners by reducing there interest rate so the foreclosure rate could get lower.

Witness report 3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Witness report 3 - Research Paper Example This served as an encouragement to the audience because I told them that making a choice to surrender their life to Christ was the best way to enjoy His love and sacrifice. However, I made it clear I would not force them to make the choice, and they were free to make their decision when they were ready because God’s timing is the best timing. I told them that receiving Jesus Christ as their savior was a personal choice, and whoever chose to do so would marvel and share in the great love of our Father in heaven. They would suffer no more from worldly afflictions as they would see life from in a new perspective as a child of God (Westcott 2003, 64). Some of the listeners had their objections as they commented that they were not sure of love and freedom it would bring. My answer to them was that faith was what they needed as I quoted Hebrews 11:6. At the end of my witness, I asked for those interested in giving their to life to God to step forward and pray with me as they professed their acceptance of God’s love and will upon their lives. A few of them came, and we prayed together, and they accepted to live in the light of the word of

HIroshima Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HIroshima Discussion - Essay Example This paper will review some of the characteristics of the bomb survivors, the miraculous incidents in the bombing and Truman’s press release after the bombing. In relation to miraculous occurrences, there are individuals that thought that their chances for survival were pretty limited or close to non-existent. They include Mrs. Nakamura, Mrs. Sasaki and Father Kleinsorge. Mrs. Nakamura who suffered from radiation poisoning fought furiously and regained her health. This was despite the fact that the radiation illness had affected her health in levels that doctors had concluded would never be reversed. Father Kleinsorge was affected by the bomb and its effects. He was seriously wounded, and despite all this, he tried to rescue people even though he thought he was to die from the effects of the bomb that made him loose blood from his wounds that kept reopening (Hersey, p 34-41). Mrs. Sasaki also recovers unexpectedly after the effects of radiation and the injuries she sustained from the collapsing of her house. This can be seen as both scientific and religious recoveries since science and medicine played a role in their wellness while they ha d hope and faith to get well. Science provided the much needed medicine and scientific support that was needed by the survivors of the blast. Their spiritual mindsets also contributed in ensuring that they believed that they would overcome what they were experiencing (Hersey, p 47). Truman describes the atomic bomb as the most potent explosive device whose output is exclusively from fission reactions. This device is a marvelous new power that can be used to overpower enemies. The book is an official non-fiction piece of work that explains an account of the bombing attack from the victims and their families view points. The book is just as monumental as the bombing incident

E-government Program of Saudi Arabia Dissertation

E-government Program of Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example In conclusion, the implementation of the Yesser program will allow technology to be used as a way of further refining existing processes in order to eventually promote economic growth. As such, most countries nowadays have their own e-government program which they use to achieve their own ends. Table 14. Frequency and percentage breakdown: The countrys economy would improve upon the implementation of the Yesser program, in the aspect that investors would find it easier to transact with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (government employees). Table 21. Frequency and percentage breakdown: The implementation of the e-government program would allow a better medium for sharing knowledge and information within government agencies (government employees). On a global scale, governments have placed high importance on the adoption of a new program referred to as e-government, as it resembles a fundamental change in the structure of any nations public sector and cultivation of culture (Silcock 2001; Lofstedt, 2005). In addition, it is also beneficial in the process of conducting business through the utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in government agencies. Prior to the introduction of such a concept, public sectors mainly focused on internal automation through the utilization of data processing machines as a means to gain efficiency in processing e-government services. The Saudi government has adopted an e-government program for political, economic, social and technological reasons.

The Challenges Facing the Deployment and Use of IT for the Development Literature review

The Challenges Facing the Deployment and Use of IT for the Development of Public Sector in Saudi Arabia - Literature review Example The rapid economic growth being experienced in the country has largely been as a result of the oil that is exported to other parts of the world. As a growing economy, the country needs to not only develop its infrastructure, but also improve its service delivery to the people (Benington, 2000). Information technology is an aspect of development that is sweeping across many developing countries today, and Saudi Arabia has definitely not been left behind. The implementation of IT plans has greatly helped the country improve the way its citizens get access to public services (Al-zharani, 2009). Using IT Resources The Saudi Communications Commission is the one regulates the deployments and use of IT resources in the country. Among the commission’s responsibilities include: ensuring that the communications services provided are well advanced, regulating the telecommunications sector, creating an environment for fair competition among different players in the telecommunications fiel d and securing the rights of the public to have access to information networks at prices they can afford. In short, this commission is responsible for how the country makes use of its existing structures to deploy and implement IT for the greater good and development of the Saudi public sector (Khan, 2011). Although the country has made some tremendous achievement in creating an information society, there remains a lot to be done so as to ensure that the IT infrastructures are as efficient as possible so as to serve as many people as possible. This means that the government has to consider some of the challenges that hinder the deployment and use of IT for the development of the Saudi public sector including government agencies and come up with ways to ensure that all people enjoy the full benefits of a networked society (Khosrowpour, 2000). Knowledge Workers and the Knowledge Society Knowledge workers include the valued individuals who earn a living by developing and applying knowl edge in specific areas of study. On the other hand, the knowledge society is a society that values knowledge as the primary resource used in production as opposed to labour and capital. Knowledge workers exist in a wide range of fields in Saudi Arabia. With their vast knowledge in their specific areas of interest, the knowledge workers are able to define problems and come up with solutions that affect society, strategies and help in decision making. The making of knowledge workers normally is influenced by the establishment of information technology of the places in which they are based. In Saudi Arabia, the making of more knowledge workers has been influenced by the establishment of e-learning and the availability of ICT resources. The deployment and use of IT for the development of the public sector requires the development of more knowledge workers so as to ensure that they are well equipped to deal with the IT tools at their disposal. Though the government through its e-governme nt efforts is trying to ensure that most areas in the public sector are well equipped with IT technology, there are a number of challenges it experiences (Benington, 2000). One of the challenges that the country faces in terms of knowledge worker development in the area of IT proficiency is the lack of technical skills. Very few of the employees working in the public sector have the proper knowledge to carry out some of the duties that would involve

John Calvin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

John Calvin - Research Paper Example This paper briefly analyses the life of John Calvin and his contributions to global culture. â€Å"John Calvin was born in 1509. He died in 1564. John Calvin was the son of a lawyer. He was born in Noyon, Picardy and was therefore a Frenchman† (John Calvin, n. d). John Calvin was very much interested in religious studies and initially he studied theology; however later went for law studies because of the pressure from his father. The death of his father in 1531, gave freedom to Calvin and he started to learn more about humanities and religion. â€Å"Calvin was highly critical of the abuses in the French Catholic church but he never doubted that he was God’s chosen instrument in the spiritual regeneration of the world† (John Calvin, n. d). During the period of Calvin, devotional songs with the help of musical instruments had an important role in worshipping in Roman Catholic Churches. Calvin criticized such customs and argued that such devotional songs actually di stract the concentration of the people from real worshipping. He has pointed out that Bible consists of excellent songs in psalms which should be used during worshipping in churches instead of the songs accompanied by musical instruments. â€Å"He placed great importance on the sermon. ... ed that the New Testament and baptism and the Eucharist had been created to provide Man with continual divine guidance when seeking faith (John Calvin, n. d). Roman Catholic Church teaches the people that a person can get salvation through Mass and pilgrimages. Moreover, Roman Catholics believed or still believe that saints can help people immensely for getting salvation. In most of the Roman Catholic churches, saints are getting almost similar recognition as Jesus Christ is getting. Calvin ridiculed these beliefs and customs and pointed out that such beliefs are against the teachings of God or Bible. He has declared that according to the teachings of Bible, a person can attain salvation only through the belief in Jesus Christ. No other short cuts may help a person in getting salvation. Calvinism was a belief that was dependent on the strength of the individual. You controlled your own goodness on Earth and this depended on the strength of your inner conviction. This was a personal b elief not dependent on the whims of an individual pope or relics, indulgences etc. You may have been a reprobate in the eyes of God but you would not know this and so a person would lead a life for God to fully know him (John Calvin, n. d). Roman Catholics gave more emphasize to rituals and customs in their worshipping whereas Calvinism gave more emphasize to the strength and actions of the individual. Calvinism pointed out that ultimately the activities of an individual decides whether he may get heaven or hell. No custom or tradition alone can save a person if he commits sins and take shelter in customs or traditions for getting salvation. According to John Calvin, the most important thing in getting salvation is the belief in Jesus Christ and strict observance of the life principles

Design Issues in the System (Security) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Design Issues in the System (Security) - Essay Example The usability and accessibility guidelines have to be followed to develop easy to use software system. It is vital to balance the usability and security among the various design objectives. As per the given case study, the new system implemented in the restaurant has several issues related to the system security and user interface design. It is pertinent to highlight and review these issues include but are not limited to the locking up of the system after receiving four incorrect either username or password, the system screen automatically gets locked after three minutes of remaining idle, the locked screen can only be opened by the particular / logged in cashier and if the cashier is not available the system is required rebooting to log in any other cashier. These highlighted issues are due to the bad designing of the software application that can be removed or resolved by redesigning the software application. The implemented software application has software design issues include: the system has a design flaw of locking up the system either by inserting incorrect password or leaving the system idle for some time; the system rebooting is a major software design flaw which wastes time as well as irritates the users. (Payne and Edwards, 2008). Design Issues Solution The design issues in the deployed software application can be determined by an analysis the design issues and planning the new software design or redesigning the existing software application. There are few guidelines need to be considered while redesigning the currently deployed software application to remove the above highlighted design issues. These guidelines include but are not limited to the locked system should have the capability to be logged in by just changing the username and password by any cashier, as currently the logged in cashier can only unlock the system. In this way, the manager would not be bothered every time the system is locked. Moreover, this design would remove the requiremen t of rebooting the system, as the system can be unlocked by any cashier after entering his / her correct login name and password. The software application’s security breach can be avoided by following another guideline for securing the software application by implementing security certificates for all the users (cashier / manager / administrator). Software Design Plan The tasks for redesigning the software implemented in the restaurant may include: the analysis of the existing software (highlighting key issues), redesigning of software application keeping in view the highlighted issues, building up a prototype, performing user testing, feedback from the user, prototype refinement and these tasks lead to the final product. The above mentioned tasks need to be performed by the team keeping in view that the existing software has to be modified to correct the design issues, the software should adopt new hardware, the interface of the software has to be upgraded, and overall impro ving the performance of the software application. The information observed / identified through the analysis of the existing software application should be properly utilized in the implement new software application or modifying the existing software application in such a way with increased security and highly usable software applied. The software testing and validation procedures need to be developed for testing of the software application with objectives to remove the existing design issues. Documentation is one of the key factors in the success of any software application development; therefore, it should be performed properly and document version should be maintained. After

Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Managment - Essay Example Joe’s performance problem be attributed the lack of a training programs. The manager admits that the firm has gone for long without career counseling, the fact that Joe is not a graduate he needs regular training given the nature of the job. Lack of motivation his performance has also affected, motivation can be linked to job performance or receiving unfair treatment. This can be analyzed by evaluating Joe’s hard work in designing projects, but in return of this hard work and effort reward he gets discriminated against his fellow colleagues, this has demoralized him to the extent of even daydreaming on his desk. In addition, the norm that employees do not leave early on Friday has also affected Joe’s performance owing that he has a wife and children who he requires more time to rest and enjoy with them(Schwartz 77). Joe’s behavior to sleep on his desk is inappropriate this can encourage other employees to relax even in prime times. This behavior needs to be checked out to curb its spread. The fact that Joes job satisfaction is low due by the rewards he get from his high performance he needs intrinsic rewards. Joes work can be redesigned so that he can enjoy rotation thus encouraging specialization in areas of interest (Schwartz

Network Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Network Society - Essay Example As the study highlights through network society, Information, Communication Technology (ICTS) have come up with numerous social, political and economic phenomena, a term that emerged from various theorists to explain a society that is connected by mass and telecommunication networks. Additionally, the ICTs demonstrate a society as a transformation era from an industrial age to an information age, which is central to the working of the economy. This enables annihilation of space and facilitates globalization. Of importance to note is that, network society is a global network that has led to decentralization of organization from vertical hierarchies to horizontal corporations. Large corporations decentralize themselves as networks of semi-autonomous units. From this paper it is clear that in a network society there exist a network economy, which acts as a new, efficient form of organization of production, distribution and management that facilitates substantial increase in productivity growth rate especially in the United States and related countries that have adopted these new forms of economic organization. In fact, many businesses have increasingly adopted a virtual approach to work space. This situation has led to evolution of business into a large organization a network that contains workforce that is distributed over diverse locations and time zones. These working forms have continually created new cultures and forms of belonging, over and above, gaining identity. In light of the network society, social network has enormously contributed to a global village as would be expected.  

Modifications to the National School Lunch Program Essay Example for Free

Modifications to the National School Lunch Program Essay Introduction Recent modifications made to the National School Lunch Program menu have caused controversy all across the nation. In last year The National School Lunch program have been under scrutiny and major changes have been made to the ingredients and preparation of school lunches. The USDA reports that the all the modifications to the school lunches are focus towards improving the health of all school age children, contributing to the fight against childhood obesity and succinctly to improve the health of all children across the nation. This research would explore the history of the different federal agencies involve in the national nutritional services, the most comprehensive changes in the school nutritional environment , the old and new menus choices and how changes are impacting students (National School Lunch Program,[NSLP] 2012). Research Statement According to the Unites States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service the recent changes to the National School Lunch program have been an important aid in the fight against childhood obesity and to help change student eating habits towards a healthier approach. In the last 4 years the Senate of the United Stated has proposed different legislature changes to the National School Lunch menu allowing millions of dollars to contribute towards a healthier approach modifying what student age children are consuming during school hours. The most comprehensive changes have been oriented towards reducing fat, sugar and sodium, and including more vegetable as part of the daily school cafeteria menu (United States Department of Agriculture, [USDA] 2012). Initial Research Question How the recent changes to the national school lunch program can improve the student’s health? By analyzing the recent changes to the national school lunch program we will be able to compare some of the differences between some the new and improve school lunch menu and how these changes are impacting students across the nation. Review of literature The National School Lunch Act was a law established under the administration of President Harry Truman in 1946. The original purpose of the act was to help local farmers with surplus produce and using these foods to feed school age children. After reviewing the principles of the act, members of the senate requested the establishment of a national program that under the guidelines of the National School Lunch Act, would oversee all operations associated with school lunch meals, reason for the creation of the National School Lunch program. The National School lunch program manages one of the largest federally assisted meal programs that provides nutritionally balanced meals free or at low cost to school age children. The national school lunch program takes cash subsides and foods provided by the U.S Department of Agriculture, in return the national school lunch program must meet nutritional federal requirements and most important must offer meals free or at low cost to all student age children. According to reported statistics from the U.S Department of Agriculture the National School Lunch feeds over 30 million students each day (NSLP, 2012) There is no doubt that the student nutrition subject has been an important topic of national concern in the history of our country. In 1966, The Child Nutrition Act was a law signed by President Lyndon B Johnson, encouraged by a national concern over nutrition in school age children. The Child Nutrition Act became to be an instrument to facilitate the process of meeting nutritional needs of children under the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program. The act also helped established the school based breakfast program providing free breakfast for children in public and nonprofit schools, during the signing of this act president Johnson use a famous phrase that would change forever the futures of national school lunches â€Å"Good food is essential to good learning† (USDA, 2012) U.S Department of Agriculture is a federal funded division who is responsible to all operations in the nation pertaining to farming agriculture and food. Better known as the USDA the department not only promotes and helps farming and agriculture issues but ensures food safety across the nation. The USDA is one of the oldest federally department created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. The USDA oversees a vast amount of operative units in the united states including the USDA Food and Nutritional Services who major goal is to provide healthy food to families in need, the department also collaborate closely with the National School Lunch program providing foods that are of nutritional value (USDA, 2012) On December 13th, 2010 President Obama sign into a law the Healthy, Hunger –Free Act of 2010. This act was creating to combat the alarming rates of childhood obesity cases in the U.S. The now law came to update the school meals standards who reflected very little changes in nutrition in the last 15 years, the HHFK Act also had an impact on the USDA, changing the foods providing to the National School lunch program and succinctly reflecting changes in meal nutritional standards in schools across the nation. In the 2009 a review from the Institute of Medicine recommended several updates to the National School lunch menus, the review found that the school cafeteria menus were not meeting the dietary guidelines for school age children stated by the U.S Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services (Healthy Hunger-Free Act, [HHFA] 2012) In 2011 the USDA proposed new regulations based on the finding of the Institute of Medicine of the United States. The process of modification of the school cafeteria menus begin slowly but steady on schools across the nation, the changes included whole grain servings on all meals; reduce saturated fat sugar and sodium, and more fresh fruit and vegetables. Elizabeth Ippel, executive director of The Academy of Global Citizenship in Chicago, talks about the important of nutrition’s â€Å"good nutrition is essential and a very integral component to effective learning†. The changes are significant and according to Mrs. Ippel the students are responding positive to the modifications (Leamy, 2012) Here’s an example of a before and after lunch menu: BeforeAfter Breaded beef patty on a white roll Baked Fish Nuggets Fruit popsicleWhole wheat roll Low fat milkMashed potatoes Broccoli Peaches Skim Milk Discussion On December 13, 2010 president Obama signed into law 111-296 the Healthy Hunger –Free Act of 2010. The act is one of the most comprehensive proposals in the school nutritional environment in over 15 years; the main goal of this law is to update school meals nutritional standards to help combat childhood obesity and help students achieve healthy eating habits. Beginning in July 2012 the new lunch meal pattern will be in effect changing what students will be consuming during lunch in the school year 2012-2013.The new proposed meal components includes key changes for children K and above, these changes requires that school lunches offer a daily variety of whole grains, fruit and vegetables. In the fruit category, each meal provided by school cafeterias must include  ½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits, prepared or compound with water and not syrup.  ½ of vegetables on each meal is another requirement in the daily school lunch menus; the new regulations required a variety of vegetable groups including: dark green, red/orange, legumes, starchy and other vegetables. On the area of whole grains, breads and cereals are required on each meal as long as the food item includes more than 8 grams of grains. The act has also limit the amount of flavored milks opting for only low fat milk during meals. Calories are also under a scope view limiting the calorie ranges according to age groups. Trans-fat is banned completely from school cafeteria menus and the act has also a plan to limit sodium gradually over the next decade, to reach the goal of keeping sodium at a no more than 600 mg per meal, equal to a diet frozen meal (HHFKA, 2012). The changes in the cafeteria school menu are impacting students and teachers equally, besides of more nutritional value, the new menus now offered more quantity amounts of healthier foods, satisfying the hunger of millions of students and reflecting healthier attitudes in the classrooms. LuAnn Coenen from Appleton Central High School in Wisconsin cheers the new regulations in the cafeteria menus and states† Since the introductions of the new food program, I have noticed and enormous difference in the behavior of my students in the classroom,†Ã¢â‚¬ I can say without hesitation that it’s changed my job as principal†. It seems that less sugary foods and drinks are impacting student’s behavior. An associate professor of education at the Lehigh university conducted a study of over 2000 lunchrooms across the nations, the conclusions indicated that healthier and less sugary meals carries a calmer atmosphere in the classroom this calmer demeanor is reflects when students go back to the classrooms creating a trickling effect. Taylor a student from Appleton High commented about the changes she felt since the cafeteria menus changed â€Å"I’d say being able to concentrate better†. Susan Graham principal from Melrose Elementary in Tampa Florida confirms that her discipline referrals have decreased 50 % â€Å"We get a lot more done, I think it’s a lot more efficient work environment for all of us,† Grahams said (abcnews,2012). Berger (2005) wrote about the importance of a well balanced meal for the proper development of children’s brain development, and how school meal programs played an important rolled in children’s brain development, by providing a well balanced meal while in school children can achieve proper brain development a subsequently their ability to learn will be maximized (Berger, 2005). The changes happening in schools cafeterias might seem insignificant, but replacing extra-cheese pizza, deep fried chicken for whole wheat pizza and baked fish nuggets, represent a huge step towards making students healthy. Some modifications to the school lunch menu have happened slowly and some hidden from students, like replacing full fat cheese with a low fat mozzarella cheese in the pizzas, as well as using whole wheat bread on grill cheese sandwiches. Dr. Saira Jan a Rutgers University Professor (2006) comments on children obesity and diabetes rising numbers â€Å"Kids choose from what they are offered. They are hungry, they will eat. You can offer carrots or French fries. We have a big health-care problem. We can’t just talk about it† (Weekly Reader, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion the overall national concern over childhood obesity and the rising rate of diseases in children related to overweight issues is currently being addressed by different entities in charge of school nutrition. The National School lunch program has and will make modification on the students’ lunch menu to feed students healthier foods in the effort to fight childhood obesity. Even though there has been mixed opinions about the effectiveness of the lunch menu modifications, the HHFKA guidelines demonstrate how References About USDA. (2012). United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ABOUT_USDA Berger, Kathleen. (2005).The Developing Person Throughout the Lifespan. 6th ed.Worth. 140-142 Child Nutritional Act.(2012). United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf Food Fight! Should School Lunches be healthier? Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication,17 Feb.(2006) Retrieved from Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. (2012).United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/cnr_2010.htm Questions Answers on the Final Rule, â€Å"Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs†(2012).United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Policy-Memos/2012/SP10-2012osr2.pdf Lazor, K., Chapman, N., Levine, E. (2010).No.80. Vol.4. 200-206 Soy Goes to School: Acceptance of Healthful, Vegetarian Options in Maryland Middle School Lunches. Journal Of School Health. Leamy, Elizabeth.(2011). Exclusive: USDA to Announce Healthier New School Lunch Guidelines. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ConsumerNews/usda-announce-school-lunch-guidelines/story?id=12603193 Mary Bruce. (2010). Coming Soon? Healthier School Lunches. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/healthier-school-lunches-senate-approves-45-billion-bill/story?id=11345256 Mcginn, D., Popescu, R. (2007).No 150. Vol.17. Unlucky Charms At Lunch. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://mediacast.usw.edu:8045/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA169875850v=2.1u=nm _a_elinit=rp=ITOFsw=w National School Lunch Program.(2012).United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/ Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, No 17, Vol.77. (2012). United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf Students behave better with healthy lunches. (2012). Abc. go. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/AmericanFamily/story?id=125404page=1

