The End of The Storm :: Free Essays Online

The End of The chargeIve heard it said that an institution is the sum of its parts, but I prefer to think of it as the average of them. My high school, Campbell Hall, was a great school not because of the fact that it had a large number of great faculty members and bookmans, but because it had an eclectic immingle of great people. Campbell hall has a diverse mix of forward thinking people being lead by one of the most regressive and unopen minded men I have ever met, the rarefied Canon Thomas C. Clark. When I arrived at Campbell Hall in ninth grade I knew that it was Episcopalian, and being a someone who is never quite happy with one religion this scared me a little. But I short found come on that chapel included go for Jewish high holy daylights, Ramadan, and any other religious holidays that were celebrated by the student body. I was extremely move with this. But I soon found out that the Administration was not as tolerant as the chaplain in charge with these services. My first problem with Reverend Clark was when, in ninth grade, a friend of mines older sister was asked to leave school because she was pregnant. I was too young to truly appreciate the lack of pardon shown for this girl then, but I was old enough to know that this was not the right way to handle the situation. My first true confrontation with Reverend Clark was when four-spot people in my twenty-two person sophomore face class were caught cheating on an exam. The high school principal got to the bottom of it and punished the chargeable accordingly. A week subsequent my class found out that Reverend Clark had decided to make an example out of these four by suspending the entire English class for a day in hopes of making any future cheaters fear the wrath of their peers as well as that of the administration. Well myself, my class, and the entire student body were not in truth pleased with this decision, so we decided to show up to class on the day of our suspension anyway. Clark c aved in, and we all went to class. But the outcome which truly confirmed my hatred of Reverend Clark was when my friend Andrew wrote a stunning essay for his A.P. English class on the confusions of growing up gay.The End of The Storm Free Essays OnlineThe End of The StormIve heard it said that an institution is the sum of its parts, but I prefer to think of it as the average of them. My high school, Campbell Hall, was a great school not because of the fact that it had a large number of great faculty members and students, but because it had an eclectic mix of great people. Campbell hall has a diverse mix of forward thinking people being lead by one of the most regressive and closed minded men I have ever met, the Reverend Canon Thomas C. Clark. When I arrived at Campbell Hall in ninth grade I knew that it was Episcopalian, and being a person who is never quite happy with one religion this scared me a little. But I soon found out that chapel included services for Jewish high holy days, Ramadan, and any other religious holidays that were celebrated by the student body. I was extremely impressed with this. But I soon found out that the Administration was not as tolerant as the chaplain in charge with these services. My first problem with Reverend Clark was when, in ninth grade, a friend of mines older sister was asked to leave school because she was pregnant. I was too young to truly appreciate the lack of compassion shown for this girl then, but I was old enough to know that this was not the right way to handle the situation. My first true confrontation with Reverend Clark was when four people in my twenty-two person sophomore English class were caught cheating on an exam. The high school principal got to the bottom of it and punished the guilty accordingly. A week later my class found out that Reverend Clark had decided to make an example out of these four by suspending the entire English class for a day in hopes of making any future cheaters fear the wrath of their peers as well as that of the administration. Well myself, my class, and the entire student body were not very pleased with this decision, so we decided to show up to class on the day of our suspension anyway. Clark caved in, and we all went to class. But the event which truly confirmed my abhorrence of Reverend Clark was when my friend Andrew wrote a stunning essay for his A.P. English class on the confusions of growing up gay.

The Healthcare Environmental Checklist Essay -- Healthcare

The built environment undoubtedly affects the quality and care to the patients and family members. Patients and family members are expecting from a health care shaping a well built environment that is suitable and accessible, caring for family, encouraging or beneficial to wellbeing, confidential, considerate, secure and safe. The environment checklist is an assessment tool that will inspection and repair healthcare organizational designers and health care administrations accumulate information about consumers necessarily, measure satisfaction, and provide facility comparisons for molding the industrys ruff practices. I reviewed the environmental checklist in my facility and discussed with my nursing manager the areas that need improvement and the areas that performing well. The three most important areas that I would address that needs to recover are 1.Information systems in place, 2.Staffing requirements and 3.Patients discharge.1.Information systems in place. The rising cost o f healthcare and the lack of health insurance coverage for over 15% of the U.S. universe of discourse have appeared as important political, economic and policy concerns. Hospitals have to find ways to develop effectiveness to drive down the cost of their services. Hospital organizations in United States are facing pressures to control costs, and to improve quality outcomes. Information systems (IS) have an integral role in addressing these challenges. Successful presentation of Information systems (IS) in the healthcare industry can create new professional models. Dramatic improvement in technology improves the availability of clinical data with no succession and so improves patient outcome and care management. Information technologies can assist in the reform of organizations and h... ...tcomes. Works CitedFichman, R., Kohli, R., & Krishnan, R. (Eds.) (2010). THE ROLE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS Synergies from an interdisciplinary perspective. Retrieved fr om http//www.informs.org/Pubs/ISR/Special-Issues/Special-Issue-on-IS-in-HealthcareHealth Information Technology. (2011). Retrieved from http//www.kaiseredu.org/issue-Modules/Health-Information-Technology/Background-Brief.aspx?&lang=en_us&output=jsonHealthy Work Environments Standards. (2011). Retrieved from www.aacn.org/WD/HWE/Docs/HWEStandards.pdfHeller, B. R., Oros, M. T., & Durney-Crowley, J. (2011). The Future of Nursing Education Ten Trends to Watch. Retrieved from http//www.nln.org/nlnjournal/infotrends.htmHughes, R. G. (2008). Patient Safety and Quality An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Retrieved from http//www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

Lost Sounds :: Free Descriptive Essay About A Place

Lost Sounds At first, it was a little awkward, but after I got accustomed to holding my eyes closed in front of the whole class, I could retard and just listen. The many times I had previously visited the Everglades, it had never occurred to me that one rattling important aspect of the Everglades is the calming sounds it produces. I then remembered that many people come to the Everglades not to learn about it or enjoy its views, but to kick the bucket away from the chaos of the city. With my eyes closed and my classmates quiet, I felt I was by myself. Nothing could come between me and the nature surrounding me. I hear a little bird in the distance, its chirp muffled by the leaves fiercely rustling in the wind it reminded me of one of those CDs that people buy to relax or fall asleep. This CD, though, would never be perceive again in my mind I had captured the unique music made by nature at that precise moment. When I got home, I locked myself in the bathroom, turned the light off, and closed my eyes once more. I wanted to see if I could remember those sounds I knew they would make me eager to return to class in two weeks. My experiment was a success. I can only imagine the feelings of the first explorers of the Everglades when they got to these majestic lands. indispensable Americans had already been living there for millennia when the Everglades was discovered, and had grown accustomed to the music it made. Yet, the new explorers probably had not seen or heard anything similar in their lives. When they closed their eyes, they would induct heard nature yet untouched by the hands of humankind hundreds, maybe even thousands, of birds calling each other, alligators bellowing under a self-possessed shade, frogs imitating crickets and pigs, and, of course, the soft wind making waves on the sawgrass and then softly cooling their faces. It must have been glorious Most of these things can still be heard today, but less frequently. As people hunted down ani mals, drained the Everglades, and developed cities, they took away many key elements of this ecosystem. Some, like the birds, are still struggle to achieve stable numbers of population that would guarantee the survival of future generations of their species.

Which Type of Salt will Increase the Boiling Point of Water the Most? :: boiling point, science, experiements,

The researcher conducting this experiment is trying to find out which salt- Epsom, duck salt, and sea salt- will increase the boiling dismantle of water the most. Sodium chloride is believed to increase the boiling point of water because when salt is suspended into the water, the sodium and centilitre ions leave the salt crystals and mix with the water molecules. (Why does salt raise boiling point of water?, 2009). People discovered salt around 900 B.C. They would quill up salt near the Dead Sea and in South America. table salt has been important in the worlds culture for thousands of years. People apply to use it to preserve meat or fish. Salt was so valuable that in several places, some would use it as money and others would trade it complete for something else. (Aasen, et Al 1999).Common salt is another word for table salt. Table salt was researched to have the most of sodium chloride and actually has enneadty-nine point nine percent (Natural sea salt - will not cause high blood pressure, n.d.). The researcher thinks it will increase the boiling point in water the most because it has the highest amount of sodium chloride present. Common salt is said to be the most used matter in the chemical world. Salt is translucent and can create electricity if melted. It is also known to melt ice or snow because it can be added to water to create a mixture that has a lower freezing point than purified water (Aasen, et Al 1999). Common salt is necessary in everyday lives because it carries vital substances. It also has many an(prenominal) uses, but is found to be used in food only one percent of the time (McGrath and Travers, 1999). It is used to clear ice and snow take away of roads, during the production of chlorine, in livestock feeding, to preserve foods, and to improve the taste of some foods. (Aasen, et Al 1999). The researcher did research and found that Epsom salt is called hydrated magnesium convert. Magnesium sulfate is not to be swallowed and if it is can be harmful. It is slightly reactive, the ability to mix with chemicals, and is not flammable which means it does not catch good time easily. Magnesium sulfate is a transparent white powder that is odorless and that dissolves quickly in water. It is good to use because it is not toxic to the environment (Baker, 2008).

The Symbolic Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Pearls have always held a great price to mankind, simply no pearl had ever so been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthornes original The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more(prenominal) ways than wiz, is an enigmatic character serving solo as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her takes scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an empathic and intelligent child. passim the story she absorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and distinct qualities of Hester and Dimmesdales guilty bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mothers sin. Pearl Prynne is her mothers most precious willpower and her only intellect to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless treasure purchased with H esters life. Pearls strange beauty and profoundly enigmatic qualities refer her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hesters sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mothers violation of the one-seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a penalty worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughters childish teasing and endless questioning about the blood-red letter and its simile to Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter A on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this orange red letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand all over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. Throughout the conversation Pearl is impish and teasing, sa ying one thing and contradicting it soon after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hesters letter and Dimmesdales habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue. The exemplary Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Scarlet Letter essaysPearls have always held a great price to mankind, but no pearl had ever been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthornes novel The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more ways than one, is an enigmatic character serving entirely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her mothers scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an empathetic and intelligent child. Throughout the story she a bsorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and translucent qualities of Hester and Dimmesdales unlawful bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mothers sin. Pearl Prynne is her mothers most precious possession and her only reason to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless treasure purchased with Hesters life. Pearls strange beauty and deeply enigmatic qualities make her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hesters sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mothers violation of the Seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a punishment worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughters childish teasing and endless questioning about the scarlet letter and its relation to Ministe r Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter A on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. Throughout the conversation Pearl is impish and teasing, saying one thing and contradicting it soon after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hesters letter and Dimmesdales habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue.

The Symbolic Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Pearls have always held a great price to mankind, just now no pearl had perpetually been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthornes legend The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more than ways than whiz, is an enigmatic character serving merely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her get downs scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an sympathetic and intelligent child. passim the story she absorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and unequivocal qualities of Hester and Dimmesdales outlaw(a) bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mothers sin. Pearl Prynne is her mothers most precious possession and her only cerebrate to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless treasure pu rchased with Hesters life. Pearls strange beauty and deep enigmatic qualities present her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hesters sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mothers violation of the ordinal Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a penalisation worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughters childish teasing and endless questioning about the reddened letter and its similitude to Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter A on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this carmine letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. Throughout the conversation Pearl is impish and te asing, saying one thing and contradicting it shortly after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hesters letter and Dimmesdales habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue. The emblematical Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Scarlet Letter essaysPearls have always held a great price to mankind, but no pearl had ever been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthornes novel The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more ways than one, is an enigmatic character serving entirely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her mothers scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an empathetic and intelligent child. Throughout the story she absorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and translucent qualities of Hester and Dimmesdales unlawful bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mothers sin. Pearl Prynne is her mothers most precious possession and her only reason to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless treasure purchased with Hesters life. Pearls strange beauty and deeply enigmatic qualities make her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hesters sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mothers violation of the Seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a punishment worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughters childish teasing and endless questioning about the scarlet letter and its rela tion to Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter A on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. Throughout the conversation Pearl is impish and teasing, saying one thing and contradicting it soon after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hesters letter and Dimmesdales habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue.

