Executive Risk Assessment and PowerPoint Presentation (ERAP) Active Essay

Executive Risk Assessment and PowerPoint Presentation (ERAP) Active Shooter Norfolk Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia - Essay Example This research paper sought to present executive risk assessment of a fatal shooting that took place at the Gallery at Military Circle Mall. In particular, the paper carefully examined how the Norfolk Police responded to the active shooting that occurred at the mall where one man succumbed to death two days after being shot on the leg. The paper found out that the Norfolk police were adequately prepared, responded to the shooting in good time and provided first aid to the injured man. The paper provide a broad range of recommendations that can be employed by Norfolk police in order to boost their preparedness, response and rescue process in case a similar active shooting happens in the nearest future. In February 2014, a shooting took place at the Gallery at Military Circle Mall. The incidence occurred on Friday afternoon at around 1.00 p.m. The shooting was ignited by an argument that took place between several men inside the Military Circle Mall (West, 2014). It was reported that one of the gunmen involved in the argument took out his gun and shot another man on the leg. The injured man, Mr. Nottingham Johnnie, 21, was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and his injury was considered non-life threatening and was later released. Unfortunately, Nottingham Johnnie died from gun injuries two days later. Soon after the police were informed of the shooting, they arrived at the scene of the crime at around 1.10 p.m. but the main suspect had already left. The police positioned themselves at every entrance of the mall in order to reduce more traffic going to the mall. They also closed the nearby street and started searching around the area to look for suspects (West, 2014). The police made sure that there was no any other shooter still roaming the mall. The police apprehended several suspects. In addition, the police conducted photo line-ups and interviewed several witnesses in a bid to figure out what happened. The Norfolk police immediately started a

Understandings of Jesus Essay Example for Free

Understandings of Jesus Essay There are probably as many understandings of Jesus as there are people who write, think or speak about him. If there was one historical Jesus, we approach that Jesus through four gospels, which suggests that even without including other gospels (so called non-canonical) Christians accept some diversity of images of Jesus. One Jesus of history produced many Christs of faith. Inside and outside Christian tradition, people bring their own agendas, influenced by culture, politics, social circumstances and even sexual orientation, to what they read. Marxists see a radical Jesus who challenged the status quo. Some see a sexually libertine Jesus, some a homosexual Jesus, some a feminist Jesus, some think that Jesus was preoccupied with the end of the world, others that he had no concern about this. Some argue that Jesus taught a social ethic, others that he was only interested in saving souls for life in a future realm. Some argue that Jesus intended to lead an armed revolt against Rome. Others say that he was a pacifist. Some say that he was a good Jew who never claimed to be God, whose teaching had much in common with the Pharisees. Others argue that Jesus roundly condemned the Pharisees (Bennett, 9 –10). Pelikan’s book Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture presents eighteen images of Jesus. He asks what it was that each â€Å"age brought to its portrayal of† Jesus? (Pelikan, 2) Language was an early reason why understandings of Jesus changed, due to cultural and historical context. Among the early Christians, the idea that a Messiah was expected who would usher in an era of peace or liberate Palestine from Roman rule had meaning. However, while Jews or some Jews were waiting for one or more Messiahs, Greeks and Romans had no such expectation. The Gospels were written in Greek, although Jesus had spoken Aramaic and Hebrew, so a process of translation took place. All those who think about Jesus subsequent to the first generation of those who knew him must view him through translation. The Hebrew word for Messiah was translated as â€Å"Christ† (anointed). However, this word did not carry any special religious significance for Greek speakers, so soon came to be used as a â€Å"name†, as Bennett writes, â€Å"The Greek word ‘Christ’ became rather like a modern family name: ‘Jesus Christ’ as in ‘Clinton Bennett’† (74). Christians often think that they know what Messiah means and are surprised to learn that Jews did not have a single concept but several concepts of Messiah and that Jesus did not meet any of their expectations. Here, from the perspective of Jewish identity and tradition, Jesus fails to fulfill any of the criteria for being Messiah. Subsequently, Christian thought did not spend much time clarifying Jesus’ Messianic status but focused on how he could be understood as God, or as God’s son. Cultural differences between what emerged as the Western Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church also impacted on doctrine. All Christians recognized Jesus as savior of the world but how did Jesus save? Here, the West focuses on Jesus’ death, seeing this as a substitution or sacrifice for the sins of humanity. This is predicated on the idea that all people are sinners. In Orthodoxy, salvation is more closely linked with the beginning, not end, of Jesus’ life. Timothy Ware writes, â€Å"Where Orthodoxy sees chiefly Christ the Victor, the late medieval and post-medieval West sees chiefly Christ the Victim† (229). Orthodox thought sees the incarnation, God taking on human form, sanctifying the whole of creation as a victory. This reunited humanity with God, â€Å"by uniting humankind and God in His own person,† Jesus reopened for us humans the path to union with God† (225). Ware says that unlike the Western church, the Eastern argued that â€Å"after the Fall† humans â€Å"still possessed free will and were still capable of good action† (225) thus doing what Jesus did takes priority over believing certain doctrines about him. East and West possess the same gospels but emphasize different aspects of Jesus’ life. They then formulated different views of the atonement. One Jesus lies behind these understandings but cultural context results in differences. The fact that the East survived the collapse of the Roman Empire much longer may have encouraged the idea of â€Å"victory†, of a Christ who ruled through the Emperor from the new, Christian city of Constantinople. Rome’s fall in the West, followed by division and rivalry, may have encouraged a view of Jesus as a victim. When Christian missionaries began to preach across the globe, they often took with them a picture of Jesus that had become domesticated within European culture. Jesus was a Mediterranean Jew, so was almost certainly dark, not light-skinned but became a blue-eyed, blond-haired European. Taken to an extreme, some Germans argued that Jesus was not Jewish but of European decent (see Bennett, 255). Racist lenses, applied to reading the Gospels, transformed Jesus into a European. This Jesus, though, was unappealing to many who heard the Gospel. In Africa, new images or ways of seeing Jesus made more sense than some traditional understandings. If â€Å"Messiah† carried little meaning when translated from the Hebrew into the Greek context, fewer Biblical titles carried meaning into the African context. Thus, while theology in Europe concentrated on Jesus’ son-ship, on relations within the Trinity, on whether Jesus’ had one or two natures, Africans found â€Å"images of Jesus as healer, ancestor or as chief more relevant and meaningful† just as they asserted that Jesus could speak to them through their prophets and prophetesses (Bennett, 182). Schreite’s Faces of Jesus in Africa shows how African culture has influenced how Jesus is understood. In Asia, it was Jesus as the â€Å"only way† to God that attracted censure. Hindus and Buddhists saw Jesus as divine, as a manifestation of God (an avatar), as a savior but not as the one and only savior. Is â€Å"avatar† acceptable as a translation of John’s â€Å"became flesh†? Keshub Chunder Sen set up his Church of the New Dispensation. He looked to Jesus as a â€Å"fully self-realized man† so said that to â€Å"worship Jesus was to worship humanity† (Bennett, 330). With others, he believed that a single universal religion would emerge which would adapt culturally to different contexts. In India, that religion would â€Å"wear Hindu dress†. Pictorial images of Jesus as a yogi have been produced in India; the Trinity has been depicted as the Hindu trimurti images of Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer), clothing Jesus with Hindu dress. Buddhists have described Jesus as a Bodhisattva, and have pictured him in Buddhist iconography. Others insist on the blackness of Jesus, arguing that the Christian God became the God of slavery and oppression, so until whites hate their whiteness and embrace blackness, they fail to achieve full humanity. Cone writes, â€Å"What must I do to be saved? Blackness and salvation are synonymous† thus supplying a different answer to the same question than either the classical Catholic or Orthodox responses. Cone’s emphasis on Jesus’ blackness is determined by his identity and cultural context. The kingdom Jesus preached is found wherever people suffer and die from want of dignity, says Cone. Language and context, including political context (are we oppressors or oppressed) contribute to how we understand Jesus. I agree with Bennett that all images need to be tested against what can plausibly be affirmed of the Jesus about whom we read, albeit usually in translation, in the gospels. I am reluctant to insist that my Jesus must be everyone’s Jesus, leaving Jesus free to meet different human needs. Jesus is not mine to control, or to limit to my particular perceptions and experience. Bennett, Clinton. 2001. In Search of Jesus: Insider and outsider images. London: Continuum. Cone, James H. 1986. A Black Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Pelikan, Jarasov. 1985. Jesus through the Centuries: His place in the history of culture. NY: Harper Row. Schreiter, Robert. 1991. Faces of Jesus in Africa. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Ware, Timothy. 1993. The Orthodox Church. NY: Penguin.

Lucy montgomery :: essays research papers

Lucy Maud Mntgomery The author of the famous Canadian novel ‘ ANNE OF GREEN GABLES’, Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island, 30th November, 1874. When she was two, her mother died of tuberculosis. Her father, who was a merchant, remarried, and moved away. Montgomery was raised by her maternal grandparents in Cavendish. The place was isolated and her childhood was not particularly happy: she grew up in an atmosphere of strict discipline and punishment for the slightest reason. She joined her father briefly in Prince Albert, but they soon returned to Prince Edward Island. At an early age Montgomery read widely. She started to write in school and had her first poem published in a local paper at the age of fifteen. In 1895 Montgomery qualified for a teacher’s license at Prince Wales College, Charlottetown. During the 1890’s she worked as a teacher in Bideford and at Lower Bedeque, both on Prince Edward Island. From 1895 to 1896, Montgomery studied literature at Dalhousie University, Halifax. She returned to Cavendish to take care of her grandmother and worked at a local post office. On July 5th, 1911after her grandmother died, Montgomery married the Reverend Ewan MacDonald, to whom she had been secretly engaged since 1906. Prior to her engagement to Macdonald, she had two romantic involvements: an unhappy engagement to her third cousin Edwin Simpson, of Belmont, and a brief but passionate romantic attachment to Herman Leard, of Lower Bedeque. After their marriage, Montgomery and Macdonald moved to Leaskdale, Ontario, where Macdonald was Minister in the Presbyterian Church. She bore three sons, Chester (1912), Hugh (stillborn in 1914), and Stuart (1915). She assisted her husband in his pastoral duties, ran their home, and continued to write best-selling novels as well as short stories and poems. She faithfully recorded entries in her journals and kept up an enormous correspondence with frie nds, family and fans. Maud Montgomery Macdonald did not live on Prince Edward Island again, returning only for vacations. While caring for her grandmother, she wrote the first book of the Anne series. It drew on her girlhood experiences. The idea was based on a notebook entry from 1904, â€Å"Elderly couple applies to orphan asylum for a boy. By mistake a girl is sent to them.† Anne of Green Gables was the story of a talkative, red-haired orphan, Anne Shirley. She had big green-grey eyes and a narrow, freckled face. Lucy montgomery :: essays research papers Lucy Maud Mntgomery The author of the famous Canadian novel ‘ ANNE OF GREEN GABLES’, Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island, 30th November, 1874. When she was two, her mother died of tuberculosis. Her father, who was a merchant, remarried, and moved away. Montgomery was raised by her maternal grandparents in Cavendish. The place was isolated and her childhood was not particularly happy: she grew up in an atmosphere of strict discipline and punishment for the slightest reason. She joined her father briefly in Prince Albert, but they soon returned to Prince Edward Island. At an early age Montgomery read widely. She started to write in school and had her first poem published in a local paper at the age of fifteen. In 1895 Montgomery qualified for a teacher’s license at Prince Wales College, Charlottetown. During the 1890’s she worked as a teacher in Bideford and at Lower Bedeque, both on Prince Edward Island. From 1895 to 1896, Montgomery studied literature at Dalhousie University, Halifax. She returned to Cavendish to take care of her grandmother and worked at a local post office. On July 5th, 1911after her grandmother died, Montgomery married the Reverend Ewan MacDonald, to whom she had been secretly engaged since 1906. Prior to her engagement to Macdonald, she had two romantic involvements: an unhappy engagement to her third cousin Edwin Simpson, of Belmont, and a brief but passionate romantic attachment to Herman Leard, of Lower Bedeque. After their marriage, Montgomery and Macdonald moved to Leaskdale, Ontario, where Macdonald was Minister in the Presbyterian Church. She bore three sons, Chester (1912), Hugh (stillborn in 1914), and Stuart (1915). She assisted her husband in his pastoral duties, ran their home, and continued to write best-selling novels as well as short stories and poems. She faithfully recorded entries in her journals and kept up an enormous correspondence with frie nds, family and fans. Maud Montgomery Macdonald did not live on Prince Edward Island again, returning only for vacations. While caring for her grandmother, she wrote the first book of the Anne series. It drew on her girlhood experiences. The idea was based on a notebook entry from 1904, â€Å"Elderly couple applies to orphan asylum for a boy. By mistake a girl is sent to them.† Anne of Green Gables was the story of a talkative, red-haired orphan, Anne Shirley. She had big green-grey eyes and a narrow, freckled face.

