Holden’s Transition Into an Adult

There is a moment in every child’s life where he or she realizes that growing up is not as desirable as they once thought. Before this moment they fantasize about not having a bedtime or driving or finally being able to drink. But then they feel the weight of the adult world with its responsibilities and restrictions of a society that doesn’t value the individual and expects its citizens to morph into mature, controllable adults. This is the time parents hate, the time when their children try to rebel or run away to escape their future as adults, but time, alas, cannot be outrun. The adult world expects many things of its inhabitants—a job, a family, taxes, sex, and much more. Unfortunately, most young adults feel as though they will be crushed under this strange new world. Holden Caulfield is no different. When we meet Holden and when we leave him at the end of the novel he is in a mental hospital because of a recent break down. J. D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is Holden’s reflection on the events that led to this mental break down. He is a young adult still trying to hold on to the world of children for as long as he can. The child world is a place with very few things to worry about. It is a place of innocence and a time when anything is possible. The adult world could not be more different. As Holden is starting to see, the world of adults is cold, uncaring, and unfair. When people make the transition from children to adults they change forever—they become what society believes acceptable adults to be. Holden is reluctant to make the transition and conform to the adult world because he believes that in conforming he would lose his innocence and disappear. Holden is reluctant to leave his childhood behind because that would mean conforming to the public opinion of what adults should be. There are very few examples of adults in this novel for Holden to see what an exemplary adult is and does. One of the few adults we meet is Mr. Spencer. Even if Holden doesn’t fully respect Mr. Spencer he does like the man enough to go and see him before leaving Pency Prep. During that visit Mr. Spencer tells Holden that â€Å"life is a game that one plays according to the rules† if they want to survive in this world (Salinger 8). The problem is Holden has no desire to follow anybody’s rules just because some one tells him he has to—there is no reason for Holden to learn faulty and unnecessary rules. Holden believes that life is only a game for the people who are winning. The winners only believe in the rules because they work for them. Holden, according to Mr. Spencer, is not one of the winners because he won’t shut up and do what the adults tell him to do. The thing is, Holden doesn’t fully understand what the rules are because Holden doesn’t truly understand the world of adults. A side effect of this, as Peter Shaw points out, is that Holden is â€Å"most reliable when dealing with the world of children, and less reliable when addressing the adult world† (Shaw 124). Holden doesn’t want to understand the world of adults; he doesn’t ever intend to enter the game so why should he learn the rules? Holden scoffs at the â€Å"phonies† who have succumbed to life’s rules. He only hates these phonies because he is afraid of turning into one himself. All throughout the novel, Holden is reluctant to join the world of adults because he is afraid of changing into something he’s not. Literary critic Alsen agrees by saying that Holden is afraid that he is going to turn into a phony of he is forced to live around them in the near future (Alsen 3). He is out on a date with the queen of phonies Sally Hayes when he reveals how he believes he can escape the adult world. It is then that he shows us how he believes he is going to escape the adult world; he says he’s going to live in a cabin â€Å"with a brook and all† where he would pretend to be a deaf-mute so he wouldn’t have to deal with anybody (Salinger 132). This way, Holden avoids all of the things that would force him to grow up such as a job and relationships with people such as friends and family—in short, society. That, however, wouldn’t solve anything because he knows deep down that would never happen. Sally points out that his plan is not practical. Holden wouldn’t be able to keep himself alive for longer than a week if he just packed up and moved to the wilderness. And he would still need to communicate with adults to get the supplies he wanted even if he did pretend to be a deaf-mute. Sally’s flat out refusal of the plan shows the qualities of a sure thinking adult, and that is why he calls her the queen of phonies—because she’s already acting like an adult. Physiologists say that girls mature faster than boys do so it would make sense that Holden is avoiding the adult world instead or embracing it like Sally. But Holden already knew Sally’s personality from previous encounters. Jane, however, he is not too sure about. Another thing that Holden is afraid might have changed is Jane Gallagher. Throughout the novel Holden is searching for a person to call and almost calls her but time after time he puts it off by saying that he’s â€Å"not in the mood† (Salinger 59). Holden doesn’t want to call Jane and find out that she has changed since the last time they were together. Holden would rather live with a memory of a girl who won’t move the last row of checkers than get to know Jane all over again. Holden doesn’t want to face it, but his world is losing its innocence—Sally, Jane, and even Holden are maturing, even if it is at different rates. Holden is dimly aware that in the process of losing his innocence he is being dragged into the adult world whether he likes it or not. This losing of innocence has been happening gradually over time and it’s impossible to stop mostly because Holden didn’t realize it until it was too late. One point in the novel where Holden becomes aware of this is when he is at Mr. Antolini’s house. Holden believes that Mr. Antolini is â€Å"being perverty† by making a pass at him when he wakes up to find Mr. Antolini stroking his hair. Holden is at a kind of limbo in his life where he is mature enough to know what a sexual pass is but immature enough to not be able to differentiate that from a warm gesture of caring love (Salinger 192). Holden is scared and confused by this; he is actively trying to prevent himself from growing up but the losing of innocence happens with the passage of time and cannot be prevented. The imbalance of maturity and innocence inside of Holden is dangerous and Mr. Antolini can see that; that’s why he tries to help him. But then Holden misreads Mr. Antolini’s intentions and flees his house in an even more desperate state than which he came. Another way his departing innocence is made know to Holden is when he goes to his sister’s school and the history museum after quitting Mr. Antolini’s house. He goes inside his sister’s school—his old school—when he sees the worlds â€Å"Fuck you† on the wall (Salinger 201). After he wipes them off the wall he realize that even if he spent his whole life rubbing Holden’s life where he realizes that evil exists in the world and he can’t get rid of it nor protect people from it. The adult world is a nasty place and no one can change that. Then he goes to the museum and once inside he heads for the mummies’ tombs. These are the final resting places of some ancient and highly respected people—it is supposed to be a place of peace. However, Holden sees another â€Å"Fuck you† sign written there (Salinger 204). This enforces his revelation he had at the school; that there is no escaping the bitterness of the world no matter where he goes. Even though Holden is just realizing these things now, his real changing point is when he saw James Castle lying dead on the ground after his fatal jump. During the talk Holden has with Mr. Antolini we see some parallels drawn between Holden and James Castle. Mr. Antolini says that he can see Holden â€Å"dying nobly [†¦] for a highly unworthy cause,† which is exactly what James Castle did (Salinger 188). James died protecting something he said because he believed it to be true, but his death didn’t change anything. If Holden carries on like he is he’s going the come to the same end James did—suicide. Antolini also lays out a new meaning for maturity that Holden might be able to live with; he says that an immature man is one who dies â€Å"nobly for a cause† rather than a mature man who is willing to â€Å"live humbly for one† (Salinger 188). Holden, however, doesn’t fully understand what Antolini is saying and just assumes that, like everybody else, Mr. Antolini is trying to turn Holden into something that he’s not. Holden can’t envision himself living in the adult worlds and as a result, he feels as though he is fading away, soon to be lost forever. A strong moment where Holden is afraid he is going to disappear I when he is talking a walk in New York. He feels as though once he steps off of the ledge he’s â€Å"never going to get to the other side of the street [and] go down, down, down, and no one would ever see [him] again† (Salinger 197). Whenever this happens he prays to Allie, his strongest link to the world of children, that he won’t disappear. Allie is symbolic or Holden’s childhood because Allie is never going to mature—he’s dead. Also, Allie died when Holden was at a tender young age, â€Å"only thirteen,† which is the time when puberty is supposed to start (Salinger 38). That is part of the reason why Holden misses Allie so much; it’s because Holden’s childhoods disappeared along with Allie. Even the structure of the end of the novel lends evidence to Holden’s predicament. At the end of the novel we don’t know if Holden is going to be ok, or what he is going to become in future years—in short, we don’t know any more than Holden does. Holden’s problem is that he has been trying to change the world to fit him, while everybody else is saying that he needs to shape himself to fit the world. Even though Holden ends up in a mental hospital doesn’t mean he is crazy. Carl Luce, one of Holden’s friends from the many schools he has attended, is the first person in the novel that suggests that Holden gets Psychoanalyzed which, as Trowbridge points out, suggests that the world will not change to Holden’s needs, but that he needs to tune his mind to the world (Trowbridge 25). This is exactly what Holden is afraid of—the whole reason why he is avoiding the adult world is because he wants to stay true to himself. The thing he doesn’t realize is that he can do both. There is a way to adapt to the changing world and still remain Holden Caulfield. We, however, never find out if Holden learns this crucial lesson. We do know that as long as Holden remains in New York he will remain confused about the adult world. Holden is baffled by the world that surrounds him when he is in New York because New York is symbolic of the adult world. As Robert P. Moore points out, the vulgarity of the story comes not from Holden but from his surroundings (Moore 159). Seeing as how Holden spends most of the novel in the adult world, Moore backs up Holden’s belief that the world of adults is a vile place not fit for the innocent. Another thing that enforces that belief is when Holden is in the hotel and he is watching the people on other floors play these weird sex games like the guy and girl spitting water on each other or the man dressing up in women’s clothing. Holden frightened of the adult world because he believes that the adult world destroys the beautiful. This harsh world destroys the beautifully simplistic things in life like a short story about a boy and his goldfish or a perfectly formed snowball. Holden is afraid of his journey from childhood to adulthood because he doesn’t want to conform to society, disappear, or lose his innocence. The problem is, the process has already begun. Holden is becoming more aware of the adult world and he does not like what he sees. Holden is being forced into a cruel world that consumes child after child. So, predictably, Holden is trying to run away from the unpleasantness like any scared and misguided person would. Holden is unaccustomed to dealing with the complexities of adult life, and he therefore tries to cling to the simplistic life of a child, simply because he can’t deal with this strange new world. And Holden is not alone in his feelings of helplessness and melancholy—most every child has felt this way before, at varying degrees. Holden is just has extremely passionate feelings so naturally he feel very strongly about this. Holden believes that the only person he can count on one hundred percent of the time is himself. He doesn’t trust people too easily and is an accomplished liar. So naturally he doesn’t trust the few people who actually try to help him to ease his way into the adult world, like Mr. Antolini. All Holden sees is a bunch of adults trying to squish him into the mold of a mature, respectable adult. Any young adult would be wary of people trying to impose their will onto them—adolescents hate structures that try to stifle their individuality and will do almost anything within their power to actively avoid them. Many people find it strange that children can’t wait to grow up but adults spend an eternity trying to regain their youth, but both the children and the adults want the same thing—freedom to do what they want when they want.