Enlightenment and Modernism in Art

Enlightenment and Modernism in Art Some people would describe the period of Modernism the latest and absolutely new movement in art, which appeared in 1850s and lasted until the 1970s. However, if looking at this period of time more careful, it becomes obvious that it is not just an art movement, it is the whole worlds evolution within different contexts. I would say an epoch of Modernism is the start point of not only the worlds biggest changes and revolutions but also of human minds evolution. This essay is showing my review of the topic What is Modernism. First part of it contains the explanation of my own understandings of the modernist period of 1850-1970s, based on research I have produced. My second part includes a review of selected Modernist object that I have found in Victoria and Albert Modernist permanent collection when visiting a museum. In this part I described The Festival Pattern Group of 1951, its historical relation to my timeline and the wallpaper Boric Acid 8.34 as a particular example from the mu seums collection. The third part is a paragraph concerning the description of The Beatles band and their album Let It Be within the context of You say you want a Revolution (1966-1970) exhibition. In addition to my review, I also explained my own appeal to those objects and why I considered they are important to write about. Conclusion is the last part of my essay that is summarizing all parts together in a thought-provoking way. The period of Enlightenment or in other words, the Age of Reason, is time when politics, philosophy, science, and communications were radically reoriented. Philosophers argued the human natures origin, scientists invented new technologies, and politicians were involved in revolutions where wars took place (Crouch, 1999). During this period of time many intellectuals achieved great accomplishments and contribution. For example, Sir Francis Bacon1, an English philosopher, argued that people should avoid misleading tendencies that distort truths. As a result, he became one of the leading figures in the English Scientific Revolution (The Enlightenment: Sir Francis Bacon, 2017). Another significant philosopher-mathematician who influenced rationalism was Rene Descartes2. Both of them are considered as Fathers of the Enlightenment (Biography Online, 2017). Age of Reason affected Christianity, and as a result, two distinguishable schools of religion occurred: Rational supernaturalism and De ism (Newworldencyclopedia.org, 2017). At the same time there was an anti-religious innovation when people argued that universe determines its own course, rather than with the help of Gods intervention (Newworldencyclopedia.org, 2017). Moreover, it was time of experimentation and reason, questions and answers. The Enlightenment was a period when the solar system was completely discovered with the help of Newtons theory of universal gravitation (Mo Lea, 2016). The French Revolution of 1789 was a political outcome of the Age of Reason when Louis XVI was executed and Napoleon Bonaparte began his dictatorship (Mo Lea, 2016). Culmination of the Enlightenment led to the bloody terror. In the decades surrounding all these revolutions and violence, the visual arts, like other realms of culture, experienced radical change and experimentation. An epoch after Enlightenment is an epoch of Modernism. In Art History the period of Modernism started in 1850s and lasted for 120 years until the 1970s (Crouch, 1999). It is time of re-appropriation, rejection of tradition in light of new social and political advances created in the industrialized world (Mo Lea, 2016). When comparing the works before and after this period, a dramatic change can be seen: realistic images changed to abstract representations of subject. This is mostly due to invention of the first Kodak camera by George Eastman in 1888 (Kodak.com, 2017). Before the invention of photography, the primary role of the painter was to record people and events as accurately as possible. However, now artists could start experimenting with aesthetics the philosophy of beauty (Visual-arts-cork.com, 2017). Moreover, they grouped into movements according to their particular aesthetics. There are many discussions on who is the modern arts founder: is it Edouard Manet3 (1832-1883) or Paul Cezanne5 (1839-1906) (Jones, 2017). Personally, I consider both of them as Fathers of Modernism. Paul Cezanne did much afford to develop new kind of artistic-analytical practice that led to abstract art. Moreover, his works directly inspired Picasso and Braque in Cubist experiments (The Art Story, 2017). Edouard Manets painting Luncheon on the Grass6 (1863) was shocking and obscene. Furthermore, this paintings technique was contrary to the accepted academic style which also led to new modernist representation of objects (Manet.org, 2017). Freedom of expression and primitivism with bizarre effects are characteristic to Modernism era (Crouch, 1999). In addition, if looking at art pieces of different modernist movements, new materials and techniques were used more often. The most decisive events in the world were the WWI (1914-1918) and WWII (1939-1945), which divided up modern art in three groups: Pre-War, Interwar, and Post-War Modern Art. According to this division, the Pre-War art period started with Impressionism (1870-1890) that changed to Post-Impressionism (1880-1905), which gave place to Symbolism (1880s-early 1910), Art Nouveau (late 1880s-1910), Fauvism (1899-1908), Art Deco (1900-1945), Expressionism (1905-1933), Cubism (1907-1922), and Futurism (1909-1920s) (The Art Story, 2017). The year of 1851 is a birth year of first international exhibition of manufactured objects, named as Great Exhibition (later Victoria and Albert Museum) and organized by inventor Henry Cole and Prince Albert in Hyde Park, Britain (Mo Lea, 2016). Sometime later the first practical sound recording and reproduction device, known as mechanical phonograph cylinder was invented (1877) (Mo Lea, 2016). Moreover, by the beginning of 1900th technical manufacture progresse d: the first successful airplane was invented in 1903 (Mo Lea, 2016). An outcome of such inventions was Industrial Revolution. Eiffel Tower became an emblem of engineering and technology built on the 100thanniversary of French Revolution (Mo Lea, 2017). The years of WWI and WWII were the most horrific that affected society and the world in whole. In 1917, while Interwar period, there was Russian Revolution and, as a result, new communist government created the country of the Soviet Union with Joseph Stalins leadership (Ducksters.com, 2017). Furthermore, all women were now given equal rights along with men. By early 1921, Adolf Hitler becomes the Nazi Partys Leader (Historyplace.com, 2017). Avant-garde, which is experimental art, was misunderstood and rejected by Communist government and Nazi Party due to that kind of works were not found aesthetically pleasing. Moreover, many works by modern artists were labeled Degenerate and destroyed (Filmfest716, 2017). As speed was becoming the most important thing during this time, modern lifes dynamism influenced artists and new movements occurred: Constructivism (1915-1930s), Dada (1916-1924), De Stijl (1917-1931), Surrealism (1924-1966) (The Art Story, 2017). As there was political instability in a world, many artists represented war and peace in their works, such as Pablo Picassos weeping woman6 painted in 1937 was a kind of his respond to horrific bombing at Guernica, taken place at the time of the Spanish Civil War (Mo Lea, 2016). The most influential art and design school of the 20th century was Bauhaus (1919-1933), established by German architect Walter Gropius. His concept was very revolutionary: he wanted to combine architecture, sculpture and painting with crafts and engineering to create a new style that would unite beauty and usefulness (world, 2017). Many full-length films were produced during this decade, such as Metropolis (1927) German expressionist science-fiction drama directed by Fritz Lang and influenced by Bauhaus, Cubism and Futurism (Mo Lea, 2017). During the Post-War years, more and more artists started moving from Paris to New York. In 1947 Jackson Pollock created new way of abstraction painting through applying layers and drips of opaque paint. Such abstractions were also represented by other artists, which led to new Abstract Expressionist movements establishment (1943-1945). Another group of artists encouraged viewers to use critical thinking when observing absurd abstract works of Neo-Dada movement (1952-1970). As because there were mostly men in art industry, women artists were concerned with equal representation in art institutions; so feminist artists of 1960s combined aspects of various movements into Feminist art works that message about the need of gender equality. Another part of the wider conceptual art movement in the 1960s and 1970s was Pop Art. Artists, such as Andy Warhol, embraced the post-war manufacturing and media boom to create their own style. Alongside with Pop Art, popular was Op Art (1964) that stress ed on illusion. In comparison with long-lasted movements, there were some that lasted for less than a decade, such as Minimalism (1960s) (The Art Story, 2017). However, new ideas and styles were represented not only in paintings and architecture but almost in every medium. Quite popular movement in 1960s was becoming Earth Art, which is sculpting of the land using natural materials, such as rocks (Mo Lea, 2017). One of the most famous land art works is Robert Smithsons Spiral Jetty 7 (1970), which I concern as a very attractive and unique art style. While art world was developing, there were some political instabilities on the background, such as African-American Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Their goal was to stop discrimination concerning education, voting rights, and social segregation (Scholastic.com, 2017). Another important event in US history at Post-War modernist period was Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrins moon landing experience (1969) (Nasa.gov, 