Performance Appraisal Essay Example for Free

Performance Appraisal Essay â€Å"Performance appraisal is the process through which employee performance is assessed, feedback is provided to the employee, and corrective action plans are designed† (Youssef, 2012). So basically, a performance appraisal is the process of evaluation workers’ performance in correlation with previously determined standards of the organization. Performance appraisals are one way of giving employees feedback about their performance at work; they record the employee’s performance to date, their potential and what they could work on to further benefit them. These appraisals do not only help them employee but they could benefit the organization as well in that it reflects on if the employee is right for the position (currently or in the future) and if the training the organization gives is sufficient for the employee. There are many advantages to performing appraisals. The records of these performance appraisals are kept for a period of time, they can be referenced and used to evaluate how an employee has improved over time, or if they have yet to improve or began to slack off. This gives an opportunity for a manager to pull an employee aside and praise them for their accomplishments or inform them what it is they need to improve on, managers can also determine whether or not an employee could benefit from further training. Employees can be given feedback while learning if their goals within the company have been fulfilled while setting up new goals for them to accomplish in the next year. Sometimes, expectations and policies can be difficult to understand; during feedback, one can take that opportunity to have clarity on policies and expectations and discuss matters that they want to discuss in private, such as ideas for improvement or issues they’ve had within the company or with fellow employees. Knowing that your performance will be appraised can serve as motivation to gain a reward for their hard work. There is potential for biases that need to be worked through to make sure everyone is given a fair opportunity. While it’s easy to compare one another, it’s imperative and difficult to resist comparing skills of one employee to another; if employees were compared to one another, it creates an unfair assessment of the employees. It’s crucial to set a standard to evaluate performance. Personality conflicts can influence judgment when assessing performance; this would cause an inaccurate assessment which would be unfair to the employee. Just because an employee is good at one thing, does not make them good at everything, and vice versa. One ruined project or miscommunication in direction does not mean the same thing will occur every time, or again even. There needs to be a minimum time-frame in which an employee’s performance should be assessed; it’s not fair for a manager that’s worked with an employee a time or two to fairly appraise them, a first impression can distort one’s image in either a positive or negative manner. It’s also necessary to appraise one on their entire performance, not just the most recent occurrences. Lifestyle choices should be left out of the appraisal process and should not be used for or against an employee. The primary objectives of an appraisal are – to assess past performance, to identify training needs, to set and agree on future objectives and standards, and to facilitate the achievement of these goals† (Youssef, 2012). Management by objectives includes an agreement between managers and their employees on the employee’s performance objectives for periodic review for the employee accomplishes said objectives. The effectiveness of a performance appraisal can be judged by its objectives. Understanding the strategic objectives can help one adjust to meet the needs of an organization. A timeline allows a manager and employee to make a plan for goals to be met, there must be deadlines and time periods assigned to each goal to ensure that they are met. An employee needs to show improvement, one that is not very productive and having issues with the company’s values and policies will not be around for a long period of time. Employees that are productive and possess talent that are imperative for the position will help with the company’s success and ensure they are able to withstand growth. Strategic planning is needed to determine the budget for current employees as well as future employees. Appraisal results reflect one’s character, development, how well one performs to the organization’s standards, as well as other strengths or weaknesses. In some organizations, these results may be used to determine if/which employees deserve recognition as well as awards such as a merit pay raise, a bonus and/or a promotion. These results can also determine which employees do not mesh with the organization and need to be let go, require counseling or further training or a demotion/decrease in pay. Performance appraisals can be a motivation to excel.

