Testing (HRM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Testing (HRM) - Essay Example To be effective in meeting long term objectives of the organization, human resource system must fulfil at least two needs of organizational objectives: (1) accurate forecasting the human resource requirements and (2) providing management with the tools and knowledge for sound personnel decisions. These two decisions serve as the foundation of the selection process that defines and measures the potential of the job candidate. Appropriate selection process saves the organization from severe damage that can be done to the careers of individuals and to the organization's human resource by procedures if classified individuals inappropriately. The labels attached to employees as a result of such procedures often dog their footsteps throughout their work life with the organization. It is not uncommon for supposedly infallible 'high potentials' to find that they cannot perform effectively in a different functional department or in positions with increased responsibility. It is in such failure-prone situations that work 'burnout' begins to appear and, depending on the organization's human resource policy, the afflicted individual may either be given extended leave and advice to seek help, put out to pasture in some non-sensitive position, or ruthlessly severed from the payroll. Just as bad, and more difficult to document, is the number of 'low potentials' who are never given the opportunity to try out for other positions (Baehr, 1992, p. 7). The sad results of the procedures are the flawed careers of individuals and the irresponsible expenditure of the organization's human resource. The Testing Process The testing process allows the organization to measure the standards of the individual as an employee so that his personal organizational practices at time of recruiting and selection inform the organization about his professional and behavioural capabilities. These effects generalize from the specific practices to a wide range of perceptions and work-related attitudes. For example, applicants form impressions upon the organization of general personnel practices, anticipated treatment by the supervisor, expected interactions with peers and perceptions of the organization climate. The results show clear conflicts between the organization's interest in obtaining valid information and attracting the individual versus the individual's interest in gathering information for his or her own decision-making process. Nevo (1989) has analyzed three solid reasons for gathering information from examinees about their reactions to testing procedures. First, it is in the moral rights of the examinees to be given a chance to express their opinions, secondly it is practically in their interest to be useful to find out what they think and, theoretically, it is interesting to learn about examinee's reactions from psychological point of view (Schuler et al, 1993, p. 65). Physical Ability Tests Physical ability tests provide us the means and measures to evaluate the physical abilities of an individual in context with the physical ability required to perform a particular job. An example is that of an employer who want to evaluate

Biochemistry Final Project part 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biochemistry Final Project part 1 - Essay Example ophrenia has been linked to the affected parents passing the genes to the children (genetic factors), unusual metabolic conditions and abnormal brain conditions (Cohen, Kleinman, & Saraceno, 2002). It is evident from research that kids with both parents free from schizophrenia have 1% risk of developing the illness. If either of the parents has schizophrenia, then the child`s risk of developing the disease rises to approximately 13%. If all parents have the illness, then there is a 46% chance of the child having the illness later in life. There is an 8% risk in cases where, all other relatives are free from the disease, but a brother or a sister to an individual has schizophrenia. An identical twin of an individual with schizophrenia is 48% at risk as compared to only 17% risk in case of dizygotic twins (Pfaff, 2013). First-degree relatives of an individual with schizophrenia are at a greater risk than second-degree relatives. In addition to genetic factors, other environmental factors such as general stress play a role in developing schizophrenia. Brain examination through neuroimaging has shown brain abnormalities in schizophrenics (Harman, 2003). The ventricles are enlarged, and there are fluid-filled cavities in the deeper parts of the brain. These abnormalities are the cause of the accompanying symptoms. Besides, an imbalance in neurotransmitters, dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate may cause schizophrenia. Homocysteine accumulation due to deficiency of methionine synthase and cystathionine ÃŽ ²-synthase causes schizophrenia. Other conditions such as hypocalcemia and hyperparathyroidism are linked to schizophrenia. Structural changes, copy number variations (CNV) in individual’s genome causes schizophrenia. CNV happens if the genetic material is lost, duplicated wrongly or inserted in a wrong manner. For instance deletion at 22q11 accounts for psychosis in 30% of cases. When 22q11 deletion occurs, essential genes that play a crucial role in schizophrenia such