2017). By the end of the Modernism period there were many inventions and establishments made, however, it continues to expand in Post-Modern society. Nowadays, there are lots of museums, such as Guggenheim Museum founded in 1937 by Solomon R. Guggenheimand VA Museum in Britain, where people can observe preserved collections. Personally, I am pleased that I had opportunity to visit Victoria and Albert Modernist permanent collection not a long time ago. An exhibition included objects not only from the mid period of Modernism but also from the Post-War years. As the timeframe I was given lies up to the 1970s, I am going to make a review about The Festival Pattern Group of 1951 because in comparison with other projects and movements, this one was the most pleasing that I found. Moreover, I was very amazed with the concept of bringing together science and art. The particular object I found amazing is wallpaper Boric Acid 8.348 designed by William J. Odell and manufactured in 1951 by John Line Sons Ltd for the Festival of Britain (Jackson, 2008). Its design remains the crystalline structure of boric acid (Jackson, 2008). The reason why it appeals to me is because I like its colour scale as much as the whole concept. The print looks fascinating and fashionable, as far as scientific and enigmatic. I like how ye llow, red, white, and dark-green colours work together. Its roots belong to The Festival Pattern Group (FPG) which was an organization formed in 1949 and consisted of 28 manufacturers, X-ray crystallographers and designers working conjointly and inspiring each other (Pattern BeneathThe Surface. The Festival Pattern Group, 2017). According to Mary Schoesers explanations, this project allowed ordinary people get closer to science through the visual language of the patterns of atomic structures (Wellcome Collection, 2008). As the years after WWII were the years of turmoil, British government wanted to make people feel recovered. So in 1951 FPG was the subject of an exhibition at the Festival of Britain. Banham and Hillier (1976) outline that Festival of Britain was considered by people differently: to some, it was a glorious monument to the future; however, others called it a tawdry carnival and were worried that it will set British design on the wrong course for years. However, in the words of Sir Gerald Barry, Director-General of the Festival, it provided A Tonic to the Nation (Stewart, 1987). As my chosen object relates to FPG, I would say that its aim turned out really well, especially by the example of wallpapers that bring science and design together. In addition, even scientists, whose names were not credited in order to protect their scientific reputations, were positively astonished with the result (Jackson, 2008). In my opinion, the particular object I described is very distinctive and deserves to be a part of VA Modernist permanent collection. As because 1950s and 1960s were decades of rapid change, it is important to show people that good design ideas can come from absolutely every field. As one of the advantages, manufacturers wanted to increase Britains export power through production of new, intriguing patterns for textiles, wallpapers, floor coverings etc. Such production promoted increased interest in exploring micro materials and nanotechnology, which is fully developed nowadays (Festival Pattern Group, 2017). It proved that science and art can match and truly impact each other. The historical background of the Fifties and Sixties was vast. One of the most important events in British history is the date of Queen Elizabeths II coronation that happened on the 2nd June 1953. Almost every aspect of society was affected by revolutionary changes: teenagers were given a voice and freedom to do what they wanted, so drugs became more commonly used. Very influential ideology was becoming feminism: more jobs became available to young women. Moreover, they were free to wear attractive mini. By the late 1960s very vivid colours and prints were more popular, that became considered as a hippie style (The 1960s. The Decade That Shook Britain. 2017). In conclusion of this part I would say that such revolutionary Modernist ages continue up to nowadays. Furthermore, 1951 Festival of Britain and FPGs collection, which we can observe today in Victoria and Albert museum, is only one of the examples of how British design evolved. There are many exhibitions taken place at the VA museum and one of the most recent ones is You say you want a Revolution of 1966-1970. In this part of my essay I am going to write a review about the influence of the popular musical band The Beatles9and their album Let It Be in particular. I really love the expression by composer Aaron Copland: If you want to know about the Sixties, play the music of the Beatles. (Broackes and Marsh, 2016). I strongly believe that all those revolutions that took place in different areas, such as fashion, music, festivals or human rights protests between the years of 1966 and 1970 shaped our modern society in the way we live today. The Beatles started their career in Liverpool in 1960 and the band consisted of four members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The Beatles are an excellent example of how music influenced younger generation of Sixties. Recreational drugs, such as marijuana and LSD were widely experienced by the band members and, as a result, by their followers. What is in common nowadays relating drugs, in my opinion, is that it is very difficult for people in show business to avoid becoming involved in a drug world and the saddest thing is that it encourages youth to follow their idols. In the decade of 1960s, LSD made people feel happy and, in addition, it promoted hippie movement (The 1960s. The Decade That Shook Britain. 2017). Moreover, the bands thick moustaches and longer hair were a marker of the hippy style that exists even nowadays (Broackes and Marsh, 2016). John Lennons song Give Peace a Chance showed people the pointless of war, and, as a result, young people of hippie movement started pursuing peace and freedom (The 1960s. The Decade That Shook Britain. 2017). Even if their career did not last long, the Beatles success definitely inspired society to start experimenting. Their last album Let It Be, recorded in May 1970, one month after the Beatles had broken up, shows visually their distinct separation: there are four individual portraits of band members on the album cover (Broackes and Marsh, 2016). The idea behind the album was meant to capture them singing live in the studio without any effects, however, due to re-production of the tracks, the idea was later changed by their producer (The Beatles, 2017). In my point of view, The Beatles is a legendary band that is still unforgotten and is still loved by many people in the world.ÂÂ   I am sure that if something was considered as a legend in a past, will definitely stay legend in the future. So, the exhibition You say you want a Revolution could not show all the revolutionary changes and impacts in the world without having the Beatlesstory and albums exhibited there. The importance of band being mentioned on the exhibition is very necessary due to it helps to understand the real scale of its influence on society. The affect of Beatles can be considered in three ways. Firstly, they affected society socially and culturally by bringing hippies together through music and festivals. Secondly, there was a political affect on society: spreading of drug culture and peace movements. Lastly, their intellectual affect promoted new beliefs showing people new ways of life. (Worldwide Hippies, 2017). The reason why I chose to write a review just about this particular band is because I love their music due to even while listening to their songs now, in modern society, their music still makes me dreaming of a better world. To sum up, the VAs exhibition You say you want a revolution made me feel deeply the years of 1966-1970. The content was very cognitive and visually representative: I could observe all the developments from the civil rights to multiculturalism, from the permissive society to feminism and gay liberation, from environmentalism to communality. In conclusion of my essay, I would like to highlight that an epoch of Enlightenment and Modernism was a period of re-appropriation, rejection, and revolution. From the architectural point of view, the start point of Modernism was the construction of Eiffel Tower and its end point was building up the Pompidou an iconic landmark in Paris that contains over 50000 works of art, including paintings, sculpture, drawings, and photography (Mo Lea, 2017). Moreover, I would consider the Modernism as one the most important time periods in history due to many inventions were created, crucial events took place, and variety of outcomes happened within different contexts. Such cultural processes and developments gave us our world of rapid communication, urbanization, and consumer goods. Each decade of the modernist timeframe influenced society differently. My favourite time period of Modernism is the decade of Fifties and Sixties because these years are Post-War years of recovery and big social re volutions. My review of The Festival Pattern Group and The Beatles serve as an evidence of that. Each of them represented different cultural impact alongside with development of new ideology. Both of them served as recovery for people: objects made by The Festival Pattern Group were exhibited at the Festival of Britain, which was a diversion for people that helped to forget about horrifying years of war; The Beatles were considered to be idols for youth, nevertheless taking drugs. If we are talking about the period from 1850s until 1970s, so we are talking about revolutionary term. I would like to sum up my essay with Charles Dickens interpretation of this vast period (Broackes and Marsh, 2016): It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct to other way 1. (Francis Bacon n.d.) 2. (Rene Descartes n.d.) 5. (Luncheon on the Grass by Edouard Manet 1863) 7. (Gorgoni n.d.) 8. (Boric Acid 8.34 1951) 9. (The Beatles n.d.)

Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions

Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions 2.1 INTRODUCTION The effectiveness of any organization in general, is a direct function of the quality of the individuals who make up that organization. The knowledge, skills, abilities, and commitment of the members of the organization together constitute the most critical factor in the development and implementation of work plans and the delivery of products and services. Without the full commitment of its employees, an organization cannot accomplish its objectives. Consequently, the attraction, organization, development and motivation of employees which is the personnel function of management are a central responsibility at all levels of management that is from the chief executive to the first line supervisor. 2.2 WHAT IS PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT? There are many definitions of personnel management, but all basically say that it is: attracting and developing competent employees and creating the organizational conditions which result in their full utilization and encourages them to put forth their best efforts.1 In any organization, there has to be someone concerned with the welfare and performance of persons who are a part of the operation. When an individual or a team of individuals takes on this task of seeing to programs and setting policies that impact everyone associated with the company, they are engaged in the process of personnel management, sometimes referred to as human resources management, According to Franklin A., personnel management is based on careful handling of relationships among individuals at work and is the art of forecasting, acquiring, developing and maintaining competent workforce so that the organization derives maximum benefit in terms of performance and efficiency.2 Personnel Management is that part of management which is concerned with, people at work and their relationship within the organization. It can also be defined as that aspect of an organization, which is concerned with obtaining the best possible staff for the origination, looking after them so well that they will like to remain in the organization and give off their best in their jobs. It has to do with how best to use the skills and intelligence of people towards the achievement of organizational objectives.3 From the definitions quoted by various management experts in the past or present, the inference that we derive is that personnel management aims at attaining maximum efficiency and to yield maximum benefits to the organization. Two major points about personnel management are implied in this definition. First, effective personnel management must be future oriented. Support for organizational objectives now and for the foreseeable future must be provided through a steady supply of competent and capable employees. Second, effective personnel management is action oriented. The emphasis must be placed on solution of employment issues and problems to support organizational objectives and facilitate employee development and satisfaction To sum up, Personnel management aims at achieving these major steps: Analyzing the plan for future action and expansion. Estimating the quantitative and qualitative aspects of labour. Assessing the requirement of existing manpower or human resource. Formulating the plan for effective utilization of manpower, reducing under utilization or mis-utilization of manpower which is one of the most important resources. Finalizes the planning for recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, training and development. Organizational effectivenes Basically Personnel management has certain goals and objectives to fulfill which includes; Creating a congenial and healthy environment for employees or workers to function effectively. To bring about organizational and human resource development through training, development programmes or even managerial succession planning. Selection and placement of right number of people and ensuring proper allocation of duties and responsibilities upon them. Creating better inter-personal relations, developing a sense of responsibility and responsiveness amongst workers and employees. Boosting the morale and sense of initiative amongst employees. Adopting best techniques or conceivable methods to bring best possible development of workers on work. 2.2.1 Functions of the Personnel Department A well-organized personnel department of an organization performs the following functions. Typically personnel work is concerned with: i. Manpower Planning: This is the first function of the personnel department. It has to do with the process by which a firm ensures that the required staff in terms of qualification and number is available at the right time. It involves determining personnel needs in relations to the objectives of the organization. It therefore deals with the qualification or education, skills and the appropriate number of personnel a firm should engage. It is therefore the process of assessing, predicting, or forecasting an organizations manpower needs in a relation to its plans. ii. Employment/Recruitment: After the manpower needs of the organization have been determined, the next stage is the make an attempt to employ the right caliber of personnel into the organization. This involves identifying sources of labour supply, carrying out recruitment, selection and placement into the organization. iii. Education/Training and Development: The personnel department is responsible for the training, education and the development of employees. It is the training needs have been determined, it is the responsibility of the department to design an appropriate programme by determining the method to be used, the course content, the duration and the institution or person to conduct the training. Training enables employees to adjust to new trends, improve their performance on the job and prepare them for promotion. iv. Wage and salary administration: Wage and salary Administration is one of the important functions of the personnel department. It is responsible for designing equitable and attractive wage and salary schemes for employees in an organization. It also determines how overtime payments. Bonuses and other fringe benefits are to be paid. It is also responsible for surveying the labour market and making the necessary changes and adjustments to the wage and salary structures to reflect the wages and salaries policies of the government of the day. v. Health, Safety and Welfare of Employment:- Another important function of the Personnel department is to ensure that there are measures to take care of the health, safety and welfare of its employees. It ensures these by providing first-aid facilities, good ventilation, lighting, drainage and proper working conditions. It also provides protective gadgets for employees to reduce the occurrence of accidents and injuries. Canteen, sports, transport, pension schemes, group insurance schemes and other recreational programmmes are provided for the welfare of its employees. vi. Industrial Relations: The personnel department plays an important role in maintaining a cordial and harmonium working relationship between workers and management. The term industrial relations are used to describe the relationship that exists between employers, employees (trade unions) and the government. Performance appraisal: organizing the appraisal process to identify development needs of employees. Personnel administration: record-keeping and monitoring of legislative requirements related to equal opportunities and possibly pensions and tax. Communication: providing an internal information service, perhaps in the form of staff newspapers or magazines, handouts, booklets, videos. 2.3 EMPLOYMENT PROCESS The employment process which is also referred to as the recruitment process involves a number of activities which are undertaken to engage the right caliber of personnel for an organization. It is therefore concerned with the employment and maintenance of qualified and efficient labour force. Employment therefore involves recruitment, selection and placement. The recruitment and selection process involves recruitment, interrelated activities which include the following. 2.3.1 RECRUITMENT It is the process of acquiring applicants who are available and qualified to fill positions in the organization.1 Recruitment refers to the first step in staffing, which is finding people.2 Sources of recruitment refer to the various avenues from which the personnel manager may recruit or employ labour. Recruits are obtained from a variety of sources. There source are divided into two main categories, namely internal and external sources. Pieter Grobler (page 167) Sources of Recruitment Internal Source Sources of potential candidates are many and varied, but a good starting point is to consider any internal candidates who might be suitable for the post. The exercise whereby the required manpower is obtained within the organization is the internal source. This may take the form of promoting a qualified worker to a higher position as they occur. Advantages of Internal Source There is less risk of error in selection and placement It boosts the morale of employees and encourages them it work hard It is quicker, cheaper and less risky than an outside appointment The recruit fits in with the culture of the organization; he knows â€Å"how we do things here† The individual also knows the people, systems and the business and thus the induction period will be quicker Disadvantages of Internal Source No new ideas, creativity or challenge to the culture and systems It tends to ignore qualified candidates who are not within the system A post will still need filling-the persons old post. That is he will create another vacancy The person may not be the best, qualified or most able candidate External Source Depending on management policy and the type of job involved. Management has a number of options available for obtaining people from outside the organization. These include: Educational Institutions: Organization and companies sometimes recruit fresh graduates from schools, colleges, polytechnics and the universities. Private Employment Agencies: Employers who cannot go through the process of recruitment engage consulting firms to do the recruitment for them. Labour Department: this is a public agency found in almost all regional scapitals where employees in search of employment and employers searching for employees go to register. An arrangement is then made to link the employer with the prospective employee. Advertisements: This is the most common and popular source of external recruitment where companies announce their employment opportunities through the newspapers, magazines, journals, radio and television. Unsolicited Applicant: People who are seeking for jobs sometimes apply to organizations without being aware of vacancies in those organizations. If there are vacancies, the applicant may be asked to go through the screening process. Where vacancies are not immediately available, his name will be placed on the waiting list. Employment Referrals:- Companies sometime announce job vacancies to their staff and ask them to recommend friends, relatives and neighbours who might be in need of employment and possess the required qualification and skill. Advantages of External Source It leads to the employment of people with new knowledge and ideas It leads to the employment of qualified and suitable people to fill vacant posts It promotes good will Its scope of selection is widened Disadvantages of External Sources It is costly and time consuming It may lead to low morale especially where there are qualified people within the organization The risk of making wrong selection is very high 2.3.2 JOB ANALYSIS It is the determination of the essential characteristics of a job. It is therefore a process of determining the nature of the job and the skills, knowledge, experiences and abilities of the person who is supposed to perform the job. It therefore contains information such as task performed, machines and equipment to be used, materials, products or services involved, training skills, knowledge and personal traits required of the worker. Job analysis therefore describes both the worker and the job so that there are no questions about who is doing what within the firm. Franklin A. (page 156) When undertaken carefully, job analysis could be used to; It provides the information necessary for recruitment, selection and placement of employees. It can be used to get an idea of the acceptable level of performance for each job (performance appraisal) It is used to device and implement training and development programmes It provides an opportunity to uncover and identify hazardous conditions Jobs may be analyzed in order to ensure that employees are fairly compensated The components of job analysis include. A. Job Description It specifies the duties and requirements of the job. This is a broad statement describing the purpose, scope, duties and responsibilities of a particular job. It states the title and location of the hob, grade/salary level of the job, limits of authority, number of subordinates, physical working conditions, machines, tools and equipment used, product or service produced etc. it typically portrays job content. In short, it summarizes all the basic tasks that are required to be performed on a job. A job description is what the worker does. Franklin A. (page 167) Importance of Job Description Each employee gets to know what is expected of him. It helps to avoid overlapping. It helps determine the rate of pay which is fair for the job. It helps in appraising and training employees It makes it possible for new employees to be given orientation with regards to their duties and responsibilities. It provides information from which particular hob vacancies can be advertised It guides the personnel manager in the development of job specification SELECTION This is the process by which an organization chooses from a list/pool of applicants the person who best meets the job and organizational requirements. The main objective of the selection process is to sort out those judged qualified for the job. (a) Selection Procedure i. Application Forms Applicants who reply to job advertisements are usually asked to fill in a job application form, or to send a letter giving details about themselves and their previous job experience (Curriculum Vitae or (C.V). An application form is used to find out relevant information about the applicant. It tells the organization whether or not an applicant is worthy of an interview or a test of some kind. Information usually required of candidates include; Personal data, educational background, work experience, date of birth, interests and hobbies. An applicant who is deemed suitable on this evidence becomes a candidate for interview. ii. Application Screening (Short-listing) The screening stage involves the sorting out or