Family and Medical Leave Act (Fmla)

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) What is Family and Medical leave Act (FMLA)? The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that was passed in 1993, is a national policy that grants workers up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave in four situations. These four situations are for pregnancy; to care for an infant, such as newborns, newly-placed foster children, and adoptions; to care for a relative with a serious health condition; or to allow an employee to recover and recuperate from a personal serious health condition. This paper will be discussing the impact of FMLA on employers and the protections provided by this law. Vikesland, 2009) Protections Provided by FMLA The FMLA is covered mainly through private-sector employers and public agencies having more than five employees. Those who are eligible for FMLA, are employees who have been employed for at least one year and have worked over 1,250 hours the previous year. Those who are excluded are employees who are at any worksite when a compan y has fewer than 50 employees that work within 75 miles of the company. The basic forward motion behind this act was in due course to establish a need and assistance to families in the midst of crisis. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published a Final Rule under the Family and Medical Leave Act. This final rule became effective on January 16, 2009, which updates the FMLA regulations to implement new military family leave entitlements enacted under the National Defense Authorization Act for 2008. The Impact of FMLA on Employers The FMLA is controversial even to this day. Employers who support this act argues that as more women who enter the workforce, workers have a legal right to take leave as needed to care for family members who are injured, sick, or even to care for infants. FMLA allows workers to balance their lifestyle with commitments to work and family life, making it easier for employers who support this act to retain their employees. Prior to having the FMLA passed during a debate, representatives were arguing of employees who were fired just for undergoing surgery, caring for an ill family member, or even for pregnancy and postpartum care afterwards. President Bush prior to the passing of FMLA in 1992 vetoed a similar bill which was to suppress the creation of new jobs resulting in the elimination of jobs that already xisted. With the election of President Clinton in 1992 assured the passing of FMLA which has been the focal point of Clinton’s campaign. (dol. gov. , 2009) The FMLA was the first legislation that Clinton signed after taking office. After that, employers and employees who are supporter of FMLA amended this to make sure it was incorporated in more workplaces and to help provide for paid leave instead of unpaid leave. Employers o r employees skeptical of the FMLA focused on current Department of Labor regulations for needless burdens upon employers. The Society for Human Resource Management had arguments regarding the truth and legitimacy of requested leave. With those arguments, there were changes in the policy and procedures of being an employee in a company revisiting regulations. There was also a concern that employment law had failed to account for changes through employers and did not provide enough protection to family life. There were prominent congressional debates over the bill due to the potential loss of an employee/ parent who may be forced to quit their job in order to care for one of the four situations that FMLA covers. Investigators who took a survey of leave not only focused on pregnancy and child care leave but compiled results in the year 2000 showing that a majority of workers who took leave were mainly for their own health reasons. Investigators have also collected and research on two main areas such as the effect of the regulations of covering intermittent leave and the effects of leave of the coworkers of the employees. Research shows that employees who have used this act have been mixed in with their own personal use not just for the four situations but also has aggravated absentee problems of employees. Conclusion With the finding on research and the effects of the FMLA which was at first was focused on its effects on pregnant women, mothers in need to care for a sick child which was only one part of this act being passed. FMLA is more a leave likely to be taken by employees to help balance work and life being able to take care of their own situation. There are a number of issues that employers face with FMLA but also award it and regulate it in their companies to retain employers. The national policy on the welfare of mployees is that they are able to have a leave of absence of work without the prosecution of being fired. This act enables help to situations such as pregnancy, caring for a newborn infant, newly-placed foster child/ adoptions, to care for a relative with a serious health condition; or to allow recovery of a personal serious health condition. References Family and Medical Leave Act. Wage and Hour Division. Retrieved on March 29, 2009: http://www. dol. gov/esa/whd/fmla / Vikesland , Gary. MA LP CEAP. †Balancing Work and Family†. Retrieved on March 29, 2009: http://www. employer-employee. com/fmla. html