The automobile industry value chain analysis

The automobile industry value chain analysis Section 2: Following on from your analysis in Question 1, discuss the competitive postion of General Motors Europe (GME) at the time of the case. Threat of Entry The automobile industry is facing the mature stage, although the high barriers to entry considering the huge amount of capital required for companies to manufacture and design their cars and the very low switching costs consumers face when changing cars;however it doesnt mean there are no new entrants to Europe for instance Asian automaker as Toyota Nissan and others to be actively present in the market. Threat of Rivalry There is a very high threat of rivalry within the industry, as automaker should always be updated with new technologies, innovation and come out with new models and design. Moreover for GME the exit barrier is relatively high due to investments made throughout the past decades. With the emergence of Asian carmakers in Europe there had been a diversification considering models and prices, in other words it is a diversity of rivals. Threat of Substitutes Substitutes within the industry are more or less depending on consumers and their preference of commuting and travelling, it incorporates cycles, buses, underground and also could be planes and just walking. Consumers arent offended by taking public transports within the most European countries, also traffic jam in some places are reason for not using a car, which decrease the switching cost., plus the high price of gas play a major role. Threat of Suppliers As automakers manufacture their cars so the threat is considerably low, as there are a big number of suppliers GME can choose from, which make suppliers give more discounts, also cars elements are more or less standardised. Most of the time car companies attach with one supplier and there is no forward integration as suppliers are small comparing the automaker and in contrary GME can integrate backwardly the supplier or in some cases they create an alliance to reduce the costs. Threat of Buyers Except big companies buying lots of cars, solobuyers represent an insignificant threat but at the same time its bargaining power is high as the customer has plenty of different brands, models and prices to choose from. The large number of consumers are facing as said before low switching costs and the loyalty brand isnt very high which means that GME has to attract and retain consumers by incentives for example due to price sensitivity, as consumers are looking for the best deals concerning quality/price. Value chain analysis: Primary Activities: The Primary activities for GME are the followings: Product Designing, Resources purchase, Production, Marketing and Distribution and finally Customer Service. Product Designing is becoming of the key features within the industry. As nowadays cars are almost standardised, so with the right tools GME cars have already an image of strength and power. GME is at the same trying to offer cars that are not only powerful but also less fuel consuming. Resource purchase: the purchase of the right material is very important, as seen in Porters Five Forces, suppliers have very low power on GME in other words the organisation can almost select its preferable price over the supplier. Production: GME was the largest manufacture of cars in Europe; the production reached its peak in the early 1990s. However, its methods have showed an inadequacy, as they have been producing more than the demand. GMEs Marketing Distribution efforts havent done an efficient job of pleasing the public. This could be by displaying cars in showrooms, announcement etc. in order to get automobiles GME uses trucks and trains to deliver them to dealers. Customer Service Support: generally supporting the customers after a sale. GME has an 800 number so if customer needs help or have an enquiry they can call for free. Support Activities sustain the daily operations of GME but are not directly implicated in the manufacturing process of GME vehicles. These activities include Human Resources, communications and Consumer crediting. Section 3: Assess the performance improving options taken or proposed by GME at the time of the case. General Motors Electric knew that it could only improve from within (internally) as Macro economic factors like exchange rate, inflation rate etc are beyond their reach. All successful businesses have mainly two aims; cut costs increase sales In GMs case increased sales was not an accessible option, so therefore the company had to focus on performance improving options, here below is what GM proposed at the time of the case. GM reduced its workforce by 20% in an attempt to boost productivity and reduce costs by $600 million Use competitive pricing and offer additional services GME formed a strategic alliance with Fiat SPA in 2001 a restructuring plan called Project Olympia was produced to again reduce costs and decrease production capacity by 15% Closing down Luton plant to again reduce costs Moving production to cheaper areas in this case a German plant was closed down and manufacturing transferred to Poland Integration of operations Abandon cost incurring practices like using different parts and wiring for different cars Strategically GME have achieved both some success and failure in its operations to improve the situation in Europe, for example the reduction of employees and closures of unproductive plants are fully justified as the business cant continue to record huge losses year on year, in fact these decisions should have been made faster reflecting GM poor management structure unable to make quick decisions in a ever changing market. GM was also correct to cut out the practice off using different parts and wiring for different cars as this reduces overheads as any loss making business must cut costs at every opportunity. However there are also strategic failures GM implemented for example a strategic alliance with an Asian manufacturer would have been more beneficial then with Fiat as this alliance could have given GM access to superior management and technology resources, in return GM could have offered some concessions to the US market. Another example of poor strategic decision making is th e use of competitive pricing which a loss making business should never implement as good marketing could over time allow for premium prices. GM should have offered extended warranties as this actually costs the company very little in real terms, in the USA GM offer warranties for 100,000 miles over 5 years perhaps this could be implemented in its European business model. General thoughts on how GM can improve their European performance Change management team in Europe Form strategic alliance with Japanese manufacturer with superior manufacturing techniques Focus on the lucrative segment of the European market Reduce investment in the EU, until the economic situation improves (short-term vs. long-term ) Change EU business model e.g. produce smaller cars which are now popular Offer additional features to their cars Used money saved and invest more in RD Launch long term strategy to recapture market share Conclusion General Motors is the largest automaker in the world and has been an industry leader for 77 years yet it finds its European operations in all kinds of trouble. Huge financial losses, a dissatisfied customer base, competitors with superior management and production techniques to name a few. All of these problems are due to GM having a poor corporate strategy plan, GM become reactive rather then proactive and in strategy you can never rest on your laurels, the company missed clear trends within the market such as a demand for smaller cars, cars with less CO2 emissions, cars with additional features etc. This case is a good example of strategy as it shouldnt be done; strategy requires successful firms to seek feedback from their customers, for firms to have clear and set goals at all time and how to get there, strategy requires firms to ever excel and always be ambitious to seek new and rewarding risks. The main findings of the report suggest that GM didnt have the right business model or structure to cope with sudden change this is slightly understandable due to GM size and decision making tends to be slower amongst large companies due to the amount of management layers, but one would expect a company with manufacturing facilities in 35 countries and sales in 200 countries to at least get the basic rights. GM was guilty of not paying enough attention to the Macro environment were political changes were gearing towards reducing CO2 emissions, GM also underestimated the threat from Asian car companies and as a result quickly lost market share and sales.