elimination of those applicants judged unqualified for the job. The personnel manager receives the filled application forms, and then screens them to determine those who are qualified to be invited for interview. This becomes necessary since all types of applications are received when jobs are advertised. This stage is also referred to as short-listing. It is done by marching all the applications against the employers requirements. iii. Selection Tests Selection tests are used to supplement other techniques. The tests are usually handled by fully qualified industrial psychologists. It is a practical examination to determine whether an applicant is suitable for the job. The assumption behind the administration of the tests is that a candidate who scores well in the test will more likely succeed in the job. Types of test The types of tests commonly used include:- i. Intelligence Tests: Their aim is to measure the applicants general intellectual ability. That is they are designed to measure his thinking abilities. They may test the applicants memory, ability to think quickly and logically, and skill at solving problems. ii. Aptitude Tests: These are designed to predict an individuals potential for performing a job or learning new skills. They are widely used to obtain information about such skills as mechanical ability, clerical and numerical ability. It measures a persons ability to do something given a good training. iii. Psychological tests: Psychological tests may measure a variety of characteristics such as an applicants skill in dealing with other people, ambition and motivation or emotional stability. They usually consist of questionnaires asking respondents to state their interest in or preference for jobs, leisure activities etc. Proficiency Tests: Proficiency tests are the most closely related test to an assessors objectives, because they measure ability to do the work involved iv. Medical Tests: Medical tests are carried out to determine the physical fitness of the applicant and whether he has any hidden diseases. Candidates who might have contagious diseases will be rejected. INTERVIEW Interview is a conversation or verbal interaction between two or more people for a particular purpose. Interviewing is a crucial part of the selection process because it gives the organization an opportunity to assess the applicant directly, and it gives the applicant an opportunity to learn more about the organization and whether he or she wants the job Objectives of Interview It gives the employer an opportunity to obtain information about each applicant and to assess his suitability for the job. It enables the employer to cross-check the applicants original documents or educational certificates. It enables the employer to have a critical view of the physical appearance of the applicant It also gives him an opportunity to determine the applicants level of intelligence. It provides the applicant an opportunity to know more about the organization, the job and the employees of the organization. References (Background Investigations) References provide further confidential information about the prospective employee. Prospective candidates are normally asked to submit references who can be contacted when the need arises. Such references include: schools, colleges, universities, former employers (if any) and relatives. The use of reference compels employees to be honest in supplying information about themselves to an organization. References are brief statements about a candidate made by a third party usually the candidates superior. These statements are used to confirm information supplied by applicants on application forms. Placement This is the stage where the new employee is placed on the job. He is assigned to an officer and a superior if he is a clerical worker. It is the responsibility of the superior to give the new employee in-service training where necessary and to provide a schedule of duties. Induction This may be conducted by the personnel manager and it is the process of orientating the selected applicant into his or her new working environment. It takes the form of introducing new employees to existing staff, visits to the plants and other departments, informing him/her about his duties and responsibilities, as well as the policies and objective of the organization. Induction simply means the introduction of a new employee into his or her job or organization Job Changes The post recruitment functions of the personnel manager includes transfers, promotions, demotions and termination. i. Transfers:- This occurs when employees have been assigned to another branch, department or to another job involving similar responsibilities, skills and remuneration. The transfer could be from one department to another or one station to another. It may be used to correct an error made during the recruitment process. Reasons for transfers The close down of a branch or department may call for a transfer Self request by an employee because of his inability to relate well with co-workers of lack of interest in his job or for purposes of frequent medical check-ups due to sickness. Transfer may be used as a punishment device A person may also be transferred to take up a new appointment A fall in the level of production may also necessitate the re-allocation of employees. ii. Promotion Promotion may be defined as the transfer of an employee from one job to another which involves a greater responsibility and usually a higher reward (pay). In other words, it involves a change in status and usually means appointment to a higher grade with greater and more challenging responsibilities. It is an important aspect of management because it is through promotion that a worker obtains satisfaction and shows his desire to advance and develop. Promotion Policy Many large organizations have a policy of filling senior job positions from within the organization. Others also believe in recruitment from outside the organization. Every organization should however come out with a clear policy on promotion so that employees know in advance the criteria to be used in promotion. Normally promotion is based on the following: Seniority (length of service) Practical ability (skill) General attitude and loyalty Education and qualification Personality or character Advantages of Promotion Promotion improves morale and motivation of employees in the organization. Promotion helps reduce labour-turn over in an organization It is seen as a reward for dedicated service, hard work, loyalty and obedience to rules and regulations of the organization. Fair promotions create a feeling of content among employees and retain their interest in the company. It helps employees to put in extra effort to help attain organizational objectives It improves the earning power and status of the employees Problems of promotion more qualified employees may be ignored or overlooked an employee adjudged competent when promoted may perform below expectation qualified personnel when overlooked in time of promotion may feel dejected and unrecognized. This may affect his morale and for that matter his overall performance. A worker who has a special interest in his/her job e.g. cashier in a financial institution may refuse to accept promotion. iii. Demotion It is the reduction in rank of an employee or the transfer of an employee to jobs with lower ranks backed by a reduction in salary. It therefore refers to a decrease in status as well as remuneration. Reasons For Demotion: Failure on the part of employees to live up to expectation (poor performance) Serious crime against the organization example; pilfering, fraud, leaking, organizational secrets to the advantage of competitors etc. It can also be based on indiscipline or disloyal to rules of the organization Serious or unfavourable business conditions may necessitate lay-offs and termination; some employees may accept demotion as an alternative. Problems of Demotion it leads to reduction employee status and remuneration it also creates morale problems for affected employees. Some affected employees may resign, leading to labour turn over and its associated problems, iv. LABOUR TURN OVER Labour turn over refers to the rate at which employees are leaving the business organization at a particular time and their replacement. It therefore describes the movement of workers into and out of employment of an organization in a in a given period of time It is calculated by: L x 100 A Where: L = Those leaving during the year A = Average number employed during the year or Average number on the companys payroll within that period. A high (index) labour turnover means more people leave the employment because of low morale. It could also mean a high proportion of the employment of women or scholars who have returned to college to pursue academic careers, death, pension etc. Causes of Labour Turn Over There are various causes of labour turn-over. Among them include the following: Discontentment (dissatisfaction) among employees as a result of poor working conditions, Lack of promotional avenues Poor leadership style Very long hours of work with little time for rest Unfairness and improper administration of disciplinary measures Poor wages and salaries Lack of opportunities for self advancement Boredom, wrong job assignment or lack of job satisfaction Lack of opportunity to express opinions to management and to participate in decision making. Problems of Labour Turn Over It brings about extra-expenditure, that is hiring and training of new employees Production rate is decreased and this tend to affect the volume of ales and profit margins It leads to overtime payment for extra man-hours spent on the job The money spent on training developing employees who have left goes down the drain There could be low morale for the remaining employees due to loss of old work mates and friends It takes a lot of time for workers to properly settle or fit into the system Solution To the causes of labour turnover A study or research should be conducted to identify which factors have been the cause of dissatisfaction and that have been responsible for the labour turnover. The following suggested solutions could be applied by individual companies. i. Companies should provide attractive wages and salaries to ensure that employees are above to meet their basic necessities. ii. There should also be improvement in the working conditions of workers. Protective clothes, canteen, transport, housing and medical facilities should be provided to cater for the welfare of workers. iii. There should also be opportunities for growth and development for employees, e.g study leave, provision of library facilities, promotion etc. iv. Joint consultation must be instituted to enable representatives of workers and employers meet to identify common problems and find solutions to them. 2.4 Termination of Employment Every employer has the option to terminate the employment of his employees but only on the grounds that certain conditions are meet e.g. giving of appropriate notice and payment of entitlements. Employees also have an option to resign from their present job and look for another provided they also satisfy certain conditions e.g. appropriate notice and proper handing over. There are ways by which a contract of employment may be terminated and they include: redundancy, dismissals, retirement and resignation. 2.4.1 Redundancy This is a situation where employees are asked to leave their employment because of lack of work. that is, the organization does not need their service any longer. Therefore when there is reduction in production and the workers are greater than what the organization needs, some are asked to leave employment. 2.4.2 Dismissal Dismissal is an act of sending an employee away form his employment because be is not qualified, undisciplined or is dishonest in his work. It is the permanent withdrawal of an employee from the services of a company. 2.4.3 Retirement It is the act of retiring or having stopped working after attaining a certain age. The age may either be contained in the companys policy or decision taken by the individual himself. 2.4.4 Resignation Resignation usually comes from employees. Resignation is the indication by the employee that he has ceased to be in the employment of the employer. 2.4.5 Lay Off This is a temporary withdrawal of employees from work due to shortage of raw materials, low demand for the companies products or services, or financial problems. These employees may be called back when the need arises. When conditions improve and some of the aid-off workers are invited to come back to work, it is known as recall. 2.5 EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2.5.1 Education This is usually intended to mean basic instructions in knowledge and skills designed to enable people make the most life in general. It is thus a process of training and instructing people in schools, colleges, Polytechnics, universities etc. which is designed to give knowledge and development of skills. At the end of the course, a certificate is given to those who pass their final examination. Education is therefore more personal and broadly based. 2.5.2 Development This suggests a broader view of knowledge and skills acquisition rather than training. It is less job-oriented and career-oriented. It sees employees as adaptable resources and thus concerned with preparing individuals with skills and experience to fill challenging higher level positions in the organization. 2.5.3 Training Training is job oriented rather than personal. Training involves a series of actions aimed at preparing an individual with skills to do a particular job. It may be defined as â€Å"the systematic development of the attitudes, knowledge and skill patterns required by an individual in order to perform adequately a given task or job† Methods of Training The main methods of training include: i. Apprenticeship Training This is a method of training where the apprentice under studies his master for a number of years, learning all the basic skills involved in the profession. This type of training is given to young people who have either completed school or who have not been to school. This type of training is common and popular in professions like tailoring, dressmaking, carpentry, driving and masonry. The apprentice pays a certain amount to his master and he is not paid during the period of his/her training but given allowance as and when necessary by his/her master. ii. Supervisory Training This type of training is give to employees who have been appointed supervisors or foremen. Supervisory training involves the teaching of supervisors or foremen the skill of getting work done through others. It is therefore meant to improve on their leadership skills and qualities. It takes place in an institute in the form of seminars or workshops with discussions on leadership, morale, development, directing, and health and safety measures. iii. Executive Training Personnel in middle management and top management positions are covered under this type Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions 2.1 INTRODUCTION The effectiveness of any organization in general, is a direct function of the quality of the individuals who make up that organization. The knowledge, skills, abilities, and commitment of the members of the organization together constitute the most critical factor in the development and implementation of work plans and the delivery of products and services. Without the full commitment of its employees, an organization cannot accomplish its objectives. Consequently, the attraction, organization, development and motivation of employees which is the personnel function of management are a central responsibility at all levels of management that is from the chief executive to the first line supervisor. 