Awakenings Project Essay Example for Free

Awakenings Project Essay The abuses at Bainbridge Hospital reflected a broken system at that time. Any person who was deemed untreatable was put into a â€Å"garden†- where people were treated like flowers that were simply â€Å"watered† and â€Å"fed† every day. The attitude of the people who worked at the institution was of people who had accepted the system’s failures as a way of life; they did not strive for change, they simply â€Å"went with the flow. † Dr. Sayer introduces a number of attitudes that can be seen in modern care facilities. For example, his unfailing persistence in not giving up on patients who he believed had a chance at life. These patients had been immobile for decades, with countless people telling him that they would never get better. By believing in their cognizance and their persistent awareness of their surroundings, Dr. Sayer creates the hospital environment of today, punctuated with the idea that all patients should have the chance to have the best chance in life. He never gave up hope. However, Dr. Sayer also faced many different obstacles in attempting to treat his patients. For example, he needed to first overcome the mockery of his fellow coworkers. The doctors and nurses who worked with him did not understand his desires to pursue what seemed like a meaningless waste of time. However, in doing so, he gave life back to people who would have otherwise been trapped forever, in a state of permanent limbo. Later, he also faced the crisis of dosage with his â€Å"patient zero†, Leonard. Would he cross the line and illegally dose Leonard without the consent of the pharmacist? In doing so, he achieved success. However, he had to do so by compromising the laws set by society. Moreover, he had to muster funding for the drug for all the patients that had been affected at the institution. He could have given up after the head of the hospital told him that it was simply too much money, but he persisted in his efforts and was rewarded with enough funding for every patient’s awakening. I agree with the approach Dr. Sayer took because he was a pioneer during his time. Could he have otherwise succeeded in the revival of the patients that had been afflicted with the mysterious illness? His practices, although at times showing his own sense of morality and disregard for the accepted, would later become what is widely believed to be the basis of hospitals today. He took an interest in finding out the truth and never stopped believing. Awakenings Project. (2016, Oct 05).

JPMorgan Organizational Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

JPMorgan Organizational Planning - Essay Example The essay "JPMorgan Organizational Planning" talks about JPMorgan, a global financial services and banking company based in the United States of America. The company serves as the biggest American bank, having total assets amounting to $2.6 trillion. It serves as a key financial services provider. JPMorgan is among the largest of the four large banks in the U.S., with Citigroup, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. As the biggest bank in America and the world, it is true that JPMorgan embarks on revolutionary organizational strategies remain competitive Strategic planning has many forms, shapes, and sizes. It facilitates in differentiating each business as well as the functions and goals they are hoping to achieve. One of the key strategies that JP Morgan embarks on is merging with reputable firms to boost its key operations. For instance, long term planning is of vital importance for every organization that wants to continue expanding its global operations. It has always set a mission that would drive it to emerge as the biggest bank globally. The strategies that the company embarks on as allowed it to emerge as one of the worldwide leaders in banking and financial services. For instance, by the year 2014, JPMorgan overall assets were about $2.515 trillion as well as $227.1 billion in terms of stockholders equity. To boost its expansion and growth potential further, JPMorgan invests in some of the fastest growing economies globally. The firm has established its operations in approximately 85 countries globally.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Essay Example Caring for patients with mental and behavioral disorders requires integration of clinical skills, professional knowledge, interpersonal skills and experiences. The central activity in practice is therefore, that of using ‘self’ as the means of establishing and attaining effective nurse-client relationships. Consequently, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the change interventions that rely on collaborative and therapeutic relationship and empowering with the treatment outcomes dependent on active participation of the client. The central idea in CBT is that all behavior (normal and abnormal) is attained and sustained ways that are identical (Whitfield, 2010). This is consistency with the principles of learning theory, which emphasizes on the role of operant and classical conditioning. The extensive evidence base of CBT is well documented and recommended as a treatment modality with clear guidelines for best practices (Whitfield, 2010). Although reflection plays a critical role in CBT, it has been conspicuously absent in CBT literature leading to misconceptions that CBT therapists don not reflect (Wright, 2006). With this background, this paper demonstrates that nurse students and CBT therapists use various methods such as self-reflection, self-supervision, and reflective journals as well as a variety of data from multiple sources such as CBT literature, client presentations and self-reflections to reflect on their learning and practice. According to the International Institute for Cognitive Therapy, CBT is a psychological approach that relies on scientific principles of which research has shown effectiveness towards diverse range of problems (International Institute for Cognitive Therapy, 2014). CBT intervention encompasses approaches such as cognitive therapy (CT), and rational emotive therapy (REBT). CBT

Recycling Plastic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recycling Plastic - Assignment Example may not have been recycled as much can be attributed to the lack of specialized containers for plastics being insisted upon like there are special containers for glass bottles or even metallic bottles. The presence of such bins would act as a reminder to people to separate the plastics from the rest of the trash hence making not only recycling possible but increasing the number of plastics being recycled in the country (Kreiger, et al 2011). The other reason based on research that plastics are not recycled as much is because there are different types of plastics making it hard for people to know which plastics are supposed to be recycled or are able to be recycled and which ones cannot (Esterl, 2011). An example is having destroyed electronic equipment like a mobile phone that needs to be discarded, and then there are empty juice containers and water bottles as well as empty containers previously holding hair or body lotion and oils and plastics cutlery. All these are different types of plastics and people get confused as to what to put aside as plastic. They therefore end up throwing away some other types of plastics such as the electronic gadgets and hence this continues to reduce the amount of plastics being recycled. Talks by Mike Biddle have revealed that it is possible to recycle all types of plastics and hence people should not fear about sorting out their plastic trash and separating it. Anything that is made from plastic should be completely separated from the trash and when it reaches the recycling plant, the experts can be able to sort them out and follow Biddle’s 30 processes to extract the plastic and eliminate the impurities (Biddle, 2011). This revelation should act to increase the amount of plastics being recycled and reduce the amount being wasted for lack of knowledge. Research by Viscusi, Huber & Bell, (2012) reveals that in order to also increase the amount of plastics to be recycled, each home should be encouraged to have separate trash

