Undergraduate College Essay free essay sample

Eyes shut. Deep breaths. Eyes open. It is the first day of freshman year. I switched to an Islamic boarding school during eighth grade, and now I am back to public school. Its time to reintroduce myself to the same people I knew just a year ago. The rush of emotions going through my head wondering what my old friends will say and if anyone will even remember me. I havent spoken to anyone yet. I dont even bother going to my locker; I head straight to first period, Honors English 1. Looks like I happen to have classmates I know from before. To my surprise, they all look past whats on my head, and talk to me. Class began with the typical â€Å"first day† routine where teachers explain rules and assign seats. Suddenly the bell rings, and the excited, yet nervous freshmen all jolt towards the door with me following close behind. We will write a custom essay sample on Undergraduate College Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As the day continues with the repetition of first period, I finally get back on the bus to get home. I find an empty seat and start to get comfortable for the 40 minute bus ride home. While I was busy untangling my earphones, I felt my bag move closer to me. I look up and recognize an old friend. We begin a casual conversation about our first days, but I can see her glancing at my hijab every few seconds. For the first time, I explain the new me. â€Å"Youre probably wondering whats up with the thing on my head.† She stares back at me with solemn curiosity, â€Å"I didnt know if I should mention it.† â€Å"Its called a hijab,† pointing towards my scarf, â€Å"Its a Muslim head covering, which is part of my religion. It represents modesty, so people won’t judge me by my appearance, but they’ll like me for my personality and character.† She looks at me with astonishment and replies, â€Å"Its different, but I like it!† Here I am today as a junior and as an early graduate. I proudly wear my hijab, as it is a symbol of my faith. The challenges and struggles that I endured trying to maintain my principles, as well as assimilate to American society, have shapedme to become who I am today. My hijab has given me self-respect and has allowed me to value myself as a young woman. I have developed a sense of understanding for others traits which make them unique. Not all reactions were as comforting as the one my friend gave me, but I will always have that moment to cherish and remember. My hair may be covered, but my mind is wide open.

Performance Appraisal case study Essays

Performance Appraisal case study Essays Performance Appraisal case study Paper Performance Appraisal case study Paper The second option is to follow through with promoting Jose Luis, but to find a position with increased responsibilities and salary for Juan. The implications are as follows: Juan could be promoted into a Senior Salesperson role; a supervisory role or even be considered for a promotion at another site. This may serve to placate him. There are a few reasons that this alternative isnt the best option. First, positions shouldnt be created simply to keep employees happy. The organization needs to create and fill positions based on strategic objectives. Second, if the performance appraisal that was carried out was accurate, he shouldnt be moving up simply because of his tenure with the company. The third option is to rescind the job offer and to carry out a proper selection process including the two incumbents as well as any other internal or external incumbents. The implications are as follows: The company should seek legal advice and be prepared in case Jose Luis wishes to seek legal action. Although employment contract as generally considered at will whereby it can be terminated at any time, the company should still be well prepared. Although its not good practice to do this, its not entirely unusual when either a company find out new and relevant information about a candidate or when the company strategy changes. In this case, the new information was that there was less information about the candidate than previously thought. A senior level staff such as the Director of HR should speak with Jose Luis as quickly as possible to inform him of the error caused by the HR Manager. He should be informed that his performance is well recognized, but that the company has an obligation to everyone involved to ensure the hiring process is done correctly. If he is indeed the best person for the job the company will soon discover this. The job should then either be posted on a suitable employment website to gather candidates or, more preferably due to time pressures, be sent to a recruiter who may have candidates on hand. In this case, the interviewing can take place within one weeks time and a decision could be made within two weeks. The interviews should be well prepared. There should be at minimum two people present including the Director of Sales and a competent HR person (we would like to leave the current HR Manager out. This will be discussed later. ) The interview questions should be valid. In conjunction with the interview, employee track record (not including the performance appraisals which were uncertain) and seniority with the company, a decision should be made in a fair and equitable manner. Decision should be privately discussed with each internal candidate. He should be disciplined and retrained. Given how pivotal knowledge of hiring and performance management is for an HR professional, the company should evaluate whether or not the incumbent is the right person for the job. Terminating employment may need to be considered. The Director should assess the other responsibilities of the HR Manager. The best option although it will be a difficult one, is to take the fourth option, to rescind the offer and to conduct a fair and ethical hiring process for the position deciding between the two internal candidates. Although it may not send the best message about the company to rescind an offer, it is clear that the process was not done properly. The decision to hire internally is simply because it seems as though the company will be capable of finding a qualified manager between Juan and Jose Luis. If not, external candidates can be considered, but this doesnt seem to be a likely scenario.