The Importance of Justice in Society Essay -- essays papers

The Importance of Justice in Society One component of the definition of justice is the final outcome of the process of the law, whereby justice is distributed by the State. According to this definition, justice is the mechanical process of the structure of law – set in place and agreed to by the people of the State. Another definition is concerned with the value inherent in ‘just’ behavior. One distinction between these two definitions is the difference between an individual viewpoint and the larger view of the society. Either view incorporates the concept of moral judgment; ‘good’ as opposed to ‘bad.’ Man has recognized the importance of justice in his society since the earliest of times. In order to serve justice, there has to be a law to settle differences among the people of the state. The history of law in relation to society reveals that humanity’s earliest efforts at lawmaking were prompted by the basic desire of self-preservation. Although engulfed by a society that necessitated such combinations as clans and tribes for protection, as well as for social and economic advancement, the nature of the individual led to the development of certain expressed general rights with regard to person and property1. Generally, these unwritten rules governing social and economic interaction recognized the right to defend oneself from injury as well as to enjoy property without outside interference. While sufficient for primitive societies, unwritten rules of social control were ineffective in a rapidly developing society. So, an effort was made to clarify them so that all the peop le would know their definitions, limits, and applications. After reading Fuller’s Speluncean Explorers fictional case and seeing the conflict... ...een the poor and rich, the weak and the strong. To fight poverty the state should spend more money on education, employment, and child welfare. The state must give the individual his rightful place of dignity as a free man equal to all his fellow men where he shall have the right to live under a rule of law based on a sense of obligation. In that society, respect for law must be the cohesive force holding it together and not mere obedience based on surrender to the weapons of state power. Bibliography: Fuller, Lon L. The Law as Literature. Wofford Press, Toronto. 1978. Swift, Jonatham. The Complete Works. Oxford Univesity Press, New York, 1987. Smith, Alexander B. Crime and Justice in a Mass Society. Xerox College Publication, Massachusetts, 1972. Waldron, Ronald J. The Criminal Justice System: an introduction. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1976.