Where I Lived, and What I Lived for

In the â€Å"Where I Lived, and What I Lived for† chapter of Walden, Thoreau emphasized that people need to make life simple and slow because it eventually helps you know your real goal and realize the true meaning of life. He begins with his own story –he imagines that he works at farms as a farmer and he cares for seeds in succession. He thinks his farms will bring happiness because all sessions for cultivation are naturally accomplished. However, his imagination ends up with his real financial situation.He wants to buy farms not minding his profit margin but enjoying his time with seeds. However, the owner turns down his proposal because his reason was hardly accepted in modern times where people give importance to wealth. After this experience living in a house in the woods, he feels a natural spirit and he glorifies the beauty of nature. He developed his feeling for nature after he realizes that people should be awakened –â€Å"[They] must learn to reawaken and keep [them] selves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn†.He also came to know why people are so busy and why they work as hard as â€Å"ants† It is because people seem to set count on economical value but people do not know what they really want. According to his examples, there is a railroad which can effectively reduce time between places. At the same time, we could lose our landscape to see. So, he describes a railroad that â€Å"We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us†. Therefore, he criticizes that â€Å"fast† seems to be effective but it brings wrong judgment and lose our opportunity.He mentions that our society is pressured to â€Å"hurry† for our life to be successful. However, he thinks that our society now is complicated and dangerous because we do not have ideas of â€Å"slow† and â€Å"simple† to reflect ourselves. All in all, he states that we need time to be â€Å"slowâ €  and â€Å"simple† for our clever intelligent life. This is his obvious viewpoints – â€Å"Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track†.

Interpreter of Maladies Essay

Throughout life, people are faced with many obstacles, but one of the main things for people to do is adapt to the obstacles and learn how to move through and around them. Individuals have to change in order to adapt to the life around them, but there are times when it is too difficult for some to change. Some may experience immense trauma and find it difficult to move on from things whilst others find it hard to come to terms with new life. No matter what people are forced to do things that they may not want to do, but they have to choose whether to adapt to these changes, or suffer the consequences. Being able to adapt in life is an important skill as people are faced with having to change daily. However, some individuals do not have the skills required to adapt, or they have been through traumatic experiences that inhibit that ability to adapt. Shoba and Shukumar in the story â€Å"A Temporary Matter† are faced with a horrific ordeal which forces them to adapt to new life, this however, does not turn out the way they had planned and they eventually split up from not being able to fully adapt and accept the changes â€Å"they’d been through enough† and Shoba â€Å"needed some time alone†, their relationship eventually dissolves. A similar thing happened to Mrs Sen in â€Å"Mrs Sen’s. † She was forced to adapt to a new country and learn their way of life, this although, proves to be too difficult for Mrs Sen as she was unable to successfully learn how to drive â€Å"I hate it. I hate driving. I won’t go on. † Mrs Sen just ends up frustrated and defeated. Her main challenge was her inability to adapt to a new culture as she was living in her past, constantly trying to mix the two cultures together. This turns out unsuccessful as well as she finds people in her new home, treat her as if she was strange, â€Å"an old woman on the bus kept watching them† the people around Mrs Sen felt uncomfortable at times which made it even more difficult for Mrs Sen to adapt and change to the new community and life around her. Mrs Sen chooses to retreat into her past, something that she is comfortable and familiar with, â€Å"she pulled the blade out of the cupboard, spread newspapers across the carpet, and inspected her treasures. † The fish to her is safe and brings her back to ‘better times’ in her life, when she was happy. In some ways, people are better at some things than others, adaptability is one. In â€Å"This Blessed House† Sanjeev had to adapt to the situation he was faced with; either taking away the religious icons and upsetting his wife, or putting up with them, just so he could please her. Although Sanjeev was able to accept Twinkles fascination with the icons in the end and let her indulge herself with keeping them around the house â€Å"for the rest of their days together she would keep it on the mantel†, he had a hard time coming to terms with it. People tend to struggle with new challenges, but some are able to overcome that struggle, such as Sanjeev. This idea is also borne out by â€Å"The Third and Final Continent† as the narrator in the story struggles with the changes in his life when he first moves, but he eventually learns a routine and adapts choosing to use the same pattern over and over again as it becomes safe and familiar, he ate â€Å"cornflakes and milk, morning and night† which was easy for him. When moving into Mrs Croft’s house, he had to adapt again, learning her environment and how things worked in her house, â€Å"fasten the chain and firmly press that button on the knob! This is the first thing you will do when you enter. † He not only had to adapt to his external environment but his internal environment as well. Mrs Croft would always expect the same from him whenever they spoke, always waiting for him to respond with â€Å"Splendid! † after her remarks. An ongoing quality for the narrator in â€Å"The Third and Final Continent† is that he had to adapt to many things, including an arranged marriage. He had to adapt to a new person coming into his life and living with him for the rest of his life. This was substantiated to be difficult at first, but soon grew on him â€Å"for the first time, we looked at each other and smiled†, he welcomed her company in the end and truly loved her. If he was unable to adapt, this would not be the case. In a similar way, Miranda had many obstacles to adapt to as well. She was challenged when starting a relationship with Dev, as she had never had a physical relationship with a married man before. She struggles with this for a little while when his wife comes back, as it seems wrong when then wife is home, but she learns to adapt to not being able to go out with Dev and only being able to stay inside with him from fear of his wife seeing them. But, in the end Miranda had to adapt to a life without Dev. We are left with the thought that she is ble to move on and change into a better person as she â€Å"walked past the restaurants where Dev had kissed her,† and gazed at the â€Å"clear-blue sky,† proving to us the she has moved on from a life with Dev. In most people’s realities, they are able to pick themselves up and adapt to new changes, but there are also those rare people who struggle to do just that and it is too difficult to try and change. These people are forced to deal with other challenges in their life that they will e ventually learn to overcome. In Lahiri’s stories, she shows us that in order to succeed individuals need to be adaptable.

