Silencing the Editor Within

SILENCING THE EDITOR WITHIN One of the most difficult parts of writing – even if you write all day, every day – is learning to ignore your internal editor when you’re working on a first draft. Even now, as I start writing, I can hear the nagging voice of doubt that makes it difficult to put words on paper. My particular voice of doubt looks a bit like my ninth-grade English teacher: She’s got a sour expression on her face, and she’s wearing necklace made of little wooden apples. She knows everything. She hates experimentation. She stands behind me, reading over my shoulder and shaking her head. She makes little noises of disapproval as I work; the tap of my fingers on the keys punctuated every so often with notes of discouragement: â€Å"Oh, you can do better than that, can’t you?† â€Å"Well. That’s not very interesting, is it?† â€Å"I just don’t get it.† Writing, well, isn’t always easy. Fighting the urge to engage in too much self-editing is even harder. There’s nothing wrong with having high standards. But, if you fret too much about getting it right the first time, you’ll wind up with a migraine and a blank page. Maybe your first draft is dreadful. So what? Throw it away, hit the â€Å"delete† key, bury it in the backyard in a shallow grave – whatever makes you feel better. And keep going. Experiment a little. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll have plenty of time to revise and let your internal editor go crazy after you’ve gotten your ideas written down. But, when you’re trying to write a first draft, you have to ignore her and concentrate on what you’re trying to say and how you’re trying to say it. You can’t grow as a writer until you learn to stop worrying about perfection.

Compare Cubic Zirconia and Diamond

Compare Cubic Zirconia and Diamond Cubic zirconia or CZ is the crystalline manmade form of zirconium dioxide, ZnO2. Zirconium dioxide is also known as zirconia. Ordinarily, zirconia would form monoclinic crystals. A stabilizer (yttrium oxide or calcium oxide) is added to cause zirconia to form cubic crystals, hence the name cubic zirconia. Properties of Cubic Zirconia The optical and other properties of CZ depend on the recipe used by the manufacturer, so there is some degree of variation between cubic zirconia stones. Cubic zirconia typically fluoresces yellowish green to gold under shortwave ultraviolet light. Cubic Zirconia Versus Diamond In general, CZ exhibits more fire than a diamond because it has a higher dispersion. However, it has a lower index of refraction (2.176) than that of diamond (2.417). Cubic zirconia is easily distinguished from diamond because the stones are essentially flawless, have a lower hardness (8 on the Mohs scale compared with 10 for diamond), and CZ is about 1.7 time more dense than diamond. Additionally, cubic zirconia is a thermal insulator, while diamond is an extremely efficient thermal conductor. Colored Cubic Zirconia The ordinarily clear crystal may be doped with rare earths to produce colored stones. Cerium yields yellow, orange and red gems. Chromium produces green CZ. Neodymium makes purple stones. Erbium is used for pink CZ. And titanium is added to make golden yellow stones. Difference Between Cubic Zirconia and Cubic Zirconium | Diamond Chemistry

Strategic Marketing Management of Wal-Mart Case Study

Strategic Marketing Management of Wal-Mart - Case Study Example As a result, it's British subsidiary ASDA, which already was proficient in the Britain, has made a successful business in U.K. Presently, the ASDA-Wal-Mart supercenters stand at the second level in the supermarket chain of U.K. It covers a huge market share of 17% in the U.K. After the takeover by Wal-Mart in 1999, the retail company has flourished by leaps and bounds. In 2004, ASDA operated a large number of stores in Scotland and employed a number of employees. The total number of store operated by ASDA in 2004 was 259 and the employee strength was 122000 (ASDA/WAL-MART: A Corporate Profile, 2004). The key to ASDA-Wal-Mart's colossal success is its strategic marketing management policies. The company has implemented some highly calculated and effective marketing strategies. It has always made an effort to render the best product to the customers in terms of quality and price. Simultaneously, it has imparted a feeling of associate partners to all its employees. Strategic marketing is a complex management technique for the identification of proper marketing opportunities. It aims to offer better values to the most profitable areas of the business without harming customer interests. The core marketing concepts are concerned with customer needs, customer-client relationship and supply of quality products at affordable prices. This includes a sophisticated market research that rests on customer feedback. A company is directed to build a competitive-edge for long-term activities with the application of various management techniques. The objective of strategic marketing management concerns with a wide array of activities. It involves an aggressive approach to capture the market share rapidly. While performing such kind of marketing management activity, a company needs to focus on the product diversity, the various geographical regions in which it is operating, the role of branding, the marketing channels it is using and the product quality it is offering. All such areas of marketing are required to improve for strategic marketing management. A giant retailer like Wal-Mart will need to re-focus all these issues to find the drawbacks and improve its service by correcting them (Strategic Marketing Management, 2009). The domain of strategic marketing management is vast and it includes internal as well as external analysis of the company. This report focuses only on the external analysis of the company. There are various models that have been put forward to express the external analysis of a company. Porter's five forces model is the most popular among them. The task of strategic analysis involves a high level of expertise and experience. The analysts must possess both the qualities to conduct a strategic analysis with ease. When an analyst uses Porter's five forces model, the planning process consists of a chain of steps. The

Right to Refuse Treatment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Right to Refuse Treatment - Research Paper Example The right to refuse treatment is now well established for some kinds of patients, especially in cases of psychiatric treatment. Different states have adopted various procedures of addressing the right to refuse treatment and for the overriding of this refusal. Oregon's administrative procedure for override depends on an evaluation by an independent examining psychiatrist. Every state has laws governing the right to refuse medical treatment and advance directives about this right. It is essential for nurses to ensure that they are familiar with the legislations of their state. There is a complex relationship between the right to refuse treatment and the right to treatment. The Right to refuse treatment includes the right to refuse involuntary hospitalization. (Godard, Bloom, Williams, and Faulkner, 1998) More often than not, Nurses find themselves in the front line when the situation arises to deal with patients that refuse medication or treatment. Evidently, a voluntary patient has the right to refuse treatment and must not be treated against his or her consent, with the exception being in situations in which the patient becomes actively to others or to himself. The right to refuse treatment is closely related to the rights of the Mentally Disabled Persons, and every Nurse is required to be familiar with the guidelines laid down in the laws of the State in which they practice, so that they can administer medications properly to committed patients as well involuntary patients. Within the last 30 years, there has been a shift in opinion concerning patients’ right to make their own medical treatment decisions.