Academic History

I am currently enrolled in the Business School at Villanova University. My academic standing is good and I have maintained a grade point average of 3.62. I believe I am stable and the change I wish to establish in my choice of universities is based on logic and non a whim. I have not transferred before, so this result be a first.My university see to it has not had any significant breaks it flows in an unbroken line from my initial enrollment to the present time. I suffered a few hiccoughs alone the way, but I have persevered, and I managed to rise from the bottom of my seventh year class in Shanghai to the rank of number one in ESL.I was in an extraterrestrial being environment and it was no small matter to adapt to the different culture I found in Shanghai. Despite my lack of height I managed to pass in varsity basketball as well. I bet it is worth noting that I am not a native English speaker, but I took my deficiency in the language as a challenge and managed to thrive. I am proud of the fact that I quickly moved from ESL to 1B Class in the British system, which is equivalent to AP.I am steadfast in my resolve and I have not changed career paths. I have found that there is a lack of cultural diversity at Villanova. I initially did not realize the lack was so profound. I had erroneously assumed that matters would balance themselves and I would find there was more diversity than I first saw.This proved not to be the case, however. I believe that the university experience is not one-dimensional. I think a university education is only complete when the student is rounded into a productive member of society instead of just being grounded in the fundamental principle of his or her major.I was once accepted at the University of Washington, and I have every hope that the university will look favorably on my application once more, permitting me to even my mistake and allowing me to attend the University of Washington as I should have done in the first place .Major and Career GoalsIt is my intention to major in Finance. I believe that the university is home to one of the best and most extensive business programs in the United States. I am Taiwanese by birth and pass most of my life in Shanghai, which has a record as being the future Finance Center for all of Asia.Early on I came to realize the sizeableness of cognition in financial dealings, with money management being particularly important. I spent my high school years in pursuit of learnedness all I could on the subject of economics, calculus and other math related subjects. Business is the life-blood of my countrys economy.I am savvy enough to catch that capital is the engine that drives business. It is as the old Chinese proverb says, Money is not everything, but without money nothing can be done. But I also realize that money alone is not enough. Having funding is only the first step toward a successful business. The entrepreneur must have the knowledge and associated skills to handle turning a profit and ensuring that the business operations run smoothly.Money management is the second part of the equation in producing success. I believe that a degree from the University of Washington will go far toward ensuring that I will have this knowledge and the necessary skills. I have haveations that a degree from your universitys Finance program will benefit me greatly as I scale the corporate ladder.Further, I believe that a University of Washington education will help me fulfill my avowed goal of becoming a specialist in investment analysis. My intention is to manufacture an investment or business analyst in the United States, with an eye toward the Wall Street Journal. I have a fervent believe that I can attain this dream if I am blessed and fortunate enough to be accepted at the University of Washington.Cultural UnderstandingThe University of Washington is culturally diverse, and being Taiwanese, I am acutely aware(predicate) of how important that can b e for a student, irrespective of his area of study. I look forward to the healthy interaction and social intercourse that will good itself to me in the richer milieu of this university.I look forward to the exchange of ideas and the broadening effect that intercultural communication can bring. In essence I look forward to being able to share my culture and I look forward to the learning experience I will receive from the various cultures of my fellow students.I fully expect the school to pave the path which I will follow as I experience personal growth on the road to my ultimate goals. It is not a capricious decision, I have carefully studied my options and have chosen what I believe to be the most advantageous avenue for me.When considering the reputation which the university enjoys I feel confident that my acceptance into the business program will furnish me with the needed tools to accomplish my goal in this life. I expect to become a highly competent business analyst, but more, I expect to become a productive citizen, replete with the values that will enhance the fulfillment of my aspirations.I expect to become a valued alumnus, having been enriched by the university experience. This growth in personal values and mores is important to my sense of self worth, and will make me a more valuable member of society.It is my belief that the true excellence of any institution of higher learning lies in its ability to educate the whole person. A school becomes truly excellent by excelling in the programs that it offers as well as the values it inculcates in its students, which is how I see the University of Washington.

Family Restaurant Business Plan Essay

Executive SummaryCastles Family restaurant has eight locatings spread come divulge in northern California. Jay Morgan acts as the human resource manager and operations manager. Jay Morgan is in all case responsible of doing the payroll and making the schedule. He travels to different locations to take charge of exclusively of that. Jay Morgan would like to non have to travel to different location and save bills, while to a fault heightening more on the operations of the stage business. Since feature prices atomic number 18 going up really fast, spending less clock clipping and m bingley on traveling get out offend Jay Morgan more season to focus on promoting the business. Jay Morgan has to come up with ways to promote the business beca commit all the competitors ar coming up with different ideas to bring customers into the restaurant.Since almost of the employees are part- metre, Jay Morgan has to go to every location to take care of the payroll and scheduling. T he device is to show Jay Morgan how he support save time and money by employ the sympathetic Resources Information System (HRIS). HRIS forget have fewer errors than manual entry. Once HRIS in loaded, making a fiscal plan leave show how often money is being saved and how effective it is. It forget inspection and repair Jay Morgan compete with competitors and be better then nearly competitors. IntroductionCastles family possess business is a small business that is spread out in northern California area with eight different locations. Jay Morgan is the that manager and he acts as an operations and HR manager at the equal time. Castles restaurants currently employ over 300 employees including full-time and part-time. Jay Morgan spends most of his time going around to different locations. He would like to stay at one place and take care of everything form his office. Jay Morgan feels like he could use some table service from HRIS. HRIS will help Jay Morgan get everything do ne from his office. Which will save the ordination a lot of money and will reduce most of the human errors. Jay Morgan will as well as be fitting to better manage his time and put his time towards more important things. Compevery ReviewThe family have business currently has eight locations spread out in northern California. Castles family owned business is planning on opening a few newer locations to expand their customer base. The restaurant industry has been growing day-by-day with more then 990,000 restaurants in the United States and still growing. Estimated sales for 2014 for the restaurant industry is close to around $683.3 billion. Castles family restaurantcurrently employs over 300 employees, Most of the employees are part-time and around 40% of the employees are full-time. Most of the gouge data entry, payroll and many other things are still done manually.When the fellowship starts to expand, the fraternity will have to hire more employees. This will find Jay Morg ans job even harder and more stressful. As of like a shot, everything is done manually that includes, payroll, scheduling, benefits, and many other things. Jay Morgan has to travel to every location to get most of the conk out done which includes scheduling, payroll and answering any questions. Jay Morgan uses Excel to take care of the payroll and has a different application to print them. He hands out paychecks to employees when hes at the location. Employees have no way of getting their questions answer until Jay Morgan comes to the restaurant to visit. All of the things could be made easier by using HRIS software, which will also reduce in human errors and stag the process much faster for everything. Business Analysis Castles family restaurant has eight different locations spared out in Northern California.Everything is still done the old way by entering everything manually that includes payroll, scheduling, benefits and many more things. In order for the company to meet huma n resource (HR) needs the HRM establishment has to improve or use a new and efficient way to do things. Changing the HRM system will help the company manage many things differently and faster. In order for Jay Morgan to do things now including employee scheduling, Jay Morgan has to go to the location. Sometime some things might not get done because of not having the right tools to get the job done. Going to every location to take care of things is a bit hectic and stressful. Where it s stressful for Jay Morgan the company is wasting a lot of money and time as well. Castles restaurant business could take advantage of the HRIS. By taking advantage of HRIS software and technology, things could be made much simpler, easier, and could help the company grow. Also, in order for the company to stay competitive with other same line companies, Castles restaurant need to take advantage of HRIS software.HRIS software is the best way to find solution to most of the HR problems. HRIS helps you d o many different things form your office or while your on the go. HRIS has made things like payroll, scheduling, befits and employeeperformance measurement made easier without going anywhere. There are a few risks to entering everything manually compared to using HRIS software. Amount of data thats being entered every day by clerks its easy to make a mistake. When there are mistakes someone will have to go back and fix them, that will cost the company a lot of money and it will be waste of time. This could lead for the company to lose the trust of employees. Since there is a lot of people that are living paycheck to paycheck. If they enkindlet get their paycheck as the right time they wont be able to pay their bills on time.As of now all the tasks are done manually, they have to rely on manual data entry for everything. Jay Morgan does the payroll manually as well and hands the checks out manually as well. There are no direct ways for the employees to get a hold of an HR manger to discuss any issues. Issues are only discussed when the HR manager visits the store. Also, its hard to observe an employee. Observing an employee could take a lot of time. In order to observe the employees correctly, you have to spend some time working with the employee. In this case, Jay Morgan doesnt have enough time to go to every location and observe every single employee.Since the employees dont get observed they dont get to know about the things they are doing wrong and how to fix them. By not observing the employees and not cede them know what things they need to fix could cost the company a lot of money. HRIS software provides solution to all of the problems that Jay Morgan is currently facing.In summary Jay Morgan does everything as of now manually, which is not stable for a growing business or a business that is looking to expand. By using the HRIS system will make the company more stable. Also it will be easier for the castles family restaurant to serve their customer b etter and also take care of the employees.HRIS Type/ parityHRIS software can help Castle restaurant business a lot and can also take a lot of stress of Jay Morgans shoulders. There are a lot of different types of HRIS software that could help Jay Morgan in different ways. By using any of the HRIS software, Jay Morgan will be able to work from one place without going anywhere. Most of the HRIS software will permit him work from home oranywhere. The result of this will help the company save up a lot of money and will help Jay Morgan save a lot of time as well. Overall, using HRIS software will help Jay Morgan and make things go much smoother. There are a lot of types of HRIS software out there. Choosing the right HRIS software is always important for the business. Lewins three-step turn moulding is a commodity example that can be fallowed. It explains how technology can bring efficiency for a company. It would be a good guide to fallow. It also states how technology can help make tasks stress free. This is an important reason why an HRIS is critical. Ultipro is one the HRIS software that has been out in the business for over 20 years providing excellent solution to their customers.Ultipro has many different built in passs like time and attendance, payroll, scheduling and many more that could help Jay Morgan take a lot of stress of his shoulders. Ultipro permits employees need days off straight from Ultipro and it also lets them upload their avail mogul to Ultipro. Ultipro makes employee schedules according to the availability. Scheduling is one of the main problems Jay Morgan is running into all the time. In order for Jay Morgan to make employee schedule he has to go out to every location. It also gets hard for the employees to request days off and work according to their availability. In order to solve this problem and make everything run smooth, Jay Morgan needs to take advantage of the HRIS software. HRIS software will let him make the schedule at his office and send it out to the employees really fast.Using HRIS also works in favor of the employees. HRIS scheduling software lets employees request days off straight from that software and lets them upload their availability. This will let Jay Morgan schedule according the employees availability. This also lets the employees have access to the schedule much faster. Which is good, because if they are not happy with the schedule they got they can email Jay Morgan to change their schedule in advance before it too late. Using the HRIS scheduling software also saves the company a lot of money by letting Jay Morgan sit in his office and get things done instead of traveling to every location to make the schedule.Intuit is one of the vendors that offer different types of HRIS software. Intuit offers QuickBooks, which is used for payroll and print checks. QuickBooks also works with third party software. This will let the Castlesfamily business use third party software for scheduling and re cruiting and other things. Intuit also offers time keeping software for small(a) extra cost. It lets the employees log in and lets them clock-in and clock-out. Time and attendance works with payroll, which lets payroll pull the information from time and attendance. Also, it reduces errors while putting in the numbers into payroll. payroll also lets you print paychecks straight form payroll and keeps track of printed checks. It also lets you pick the style of the paychecks of your choice. It has also made easier to set up direct file for the employees, which could save the company a lot of money. It also has the survival of the fittest where you can print out your W-2 from QuickBooks payroll. Payroll automatically calculates state and federal taxes and also could salaried with just a click.PDS is another vendor that brings different types of software to HR to help them make things simple and easy. PDS offers different software for training, recruiting, attendance, benefits and ma ny more. PDS benefit plan lets the employees enroll in plan of their choice in a few minutes. If employees dont like the plan they are currently enrolled in they are able to change their plain with few steps at any time without any hassle. Employees dont have to fill out any paper work. They are able to enroll in the benefits online and have all their benefits information at their fingertips. Payroll function lets you create checks and print them. It also lets you create checks with you company logo. Payroll software work with the time and attendance function, it pulls information from time and attendance to create checks for the right amount. It reduces errors compared to entering data manually. Employees are also able to set up direct deposit and are able to view paystubs online.Recruiting is also made easy using the PDS recruiting software. It provides the company with the tools that will allow them to gather applicant data by a corporate website. Once the data is collected, its put in a stand-alone database where its easier for the recruiter to superintend and control contact. It also lets you put a link on corporates website to provide access to this tool where jobs can be posted with descriptions and with the call for qualifications. Training is very important for the company to succeed and expand. It give corporate the ability to put up the training on the website for the employees to take inorder for them to succeed. Corporate has total control of the training. They are able to choose what type of training they need to put up and when they want to make them due. This HRIS software can help Jay Morgan is many different ways. HRIS Vendor Recommendation Looking at the things Jay Morgan has to face and understanding the Castles Family restaurant is looking to expand, PDS is the best option for them. PDS will also give Jay Morgan the ability to sit in his office and work from there with traveling to every location.It will also save him time that he put t oward focusing in the other things to make the business more stable and better then the competitors. Providing a solution to the current problems Jay Morgan is facing and a solution that will help the company succeed when they expand their business. It is recommended that Castles Family Restaurant use PDS to make things smoother. Kottlers eight- stage model was a theory that was developed after observing. Observations are a good way to study change. This theory helps managers avoid any downfalls in their change. Implementing an HRIS system is a huge change for organizations. I suggest Castles Family Restaurant to use PDS because they are a trusted vendor. They can be counted on during the change at the restaurant. PDS has been serving different types of industries including retail, restaurants, education, government and many more. PDS software will also offer phone support.If they come across any problems they will be able to call them and get it figured out. This PDS software will provide solutions to all the problems that have been pointed out by Jay Morgan. Also, it is going to help the Castles Family Restaurant make better decisions in the future. PDS softwares scheduling function will let Jay Morgan make the schedule at his office. He wouldnt have to travel to every location to make the employees schedules. Which will save the company money from traveling expenses. This will let the employees access their schedule from any workstation at work by logging in and they will be able put in their work availability. This makes it much easier for Jay Morgan to make schedules according to the employees availability. Employees are able to put in requests for the days they want off and it will notify the manager when he/she is making the schedule. Time and attendance function lets employees clock-in from any workstation that has the PDS time and attendance software installed on.This function will also show theemployees their schedule as well and it will show them wh at time they clocked-in and what time they clocked-out. When employees request a day off through the time and attendance function the manager gets an email letting them know that a certain employee has call for a day off. If the manager approves the request, the employee will get message on time and attendance function letting them know that the request has been approved. As of now, Jay Morgan is using an Excel spreadsheet for payroll and has a computer application to print checks. The payroll function of PDS works with the time and attendance function. Payroll automatically pulls information from the time and attendance function to make the checks. PDS payroll also calculates overtime pay if employee has worked any overtime during that pay period. Since it automatically pulls information from time and attendance it will reduce errors while entering numbers.Employees have to option to set up a direct deposit or have their check sent to them. It gives employees the ability to view t heir paystub using any work workstation. It also gives the HR manager the ability to choose what they want to print on a paycheck. By using the PDS software it will save the company a lot of money and will take a lot of stress off of Jay Morgans shoulders. It will also be easier for the employees get access to things. Since Castles family restaurant is trying to expand it will help them in the future. PDS software will give the company the ability to compete with other businesses in the same industry. Conclusion I have presented different solution that will help Jay Morgan take a load of his shoulders. Also I have suggested a one software out of two that will be the best fit for Jay Morgans situation, also explained why that software will be the best fit and how it will help jay Morgan compete against the competitors in the same industry. The solution is also going to help Jay Morgan when Castles Family Restaurant is expanding.Referencehttp//www.comparehris.com/product_pdfs/Vista%20 HRMS%20Product%20Information%20012012.pdf Facts at a Glance National Restaurant Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from http//www.restaurant.org/News-Research/Research/Facts-at-a-Glance Intuit payroll general divine revelation Intuit payroll information. (n.d.). Retrieved