U.S. Monetary Policy and What the Federal Reserve :: essays research papers

U.S. Monetary Policy and What the Federal Reserve does. According to the Congressional Budget Office monetary policy is, â€Å"The strategy of influencing movements of the money supply and interest rates to affect output and inflation. An "easy" monetary policy suggests faster growth of the money supply and initially lower short-term interest rates in an attempt to increase aggregate demand, but it may lead to a higher rate of inflation. A "tight" monetary policy suggests slower growth of the money supply and higher interest rates in the near term in an attempt to reduce inflationary pressure by lowering aggregate demand.† In the United States it is the Federal Reserve System that is responsible for defining and implementing these policies. In the United States the Federal Reserve is made up of a Board of Governors, which consists of seven members, all of whom are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Of these seven, the president appoints one to be chairman of the Board of Governors. The curre nt chairman of the United States Federal Reserve is Alan Greenspan. With the appointment of Alan Greenspan to chairman, monetary policy in the United States changed from a monetarism view, an approach based on a constant growth in the money supply, to a mixed policy. With a mixed policy, inflation is monitored and controled via the iterest rate that banks charge, along with an understanding of unemployment and business cycles. Only a few days ago chairman Greenspan adressed congress and stated that the â€Å"central bank would keep raising interest rates and gave little hint of when it might stop.† This increase of the interest rate would tend to slow inflation as well as possably decrease labor costs and increase productivity. The Federal reserve â€Å"views labor costs as the most important source of inflation, both because labor costs amount to more than two-thirds of total costs and because they can feed a self-perpetuating spiral of higher prices and higher wage demands.† So wat is the reason for the chairman of the Board of Governors to address congress? If the public is informed of the Federal reserves stance and commitment to lower or keep inflation in check we should see lower wages and in turn lower prices.

Module 1: unit 3

Some of the Calgary Organizations that support a healthy living and lifestyle include the Alex Community Health Centre, Cochrane Canada Family and Community Support Services, the Calgary Foundation, Volunteer Calgary, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Calgary, and. Several of these non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) can come forward together and have a great impact on the health of the school children of Calgary.   They could form a network that promotes health and well-being of school children, bring about growth and development, and encourage learning through school-based programs. Each of these organizations could concentrate on individual issues that could be involving the school children.   The school authorities should organize periodic meetings to ensure that the programs initiated are going on the right track, problems are solved appropriately through discussion, and future plans are initiated. Many of these organizations are planning a comprehensive health program for the school children that would function in coordination with education and mental development.   This would ensure complete mental, physical and social development of the child at the school (like a holistic approach). YMCA Calgary is providing healthcare to school children during school hours and also after school, in partnership with the school management.   Besides, school children can utilize their play settings in various parts of the Calgary, and can improve their language skills for those whose first language is not English.   The other activities that are provided include letter writing, team building, field initiative, etc.   These activities and services would ensure comprehensive exposure of the child to a positive environment.   The YMCA has applied a more holistic form of approach, which seems to be very effective. Such programs have ensured that rapid progress is made in the status of the child following institution of health programs.   Many initiatives have been made by the voluntary organization in coordination with the school authorities and the Government.   Several indicators (variables used to monitor the health status) have been defined and studied often in school children that would suggest their health status.   Through these variables, the heath status of school children can be improved. Efforts are on to include sexual education and information of HIV/AIDS to school children.   In this way, the transmission of HIV/AIDS has reduced to some extent in schools. The voluntary organizations also made an initiative at reducing drug abuse in schools through education.   This has led to a significant drop in drug consumption in schools. References: Canadian Association for School Health â€Å"Introduction.† 2007. Communities and Schools Promoting Health. 29 Jan. 2007. Safe Healthy Schools. â€Å"Canadian School Health Knowledge Network Knowledge Matters.† 2007. Communities and Schools Promoting Health. 29 Jan. 2007. http://www.safehealthyschools.org/CSH_Knowledge_Network_Intro.htm Safe Healthy Schools. â€Å"The CSH NGO Network.† 2007. Communities and Schools Promoting Health. 29 Jan. 2007. http://www.safehealthyschools.org/CSH_NGO.htm YMCA. â€Å"Out of School Care.† YMCA Calgary. 2007. Child Care. 29 Jan. 2007. http://www.ymcacalgary.org/comm/childcare.htm YMCA. â€Å"YMCA Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC).† YMCA Calgary. 2007. Education Enrichment. 29 Jan. 2007. http://www.ymcacalgary.org/comm/education_enrichment.htm         