Conversion&Commitment to New Religious Movements & Cults Research Paper

Conversion&Commitment to New Religious Movements & Cults - Research Paper Example .all religions involve ceremonials practiced collectively by believers which normally occur in special places - churches, temples or ceremonial grounds. The existence of collective ceremonial is usually regarded by sociologists as one of the main factors distinguishing religion from magic..." "...resembles a sect, but has different emphases. It is the most loosely knit of all religious organizations, being composed of individuals who reject what they see as the values of outside society. Their focus is on individual experience, bringing like-minded individuals together. People do not formally join a cult, but rather follow particular theories or prescribed ways...Like sects, cults quite often form around an inspirational leader.". The cult form of religious organization is significantly different from other forms in that religious experience tends to be highly individualistic and varies considerably with the individuals personal experiences and interpretations. A cult tends to be a very loose knit social group (and probably hardly qualifies as an organization in the accepted sense of the word) that collects around a set of common themes, beliefs or interests. Cults, for the above reasons, tend to be highly individualistic and lacking in formal organizational structures (clerical hierarchies, meeting places and so forth). The followers of a cult tend to resemble consumers rather than members, since there is rarely any formal joining mechanism; people who are interested in a particular cult theme (spiritualism, transcendental meditation and so forth) are encouraged to buy into the cult to varying degrees (TM, for example, sells a number of stages to spiritual enlightenment that the consumer can buy as and when they want to). Cults are tolerant of dissenting views. Since they rarely possess anything akin to a priesthood whose role is to interpret the word of God for their followers, discussion, argument and

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Project Management - Essay Example There is no central employee record system and this has affected the decision making time, employee training, compensation and scheduling of work force within the whole company. Moreover, an external party is managing its workers’ compensation (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). We are requested to analyze this system and create a single application that helps in data management and reduces the time required for decision making and remuneration of employees (Apollo Group, Inc., 2008). Riordan Manufacturing will have to centralize its human resource management at its headquarters. The human resource manager will be responsible for all activities of all employees of the company. To get this application, the company will have to spend a moderate amount of money and also train its human resource employees on how to use it. A central data management will reduce the cost of hiring human resource in all its locations. This is so because few employees will be needed to operate this software (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). Another advantage for Riordan Manufacturing is that the time needed for dispute resolution and human resource decision making will be drastically reduced and thus create efficiency to the company. In the old system, each task takes an extra cost and time because of the number of employees employed in each segment. There is also a breakdown or distortion of information due to the length of communication channels. The new system will solve these problems by increasing efficiency and speed in the processes involved (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). The critical path is 5 days and passes through the output, central human resource system, tax remittance and output. This is the shortest time taken to complete the tasks compared to other paths in the company. The time take between the output and central human resource system is 3 days, 1 day between central

War and Peace in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

War and Peace in the Middle East - Essay Example The Middle East political plethora is characterized by fighting raging from Syria and its spillover effect felt in Lebanon Bahrain and Iraq. There is no denying the sectarianism is commonplace in the Middle East politics with religious identity the most vital end in defining the political life of the people. Therefore, the war in these countries remains a familiar factor in the pursuit of national interest of the individual countries in the oil-rich region (CASHMAN, 2000:45). Various ideas, theories, and values shape policy and motivate the political behavior of citizens in certain countries. International relations theorists disagree over the inevitability of war. To classical realists and neo-liberalists, war is inevitable. They posit that each state is compelled to harm the other in pursuit of their interests and to avoid the worst possible outcome. This follows with states increasing their defense capabilities thereby increasing tension and chances of war. Realism has evolved int o the dominant paradigm in explaining state behavior and the eruption of war. Neo-realists hold that state behavior is driven by the need for survival in the international system. States try to survive by maximizing their power and shifting the balance of power in their favor. Mearsheimer’s ‘Offensive Realism Theory’ asserts the rationality of states in an anarchic world system. This leads to a security dilemma where a defensive action taken by one state on the verge of survival is a threat to another.... To classical realists and neo-liberalists, war is inevitable. They posit that each state is compelled to harm the other in pursuit of their interests and to avoid the worst possible outcome. This follows with states increasing their defense capabilities thereby increasing tension and chances of war. Realism has evolved into the dominant paradigm in explaining state behavior and the eruption of war. Neo-realists hold that state behavior is driven by the need for survival in the international system. States try to survive by maximizing their power and shifting the balance of power in their favor. Mearsheimer’s ‘Offensive Realism Theory’ asserts the rationality of states in an anarchic world system. This leads to a security dilemma where a defensive action taken by one state in the verge of survival is a threat to another. Realism fronts war as one of the best strategies for states to maximize their power and ensure their survival. In other cases, the threat of force may be used to maximize power. According to the theory also, other states may insight war between rival nations in a bid to reduce their power and eventually increase their own (DUNNE, KURKI, & SMITH, 2013:79). A good illustration is Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, at an individual level; Saddam Hussein may have calculated that his actions on Kuwait will not provoke military response from the international community due to his originally ruthless nature. However, at the state level Iraq is pursuing its own national interests and attempting to regain oil fields that were previously annexed by the British (CASHMAN, 2000:79). According to Mearsheimer’s theory also, the polarity between states or the possibility of war depends in the number of

Respone artical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Respone artical - Essay Example This focus necessarily detracts from some of the better known artists that have gained renowned based upon their overall appeal and artistry. Seemingly all too often, individuals that review music will disparage popular music to such a great degree that they fail to recognize that some aspects of it, or at the very least certain artists, demand a level of attention; due to the fact that their success is ultimately the result of the fact that many individuals have come to appreciate their music and thereby gives them a level of credence. Additionally, the piece focuses almost entirely on R&B, rap/hip-hop, folk, and a few other genres; hardly inclusive of the full range of music that has been represented over the past four years. Essentially, the qualms of this author with the listing are of course subjective; however, any number of individuals might agree, disagree, love or detest the listing based upon their own musical

The European Union in International Commercial Negotiations Essay Example for Free