Limited liability company Essays

Limited liability company Essays Limited liability company Paper Limited liability company Paper 1. Tortfeasor is the term for a person who commits a tort True 2. Proximate cause exists when injuries sustained were too remotely connected to an incident to trigger liability False 3. Bona fide competitive behavior can constitute wrongful interference with a contractual relationship False 4. An ordinary person standard determines whether allegedly negligent conduct resulted in a breach of a duty of care False 5. Hilliard, a clerk at a Games Unlimited store, takes a video player from the store without permission. Hilliard is liable for Conversion 6. Clem, a Delite Dairy salesperson, follows Edna, a salesperson for a Festive Foods, a Delite competitor, as Edna visits stores to make sales. Clem solicits each of edna’s customers. Clem is most likely liable for Wrongful interference with a business relationship 7. Levon leaves his truck at Makeright Vehicle Shop for repair. When Levon refuses to pay for the work, makeRight refuses to give him possession of the truck. Makeright has committed Trespass to personal property 8. A Rhode Island state imposes fines on tire repair business whose pneumatic equipment does not include automatic shut-off switches to protect employees. Bob’s Brakes Tires, Inc. , does not have the switches on its equipment. Center, a Bob’s employee, suffers an injury that a shut-off switch would have prevented. Carter’s best theory for recovery is Negligence per se 9. Under the theory of negligence, a breach of the duty of care requires a careless act False 10. Causation in fact exist if an injury would not have occurred without the defendant’s act True 11. A defense available in an action based on a negligence theory is that the plaintiff failed to prove one or more of the required elements True 12. An individual’s right to privacy includes the exclusive use of his or her likeness True 13. A superseding cause is an intervening event that imposes liability on a defendant for injuries caused by the intervening event False 14. Great Tans, Inc. , uses, in its radio ads, a recording by Holly, who owns the rights, without paying for the use. Over time, the song comes to be associated with great Tans. In Holly’s suit against Great Tans, the firm is most likely liable for Appropriation 15. In many states, the plaintiff’s negligence is a defense that may be raised in a negligence suit True. 16. Nesbit publishes in a newspaper an account of the sex life of Merinda, who is not a public figure. The information is true. This is most likely An invasion of privacy 17. Only a foreseeable intervening event can break the connection between a wrongful act and an injury to another False 18. Self-defense is a defense to a charge of assault True 19. An artisan’s lien is a defense to a charge of trespass to personal property True 20. A person assumes all risks associated with any activity in which he or she participates False 21. Strict liability is imposed based on fault False. 22. To avoid strict product liability, a manufacturer must make a product entirely safe for all users False 23. Green Glass Corporation makes glass bottles for food and beverage makers to package their products for wholesale distribution and retail sale. Liability may be imposed on Green Glass based on A manufacturing defect 24. Misrepresentation on a label is not enough to show an intent to induce the reliance of anyone who may use the product False 25. Horizon Corporation makes cell phones. Ginvera files a product liability suit against Horizon, alleging a design defect. Under the Restatement (third) of torts: products liability, in deciding whether to hold Horizon liable, the court may consider the reasonableness of An available alternative design 26. Toyoda company buys gas pedals and other parts from subcontractors and puts them in its vehicles without changing their composition. If the pedals of other parts are defective, strictly liable for any damage caused by the defects are Toyoda and the subcontractors 27. Farm Equip, Inc. , makes farming machinery. Gail discovers that her Farm Equip tractor is defective and sues the maker for product liability based on negligence. To win, Gail must show that Gail suffered an injury caused by the defect 28. Medic Equip, Inc. , makes medical devices. Naomi is injured while using a Medic pacemaker and sues the maker for a product liability based on strict liability. To win, Naomi must show that None of the choices 29. GR8 skates Company makes and sells a pair of skates to Homer. GR8 fails to exercise â€Å"due care† to make the skates safe, and homer is injured as a result. GR8 is most likely for Negligence 30. A manufacture’s duty of care does not extend to the inspection and testing of products bought to incorporate on the final product False 31. An action in strict product liability requires that the defendant fail to exercise reasonable care True 32. Stable Tool Company makes hedge trimmers. Troy is injured while using a Stable trimmer and uses the company for product liability based on negligence. To win, Troy must show that Stable did not use due care with respect to the trimmer 33. A seller must warn those who buy a product of harm that could result from the foreseeable misuse of the product True 34. The basis for applying strict liability is an intentional wrongful act False 35. Universal assembly company makes espresso machines and sells one to Vim through a misrepresentation on the label on which Vim relies and that results in an injury to Vim. Universal is most likely liable for Fraud 36. Rhiana is shopping in Seth’s Food Store when a bottle of truly Bubbly Cola explodes, injuring her. Rhiana files a suit against Truly Bubbly, from whom she can recover only if she can show that she Was injured due to a defect in the product 37. A person who keeps a domestic animal may be strictly liable for any harm that the animal inflicts True 38. Due care must be exercised in designing a product True 39. Sellers or lessors are liable only for products that are reasonably dangerous False 40. Ketchen Kutters Corporation (KKC) makes kitchen knives and other consumer products. KKC could be liable for a design defect if there is a foreseeable risk of harm posed by a product and There is a reasonable alternative design Chapter 15-16 1. The holder of an artisan’s lien can foreclosure and sell the property subject to the lien to satisfy the debt True 2. Tippi believes that she needs to obtain a discharge in bankruptcy through an individual’s repayment plan. This proceeding can be initiated by a filing of a petition by A debtor 3. Any â€Å"person† may be a debtor in a liquidation proceeding. False 4. Francie’s debt to Gage is past due. Gage brings a legal action against Francie to collect the debt. To ensure that a judgment in Gage’s favor will be collectable, Gage asks the court to order the seizure of Francie’s property. This is a request for A writ of attachment 5. Ping’s debt to Oak Furniture Warehouse is past due. Oak obtains a judgment against Ping, but Ping refuses to pay it. Oak asks the court for an order that directs the sheriff to seize ad sell any of Ping’s nonexempt real or personal property that is within the court’s geographic jurisdiction. This is a request for A writ of execution 6. Mary’s home is in a state that has a $30,000 homestead exemption. Mary defaults on a $60,000 debt that she owes to Nina. Mary’s home is sold at auction for $80,000. Refer to Fact Pattern 15-2B. If Nina recovers less than she is owed, she can realize the difference form Only nonexempt property that Mary owns 7. If a creditor obtains a judgment against a debtor an the debtor cannot or will not pay the judgment, the dispute is at an end False 8. Teona files a voluntary petition in bankruptcy for relief through a liquidation. Debts that will not be discharged include claims for Domestic-support obligations 9. If a debtor’s income is below the median income, there is a presumption of bankruptcy abuse False 10. Certain liquidation cases may be converted to repayment plan cases with the consent of the debtor True 11. To adjust debt an institute a repayment plan, Charlie-who is not a corporation, a partnership, or a family farmer or fisherman-may file a petition in bankruptcy for relief through A repayment plan 12. One of the primary effects of a discharge is to relieve the liability of a co-debtor False 13. In a repayment plan case, after the debtor has completed all payments, the court grant a discharge of all debts provided for by the plan True 14. Bartleby owns $5000 to Countryside Credit Union. As a prejudgment remedy to collect the debt, countryside could use Attachment 15. The content of a family-fisherman bankruptcy plan is basically the same as that of a repayment plan True 16. Hasty Pastries declares bankruptcy, idling Hasty’s delivery vehicles. The court can compel Hasty to make periodic cash payments to a creditor with a secured interest in the vehicles to offset the depreciation in their value. This is The adequate protection doctrine 17. Wilbur files a petition in bankruptcy for relief through an individual’s repayment plan. Wilbur is granted a discharge. Debts that will not be discharged include claims for Fraudulently incurred debt 18. Personal property that is most often exempt from satisfaction of judgment debts does not include livestock False 19. Flip’s debt to George is past due. George brings a legal action against Flip to collect the debt. George asks the court to order Home Bank, in which Flip has an account, to pay a portion of the funds to George. This is a request for An order of garnishment 20. Each state permits a debtor to retain the family home, in its entirely or in part, free from the claims of unsecured creditors True 21. A lender’s failure to comply with federal mortgage disclosure requirements extends the borrower’s right to rescind the loan to no more than seven days False 22. A deficiency judgment requires a borrower to pay the amount of debt remaining after the collateral is sold True 23. A subprime mortgage is a loan made to a borrower who does not qualify for a standard mortgage True 24. Great Plain Bank provides a loan to enable Helene to buy a real property. This loan is A mortgage 25. The average prime offer rate is the rate offered to the least qualified borrower as established by a survey of potential borrowers False 26. Rita borrowers $30,000 from South State Credit Union, South State accepts Rita’s equity in her home as collateral, which can be seized if the loan is not repaid on time. This is A home equity loan 27. Money mortgage Mart makes a short-term loan to Natalie to allow her to make a down payment on a new home before selling her current home. This is A bridge loan  28. Under a deed in lieu of foreclosure, the property is coveyed to the lender in satisfaction of the mortgage True 29. Shade Tree Lending Corporation advertises loans as foxed-rate loans but, in fact, their rates or payment amounts will change. This is A violation of the law 30. Duran applies to EZ Credit Mortgage Company for $100,000 to buy a home. Ez Credit steers Duran toward an adjustable-rate mortgage even though he qualifies for a fixed-rate mortgage. This is Steering and targeting 31. Agnes borrowers $110,000 from Bay Harbor Bank to buy a home under a mortgage with an acceleration clause. After eighteen payments, Agnes stops making payments on the mortgage. Bay Harbor Can foreclosure on the entire amount of the loan 32. Property Financial Corporation makes loans that qualify, under a Federal Reserve Board amendment to Regulation Z, as Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans (HPMLs), Quinn applies to property Financial for an HPML. To make the loan, the lender must Verify the borrower’s ability to repay the loan 33. A recession is a written instrument that gives a creditor an interest in real property being acquired by a debtor as security for the debt’s payment False 34. Hill Dale Credit Corporation makes mortgage loan to consumers secured by their principal homes. For a Hill Dale loan to qualify as a Higher-Priced Mortgage Loan (HPML), its annual percentage rate must exceed, by a certain amount The average prime offer rate for a comparable transaction 35. Borrowers are required to recite the terms of their loans in clear, readily understandable language so that the lenders can make rational choices False 36. Federal law encourages private lenders to modify mortgages so as to lower the monthly payments of borrowers who are in default True 37. Northeast Bank makes mortgage loans to consumers, including Mai, to buy homes. Refer to Fact Pattern 16-18. Under Federal Law, disclosures with respect to one of Northeast’s loans must be provided A certain number of days before the loan is finalized 38. The loan that a lender provides to enable a borrower to purchase real property is a mortgage True 39. Kenton borrowers $150,000 from Liberty Home Finance Corporation to buy a home. Federal law concerns primarily What must be disclosed with respect to a mortgage 40. Laurel borrows $150,000 from Marketplace Mortgage Loans to buy a home. The financing documents require Laurel to maintain the property, obtain homeowners’ insurance, and pay all property taxes and other assessment through the lender. With respect to these terms, a court is most likely to Enforce them CHAPTER 17-18 1. Some states require franchisors to provide presale disclosures to prospective franchisees True 2. In a general partnership, the acts of one partner in the ordinary course of business subjects the other partners to personal liability True 3. A franchise is a contractual arrangement True 4. A franchisor can set the retail prices for the goods that a franchisee sells False 5. Property acquired by the partnership is the property of the partners individually False 6. The parties to a franchise arrangement may be two corporations True 7. Typically, the franchisee determines the territory to be served by the franchise False 8. Echo enters into an agreement with Deep Pan Pies, Inc. , to operate a franchise in Centre City. Later, Deep grants franchises to others within the city. Echo files a suit to close them. If the court rules Echo’s favor it will most likely be on the ground that Deep violated the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing 9. A franchise contract may use only type of business organization-the sole proprietorship False 10. A partnership agreement can include almost any terms that the partners wish True 11. Savannah and Rex agree while taking on the phone to form a partnership to deal in sales of natural gas. Their partnership agreement is legally binding Only if the agreement is reduced to writing 12. Trina and Uri do business as value Gems. In acting on the firm’s behalf in a deal with World Diamond Exchange, Trina recklessly exceeds what value Gems can afford to pay, causing damage to the firm. Trina is Liable for breach of the duty of care  13. A sole proprietor has unlimited liability for all obligations that arise in doing business True 14. A partner who pursues his or her own interest automatically violates the partner’s fiduciary duties to the partnership False 15. Laws governing franchising are designed in part to prevent franchisors from terminating franchises without good cause True 16. Noah and Orin do business as Personnel Partners. In most states, for purposes of suing and being sued, Personnel Partners would be treated as An entity 17. Good faith and fair dealing are important in terminating a franchise relationship True 18. Cluckee Chick’n Corporation provides its prospective franchisees with projected earnings figures based on actual data. Cluckee Chick’n must also disclose The number and percentage of franchisees that achieved the figures 19. On a partner’s dissociation, his or her duty of loyalty to the partnership ends True 20. A franchise agreement between software Company and Games, Inc. , is silent on a time for termination of the franchise. Software may Terminate on reasonable notice 21. Genetic Innovations, LP, is a limited partnership. The partners sign an agreement purporting to state how the firm’s profits and losses are to be divided. The