Hype

Yadir HYPE Advertisement has changed significantly throughout the years. No longer are ads confined to the usual places like buses, billboards and stadiums. Anywhere your eyes can rest there is an ad. Kalle Lash from excerpted â€Å"Hype† said, â€Å"everyday an estimated 12 billion display ads are dumped into North Americas collective unconscious†. That being said , it is safe to say that cooperate America has been controlling our purchases more that we liked. There is a company called videocarte that have installed interactive screens on shopping carts that will show you ads while you shop.I can understand why an executive from the company will say†videocarte is the most powerful micromarketing medium available today†. There are times when I’m in the supermarket and have a videocarte and the interactive screens are displaying ads products. I must admit they tend to influence your shopping. On the other hand, ads can introduce you to helpful products . For instance, one time I was looking for a product that can help me keep my papers organize, I saw an ad on a product to keep papers organize, I brought the item and it works wonderful.However, another time I was suppose to go to the convenience store and pick up some common products, I saw an ad on a billboard on my way there, on a product that I did not need, got distracted from going to the place that I had started out to go bought the product that the ad was advertising. When I finnaly arrived home happy with the purchase, I was quickly disappointed because it wasn’t what I needed and I didn’t get the things that I wanted. Like the article â€Å"Hype† signs of life in the USA say â€Å"No one is exempt, there is nowhere to run and no one will be spared†.In conclusion, you can not totally avoid the amount of ads you see , however you can minimize the amount of ads you are expose to. As for me, I have learned to train my mind not to be influence by ad s. For example, when I go food shopping, I have a list and only buy the items that are on there. I also, listen to cds, therefore, I stay away from the ads they play on the radio. Finally I keep in mind that a marketers job is to display their ad anywhere they can to persuade a consumer to purchase their product.

October sky essays

October sky essays October sky is 108 minutes long. The main character in this movie is Homer Hickam and his parents John and Elsie. His friends Quentin, Roy Lee, and ODell and his teacher miss Riley also serve a major roll in this movie as for they are his moral and support that keep him with his goals. The movie takes place in a small mining town in West Virginia. Four boys design and build a rocket that they enter into the county science fair. They then will a spot in the national science fair and Homer is appointed by the group to represent them in Indianapolis. They win first place and all four of them receive scholarships and later graduate from college. Homer decides he does not want to work in the coal mine like everyone else. He wants to go to college and get out of this mining town. His opportunity arrives when a teaches informs them that they could win a scholarship by winning the national science fair. Homer and his friends work hard so that they will be good competition at the fair. Him and his three friends work hard so they are able to reach their goals. Homer had the highest standards. He wanted to get out of that mining town so bad he actually defies his dad by building another rocket. He had to make many tough decisions, but he had a passion for what he wanted. He was only able to get what he wanted because his standards were so much higher than anyone elses in the town. The four of the boys are faced with a conflict when they are accused of starting a forest fire. In stead of becoming angry and making the situation worse, they find a solution. Homer, using the book Miss Riley gave to him, finds a calculus equation that shows that their rocket could only have traveled at the farthest a mile and a half. The fire was started over three miles away and it was later discovered that it was caused by a flare. They are the able to start building their rockets again. From this video I have learne...