Defining research problem and setting objectives Essay

1. Defining Research Problem and Setting ObjectivesThe Research Problem.The puzzle identified might be too broad in coverage therefore it has to be narrowed down to a get goingicularised research problem in a specific setting.Question relative to the problem may be raiseda. Are the problems on the youths undesirables values also felt in the local setting of the study? b. To what extent are these problems felt?c. What may be their causes?d. What recommendations can be proposed to minimize, if not solve the problems? Thus, from the problem statement, research questions are formulated.Sources of a Problem. Research problem may be derived from the following a. Experiences and observationsb. Vast amount of literature in your own fieldc. Courses that you have takend. Journals, books, magazines, or abstractse. Theses and dissertations (focuse on recommendation)f. Professors and classmatesg. InternetFormulating the Research ProblemReviewing what is already known about a problem situation through the search for related literature and studies is an essential part of the research process. A good review of information will suggest the social, economic, political, cultural and historical aspects of the problem. This wille help to narrow the focus of the proposed investigation.IT will indicate the major theoretical concepts and operational variables other researchers have considered important. It will suggest possible research hypotheses that need to be tested and it will help the researcher forefend the areas of study which have already been explored by other researchers many times over.a. Defining Research Problem (Non-developmental research)Title is used as guide in the search for literature and developing the outline of your paper. Example THE ACCEPTABILITY OF HUMAN election INFORMATION SYSTEM (HRIS) USING biometrics AT QUEZON CITY engineering school UNIVERSITY BASIS FOR IMPLEMENTATIONHaving chosen the specific topic for your thesis, it is definite that you have something in mind that is finding a solution. It must be something which can be a technological need or problem. The problem must be well-defined. It is important that you identify the Main Problem or the overall problem and the particularized Problems relating to your thesis proposal.In defining your research problem, it is necessary that you create interest in your reader. The introduction in your problem definition or statement of the problem should present why you choose a particular topic or subject. at that place are various ways on how you can present the introduction. round do it by asking questions which would lead to the presentation of the identified problem.Others start with a narrative story on how the problem came about or how it was discovered. There are people who begin with current and relevant issues in their introduction. But although there are different approaches in writing the introduction, the objective remains the same(p) to show that the problem being c onsidered for research really exists. Examples areMain problemHow to determine the acceptability of the HRIS using biometrics for QCPU, if it will totally exceed the inaccuracies and/or inconsistencies of the present attendance/time monitoring clay of the faculty and staff?Specific Problems1) The time/attendance record of the faculty and staff which is the derriere of salary computation is unreliable. 2) The available commercial computer software for attendance monitoring is very expensive. 3) The computation of salaries/honorarium is done manually which is a very slow process.b. Setting the Research Objectives (Developmental research)Title is used as guide in the search for literature and developing the outline of your paper. Example HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM USING BIOMETRICS FORQUEZON CITY POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITYIt is equally important that the objectives why you are pursuing this particular thesis proposal must be established. The objectives are identified as to Genera l or Main Objectives and Specific Objectives.General ObjectiveThe general objective of the study is to develop and prise accurate and reliable employees time/attendance capturing system for QCPU faculty and staff using Biometrics.Specific ObjectivesThe study has the following specific objectives1) To objective a system that would capture the time/attendance of faculty and staff using biometrics. 2) To construct a computer-based system of attendance monitoring that is cost-effective and is capable of generating daily, weekly, monthly reports. 3) To design a centralized database using Vb.Net and MySQL4) To evaluate the performance of the developed system.2. The Research TitleCharacteristics of a research championshipa. The title signifies a very punctual and significant contribution to the needs of society in general and to the agency in particular. b. The title of a thesis should be a specific and elliptical statement of the topic c. It should refer to the major variables or the oretical issues investigated d.Its principal function is to inform the reader about the study, therefore, it should be explanatory by itself e. The title should focus on the topic investigated and the main variables studied. f. The recommended maximum length for the title is 10 to 20 substantive words.Formulate the Research TitleTitle is used as guide in the search for literature and developing the outline of your paper. Example a. ACCEPTABILITY OF HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM USING BIOMETRICS AT QUEZON CITY POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY BASIS FOR IMPLEMENTATION (non-developmental research)b. HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM USING BIOMETRICS FOR QUEZON CITY POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY(developmental research)

Apple’s Strategies Since 1990

Apple Evaluate Apples strategies since 1990 and explain why Apple has been through difficult times. What do the Apple turnaround possible? After firing Steve Jobs, Apple has been trying to fit into many different markets. They started diversifying into many different areas and ended up with unity-half a dozen harvest-tides suitable for each area. But this was not what made Apple famous. In 1986 they were seen as a rebellious beau monde trying to be different to IBM and Microsoft. Steve Jobs had the idea no to anticipate the same path as other companies in the computer industry but to create a company which is unique.Unfortunately the CEO of Apple at that time didnt share the same perspective and forced Jobs out of the company. Apple was not able to keep up with IBM and Microsoft who had a far greater market share. In the fulfilment of 1990-1997 Apple had 3 different CEOs, which is a statement for itself. The era of Sculley, Spindler and Amelio was not a winning one. A company as big as Apple shouldnt have had the necessity to change the CEO every 2 years. In this period Apple was seen as one of the worst managed companies in the industry.Apples image of being a simplistic company was hurt through different product lines varying only a little in the technical specifications. John Sculley, Apples CEO from 1985 to 1993, attempted to gain market share through lower priced products, alliances with IBM and outsourcing most of the manufacturing in order to cut costs. When Spindler became CEO he trenchant to withdraw all alliances that Sculley has anticipated and started out licensing Apples OS to companies who would then be working on Mac clones.Amelio replaced Spindler due to the flat performance of Apple. Further restructurings were undertaken but unfortunately they all lead to nothing. Probably one of the best decisions that Apple pursued was the acquisition of Next and the return of Steve Jobs. One of the premier(prenominal) measures, which were undertake n, is brining back the development in house. Jobs believed that it would be of far more value if Apple would develop Software, Hardware and Design all under one roof. The advantage was that everyone had a holistic idea of product development.This worked out very well(p) and turned out to be one of the competitive advantages. Another important step, which made the turnaround possible, was that Apple stopped outsourcing their Operating System. Steve Jobs was back, and Apple was in untold greater shape than in any of the years without him. He demonstrated that he has learned from his mistakes through his willingness to co-operate with Microsoft allowing them to develop MS Office software for Macs. The first product, which was released after Steve Jobs arrival was the iMac in 1997.Many people at the company didnt believe that this was going to be a success, but Steve Jobs proved everyone wrong. The iMac was a large success and brought some market share back to Apple, but more import antly Apple gained the confidence and got back on the right track. During the development of the iMac, Steve Jobs decided to hang up the pirate flag. In one of his interviews he stated that Apple forgot who Apple was, and this marked the return of the rebellious company.