2.2 WHAT IS PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT? There are many definitions of personnel management, but all basically say that it is: attracting and developing competent employees and creating the organizational conditions which result in their full utilization and encourages them to put forth their best efforts.1 In any organization, there has to be someone concerned with the welfare and performance of persons who are a part of the operation. When an individual or a team of individuals takes on this task of seeing to programs and setting policies that impact everyone associated with the company, they are engaged in the process of personnel management, sometimes referred to as human resources management, According to Franklin A., personnel management is based on careful handling of relationships among individuals at work and is the art of forecasting, acquiring, developing and maintaining competent workforce so that the organization derives maximum benefit in terms of performance and efficiency.2 Personnel Management is that part of management which is concerned with, people at work and their relationship within the organization. It can also be defined as that aspect of an organization, which is concerned with obtaining the best possible staff for the origination, looking after them so well that they will like to remain in the organization and give off their best in their jobs. It has to do with how best to use the skills and intelligence of people towards the achievement of organizational objectives.3 From the definitions quoted by various management experts in the past or present, the inference that we derive is that personnel management aims at attaining maximum efficiency and to yield maximum benefits to the organization. Two major points about personnel management are implied in this definition. First, effective personnel management must be future oriented. Support for organizational objectives now and for the foreseeable future must be provided through a steady supply of competent and capable employees. Second, effective personnel management is action oriented. The emphasis must be placed on solution of employment issues and problems to support organizational objectives and facilitate employee development and satisfaction To sum up, Personnel management aims at achieving these major steps: Analyzing the plan for future action and expansion. Estimating the quantitative and qualitative aspects of labour. Assessing the requirement of existing manpower or human resource. Formulating the plan for effective utilization of manpower, reducing under utilization or mis-utilization of manpower which is one of the most important resources. Finalizes the planning for recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, training and development. Organizational effectivenes Basically Personnel management has certain goals and objectives to fulfill which includes; Creating a congenial and healthy environment for employees or workers to function effectively. To bring about organizational and human resource development through training, development programmes or even managerial succession planning. Selection and placement of right number of people and ensuring proper allocation of duties and responsibilities upon them. Creating better inter-personal relations, developing a sense of responsibility and responsiveness amongst workers and employees. Boosting the morale and sense of initiative amongst employees. Adopting best techniques or conceivable methods to bring best possible development of workers on work. 2.2.1 Functions of the Personnel Department A well-organized personnel department of an organization performs the following functions. Typically personnel work is concerned with: i. Manpower Planning: This is the first function of the personnel department. It has to do with the process by which a firm ensures that the required staff in terms of qualification and number is available at the right time. It involves determining personnel needs in relations to the objectives of the organization. It therefore deals with the qualification or education, skills and the appropriate number of personnel a firm should engage. It is therefore the process of assessing, predicting, or forecasting an organizations manpower needs in a relation to its plans. ii. Employment/Recruitment: After the manpower needs of the organization have been determined, the next stage is the make an attempt to employ the right caliber of personnel into the organization. This involves identifying sources of labour supply, carrying out recruitment, selection and placement into the organization. iii. Education/Training and Development: The personnel department is responsible for the training, education and the development of employees. It is the training needs have been determined, it is the responsibility of the department to design an appropriate programme by determining the method to be used, the course content, the duration and the institution or person to conduct the training. Training enables employees to adjust to new trends, improve their performance on the job and prepare them for promotion. iv. Wage and salary administration: Wage and salary Administration is one of the important functions of the personnel department. It is responsible for designing equitable and attractive wage and salary schemes for employees in an organization. It also determines how overtime payments. Bonuses and other fringe benefits are to be paid. It is also responsible for surveying the labour market and making the necessary changes and adjustments to the wage and salary structures to reflect the wages and salaries policies of the government of the day. v. Health, Safety and Welfare of Employment:- Another important function of the Personnel department is to ensure that there are measures to take care of the health, safety and welfare of its employees. It ensures these by providing first-aid facilities, good ventilation, lighting, drainage and proper working conditions. It also provides protective gadgets for employees to reduce the occurrence of accidents and injuries. Canteen, sports, transport, pension schemes, group insurance schemes and other recreational programmmes are provided for the welfare of its employees. vi. Industrial Relations: The personnel department plays an important role in maintaining a cordial and harmonium working relationship between workers and management. The term industrial relations are used to describe the relationship that exists between employers, employees (trade unions) and the government. Performance appraisal: organizing the appraisal process to identify development needs of employees. Personnel administration: record-keeping and monitoring of legislative requirements related to equal opportunities and possibly pensions and tax. Communication: providing an internal information service, perhaps in the form of staff newspapers or magazines, handouts, booklets, videos. 2.3 EMPLOYMENT PROCESS The employment process which is also referred to as the recruitment process involves a number of activities which are undertaken to engage the right caliber of personnel for an organization. It is therefore concerned with the employment and maintenance of qualified and efficient labour force. Employment therefore involves recruitment, selection and placement. The recruitment and selection process involves recruitment, interrelated activities which include the following. 2.3.1 RECRUITMENT It is the process of acquiring applicants who are available and qualified to fill positions in the organization.1 Recruitment refers to the first step in staffing, which is finding people.2 Sources of recruitment refer to the various avenues from which the personnel manager may recruit or employ labour. Recruits are obtained from a variety of sources. There source are divided into two main categories, namely internal and external sources. Pieter Grobler (page 167) Sources of Recruitment Internal Source Sources of potential candidates are many and varied, but a good starting point is to consider any internal candidates who might be suitable for the post. The exercise whereby the required manpower is obtained within the organization is the internal source. This may take the form of promoting a qualified worker to a higher position as they occur. Advantages of Internal Source There is less risk of error in selection and placement It boosts the morale of employees and encourages them it work hard It is quicker, cheaper and less risky than an outside appointment The recruit fits in with the culture of the organization; he knows â€Å"how we do things here† The individual also knows the people, systems and the business and thus the induction period will be quicker Disadvantages of Internal Source No new ideas, creativity or challenge to the culture and systems It tends to ignore qualified candidates who are not within the system A post will still need filling-the persons old post. That is he will create another vacancy The person may not be the best, qualified or most able candidate External Source Depending on management policy and the type of job involved. Management has a number of options available for obtaining people from outside the organization. These include: Educational Institutions: Organization and companies sometimes recruit fresh graduates from schools, colleges, polytechnics and the universities. Private Employment Agencies: Employers who cannot go through the process of recruitment engage consulting firms to do the recruitment for them. Labour Department: this is a public agency found in almost all regional scapitals where employees in search of employment and employers searching for employees go to register. An arrangement is then made to link the employer with the prospective employee. Advertisements: This is the most common and popular source of external recruitment where companies announce their employment opportunities through the newspapers, magazines, journals, radio and television. Unsolicited Applicant: People who are seeking for jobs sometimes apply to organizations without being aware of vacancies in those organizations. If there are vacancies, the applicant may be asked to go through the screening process. Where vacancies are not immediately available, his name will be placed on the waiting list. Employment Referrals:- Companies sometime announce job vacancies to their staff and ask them to recommend friends, relatives and neighbours who might be in need of employment and possess the required qualification and skill. Advantages of External Source It leads to the employment of people with new knowledge and ideas It leads to the employment of qualified and suitable people to fill vacant posts It promotes good will Its scope of selection is widened Disadvantages of External Sources It is costly and time consuming It may lead to low morale especially where there are qualified people within the organization The risk of making wrong selection is very high 2.3.2 JOB ANALYSIS It is the determination of the essential characteristics of a job. It is therefore a process of determining the nature of the job and the skills, knowledge, experiences and abilities of the person who is supposed to perform the job. It therefore contains information such as task performed, machines and equipment to be used, materials, products or services involved, training skills, knowledge and personal traits required of the worker. Job analysis therefore describes both the worker and the job so that there are no questions about who is doing what within the firm. Franklin A. (page 156) When undertaken carefully, job analysis could be used to; It provides the information necessary for recruitment, selection and placement of employees. It can be used to get an idea of the acceptable level of performance for each job (performance appraisal) It is used to device and implement training and development programmes It provides an opportunity to uncover and identify hazardous conditions Jobs may be analyzed in order to ensure that employees are fairly compensated The components of job analysis include. A. Job Description It specifies the duties and requirements of the job. This is a broad statement describing the purpose, scope, duties and responsibilities of a particular job. It states the title and location of the hob, grade/salary level of the job, limits of authority, number of subordinates, physical working conditions, machines, tools and equipment used, product or service produced etc. it typically portrays job content. In short, it summarizes all the basic tasks that are required to be performed on a job. A job description is what the worker does. Franklin A. (page 167) Importance of Job Description Each employee gets to know what is expected of him. It helps to avoid overlapping. It helps determine the rate of pay which is fair for the job. It helps in appraising and training employees It makes it possible for new employees to be given orientation with regards to their duties and responsibilities. It provides information from which particular hob vacancies can be advertised It guides the personnel manager in the development of job specification SELECTION This is the process by which an organization chooses from a list/pool of applicants the person who best meets the job and organizational requirements. The main objective of the selection process is to sort out those judged qualified for the job. (a) Selection Procedure i. Application Forms Applicants who reply to job advertisements are usually asked to fill in a job application form, or to send a letter giving details about themselves and their previous job experience (Curriculum Vitae or (C.V). An application form is used to find out relevant information about the applicant. It tells the organization whether or not an applicant is worthy of an interview or a test of some kind. Information usually required of candidates include; Personal data, educational background, work experience, date of birth, interests and hobbies. An applicant who is deemed suitable on this evidence becomes a candidate for interview. ii. Application Screening (Short-listing) The screening stage involves the sorting out or elimination of those applicants