profits and losses of the firm will be divided According to the agreement 22. Mit-E Mart LLC was formed in New Jersey. Mit-E Mart’s members are Odel, who is a citizen of New Jersey, and Pola, who is a citizen of New York. For federal diversity jurisdictional purposes, Mit-E is a citizen of New Jersey and New York 23. If there is not limited liability company (LLC) agreement covering a topic dispute, the state LLC statute will govern the outcome True 24. In a limited partnership, a general partner’s dissociation from the firm may lead to dissolution True 25. CPA Accounting, LLC, is a limited liability company. If the law in CPA’s state is like the law in most states, unless the members have agreed otherwise, participants in the firm’s management will be considered to include All members 26. State law governs the formation of a limited partnership True 27. For federal income tax purpose, one-member limited liability companies are automatically taxed as sole proprietorships True 28. A limited partner who gives a general partner advice on matters relating to the management of the partnership cannot be liable as a general partner False 29. A limited liability company must be managed by non-member managers False 30. Limited liability companies (LLC) are governed by a federal LLC statute False 31. A limited liability company as an entity is not liable for the wrongful act or omissions of its members False 32. Fern and Gray want to form a limited partnership to manage two restaurants: Cafe Latte and Deli Delite. In most states, a limited partnership will be created when A certificate of limited partnership is filed 33. Some states have passed laws prohibiting the withdrawal of general partners form a limited partnership True 34. A limited liability company is not a citizen if any state False 35. In a limited liability partnership, the liability of a general partner is the same as the liability of a limited partner True 36. Vasil is considering forms of business organization for Vasili’s Designs an architectural firm. An advantage of a limited liability partnership is that partners may be able to avoid personal liability for Any partnership obligation 37. In a limited partnership, limited partners have essentially the same right as a general partners to participate in management False 38. A limited liability partnership allows its partners to avoid personal liability for the malpractice of other partners True  39. Location! Realty LLC is a limited liability company. Like other LLCs for federal jurisdictional purposes. Location! Realty is most likely a citizen of Every state in which its members are citizens 40. Bee Hive Honey, LLC’s members include Chad. For purposes of suing and being sued. Bee Hive Honey is A legal entity apart from the owners CHAPTER 19 1. Sophie and Tiny incorporate their beverage-container business as U-Twist Products, Inc. The first board of directors may be appointed by the firm’s Incorporators 2. Shareholders’ meetings need not occur at any certain interval False  3. A director or officer is not liable to the corporation for a bad business decision True 4. Skyla and Terry want to form and do business as Unbound Games Corporation. Most statutes governing the formation and use of corporations are guided by The Revised Model Business Corporation Act 5. The first step in the incorporation process is to select a state in which to operate True 6. Express power of a corporation are found in its articles of incorporation True 7. Felicity and Gideon want to form and do business as Home Healthcare Corporation. A corporation is An artificial person 8. A corporation is a legal entity created and recognized by federal law False 9. Clark is a shareholder of Bedrest Mattress Company. Clark will be deemed to have a fiduciary duty to Bedrest and its minority shareholders if he has A sufficient number of shares to exercise de facto control 10. The primary document needed to incorporate a business is the articles of incorporations True 11. Before shareholders can bring a derivative suit, they must submit a written demand to the corporation, asking the board of directors to take action True 12. Officers hire the directors and other executive employees False 13. Frida and Gregor want to market a new line of fishing gear. To avoid income taxes at the corporate level, they should form An S corporation 14. Viola is a director of Water Pure Corporation. With respect to Water Pure, Viola’s most important right is the right of Participation 15. Directors are entitled to use confidential corporate information for their personal advantage False 16. Each incorporator must have an interest in the incorporation False 17. Niki owns O. K. Oil Corporation. Niki uses O. K’s funds to pay her personal expenses, creates Pure Fuel Corporation to engage in the same business as O. K. , transfers O.K. , assets to Pure Fuel, and petitions O. K. into bankruptcy. This most likely warrants A pierce of O. K. ’s corporate veil 18. Like the bylaws of the other corporations, the bylaws of Farmland Equipment, Inc. , Were adopted at its first organizational meeting 19. Bret and Courtney from Delite Day Care, Inc. ultimate responsibility for policy decisions necessary to the management of corporate affairs rests with Delite’s Board of directors 20. Hailey and Ike hold the first organizational meeting of Java Drive-in Corporation. Probably the most important function of this meeting is Adopting Java’s bylaws 21. Dhani, an accountant for Eureka, Inc. learns of undisclosed company plans to market a new laptop. Dhani buys 1,000 shares of Eureka stock. He reveals the company plans to Fay, who buys 500 shares. Fay tells Geoff, who tells Hu, each of whom buy 100 shares. They knows that Fay got her information from Dhani. When Eureka publicly announces its new laptop, Dhani, Fay, Geoff, and Hu sell their stock for a profit Liable for insider trading 22. Start-up Enterprises, Inc. , completes its registration process and begins advertising the availability of its new issue of securities. Start-up places a tombstone ad in the financial papers. This as tells prospective investors Where to obtain a prospectus 23. Hometown Shops Retail Company has assets of less than $10 million and fewer than five hundred shareholders. Interstate Outlets, Inc. , has assets of more than $10 million and more than five hundred shareholders. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 applies to Hometown Shops and Interstate Outlets 24. Maple Products Corporation is a public company, which New Hampshire regulates and in which Orin invests. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 introduced direct federal corporate governance requirements to Public companies 25. â€Å"Forward-looking† financial forecast are protected against liability for securities fraud True 26. Sid, a director of Tech Software Company, learns that a Tech engineer has developed â€Å"Ur Call†, a new, exciting video game. Sid buys Tech stock and tells his friend Velma, who also buys Tech stock. When the new game is released three weeks later, Sid and Velma sell their stock for a big profit. Refer to Fact Pattern 29-1B. under SEC Rule l0b-5, Sid would not be liable if he had waited to buy Tech stock until After the public release of the game 27. Nouveau Riche Corporation, and its officers, directors, and shareholders, buy and sell securities. SEC Rule 10b-5 applies to The purchase or sale of any security 28. Catalina promises high returns to Darby and other investors, who then agree to trust their funds to Catalina. She uses these funds to pay previous investors. This is A Ponzi scheme 29. Corner Cafe Company offers its stock for sale only in a single state. The law in Corner’s state is like the law in most states. Corner’s offer is subject to state securities statutes that include Antifraud and disclosure provisions 30. Begin Anew Enterprise, Inc. , completes its registration process and issues a free-writing prospectus. This tells prospective investors That they may obtain the prospectus at the SEC’s Web Site 31. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, chief executive officers no longer need to certify the accuracy of information in corporate financial statements False 32. Dave, an accountant, does not work for Emergent Company, but wrongfully obtains inside information concerning Emergent. Based on the information, Dave buys and sells Emergent stock for personal gain. The Securities and Exchange Commission prosecutes Dave, arguing that he is liable because he stole information rightfully belonging to another. This argument is The misappropriation theory 33. Heavy Hauling, Inc. , is a public company whose shares are traded in the public securities markets. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to ensure that Heavy Hauling’s financial results are accurate and timely, the firm’s senior officers must set up and maintain Internal â€Å"disclosure controls and procedures† 34. The Securities an Exchange Commission can seek sanctions against those who violate foreign securities laws True 35. Frothy Beverage Corporation is a public company whose shares are traded in the public securities markets. Under the Securities Act of 1933, Frothy is required to Disclose financial and other information about its securities 36. Most securities can not be resold without registration False 37. Lex, a salesperson for Macro Corporation, learns that Macro will increase the dividend it pays to shareholders. Lex buys 1,000 shares of Macro stock. When the price increases, Lex sells his shares for a profit. Lex would not be liable for insider trading if the information about the dividend was Public before he bought the stock 38. Accredited investors included banks, but not investment companies False 39. Securities must be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 for the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to apply False 40. Players Video Game Centers, Inc. , wants to issue stock of $1 million in a single offering. Players must provide all investors with material information about itself, its business, and its securities if Any investors are unaccredited CHAPTER 20 AND 22 1. Bud approves on behalf of Cody-but without authorization-a contract with devon to build a new silo. Cody does not ratify the contract. Later, Devon tries to enforce the deal. This attempt will be Totally unsuccessful. 2. Prospective enterprises (PE) employs Quinn to buy property for a possible commercial development. Quinn secretly buys some of the property and sells it to PE at a profit. Quinn has breached The duty of loyalty 3. A principal owns his or her agent a duty to act in good faith True 4. A principal is exposed to tort liability whenever a third person sustains a loss due to an agent’s misrepresentation True 5. Independent contractors have no control over the details of their work performance False 6. Apparent authority arises from what the principal makes clear to the agent False. 7. Apparent authority usually comes into existence through a principal’s pattern of conduct over time True 8. Chelsea, an agent for Bountiful Seafood, Inc. , has often done business with Alvin’s Dockside Diner on Bountiful’s behalf. When Chelsea and Bountiful terminate their agency, to avoid liability for later deals, Alvin’s must be notified by Bountiful only 9. Rangle contracts with Siena to buy a certain horse for her. Rangler makes a deal with Timberline Stables, the owner of the horse, and makes a down payment. Siena fails to pay the rest of the price. Timberline sues Rangler for breach of contract. His right to hold Siena liable for any damages that he has to pay is the right of Indemnification 10. Meals n’More, Inc. , a catering company, requires its customers to pay by check. Lyra, a Meals n’More driver, tells customers that they can pay her with cash. When Meals n’More learns of Lyra’s collections, it takes no action to stop it. Lyra steals some of the cash. Meals n’More may suffer the loss under the doctrine of Apparent authority 11. An agent has the right to perform agency duties without interference by the principal True 12. All agency relationships are based on contract False 13. An agent has a duty to follow all clearly stated instructions of the principal, lawful or not False 14. Maya and Noel work at OpenFlo Plumbing Supply. Maya is a plumbing engineer who works with OpenFlo clients on residential plumbing and field draining and irrigation projects. OpenFlo closely supervises all of its engineers, and dictates their work schedules. Noel works part-time in the evenings cleaning the offices and warehouse. Refer to Fact Patern 20-1A. Maya is OpenFlo’s Employee and agent 15. Glen is an agent for Hi-Flite, Inc. On Hi-Flite behalf and its request. Glen pays lan for certain plane maintenance and repair services. Glen’s right to obtain the amount of those payments from Hi-Flite arises under the principal’s duty of Reimbursement 16. Fabulous Auto Sales, Inc. , employs GR8 Collection Company as a collection agency. While repossessing a car from Hadji, one of Fabulous customers, GR8 causes an accident in which Hadji is injured. Hadji can recover from Fabulous or GR8 17. When an agency relationship is terminated, the principal has a duty to personally notify third parties who knew of its existence False. 18. Louis, certified public accountant and an investor, and Maria, an insurance salesperson and a realtor, may create an agency relationship for A legal purpose only 19. An independent contractor may not act in the capacity of an agent False 20. Picabo drives a truck as an employee for Quick Delivery. Inc. , Picabo would most likely be considered acting outside the scope of their employment if she Crashed into a car at the airport while off duty 21. Employers who do not accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities must demonstrate that the accommodations would cause undue hardship True. 22. United Company replaces Vera, a forty-five-year-old employee, with Wendy. Vera files a suit against United under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. To establish a prima facie case, Vera must show, among other things, that she is Qualified for the position 23. Constructive discharge is a theory that plaintiffs can use to establish any type of discrimination claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 True 24. State employers are not immune from private suits brought by the employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 False 25. The civil rights Act of 1964 does not protect against reverse discrimination False 26. Dakota believes that Credit Services Corporation (CSC) has discriminated against her on the basis of gender. She files a suit against CSC under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. To establish a prima facie case of employment discrimination, Dakota must show that She is a member of a protected class 27. Pikabo files an employment discrimination suit against Quantitative Analysis, Inc. , under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, based on its discharge of Pikabo. Possible relief includes Reinstatement. 28. Under the age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, a plaintiff must prove that he or she was replaced by a person â€Å"outside the protected class† False 29. Maria, an employee of Nickel Tool Company, files a sexual-harassment suit against Owen, her supervisor. Maria wins. Nickel may also be liable if it had effective harassment polices and complaint procedures, and Maria followed them 30. Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the plaintiff needs to show only that the employer was motivated in part by unlawful discrimination False 31. If a job applicant or an employee with a disability, with a reasonable accommodation, can perform essential job functions, the employer must make the accommodation True 32. The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines persons with disabilities as persons with physical as persons with physical or mental impairments that â€Å"substantially limit† their everyday activities True 33. Dick works for first City Bank. When his spouse Eline is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, Dick asks to take temporary leave to care for her.