What Drives Romeo’s Actions

What drives Romeo and his actions? Emotions can take everyplace two your mind and your boldness. For some, they tend to allow their feelings set out the best of them, therefore causing someone to do things because of how they feel. There are many examples for this in Romeo and Juliet still one stands out more than others, the parting of Romeo. Romeo, Romeo Wherefore art thou Romeo? (Act 2, scene 2, 33), Juliet asks this question, and it might get one thinking what kind of man is Romeo and what drives him and his actions.Romeo is a very passionate teenager who is driving by his emotions. He waterfall instantly in love with Juliet, just by looking at her. His shows his individual retirement account when he kills Tybalt, and Paris. Finally, his emotions push him to commit suicide. Romeo falls head over heels for Juliet the moment she steps foot into the ball. Once he lays eyes on her, he forgets or so his pains and only thinks of her, and how beautiful she is. Did my heart lo ve till now? Forswear it, sight / For I neer saw confessedly dish aerial till this night (Act 1, background 5, 52-53), Romeo claims Juliet is the holy girl.He instantly falls in love based on her beauty. Love definitely drove his actions. Anger is overly an emotion that drives Romeo, especially when he kills both Tybalt, and Paris. That late thou gavest me for Mercutios soulIs but a little way above our beads, Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou, or 1, or both, must go with him (Act 3, Scene 1, 125-128) However, even if wanting to kill Tybalt is out of anger, there is still some love, in his reasoning.Romeo truly cared about Mercutio, and when Tybalt kills him, Romeos emotions get the best of him once again. He doesnt really think of the consequences of his actions, and killing Tybalt is a decision that was mad in a second. Emotions are definitely presents when Romeo kills himself. hithers to my love O true apothecary /they drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die . Romeo is only thinking about his love for Juliet at this point. Not realising he has so much to live for, and that Juliet isnt really dead.All he wants is to be with her forever. Romeo is a young man, who is driven by emotions, and most of the age that emotions is love. He is very passionate and tends to discover to his heart, and not think before he does things. Whether its falling instantly in love with Juliet, killing populate of anger, or killing himself, Romeo always lets his emotions drive him. Sometimes it can be a good thing, but when it comes down to it hes emotions make him do something without thinking.What Drives Romeos ActionsWhat drives Romeo and his actions? Emotions can take over both your mind and your heart. For some, they tend to let their feelings get the best of them, therefore causing someone to do things because of how they feel. There are many examples for this in Romeo and Juliet but one stands out more than others, the character of Romeo. Romeo, Rome o Wherefore art thou Romeo? (Act 2, scene 2, 33), Juliet asks this question, and it might get one thinking what kind of man is Romeo and what drives him and his actions.Romeo is a very passionate teenager who is driving by his emotions. He falls instantly in love with Juliet, just by looking at her. His shows his anger when he kills Tybalt, and Paris. Finally, his emotions push him to commit suicide. Romeo falls head over heels for Juliet the moment she steps foot into the ball. Once he lays eyes on her, he forgets about his pains and only thinks of her, and how beautiful she is. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight / For I neer saw true beauty till this night (Act 1, Scene 5, 52-53), Romeo claims Juliet is the perfect girl.He instantly falls in love based on her beauty. Love definitely drove his actions. Anger is also an emotion that drives Romeo, especially when he kills both Tybalt, and Paris. That late thou gavest me for Mercutios soulIs but a little way above our bead s, Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou, or 1, or both, must go with him (Act 3, Scene 1, 125-128) However, even if wanting to kill Tybalt is out of anger, there is still some love, in his reasoning.Romeo truly cared about Mercutio, and when Tybalt kills him, Romeos emotions get the best of him once again. He doesnt really think of the consequences of his actions, and killing Tybalt is a decision that was mad in a second. Emotions are definitely presents when Romeo kills himself. Heres to my love O true apothecary /they drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. Romeo is only thinking about his love for Juliet at this point. Not realising he has so much to live for, and that Juliet isnt really dead.All he wants is to be with her forever. Romeo is a young man, who is driven by emotions, and most of the time that emotions is love. He is very passionate and tends to listen to his heart, and not think before he does things. Whether its falling instantly in love with Juliet, killing people of anger, or killing himself, Romeo always lets his emotions drive him. Sometimes it can be a good thing, but when it comes down to it hes emotions make him do something without thinking.

Concord Bookshop Paper Essay

The evidence of transport has never been more app arent then as witnessed in the health care industry at present time. Both internal and external influences are serving to create a rapidly evolving health care marketplace that requires health care organizations to not only recognize switch but be willing to incorporate a learning tillage that is proactive to continuous change (Spector, 2010). The successful implementation of change is naughtyly dependent upon how change is introduced, applied, and admited that enables old impactes to be dismissed, new ideas are introduced, and a new vision that includes desired changes is accepted by all employees that it will influence (Spector, 2010).The owners of the Concord Bookshop looked change as a stand-alone process for improving their business or the introduction of a business solution (Spector, 2010). The real application of change has to do with involving people to change a process, technology, or even organizational wide change m odalities. Instead, the owners and board directed change and assumed that if it was mandated then change would be automatic (Spector, 2010). CommunicationA vital phase that was overlooked by Concord Bookshop is communication planning. Analytical assessments and the recognition of what changes are needed is a valid starting point, but if these changes are not communicated effectively then changes will be met with great resistance and confusion by employees, vendors, and most importantly customers (Spector, 2010). Awareness must be communicated that identifies the originator for change and the downside if change is not implemented (Spector, 2010).This awareness depends on ensuring that the communication applied is specifically designed for the audience it is intended. Communication of change will be delivered differently to front-line employees than it would be to upper solicitude andstill different to vendors and customers. The owners of the Concord Bookshop communicated only to inform that change has taken place without giving anyone a chance to understand why change is needed in the first place. SponsorshipA buy-in by those most capable of implementing change is vital to ensuring a high level of change management and successful change (Spector, 2010). This is not the same as supporting change but instead is the active role of ripened business organizeers in involved in active participation that results in evidence of change. Management acting as agents of change can lead from the front and help identify problems, communicate, and create positive change environments. This is also an avenue to ensure the vision and direction of change is maintained throughout the change process (Spector, 2010). ResistanceNo matter how well the communication and sponsorship of change implementation processes is applied there is always a level of resistance. This resistance must be managed in a proactive and timely manner (Spector, 2010). Change agents, teams, and leaders m ust recognize change resistance and apply proper processes and tools to support change implementation in all phases of change in an organization.The Concord Bookshop did not consider employee resistance to change and went as far as to disregard communication stating the reasons for resistance. A business that view employees as a liability and a cost, fail to see employees as human capital and assets. This view is counter to how vendors and customers view them (Spector, 2010).The Concord Bookshop represents an excellent example of how not to attempt change. If employees would have been included in the early stages of analysis to define the change required, they would have created a proactive change management environment (Spector, 2010). Instead, the surprise of change that was perpetuated upon the employees was met with across the board resistance, bewilderment, anger, and derision that resulted in the loss of many highly qualified employees and management. These factors created afa ilure of change management where the loss of employees and resulting customers would cost the company far more than if they had taken the time to implement change management process correctly to begin with (Spector, 2010).ReferencesSpector, B. (2010). Implementing organizational change Theory into practice (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson Prentice Hall.

Gumamela Flowers as Alternative Perfume

Gumamela Flowers as alternative perfume Members Jozelle Omania Mark Andrew G. Jupida Jimwel C. Ocharona Peter Paul A. De Vera Prince Acee T. Santos Book you and the intrinsic World Series Biology html Date 11/29/12 Statement of the job This study Gumamela flowers as an alternative perfume aims to have a fragrance which is safe, effective and environmental friendly. establish from Biology book and internet IntroductionHibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloqui in wholey as the Chinese hibiscus, China blush wine and shoe flower, is an evergreen flowering shrub native to East Asia. It is widely grown as an decorative plant through proscribed the tropics and subtropics. The flowers are large, chiefly red in the original varieties, and firm, but generally lack any scent. Numerous varieties, cultivars, and hybrids are available, with flower colors ranging from white through yellow and orangeness to scarlet and shades of pink, with both single and double sets of petals.Despite their siz e and red hues attractive to nectar-feeding birds, they are not visited regularly by hummingbirds when grown in the Neotropics. Generalists, like the Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Amazilia lactea, or long-billed species, like the Stripe-breasted Starthroat, Heliomaster squamosus, are occasionally seen to visit it, however. In the subtropical and temperate Americas, hummingbirds are attracted to them on a regular basis. MeaningHibiscus rosa-sinensis is single of many plant genera with a genetic characteristic known aspolyploidy, in which there are much than two complete sets of chromosomes, unlike most otherwise species including human. Polyploidy is a condition where the phenotype of the offspring may be quite different from the parent, or indeed any ancestor, essentially allowing possibly random expression of all (or any) of the characteristics of all the generations that have gone before. Because of this characteristic, H. osa-sinensis has become popular with hobbyists who cross and recross varieties, creating new named varieties and holding competitions to exhibit and figure the many resulting new seedlings and often strikingly unique flowers. To add to the genetic opportunities, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis has been successfully hybridized with the cold-hardy Hibiscus moscheutos and several other North Ameri plenty Hibiscus species, producing cold-hardy hybrids (see cold-hardy Hibiscus cultivars). Making perfume from Gumamela is a popular science project for children due to middling easy process that is involved.Before you begin making Gumamela perfume you will need to make true that you have the correct ingredients and equipment. You will need One cup of gumamela flowers (a type of hibiscus) Five by louvre inch of muslin sackful A rubber band Half an ounce of gumamela essential oils Two dry quart glass bowl A potato masher One cup of distilled piddle system One posterior of a cup of ethyl alcohol and a 20 oz spray bottle. If this experiment is being car ried out for a childs investigatory project, make sure that they are supervised by an adult at all time.Once all of the ingredients and equipment has been collected, the following steps can then be carried out. Fill the muslin bug out with the cup of gumamela flowers. restore the pouch with the rubber band and place it in the glass bowl. You can then add the cip of distilled water to the bowl and microwave the bowl for around four minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave and mash the muslin pouch with a potato masher within the bowl. This will express the essential oils that are contained within the pouch of flowers.This should be continued until the water has gained a reddish pink hue. The pouch can then be discarded and the liquid poured into the spray bottle. Add the ethyl alcohol and gumamela essential oils to the spray bottle. The oils help to compound the aroma of the perfume and also help it stick to the skin. The ethyl alcohol can be replaced with water for those with sensitive skin but this will create more of a body spray. The lid can then be placed on the spray bottle and the whole think shaken modishly for a few minutes to blend everything together.

Comparasion Wks Essay

inch Common Core Standards break up the representation of a subject or a key aspect in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment. Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums, determining which details are emphasized in each account. Cite strong and thorough textual matterual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details suffer an objective summary of the text.Part One Directions Use the following criteria to compare the film Simon Birch to the compact story The Scarlet Ibis.Simon BirchScarlet IbisSimilarities/DifferencesCharactersMain flakesProtagonist/AntagonistRound/FlatStatic/Dynamic showuse a quote from the text AND a line from the story to back up your answerSimon and joe doodle and his bi g brotherThey erre both narrated by the second character Plot orbit impact on bandage (if any)EventsEvidenceMotivationsCharactersSame/different?EvidenceTries to say that he is gods instrumentPoint of view let onset or third person?Limited or omniscient?Evidence offshoot personFirst personThey were both in first person and the narrator wasnt the main character it was the second character SymbolsSymbols in storySymbols in movieSymbols that are similar in bothAnything left out?EvidenceHis baseball cards and the armadilloThe scarlet ibisThey both mean something to the main characters chemical groupTheme of the movieTheme of the storySimilarities in theme?Differences in theme?EvidenceSettingSetting of the storySetting of the movieSimilarities in setting?Differences in setting?EvidenceI think that is takes place in the 1950s?Because of the cars that was in the movieI dont know They both take place in the past sarcasmIrony and type present in storyIrony and type present in movieSimilari tiesDifferencesEvidenceHe love to play baseball and he loved joes mom but he killed her with a baseball that he hit into foul territory Situational ironyDramatic irony because when the scarlet ibis died we new that doodle was currently going to die Both of the main characters die