Teaching Exceptional Children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Teaching Exceptional Children - Research Paper Example The concept of ‘exceptional children’ refers to children who exhibit exceptional qualities which are drastically different, in any way, from that of regular children in the same age group. Such children are either far below or above average and hence, the type of education provided to them, must be different than what is provided to regular children. It is only through the right approach to education, that the learning abilities / disabilities of such children can be dealt with in an appropriate manner. The term exceptional children refer to those children whose physical attributes or learning abilities differ greatly from regular children. It includes children who have learning disabilities as well as those with exceptionally developed learning abilities; children with physical impairment; behavioral problems; as well as children who are intellectually gifted and talented (Education.com, 2010). The learning styles of such children, hence is drastically different from regular children. The notion of ‘one size fits all’ does not hold any relevance, especially in the field of education, since the level of knowledge of every child depends on various factors such as: Children when enrolled in school differ in terms of knowledge they possess. Certain children come with very little knowledge and / or support from their parents while others come with a level of knowledge which far exceeds their age and experience (Tomlinson, 1999). According to Caine & Caine (1990) there can be a difference of up to five years, in terms of maturation between ‘average’ children. Such gap is even wider in case of children with exceptional learning needs. The deprivation of exceptional children from a healthy environment causes an adverse impact on the development of their mental and cognitive abilities such as the ability to memorize, focus, concentration, discrimination etc. among others. The manner in which we think and

International entrepreneurship -2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International entrepreneurship -2 - Essay Example Until the 21st century, there were a number of international entrepreneurs who have developed great products that are currently used by people across the world. This paper will however focus on the activities and the birth of mobile and electronic giant Apple Inc. the birth and growth of Apple will be critically analyzed with a bias towards its strategies, international market shares, growth trends and the potential. The entrepreneurial spirits of the founders who coined and pursued the idea to the end will also be evaluated in order to develop an idea on the challenges and strengths that the company possesses. Introduction The purpose of this report is to provide an in-depth analysis of a company that is considered as a perfect example of an international entrepreneurship project. Apple Inc, a company based in California United States will be studied with an aim of getting insights into the company’s profile and practices. In doing this, the report will review the motivations and the reasons for starting the business. The personal profiles of the founders, educational backgrounds, family information and financial abilities will also be evaluated. The market share and capitalization of the company will also provide great information of the company’s growth progress and abilities as compared to other market players and competitors (Beech and Jiang, 2012). Profile of firm Ref Description Response 1.1 Company age Apple Inc is today 36 years old, having been established in 1977 by three young entrepreneurs. It’s based in Cupertino, California (Beech and Jiang, 2012) 1. 3size (no of employees/sales turnover) Today, Apple Inc has over 72,800 employees in worldwide working in their laboratories, retail stores and operating their online stores (Apple, 2013). The company’s Market capitalization is $416.46 billion in 2013, a value which has shown significant improvement when compared with the previous financial year (Linzmayer, 2009). It also had a Total sales of $164.46 billion in 2013, a value that improved if compare with the previous years (Beech and Jiang, 2012). 1.4 Industry sector Apple Inc operates under Computer, information technology and mobile telephony industry and is today operating in the entertainment sector through its online music stores (Lashinsky, 2012). Main offerings The products offered by apple Inc include Computer hardware such as mackintosh computers, apple computers (Martin, 2011). The company also markets Computer software such as iMac iOS operating system, iCloud Mobile devices such as Apple Smartphone, iPhone Audio digital devices such as iPad, digital audio and music stores. 1.4 Main domestic/international market Domestic market include United states of America International market include Europe, Asia especially China, South American countries and Africa. 1.5 If international, no. of markets percentage of sales as exports The total percentage exports to china during the financial year 2012 were 5%. Europe constitutes the major percentage of apple’s international exports at 14% in 2012 (Martin, 2011). Demographic profile of entrepreneur Ref Description Response 2.1 Age, gender, education, marital status Steve jobs remains the main entrepreneur and brainchild behind the apple we see and know today He Started the business while 22 years old. Steve went to reed college but dropped out before completion. He was a Zen Buddhist believer and was married to Laurene Powell and