The European Union in International Commercial Negotiations Essay Commercial negotiation is negotiation in the context of a business setting such that it involves the management of commercial activities that includes contract negotiation and project management with the sole intention of making maximum returns from the same. This process allows for the development and creation of new business opportunities CITATION Bea00 l 1033 ( Beasor Steele, 2000). The job description of commercial negotiators includes an overviewing role in the whole sales process and to some extend responsible for the implementation of a detailed business sales plan. The overall role is to make sure they retrieve the best deal out of any business opportunity. It is therefore important for a commercial negotiator to have a grasp of the customers’ business needs in order to offer the required products and services demanded by the consumer. Commercial negotiation entails the following vital functions. Conducting market research of the different products by the business, analysis of data from the sale activities of a business, provision of financial reports to the senior management of the business and also to the different stakeholders of the enterprise. Another function is the identification of new opportunities for the business, commercial negotiation also includes reviewing and assessing opportunities for new businesses. Commercial negotiators play a critical role in the maximization of the revenue from the business. Commercial negotiation thus requires one to have the necessary skills to excel in the field. One needs to have great interpersonal skills that will enable them to easily interact with people. This is important in order to win and sell ideas to the people one interacts without stepping outside one mandate. Procedural and communication skills are necessary for commercial negotiators because of the constant flow of information from team members. One should also be accommodative of other team member’s opinions that are different from dependable as a commercial negotiator. Commercial negotiators play a pivotal role in the success of any business. A successful commercial negotiator brings together control elements and definitions and operates them efficiently. This means that a successful commercial negotiator will apply leadership skills already applied in the departmental running. The role of a commercial negotiator is to blend responsibilities related to project execution, planni ng, monitoring and achievement of the desired goals. For someone to be a successful manager they should have demonstrated ability to lead others and organize work CITATION Gat11 l 1033 (Gates, 2011). A commercial negotiator needs to have contact with other required resources. For projects that need coordination between divisions and departments, a commercial negotiator with contacts outside a single department is required. An aspiring commercial negotiator should ensure and develop contacts within the organizations departments to help run a project successfully. They should also be able to coordinate a diverse pool of resources. This would be achieved by working with different people from different backgrounds and disciplines. As an aspiring commercial negotiator, one should be able to supervise and delegate work in areas alien to their background. All this is possible by having a close rapport and teamwork. Procedural and communication skills. This is because of the constant flow of information from team members. One should also be accommodative of other team member’s opinions that are different from dependable as a commercial negotiator. Commercial negotiation skills and techniques in the western world (European Union) and China For one to do business abroad he has to understand the various cultures and practices that are accepted in the process of commercial negotiation. Before travelling to the European Union one has to consider the required etiquette that is observed and required in the meetings, negotiations and business protocol. Europeans are known to be humorless, stubborn, and aggressive they also pay attention to details. A successful business has to understand the cross cultural aspects to present the right etiquette. The Europeans are strictly formal while doing business and according to them it’s wrong to swap jokes or have informal chats when working. Europe is a significant trade partner for many states. Learning to do business in Europe and understanding their business practices, culture and etiquette improves skills and success of international business men CITATION Meu05 l 1033 ( Meunier, 2005).The first aspect of etiquette in Europe’s business spheres is Organization. They are usually uneasy with ambiguity and disorder. They lean towards conservatism and conformism they don’t like uncertainty so one has to have first-hand information and facts at hand. When doing business in Europe, one has to emphasize on careful planning. One has to consult and get a consensus before presenting his idea and opinions. European commercial negotiations appreciate statistics, facts and details and there is no room for mistakes and omissions. To observe business etiquette one has to avert risk and negate uncertainty. The stress on conformity and fear of risk makes them apprehensive and they guarantee security through risk analysis. This is ensured by keen deliberation and scrutiny based on factual evidence and not intuition. They prefer written documentation as it is the safest and objective for analysis. In communication the Chinese mind their privacy and they usually divide their private and public life. While communicating one has to be formal and stick to official duty. They don’t talk about their private lives as they are protective of personal issues. They prefer their communication to be short direct and straight to the point. They consider emotions unnecessary in conversations at the work place.They don’t talk out of context as they only stick to the issue at hand. The Chinese also prefer brief greetings and that’s why they only do short handshakes When several people are being introduced they take turns to greet each other and they avoid reaching out over someone’s hand. They find it rude to greet someone with one hand in the pocket and when women enter a room the men stand as a show of politeness. The men sit after all the women have taken their seats. The Chinese etiquette requires that people are addressed using Mr., Ms or Mrs. followed by the s urname. The only people who are allowed to use the first names are family members and very close friends. The Chinese culture also insists on the use of professional titles such as doctors, academics and others. One has to establish professional titles before any meeting. They use the surnames to maintain formality and respect CITATION Lam00 l 1033 ( Lam, 2000). Punctuality is another important aspect of etiquette in Europe. Punctuality is a serious issue as they value their time. The business people are usually under a lot of pressure and they plan for their time very well to meet their daily objectives. Being late shows disrespect for people and their time, it is also a show that the person is not interested or not serious about the business deal or meeting. The punctuality is seen as a sign of commitment to the business. Europeans also don’t mix humor with business affairs. If jokes are made they should be in context and tasteful. They usually have a very strict protocol in their meetings leaving little room for humor. They believe that when jokes are made during business then the meeting seizes to be formal. In doing business with Europeans one has to plan ahead the meetings should be booked two to three weeks in advance. They have a culture where they hold their meetings between eleven to one and three to five p.m. They avoid mee tings on Friday afternoons, during their regional festivities and the holiday months of July, December and August.Their meetings in most cases are usually formal, functional and they stick to the set agenda. The set start time and finish time are obeyed by all means so everything is done within the time limit. They prioritize business as they discourage relationship building and small talks CITATION Lam00 l 1033 ( Lam, 2000). They analyze commercial negotiation proposals thoroughly while considering every detail. They ensure the information and facts are provided in written and scientifically presented. They make logical conclusion basing on the empirical details. Decisions are not made based on the subject’s charm or marketing skills but they consider concrete facts and the accuracy found in the details. The Europeans are slow when it comes to making decisions hence the proceedings should not be rushed. They take their time as they try to furnish the decisions with additional information. Once a decision is reached they rarely change their mind regarding the same. They give respect priority and they give each other personal space in the work environment. They are not allowed to touch during meetings and business dealings. They don’t mix official meeting with social issues. They prefer official dressing when doing commercial negotiations .They rarely dress in casual clothes when working. Europeans trade show participants do not wear badges. Introductions are saved until the visitor shows interest. If the introduction is made too early they consider it superficial and intrusive. Europeans also don’t give their business cards quite easily. They value their privacy and in case they hand you one it should be treated as confidential and private. It should not be passed to another person without the owner’s permission. In calling the Europeans they take it offensively when they are not referred to by their title and name. Europeans shake hands to say hello and goodbye. The hand shake should be done using a firm grip. This is a show of respect and also it depicts the appreciation of the colleague. Women are the ones to be greeted first and not while seated. The men have to stand before they greet women this clearly shows the high level of respect they maintain in the working area. They also have a culture of maintaining eye contact. This is a show of confidence and legitimacy. In Germany company stability and long term commitment are top priorities. Europeans are usually curious about the company ownership, history and the product lines. References will be requested to prove honesty and reliability. Because of all this the process may be slow and trying to speed them up is considered rude and suspicious. Importance of Knowledge on Target Culture in Commercial Negotiation The influence of cultural diversity has major impacts on work relationships in most organizations commercial negotiation. The cross cultural occurrence affects communication between employees, causing confusion and thereafter results in misunderstanding in the workplace. It is therefore important for both managers and their employees to understand the target cultures’ communication process and recognize the sources of cross cultural conflicts. Depending on how they are managed, cross cultural conflicts may have either positive or negative outcomes. It is also important for managers to develop better skills that help in handling the complications caused by different cultures. Managers should be able to convert the problems of cultural diversity into strengths of the organization CITATION Bea00 l 1033 ( Beasor Steele, 2000). This is so to avoid getting in disputes in different cross-cultural platforms. As a commercial negotiator it is important to identify and address any underlying disputes or conflicts before anything goes wrong at the workplace. I have made it clear to my employees of the expected behaviors at the work place and most importantly during their interactions with foreign customers. As a negotiator one is the greatest ally but greatest obstacle to effective management of my employees. One has to closest to the junior managers who need to adapt to the new behaviors and cultures associated with management programs. Getting supervisors and managers on board and taking the lead in supporting cultural diversity is an important aspect of my commercial negotiation skills. This will ensure that employees are given an opportunity and platform to interact and raise any issues or concerns that they might have. Most importantly, employees should be given a chance to develop their own competencies and skills for enhancing cultural sensitivity among other employees in the company. As a commercial negotiator working in a multicultural company, it has been necessary for me to develop my skills in cross-cultural conflict management which affects productivity in the long run. Cross-cultural disputes have often lead to voluntary employment termination. These conflicts resulted in the loss of working time and loss of morale CITATION Bea00 l 1033 ( Beasor Steele, 2000). References   Beasor, T., Steele, P. (2000). Business Negotiation: A Practical Workbook. London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Lam, M. L.-L. (2000). Working with Chinese Expatriates in Business Negotiations: Portraits, Issues, and Applications. Greenwood Publishing Group. Meunier, S. (2005). Trading Voices: The European Union in International Commercial Negotiations. Princeton : Princeton University Press. Adoranti, F. (2006). The Managers Guide to Understanding Commercial Contract Negotiation. New York: Global Professional Publishers. Burke, W. (n.d.). An examination of the commercial principles of the late negotiation between Great Britain and France in MDCCLXI: In which the system of that negotiation with regard to our colonies and commerce is considered (Google eBook). Printed for R. and J. Dodsley. Fox, W. F. (2009). International Commercial Agreements: A Primer on Drafting, Negotiating, and Resolving Disputes. Kluwer Law International. Gates, S. (2011). The Negotiation Book: Your Definitive Guide To Successful Negotiating. New York: John Wiley Sons. Marsh, P. D. (2001). Contract Negotiation Handbook. London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Pye, L. W. (1990). Chinese Commercial Negotiating Style. Hong Kong: Oelgeschlager, Gunn Hain, Publishers. Ward, D. (2012). Contract Negotiation Handbook: Getting the Most Out of Commercial Deals. New York: John Wiley Sons. Source document