Factors Affecting the School Readiness Essay

Kindergarten marks the beginning of semi- chassisal education. The infants initial crop interpret underside influence the carriage he feels and acts to future initiate activities. I forget in addition affect the way he relates to other people and his purlieu for the rest of his life. Success or failure at this order can affect his well-being, self-esteem, motivation and spatial relations. Lack of kindergarten conceptualization may similarly lead to his being held back in the next grade level. cultivate deftness is delimitate as the readiness to cope, learn, and achieve without undue stress.In the Philippines public and private take aiming begins with kindergarten, when a baby bird is approximately 5 grades old. Kindergarten is 3 to 4 hours a day or depending on the item requirement of a particular school. While around of the activities in kindergarten argon play activities like singing, storytelling, and drawing, children ar in any case learnedness basi c skills through these activities that lead be needed throughout their bears. These skills include auditory sense to direction, using and managing time well, being patient, sharing, and working in cooperation with others. Kindergarten stand bys children adjust to school slowly, going save a few hours each day.It bridges the gap between the age when kids spent their days playing at home or in a dayc ar or nursery school and the more formal learn that volition begin once a child moves on to the next level. galore(postnominal) provokes mollify commit that kindergarten is just an introduction to school. They merrily think that children just enjoy playtime, art, story time, and maybe dismantle learn their colors, alphabet, and numerals while they argon at it. However, at present the expectation s for kindergarteners have leveled up and are much stricter than before. Today, there is actually a set of curricum that must be followed and expected to contain up.Parts of the broa dcast include reading hardening, writing, math, science, social studies and other subject related. Children are besides taught about proper manners, classroom rules, hygiene and sanitation. Parents should take a personalized approach and focus as their childrens potentials and skills and see if they are al secure prepared for kindergarten school. Parents must take the initiative to actively participate in home base acquire before they heed on out to school. It is important to keep an substance on the children and decipher their behavior, to come to conclusion if they are construct to at slope kindergarten or not.Some children tend to develop skills a lilltle later depending on what they have been exposed to and how fast they can grasp these things depending on their surroundings. Specialists in the field of child breeding feel strongly that preparedness is not something that a child is trained for but is the run acrossing of the childs unique association and grow pattern and what types of activities get out enhance the natural development of a child in the areas of move development, visual puzzle outing skills, auditory processing skills, quarrel skills, numerical skills, conceptual skills, and social- ablaze behaviors.TheNatioanl Association For The Education Of Young Children (NAEYC) stated that school readiness is defined as the state of early development that encapables individual child to engage in and value from early learning experience, As a result of family nurturing and interactions with others, a puppylike child at this gunpoint has reached certain level of social and emotional development, cognition and general seeledge, lecture development, physical well-being, and motor development. (AnneArundel and Harford).Parents are the first and most important thatched roofers in their childs life. Staying involved and providing children with a supportive, nurturing environment lead help strengthen the learning process. Parents must allo w their chilred to make choices and simple decision making so that children testament achieve a reliable sense of right and wrong. Language helps to shape the brain, and teaching children to let loose jibe to Jerome Brunner helps them not only organized words in a sentence but also helps organize their minds.Children need many types of language experiences which include being read with and also participation in family conversation. Storytelling, nursery rhyme and reading enrich the language experience. Parents must spend time with oral language activities for a strong foundation in reading and spelling (Graue. 1992). There are several factors affect the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils namely maturation, relevance of materials and methods of instruction, emotional attitude, personal adjustment, social status and tribe.former(a) contributors to the readiness gap are environmental stress, family income, parents literacy, nutrition premature birth, wellness, early chil dcare, experiences, low birth cant and genetic endowment. Maturation affects the readiness of the kindergarteners beca call the child has not reach yet a sufficient stage of mental and physical development needed to have got school tasks characteristics of that particular grade level which entails a higher level of performance than that of which he has at the moment. Experiences determine the kindergarten readiness for learning.Exposure to environment and varied activities lead help the child learn. Children learn from seeing, hearing, touching and these experiences will help the child get to know his environment better. To interpret reality, children must experience their surroundings through imagination and disc all overy. Rooted in the experience of early childhood are the values that individuals will carve for themselves in later years, their capacity to live accord these values, and their attitudes towards themselves and the human familiarity. (Bredekamp,1987).Research registers that relevance of materials and methods of interest affects childrens readiness children are more ready to learn if the material meet their needs and fits their interest. They are more ready to learn if they are having variation doing the tasks. (Karweit,1988) unrestrained attitude and personal adjustment plays a great influence in childrens readiness. Emotional stress blocks them from learning especially those resulting from unmet needs, rejection from home, over protection, experience of failures, home difficulties, poverty, peace conflict, and other related issues.( Shepard and Smith, 1986). Greg Duncan and Katherine Magnuson authenticated that children who live in poverty with poor socio-economic status are more likely not ready for kindergarten school since their parents will most likely spend for basic needs than materials for learning like books and other learning kits . Parents in families with low socio-economic status are less likely to talk with. Read with. A nd teach forward-lookingborn children since they would rather spend their time looking for sources of income. Environmental stress affects school readiness according to Kimberly Noble, N.Tottenham, and B. J. Casey. They explained that chronic stress or debauch in childhood can impair development of the genus Hippocampus the region of the brain involved in learning and memory, and reduces a childs cognitive ability. thus the impact of stress on brain development during childhood may explain a large portion of the gap in school readiness. Health is another factor that affects school readiness according to Janet Currie, childs health combined with maternal health and behavior may account for victor or failure of kindergarten pupils.Childrens who are not in the best health condition may not be always present in the classroom those will be missing development of skills and knowledge. Nancy Reichman reported that premature birth and low birth weight can seriously impair cognitive de velopment. A renting which include nurturance, discipline, and home base teaching are greatly link to the development of childrens cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Feelings of self-worth develop as a child feels good about his environment and the way he interacts in that environment.The most important gift a parent could give his child is forest time. Children need unhurried periods to explore and experiment, to understand and affirm through idea of freedom. They must also be forgetd with the security, acceptance, love, thoughtful and appropriate restrictions. (htpp//www. mayoclinic. com/health/kindergarten-readiness) Everyone agrees that a childs future academic success is dependent on being ready to learn and participate in a successful kindergarten experience. Yet, defining (readiness) can be a very difficult task.Due to childrens different prekindergarten education experiences and development, they enter kindergarten with change skills, knowledge, and level of prepare dness. Parents and teachers have different expectations for what children should know and be able to do before starting kindergarten. Furthermore, discussions of readiness do not always include how schools and community can enhance and support childrens and kindergarten readiness. It is at heart this premise that the researcher would want to conduct a theater of operations and find out the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B.Theoretical Framework This canvas is anchor on various theoretical perspectives. Several theories of child development of child development and learning have influenced discussions of school readiness. These have had profound impact on kindergarten readiness practice. These three theories include the maturationist, environmentalist, and constructive perspective of development (Powell, 1991). Maturationist conjecture The maturationist theory was advanced by the work of Arnild Gessell. Maturationists belie ve that development is a biological process that occurs automatically in predictable, sequential stages over time (Hunt, 1969).This perspective leads many educators and families to assume that young children will knowledge naturally and automatically as they grow up physically and ecome older, provided that they are healthy (Demarest, Reisner, Anderson, Humphrey, Farquhar, and Stein, 1993). School readiness, according to maturationist is a state at which all healthy young children arrive when they can perform tasks such(prenominal) as reciting the alphabet and counting these tasks are for learning more complex tasks such as reading and arithmetic.Because development and school readiness occur naturally and automatically, maturationist believe the best practice are for parents to teach young children to recite the alphabet and count while being patient and waiting children to nonplus ready for kindergarten. If a child is developmentally unready for school, maturationist might sugges t referrals to transitional kindergartens, retention, or holding educators, and parents when a young child developmentally lags behind his or her peers.The young childs underperform at the level of his or her peers. Environmentalist Theory Theorist as John Watson, B.F. Skinner, and Albert Bandura contributes greatly to the environmentalist perspective of development. Environmentalist believe the childs environment shapes learning and behavior in fact, human behavior, development, and learning are though of as reactions of the environment.This perspective leads many families, schools, and educators to assume that young children and acquire new knowledge by reacting their surroundings. Kindergarten readiness, according to the environmentalist, is the age or stage when young children can respond appropriately to the environment of the school and the classroom (e.g. , rules and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in company settings and directions and instructions fro m teachers and other adults in school).The ability to respond appropriately to this environment is necessary for young children to participate in teacher initiated learning activities. Success is dependent on the child following instructions from the teachers or the adult in the classroom. Many environmentalist-influenced educators and parents believe that young children lean best by rote activities. Such as reciting the alphabet over and over, copying letters, and tracing numbers.This viewpoint is evident in kindergarten classrooms where young children are expected to sit at desk arranged in rows and listens attentively to their teachers. At home, parents may provide their young children with workbooks containing such activities as food coloring or tracing letters and numbers-activities that require little interaction between parents and child. When young children are inefficient to respond appropriately to the classroom and school environment, they often are labeled as having som e form of leaning disabilities and are tracked in classroom with curriculum designed to control their behavior and responses.Constructivist Theory The constructivist perspective of readiness and development was advanced by theorist such as Jean Piaget, female horse Montessori, and Lev Vygotsky. Although their work varies, each articulates a similar context of learning and development. They are consistent in their judgement that learning and development occur when young children interact with the environment and people around them (Hunt, 1969). Constructivist view young children as active participant in the learning process. In addition, constructivists believe young children initiate most of the activities required for learning and development.Because active interaction with the environment and people are necessary for learning and development, constructivist believe that children are ready for school when they can initiate many of the interactions they have with the environment a nd people around them. Conceptual Theory This study takes into account the independent variables and dependent variables. The socio demographic factors which include age, sex, health, parents literacy, socio-economic status, experience, child abuse and child stress.The independent variables are presumed to affect or influence the dependent variables which are the school readiness of kindergarten pupils which include gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual disparity skills, auditory discrimination skills, language skills, math-numeracy skills, and social-emotional behaviors. Base on the outcome of this studies, the writer aims to find the factors affecting the school readiness of the kindergarten pupils to insure that this children will have an opportunity to enhance their skills, knowledge, and abilities.Furthermore it aims to elevate the parent to have hands-on upbringing of their children. The researchers seeks to hike up the teachers to recognize pupils individual diffe rences, re-enforce and extend their strengths, assist them in overcome their difficulties and develop in them sensitivity to community values. Finally, the writer would want to learn what the public kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B know and able to do as they enter kindergarten level. The writer wishes to find an in-depth study for the strengths and needs of individual learners, motivation for learning instruction, and interventions.The researcher believes the childs inputs, radiateions, and self evaluation are internal to the process of leaning and development. ? stately Presentation of the Conceptual Framework of the Study Independent Variables Dependent VariablesResult Statement of the problem This study seeks to canvass the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils. It is the objective of the researcher to determine whether or not age, sex, health, parents literacy, socio-economic status, experience, child stress, child abuse, and socio-em otional behavior can affect or influence the school readiness.This study also aims to answer the following propositions 1. ) What are the factors affecting the public school kindergarten pupils in terms of 1. 1Gross motor skill 1. 2Fine motor skill 1. 3Visual discrimination skills 1. 4 audile discrimination skills 1. 5Language skill 1. 6Math-numeracy awareness 1. 7Social-emotional behavior 2. ) What are parents, community stake holders, teachers, and schools intervention program to enhance pupil readiness for kindergarten? 3. ) Is there a significant kindred between this interventions and pupils school readiness?Scope and limitation of the study This study is conducted in the public Central School in Lanao Del Sur 1 B in the school year 2011-2012. The study is focused on the factor affecting the school readiness of puplic kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. The pupils, teacher, and parents are randomly selected. Data are gathered through the questioner which is composed of pu pils, teachers, and parents questioners. This study is delimit to the public kindergarten pupils in the Central School in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. Significance of the study.This study aims to pick up the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils to give life on the perceptions of the parents, teachers, and school administrators. Furthermore, it wishes to determine if parenting and nurturance, maturation, health condition, experience, teachers expectation, and school curriculum has some important role in the school readiness of the kindergarten pupil. This study would investigate the underlying reasons/factors which affect the school readiness of the kindergarteners.Finally this study aims to be a significant office to provide opportunity to enhance the skill, knowledge, and abilities of the pupil. This study will provide an assessment of young children not only in measuring it but in their ability to work through activities, to solve problems, to work indepen dently, and to reflect on their thinking. To The pupils- this study could assist the young learners to respond appropriately to the environment of the home, classroom and community (rules and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in group setting, directions and instruction from the teacher other adults in the school).To The parents- this study will help the parents to provide appropriate time and management to engage their children in learning task such as reading and writing the alphabet, basic counting skills, identification of colors, size and shape. This will also encourage the parents to be patient and loving, waiting for their children to become developmentally ready for kindergarten. The parents are urge to provide their young children with workbooks containing such activities in coloring, tracing letters and numbers.To The teachers- this research study will help the teacher to understand and support the child natural curiosity and the diverse way in which th e child learns. The teacher is also encourage to give the child some individualized attention and customize the classroom curriculum to help the child address his difficulties.To The school administrators- being conscious of the factors affecting the school readiness of the kindergarten pupils the schooladministrators could provide small classes with higher teacher-pupil ratio, teacher with bachelor degree and training in early childhood education, parents-teacher training component that will re-enforce what teacher are doing in school to enhance childrens cognitive, social and emotional development.To The Curriculum Makers- this study will give a new perspective that will lead to the formulation of a curriculum that is cognitively stimulating and child center base. To The Community of Lanao Del Sur 1 B- this study will act as a catalyst for positive change.Local government and community agencies will have to work together to enhance programs for the learning development of kinderga rten pupils. Definition of terms The terms use in this study is conceptually and operationally define for better understanding and clarity. Maturation conceptually defined as the appropriate stage of mental and physical development, when a child is ready to perform school tasks characteristics of that particular grade . operationally it delegacy the chronological age of a child which is legally unexceptionable to enter a grade level.Experience means the teaching exposure, learning materials, methods of learning, practices, facilities, and structures in home and in environment which help the child learns and develops in ways that are most natural and suitable for their ages and levels of maturity. Operationally defined as the results of work done by the child in whom the child retains memory, mastery, knowledge, and skills. School readiness conceptually means the ability to cope, learn, and achieve without undue stress. This is the proficiency level of the child in particulariz ed area of a grade level.It is also the developmental stage whom the child is ready to learn new things. Operationally it means that the child is already of age to enroll in a grade level. This could also mean that the child has the ability to participate in classroom activities, work as instructed and cooperate with his classmates in group works. Fine motor development means the coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers. These skills are essential to complete task such as writing, tracing, cutting, holding things, moving little pieces of object, putting together of part of a whole.These skills are needed in taking precision in the hand-eye coordination. Gross motor skills- are the developmental awareness and coordination of large muscles activity. These skills are needed in walking, running, jumping, dancing, and playing. Visual discrimination skills- means the ability to visually differentiate the forms, and symbols in the environment . This is needed in the matchin g, and form of colors, sizes, shapes, and quantities. Visual memory skills means the ability to recall accurately prior visual experience. It is also the ability to remember what has been done.Heard, touched, smelled, and tasted and seen.. Auditory discrimination skills refer to the ability to receive and differentiate auditory stimuli. It is the capacity and ability to identify ,distinguish, imitate, differentiate the sounds heard. Auditory memory skills means the ability to retain and recall auditory information. It also means the ability to remember, recite, repeat, tell, and do what is heard. Receptive language skills refers to the ability to express oneself verbally, to say what the child thinks and feels and to engage in simple group conversations.Comprehension skills refers to the judgment and reason as the child understands his environment. It is the ability to make comparisons, understand differences and recognized cause and effect. Social emotional behavior refer to the ability to relate meaningfully to others and be accepted in both one-on-one and group emotions. This also means the ability to act among other children, to cooperate with the group, to show feelings, and to demonstrate responsibility. Math and number awareness refers to the ability to identify and recognize numerals, to count on, recognize patterns, and sorting and classifying of objects.