ronald regan essays

ronald regan essays 40th president of the United States (1981-1989) Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois. In a family of 3 boys he was the youngest. His father was a traveling shoe salesman. Reagan's mother taught Reagan how to read at an early age, which heavily influenced him positively. Most of Reagan's childhood was spent in Dixon, Illinois. Reagan attended and graduated from Eureka College a small religious school around Peoria, Illinois. He majored in economics, and he was president of the student body, a player on the football team, and captain of the swimming team. He also looked toward acting, but when Reagan graduated the only available related to show business was a local radio sportscaster. In 1936 Reagan became a sportscaster for station WHO in Des Moines, Iowa. 1937 Reagan went to Hollywood and began to work as an actor he starred in more then 50 films like Knute Rockne-All American, kings Row, and Bedtime for Bonzo. He married actress Jane Wyman and they had two children. After eight years of marriage they got divorced and Reagan remarried Nancy Davis. They had two children. Reagan's first political activities were associated with his responsibilities as a union leader. As union president, Reagan tried to remove suspected Communists from the movie industry. When the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities began an investigation in 1947 on the influence of Communists in the film industry, Reagan took a strong anti-Communist stand testifying before the committee. As governor or California, Reagan became one of several widely known conservative politicians who wanted to slow down government involvement in the economy and society. In 1968 Reagans first term as governor, he decided to run for presidency. He lost to Nixon. After completing his term as governor, Reagan decided to run for president again. This time he challenged Gerald Ford for the 1976 presid ...

Treating Jellyfish and Man-O-War Stings

Treating Jellyfish and Man-O-War Stings Its beach weather! The ocean is full of fun, but its also full of wildlife, including jellyfish. Do you know what to do if you or someone with you sees a jellyfish or is stung by one? You should know the answer to these questions before you go to the beach since an encounter with a jellyfish can be a painful or possibly lethal experience. As a matter of practical chemistry, your biggest risk from a jellyfish or man of war sting may come from improper first aid intended to deal with the venom, so pay attention...Question: What should you do if you see a jellyfish?Best Answer: Leave it alone.If its in the water, get away from it. If its on the beach and you need to walk around it, walk above it (dune side) rather than below it (surf side), since it may be trailing tentacles. Keep in mind a jellyfish does not need to be alive in order to sting you. Detached tentacles are capable of stinging and releasing venom for several weeks.My Actual Answer: It depends on what kind of jellyfish it i s.I realize if it looks like floating jelly, its considered a jellyfish, but there are different types of jellyfish and also animals that look like jellyfish but are something else entirely. Not all jellyfish can hurt you. The jellyball pictured above, for example, is common off the coast of South Carolina, where I live. What do you do when you see one? If you are a kid, youll probably pick it up and throw it at another kid (unless its alive and then you avoid it because they kind of hurt when the waves throw one at you). This is a non-venomous jellyfish. Most parts of the world have non-venomous jellyfish, which tend to be easy-to-spot. Its the jellyfish you dont see that present the biggest threat. Many jellyfish are transparent. You probably wont see them in the water, so if you are stung you wont know exactly what got you. If you see a jellyfish and dont know what type it is, treat it like a venomous species and get away from it.Question: How do I treat a jellyfish sting?Answer: Act quickly and calmly to remove the tentacles, stop the stinging, and deactivate any toxin.Here is where people get confused because the best steps to take depend on what type of animal cau sed the sting. Heres a good basic strategy, especially if you dont know what caused the sting: Get out of the water. Its easier to deal with the sting and it takes drowning out of the equation.Rinse the affected area with sea water. Do not use fresh water! Fresh water will cause any stinging cells that havent fired (called nematocysts) to do so and release their venom, possibly worsening the situation. Do not rub sand on the area (same reason).If you see any tentacles, carefully lift them off the skin and remove them with a stick, shell, credit card, or towel (just not your bare hand). They will stick to swimwear, so use caution touching clothing.Keep an eye on the victim. If you see any signs of an allergic reaction, call 911 immediately. Symptoms could include difficulty breathing, nausea, or dizziness. Some redness and swelling is normal, but if it spreads outward from the sting or if you see hives on other parts of the body, that could indicate an allergic response. If you suspect a reaction, do not hesitate to seek medical attention!Now... if you are sure the sting is fro m a jellyfish and not a Portuguese Man of War (shown below, the Man of War is not a true jellyfish) or any other animal, you can use chemistry to your advantage to inactivate the toxin, which is a protein. (Technically the venom tends to be a mixture of polypeptides and proteins including catecholamines, histamine, hyaluronidase, fibrolysins, kinins, phospholipases, and assorted toxins). How do you inactivate proteins? You can change the temperature or acidity by applying heat or an acid or base, such as vinegar or baking soda or diluted ammonia, or even an enzyme, such as the papain found in papaya and meat tenderizer. However, chemicals may cause the stinging cells to fire, which is bad news for someone allergic to jellyfish toxin or anyone stung by a Portuguese Man of War. If you do not know what caused the sting or if you suspect it is from a Man of War, do not apply fresh water or any chemical. Your best course of action is to apply heat to the affected area since it penetrates the skin and inactivates the toxin without causing more venom to be injected. Also, heat quickly helps alleviate the pain of the sting. Hot seawater is great, but if you dont have that handy, use any warmed object. Some people carry aloe vera gel, Benadryl cream, or hydrocortisone cream. Im not sure how effective the aloe is, but Benadryl is an antihistamine, which may help limit an allergic response to the sting. Hydrocortisone can help reduce inflammation. If you seek medical attention and used Benadryl or hydrocortisone, be sure to alert the medical professionals. Acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen commonly are used to relieve pain.The Portuguese Man of War (Physalia physalis) looks a lot like a jellyfish, but it is a different animal. While the blue or pink sail cannot harm you, the trailing tentacles pack a potentially-lethal sting. The tentacles can sting you even if the animal is dead.

Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Drugs - Essay Example In addition, there is the focus on the population and trends of drug use. The trend is commonly established from students as the vulnerable population. The data gained is said to help in determining the prevalence and associated risk. The chapter also highlights various surveys done on trends in drug use. One credible source is shown to be National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The chapter also highlights factors related to drug use. These factors are shown as gender, race and ethnicity, level of education, personality, and genetics. Moreover, the chapter highlights factors that may motivate an individual to use the drug. Chapter 2 largely focuses on problems related to drug use and few issue of law in relation to drugs. The section shows how laws have changed in the United States concerning issues related to drugs. The main concerns for law were the danger posed by drugs, habit from drug use, and increasing levels of crime in the country. The chapter also highlights toxicity related to drugs. There is also focus on networks involved in collecting information on drug related emergency. One of such network is said to be Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). The chapter also highlights problems related to drugs. Such problems are listed as addiction, disorders, dependence, and involvement in crime. There is also justification on reasons for drugs

Six Flags Magic Mountain Theme Park Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Six Flags Magic Mountain Theme Park - Essay Example It is thus about how she manages to handle her life despite deciding to have the baby, and the kind of impact the situation has on her maturity and lifestyle. The movie has gained worldwide recognition due to it being able to address a large audience on a global scale that has been able to relate with every aspect of it. Juno has a very basic story line as well as concept attached to the tale; it is about a young girl trying to explore the nooks and crannies of intimacy and relationships without understanding the implications that might arise along with the same. The film has been directed in a very concise manner making use of pencil stylized ‘rotoscoped’ images right from the credits in the beginning, making use of animation in order to help the audience understand the maturity level of the girl and the kind of colourful life that she always wanted to live for herself. The film helps teenagers to explore the kind of curiosity that reigns within them, and how the same s hould be understood not by simply jumping in and trying things out with friends, but by reading about things and comprehending the facts about life from one’s parents first. It helps children and young adults to understand how friends might not be the best option when it comes to understanding such information about pregnancy and intercourse. These aspects of life are crucial to one’s existence and they must be understood well by every individual so that he is able to make his own decisions without falling into trouble or having unplanned circumstances crop up in his life. (Sciretta, Peter) Thus, the film achieved mass appeal because of the story telling as well as how the girl managed to learn her lesson without panicking much about the situation. The various characters within the movie have been portrayed in a very interesting manner. The director has taken his time to choose the main protagonists and provide them with a different twist. Juno is a young teenage girl who comes off a little strong on the first meeting with everyone. Full of sarcasm, she helps to put an indie spin on the movie and gives a very intense performance with her dominating nature and need to control everything that might not even be in her reach. However, she understands where she went wrong by getting pregnant but decides to bring about a change in a couple’s life with the help of her baby who she is willing to give up in order to make someone else happy. The film has been divided into various chapters, giving the film a very succinct outline. The one thing that sets this movie apart is the idea of Juno trying not to become a victim of the situation she was thrust into, and rather treat the predicament as a stepping stone and move ahead in life, having learned a lesson. Juno’s bedroom as well was a very cleverly designed set as it helped to appeal to the minds of most young teenagers, showing how most young people keep their rooms; messy as well as clean e nough to find things around. Posters helped to indicate the girl’s interests to the sub conscious mind of the audience as objects like her famous ‘hamburger phone’ helped to show hoe different and varied her interests were and that she was just another ‘random’ teenager trying to find her way through life. The rooms of Paulie as well as Juno’s friend Leah have also been designed well, depicting what other teenagers like; Leah’s room being covered with posters of older men trying to signify her level of maturity when it comes to accepting love and Paulie’s looked neat with his mother bumping in several scenes showing how she might be the reason behind his cleanliness, like most teenage boys these days. Most of the