Starbucks †Going Global Fast Essay Example for Free

Starbucks – Going Global Fast Essay Controllable: 1) Promotion. I think that spending only 1% of revenue on advertisement is a bit too little and Starbucks should definitely spend more. 2) Product. In Italy for instance food is popular in cafes. To open shops and be successful in Italy Starbucks should have more differentiated products. 3) Price. Again in Italy price for coffee is a bit less than Starbucks proposes. The only way is to make the price less. Uncontrollable: 1) Starbucks tries to control competition for instance paying for rent twice as much, so competitors cannot get a place or renting empty space. Even though it seems to be controllable, customers can be unsatisfied because of that and also businesses can practice same strategy. It also can lead to bad reputation (it is not nice to do so) 2) Starbucks wants to enter French market. The main problem is strict regulations and labor benefits. Considering some problems with working hours and salary that Starbucks had it would be hard to work in France. 3) Italians know which coffee to drink. Considering this Italian coffee culture and the amount of competitors in Italy it will be very difficult for Starbucks to be famous there. 4) Cultural challenge is the main problem for Starbucks to be global. Every country needs to be treated differently. If in US people got used to very sweet coffee, in Japan they did not. Question 2: Potential risks: 1) In my opinion potential risk is connected with dissatisfaction of employees. If Starbucks will not change its policies, salaries, working hours it will have problems with personnel. Potential solution could be identifying gaps connected with employees and try to make everyone happy. Increase the salary if needed, make the environment for employees friendlier, so they will stay and enjoy their work. 2) Another risk is attracting next generation customers. Younger customers feel uncomfortable already, because almost all stuff is same age as they are. Some do not like the terminology. Starbucks can for instance change the terminology once in a while. Make it in different language every time. It also can hire more diverse workforce, young and not so young, different nationalities, so people will feel more comfortable. 3) Because of complains of employees Starbucks can loose its reputation, which can decrease sales. Its good that Starbucks wants to increase its market share and income, but it would be bad if it will loose its reputation because of that. So it is better to focus on both things together. 4) In international environment Starbucks faces a lot of risks. Cultural risks are the most important ones. For instance language differences, tastes and others. Managers of Starbucks should examine foreign cultures better to understand them and provide them with products they want. 5) Competition is a big risk also. To be more competitive Starbucks should not loose its image and make the products more differentiated. As it says in the case study in Japan Starbucks lost 70% of its profits because of competitors. It’s a huge loss and Starbucks should think and fight with competitors. Question 3: Reading the case I noticed that Starbucks uses unethical strategy. Paying for empty space so competitors cannot make business there is unethical I think and it can damage the image of Starbucks. A lot of customers of Starbucks think of ethical part of the business and this strategy will probably make them think to go to Starbucks or other place. Another issue is that Starbucks experiences decrease in sales and tries to improve this aspect. But all efforts (Starbucks express, cards etc.) do not give the desired outcome. There must be something wrong with their strategy. Low salary to employees is an issue too. Starbucks still does not have stores in 8 states in US. It is controllable. Starbucks can open its stores and make them successful there. Question 4: Starbucks can improve the taste of coffee and make it like Japanese people want. Examine culture better and understand what people want and need. Starbucks also can improve service or make better atmosphere. It also can renovate coffee houses. Develop new menu that will fit tastes of Japanese customers. Also Starbucks should always work and improve to keep customers interested and fight with competition. Japanese people are busy, so maybe it would be convenient for them to buy coffee online.