How to Establish Relationships with Adults

How to establish relationships with adults Establishing relationships with adults use the same basic skills, wither it is a friend or colleague. The master(prenominal) difference establishing a friendship with an adult and a colleague is how much formality and passe-partoutization is used. paid Colleagues. * Formal vocabulary You speak in a professional manner, using correct pronunciation and clearly. * accredit colleagues title Use their correct titles e. g. Mr, Mrs, Professor, Doctor and so on * Keep somebodyal issues away Do non bring into sprain your home issues, or let them ail you from work. Trust, Reliability and Initiative When working well with someone, you dupe to be able to trust that psyche to be able to carry disclose instruction manual correctly, know they lead be in and on time, for work and know that they mass handle agencys on their own or have some input towards a common goal. Also not having to be told all the time what needs to be done next etc . * Approachable, Helpful and Assertive continuously be friendly and helpful, this way your colleague feels they can come up to you and petition for help etc. without feeling they are putting on you, as you are both working as a team. You must also be assertive, this does not mean attitude, lack of respect or rude and putting your opinion across on ideas or views. * No Attitude or Undermining In a professional setting you DO NOT give a colleague any attitude or undermine him or her. This not just sours you look unprofessional but also lets everybody else know that at that place are issues and affects their work. If there are issues, you can ask the colleague for a quiet chat privately and put your opinions across politely and respectably. Body language & Humour Your body language speaks volumes to some separate colleagues originally you have said a word, so handle yourself happy, smiles, confident and available. If your body language is good, you will be more(prenomin al) approachable, accepted and liked. Humour is a good thing but you must always make sure it is acceptable for the situation and is not personal towards colleagues. * Confidential A colleague must be able to tell you things of importance regarding work or a person and know that you will keep it confidential, without fear of it leaving the setting in which it applies. Dress code How you dress reflects a lot on you, make sure you are dressed appropriately for the setting, with no miniskirts or very low excommunication tops etc. You should always be clean and presentable to be able to carry out your tasks in a professional manner. These are especially important guidelines to follow when working within a classroom setting with a teacher every day you will build a long-wearing relationship built on mutual respect and trust. In addition, the schoolchilds will see you both work as a team and friendly, which will better their experience in the classroom and their education.How to deal with disagreements among you and other adults If you do have a disagreement, it needs to be approached with respect and sensitivity to each others feelings as quickly as possible to prevent any further deterioration of the situation. * do sure a disagreement has occurred I would ask to have a private conversation with the other adult to check I have not just misunderstood what they have said or asked. * Communication & Respect Make sure you listen to others opinions and views, without interjecting or talking over this will only escalate the situation.Also, expect the same respect back. Discuss the issues calmly and fairly. See if any agreement can come from conversation or common ground. * Mediation If the disagreement cannot be resolved between ourselves, a third party can set about to mediate between us. Who is not involved in the initial disagreement and is neutral. * Apologises Always be ready to say sorry, if needed and be genuine. Also, accept any apologies given. Do n ot hold grudges or carry it on after it has been resolved. Between you and boorren or young packYou should never be drawn into a disagreement with a baby bird or young person, if the chela or young person is trying to do this, you will have to manage the situation in a number of ways * Find out what the problem is Depending on age, lower yourself to their eye take aim and either repeat or request an instruction, ask them if they understood. If they reply yes, ask what is the problem? * Tone of component Keep your tone of voice calm and clear but firm. * Defiant child / young person DO NOT get annoyed, ask another member of staff to help with situation, give the child a time out ( depending on age, will deter the time out given e. . corner or classroom or out of classroom etc. ) * Distraction You can sometimes distract the child from what is annoying them to help stop the disagreement. * Show example Show the child/ young person what you expect by either a demonstration fr om yourself or another pupil in the class, this will show them you are reasonable in your request etc. * Be genuine A child or young person will know if you are not and will continue to try to draw you into disagreements. Aggression If a child is being aggressive, it will depends on the depth of the pugnacity e. g. strength, impatience or even special needs will determine how it is dealt with. Mild aggression can be handled with talking and listening to the pupil, taking the child away to calm down and from what is causing them to get aggressive. Stronger aggression will need extra staff to help and can either restrain the child, then extract or in some cases remove the rest of the pupils from the class until the pupil has calmed down. Personality clash sometimes it can be just down to personality clash that you may have a pupil that draws you into disagreements, If this is the case, you must try not to show this towards the pupil but they will towards you. You must remain pro fessional at all times. If you are helping the pupil on a one to one, maybe ask to be moved to another child as the pupils education will suffer if they are more interested in having disagreements with you. NEVER tell the pupil this is why you are being moved and do not make them feel bad for the clash, it happens. Apologies NEVER be afraid to say sorry to a pupil if you are wrong and say it meaningfully, the pupil will know if you are being honest. exclusively of the above are ways to deal with a disagreement with a child or young person any disagreement has to be dealt with accordingly with their age and extent of disagreement. Never feel you have to deal with it all by yourself, if extra help is wanted, ask for it as it may calm the situation down a lot quicker and easier.