SALARY CAP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SALARY CAP - Research Paper Example In order to address the problem that occurs as a result of placing the salary cap, players union had came up with measures to negotiate for the welfare of players in a team to ensure that a the teams do not infringe the rights of their players (Rosner & Shropshire, 2011). For example, players union has put forth collective bargain agreement to negotiate with the Nation League on the amount of salary that each team should spend to their players. The aims of collective bargain agreement is to ensure that the National Federation league become more competitive. In addition, the salary cap helps to ensure that there is harmonization of salaries among different teams. This further prevents migration of players from one team to the other. Additionally, salary caps helps to ensure that each team retains the right talent and skill among its players. Moreover, the salary cap helps to prevent inequality among organizations sponsoring different players. For example, if there are no salary cap so me teams could be spending quit a lot of financial resources to fetch the best players from other teams but through salary cap such events may be prevented (Bryant, 2009). The benefits of putting in place the salary cap are numerous to both the organization and players. For instance, salary cap help prevent unnecessary inequality between clubs/organizations sponsoring the players by ensuring that no particular organization can spend more money in paying their players than the others. Further, it ensures that there is conformity with rules and regulations establish by the National Federation League. The first salary cap was introduced in 1994 where thirty four point six million dollars was set as the salary limit. The salary cap has been reported to continue increasing over the years and in 2011, collective bargain agreement was reached. The salary cap of one hundred and twenty million dollars was put forth. Moreover, in 2013, a