Developing of Online Enrolment System

Developing of Online Enrolment System Preface This software project management plan is intended to act as an outline of the development of a new honours system for Buena Vista College Administration. This plan will provide the structure and basis of the development of the new system. This includes outlining the deliverables, providing a schedule and organisational structure, and producing the associated plans needed for development of this project. This plan is intended to be used by the project team, as a development guide, throughout the life of the project, and by management as a reference to the details of the design as well as the progress of the project. 1.0 Project Overview The overview of the project provides a brief outline of the major details of the project, including identifying the project, stating what is expected form the project, and a summary of both schedule and budget. 1.1 Purpose, Scope Objectives The purpose of this project is to upgrade the existing enrolment system for Buena Vista College. The upgrade will consist of an added function, allowing administration staff to automatically compute students eligibility for entrance into honours programs. This new system will be integrated into the existing enrolment system. The project team will be restricted to adding the honours function only; fixing defects or adding other functionality is out of the scope of this project. The scope of the project does however include the implementation of any additional packaged software. The objective of this project is to meet the universitys business need of improving efficiencies, in order to lower operating costs and remain competitive. These needs are further defined below: v Overall quicker processing of applications to honour programs. Current methods are manual, making them both time consuming and prone to error. v A more effective handling of honors applications v Develop a readily accessible assessment report of current applicants v Develop a readily accessible honors entrance summary report 1.2 Assumption and Constraints There are several assumptions and constraints relating to the project team developing an honours system for Buena Vista College. They can be found in table 1.1 (below). Table 1.1: Assumptions, constraints and impacts Assumptions Impact on plan if false The group size will remain at five members through-out the life of the project The plan will need to be rescheduled to accommodate the change. Tasks will also have to be reallocated. The client has not specified a due date. The project will require heavy rescheduling, and possibly an outsourcing arrangement. The university will approve financing the system. The project will not go ahead. Client will be able to be contacted at all times May delay production, therefore extending the schedule. Constraints Impact on plan if false Project team is constrained by design of current administration system Project would be developed in a manner best suited to the project team. The plan would need to be recompiled, to conform to the new design. 1.3 Project Deliverables The following list specifies the elements of the project to be formally completed as a deliverable. A full list of both deliverable and non-deliverable work products is included in section 7.3. Table 1.2: Project Deliverables Statement of User Requirements and Acceptance Criteria Formally identifies the requirements of the system, specified by the client. This document needs to be reviewed and accepted cby the client. Software Project Management Plan Details the processes, tools and techniques that are to be used in the development of the project. User Documentation A manual for users clearly explaining system. System (Software) Formal hand over of new system to the client. 1.4 Schedule and Budget Summary The schedule and budget for this project is based upon the waterfall Software Design Life Cycle (SDLC) being adopted for this project. Table 1.3: Schedule and Budget Summary Phase Begun Finished Cost Requirements 04/11/2002 08/11/2002 $1,642.67 Analysis 11/11/2002 25/11/2002 $5,923.44 Design 26/11/2002 13/12/2002 $6,608.00 Coding 16/12/2002 03/03/2003 $36,216.00 Testing and Implementation 04/04/2003 25/04/2003 $6,308.31 TOTALS Project life is approx 125 days $56,968.42 The worst-case and best-case scenarios deviate less than 10% from the above summary. The full schedule and budget can be found in section 5.2.2 and 5.2.4 respectively, and in APPENDIX. 1.5 Evolution of the Project Plan This plan will be completed when it passes two criteria: v All elements of the Software Project Management Plan Template (Walden), are included in this document, and v The document passes a quality review, outlined in the Quality Assurance Plan (Section 7.4). At the completion of this document it will be labelled version 1.0 and shall be put under change control, whereby it may only be changed through the processes outlined in the Configuration Management Plan (Section 7.1). This process shall be made available to all members of the project team, as well as any member of management who requests it. Scheduled updates will be conducted at reviews undertaken at each milestone specified in the Project Reviews (Section 7.5). Unscheduled updates may be conducted at any stage during the development of the project, as long as the project manager approves changes. Regardless of whether the updates are scheduled or not, any change to this plan must comply with the change control plan outlined in the Configuration Management Plan (Section 7.1). 2.0 References Buena Vista College (1997) Configuration Management Plan v2.0, Buena Vista College Press, LOCATION Buena Vista College (2001) Quality Management Plan v3.1, Buena Vista College Press, LOCATION Buena Vista College (1999) Verification and Validation Plan v1.2 Buena Vista College Press, LOCATION Buena Vista College (2002) Work Product Plan v4.0 Buena Vista College Press, LOCATION IEEE Computer Society (1999) Volume Two: Process Standards, IEEE Inc.: New York, U.S.A. Walden, J. (1999) Software Project Management Plan Template v3.0, Department of Information Resources. PMBOK Rout Hodgen (2002) lec notes ROUT CASE STUDY SCHWALBE ALAVI M 1999 RUDOPLH EBERHADT LEC NOTES ON ESTIMATING ADD STANDARDS REFERED TO IN THE SUPPORTING PROCESS PLANS ALPHABETISE REFERENCES. 3.0 Acronyms and Definitions The table below shows all acronyms used and their definitions, in alphabetical order. Table 3.1:Acronyms Definitions (Alphabetical) Acronyms Definitions BVC CMP Buena Vista College Configuration Management Plan BVC QMP Buena Vista College Quality Management Plan BVC VVP Buena Vista College Verification and Validation Plan BVC WPP Buena Vista College Work Product Plan Client Buena Vista College Administration COCOMO Constructive Cost Model COSMOS Software Cost Modelling System FPA Function Point Analysis IT Group Buena Vista College Information Technology Group PM Project Manager PPR Post-project Review Project Team Members of the IT Group working on the system QE Quality Engineer SDD Software Design Description SDLC Software Design Life Cycle SPMP Software Project Management Plan SRS Software Requirements Specification SURAC Statement of User Requirements and Acceptance Criteria System Buena Vista College Administration honours system being developed by the project team TD Test Documentation TP Test Plan UD User Documentation 4.0 Project Organisation Project organisation involves identifying the external and internal interfaces as well as the roles and responsibilities of each member of the project team. 4.1 External Interfaces External interfaces summarise the relationship between the project team, the client, and any other entities associated with the project. This project does not have a true external interface existing between two parties, as both the acquirer and developer are part of the same larger organisation. The project shall exist in an environment separated from non-university bodies. The following table highlights the project teams organisational interactions and the interface/ liaison to each organisation. Table 3: External interfaces Organisation Role/s Interfaces with Project Team Develop of system Client IT Department IT Department Oversee project at highest level Client Project Team Buena Vista College Client; Managerial superior of IT dept and project team Project Liaison interfaces with Project Team IT Dept The Project Manager will be responsible for interfacing with anything outside of the project team. This includes the client liaison, the IT Director, and any other external body. It is important to mention that the IT Director has strong personal interest in this project, as he wishes to prove to the university that the IT department is a capable body. We expect that he will impact heavily upon the interface between the client and the project. Buena Vista College are both the client, and organisational superiors to all involved in the project. 4.2 Internal Structure The internal structure of Buena Vista College outlines the managerial hierarchy of the project team, identifying whom each member is reportable to. The structure also distinguishes the other known elements of the organisation, and their relation to each other. 4.5 Roles and Responsibilities The following table identifies the roles of each person in the team, and the subsequent responsibilities related to that role. Table 4: Roles and responsibilities Role Responsibilities Project Manager * conflict resolution * task allocation * project monitoring and improvement * project team leadership * liaise with both client and superiors Quality Engineer * review all deliverables for quality * produce quality plan * system testing System Analyst/ Designer * analysis * design * testing Programmers * coding * source code documentation * testing 5.0 Managerial Process Plans This section contains the managerial plans that shall be employed during this project. These plans are all subject to change and improvement. The plans have been created using both external knowledge, and personal judgement. External knowledge used includes IEEE standards and the PMBOK guide. 5.1 Start-Up Plan The projects cost and schedule shall be determined by how much effort will be required for this project. In order to determine the effort, the system size must be estimated. This shall be done using function-point analysis (FPA), and Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO) analysis. 