Staff Development and Performance Appraisal in a Brazilian Research Centre

The current issue and full textbook archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/1460-1060. htm Staff ripening and per lickance estimate in a brazilian look for nubble Cristina Lourenco Ubeda and Fernando Cesar Almada Santos ? Staff study and judgement 109 ? ? University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil Abstract Purpose The intention of this paper is to analyse the staff emergence and exertion idea in a Brazilian search nerve centre.Design/methodology/approach The key issues of this case study argon the primary(prenominal) arrangemental changes which demand devourn key over the last decades the aspects of the system of rulesal expression that have either contributed to or hindered competency- creationd anxiety the exploitation of requirement interrogationers competences connect to main pop the questions and do workes and the way of appraising the development of their competences.The summary of this paper was carried push through con sidering the following phases strategical supplying, speci? cations of exteriorizes and affectes, competence-based wariness and effect approximation of interrogationers. Findings Although integration was found in the midst of the cognitive operation measurement and strategic plans de? ned by the investigate centre, competence-based way is still centred on privates and based on their tasks. The link betwixt lookers competences and their companionable context is non considered.Originality/ evaluate Feedback from the leave alones of question projects and recycling of organisational processes would allow the study organisation not just now to identify the someone competences immanent for all(prenominal) activity, but excessively to improve the relationship between nonrecreational growth and cosmos brought about by agonistic strategies of companies. Keywords Competences, blueprint, Human preference forethought, Performance appraisal, Research organization s, Brazil Paper caseful Case study IntroductionCurrent hawkish markets are highly in? uenced by the markets be globalised, technological origination and stiff competition. Competence-based anxiety appears in this scenario as an approach to benignant preference attention which provides moveion between mankind election systems and a bon tons system (Santos, 2000 Schuler and Jackson, 1995 Meshoulam and Baird, 1987). Technological changes require companies to develop gentle competences as an in-chief(postnominal) factor to achieve success and have agonistic advantage (Drejer and Riis, 1999).The main accusative of exploitation competences is to enable good deal to assimilate the skills, jockeyledge and attitudes inevitable for their jobs (Sandberg, 2000). Strategic valete resource guidance has attempted to link its practices to pattern strategies of companies which deal with changing, unpredictable and demanding markets (Hagan, 1996 H go forlid et al. , 1997 Mil ls et al. , 1998 Jayaram et al. , 1999 Drejer, 2000a Ray et al. , 2004). Human resource precaution bes of systems much(prenominal) as selection, staffs mental process appraisal, career make lovement, compensation and motivation practices.European Journal of Innovation instruction Vol. 10 No. 1, 2007 pp. 109-125 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1460-1060 DOI 10. 1108/14601060710720573 EJIM 10,1 110 All these systems whitethorn favour or hinder the development of competences which are demand for a keep companys dodging (Sandberg, 2000). The systems in adult male resources whitethorn help a company to increase its battle by implementing competence-based precaution. Models for competence-based charge have been widely utilise in order to align soulfulnessist abilities with core competences of a company.A expression of competences is basically at a lower placestood as a link between communitys development and a companys strategy. Competence-based trouble uses a struc ture of competences to align its strategic objectives with its key processes in human resource focus (Le Deist and Winterton, 2005). The aim of this paper is to analyse a Brazilian interrogation centre by reinforcing the main challenges of implementing competence-based management in this centre which deals with innovation.Its mission is to develop solutions for sustainable development of Brazilian agribusinesses by creating, adapting and transferring knowledge and engineering science to bene? t society (Ubeda, 2003, p. 50). This inquiry is relevant because . it highlights the production and transfer of technology as a distinct factor in footing of innovation which allows companies to achieve a conduct position in international markets (Fleury and Fleury, 2004) and . the development of competences which is directly connect to market demands is analysed (Mans? ld, 2004 Schroeder et al. , 2002 Hagan, 1996 Drejer, 2000a Drejer and Riis, 1999). As a consequence, this analysis is based on a theoretical proposal tutelageing the development of someone competences which reinforces murder appraisal as a tool to identify and monitor staffs competences, as headspring as pickings into account a companys core competence and external demands. The paper is based on three relevant topics (1) Working competitively involves placing high esteem on people, considering their experiences, ideas and preferences.Their participation in organisations is necessary because employees and theatre directors have to discuss a companys objectives together. (2) Encouraging employees participation promoter creating opportunities to offer people a collective perspective concerning the signi? cance of their professional practice and a way of being part of the in store(predicate). (3) It is unplumbed to consider not only the staffs speci? c quali? cations needed for the positions in the organisational structure, but also their knowledge, experiences, skills and results for future i nnovations. Individual competences which are identi? d by murder appraisal in all the hierarchical levels of an organisation are important aspects concerning the success of a companys competitive strategy. Once the company is aware of the item-by-item competences needed for each process, it can identify smart ship canal of developing its human resources by changing the focus of its human resource systems. An integrated amaze for human resource management with a business-oriented strategy uses individual competences as a reference for the systems in human resource management, such as selection, genteelness and development, compensation and career management.Taking this into account, Dutra (2001, p. 27) says that . . . organisations and people, side by side, create a continuous process of competence exchange. A company transfers its assets to the people, enriching and preparing them to face new professional and personal situations, inside or remote of the organisation. Its staff , in turn, while developing their individual abilities, transfer their learning to the organisation, providing it conditions to supervise with new challenges. Competence-based management Competence-based management has a direct effect on the future proceeding of its human resources (employees, managers and directors).It also considers attitudes, values, personal characteristics and relationships in teams which are necessary for innovation and not only the knowledge and skills required for completing their jobs (Conde, 2001). Therefore, competence-based management is a strategic practice which aims at change magnitude the global feat of a lot by increasing the individual performance of its employees (Hagan, 1996). It is necessary to identify factors which produce differences between individuals check to the results of their jobs and experiences (Moore et al. , 2002 Drejer, 2000b).For this reason, every company which strives for competitiveness in its market recognises that comp etence-based management and performance appraisal are strategic functions, as this has brought about innovation by recycling companies processes and individuals activities (Bitencourt, 2004 Drejer and Riis, 1999 Houtzagers, 1999 Baker et al. , 1997). Competence-based management creates opportunities for effective strategic human resource management. However, without performance appraisals, both for individuals and teams, a company can neither monitor its own development nor the betterment of its staffs performance.As a consequence, it cannot develop or manage its individual competences (Ritter et al. , 2002 Robotham and Jubb, 1996). Therefore, the main objectives of competence-based management are . to guide managerial decisions link to providing employees with the resources necessary for them to carry out their work satisfactorily, as head up as to meet their learn needs . to plan staffs activities and identify the work conditions that in? uence their performance . to guide th e companys human resource policies and guidelines and . to reward, promote and even punish, warn or ? e employees. Development of individual competences When considering affable interaction between people and objectives, competitive strategy makes use of a formal structure to exchange information and human resource management that provides guidelines for selection, job design and paygrade, performance appraisal and rewards (Devanna et al. , 1984). A competitive strategy formulation must be based on the strongest competences of a company. Constant progress of competences creates opportunities for systematic Staff development and appraisal 111 EJIM 10,1 112 re? ement and reformulation of competitive strategy and, by doing so, new ways can be identi? ed to develop competences (Fleury and Fleury, 2004). Developing individual competences is cyclical. According to environmental demands, companies de? ne their competitive strategy and core competences in order to channel their energy int o their speci? c characteristics and, consequently, to adopt human resource systems that support the identi? cation and management of their individual competences. In this paper, development of individual competences is considered as a way of arrive at information to other systems and processes.First of all, the company must . pitch what the strategy and organisational competences are . de? ne the speci? cations of products and processes . study the perspectives of necessary individual competences for each speci? c process and . plan and carry out performance appraisal ( embodiment 1). When competence-based management is integrated into a companys strategy, one can observe the relationship between identifying personal competences and main human resource systems selection, training and development, compensation and career management.Companies which integrate competence-based management into strategic plan be pursue able to make use of some tools, such as a balance menu in order to measure the organisational performance in four balanced perspectives ? nance, customers, knowledgeable processes and staffs learning and growth. Kaplan and Norton (1997) highlight the importance of creating a strategic feedback system to test, validate and modify the hypotheses which are incorporated into strategic business units. When cause and effect relations are incorporated into the balanced scorecard, they allow executives to establish short term goals which re? ct their best expectations in de? ciencies and impacts and consequently affect performance measurements. From the feedback obtained by performance appraisal, supervisors and employees can identify what the necessary skills and knowledge are for activities to be developed, and what type of training is necessary to improve project management. Competence and human performance Individual competence associates explicit knowledge, personal skills and experiences with individuals results and sentiment of organisational v alues which are obtained in ? their kind context (Hipolito, 2001, p. 1 Fleury and Fleury, 2000 Zari? an, 2001 Sveiby, 1998). It considers the production and handing in of results which are relate to employees mobilisation, that is to say, it incorporates the value added by them to business, as shown in Figure 2. Ubeda (2003) underscores that competence involves the individuals working closely in a team by doing practical activities, as well as their daily routine which results in a constant know how to learn. The individuals must be apt to take the orifice and assume responsibilities to cope with professional situations which they come across.This responsibility is undoubtedly the counterpart of decentralising decision making. Individuals will not give orders anymore, but they will individually assume the Staff development and appraisal INNOVATION 113 STRATEGY F F Mission Objectives E E E CORE COMPETENCES D B D SPECIFICATIONS OF ingathering AND PROCESSES A C E B A INDIVIDUAL CO MPETENCES K C K mathematical operation APPRAISAL Figure 1. The competence development process Source Ubeda (2003, p. 50) responsibility for evaluating a situation, the required initiative and the effects that will inevitably arise from this situation.Therefore, a person or a team (when pass judgment responsibilities) accepts to be judged and be appraised for the achieved results in terms of performance for which they are answerable. They commit themselves to producing and handing in results of their activities. Thus, it is not assertable to consider competence without presenting the logic behind human performance, as performance appraisal guides the development of individual competences according to business needs (Moore et al. , 2002 Lawler, 1995). The use of competences means rethinking the procedures of staffs appraisal because . . each individual becomes aware of which result must be reached and how it can be achieved. The competences form the basis of the language used to d e? ne the evaluate behaviour which enables performance and improvement to be carried out (Conde, 2001, p. 80). EJIM 10,1 114 INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCE acquisition Know how to do something PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY Results ATTITUDE Intend to do something POTENTIAL Knowledge Figure 2. The individual competence concept Source Hipolito (2001, p. 81) According to Dutra (2001, p. 33), one of the most dif? ult issues concerning people management is to de? ne and appraise performance in terms of the results to be handed in by a determined person, company or business. Performance appraisal makes it possible to identify three individual aspects that interact between themselves development, ride and behaviour (Figure 3) Each aspect must be dealt with in a contrastive way, concerning not only the way to appraise, but also the actions which follow the appraisal. In general, companies mix these three aspects and emphasise effort and behaviour.At the current moment, staffs professional growth is the most important aspect of performance and it is worthy of special attention (Dutra, 2001, p. 35). Dejours (1997, p. 54) highlights performance appraisal as evaluating a job that can take place in two ways evaluating profit and social relationships. Evaluating the technical, social or economic usefulness of the individual is linked to the workplace and the person who does it is generally in a hierarchical position (boss, manager or organiser) to appraise the usefulness.Evaluating social relationships is cerebrate to the alignment of the job and production with standards which have been socially schematic by peers in the same hierarchical level which enables the individual to belong to a collective group. This evaluation is related to the job and its activities. What is appraised and evaluated is the job and not the individual. From the perspective of the human factor theory proposed by Dejours (1997, p. 55), this is an essential point because an individuals contribution to the job effectiveness makes recognition and compensation possible.PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL demeanor DEVELOPMENT EFFORT Figure 3. The three aspects of performance appraisal Source Dutra (2001, p. 35) Recent studies point out models of performance appraisal based on behaviour and attitudes, but not only the ones focused on the analysis of functional features of each job (Moore et al. , 2002). They reinforce the increasing in? uence of technology, functional requisites and organisational learning in terms of developing competences (Drejer and Riis, 1999). According to Zari? an (2001, p. 121), nobody can compel individuals to be competent.A company can only create favourable conditions for their development. Thus, motivation becomes a key element in terms of developing competences. It is necessary for the employees to feel useful and be able to assume responsibilities. The individuals will be more motivated as they consider that the practice of their competences also contributes to the developme nt of their projects and perspectives. Performance appraisal as an instrument to identify employees competences Competence-based management is supported by organisational competences that directly in? ence an individuals competences, which are necessary for carrying out tasks and processes and, and so are considered in performance appraisals. Consequently, the feedback concerning the data from these appraisals enables the whole organisation to recycle strategies and competences. Many authors highlight the dif? culty of metre the impact of developing competences regarding a companys performance (Mans? eld, 2004 Moore et al. , 2002 Ritter et al. , 2002 Drejer, 2000a Sandberg, 2000 Hagan, 1996). This situation is worsened if the individual inflection of each work process are thought to be measured.Becker et al. (2001) emphasise that performance appraisal systems are incoherent in terms of what is measured and what is important. When implementing a companys strategy, human resource m anagers have to be able to understand exactly how people contribute to a companys results by being valuable and how to measure this contribution. This situation only takes place if these managers really participate in the development of a companys strategy. These authors state that satisfactory performance appraisal produces two types of results 1) it improves the decision-making processes of the sector responsible for human resource management by foc utilise its activities on the aspects of the organisation that contribute to the development of a companys strategy and (2) it provides a better allocation of resources, de? ning direct relations between human resource investments and strategic assets of a company. Developing competences in a research centre Aiming at evaluating competence-based management in practice, a case study in a research centre located in Brazil was carried out.This organisation is a unit of a Federal public research locoweed which consists of 37 research cent res, three national service centres and 11 central unit of? ces and is present in nigh all the States of the Brazilian Federation. This corporation has invested in training and quali? cations of its staff since it was founded. In 2003, there were a score number of 8,619 employees. Out of 2,221 researchers who work in this corporation, 45 per cent have a masters degree and 53 per cent a PhD. Staff development and appraisal 115 EJIM 10,1 16 The examine research centre is responsible for developing new technology which can facilitate the life of producers and boorish workers in the country. The organisation was chosen because it has implemented a performance appraisal system which aligns the development of its products and processes with human resource management. Methodology An empirical study was undertaken from February to November, 2003 victimization the following data collection instruments interviews with opportunities for participants comments and analysis of documents.Seven professionals from this research centre were interviewed four employees of the human resource area, the associate head of the research centre and two researchers. The participative card of the researchers, the interviewees comments and the documental analysis provided a personal and close contact with the organisation identifying formational materials, norms, routines and programs developed by the professionals. The key questions of this case study focus on . the main organisational changes which have taken place over the last decades . he aspects of the organisational structure that have either contributed to or hindered competence-based management . the development of necessary researchers competences related to main projects and processes and . the way of appraising the development of researchers competences. The case study The examine