Gender differences in the criminal justice system

Gender differences in the criminal justice system The Corsten Report (2007) on women in the criminal justice system states that ‘equal outcomes require different approaches’. Critically consider this statement with reference to research and practice. In order to demonstrate that equal outcomes for women do require different approaches within the criminal justice system, this essay intends to look at the behavioural and situational differences between female and male offenders. It will highlight the inadequate facilities available for female prisoners. It will also look at the historical differences between crimes committed by males and females and the growing trend of women involvement in drug offences. This essay will also examine the status of mental health of women within the criminal justice system and explore if this issue is more prevalent amongst female offenders. ‘Women and men are different. Equal treatment of men and women does not result in equal outcomes.’ (Corsten Report, 16: 2007) According to Covington and Bloom (2003) numerous feminist writers have demonstrated and documented the patriarchal nature of our society and the variety of ways in which the patriarchal values serve masculine needs. ‘Despite claims to the contrary, masculinist epistemologies are built upon values that promote masculine needs and desires, making all others invisible’ (Kaschak, 11: 1992). Women are often invisible in the many angles of the correctional system, and this invisibility can act as a form of oppression. Most prisons and institutions are not specific to women’s needs. For example, mother and baby units are limited within the prison system. The UK government website reports that there are only seven prisons within the UK that provide this service. This service may be detrimental to a mother bonding with her child. Another consequence of limited mother and baby units is that the mother and child will be separated and this may result in the child being placed with a relative, or in some cases the care of the state. The Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) highlighted inadequate services for women within the prison services in Northern Ireland. Ash House is Northern Ireland’s only female prison and holds up to seventy-one women. This is situated within a predominately male prison. Covington and Bloom (2003) argue that there are numerous areas in which day-to-day practice in the criminal justice system ignores behavioural and situational differences between females and male offenders. Probation officers may have to consider the situational differences between female and male offenders. For example, recommending a custodial sentence for a pregnant woman may have long term emotional implications for both mother and child. It is important to note that an understanding of the distinction between sex differences and gender differences, are relevant to practice within the criminal justice system. According to Covington and Bloom (2003) sex differences are biologically determined, however, gender differences are socially constructed. They are assigned by society and they relate to expected social roles. However, do crimes committed by men differ from crimes committed by women? The Ministry of Justice statistics 2011 state that women are more likely to commit crimes such as shop lifting and theft, while men are more prone to violent crimes. Pat Carlen (1998: 10) notes that women’s imprisonment ‘incorporates and amplifies all the anti-social modes of control that oppress women outside prison’. According to Scraton and Moore (2006) what persists is the failure within the criminal justice system to accept that women’s crimes are different to men’s, committed in different circumstances. The National Prison Survey (1992) supports the argument that ‘the economic, ideological and political conditions in which most women break the law are different to those in which most men commit crime and that, therefore, they pose less of a threat to society and could be safely punished in the community.’ (National Prison Survey, 1992). However, some commentators claim that there is an increase in some violent and drug offences committed by women. According to Corsten Report (2007) despite an increase in some violent and drugs offences by women, the nature and seriousness of women’s offending has not, on the whole, been getting worse and the disproportionate increase in the women’s prison population over the last ten years is more likely the result of courts using custody more frequently for women for less serious offences. The Corsten Report (2007) states ‘the majority of female offenders have committed non-violent offences and present little risk to the public’ (Corsten Report, 16: 2007) In light of the complexities involved regarding women receiving custodial sentences, should the criminal justice system be more lenient towards women? Nicolson and Bibbings (2000) claim that several penal reformers have been less concerned about whether or not gender factors actually do affect a woman’s chances of receiving a custodial penalty, and more concerned to argue that, for a variety of reasons, gender considerations should shape sentencing and that women in particular should not receive prison sentences, unless their crimes meet certain criteria of ‘dangerousness’ and/or ‘seriousness’. However, Nicolson and bibbing (2000) argue that the central concept implicit in this argument is not gender, but risk, that is, ‘the degree of threat posed by the offender’ (Nicolson and Bibbing, 78: 2000). If risk should be a major criterion for the imposition of a custodial penalty, it is arguable that it is a criterion that should be applicable in the cases of men, as in the cases of women. Practitioners within the probation service have a duty of care to all members of society. Therefore if a woman poses a risk to society it would be considered appropriate by the probation service to recommend a custodial sentence to prevent risk and protect society. A main argument put forward in regards to differential treatment for women in the criminal justice system is based on assumptions that there are hierarchies of role worth. ‘Women, as mothers, have especially important roles to play in relation to the upbringing of children and that the damage done to children when their mothers are in prison is, in most cases, far too high a price to pay to achieve an appearance of formal equality of punishment between male and female offenders.’ (Nicolson and Bibbing, 80: 2000) The Corsten Report (2007) claims that the home and children define many women’s lives. To take this away from them when it may be all that they have causes huge damage to women. ‘Many women still define themselves and are defined by others by their role in the family. It is an important component in our sense of identity and self-esteem. To become a prisoner is to almost become a bad mother.’ (Corsten Report, 20: 2007) On the other hand, this argument depends on the value assigned to certain social roles. According to Nicolson and Bibbing (2000) it could equally be applied to any categories of worker seen to perform life enhancing work or scarce skills, for example, doctors, nurses, fathers as breadwinners, all carers and various more. Therefore, this argument cannot be allowed to remain gender-specific. Hollin and Palmer (2006) state that by examining criminal statistics, it is evident that women are less likely than men to commit crime, to be involved with the criminal justice system and to serve a custodial sentence. According to the Ministry of Justice criminal statistics (2011) there were 351,150 court proceedings involving females and 1,139,135 involving males. In regards to custodial sentencing; in 2011, a lower proportion of women in comparison to men, whose pre-sentence report recommended immediate custody went on to receive this sentence (84% of women compared to 90% of men). This research indicates that statistically, men are more likely to commit crime. The Corsten Report (2007) further analysed risk within women’s role in the criminal justice system and claim that many women involved in the system present a far greater risk to themselves. They have been recognised as more ‘troubled’ than ‘troublesome’. ‘Many have a history of being