Explore and analyse new Labours approach to Neighbourhood regeneration Essay

Explore and analyse new Labours approach to Neighbourhood regeneration - Essay Example ur government came up with initiatives for neighbourhood regeneration which involved cooperation between the government and the residents in the regeneration of their neighbourhoods as opposed to adopting a course where the government had complete control (Burns, et al, 2002). In this manner, the Labour government worked towards the adoption of practices related to managerialism and civil participation in a manner which ensured that its ideology concerning regeneration was put in place in a manner which was as efficient as possible. Thus, the government, working in some form of partnership with the private sector and residents, worked towards the development of plans and implementation of these plans in neighbourhoods in a bid to ensure their regeneration according to the desired standards. For the first time in history, the Labour government came to recognize the need to involve residents in the development of their neighbourhoods and in order to develop this partnership; the govern ment took steps to ensure the formulation of policies favouring it (Abbott, 1996). It is for this reason that a short time after coming to power, the New Labour government announced a Compact between it and the public to ensure that the latter was constantly involved in the making of any public policy agenda. This was the first step that this government took to ensure that the public was involved in these agendas and the policy would continue to grow in strength throughout the following decade. The result of the Labour stand towards public inclusion in policy making created a situation where the latter was involved in almost every aspect of the provision of public services to local communities and this included the provision of housing, social services, as well as the regeneration of neighbourhoods (Beider, 2007). Because of this cooperation, the government came to establish the Office of the Third Sector in 2006 whose main purpose was to consult the public concerning how best the

The Fall of the Berlin Wall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Fall of the Berlin Wall - Essay Example Those in charge of the Eastern Bloc felt that this migration would lead to a so-called â€Å"brain drain†, particularly as many of the migrants were young and well-educated . The East also felt that the West, particularly West Germany, was still under fascist influences , and these two fears lead to the feeling that such migration should be stopped and the erection of the Inner German Border, separating the two areas of Germany but allowing traffic to flow freely between the two areas of Berlin, despite the city being occupied by separate powers .  Due to Berlin’s more open nature, there were fears that the emigration to the West would continue. Nikita Khrushchev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union at the time, is implicated in making the suggestion that the Berlin Wall be erected and President John F. Kennedy is thought to have implied that no resistance would be made against the erection of such a border . Shortly following this, a deal w as made to finalize the plans, and the border was closed by military officials and barbed wire in the early days of August 1961, with the concrete elements of the wall shortly following. From this date until November 1989, it was nearly impossible to cross between the two areas of Berlin.Wall. The Cold War was a state of political tension between the West (headed by the U.S.) and the East (headed by the Soviet Union) which never showed direct military action but was symbolized by the constant threat of nuclear war.... ration should be stopped and the erection of the Inner German Border, separating the two areas of Germany but allowing traffic to flow freely between the two areas of Berlin, despite the city being occupied by separate powers5. Due to Berlin’s more open nature, there were fears that the emigration to the West would continue. Nikita Khrushchev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union at the time, is implicated in making the suggestion that the Berlin Wall be erected and President John F. Kennedy is thought to have implied that no resistance would be made against the erection of such a border6. Shortly following this, a deal was made to finalize the plans, and the border was closed by military officials and barbed wire in the early days of August 1961, with the concrete elements of the wall shortly following. From this date until November 1989, it was nearly impossible to cross between the two areas of Berlin. The End of the Wall and the War The Cold War had a huge part to play in the construction and fall of the Berlin Wall. The Cold War was a state of political tension between the West (headed by the U.S.) and the East (headed by the Soviet Union) which never showed direct military action but was symbolized by the constant threat of nuclear war7. Ronald Reagan was one of the most influential figures of the Cold War and its end, signing an agreement to ban intermediate-range nuclear weapons with the then-Soviet Genera l Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev8. Reagan also challenged Gorbachev to tear down the wall, symbolizing as it did the oppressive regime of the Soviet Union and everything that the President stood against. At the same time, much of the Soviet economies were stagnant and revolutions in Poland and the Baltic States were well underway,

Research of China's Luxury Goods Market- How Chinese Enterprises Get Dissertation

Research of China's Luxury Goods Market- How Chinese Enterprises Get out From Made in China to Create Domestic Luxury brands - Dissertation Example Recently, however, with an increased spending power among Chinese consumers along with reduced government restrictions, luxury brands from foreign countries have experienced the pressure of strengthening their commitment to Chinese mainland to maintain competitive advantage and avoid losing to rivals. Luxury is a subjective concept that is constantly developing, hence its varied definitions. Nonetheless, luxury has typically been used to characterize a state of great comfort or a desirable item (Park, Rabolt, and Jeon 2008). Luxury brands significantly differ from others in such a way that these entail a premium with no clear benefits over their counterparts. However, consumers remain willing to pay for a significant price as such brands exhibit unique attributes in terms of reputation, quality, and recognizability. Luxury brands do not only express high stands of superiority but also represent a social code that suggests access to desirability and exclusivity. The luxury market has, thus, gained considerable interest from many due to its representation of a hedonistic and somehow irrational form of consumption with which individuals purchase goods for the pleasure these provide regardless of financial costs (Phau and Teah 2009). The luxury brands that are in operation within China are mainly from Europe and include a wide range of retail sectors, including jewellery, fashion clothing and accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and automotive. The following sections then focus on the Chinese consumption behavior towards luxury brands, particularly the unique characteristics of Chinese consumers, the strategies for promoting luxury brands in China, as well as the possible challenges that Chinese companies may face in promoting such luxury brands. Product Brand: An Overview A brand is considered as a guarantee to the consumer of better quality or performance as compared to a product’s generic counterpart, in regards to both the physical and technical aspects. Wh en companies market a branded product, their statements ensure qualities that cannot be acquired through using generic or alternative brands. In most cases, brands are illustrated to depict an individual’s preferred lifestyle. Product branding caters to products alone, whereas corporate branding is the strategy of utilizing the name of the company to represent a certain product or service (de Chernatony 1999; de Chernatony 2001). Products are manufactured in warehouses and factories, but brands are what consumers are after. Consumers make purchases to take hold of a product’s statement and the distinction of one product from another, as personified through brands. Products can be identical and it can be seen in any shop, but the incorporation of a specific brand gives a product a personal touch that would be difficult for competitors to imitate. Though products can be outdated, brands that are successful are always cherished by its loyal customers. In branding, it is i mperative for the presentation and the package to look its best. It is not necessarily grandeur, but it depends on the statement that the firm wants to communicate about the product. It is important that all the necessary details and information are presented to the target market (Olins 2000). In the market, there are a lot of products that claim to be the most efficient, ideal, and best to be purchased and used by consumers. Each has its own qualities and features. The most effective way to

Finite Element Analysis of Structures MSc in CIVIL ENGINEERING Essay

Finite Element Analysis of Structures MSc in CIVIL ENGINEERING - Essay Example Upon assessment of the bracelet, the assessment requires a report on the design as well as making recommendations and preferences to the design. The project requires skills of structural mechanics and dynamics to assess the functional capacity of the bracket. Through real life analysis, the viability of the design shall be developed by incorporating the availability of material as well as the safety of the design. The problem that is presented in this report is a suspicion that a given design of a ceiling bracket fails to meet the user requirements and may be unfit. There is also suspicion that the production of the bracket may not be a viable idea, economically. Although the functional requirements of the bracket may have been included in the design of the bracket, its usability, flaws in the design as well as the structural elements of the production process may hinder applicability and reliability. The problem that the proposed bracket is solving is supporting a maximum vertical load of six Kilo Newton and a side load of two Kilo Newton. The investigation of the viability of the bracket can be derived from the definition of an engineer. An engineer is a professional who has acquired the academic qualifications in the engineering field and is capable of practicing the concept. This involves, identification of a problem that faces a community or individuals, assessment of the problem, proposing of possible solutions to the problem and production of the best-suited solution while ensuring that the functional requirements, which define the problem, are met. The economic and aesthetic functions of the developed solution have to be also integrated in the solution. The investigation thus is done to establish the viability of the bracelet design, in ensuring that it meets the functional requirement of supporting the weight of various elements from the ceiling. Under the investigation, it is also worth noting

Research of China's Luxury Goods Market- How Chinese Enterprises Get Dissertation

Research of China's Luxury Goods Market- How Chinese Enterprises Get out From Made in China to Create Domestic Luxury brands - Dissertation Example Recently, however, with an increased spending power among Chinese consumers along with reduced government restrictions, luxury brands from foreign countries have experienced the pressure of strengthening their commitment to Chinese mainland to maintain competitive advantage and avoid losing to rivals. Luxury is a subjective concept that is constantly developing, hence its varied definitions. Nonetheless, luxury has typically been used to characterize a state of great comfort or a desirable item (Park, Rabolt, and Jeon 2008). Luxury brands significantly differ from others in such a way that these entail a premium with no clear benefits over their counterparts. However, consumers remain willing to pay for a significant price as such brands exhibit unique attributes in terms of reputation, quality, and recognizability. Luxury brands do not only express high stands of superiority but also represent a social code that suggests access to desirability and exclusivity. The luxury market has, thus, gained considerable interest from many due to its representation of a hedonistic and somehow irrational form of consumption with which individuals purchase goods for the pleasure these provide regardless of financial costs (Phau and Teah 2009). The luxury brands that are in operation within China are mainly from Europe and include a wide range of retail sectors, including jewellery, fashion clothing and accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and automotive. The following sections then focus on the Chinese consumption behavior towards luxury brands, particularly the unique characteristics of Chinese consumers, the strategies for promoting luxury brands in China, as well as the possible challenges that Chinese companies may face in promoting such luxury brands. Product Brand: An Overview A brand is considered as a guarantee to the consumer of better quality or performance as compared to a product’s generic counterpart, in regards to both the physical and technical aspects. Wh en companies market a branded product, their statements ensure qualities that cannot be acquired through using generic or alternative brands. In most cases, brands are illustrated to depict an individual’s preferred lifestyle. Product branding caters to products alone, whereas corporate branding is the strategy of utilizing the name of the company to represent a certain product or service (de Chernatony 1999; de Chernatony 2001). Products are manufactured in warehouses and factories, but brands are what consumers are after. Consumers make purchases to take hold of a product’s statement and the distinction of one product from another, as personified through brands. Products can be identical and it can be seen in any shop, but the incorporation of a specific brand gives a product a personal touch that would be difficult for competitors to imitate. Though products can be outdated, brands that are successful are always cherished by its loyal customers. In branding, it is i mperative for the presentation and the package to look its best. It is not necessarily grandeur, but it depends on the statement that the firm wants to communicate about the product. It is important that all the necessary details and information are presented to the target market (Olins 2000). In the market, there are a lot of products that claim to be the most efficient, ideal, and best to be purchased and used by consumers. Each has its own qualities and features. The most effective way to

The History of Hospitals, Delivery of Inpatient Services Essay

The History of Hospitals, Delivery of Inpatient Services - Essay Example The agencies of the Public Health Service are the Health Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Prevention, the Agency of Health Care Research and the Agency Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Wherever numerous publicly funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, military service families and veterans, children, and the poor and federal law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay, however, the main goal wasn't implemented. Significant goal was approached through Massachusetts, implementation of a near-universal health care system by the Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute, mandating that residents purchase health care coverage with little or no control over how much the health insurance policies cost. Problems as rising cost have been contributed by increasing per capita spending by an aging population. One reason for this is the large number of babies born in the lost years and so contribution was increasing expenditure. Another thing is that try improving health care on old population has tended to delay the onset of serious illness and high health care expenditures and medical malpractice; also, resulting defensive medicine has slight contribution of care cost. And so the need of health care system on an aging population has been established since 1960 through Medicare, provider of health care insurance for all Americans age 65 and older. It covers hospital care and physician fee and prescription drug benefits. Medicare takes important steps to reduce long-term health care cost through providing up-to-date preventive benefits and programs that lower overall cost for benefices with chronic illness by preventing complication. Also development of better information on quality and costs of health care through implementation of competitive reforms in durable medical equipment. But Medicare funding has issued warning when financing will exceed 45 percentage of total expenditure with seven years. Such a warning triggered an expedited process to reduce general revenue financing, in which the President is required to propose legislation to address the issue in the next Budget, and Congress is required to consider the proposal on an expedited basis. So crises will run in 2018 because the hospital insurances will run of money. Most health economist believe that the primary causes of increasing spending of health care is development of new technologies, try which could be established improvement of patient care. Estimating the efforts on overage the benefits are expending opportunities of effectiveness of care. Physicians, nurses, and other health profession hospitals and manufactory of pharmaceuticals and device and researches are key input into the health care system. Right investning in any of them can establish effective health care system or effective key output. The pharmaceutics and the medical device industry are most impotent aspects of modern health care system and so supply many of the products are most responsible for improvement on public health, such as medication and devices such as joint replacement and artificial lenses. The developing and the right marketing are the right way to established effective health

Cause and Effect Essay Example for Free

Cause and Effect Essay As more everyday task, such as applying for jobs, banking, shopping, and obtaining general information move into cyberspace, those without computer access are finding themselves segregated from the rest of the digital world. It can be argued that because of the technological demand on today’s society, literacy in technology has become an essential skill for success in today’s society. The basics of computing skills must be supplemented with a set of both cognitive and technical skills, in order to lead to a more universal participation in a technological reliant society. Schools are not sufficiently training teachers; and teachers are not adjusting the curriculum to meet the growing needs of advancing technologies. There is no prevailing standard for what constitutes as fluency and government officials have taken a sluggish approach to equip citizens with the skills and information needed to access government services; especially since governments and businesses move more of their information services exclusively online. Governmental leadership is lagging in bringing society into the information age. Many of the schools throughout the United States are so substandard that a major overhaul is required to provide students with an adequate education. The current policy, which provides computers and Spousta 2 other related hardware but not the necessary training for students and teachers, furthers the inefficient use of resources. The government’s use of technology to provide, exclusive, online services causes a major issue among society as well. In some instances people don’t have computer access and are therefore denied from receiving certain needed services or information. Because a significant amount of the nation’s population are not online, and because the government puts most of its online information in English, and because the information is presented at a twelfth-grade level; millions of residents are further marginalized from the benefits because they either don’t speak English nor have a high education level. As technology further advances and we drift deeper into the information age, the demand for technological literacy among the members of society will continue to increase. Along the way there will be many issues that will eventually need to be addressed as technology advances and government and businesses move more information and services online. Consideration must also be given to those people who are less fortunate and technologically illiterate, or have limited to no computer access.

Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy

Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy SYNOPSIS TOPIC : â€Å"Assessment Centers Its Pertinence, Functionality and Application† OBJECTIVE : Primary Objective The theme permeating this research is to know about the Assessment Centers inside out, its relevance in todays businesses, functions and objectives. Secondary Objective To apprehend the application of Assessment Centers in various firms. ABSTRACT : An Assessment Center is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. The assessment center method, in its modern form, came into existence as a result of the ATT Management Progress Study In this study, which began in the late 1950s, individuals entering management positions in Bell Telephone operating companies were assessed and, from then on, their careers were followed. The chief reason the assessment center method is valid in so many different countries is that it is an easily adaptable evaluation system. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY : The Research will consist of Secondary Data (Reference Books, Websites, Business Journals and Articles) and Primary Data (Questionnaire, Interviews from Industry Experts) GUIDE : Prof. Arvind Rajashekar, visiting faculty, IIPM. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Research is something that always has a question or a problem on the other side of it. The purpose behind ay research is to question through the application of Sciences or otherwise. It is a systematic and an in-depth study with the use of Primary and Secondary Instruments to gain more or complete knowledge of the subject under study. Research consists of Secondary and Primary Instruments 1. PRIMARY RESEARCH The Primary research consists of conducting a Questionnaire Survey with HR Professionals, business persons and Consultants. For this purpose, I have kept a Sample Size of 20 Respondents. The aim behind this survey is to get knowledge about Assessment Centers and its application and use by the Industry expert themselves and also Consultants who have applied Assessment Centers as a tool of Evaluation. 2. SECONDARY RESEARCH v The Secondary research consists of : a. Books on Assessment Centers b. Articles on the Internet c. Articles published in Business Journals d. HR Websites e. Research Papers by Industry experts Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT CENTERS 1.1 Assessment Centers A Gist An Assessment Center (AC) is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. Traditionally an assessment centre consisted of a suite of exercises designed to assess a set of personal characteristics, it was seen as a rather formal process where the individuals being assessed had the results fed back to them in the context of a simple yes/no selection decision. However, recently definite shift is seen in thinking away from this traditional view of an assessment centre to one which stresses the developmental aspect of assessment. A consequence of this is that today it is very rare to come across an assessment centre which does not have at least some developmental aspect to it, increasingly assessment centres are stressing a collaborative approach which involves the individual actively participating in the process rather than being a passive recipient of it. In some cases we can even find assessment centres that are so developmental in their approach that most of the assessment work done is carried out by the participants themselves and the major function of the centre is to provide the participants with feedback that is as much developmental as judgmental in nature. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. To align the strategic intent in line with the market requirements. 1.2 Definitions of an Assessment Center given by Consultants, Academicians Practitioners * Assessment Centres are often described as the variety of testing techniques that allow the candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most essential for success in a given job. Dennis A. Joiner, ‘Assessment centre in public sector: A practical approach, Public Personnel Management Journal. * An assessment center is a comprehensive standardized procedure in which multiple assessment techniques such as situational exercises and job simulation (business games, discussions, reports presentations) are used to evaluate individual employee for variety of manpower decisions. * An Assessment Centre consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple inputs. Several trained observers and techniques are used. Judgements about behavior are made, in major part, from specifically developed assessment simulations. These judgements are pooled in a meeting among the assessors or by statistical integration process. In an integration discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior, and often ratting of it, are pooled. The discussion results in evaluation of performance of the assessees on the dimensions/competencies or other variables that the assessment centre is designed to measure. Statistical combination methods should be validated in accordance with professionally accepted standards. ‘Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment centre operations. 28th International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods * The main feature of assessment centres is that they are a multiple assessment process. There are five main ways in which that is so. A group of participants takes part in a variety of exercises observed by a team of trained assessors who evaluate each participant against a number of predetermined, job related behaviors. Decisions are then made by pooling shared data. Iain Ballantyne and Nigel Povah * An assessment centre is a process in which individuals participate in a series of exercises, most of which approximate what they would be called upon to do in the future job. Assessors usually selected from higher management levels in the firm, are trained to observe the participants and evaluate their performance as fairly and impartially as possible. -‘Can assessment centres be used to improve the salesperson selection process, E. James Randall, Ernest E. Cooke, Richard J. Jefferies, Journal of personal selling and sales management * An assessment centre is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approach designed to provide reliable and valid information about a range of competencies of an individual considered to be necessary for successful performance at a target level in a specific job. ‘360 degree feedback, competency mapping and assessment centres, Radha R. Sharma * Tata Management Training Centres definition of AC: AC is an integrated standardized process in which a series of exercises are used to assess people on pre-defined parameters. These pre-definedparameters define job success in a given organizationalcontext. Most of the exercises are simulation of job activities/work challenges that the candidate is expected to perform in the next level role/job. 1.3 History of Assessment Centers Assessment Centre process was first used sometime between the two world wars. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War, prevented Germany from rearming and thus the traditional approach to the selection of officers, which was of observing their performance in war or in exercises was denied to them. German psychologists then devised this method which involved a combination of tests, simulations and exercises to identify the potential of officer candidates. The British Army used this methodology in the early days of Second World War when they established the War Office Selection Boards (WOSBs), again for the selection of officer candidates. However, it was brought into the private sector only in 1956 after ATT (American Telephone Telegraph Company) used it for selection of high potentials for managerial positions. This was the first industrial application of the assessment centre methodology. Both individual characteristics of young managers as well as organizational settings in which they worked were studied and evaluation at the assessment centre was used to predict whether the participant would make it to the middle management in the next ten years or less. The sample included both recent college graduates and non-management personnel who had risen to the managerial positions relatively early in their career. The dimensions assessed included managerial functions like organizing, planning, decision making, general ability such as intellectual ability, personal impression, sensitivity, and values and attitudes, both work related and social. The success of the earlier work of ATT was followed by Standard Oil which was the second to a start assessment centres. This was followed by IBM, Sears Roebuck, General Electric, and Caterpillar tractors. By 1981 more than 2500 organizations applied this methodology to select potential managers 1.4 Assessment Centers in Asia The first assessment centre in Asia was for selecting project leaders for the entrepreneurship development programme in Gujarat. Subsequently, efforts were made to introduce it in Larsen and Toubro . LT did a lot of work on job profiling but never got to the stage of developing an assessment centre for potential appraisal. Crompton Greaves attempted to use an assessment centre approach for selecting their general managers from within. It is only in the 1990s that interest in assessment centres was renewed. This was a natural response to the need to ensure competent people manning strategic positions. A large number of Asian companies have established assessment centres and many others are exploring. The companies that are trying out include : RPG Group, Escorts, TISCO, Aditya Birla Group, Eicher, Cadburys, Castrol (India), Glaxo, Grindwell Norton, ONGC, Mahindra and Mahindra, SAIL, Siemens, Wipro, Wockhardt, and Johnson Johnson. Different organizations initiated assessment centres for recruitment, selection, placement, promotion, career development, performance appraisal, and succession planning and development purposes such as identification of training needs, identification high potential managers, create a pool of managerial talent and multifunctional managers that would be available across the business group, employee recognition and fast growth. Philips, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Global Trust Bank are organizations that have been using assessment centres. Some of these organizations are, in the process of developing Indian managerial talent and measure it periodically. Generally the competencies that are to be measured are determined by each organization by using methods such as job analysis, managerial aptitude profile surveys, identifying competencies in star performers, etc. A variety of assessment techniques are used in Asian organizations like in-baskets, business simulations, questionnaires, group discussions, role plays, interviews, case study, individual presentations, etc. While the need is felt by all organizations to test reliability and validity of the tools used, many of them are not testing them. Both internal and external assessors are used for evaluation. Assessor training is done either through in-house training programmes or with the aid of external institutions like Academy of HRD (Hyderabad), SHL (UK), etc. Some Asian organizations have also sought assistance from organizations abroad that are using assessment centres such as GE, and Motorola. 1.5 Training and Developmental Needs Analysis The assessment centre methodology can be used to measure the abilities of individuals against certain critical criteria and identify their training and developmental needs. Such assessment centres are more diagnostic than evaluative and can be termed as development centres. In the case of use of assessment centre methodology for early identification, promotion, and selection, a final yes-no decision is critical. But in diagnostic assessment centres or development centres, final overall decision is insignificant. Each dimension must be measured with a high degree of reliability and validity because decisions are being made on each dimension. Therefore, the dimensions to be studied should be made as specific as possible. Quick, easy training methods dont change peoples skill levels. Skill acquisition requires intensive, time-consuming classroom training and must be coupled with opportunities for on-the-job practice and feedback so new behaviors are â€Å"set† in the individuals repertoire. Because skill development takes a lot of time and effort, everyone cannot be trained in every skill. The assessment center method provides an effective means to determine training or developmental needs. Individuals then can be placed in the most appropriate program. The assessment center method is an excellent diagnostic tool because it separates an individuals abilities into specific areas (dimensions) and then seeks specific examples of good and poor behavior within each dimension. This helps the assessee and his/her boss determine more precisely what training and developmental activities are required. Almost all organizations using assessment centers for selection or promotion also use the information obtained to diagnose training needs. However, a major shift in focus is the large number of firms now using assessment centers solely to diagnose training needs. 1.6 Relationship between an Assessment Center and Development Center The type of centre can vary between the traditional assessment centre used purely for selection to the more modern development centre which involves self-assessment and whose primary purpose is development. One might ask the question Why group assessment and development centres together if they have different purposes? The answer to that question is threefold. Firstly, they both involve assessment and it is only the end use of the information obtained which is different i.e. one for selection and one for development; secondly, it is impossible to draw a line between assessment and development centres because all centres, be they for assessment or development naturally lie somewhere on a continuum somewhere between the two extremes; thirdly most assessment centres involve at least some development and most development centres involve at least some assessment. This means that it is very rare to find a centre devoted to pure assessment or pure development.. Also, it purely depends upon the Organizations requirements, its policies and procedures whether it wants to conduct an AC or a DC. It is easier to think about assessment centres as being equally to do with selection and development because a degree of assessment goes on in both. Development centres grew out a liberalisation of thinking about assessment centres and it is a historical quirk that while assessment centres were once used purely for selection and have evolved to have a more developmental flavour the language used to describe them has not. Another problem with using the assessment development dichotomy is that at the very least it causes us to infer that little or no assessment goes in development centres. While you will hear centres being called assessment or development centres remember that assessment goes on in both and so to some extent at least they are both assessment centres. The end result of this is that it is not possible to talk about assessment or development centres in any but the most general terms. It is more useful to talk about the constituent parts and general processes involved in each. In these terms we can identify a number of differences between assessment and development centres that one might typically find: Assessment centres usually * have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards filing a job vacancy * address an immediate organisational need * have fewer assessors and more participants * involve line managers as assessors * have less emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on what the candidate can do now * are geared to meet the needs of the organisation * assign the role of judge to assessors * place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up * give feedback at a later date * involve the organisation having control over the information obtained * have very little pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with external candidates Development centres usually * do not have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards developing the individual * address a longer term need * have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant * do not have line managers as assessors * have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on potential * are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organisation * assign the role of facilitator to assessors * place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function * give feedback immediately * involve the individual having control over the information obtained * have a substantial pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with internal candidates Chapter 2 ASSESSMENT CENTERS INSIDE OUT 2.1 Stages in a typical Assessment Center A typical Assessment Center consists of the following stages. They are : Pre AC Stage During AC Stage Post AC Stage a. PRE AC STAGE * Defining the objective of AC . * Get approval for AC from the concerned officials. * Conduct job analysis. * Define the competencies required for the target position. * Identify the potential position holder and send them invitations. * Identify the observers. * Train the observers. * Design the AC exercises * Decide the rating methodology. * Make infrastructural arrangements. * Schedule the AC. * Informing the concerned people of the schedule. b. DURING AC STAGE * Explain participants the purpose of the AC, the procedure it would follow and its outcome. * Give instructions to the participants, before every exercise. * Distribute the competency-exercise matrix sheets among observers. * Conduct all exercises. * Conduct a discussion of all observers on every participants ratings, at the end of the session. * Make a report of the strengths and improvement areas of every participant. * Give feedback to participants. * Get feedback from participants and observers about the conduction of AC. c. POST AC STAGE * Compile reports of all participants and submit the list of selected participants to the concerned authorities. * Make improvements in the design according to the recommendations. * Evaluate the validity of results after a definite period. 2.2 Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center ( Source ‘Assessment Center for Identifying potential project managers , a Paper for the 6th European Conference on Software Quality 1999 in Vienna ) 2.3 Factors for Evaluating Assessment Center Design Five Factors for evaluating the Center Design The COLAT Model (Source Research Paper ‘Assessment of Assessment Centers by Dr. P. Sethu Madhavan) Center Design The following factors related to the centre design can be used to evaluate and compare the Assessment Centers s in the backdrop of best practices and benchmarks. * Use of qualified resource persons, assessors and support staff * Content validity of the centre and the competency profiles * Use of triangulation and corroboration of assessment results Organizational Preparedness Organizational preparedness refers to following macro level factors, that need to be addressed adequately and established in order to make an assessment or development centre to work effectively. * Policies and procedures * Structure * Clarity of organisational objectives * Buy in, commitment and change management * Communication Linkages, integration and alignment It has been observed that organizations vary considerably in ensuring the linkages, integration and alignment of ACs with the other organisational level factors and the individual level factors. ACs, therefore can be evaluated based on the following best practice anchors falling under these dimensions. * Alignment with core values, vision, mission and strategy * Alignment and linkages with other key HR systems and processes * Alignment with external professional bodies ADCs should be â€Å"purposively† aligned with and derived from the strategy, vision, mission, values and culture of the organisation or the unit. The centre should be designed in such way as to ensure that it helps to meet the strategic objectives of the organisation Quality of Assessment tools and methods In many countries, professional associations and legal requirements dictate that ACs follow some standard practices in the selection, use and administration of assessment methods, especially the psychometric tests. India perhaps has been lagging behind in imposing national level professional standards and certifications to ensure competent and ethical use of psychometric tests. In the absence of any national level qualifications regarding the use of psychometric tests in India, many institutions have been doing a great service to fill this gap by offering, professional training and consultancy services. However, observations and experiences reveal that ACs still vary considerably on their eagerness to ensure quality of tools and methods. * Quality of administration * Reliability * Validity * Utility * Reactivity * Relevance * Test fairness(Statistical) * Technology and use of computers Treatment of Participants and Data Treatment of participants and data in assessment centers is very important from ethical point of view. Some variables and indicators related to this dimension are listed below. * Psychological fairness as perceived by the participants and stakeholders * Right to information, informed consent and informed decisions * Confidentiality and data protection * Feedback policy * Post assessment follow-up and support 2.4 Types of Assessment Exercises Some of the widely used Assessment Center Exercises are as follows : Assement Center Exercise An in-tray or in-basket exercise asks to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through the correspondence in your in-tray. This exercise is designed to measure candidates ability to organize and prioritize work. In a presentation exercise, candidate is given a topic or possibly a choice of topics and asked to make a presentation of around ten minutes with five minutes at the end for questions. This is designed to measure his presentation skills including the ability to organise and structure the information and to communicate his points clearly and concisely. Group discussion exercises involve working with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills. Panel interviews are regarded as a more objective means of assessing the candidates suitability as he will be interviewed by between three and five people and therefore the decision is not reliant on just one persons opinion. In addition, they are usually more structured than a one-to-one interview as the panel need to assess all of the candidates against the same criteria. 2.5 How Assessment Center Exercises are Conducted ? The assessment centre method is utilized in a variety of settings including industry and business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. One recent trend is in the development of mass testing. This is done by video-taping candidates as they perform various exercises and by using objectively scored exercises. This permits the assessment of a much larger number of candidates per day as the scoring is done later and requires far less observation and administration. Assesment Centre Procedure Assessment centres are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process, because of the large amount of time and expense in conducting them, and usually follow the initial job interview. Other measurements such as psychological tests may complement the selection process.: They are commonly held either on employers premises or in a hotel and are considered by many organizations to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because a number of different selectors get to see you over a longer period of time and have the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations. Assessment Centres may be conducted by HR personnel within the employer company or by outside consultants. They are highly structured in their design, application, and assessment procedure and are specifically adapted to assess factors such as your level of skills, aptitude and compatibility with the organizations culture. Each test measures a range of indicators within these factors. During each test, a group of observers will rate the candidate on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale. Results are then cross compared against the same indicators, which are measured in other tests. Following test completion, observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about the ratings. At the beginning of the assessment, participant should receive an initial briefing about the timetable of tests, location of rooms etc. Prior to each test, he will be given instructions describing the exercise, his role, timeframes, equipment etc. He will not be told in detail about the individual indicators which will be measured. In addition, he is unlikely to receive feedback on the results, unless he have been successfully selected. Assessment centers typically involve the participants completing a range of exercises which simulate the activities carried out in the target job. Various combinations of these exercises and sometimes other assessment methods like psychometric testing and interviews are used to assess particular competencies in individuals. The theory behind this is that if one wishes to predict future job performance then the best way of doing this is to get the individual to carry out a set of tasks which accurately sample those required in the job and are as similar to them as possible. The particular competencies used will depend upon the target job but one will often find competencies such as relating to people; resistance to stress; planning and organising; motivation; adaptability and flexibility; problem solving; leadership; communication; decision making and initiative. There are numerous possible competencies and the ones which are relevant to a particular job are determined through job ana lysis. The fact that a set of exercises is used demonstrates one crucial characteristic of an assessment centre namely that it is behaviour that is being observed and measured. This represents a significant departure from many traditional selection approaches which rely on the observer or selector attempting to infer personal characteristics from behaviour based upon subjective judgement and usually precious little evidence. This approach is rendered unfair and inaccurate by the subjective whims and biases of the selector and in many cases produces a selection decision based on a freewheeling social interaction after which a decision is made whether the individual is face fit with the organisation. 2.6 Essential Elements of an Assessment Center Assessment Centers must have the following criteria to be called so : 1. Job Analysis To understand job challenges and the competencies required for successful execution of the job. 2. Predefined competencies Modeling the competencies, which will be tested during the process. 3. Behavioral classification Behaviors displayed by participants must be classified into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics, aptitudes, qualities, skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge. 4. Assessment techniques These include a number of exercises to test the assessees of their potentials. Each competency is tested through atleast 2 exercises for gathering adequate evidence for the presence of particular competence. 5. Simulations The exercises should simulate the job responsibilities as closely as possible to eliminate potential errors in selection. 6. Observations Accurate and unbiased observation is the most critical aspect of an AC. 7. Observers Multiple observers are used to eliminate subjectivity and biases from the process. They are given thorough training in the process prior to participating in the AC. 8. Recording Behavior A systematic procedure of recording must be used by the assessors for future reference. The recording could be in the form of hand written note, behavioral checklist, audio-video recording etc. 9. Reports Each observer must make a detailed report of his observation before going for the discussion of integration of scores. 10. Data Integration The pooling of information from different assessors is done through statistical techniques. 