EFFECTIVENESS ON TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Essay Example for Free

EFFECTIVENESS ON TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Essay This survey will be kept entirely confidential and is designed to solicit honest and candid feedback that will be used as a baseline for further and on-going work that will be done to improve overall organisational climate. Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for taking part in this study. I am a MBA student in conducting analysis study on Training and Development in this organization. The basic purpose of this study is to identify effectiveness of the training and development imparted by you and its results in the performance of the employees. Kindly take some of your valuable time to fill out the questionnaire. Thank you for your valuable time. PERSONAL DETAILS Name : Gender: Q1) Does your company organises a training and development programme? Yes No Q2) Does your organisation identify the training needs for employees? Yes No Q3) How often training programmes organised in your company? Quarterly Half yearly Annually Every 2 years Q4) How well do you participate in various training programmes being conducted in organisation? Highly Fairly well Not always Q5) Training programmes help to improve the performance of employees and productivity of organization? Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Q6) Do you agree that your company have well designed training policy? Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Q7) Training programmes helps to increase your motivation? Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Q8) Training programmes improved your confidence towards work? Yes No Q9) Do you think training programmes are helpful to you in gaining new idea? Yes No Q10) Who in your opinion should give training? Expert from outside Internal faculty Personal department Supervisors Q11) Training helps to reduce stress at work? Yes No Q12) Is there any emphasis given on development of leadership skills through training programmes? Yes always Sometimes Not always Q13) Does the training programmes help you in good decision making at your jobs? Yes No Q14) In your opinion which method of training is useful for your organisation? On the job training Off the job training Q15) How did the training programmes benefit you during your service? Appreciation from superiors Improvement in work Quality enhancement Improvement in attitude Q16) Are you always motivated and looking forward for new training programmes after each programme? Yes always Sometimes Not always Q17) On the whole how will you rate the training programme being conducted in your organisation? Very good Good Satisfactory Poor Very poor Q18) Does the present system of training need any modification? If yes what are the suggestions to make future training programmes more effective?

Abnormal Psychology Essay example -- Cultural Differences, Mental Heal

The field of abnormal psychology engages with the obscure line between normal and abnormal behaviour. This blur is as a result of the dissonance that occurs when the two terms are defined for example, when cultural perspectives are taken into consideration-where behaviour (for example sake, experiencing hallucinations) considered deviant in one population is normalcy in another. In attempt to make the field comprehensive a middle ground was determined by drawing on the common elements or patterns of â€Å"peculiar† conditions, and converging them to ascertain this definition of abnormality: behavioural, psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are atypical and unexpected in their cultural context and associated with personal distress and impairment in functioning, or increased risk of suffering, death, or pain (Barlow & Durand, 2012). In brief, this is an applied field, interested in identifying and treating individuals whose symptoms trouble them and in many cases those around them, leading to difficulties in everyday functioning. This essay aims to discuss and apply the knowledge base of abnormal psychology to the plight of Regina; her case offers a template for which to problematize the aforementioned statement about the definition of abnormality, concomitantly determine the factors that have brought about her ailment and, finally, deduce the course of action to take in an attempt to alleviate her symptoms to retain and maintain stability. Keeping in mind the real-life problems faced by Regina, one shall critically interrogate each criterion for abnormal behaviour-psychological dysfunction, personal distress and impairment in functioning that is not typical or culturally expected-and map these on to the surface characterist... ...onships between stressful life events and the onset of major depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 837-541. Maj, M. (2008). Delusions in major depressive disorder: Recommendations for the dsm-v. Psychopathology, 41, 1-3. doi:10.1159/00010994 Myers, D. G. (2010). Social psychology (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill . Solomon, D. A., Leon, A. C., Endicott, J., Coryell, W. H., Li, C., Fiedorowicz, J. G., & Keller, M. B. (2009). Empirical typology of bipolar I mood episodes. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 195, 525-530. Retrieved March 02, 2012, from http://bjp.rcpsych.org Swartz, L., de la Rey, C., Duncan, N., & Townsend, L. (2008). Psychology: An introduction (2nd ed.). Cape Town, Southern Africa: Oxford University Press.