subjected to serious sexual or other violent abuse. Many are themselves ‘victims’ in whose favour the government is committed to rebalance the criminal justice system’ (Corsten Report, 17: 2007). The argument highlighted by the Corsten Report (2007) is that many women in prison have suffered sexual and domestic abuse, therefore, the state should spend more time seeking out and punishing the crimes of sexual and violence that are routinely committed against women, rather than punishing those women whose criminal lifestyles have often been prompted by their past experience with their criminal tormentors, who still remain unpunished for their crimes. This could have implications for social work practice. Therefore, past experiences should always been taken into consideration when making recommendations within a probation report. Sexual and domestic abuse may feature to a higher degree in the case of female offenders. This should be highlighted and taken into account when making recommendations. None the less, not all victims of sexual crimes are female and we also need to consider young people of all genders. Nicolson and Bibbing (2000) argue that recent research indicates that high proportions of young people who end up homeless, in state care or penal custody have had serious crimes committed against them by adults, who will never be brought to trial. The same research suggests that ‘these adult depredations often occasion their young victims’ first steps into criminal trouble’ (Nicolson and Bibbing, 79: 2000). Nicolson and Bibbing (2000) argue that recent research indicates that high proportions of young people who end up homeless, in state care or penal custody have had serious crimes committed against them by adults, who will never be brought to trial. The same research suggests that ‘these adult depredations often occasion their young victims’ first steps into criminal trouble’ (Nicolson and Bibbing, 79: 2000). Nicolson and Bibbing (2000) conclude that although this imbalance of punishment between the old and the young people does not excuse the crimes of young people who were criminally abused in childhood by their elders, it does call into question the state’s right to punish them as if they were solely to blame for their actions. Therefore, the argument highlighted by the Corsten Report (20007) should not only apply to women who have had criminal offences committed against them in childhood but also men who have been similarly abused as children. As stated previously, there has been an increase of drug related crimes among women. Drug addiction plays a huge part in all offending and this seems to be disproportionately the case with women. ‘Around seventy per cent of women coming into custody require clinical detoxification compared with fifty per cent of men. Women often have more complex poly substance misuse.’ (Corsten Report, 2007: 19) According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and rimes (2008) a large number of female prisoners worldwide are in need of treatment for substance addiction, though only a minority have access to treatment. McIvor (2004) argues that drug use amongst the most common features of women in custody in many countries. In the USA, ‘a national survey showed that women in prison used more drugs and used them more frequently than male prisoners. (McIvor, 2004: 143) It is arguable that women withdrawing from drugs and alcohol can be impulsive, volatile and unpredictable, leading to higher risk of self-injury. According to Moller et al (2007) the rate of both self-harm and self-inflicted deaths is substantially higher in prisons than in the community, with women being fourteen times more likely than men to injure themselves while in prison. The Corsten Report (2007) supports Moller et al (2007) highlighting that in 2005, notwithstanding the small number of women in prison compared with men, fifty-six percent of all recorded incidents of self-harm occurred in the female estate. In the first nine months of 2006 self-harm incidents in the female estate accounted for fifty-one per cent of all incidents. Women are also more prone to self-harm repeatedly. Moller et al’s (2007) argument, backed up by the Corsten Report (2007) brings to light that self-harm in prison is a huge problem and more prevalent among women prisoners. In 2005, over half of all inmates, in the USA, in state or federal prisons and jails met criteria for classification with a mental health problem. According to Mallach and McIvor (2013) the prison population in England and Wales contains a high prevalence of mental health problems, with one study suggesting that over ninety per cent of prisoners have one or more psychiatric disorders. The Corsten Report (2007) argues that mental health problems are far more prevalent among women in prison than in the male prison population or in the general population. ‘Up to eighty per cent of women in prison have diagnosable mental health problems.’ (Corsten Report, 19: 2007) Mallach and McIvor (2013) further reinforce this argument by claiming that female prisoners are considered to be more likely to experience mental health problems and to have more complex levels of mental health need. The above research may have implications for social work practice within the criminal justice system and it is important that mental health is taken into consideration when making recommendations and adequate resources for women with mental health issues should be available within the prison system if they pose a risk to society. In conclusion, this essay has demonstrated that if society wants equal outcomes for female offenders then it may require different approaches within the criminal justice system. The behavioural and situational differences dictate different approaches are required. This is exemplified in the case of pregnant women who require specific needs and special consideration, as this can have implications for society as a whole. On the other hand, the judicial protection of women could be seen as an ideological front for patriarchy, in that traditional roles are reinforced within society. Historical research indicates that women’s offences differ from men’s. None the less, there is a growing trend for women to be involved with drug offences. The Carsten Report (2007) has highlighted that mental health problems are far more prevalent among women in prison than in the male prison population. This may be due to the fact that many women in prison have suffered sexual and domestic abuse. This highlights that women are still oppressed within society and that the criminal justice system has failed to recognise this issue. The prison system is also more geared to the needs of male offenders and offers inadequate resources to female offenders. Corston Report. (2007) A review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the Criminal justice system. London: Crown Publication. Covington, S and Bloom, B. (2003) Gendered Justice: Women in the Criminal Justice System. USA: Carolina Academic Press. Hollin, C and Palmer, E. (2006) Criminogenic need and women offenders: A critique of the literature. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 11, pp179-195. Malloch, M and McIvor, G. (2013) Women, Punishment and Social Justice: Human Rights and Penal Practices. London: Routledge. McIvor, G. (2004) Women Who Offend. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Mà ¸ller, L. Gatherer, A. Jà ¼rgens, R. Stà ¶ver, H. Nikogosian, H. (2007) Health in Prisons: A WHO Guide to the Essentials in Prison Health. WHO Regional Office Europe. Nicolson, D and Bibbings, L. (2000) Feminist Perspectives on Criminal Law. Cavendish. Scratan, P and Moore, L. (2006) Degardation, Harm and Survival in Women’s Prison. Social Policy and Society, 5, pp 67-78. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2008) Handbook for Prison Managers and Policymakers on Women and Imprisonment. United Nations Publications. Warner, J. (2012) Women and Crime. ABC-CLIO Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland: Report on an announced inspection of Ash House, Hydebank Wood Women’s Prison. 18 22 February 2013 Ministry of Justice. (2011) Statistics of Women and the Criminal Justice System. https://www.gov.uk/life-in-prison/pregnancy-and-childcare-in-prison Accessed 18/12/2013 20:36 1