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 16

A fighter knows instinctively when there's no chance. But Rashel planned to fight anyway. And then she noticed something wrong. The vampires should have caught it first. Then-senses were sharper. But their senses were turned inward, focused on the victims in front of them. Rashel was the only one whose senses were turned outward, alert to everything but focused on nothing. There was a smell that was wrong and a sound. The smell was sharp, stinging, and close by. The sound was soft, distant, but recognizable. Gasoline. She could smell gasoline. And she could hear a faint dull roar that sounded like the fireplace in the gathering room-but was coming from somewhere else in the house. It didn't make sense. She didn't understand. But she believed it. â€Å"Quinn, get ready to run,† she said, a gasp on a soft breath. Something was about to happen. No, we have to fight- His thought to her broke off. Rashel turned to look at the doorway. Hunter Redfern had moved into the gathering room-but there was someone in the hall. Then the someone stepped forward and Rashel could see her face. Nyala was smiling brilliantly. Her small queenly head was high and her dark eyes were flashing. She was holding a red gasoline can in one hand and a liter of grapefruit juice in the other. The bottle was almost full of liquid and had a burning rag stuffed in the top. Gas. Gas from the pump on the wharf, Rashel thought. A Generation-X Molotov cocktail. â€Å"It's all over the house,† Nyala said, and her voice was lilting. â€Å"Gallons and gallons. All over the rooms and the doors.† But she shouldn't be hanging on to it, Rashel thought. That bottle is going to explode. â€Å"You see, I am a real vampire hunter, Rashel. I figure this way, we get rid of them all at once.† And the house is already burning†¦. Behind the carved screen on the right side of the room, ruddy light was flickering, growing. The faint roar that had disturbed Rashel was louder now. Closer. And everything's wood, Rashel thought. Wood paneling, wood floors. Frame house. A deathtrap for vampires. â€Å"Get her,† Hunter Redfern said. But none of the vampires charged toward Nyala with her about-to-explode bottle of death and her can of fire accelerant. In fact, they were backing away, moving to the perimeter of the room. Hunter spun to face Nyala directly. You need to put that down, he began in telepathic tones of absolute authority-at the same time Rashel shouted, â€Å"Nyala, no-â€Å" The sound of telepathy seemed to set something off in Nyala. Flashing a dazzling savage smile, she smashed the grapefruit juice bottle at his feet. With almost the same motion, she threw the gasoline can, too. It was flying in a graceful arc toward the fireplace, spinning, spilling liquid, and vampires were scattering to try to get out of the way. And then everything was exploding-or maybe erupting was a better word. It was as if a dragon had breathed suddenly into the room, sending a roaring gale of fire through it. But Rashel didn't have time to watch-she and Quinn were both diving. Quinn was diving for the floor past Nyala, trying to drag Rashel with him. Rashel was diving for Timmy. She didn't know why. She didn't think about it consciously. She simply had to do it. She hit Timmy with the entire force of her body and knocked him to the floor. She covered him as the fire erupted behind her. Then she scrambled to her knees, her arm locked around his chest. Everything was noise and heat and confusion. Vampires were yelling at each other, running, shoving each other. The ones who'd been splattered with gas were on fire, trying to put it out, getting in one another's way. â€Å"Come on!† Quinn said, pulling Rashel up. â€Å"I know a way outside.† Rashel looked for Nyala. She didn't see her. As Quinn dragged her into the hall, she saw dark smoke come billowing from the dining-room area. The hall was bathed in reddish light. â€Å"Come on!† Quinn was pulling her across the hall, through the smoke. Into a room that was full of orange flames. â€Å"Quinn-â€Å" Timmy was kicking and struggling in Rashel's arms. Yelling at her. She kept her grip on him. And she went with Quinn. She had to trust him. He knew the house. She hadn't realized how frightening fire was, though. It was like a beast with hot shriveling breath. It seemed alive and it seemed to want to get her, roaring out at her from unexpected places. And it spread so fast. Rashel would never have believed it could move so quickly through a house, even a house soaked with gasoline. In a matter of minutes the building had become an inferno. Everywhere she looked, there was fire, smoke, and a horrifying reflection of flames. They were on the other side of the room now, and Quinn was kicking at a door. His sleeve was on fire. Rashel twisted her hand out of his and beat at it to put it out. She almost lost hold of Timmy. Then the door was swinging outward and cool air was rushing in and the fire was roaring like a crazy thing to meet it. She was simply running, in panic, her only thought to hold on to Timmy and to stay with Quinn. They were out. But she smelled burning. And now Quinn was grabbing her, rolling her over and over on the sandy unpaved road. Rashel realized, dimly, that her clothes were on fire in back. Quinn stopped rolling her. Rashel sat up, tried to glance at her own back, then looked for Timmy. He was crouched on the road, staring at the house. Rashel could see flames coming out of the windows. Smoke was pouring upward and everything seemed as bright as daylight beneath it. â€Å"Are you all right?† Quinn said urgently. He was looking her over. Rashel's whole body was washed with adrenaline and her heart was pounding insanely. But she couldn't take her eyes off the house. She stumbled to her feet. â€Å"Nyala's in there! I have to get her.