Political Philosophy and Machiavelli Essay

â€Å"And if all men were good, this teaching would not be good; but because they are wicked and do not observe faith with you, you also do not have to observe it with them† (69). Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince is arguably the most famous and controversial political science book of all time. Many think of Machiavelli as synonymous with evil. The father of the idea that the ends will always justify the means, the term Machiavellian has become connected with selfish, brutal, or immoral actions. Machiavelli has long been associated with totalitarianism, conquest, and tyranny. But is this label deserved? Is The Prince a book that expresses evil? Many argue that Machiavelli is not a teacher of evil, but bases his teachings on a pragmatic realism that has long been a part of politics. He would certainly not be the first to have such a view, and he is certainly not the last. In promoting his realistic view of power and politics, Machiavelli does not teach evil, instead, he uses necessity and practicality as the criteria in which his thought is based on. In this way we see that he does not put the matter of good or evil as a priority in his actions, but uses practical methods to make his choice in each instance as to what is necessary and beneficial. Through the exploration of the basis for Machiavelli’s treatment of ethics and his agenda for writing The Prince we see that his teachings are not evil, but based on political pragmatism and necessity. He himself makes it clear as he advises the Prince on how to be able to do what is necessary whether it is good or evil. â€Å"And so he needs to have a spirit to change as the winds of fortune and variations of things commanded him, and as I said above, not depart from good, when possible, but know how to enter into evil, when forced by necessity † (70). Machiavelli treats morality and prudence not as guides for a Prince, but as tools to use for political gain. In this way we see that Machiavelli is not preaching evil, which would be to encourage the opposite of virtue and morality, but to use them in different ways depending on the situation. Virtue is a key concept when discussing moral living and actions, and vice is the opposite of virtue. The concepts of virtue and vice are age-old ideas ingrained within human society. But the traditional view of virtue and vice, laid out by such thinkers as Aristotle and Plato, is changed to fit the pursuit of power in Machiavellian’s The Prince. Classic virtue comes from a criterion based on just and beneficial interaction, while pursuing an end, within a civil society. This interaction can involve the impact of an individual on another individual, a citizen and a state, or even an impact an individual has upon himself. Thus a man who sacrifices his life to save his friend, city, or beliefs is thought of as virtuous. On the other hand the reciprocal of this action would be vice, a man who sacrifices his friend, city or beliefs to preserve his life may be viewed as possessing a vice. Virtue finds its anchor in morality and ethics, and upholds that, it is focused on preserving qualities like justice and harmony. The change in the Machiavellian code of morality comes as a result as result of an entire shift in what the foundation of this morality is built on, namely the ends being pursued. The Machiavellian concept of virtue not only divorces virtue completely from its ethical foundation, but places it on a foundation of ability to execute what is necessary in order to achieve what is desired. In this case what is desired is power, which is to be strictly maintained and used to achieve glorious ends, whatever they may be. From this foundation of the pursuit and maintenance of power comes the Machiavellian outlook on everything else, and is the reason in which he is able to separate ethics from politics. Morality in its classical sense would only serve to get in the way of power and prudence; it creates unnecessary dilemmas between what is politically necessary and morally correct, interfering with being a wise ruler. Therefore the Prince must take the necessary actions regardless of their moral ramifications. â€Å"? [If] one considers everything well, one will find something that appears to be virtue, which if pursued would be one’s ruin, and something else appears to be vice, which if pursued results in one’s security and well-being† (62). Machiavelli removes the foundation of prudence and virtue from morality, and reinterprets them in regards to necessity and power. Correct policy within The Prince is based on the Machiavellian conception of virtue and prudence. Stemming from this, Machiavelli at times refers to virtue and prudence in their classical definitions, pertaining to high morality, and just actions. But at other times in The