Cell Phone Use while Driving Essay -- safety control, accidents

For many years Safety Control has determined to ban the use of cell phones while driving within the community. American society would be much safer if cell phones were banned while driving. Benefits of cell phone use during roadside emergencies, car trouble, obtain personal information, or even navigation; however, it may lead to running red lights, drifting across lanes, or worse, causing accidents. Phones can do so many things, but most importantly they allow you to connect to emergency service. Its mot needed during roadside emergencies such as ambulance, police and firefighters. Studies have shown that the use of cell phones in emergencies situations, such as calling for ambulance, has improved its mortality rates. (Journal of Emergency Medicine 1) An example of this would be seeing an accident ahead of you and pulling over to call for ambulance service. Also if one sees a confrontation that might become deadly, a cell phone would definitely help. There are so many reasons for cell phones being needed while driving such as, you can also contact the firefighter station in case of a fire. Having a cell phone would be beneficial in case of a car break down. An example of a car break downs would be running low on gas, engine overheating, transmission failure or a blow out. All of that sounds terrible, but thanks to cell phones people can now call for roadside assistance. Roadside assistance for example would be calling a tow truck o take you to the nearest auto mechanic or a transmission shop or simply needing assistance in changing a tire. In addition to their benefits to using a cell phone on the road, Matt Sundeen reports that drivers with cell phones place an estimated 98,000 emergency calls each day and that the cell phone ... ... pass a law that bans this practice. Regardless of whether the phone is hand-held or hands-free, there is a lot of strong information and evidence that the actual task of conversing on a cell phone distracts drivers on concentrating on safety. For examples, drifting into another lane, and running red lights are reasons why the government needs to pass a law. People caught texting or using a cell phone while driving should lose their licenses for one year. Works Cited Austin, Michael. Texting While Driving: How Dangerous Is It? Car and Driver. June 2009: Magazine. Richtel, Matt. Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cell phone Risks. 18 July 2009. Web. 10 January 2014. Snyder, Edgar. Texting and Cell Phone Use Statistics. 2012. Web. 22 January 2014 Wilms, Todd. Its Time For ‘Parental Control, No Texting While Driving’ Phone. 18 September 2012. Web. 14 January 2014.