2.7 Assessment Centers Usage Various Organizations use the data provided Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy SYNOPSIS TOPIC : â€Å"Assessment Centers Its Pertinence, Functionality and Application† OBJECTIVE : Primary Objective The theme permeating this research is to know about the Assessment Centers inside out, its relevance in todays businesses, functions and objectives. Secondary Objective To apprehend the application of Assessment Centers in various firms. ABSTRACT : An Assessment Center is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. The assessment center method, in its modern form, came into existence as a result of the ATT Management Progress Study In this study, which began in the late 1950s, individuals entering management positions in Bell Telephone operating companies were assessed and, from then on, their careers were followed. The chief reason the assessment center method is valid in so many different countries is that it is an easily adaptable evaluation system. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY : The Research will consist of Secondary Data (Reference Books, Websites, Business Journals and Articles) and Primary Data (Questionnaire, Interviews from Industry Experts) GUIDE : Prof. Arvind Rajashekar, visiting faculty, IIPM. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Research is something that always has a question or a problem on the other side of it. The purpose behind ay research is to question through the application of Sciences or otherwise. It is a systematic and an in-depth study with the use of Primary and Secondary Instruments to gain more or complete knowledge of the subject under study. Research consists of Secondary and Primary Instruments 1. PRIMARY RESEARCH The Primary research consists of conducting a Questionnaire Survey with HR Professionals, business persons and Consultants. For this purpose, I have kept a Sample Size of 20 Respondents. The aim behind this survey is to get knowledge about Assessment Centers and its application and use by the Industry expert themselves and also Consultants who have applied Assessment Centers as a tool of Evaluation. 2. SECONDARY RESEARCH v The Secondary research consists of : a. Books on Assessment Centers b. Articles on the Internet c. Articles published in Business Journals d. HR Websites e. Research Papers by Industry experts Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT CENTERS 1.1 Assessment Centers A Gist An Assessment Center (AC) is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. Traditionally an assessment centre consisted of a suite of exercises designed to assess a set of personal characteristics, it was seen as a rather formal process where the individuals being assessed had the results fed back to them in the context of a simple yes/no selection decision. However, recently definite shift is seen in thinking away from this traditional view of an assessment centre to one which stresses the developmental aspect of assessment. A consequence of this is that today it is very rare to come across an assessment centre which does not have at least some developmental aspect to it, increasingly assessment centres are stressing a collaborative approach which involves the individual actively participating in the process rather than being a passive recipient of it. In some cases we can even find assessment centres that are so developmental in their approach that most of the assessment work done is carried out by the participants themselves and the major function of the centre is to provide the participants with feedback that is as much developmental as judgmental in nature. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. To align the strategic intent in line with the market requirements. 1.2 Definitions of an Assessment Center given by Consultants, Academicians Practitioners * Assessment Centres are often described as the variety of testing techniques that allow the candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most essential for success in a given job. Dennis A. Joiner, ‘Assessment centre in public sector: A practical approach, Public Personnel Management Journal. * An assessment center is a comprehensive standardized procedure in which multiple assessment techniques such as situational exercises and job simulation (business games, discussions, reports presentations) are used to evaluate individual employee for variety of manpower decisions. * An Assessment Centre consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple inputs. Several trained observers and techniques are used. Judgements about behavior are made, in major part, from specifically developed assessment simulations. These judgements are pooled in a meeting among the assessors or by statistical integration process. In an integration discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior, and often ratting of it, are pooled. The discussion results in evaluation of performance of the assessees on the dimensions/competencies or other variables that the assessment centre is designed to measure. Statistical combination methods should be validated in accordance with professionally accepted standards. ‘Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment centre operations. 28th International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods * The main feature of assessment centres is that they are a multiple assessment process. There are five main ways in which that is so. A group of participants takes part in a variety of exercises observed by a team of trained assessors who evaluate each participant against a number of predetermined, job related behaviors. Decisions are then made by pooling shared data. Iain Ballantyne and Nigel Povah * An assessment centre is a process in which individuals participate in a series of exercises, most of which approximate what they would be called upon to do in the future job. Assessors usually selected from higher management levels in the firm, are trained to observe the participants and evaluate their performance as fairly and impartially as possible. -‘Can assessment centres be used to improve the salesperson selection process, E. James Randall, Ernest E. Cooke, Richard J. Jefferies, Journal of personal selling and sales management * An assessment centre is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approach designed to provide reliable and valid information about a range of competencies of an individual considered to be necessary for successful performance at a target level in a specific job. ‘360 degree feedback, competency mapping and assessment centres, Radha R. Sharma * Tata Management Training Centres definition of AC: AC is an integrated standardized process in which a series of exercises are used to assess people on pre-defined parameters. These pre-definedparameters define job success in a given organizationalcontext. Most of the exercises are simulation of job activities/work challenges that the candidate is expected to perform in the next level role/job. 1.3 History of Assessment Centers Assessment Centre process was first used sometime between the two world wars. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War, prevented Germany from rearming and thus the traditional approach to the selection of officers, which was of observing their performance in war or in exercises was denied to them. German psychologists then devised this method which involved a combination of tests, simulations and exercises to identify the potential of officer candidates. The British Army used this methodology in the early days of Second World War when they established the War Office Selection Boards (WOSBs), again for the selection of officer candidates. However, it was brought into the private sector only in 1956 after ATT (American Telephone Telegraph Company) used it for selection of high potentials for managerial positions. This was the first industrial application of the assessment centre methodology. Both individual characteristics of young managers as well as organizational settings in which they worked were studied and evaluation at the assessment centre was used to predict whether the participant would make it to the middle management in the next ten years or less. The sample included both recent college graduates and non-management personnel who had risen to the managerial positions relatively early in their career. The dimensions assessed included managerial functions like organizing, planning, decision making, general ability such as intellectual ability, personal impression, sensitivity, and values and attitudes, both work related and social. The success of the earlier work of ATT was followed by Standard Oil which was the second to a start assessment centres. This was followed by IBM, Sears Roebuck, General Electric, and Caterpillar tractors. By 1981 more than 2500 organizations applied this methodology to select potential managers 1.4 Assessment Centers in Asia The first assessment centre in Asia was for selecting project leaders for the entrepreneurship development programme in Gujarat. Subsequently, efforts were made to introduce it in Larsen and Toubro . LT did a lot of work on job profiling but never got to the stage of developing an assessment centre for potential appraisal. Crompton Greaves attempted to use an assessment centre approach for selecting their general managers from within. It is only in the 1990s that interest in assessment centres was renewed. This was a natural response to the need to ensure competent people manning strategic positions. A large number of Asian companies have established assessment centres and many others are exploring. The companies that are trying out include : RPG Group, Escorts, TISCO, Aditya Birla Group, Eicher, Cadburys, Castrol (India), Glaxo, Grindwell Norton, ONGC, Mahindra and Mahindra, SAIL, Siemens, Wipro, Wockhardt, and Johnson Johnson. Different organizations initiated assessment centres for recruitment, selection, placement, promotion, career development, performance appraisal, and succession planning and development purposes such as identification of training needs, identification high potential managers, create a pool of managerial talent and multifunctional managers that would be available across the business group, employee recognition and fast growth. Philips, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Global Trust Bank are organizations that have been using assessment centres. Some of these organizations are, in the process of developing Indian managerial talent and measure it periodically. Generally the competencies that are to be measured are determined by each organization by using methods such as job analysis, managerial aptitude profile surveys, identifying competencies in star performers, etc. A variety of assessment techniques are used in Asian organizations like in-baskets, business simulations, questionnaires, group discussions, role plays, interviews, case study, individual presentations, etc. While the need is felt by all organizations to test reliability and validity of the tools used, many of them are not testing them. Both internal and external assessors are used for evaluation. Assessor training is done either through in-house training programmes or with the aid of external institutions like Academy of HRD (Hyderabad), SHL (UK), etc. Some Asian organizations have also sought assistance from organizations abroad that are using assessment centres such as GE, and Motorola. 1.5 Training and Developmental Needs Analysis The assessment centre methodology can be used to measure the abilities of individuals against certain critical criteria and identify their training and developmental needs. Such assessment centres are more diagnostic than evaluative and can be termed as development centres. In the case of use of assessment centre methodology for early identification, promotion, and selection, a final yes-no decision is critical. But in diagnostic assessment centres or development centres, final overall decision is insignificant. Each dimension must be measured with a high degree of reliability and validity because decisions are being made on each dimension. Therefore, the dimensions to be studied should be made as specific as possible. Quick, easy training methods dont change peoples skill levels. Skill acquisition requires intensive, time-consuming classroom training and must be coupled with opportunities for on-the-job practice and feedback so new behaviors are â€Å"set† in the individuals repertoire. Because skill development takes a lot of time and effort, everyone cannot be trained in every skill. The assessment center method provides an effective means to determine training or developmental needs. Individuals then can be placed in the most appropriate program. The assessment center method is an excellent diagnostic tool because it separates an individuals abilities into specific areas (dimensions) and then seeks specific examples of good and poor behavior within each dimension. This helps the assessee and his/her boss determine more precisely what training and developmental activities are required. Almost all organizations using assessment centers for selection or promotion also use the information obtained to diagnose training needs. However, a major shift in focus is the large number of firms now using assessment centers solely to diagnose training needs. 1.6 Relationship between an Assessment Center and Development Center The type of centre can vary between the traditional assessment centre used purely for selection to the more modern development centre which involves self-assessment and whose primary purpose is development. One might ask the question Why group assessment and development centres together if they have different purposes? The answer to that question is threefold. Firstly, they both involve assessment and it is only the end use of the information obtained which is different i.e. one for selection and one for development; secondly, it is impossible to draw a line between assessment and development centres because all centres, be they for assessment or development naturally lie somewhere on a continuum somewhere between the two extremes; thirdly most assessment centres involve at least some development and most development centres involve at least some assessment. This means that it is very rare to find a centre devoted to pure assessment or pure development.. Also, it purely depends upon the Organizations requirements, its policies and procedures whether it wants to conduct an AC or a DC. It is easier to think about assessment centres as being equally to do with selection and development because a degree of assessment goes on in both. Development centres grew out a liberalisation of thinking about assessment centres and it is a historical quirk that while assessment centres were once used purely for selection and have evolved to have a more developmental flavour the language used to describe them has not. Another problem with using the assessment development dichotomy is that at the very least it causes us to infer that little or no assessment goes in development centres. While you will hear centres being called assessment or development centres remember that assessment goes on in both and so to some extent at least they are both assessment centres. The end result of this is that it is not possible to talk about assessment or development centres in any but the most general terms. It is more useful to talk about the constituent parts and general processes involved in each. In these terms we can identify a number of differences between assessment and development centres that one might typically find: Assessment centres usually * have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards filing a job vacancy * address an immediate organisational need * have fewer assessors and more participants * involve line managers as assessors * have less emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on what the candidate can do now * are geared to meet the needs of the organisation * assign the role of judge to assessors * place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up * give feedback at a later date * involve the organisation having control over the information obtained * have very little pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with external candidates Development centres usually * do not have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards developing the individual * address a longer term need * have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant * do not have line managers as assessors * have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on potential * are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organisation * assign the role of facilitator to assessors * place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function * give feedback immediately * involve the individual having control over the information obtained * have a substantial pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with internal candidates Chapter 2 ASSESSMENT CENTERS INSIDE OUT 2.1 Stages in a typical Assessment Center A typical Assessment Center consists of the following stages. They are : Pre AC Stage During AC Stage Post AC Stage a. PRE AC STAGE * Defining the objective of AC . * Get approval for AC from the concerned officials. * Conduct job analysis. * Define the competencies required for the target position. * Identify the potential position holder and send them invitations. * Identify the observers. * Train the observers. * Design the AC exercises * Decide the rating methodology. * Make infrastructural arrangements. * Schedule the AC. * Informing the concerned people of the schedule. b. DURING AC STAGE * Explain participants the purpose of the AC, the procedure it would follow and its outcome. * Give instructions to the participants, before every exercise. * Distribute the competency-exercise matrix sheets among observers. * Conduct all exercises. * Conduct a discussion of all observers on every participants ratings, at the end of the session. * Make a report of the strengths and improvement areas of every participant. * Give feedback to participants. * Get feedback from participants and observers about the conduction of AC. c. POST AC STAGE * Compile reports of all participants and submit the list of selected participants to the concerned authorities. * Make improvements in the design according to the recommendations. * Evaluate the validity of results after a definite period. 2.2 Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center ( Source ‘Assessment Center for Identifying potential project managers , a Paper for the 6th European Conference on Software Quality 1999 in Vienna ) 2.3 Factors for Evaluating Assessment Center Design Five Factors for evaluating the Center Design The COLAT Model (Source Research Paper ‘Assessment of Assessment Centers by Dr. P. Sethu Madhavan) Center Design The following factors related to the centre design can be used to evaluate and compare the Assessment Centers s in the backdrop of best practices and benchmarks. * Use of qualified resource persons, assessors and support staff * Content validity of the centre and the competency profiles * Use of triangulation and corroboration of assessment results Organizational Preparedness Organizational preparedness refers to following macro level factors, that need to be addressed adequately and established in order to make an assessment or development centre to work effectively. * Policies and procedures * Structure * Clarity of organisational objectives * Buy in, commitment and change management * Communication Linkages, integration and alignment It has been observed that organizations vary considerably in ensuring the linkages, integration and alignment of ACs with the other organisational level factors and the individual level factors. ACs, therefore can be evaluated based on the following best practice anchors falling under these dimensions. * Alignment with core values, vision, mission and strategy * Alignment and linkages with other key HR systems and processes * Alignment with external professional bodies ADCs should be â€Å"purposively† aligned with and derived from the strategy, vision, mission, values and culture of the organisation or the unit. The centre should be designed in such way as to ensure that it helps to meet the strategic objectives of the organisation Quality of Assessment tools and methods In many countries, professional associations and legal requirements dictate that ACs follow some standard practices in the selection, use and administration of assessment methods, especially the psychometric tests. India perhaps has been lagging behind in imposing national level professional standards and certifications to ensure competent and ethical use of psychometric tests. In the absence of any national level qualifications regarding the use of psychometric tests in India, many institutions have been doing a great service to fill this gap by offering, professional training and consultancy services. However, observations and experiences reveal that ACs still vary considerably on their eagerness to ensure quality of tools and methods. * Quality of administration * Reliability * Validity * Utility * Reactivity * Relevance * Test fairness(Statistical) * Technology and use of computers Treatment of Participants and Data Treatment of participants and data in assessment centers is very important from ethical point of view. Some variables and indicators related to this dimension are listed below. * Psychological fairness as perceived by the participants and stakeholders * Right to information, informed consent and informed decisions * Confidentiality and data protection * Feedback policy * Post assessment follow-up and support 2.4 Types of Assessment Exercises Some of the widely used Assessment Center Exercises are as follows : Assement Center Exercise An in-tray or in-basket exercise asks to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through the correspondence in your in-tray. This exercise is designed to measure candidates ability to organize and prioritize work. In a presentation exercise, candidate is given a topic or possibly a choice of topics and asked to make a presentation of around ten minutes with five minutes at the end for questions. This is designed to measure his presentation skills including the ability to organise and structure the information and to communicate his points clearly and concisely. Group discussion exercises involve working with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills. Panel interviews are regarded as a more objective means of assessing the candidates suitability as he will be interviewed by between three and five people and therefore the decision is not reliant on just one persons opinion. In addition, they are usually more structured than a one-to-one interview as the panel need to assess all of the candidates against the same criteria. 2.5 How Assessment Center Exercises are Conducted ? The assessment centre method is utilized in a variety of settings including industry and business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. One recent trend is in the development of mass testing. This is done by video-taping candidates as they perform various exercises and by using objectively scored exercises. This permits the assessment of a much larger number of candidates per day as the scoring is done later and requires far less observation and administration. Assesment Centre Procedure Assessment centres are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process, because of the large amount of time and expense in conducting them, and usually follow the initial job interview. Other measurements such as psychological tests may complement the selection process.: They are commonly held either on employers premises or in a hotel and are considered by many organizations to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because a number of different selectors get to see you over a longer period of time and have the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations. Assessment Centres may be conducted by HR personnel within the employer company or by outside consultants. They are highly structured in their design, application, and assessment procedure and are specifically adapted to assess factors such as your level of skills, aptitude and compatibility with the organizations culture. Each test measures a range of indicators within these factors. During each test, a group of observers will rate the candidate on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale. Results are then cross compared against the same indicators, which are measured in other tests. Following test completion, observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about the ratings. At the beginning of the assessment, participant should receive an initial briefing about the timetable of tests, location of rooms etc. Prior to each test, he will be given instructions describing the exercise, his role, timeframes, equipment etc. He will not be told in detail about the individual indicators which will be measured. In addition, he is unlikely to receive feedback on the results, unless he have been successfully selected. Assessment centers typically involve the participants completing a range of exercises which simulate the activities carried out in the target job. Various combinations of these exercises and sometimes other assessment methods like psychometric testing and interviews are used to assess particular competencies in individuals. The theory behind this is that if one wishes to predict future job performance then the best way of doing this is to get the individual to carry out a set of tasks which accurately sample those required in the job and are as similar to them as possible. The particular competencies used will depend upon the target job but one will often find competencies such as relating to people; resistance to stress; planning and organising; motivation; adaptability and flexibility; problem solving; leadership; communication; decision making and initiative. There are numerous possible competencies and the ones which are relevant to a particular job are determined through job ana lysis. The fact that a set of exercises is used demonstrates one crucial characteristic of an assessment centre namely that it is behaviour that is being observed and measured. This represents a significant departure from many traditional selection approaches which rely on the observer or selector attempting to infer personal characteristics from behaviour based upon subjective judgement and usually precious little evidence. This approach is rendered unfair and inaccurate by the subjective whims and biases of the selector and in many cases produces a selection decision based on a freewheeling social interaction after which a decision is made whether the individual is face fit with the organisation. 2.6 Essential Elements of an Assessment Center Assessment Centers must have the following criteria to be called so : 1. Job Analysis To understand job challenges and the competencies required for successful execution of the job. 2. Predefined competencies Modeling the competencies, which will be tested during the process. 3. Behavioral classification Behaviors displayed by participants must be classified into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics, aptitudes, qualities, skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge. 4. Assessment techniques These include a number of exercises to test the assessees of their potentials. Each competency is tested through atleast 2 exercises for gathering adequate evidence for the presence of particular competence. 5. Simulations The exercises should simulate the job responsibilities as closely as possible to eliminate potential errors in selection. 6. Observations Accurate and unbiased observation is the most critical aspect of an AC. 7. Observers Multiple observers are used to eliminate subjectivity and biases from the process. They are given thorough training in the process prior to participating in the AC. 8. Recording Behavior A systematic procedure of recording must be used by the assessors for future reference. The recording could be in the form of hand written note, behavioral checklist, audio-video recording etc. 9. Reports Each observer must make a detailed report of his observation before going for the discussion of integration of scores. 10. Data Integration The pooling of information from different assessors is done through statistical techniques. 2.7 Assessment Centers Usage Various Organizations use the data provided