Prince, he refers to them as directly pertaining to the proper execution of power. For example he often compares a ruler’s success, not morality, with virtue. No matter how brutal the ruler, if he is able to hold power well then he is virtuous. Prudence is thought of as being careful, observant and logical in the classical sense. But Machiavelli uses it to describe a ruler who is very sharp, decisive, and makes the correct choices. â€Å"A prudent lord, therefore, cannot observe faith, nor should he, when such observance turns against him, and causes that made him promise have been eliminated† (69). It therefore would be prudent for a ruler to massacre a rebellion, if it meant the ultimate preservation of power. In this case necessity calls for action, even if those actions go against classical morality. A ruler, who has correct judgment and knows what is the best course of action, would take the proper measures to stop the rebellion and pay no attention to the morality of his actions. The ends in this case change the conception of the codes in which the means are to be judged by; no longer is the end such universally beneficial ideas of peace and justice, but power and conquest. Virtue and prudence to Machiavelli hold meaning only in the sense of ability and accomplishment. To Machiavelli cunning would be a virtue, as would decisiveness while wielding power. A vice for a ruler would be stupidity, or ignorance of ones own subjects. Something that is virtuous in the classical sense would only be followed if it were deemed compatible with the situation, and did not in anyway undermine the ends being pursued. The Machiavellian view is based on and around a realism seen in politics and history, and is amoral. The entire intent of the book was to write a pragmatic and realistic approach to dealing with power, not a lesson in high virtue and morality. He states, â€Å"But since my intent is to write something useful to whoever understands it, it has appeared to me more fitting to go directly to the effectual truth of the thing than to the imagination of it† (61). He finds that necessity is what guides most actions. â€Å"? [Because] men will always turn out bad for you unless they have been made good by a necessity†(95). A military training manual written on the best way to execute killing would not go into a debate on whether or not killing is right or wrong. The manual would be almost amoral and not go into the debate, those who have already settled that debate in their minds would read it, and the same follows for The Prince. One should not associate the teachings of The Prince as something that Machiavelli himself feels is moral, just and proper, but rather what history has shown to be the ideal and efficient way to handle power. Survivor in the political world creates certain necessities, and forces individuals to undertake certain actions in order to ensure success. â€Å"? [for] it is so far from how one lives to how one should live that he who lets go of what is done for what should be done learns his ruin rather than his preservation† (61). The purpose of The Prince is not a guide to being a moral Prince, but how to abide by necessity and pragmatism. Just as a purpose of the war manual would not be the ethics of killing. The manual would not debate war as a just or unjust means to an end, but instead would accept it as reality, and try to approach it with the same harsh reality. In fact the entire purpose of The Prince was to serve as a guide to restore Italy to greatness, a path that can only be achieved by power. He uses examples from throughout history of rulers who acted successfully when faced with a situation, drawing from these examples he shows the correct actions that a Prince should follow. There is no room for being a virtuous and honest ruler, as it will be at odds with the reality of political life. Because he uses realistic examples from history, we see his true pragmatic nature; his ultimate goal is the achievement of his ends, not the correct actions. Machiavelli uses the actions of past rulers whether or not they are just, as long as they prove successful for the ends being pursued. Machiavelli himself states that he has taken a realist approach, and outlines the reason as to why he has taken this approach, as being necessary and efficient. If one were to examine the way in which Machiavelli looks towards allowing freedom towards his subjects, or the treatment of honesty toward his subjects, one would conclude that Machiavelli himself was not in favor of these things. It would be a mistake to reach this conclusion, it is not so much that he is against freedom or truth, but he realizes that these things will damage and undermine ones power – the goal and focus of The Prince. â€Å"For a man who wants to make a profession of good in all regards must come to ruin among so many