Personality at Selection Interview

Assignment – Personality Personality can be defined as those relatively stable enduring aspects of an individual that distinguish him/her from other people and at the same time form a basis for our predictions concerning his/her future behaviour. (Wright et al cited in Rollinson 2005) This definition represents the view that it is possible to identify an individuals stable and unchanging personality and characteristics, and that if the characteristics are identified they can be used to predict the persons future behaviour. Organisations differ greatly in their cultures and acceptable behaviours which means that some individuals naturally fit in better than others. (Rollinson 2005:85) Job roles themselves also differ in terms of the suitability of an individual’s personality in being successful in that job role. Therefore in determining the importance of personality at selection interview we need to determine what both the role and the organisation require. (Rollinson 2005:85) In the work environment the â€Å"fit† of a person has to be right in terms of skills and experience as well as values and needs. Holbeche: 2002). Person-organisation fit refers to the extent to which individuals and organisations share similar characteristics (personalities) or meet each others needs. The assessment of personality is carried out to determine desirable or un-desirable traits of candidates to assess their suitability for a role and/or organisation (Arthur:2005) Getting this right can lead to job satis faction and organisational commitment. (Kristoff:2000) When an employer is recruiting the psychological contract has some importance. The psychological contract implies a series of mutual expectations and satisfaction needs arising from the P-O relationship (Mullins:2010) P-O fit is likely to be more important than P-J fit in satisfying the psychological contract (Morley:2007) in that employees will be required to adapt to changes in tasks and gain new skills. It is argued that greater emphasis should be placed on the P-O fit as opposed to the more traditional method of P-J fit because firstly individuals will hold several roles within an organisation therefore their P-O is more important than the possibly less lexible P-J fit, they will hold the organisations values and culture closer and will have longer service therefore lowering recruitment costs. (Ree and Earles 1992) Secondly the changing nature of work requires individuals to be better at teamwork and more flexible. I believe that when recruiting graduates P-O fit is more important as opposed to P-J fit. Graduates are recruited to provide organisations with a potential pool of future managers and enhance succession possibilities. Morley:2007) Graduates have little experience in the work environment so are less able to translate their skills, qualifications and experience into the working world. If an employer has a clear understanding of their organisations culture, personalities of other employees and can accurately determine the personalities and beliefs of the graduate they can base their decision on the graduates enthusiasm, motivation and eagerness to work rather than skills, qualifications and experience. In a study by Wheeler et al (cited in Rollinson 2005) it was found that job satisfaction could be increased by increasing P-O fit, that is recruiting employees with similar values to the organisation. However, Wheeler also found that even though an ill-fitting individual resulted in job dissatisfaction, they would not leave the organisation unless suitable alternative work presented itself. This could lead to them being de-motivated, having poor performance and impact on relationships with colleagues. This shows the importance of getting personality right at selection interview. Person-job (P-J) fit refers to the correlation between the individual’s skills, qualifications and experience with the requirements of a job. (Edwards:1991) and is a traditional method of employee selection (Werbell and Gilliland:1999) P-J fit is most widely determined through proof of an individuals skills, qualifications and experience through certificates and references and questioning around their knowledge on a topic. I have personally heard colleagues question the importance of personality on some roles such as accountants which would initially strike you as being weighted heavily on their skills, experience and qualifications however how well would an accountant perform if they did not have the personality traits to communicate effectively with colleagues and customers? Differing roles do also require different personalities in order to be successful irrespective of the organisation. Receptionists, sales person or customer service representative require the ability to cope with stress and deal with individuals with differing priorities. Gatewood et al:2005) In considering the importance of personality in selection interview it would be sensible to consider how stable and unchanging a person’s personality is. Are we seeing a current snapshot of the individuals personality or will it change overtime? Rollinson (2005) writes that if personality is an ongoing developing process it would be al most impossible to develop valid ways to measure it and would be pointless in attempting to predict future behaviour. Idiographic, one of the two major theories on personality, focuses on personality developing and changing as a result of ongoing experiences. However, Costa and McCrae (1992) wrote that personality is relatively stable after the age of 30 therefore using personality in making selection decisions would be possible due to the stability of personality. Looking at Nomotheic theory, the other of the two major theories of personality, which assumes personality is stable and un-changing, it was noted that there are 5 distinct differences between people known as the Big Five and often referred to as OCEAN. These are: †¢ Openness (perceptive, sophisticated, knowledgeable, cultured, artistic, curious, analytical, liberal traits) †¢ Conscientiousness (practical, cautious, serious, reliable, organised, careful, dependable, hard-working, ambitious traits) †¢ Extraversion (sociable, talkative, active, spontaneous, adventurous, person-orientated, assertive traits) †¢ Agreeableness (warm, trustful, courteous, agreeable, cooperative traits) †¢ Neuroticism (emotional, anxious, depressive, self-conscious, worrying traits) The Big Five can be split into type theory and trait theory. Mullins cites Hans Eyesneck work in which he identified four main personality types. These are stable extraverts,(talkative, responsive, easygoing, lively carefree) unstable extraverts,(impulsive, changeable, excitable, restless) stable introverts (calm, even-tempered, peaceful, thoughtful) and unstable introverts. (anxious, moody, reserved, pessimistic) Mullins writes that if managers can predict future behaviours through an individual’s personality type then it is not surprising that psychometric tests to measure personality are growing in popularity. Trait theory is then broken down again into surface traits (those which are observable) and source traits (which can only be inferred) In theory surface traits could be observed through assessment centres. Mullins writes that the Big Five form the basis of standard personality questionnaires and of these five conscientiousness has the highest link with high levels of job knowledge and performance across a range of occupations. So, according to this, it would be beneficial to an organisation to determine candidate’s personality in order to recruit an individual who has a good score in conscientiousness. However, Maltby et al (2010) writes that if we were to employ the conscientious person with their practical, cautious, serious, reliable, organized, careful, dependable, hard-working and ambitious traits, would they be suitable for a role requiring innovation and creativity and are they flexible and adaptable to cope with the rapidly changing world of work? He questions the applicability of conscientiousness across all job roles. In considering the impact of personality on our relationship at work with colleagues I believe that emotional intelligence has a strong link with aligning personality with successful performance and relationships at work. Emotional Intelligence is defined as a person’s ability to manage themselves as well as their relationship with others so that they can live their intentions (Adele:2008:7) and can be broken down into five specific areas. These are Self awareness, empathy, social expertness, personal influence and mastery of purpose and vision. Each of these areas could have an impact on our relationships with colleagues. Self awareness is an understanding of how our behaviours or words affect others. If we have self awareness we are able to apply self control to change our actions should they be having a negative effect on colleagues. A self aware individual would know when their mood is impacting on others and alter it accordingly. Self awareness is an area looked for in the emotional intelligence of sales people and interview questioning based around the impact of previous experience of their positive and negative impacts on co-workers would be useful in identifying this area. (Adele 2008:17) Empathy is an understanding of others feelings and perspective and the ability to experience what someone else is feeling therefore giving a better understanding of our colleagues. It is the ability to respectfully listen rather than listening to refute or build our own case. A customer service representative who empathises with an irate customer rather than just demanding their account number will better diffuse a volatile situation. (Adele 2008:54) Marshall Goldsmith (â€Å"The world authority in helping successful leaders get even better†) described not listening as the most passive-aggressive form of disrespect shown to colleagues. Social expertness is the building of social bonds which allow us to work with others, share thoughts and ideas, build trust and resolve conflict. The reason that top executives fail is because of their failure to build interpersonal relationships rather than their technical competence. Personal influence is our ability to influence other towards goals or missions and to influence ourselves in taking initiative and displaying confidence. A recruiting manager would be looking for signs at interview that a candidate can prove they have got people to previously follow them irrespective of their differing levels. Mastery of purpose and vision is our ability to understand what our purpose is and therefore determine what types of emotions help us to live our life purpose. It allows us to manage our emotions and relationships. This is also the determining factor as to whether the organization and role is â€Å"fit† for us. Interview questions based around a candidate’s worst and ideal job as well as what inspires and bores them at work can help identify the â€Å"fit† of an individual’s personal purpose to an organization. (Adele:2008:131) Candidates demonstrating emotional intelligence at interview take responsibility for their actions rather than blaming others or playing the victim. (Adele:2008:146) Studies carried out by Grimsley and Jarrett (cited in Adele:2008) concluded that managers displaying higher emotional intelligence were more successful. Anderson and Shackleton (1993) carried out a study on the comparison of the strength of different variables in predicting eventual job performance at the point of selection. Their findings show that personality assessments have a 0. 38 correlation, intelligence a 0. 54 correlation, and structured interview 0. 62. Previous experience and the CV came in lower than all these at 0. 18 and 0. 37 respectively. (0. 1 being small, 0. 