judged unqualified for the job. The personnel manager receives the filled application forms, and then screens them to determine those who are qualified to be invited for interview. This becomes necessary since all types of applications are received when jobs are advertised. This stage is also referred to as short-listing. It is done by marching all the applications against the employers requirements. iii. Selection Tests Selection tests are used to supplement other techniques. The tests are usually handled by fully qualified industrial psychologists. It is a practical examination to determine whether an applicant is suitable for the job. The assumption behind the administration of the tests is that a candidate who scores well in the test will more likely succeed in the job. Types of test The types of tests commonly used include:- i. Intelligence Tests: Their aim is to measure the applicants general intellectual ability. That is they are designed to measure his thinking abilities. They may test the applicants memory, ability to think quickly and logically, and skill at solving problems. ii. Aptitude Tests: These are designed to predict an individuals potential for performing a job or learning new skills. They are widely used to obtain information about such skills as mechanical ability, clerical and numerical ability. It measures a persons ability to do something given a good training. iii. Psychological tests: Psychological tests may measure a variety of characteristics such as an applicants skill in dealing with other people, ambition and motivation or emotional stability. They usually consist of questionnaires asking respondents to state their interest in or preference for jobs, leisure activities etc. Proficiency Tests: Proficiency tests are the most closely related test to an assessors objectives, because they measure ability to do the work involved iv. Medical Tests: Medical tests are carried out to determine the physical fitness of the applicant and whether he has any hidden diseases. Candidates who might have contagious diseases will be rejected. INTERVIEW Interview is a conversation or verbal interaction between two or more people for a particular purpose. Interviewing is a crucial part of the selection process because it gives the organization an opportunity to assess the applicant directly, and it gives the applicant an opportunity to learn more about the organization and whether he or she wants the job Objectives of Interview It gives the employer an opportunity to obtain information about each applicant and to assess his suitability for the job. It enables the employer to cross-check the applicants original documents or educational certificates. It enables the employer to have a critical view of the physical appearance of the applicant It also gives him an opportunity to determine the applicants level of intelligence. It provides the applicant an opportunity to know more about the organization, the job and the employees of the organization. References (Background Investigations) References provide further confidential information about the prospective employee. Prospective candidates are normally asked to submit references who can be contacted when the need arises. Such references include: schools, colleges, universities, former employers (if any) and relatives. The use of reference compels employees to be honest in supplying information about themselves to an organization. References are brief statements about a candidate made by a third party usually the candidates superior. These statements are used to confirm information supplied by applicants on application forms. Placement This is the stage where the new employee is placed on the job. He is assigned to an officer and a superior if he is a clerical worker. It is the responsibility of the superior to give the new employee in-service training where necessary and to provide a schedule of duties. Induction This may be conducted by the personnel manager and it is the process of orientating the selected applicant into his or her new working environment. It takes the form of introducing new employees to existing staff, visits to the plants and other departments, informing him/her about his duties and responsibilities, as well as the policies and objective of the organization. Induction simply means the introduction of a new employee into his or her job or organization Job Changes The post recruitment functions of the personnel manager includes transfers, promotions, demotions and termination. i. Transfers:- This occurs when employees have been assigned to another branch, department or to another job involving similar responsibilities, skills and remuneration. The transfer could be from one department to another or one station to another. It may be used to correct an error made during the recruitment process. Reasons for transfers The close down of a branch or department may call for a transfer Self request by an employee because of his inability to relate well with co-workers of lack of interest in his job or for purposes of frequent medical check-ups due to sickness. Transfer may be used as a punishment device A person may also be transferred to take up a new appointment A fall in the level of production may also necessitate the re-allocation of employees. ii. Promotion Promotion may be defined as the transfer of an employee from one job to another which involves a greater responsibility and usually a higher reward (pay). In other words, it involves a change in status and usually means appointment to a higher grade with greater and more challenging responsibilities. It is an important aspect of management because it is through promotion that a worker obtains satisfaction and shows his desire to advance and develop. Promotion Policy Many large organizations have a policy of filling senior job positions from within the organization. Others also believe in recruitment from outside the organization. Every organization should however come out with a clear policy on promotion so that employees know in advance the criteria to be used in promotion. Normally promotion is based on the following: Seniority (length of service) Practical ability (skill) General attitude and loyalty Education and qualification Personality or character Advantages of Promotion Promotion improves morale and motivation of employees in the organization. Promotion helps reduce labour-turn over in an organization It is seen as a reward for dedicated service, hard work, loyalty and obedience to rules and regulations of the organization. Fair promotions create a feeling of content among employees and retain their interest in the company. It helps employees to put in extra effort to help attain organizational objectives It improves the earning power and status of the employees Problems of promotion more qualified employees may be ignored or overlooked an employee adjudged competent when promoted may perform below expectation qualified personnel when overlooked in time of promotion may feel dejected and unrecognized. This may affect his morale and for that matter his overall performance. A worker who has a special interest in his/her job e.g. cashier in a financial institution may refuse to accept promotion. iii. Demotion It is the reduction in rank of an employee or the transfer of an employee to jobs with lower ranks backed by a reduction in salary. It therefore refers to a decrease in status as well as remuneration. Reasons For Demotion: Failure on the part of employees to live up to expectation (poor performance) Serious crime against the organization example; pilfering, fraud, leaking, organizational secrets to the advantage of competitors etc. It can also be based on indiscipline or disloyal to rules of the organization Serious or unfavourable business conditions may necessitate lay-offs and termination; some employees may accept demotion as an alternative. Problems of Demotion it leads to reduction employee status and remuneration it also creates morale problems for affected employees. Some affected employees may resign, leading to labour turn over and its associated problems, iv. LABOUR TURN OVER Labour turn over refers to the rate at which employees are leaving the business organization at a particular time and their replacement. It therefore describes the movement of workers into and out of employment of an organization in a in a given period of time It is calculated by: L x 100 A Where: L = Those leaving during the year A = Average number employed during the year or Average number on the companys payroll within that period. A high (index) labour turnover means more people leave the employment because of low morale. It could also mean a high proportion of the employment of women or scholars who have returned to college to pursue academic careers, death, pension etc. Causes of Labour Turn Over There are various causes of labour turn-over. Among them include the following: Discontentment (dissatisfaction) among employees as a result of poor working conditions, Lack of promotional avenues Poor leadership style Very long hours of work with little time for rest Unfairness and improper administration of disciplinary measures Poor wages and salaries Lack of opportunities for self advancement Boredom, wrong job assignment or lack of job satisfaction Lack of opportunity to express opinions to management and to participate in decision making. Problems of Labour Turn Over It brings about extra-expenditure, that is hiring and training of new employees Production rate is decreased and this tend to affect the volume of ales and profit margins It leads to overtime payment for extra man-hours spent on the job The money spent on training developing employees who have left goes down the drain There could be low morale for the remaining employees due to loss of old work mates and friends It takes a lot of time for workers to properly settle or fit into the system Solution To the causes of labour turnover A study or research should be conducted to identify which factors have been the cause of dissatisfaction and that have been responsible for the labour turnover. The following suggested solutions could be applied by individual companies. i. Companies should provide attractive wages and salaries to ensure that employees are above to meet their basic necessities. ii. There should also be improvement in the working conditions of workers. Protective clothes, canteen, transport, housing and medical facilities should be provided to cater for the welfare of workers. iii. There should also be opportunities for growth and development for employees, e.g study leave, provision of library facilities, promotion etc. iv. Joint consultation must be instituted to enable representatives of workers and employers meet to identify common problems and find solutions to them. 2.4 Termination of Employment Every employer has the option to terminate the employment of his employees but only on the grounds that certain conditions are meet e.g. giving of appropriate notice and payment of entitlements. Employees also have an option to resign from their present job and look for another provided they also satisfy certain conditions e.g. appropriate notice and proper handing over. There are ways by which a contract of employment may be terminated and they include: redundancy, dismissals, retirement and resignation. 2.4.1 Redundancy This is a situation where employees are asked to leave their employment because of lack of work. that is, the organization does not need their service any longer. Therefore when there is reduction in production and the workers are greater than what the organization needs, some are asked to leave employment. 2.4.2 Dismissal Dismissal is an act of sending an employee away form his employment because be is not qualified, undisciplined or is dishonest in his work. It is the permanent withdrawal of an employee from the services of a company. 2.4.3 Retirement It is the act of retiring or having stopped working after attaining a certain age. The age may either be contained in the companys policy or decision taken by the individual himself. 2.4.4 Resignation Resignation usually comes from employees. Resignation is the indication by the employee that he has ceased to be in the employment of the employer. 2.4.5 Lay Off This is a temporary withdrawal of employees from work due to shortage of raw materials, low demand for the companies products or services, or financial problems. These employees may be called back when the need arises. When conditions improve and some of the aid-off workers are invited to come back to work, it is known as recall. 2.5 EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2.5.1 Education This is usually intended to mean basic instructions in knowledge and skills designed to enable people make the most life in general. It is thus a process of training and instructing people in schools, colleges, Polytechnics, universities etc. which is designed to give knowledge and development of skills. At the end of the course, a certificate is given to those who pass their final examination. Education is therefore more personal and broadly based. 2.5.2 Development This suggests a broader view of knowledge and skills acquisition rather than training. It is less job-oriented and career-oriented. It sees employees as adaptable resources and thus concerned with preparing individuals with skills and experience to fill challenging higher level positions in the organization. 2.5.3 Training Training is job oriented rather than personal. Training involves a series of actions aimed at preparing an individual with skills to do a particular job. It may be defined as â€Å"the systematic development of the attitudes, knowledge and skill patterns required by an individual in order to perform adequately a given task or job† Methods of Training The main methods of training include: i. Apprenticeship Training This is a method of training where the apprentice under studies his master for a number of years, learning all the basic skills involved in the profession. This type of training is given to young people who have either completed school or who have not been to school. This type of training is common and popular in professions like tailoring, dressmaking, carpentry, driving and masonry. The apprentice pays a certain amount to his master and he is not paid during the period of his/her training but given allowance as and when necessary by his/her master. ii. Supervisory Training This type of training is give to employees who have been appointed supervisors or foremen. Supervisory training involves the teaching of supervisors or foremen the skill of getting work done through others. It is therefore meant to improve on their leadership skills and qualities. It takes place in an institute in the form of seminars or workshops with discussions on leadership, morale, development, directing, and health and safety measures. iii. Executive Training Personnel in middle management and top management positions are covered under this type