† Quinn looked at her as if she were raving. Rashel just shook her head and started helplessly toward the house. She didn't want to go anywhere near it. She knew the fire wanted her dead. But she couldn't leave Nyala in there to burn. Then Quinn was shoving her roughly back. â€Å"You stay here. I'll get her.† â€Å"No! I have to-â€Å" â€Å"You have to watch Timmy! Look, he's getting away!† Rashel whirled. She didn't have any clear idea of where Timmy might be getting away to-but he was on his feet and moving. Toward the house, then away from it. She grabbed for him again. When she turned back toward Quinn, Quinn was gone. No-there he was, darting into the house. Timmy was screaming again, kicking in her arms. â€Å"I hate you!† he shouted. â€Å"Let go of me! Why did you take me out?† Rashel stared at the house. Quinn was inside now. In that holocaust of flame. And he'd gone because of her, to save her from going herself. Please, she thought suddenly and distinctly. Please don't let him die. The flames were roaring higher. The night was brilliant with them. Fire was raining in little burning bits from the sky, and Rashel's nose and eyes stung. She knew she should get farther back, but she couldn't. She had to watch for Quinn. â€Å"Why? I hate you! Why did you take me out?† Rashel looked at the strange little creature in her arms, the one that was biting and kicking as if it wanted to go back into the burning house. She didn't know what Timmy had become-some weird combination of child, adult, and animal, apparently. And she didn't know what kind of future he could possibly have. But she did know, now, why she'd brought him out. She looked at the childish face, the angry eyes full of hate. â€Å"Because my mom told me to take care of you,† she whispered. And then she was crying. She was holding him and sobbing. Timmy didn't try to hold her back, but he didn't bite her anymore either. Still sobbing, Rashel looked over his head toward the house. Everything was burning. And Quinn was still inside†¦. Then she saw a figure silhouetted against the flames. Two figures. One holding the other, half carrying it. â€Å"Quinn!† He was running toward her, supporting Nyala. They were both covered with soot. Nyala was swaying, laughing, her eyes huge and distant. Rashel threw her arms around both of them. The relief that washed over her was almost more painful than the fear. Her legs literally felt as if they had no bones-she was going to collapse at any second. She was tottering. â€Å"You're alive,† she whispered into Quinn's charred collar. â€Å"And you got her.† She could feel Quinn's arm around her, holding hard. Nothing else seemed to matter. But now Quinn was taking his arm away, pushing her along the road. â€Å"Come on! We've got to get to the wharf before they do.† In a flash, Rashel understood. She got a new grip on Timmy and turned to run toward the hiking path. Her knees were shaking, but she found she could make them move. They lurched down the path in the wild grass, Quinn supporting Nyala, she carrying Timmy. Rashel didn't know how many vampires had made it out of the burning house-she hadn't seen any- but she knew that any who did would head for the dock. Where she and Annelise had disabled the boats. But as the wharf came into view, Rashel saw something that hadn't been there when she left it. There was a yacht in the harbor, swinging at anchor. â€Å"It's Hunter's,† Quinn said. â€Å"Hurry!† They were flying down the hill, staggering onto the wharf. Rashel saw no sign of the werewolf she'd tied up earlier, but she saw something else new. An inflatable red dinghy was tied to the pier. â€Å"Quick! You get in first.† Rashel put Timmy down and got in. Quinn lifted Timmy into her arms, then put Nyala in. Nyala was staring around her now, laughing in spurts, then stopping to breathe hard. Rashel put her free arm around her as Quinn climbed in the dinghy. Every second, Rashel was expecting to see Hunter Redfern appear, blackened and smoldering, with his arms outstretched like some vengeful demon. And then the tiny motor was purring and they were moving away from the wharf. They were leaving it behind. They were on the ocean, the cool dark ocean, freeing themselves from land and danger. Rashel watched as the yacht got bigger and bigger. They were close to it now. They were there. â€Å"Come on. We can climb up the swimming ladder. Come on, fast,† Quinn said. He was reaching for her, his face unfamiliar in a mask of soot, his eyes intense. Absolutely focused, absolutely determined. Thank God he knows what to do on a boat. I wouldn't. She let Quinn help her up the ladder, then helped Timmy and Nyala. Nyala had stopped laughing entirely now. She was simply gasping, looking bewildered. â€Å"What happened? What-?† She stared toward the cliffs where orange flame was shooting into the sky. â€Å"I did that. Did I do that?† Quinn had pulled up the anchor. He was heading for the cockpit. Timmy was crying. Kneeling on the deck, Rashel held Nyala. Nyala's eyelashes were burned to crisp curls. There was white ash on the ends. Her mouth was trembling and her body shook as if she were having convulsions. â€Å"I had to do it,† she got out in a thick voice. â€Å"You know I had to, Rashel.† Timmy sobbed on. A motor roared to life. All at once they were moving swiftly and the island with its burning torch was falling behind. â€Å"I had to,† Nyala said in a choked voice. â€Å"I had to. I had to.† Rashel leaned to rest her head on Nyala's hair. Wind was whipping around her as they raced away. She held the tiny vampire in one arm and the trembling human girl in the other. And she watched the fire get smaller and smaller until it looked like a star on the ocean.