3 being medium and 0. 5 being large correlation) Showing in this study that personality assessment has an important role in predicting job performance, above that of the CV and previous experience. Maltby et al 2010) When putting the theory of personality into practice within the work environment, organisations must be clear on why they are assessing personality and what personality characteristics they are they are looking for. (Torrington et al:2011) A clear job description and person specification which requires skills, qualifications, experience and personal ity traits relevant to the job role is key, according to the CIPD, in creating a fair selection process. Should an applicant who is unsuccessful in being selected for interview threaten or indeed commence tribunal proceedings, the organization has a clear framework on how selection for interview and employment was made. Torrington et al also write that a method of defining the person specification is to focus on the characteristics or competences of individuals who have previously performed best in the role. This has positives in that these characteristics are producing individuals who perform well for the business however this method could produce employees who are very similar to one another and address problems with the same mindset. Personality questionnaires are based on the Nomotheic theory that personality is stable and unchanging. The most recognized personality questionnaire is the Myers Biggs Type Indicator (MBTI) based on the theories of Carl Jung. The questionnaire is developed on the understanding that it is of benefit to people to recognise their individual personality types, and how these differ from those of other individuals. The MBTI is an untimed questionnaire which asks respondents to choose between two opposing courses of action, or two words, depending on what they feel is closest to their natural preference. The MBTI measures 4 preferences Extraversion or Introversion, Sensing or Intuition, Thinking or Feeling and Judging or Perceiving. People’s four preferences classify them into one of 16 types. Descriptions are given of the characteristics of people of each of the 16 types. Each type is described as having positive qualities and strengths, as well as possible development needs. The questionnaire receives 4 stars from the Psychological testing centre. (The British Psychological Society:2011) An employer using MBTI can use the information given on the individual’s type to further question them at selection interview. Toplis et al (1997) have concerns that the lack of involvement of psychologists in marketing and selling personality testing packages results in too many tests being released for general use without the required intellectual support. He is also troubled by the increasing use of computer-based tests, particularly to score and interpret results, believing that the accuracy of some systems is not particularly high. Personality assessment is based on the belief that certain roles require particular personality and that tests can identify them. The use of ability tests and competence based interviewing as opposed to personality tests are more easily defendable in an employment tribunal due to the tangible results being right or wrong whereas with personality tests there are no right or wrong answers and are not as easily defendable should the need arise. There are questions over their validity in so much as practitioners can be trained with a basic knowledge of administering tests and interpreting their results. The British Psychology Society give an overall rating for validity and objectivity of tests. There is the argument that candidates may be able to manipulate their results to perform in a way they believe the employer requires. (Furnham:1990) therefore invalidating the results and potentially basing a recruitment decision on in-accurate information. In my experience this is where the face to face interview is of vale in verifying and questioning further the results of any personality testing. i. e. Do the results of the personality testing match the behaviours and characteristics of the person sat in front of me? Recruiters may be influenced by striking characteristics or similarities to themselves called the Halo Effect. The Halo Effect can be defined as a cognitive bias whereby the perception of one trait (i. e. a characteristic of a person or object) is influenced by the perception of another trait (or several traits) of that person or object. (Mullins 2011) An example would be judging a good-looking person as more intelligent. The Halo Effect can have a positive or negative effect. For example, someone who attended the same college or university as the recruiter could be at an advantage but someone who attended a college or university the interviewer perceives to have a poor reputation could put the candidate at a dis-advantage. Solomon Asch (1945) carried out a study that discovered that the presence of one trait often implies the existence of other additional traits and that certain traits can be characterized as central traits. For example, an individual described as warm is perceived to have positive traits such as happy and generous. An individual described as the cold would have the opposite perceived traits. Another example is when individuals believe that a happy person is also friendly or that quiet people are timid. On the other hand, people who are irritable may be seen as in disarray in their daily life. Therefore, people assume other individuals' personalities are in doubt using little information. It is often the case that people judge more favourably those individuals with whom they have something in common. An experiment carried out at the Penn State College of Medicine asked 35 interviewers and 135 interviewees to complete the MBTI. The results were not shared prior to face to face interview. The experiment concluded that there was a significant association between similarities in personality type and the rankings that individual interviewers assigned to each interviewee. In this circumstance it is important to be mindful of the effect an individuals personality may have on the outcome of the interview. Employing more than one selection tool does not eradicate the possibility of recruiting an unsuitable candidates. The use of personality data in the selection process, when gathered appropriately, can be valid information in making a contribution to the selection decision however it should not be used in isolation. Personality tests results can be used at interview for the basis of further investigation into applicant abilities. Skills, experience and qualifications are important criterion. Dependent on the role and organisation for which selection is being made will determine the weighting placed on each. If using any form of testing in the selection process employers need to pre-determine the worth of testing and weigh up the benefits, such as increased productivity, with the cost including purchasing a reliable and validated resource and training recruiting managers to correctly interpret reports. There is, therefore, in my opinion an importance to be placed on personality at selection interview which for me slightly outweighs the importance of skills, qualifications and experience especially when considering the knock on effect that a mismatch of person-job or person-organisation could have on the relationship with colleagues. An organization needs to be clear in what personality traits they are looking for before even advertising a role as the wording of an advertisement could attract and alienate certain personalities. Once at selection interview, managers should consider how they are fairly going to assess personality if using their own judgment. Do they have a fail safe scoring system to measure personality against that cannot back-fire in the event of an employment tribunal? Thought should also be given to how a candidate has completed any personality test i. e. to what extent have they thought about themselves in the work situation when completing it? Are they naturally nervous when asked to complete any test and therefore put at a dis-advantage? If personality is un-stable and changes over time, would it be wise to re-test individuals? Organisations are fluid and changing constantly. Teams, managers and individuals change. , What was once a good â€Å"fit† may not be in the future. References Adele, B (2008) The EQ Interview. AMACOM Books Anderson, N. D. Shackleton, V. J (1993) Successful selection interviewing. Blackwell Publishing Arthur, D. (2005) Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting and Orienting New Employees. 4th ed. New York AMACOM Page 368 British Psychological Society (2011) found at http://www. psychtesting. org. uk/test-registration-and-test-reviews/test-reviews. cfm? page=summary=82 CIPD (2011) Selection Factsheet (online) available from http://www. cipd. co. uk/hr-resources/factsheets/selection-methods. aspx Costa, P. T, McCrae, R. R (1992) Four ways five factors are basic. Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 13, No. 6. (June 1992), pp. 653-665 Edenborough, R. (2005) Assessment methods in recruitment, selection and performance a manager’s guide to psychometric testing, interviews and assessment centres. London: Kogan Page. Page 2 Edwards, J. R. (1991). Person-job fit: A conceptual integration, literature review, and methodological critique. In C. L. Cooper & I. T. Robertson (Eds. ), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (vol. 6, pp. 283-357). New York: Wiley. Furnham, A (1990) Can people accurately estimate their own personality test scores? European Journal of Personality, no 4, pp. 319-327 Gatewood, RD. Field, HS. Human Resource Selection 5th ed. Mike Roche. Page 601-603 Holbeche, L. (2002) Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy. 2nd ed. Butterworth Heinemann. IRS Employment Survey July 2010 – accessed through employer login at www. xperthr. co. uk Kelly, G. A. (1955). The psychology of personal constructs (Vols. 1 and 2). New York: Norton. Kristof-Brown, AL. (2000) Perceived applicant fit: Distinguishing between recruiters’ perceptions of person-job fit and person organization fit. In Personnel Psychology, 53 (4), 643-671 Maltby, J. Day,L . Macaskill, A. (2010) Personality, Individual Differences And Intelligence. 9th ed. Prentice Hall. Michael J. Morley, (2007) â€Å"Person-organization fit†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 22 Iss: 2, pp. 109 – 117. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. Mullins, LJ. (2011) Management and Organisational Behaviour. th ed. Financial Times: Prentice Hall. Page 134 – 162, 240 Rees, MJ. Earles JA (1992) Intelligence is the best predictor of job performance. Psychological Science, 1, 86-89. Rollinson, D. (2005) Organisational Behaviour and Analysis: An integrated approach 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall Asch, S. E. Studies in the principles of judgments and attitudes: II. Determination of judgments by g roup and by ego standards. /. soc. Psychol. , 1940, 12, 433—465. Thorndike, E. L. (1920). A constant error on psychological rating. Journal of Applied Psychology, IV, 25-29 Toplis, J. Dulewicz, V. Fletcher, C (2004) Psychological testing: a managers guide. 4th Ed. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Torrington, D. Taylor, S. Hall, L. Atkinson, C (2011) Human Resources Management. 8th ed. Financial Times Prentice Hall Werbel, J and Gilliland, S. W (1999). Person-environment fit in the selection process. In G. R. Ferris (Ed. ) Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 17, 209-243 Wheeler, A. Gallagher, V. Brouer, R, Sablynski, C. †When person-organisation (mis) fit and (dis) satisfaction lead to turnover. In Person Organisation Fit 2nd ed. By Morley, M. London: Emerald, Page 203.