who are not good† (61). Machiavelli is not favoring things that we would view as brutality, deception and in many cases evil; instead he is using them as tools in an act to obtain what he desires. Machiavelli spends much time on the behavior that a Prince should follow in order to be successful. Although Machiavelli goes through many different traits and practices a ruler should follow, the two that he deems very necessary are to be loved and to be feared. Machiavelli stresses that a ruler should seek to be loved, but above all make sure that he is not hated, because if he is hated it will ultimately be his undoing. This follows the Machiavellian line of pragmatism and necessity; it is not motivated by a lust for evil or deceit, but is something that many people who are appalled by his amorality would agree with. If Machiavelli were a teacher of evil he would never make such a statement. A leader who is feared will ultimately deter any action against him by his ability to control the actions of the people with his fear. . Morality will only serve to hamper a prince’s abilities. â€Å"This has to be understood: that a prince, especially a new prince, cannot observe all those things for which a men are held good, since he is often under a necessity, to maintain his state, of acting against faith, against charity, against humanity, against religion. And so he needs to have a spirit disposed to change as the winds of fortune an variations of things command him? † (70). The most efficient way to deal with a problem is usually not the moral way, and Machiavelli time and time again points to this as the reason in which he chooses the path he does. His book is not for idealists, and as he states idealists rarely accomplish what they want. His book is for the guidance of a Prince towards power, and the ability to maintain that power. All of these things follow the strict Machiavellian criteria of necessity for power. Whether these things are good or evil in our eyes is not the topic of discussion for Machiavelli, therefore it does not concern him, what he seeks is the necessary actions to gain and maintain power. â€Å"Hence it is necessary to a prince, if he wants to maintain himself, to learn to be able not to be good, and to use this and not use it according to necessity† (61). This doctrine of pragmatism within The Prince was not invented by Machiavelli, one can look at it as merely an expression of the practical political ideas of his time, and perhaps forever. We see that Machiavelli puts forth an ethics of political convenience. It does not hold to or allow itself to be hampered by morality, virtue, or Christian values, but allows them only when opportune and beneficial. The Prince’s doctrine supports actions including murder, deceit, and betrayal given that the Prince will benefit from it. The ethics found within Machiavelli is entirely based upon a realistic outlook upon the political world and caters to political convenience. To Machiavelli this moral code of convenience and pragmatism is a political necessity. He states that when it is politically necessary to act in accordance with a vice then one must do so in the interest of power. â€Å"And furthermore one should not care about incurring the fame of those vices without which it is difficult to save one’s state? â€Å"(62). He holds that the world will swallow up idealists, and that it is unrealistic to expect someone to exercise morality when dealing with a political situation, or their enemies. Through the exploration of the basis for Machiavelli’s treatment of ethics and his agenda for writing The Prince we see that his teachings are not evil, but based on political pragmatism and necessity. Machiavelli treats morality and prudence not as guides for a Prince, but as tools to use for political gain. By removing the foundation of prudence and virtue from morality, he reinterprets them in regards to necessity and power. The amoral Machiavellian view centers on a realism seen in politics and history. The entire purpose of The Prince is not a guide to being a morally, but a guide to necessity and pragmatism. This doctrine of pragmatism within The Prince was not invented by Machiavelli, but used masterfully by him to craft a powerful instructional book on power. The concept of morality is not attacked or thrown away, but put aside and only referred to or used when necessary. In the real world few will be honest, or moral, so it becomes necessary for one to also set these things aside as it will conflict with ones ends. This is the reality of politics and Machiavelli recognizes this and refers to it many times in the book as the reason to why he chooses the path he does and not out of evil or some wish for deceitful actions. Political reality deems his method necessary, thus it is a realistic and pragmatic way to approach the subject.