Essay plan Debussy

Brief outline of the methodology you intend to employ and an overview of the works oh intend to centre on: close with a ‘hooking sentence' which links to the opening paragraph of the mall body of your essay; these linking sentences should be provided throughout to give cohesion to your essay Section 2: (Debussy) Introduction to Debussy. Briefly discuss details IEEE; when, where born. Brief overview of other notable works prior to Prelude Other composers of similar style perhaps whom inspired Debussy His Freshness in context and relation to musicSection 3: (Prelude) What was Debussy inspiration for Prelude Mallard (poet music based on) Symbolism The thought process behind Prelude Section 4: (What made Debussy prelude such an important piece of work for the time) The flute motif itself, tonality and development or lack off Orchestration and how this was unique for the time (Instruments, doubling of flute part etc†¦ ) Tonality Direct association with the text reflected in mus ic The Golden sectionSection 5: How Debussy was at the forefront of Modernist music What elements of his musical Ideas were so unique and ‘Advanced' for the time How were other composers of the time Influenced by Debussy and In particular by the prelude Itself How did Debussy use of tonality, structure and orchestration develop after prelude In other composers works How did they develop In Debussy other works Section.

Led Zepplin essays

Led Zepplin essays Led Zeppelin The band Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest hard rock groups of all time. The band also has one of the best success stories in the history hard rock music. Led Zeppelins success in hard rock was achieved in the seventies and they even had a few hits in the late sixties. The musicians in Led Zeppelin are Jimmy Page: Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham.. All of the band members were in it from the beginning, and it stayed that way until the end. After the band started receiving more recognition from their fans they got their first chance to tour as a headliners. Led Zeppelin played their fifth tour by March of 1970. Led Zeppelin released their first record with Atlantic Records in 1969. In no time the record had risen to number eight on the billboard top twenty. The album stayed in the top twenty for six weeks after it hit the charts. When the bands second album, Led Zeppelin II, was released, it was praised by Atlantic Records as the fastest selling record i n history. Led Zeppelin II sold upwards of 100,000 copies a week. In 1975 when Physical Graffiti was released the album was selling 500 copies an hour breaking there own previously held record. All of the band albums have gone platinum. Led Zeppelin was the first group to heavily tour the United States and the band occasionally toured the rest of the world. This happened because the band did not have the same following in Britain as previous rock bands. Their success was due to their genius manager Peter Grant. Peter kept the group moving all the time and in hand the peoples interest in the band never faded. Peter realized that if he could have Led Zeppelin tour every other year they would stay in demand, and this way the population would not grow board with the band as quickly. ...