How to Clear the Graphics in a TImage Control

How to Clear the Graphics in a TImage Control Delphi programmers use the TImage control to display an image. These are files that end in extensions including ICO, BMP, WMF, WMF, GIF, and JPG. The Picture property specifies the image that appears in the TImage control. Delphi supports several different methods for assigning an image for the TImage component: a TPictures method LoadFromFile reads graphics from disk  or the Assign method obtains the image from Clipboard, for example. In the absence of a direct command to clear the Picture property, youll need to assign a nil object to it. Doing so essentially blanks the image. For a TImage control named  Photo, use either of two methods to clear the assigned graphic: {code:delphi}Photo.Picture : nil;{code} or: {code:delphi}Photo.Picture.Assign(nil);{code} Either code block will clear the picture from your TImage control. The first approach asserts a  nil  value to the  Picture  property; the second approach assigns a  nil  through the use of a method.

Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Essays

Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Essays Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Paper Comparing Jesse Popes Whos for the game and Wilfred Owens Disabled and Anthem for doomed youth Paper Essay Topic: Anthem Literature The Red Badge Of Courage Jesse Pope was a female poet during the war. Being a woman, she never went to the front line. Pope would write jingoistic poems for propaganda that would encourage men to join the army and go to war. She would use wrong reasons for going to war. One of her most well known poems was Whos for the game. She referred to the army and war as a game, the biggest thats played. Jesse would say that war was a once in a life time opportunity. She also made references to sport, wholl grip and tackle, (rugby). Whod rather come back with a crutch. When she says this, she means that after fighting you may break a leg or even loose a leg, but this will be your badge of courage, it will make you a hero. She says wholl give his country a hand? This is a patriotic, jingoistic reference, participating in war makes you a patriot. Jesse even says that war is fun be out of the fun, However a risk as well, it wont be a picnic, not much. Pope says or hints that if you dont go to war, you are a coward, who thinks hed rather sit tight who wants a seat in the stand. Wilfred Owen was very much against Jesse Popes poetry. He wasnt anti war but he believed in joining war for the right reasons. Owen was at the front line, he served in the war. He would right poems about war and also poems to encourage men to sign up, but for the right reasons, the first of his poems I am going to write about is Disabled. This poem is about a man who went to war and was crippled in action. He sat in his wheelchair, waiting for dark. Dark is referring to death, he has no meaning for his life, he cant move or live properly, so he just waits to die. He could also already be dying and suffering as he gets closer to death. And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey. This suit could be his old uniform which holds bad memories of when he was hurt. It also might be a reflection of his mood, dull, sad. Leg less and sewn short at the elbow. He is referring to the suit again, he has lost his legs so the are no trouser legs, he has lost one, maybe both his arms so the sleeves are shortened. Pleasure after day, Sleep had mothered them from him. This could mean that when he sleeps, it takes away his pain, he couldnt feel his wounds anymore. Owen talks about the soldiers old life, Town used to swing so gay. He than talks about how he is now unattractive, Now he will never feel how slim girls waists are or how warm their subtle hands. Touch him like some queer disease. Owen is saying that this man is the disease. There was an artist silly for his face Owen is saying that before he was crippled, he was handsome for it was younger than his youth. Owen may be saying that war has aged the soldier. Owen begins to talk about when the man used to play football one time he used to like a blood smear down his leg. People would compliment him, say he got stuck in, the cut would be his badge of courage. When hed drunk a peg, He thought hed better join. This is saying that he signed up when he was drunk. Someone said hed look good in kilts, to please his Meg, Owen is saying he joined up because the girls would like him in uniform, Meg was probably his girlfriend. Smiling they wrote his lie; nineteen years. The man was underage. Some cheered him home but not as they cheered a goal. This could be saying that a goal was more important than his return, or that he was more of a hero when he scored. This poem is encouraging men not to join war for the wrong reasons, the man in the poem joined for the wrong reasons and came out crippled. The second poem I am going to write about is also by Wilfred Owen and is called Anthem of doomed youth, a poem that Siegfried Sassoon inspired Owen to write. The first line of the poem is what passing bells for those who die as cattle. The bells may be funeral bells, a sign that they will die, and they die as cattle, this means that they are all slaughtered, maybe by machine gun fire. Owen then goes on to say that the only thing that can patter out their prayers are the guns noises. No mockeries now for them, no prayers nor bells this is talking about their deaths. The soldiers will not have funerals, they will die and stay where they died nor any voice of mourning save the choirs. This saying the same thin, there will be no choir, they will die and not be moved. The shrill, demented choir of wailing shells, this is also talking about their deaths and funerals, they will die to the sound of bombs, that will be their choir. In this poem, Owen uses a lot of onomatopoeia like dust and drawing-downs glimmers of goodbyes rifles rapid rattle

What I have learned this year Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What I have learned this year - Essay Example This year, this class has benefited me as I prepare for my future career.I have learned how to make presentations, which is an important skill that I will engage in during the preparation of presentations that I will be making to people. I have also learned how to create excellent essays while following every detail required while preparing great essays. In this case, I have learned the mechanics of writing essays while following the required format and style; the importance of good grammar; the choice of words in essay writing; and the importance of proofreading and editing my essays before submission. In addition, putting my ideas in an essay has taught me the importance of being assertive, which has improved my debating skills as I have gained the capacity to argue and defend my position. However, I know I can improve these skills by practicing a lot in order to be efficient when I engage in any activity. Reflective Essay Students undertake different courses in school in order to prepare themselves for future career work and their life. In this case, the classes that students undertake should help them build their skills and enhance their knowledge so that they can engage in their careers effectively. While some students fail to see the importance of some of the diminutive elements in their education, these elements are crucial in ensuring that students were well-equipped for future jobs and careers. For example, it is evident that an element such as cultural differences may appear minute while considering its face value. However, it is essential to point out that this skill is crucial during inter-cultural communication since different cultures interpret language differently. Hence, the failure to value the importance of this diminutive element may challenge communication between two parties and fail to achieve the objectives. That said, it is crucial for students to consider all key elements that enhance communication. Throughout this year, I have learned formidable skills that will help me build my career in busi ness since these skills will be crucial during communication as we are all aware that successful business involves effective communication of business proposal and ideas. First, I have learned the importance of preparing good presentations that will communicate my ideas and arguments in a manner that was clear and effective. Chivers and Schoolbred (2007, p.20) noted that good presentations should be â€Å"interesting and useful to the learning situation, but they can be enjoyable, even memorable.† In line with this, I have learned the skills of writing presentations that do not veer off the topic of discussion while avoiding regurgitation. In this case, I ensure that my presentations were clear and to the point in order to inform the reader or the listener about the content matter in the topic of discussion. In addition, I ensure that my presentations inspired the listeners and readers while they also grabbed and held their attention. However, I realise that I cannot prepare a good presentation without engaging basic skills that are required to develop the presentation. In line with this, this class has taught me the basic skills required to develop a good presentation. Beck, Bennett, and Wall (2005) identify preparation as the main essential element in developing an excellent presentation. Thus, I have learned t

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