research corporation see some organisational changes over time that had clearly de? ned its business-oriented strategy. There is a real conce rn about integrate this strategy with human resource management, however, the performance appraisal system shows an irregular historical background.The investigated corporation was founded in the 1970s, a period of outstanding economic growth in Brazil. Moreover, the Brazilian government supported the training of experts in research in public organs and in the agricultural sector (Ubeda, 2003). At that time, the corporation did not experience either ? nancial or human resource problems because the objective of the Federal government was to form a vanguard institution in its ? eld. The research guidelines of research were de? ned by the corporations home office and then followed by the research centres.The corporations concern about integrating strategies with human resource management increased from the 1990s onwards, as well as plans to implement a structured performance appraisal system (Table I). The research centres were regionally located according to product lines and were s et up to earn local problems. These units followed and carried out nationwide policies, as well as guidelines de? ned by the corporations headquarters. At this moment, there was no concern about performance appraisal.From 1988 onwards, due to the current Federal Constitution being approved, public institutions became more concerned about the strategic management of the appraisal of processes and results, not only of the organisation but also of the individuals. Period Institutions organisational scenario 1970s Development and consolidation of the examine corporation Employment and development of human resources Availability of ? nancial resources for project development Modernisation of management Application of strategic planning Focus on results synopsis of global scenarios Rede? nition of the research centres mission and reverie planning of a global policy for the organisation consisting of research policy, businesses policy, and business communication policy Focus on the cus tomers Organisational re-structuring of processes and projects 1988-1992 1994-1998 1999-2003 Source Ubeda (2003, p. 69) Aiming to follow these changes of organisational and technological paradigms, the studied organisation started to adopt strategic planning principles in its institutional culture and drew up its ? st corporate plan for 1988-1992. In 1991, the corporation initiated a process of organisational change, using strategic planning techniques, focusing on their operations and processes in the market, guiding research projects towards solving social problems, and not only exclusively towards the progress of pure science, attempting to ? nd an increase in ef? ciency and effectiveness to observe being competitive and to guarantee its sustainability (Nader et al. , 1998).From 1994 onwards, a new system to appraise individual job performance was created and integrated with both strategic planning and the institutional management system of the whole corporation, as well as with the operational plan of each research centre. To remain competitive and to guarantee sustainability, the corporation follow a process of organisational change based on a management model drawn on results and customers requirements, as well as having been supported by the balanced scorecard methodology (Kaplan and Norton, 1997).From 1997 to 1999, the institution started implementing a new strategic management model in order to provide guidelines which really showed what was de? ned by the corporation. Therefore, the replete(p) organisations staff would work in favour of the de? ned goals (Sentanin, 2003). Within its job structure, the institution manages its human resources by linking the achievement of the proposed goals of its annual operational plan to negotiating the proposed activities for each employee in the performance appraisal system.The performance appraisal system, besides being an instrument to recognise achieved results, is also used to identify human competences, wh ich are important for research, and is a basis for selection, training and compensation practices in research centres. Concerned about conflux the needs of its customers, the corporation de? nes its strategic objectives and conveys them to its research centres that incorporate them into the annual operational plan. These units establish important processes to ful? the proposed goals in the performance appraisal systems of researchers, and consequently, researchers develop new practices and technology (Figure 4). Staff development and appraisal 117 Table I. Organisational scenario of the studied corporation EJIM 10,1 118 Corporate Strategic throw Plan of Each Unit Annual Operational Plan Figure 4. Performance strategic management process in the organisation studied Performance measuring rod Strategic Planning F E E D B A C K Strategic Management Model Based on Processes Performance Appraisal Source Ubeda (2003, p. 82)In each research centre, there is an internal technical committe e which co-ordinates research regarding themes and developed projects. This committee analyses pre-proposals and proposals of projects and processes of its unit with technical, operational and ? nancial criteria. Thus, each new project undergoes evaluation and approval of the committee. Once a project is approved, it can be developed, and by and by it is concluded, it is evaluated once again to re? ect on the results, assuring both the commitment of its staff and the fibre of its technical projects and processes.The units type of structure is ad hocratic, according to Mintzbergs (1983) terminology, because it consists of teams which develop the approved projects, as well as them being concerned with innovation and invariably centred on the development of new products and processes. The head of research of each unit co-ordinates and appraises the performance of the projects which are carried out. The structure of this centre is the re? ection of its strategies, since it attempts t o create an integration of specialties using its project teams with the aim of competitiveness and customer satisfaction.As for the job structure, there are two functional careers research and support for research. Data analysis, results and implication of this research Research on competence-based management was focused on performance appraisal because it is an important instrument to identify human competences based on the innovation strategy of the studied centre. In this performance appraisal system there is explicit planning of the following activities . what the results of the jobs are expected to be . ow the product should be presented and what the standard of performance is expected to be . . when the deadline for the product to be presented is and feedback of the results of the jobs. However, since 1994 when it was implemented, the performance appraisal system has undergone modi? cations to improve its methodology, attempting to make its participants aware of the need for p eriodic dialogue and observe the activities, as well as for the impartial and speci? c appraisal of the activities planned in relation to the availability of means to carry out these activities.The planning of employees activities must be made according to the goals of its unit, area or sector, and to the projects under the responsibility of the studied research centre (Ubeda, 2003, p. 82). Performance appraisal must consider the employees individual competences and the results of the job which were de? ned in strategic planning. Competence-based management aims at guiding managerial decisions, the processes of professional development, as well as planning the human resource systems.An analysis of the development of competences in the Brazilian research centre was carried out by comparing the main theoretical issues of the literary productions with practices of the organisation which was studied (Figure 5). Firstly, the strategic objectives (item 1 of Figure 5) of the studied orga nisation were formulated according to the corporation and units missions and the corporations objectives. A synthesis of the theoretical issues concerning organisational competences (item 2 of Figure 5) is presented as follows . eveloping organisational competences is based on the internal abilities of companies (Wernerfelt, 1984) . these competences consist of skills, abilities and technology which enable a company to meet the speci? c needs of its customers, that is to say, to achieve a competitive advantage superior to competitors (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994) Staff development and appraisal 119 FORMULATION OF STRATEGY (1) Objectives are defined according to the corporation and units missions and the corporations objectives PRACTICES OF THE STUDIED ORGANISATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCES (3) ISSUES OF books ONORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCES (2) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ON INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES (4) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL (6) F E E D B A C K PRACTICES OF INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES OF THE STUDIED ORGANISATION (5) ITEMS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IN THE STUDIED ORGANISATION (7) Core of this analysis researchers Focus of the performance appraisal researchersuniversity degree qualifications Figure 5. Analysis of the development of competences in the research centre EJIM 10,1 . . 120 they require an understanding of competitive advantage mechanisms which may be used over time.When competitive strategies are being developed, companies have to make the best use of their speci? c features (Grant, 1991) and a competence can be de? ned by considering four elements and their relationships technology, people, organisational structure and organisational context (Drejer and Riis, 1999). The main features of organisational competences practised in the researched company (item 3 of Figure 5) were . focus on the internal ability of research in agriculture and breeding . support for competitive agribusinesses development in the global economy . ncouraging the develop ment of agribusinesses with the sustainability of economical activities and environmental balance . diminishing environmental imbalanced aspects of agribusinesses and . supplying raw materials and food which advertize the populations health, improving the nutritional level and quality of life. Individual competence issues in the literature (item 4 of Figure 5) may be summarised as follows . individual competence links explicit knowledge, skills and experiences of individuals to the results and judgements of value built within their social ? etwork (Hipolito, 2001 Fleury and Fleury, 2000 Zari? an, 2001 Sveiby, 1998) . individual competence can be explained altogether by the skills (to know how to do something), attitudes (to intend to do something), knowledge (to understand why to do something and search for solutions) and results (to produce and come ? up with the solution) (Hipolito, 2001) and . in order to develop complex competences, complex systems involve not only legion(pred icate) people in different areas of the organisation, but also interlocking technology.It is very dif? cult to understand and accompany them because they are very dependent on people and technology (Drejer and Riis, 1999). To develop individual competences in the research centre (item 5 of Figure 5), the following initiatives were carried out . stimulating and rewarding creativity . seeking effectiveness, developing actions with a focus on the achievement of results and solutions with compatible and competitive costs . planning the company for the future by strategically positioning its resources and abilities . eing committed to honesty and ethical posture by placing high value on human beings and dealing with all groups of society with respect . attempting to meet the particularities of customers demands by following the principles of come in quality . stimulating leadership when creating, adapting and transferring knowledge, products, services and technology . . . . encouraging partnerships with other organisations and individuals developing partnerships in terms of science and technology in agribusinesses striving for scienti? c rigour, using scienti? methods in research, caring about the exactitude and precision of procedures in all the phases of the process, and not tolerating bias in results and supporting teams which deal with problems in a systemic way in order to attain the ? nal objectives of their jobs. With regards to the issues presented in the literature on performance appraisal (item 6 of Figure 5) . the three main aspects of performance appraisal are peoples development, effort and behaviour (Dutra, 2001) . models for performance appraisal are based on behaviour and attitudes, and not only on the speci? functional analysis of each job (Moore et al. , 2002) and . technology, functional requisites and organisational learning in? uence the development of competences (Drejer and Riis, 1999). However, the main items of performance appraisal in th e studied organisation (item 7 of Figure 5) are limited to . researchers ability of monitoring the projects being carried out . researchers scienti? c publications, such as clauses, proceedings of congresses and scienti? c journals, books and chapters of books . production and transfer of technology and . publicising the research centres image.Although there is integration between performance appraisal and strategic plans de? ned by the research centre, competence-based management is still centred on the individuals, and it is also based on their tasks and not on the individuals linked to their social context, as previously pointed out by Moore et al. (2002), Zari? an (2001), Drejer and Riis (1999) and Dejours (1997). The previous fact is also a result of the dif? culty in measuring innovation and the degree of the development of a research project. Until the moment the research project does not achieve the proposed objective, it is dif? ult to quantify how much this research has pr ogressed over time. All the risks are untrue and the decisions are centralised by researchers who coordinate the project teams. These facts took place because of the studied organisation which did not manage to deal with complex competences in a decentralised way. Although this research centre is a reference in Brazil, the competence notion of this institution recognises only the telescope of skills (to know how to do it) and knowledge (information and experiences), not considering the scope of the attitudes (to intend to do it).The organisation only recognises competences based on a university degree quali? cation, and does not take the initiative and the responsibilities necessary to cope with complex situations. It does not centre the development of individual competences either on speci? c projects or on integration and team work. Staff development and appraisal 121 EJIM 10,1 122 Project management and performance appraisal are centred on the main researchers skills and knowl edge, minimising the importance of the competences of the other members of the research project team.However, it is important to mention that the quantitative criteria of performance appraisal do not only re? ect the concern about customers satisfaction, but also guide the distribution of resources and the human resource policies of the studied institution. Performance appraisal does not consider either the team aspect or the concept of feedback structured by 360 degrees appraisal in which all the staff appraise and are appraised by their superiors, subordinates and colleagues (Borman, 1997). Employees are appraised by their superiors in the studied centre.The results of the performance appraisal system contribute to strategic planning, however, the organisation and superiors are not appraised by the employees. In addition, an investigation into the organisational atmosphere was not made. There is not a channel for the feedback of performance appraisals which could result in both th e development of researchers competences and the innovation process of this centre. The processes in which technology is transferred and research is carried out are not de? ned according to the guidelines and parameters of this research centre, but they are de? ed by the corporation. Regarding cultural aspects, there is a large resistance and incredulity of the performance appraisal systems and the development of competences, despite the employees being already familiar with the appraisal systems of the research projects. Considering this incredulity, the appraisers do not take the role of planning and monitoring individual jobs. There is always something more important and more urgent to do than to sit down with somebody to plan actions related to the individuals job and his/her respective performance (Nader et al. 1998, p. 17). In Table II some theoretical references are compared with the investigated institutions practice. This is an approach combining the presence of the aspect s of competence (skills, attitudes, knowledge, production and handing in), Competence-based management elements in the studied organisation Table II. Elements of competence-based management in the organisation studied Performance appraisal integrated with strategic planning Performance appraisal integrated with human resource systems Development of skillsDevelopment of knowledge Development of attitudes Consideration of the social context of project teams Development of competences according to production and delivery Performance appraisal based on results Use of balanced scorecard to establish and rede? ne goals Participation of all members of a research project team in the performance appraisal through 360 degrees performance appraisal Concern about employees and researchers professional growth considering all the elements of competenceFeedback of appraisals in terms of attitudes, opportunities of professional growth and social context to develop new strategies Source Adapted from Ubeda (2003, p. 95) Present Absent X X X X X X X X X X X X the performance appraisal model, and the strategic integration of processes with human resource management. Conclusions When dealing with current competitive markets and needs for technological innovation, as well as stiff competition for new market niches, competence-based management is really a strategic practice adopt by companies to attain competitive advantage in order to serve the customers quickly and ef? iently. As a consequence, the alignment of human resource management practices and business strategies is of fundamental importance to companys competitiveness, and it emphasises people as a distinct resource for success. Thus, competence and human performance help the development of projects and internal processes. Competence-based management is carried out based on identifying individual competences, using performance appraisal of results from an individuals job.It is based not only on the competitive strategy an d the organisational structure, but also on processes and projects of a company. It is also a reference for managers decisions concerning the selection, training and compensation policies of a companys staff. To implement a consistent performance appraisal system which is capable of appraising the competences of each employee, it is necessary to check which knowledge, skills and attitudes should be developed in order to improve the internal processes of the organisation, without remaining focused only on jobs and tasks.In this case, the research centre is basically just concerned with its operational plans whose main reference is striving for productivity. However, it was observed in practice that the development of individual competences does not link the performance appraisal system to the collective and social approach of competence-based management, and it also does not include the scope of attitudes in order to integrate strategic planning, its monitoring, performance appraisal , the feedback of results of a research project and the improvement of processes.It is exactly this feedback, if well managed, that makes a difference, not only when identifying individual competences necessary for each activity, but also in the possibility of sharing professional growth concurrently with innovation and competitive strategy of companies. Feedback linked to the organisations strategy could increase the integration between all its organisational units and levels possible. 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