How to Spot the Scorpius Constellation

How to Spot the Scorpius Constellation The Scorpius constellation glitters against the backdrop of the Milky Way. It has a curvy S-shaped body ending in a set of claws at the head and a pair of stinger stars at the tail. Both northern and southern hemisphere stargazers can see it, although it will look upside down when observed from below the equator. Finding Scorpius Constellation Northern hemisphere summer skies, looking south. Carolyn Collins Petersen In the northern hemisphere, Scorpius is most visible by looking to the south during July and August around 10:00 PM. The constellation remains visible until mid-September. In the southern hemisphere, Scorpio appears very high in the northern part of the sky until close to the end of September. Scorpius has a distinctive shape and thus is fairly easy to spot. Simply look for an S-shaped pattern of stars between the constellations Libra (the scales) and Sagittarius, and below another constellation called Ophiuchus.   History of Scorpius Scorpius has long been recognized as a constellation. Its roots in mythology stretch back to the ancient Babylonians and Chinese, as well as Hindu astrologers and Polynesian navigators. The Greeks associated it with the constellation Orion, and today we often hear the tale of how both constellations are never seen together in the sky. Thats because, in the ancient legends, the scorpion stung Orion, killing him. Keen observers will notice that Orion sets in the east as the scorpion rises, and the two will never  meet.  Ã‚   The Stars of the Scorpius Constellation The official IAU constellation of Scorpius shows the boundaries of the entire region that contains the S-shaped pattern of the scorpion. IAU/Sky Publishing At least 18 bright stars make up the curving body of the starry scorpion. The larger region of Scorpius is defined by the I boundaries set by the International Astronomical Union. These were made by international agreement and allow astronomers to use common references for stars and other objects in all areas of the sky. Within that region, Scorpius has dozens of stars that can be seen with the naked eye, and part of it lies against the backdrop of the Milky Way with its countless stars and clusters.   Each star in Scorpius has a Greek letter next to it in the official star chart. The alpha (ÃŽ ±) denotes the brightest star, beta (ÃŽ ²) the second-brightest star, and so on. The brightest star in Scorpius is ÃŽ ± Scorpii, with the common name of Antares (meaning the rival of Ares (Mars). Its a red supergiant star and is one of the largest stars we can see in the sky. It lies about 550 light-years away from us. If Antares were part of our solar system, it would encompass the inner solar system out beyond the orbit of Mars. Antares is traditionally thought of as the heart of the scorpion and is easy to spot with the naked eye.   Scorpius (upper right) along with Sagittarius (lower left). Notice how the Milky Way makes a backdrop for the two star patterns. The object marked Sag A* is the location of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy. Carolyn Collins Petersen The second-brightest star in Scorpius is actually a triple-star system. The brightest member is called Graffias (alternatively its also called Acrab) and its official designation is ÃŽ ²1 Scorpii. Its two companions are much fainter but can be seen in telescopes. Down at the tail end of Scorpius lies a pair of stars colloquially known as the stingers. The brighter of the two is called gamma Scorpii, or Shaula. The other stinger is called Lesath.   Deep Sky Objects in Constellation Scorpius A selection of deep-sky objects awaits stargazers who search the skies in Scorpius and Sagittarius. Its a great area of the sky to study with binoculars or small telescopes. Carolyn Collins Petersen   Scorpius is on the plane of the Milky Way. Its stinger stars point roughly toward the center of our galaxy, which means that observers can spot many star clusters and nebulae in the region. Some are visible to the naked eye, while others are best observed with binoculars or telescopes. Due to its location near the heart of the galaxy, Scorpius has a fine collection of globular clusters, marked here by yellow circles with symbols inside them. The easiest cluster to spot is called M4. There are also many open clusters in Scorpius, such as NGC 6281, that can be seen with binoculars or small telescopes. Closeup of M4 Globular clusters are satellites of the Milky Way galaxy. They often contain hundreds, thousands, or sometimes millions of stars, all tightly bound together by gravity. M4 orbits the core of the Milky Way and lies about 7,200 light-years away from the Sun. It has around 100,000 ancient stars more than 12 billion years old. This means they were born when the universe was quite young and existed before the Milky Galaxy was formed. Astronomers study these clusters, and in particular, the metal content of their stars to understand more about them.   The globular cluster Messier 4 (M4) lies not too far from the bright star Antares in Scorpius. Carolyn Collins Petersen   For amateur observers, M4 is easy to spot, not far from Antares. From a good dark-sky sight, its just bright enough to be picked out with the naked eye. However, its much easier to observe through binoculars. A good backyard-type telescope will show a very nice view of the cluster.

Decisions in Paradise- Part I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decisions in Paradise- Part I - Essay Example This paper discusses the business environment in Kava by analyzing the issues, problems, stakeholders, and environmental factors. Kava has a topography and geographic location that makes it susceptible to natural disasters such as tidal waves, tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, floods, fires, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes (Decisions in Paradise: How to Be, or Not to Be, 2009). There are other issues in Kava. The population is at high risk for Avian Flu and the population faces an HIV / AIDS epidemic. The island is susceptible to petroleum skills is an undesirable business risk due to the potential ecological of the entire island. The region is has a high risk for both domestic and foreign terrorist attacks. The costs of importing raw materials into the island are high due to the use of maritime transportation expenses. From a business perspective expand in Kava requires a lot of planning. The company has to invest a lot of money to expand its presence in Kava. Based on the fact that Alex had to perform two jobs which included the receptionist position is an indicator that in the past the company has been reluctant to invest thousands of dollars in Kava. This project is going to be worth millions, thus the firm has to be prepared for a large capital investment commitment. The economy of Kava is struggling. If the company hires locals it should include a medical plan as a fringe benefit. Due to proliferation of infectious diseases and HIV / AIDS the corporate medical plan premiums are going to be high. Also over 50% of the population is below 15 years of age, thus they are ineligible for work. The corporation has plans to expand its operation in Kava. The problem is that Kava has one of the highest overall risks in the world for natural disasters. It also has many environmental, health, and social issues. The firm is receiving political pressure to