5.1.1 Measuring System Size The FPA will yield an approximation to the systems size, which includes an estimate to the number of lines of code required. The FPA will be based upon the statement of user requirements; all data requirements, functions, and reports shall be approximated based upon the users specifications. Please be aware that the FPA is executed after the user the requirements have been gathered, and that the project has already begun. 5.1.2 Measuring Effort Required and Determining Schedules Measuring the amount of effort needed for this system can be measured in terms time required. Because the FPA provides an approximation to the size of the system, it can be used as the basis for measuring time required. Accordingly, the FPA results will be fed into a COCOMO analysis. Again, please be aware that this analysis is done once the project has begun, and does not include the effort required to gain, study, and synthesise the user requirements. The COCOMO analysis shall provide an estimate on the amount of time required to complete the project. The time required shall be displayed in a three phase breakdown; design, programming, and integration and testing. These phases shall then be broken down into activities, which shall be further broken down into tasks. Effort/time required for activities will be guided by the estimate provided in the COCOMO analysis. These estimations will be based upon the outlines given in section 7.2 of the PMBOK (Cost Estimating). In turn, the effort/time required for tasks shall be based upon the estimate for the activity that the task is part of. The COCOMO analysis has only been used to determine the effort required from schedule task 2.2 (Process Implementation), to schedule task 5.3 (Configuration Evaluation). To be more specific, the COCOMO product design phase includes section 2.2 to 3.2; the COCOMO programming phase includes all of section 4; and COCOMO integration and testing phase includes all of section 5. The schedule may be found in Appendix. A diagrammatic mapping the breakdown of work, or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), is included in APPENDIX. The WBS shall then be used to calculate the project schedule, shown in APPENDIX. 5.1.3 Measuring Project Cost Cost is associated with three key indicators, size, quality, and productivity (Rudolph, 2002, p9). Unfortunately quality and productivity are too difficult to measure. Because system size can be measured in terms of effort, which is measured in terms of time, the hours required to complete the effort tasks can be translated to money (As staff pay can be calculated hourly.). By looking at the schedule, a monetary value shall be assigned to each resource used, eg. staff, hardware, training, etc. 5.1.4 Tools Employed in Calculating Size, Effort Cost The tool (application) that shall be used to conduct this analysis is known as COSMOS, created by East Tennessee Universitys Computer Science Department. The output of this application, the FPA, COCOMO, and Rayleigh Information, is shown in APPENDIX. The Rayleigh Information outputted by COSMOS shows how much time needs to be committed to the main building phase. 5.1.5 Staffing Currently, five staff are available for this project; one Project Manager, one Systems Analyst/Designer, one Quality Engineer, and two programmers. Not all staff will be required to work on the project at once. In the initial phase, the Project Manager and System Analyst are expected to do most work. As the project progresses more staffing shall be required. Programmers shall be employed during the intermediate phases, as well as a quality engineer. During this phase the project manager shall continue to manage and control the project, and the Analyst shall provide support, possibly in supporting areas such as process improvement. The Quality Engineer is likely to oversee the programmers, as well any processes that are subject to quality reviews. As the final phase is entered, the programmers shall be laid off, and also other staff, once their roles are no longer required. The project manager shall then hand over the completed product to the client. An approximation of the staff required through each phase is shown below. Detailed staffing schedules can be found in appendix. Table 5.1: Staff number and details by phase Phase Staff required Details Initial phase: Maximum 2 staff Project Manager Analyst Intermediate phase: Minimum 5 staff All staff Final phase: 1 or 2 staff Project Manager (Minimum) 5.1.5.1 Staff Sources The staff for this project will almost certainly come solely from the IT department. We doubt that contract personnel will be required for this project, as the IT group have more staff, which we expect to be free. If no additional internal staff available when the project requires extra staff, then contract personnel shall be considered. As all staff are familiar are with the development environment, we also doubt special expertise will be required. In the unexpected case that contract personnel are required, we shall approach an appropriate agency and seek the right person immediately. Little technical or managerial training will be required, as any contract staff must be experienced in the technical fields needed. Should the position be a managerial position, then managerial experience will be a prerequisite for such a job. 5.1.5.2 Staff Training All staff are currently familiar with the development environment so we do not expect that any technical training will be necessary. We do not know whether managerial training will be of benefit to the staff in this project, as such, no training will be provided. However, managerial process reviews shall be used in this project. These may uncover managerial weaknesses. Should this be the case, action shall be taken during the project, if feasible, otherwise, it shall be provided upon conclusion of the project. 5.1.6 Required Skills The client has specified a fairly basic system that is to operate in a Windows environment. Furthermore, the client stated that the system is a stand-alone system to run on one PC. Therefore, basic technical skills will be required. Our technical staff are certainly competent in such environments. Project management skills will also be required for this project, as well as knowledge in quality, and systems analysis and design. 5.1.7 Other Resources Required We do not expect any resources not already discussed in this document to be used. No additional hardware, facilities, contracts, or software is expected to acquired, both on the clients side and on the develop teams side. 5.2 Work Plan This section explains about work activities, schedule, resources, and budget details for the project. Some parts of the sub-section will refer to appendix or other sections. 5.2.3 Work Activities Waterfall model has been used to satisfy the requirement of BVC. Work activities involved in the work breakdown structure are: v Requirements v Analysis v Design v Coding v Testing v Project Management For a full description of their relationships and details, refer to section 6(technical plan) and appendix WBS. The acceptance criteria for the project lists the necessary task that are to be completed for the client to accept the product. A copy of the Acceptance Criteria is attached in section 6. Risk management processes relevant to these activities, including risk tracking, is included in section section 5.4 The relationship between a task and its predecessors and successors is illustrated in appendix msProject. 5.2.2 Schedule Allocation After establishing WBS, the tasks were entered into Microsoft Projectà ¢ 97, and the estimated schedule was created. This was completed by assigning a time period to each task. The schedule has been provided in the appendix msProject. 5.2.3 Resource Allocation Resource allocation assigns resources, as in staff and tools provided, to control activities within the WBS. These resources for each task are listed in section 6. 5.2.4 Budget Allocation Budget Allocation place a key role in any project. It estimates cost of resources and tools needed to conclude project activities. The budget for this project was calculated using Microsoft Projectà ¢ 97, using resource allocation, and expected pay-rates. A copy of the budget is provided in msProject. 5.3 Control Plan This section describes how the project will be monitored and controlled using the following plans. 5.3.1 Requirements Control Plan Any changes to the product requirements will be managed through the configuration management change control process, summarised in section 7.1. A requirements tracability matrix will be provided in all documents referencing the requirements, this will provide a direct link back to each requirement of the system. Impact analysis and change approval processes are described in Configuration Management, section 7.1. 5.3.2 Schedule Control Schedule control for this project will require inputs to control, control techniques, and outputs such as updates and corrections. The schedule will be monitored using the following inputs. v Project schedule: See Appendix for the project schedule. This will provide the basis for measuring and reporting schedule performance. v Performance reports: These reports provide information on schedule performance, such as whether deadline dates are being met or not. They shall also help the team stick to schedules, and alert us issues that may cause future problems. v Change requests: Schedule changes may be required to extend or shorten the project. Change requests for this project must exist formally as a document, and may originate internally or externally. A schedule control system shall use the above the inputs to manage changes to schedule. When changes to occur, additional planning must be done for compensation. A MS Project file will be updated to accommodate these changes. 5.3.3 Budget Control Budget control will be undertaken by the project manager, and include affecting any changes to the cost schedule, monitoring the cost baseline and determining any changes to the schedule and managing those changes. Changes to the budget schedule shall be influenced as much as possible by the project manager, to create the least effect on the plan. To monitor the budget, the project manager will receive periodic reports on the status budget, detailing what is under, over and on budget. Based on this information, Based on this information, the project manager will be able to assess any difference from the planned budget and determine if the variance is significant enough to require further investigation. If further action is required, then the type and extent is left to the project managers discretion, based on the particular case. Earned Value Management (EVM) will be used to monitor the budget compared to the amount of work completed. Through these techniques, the project manager will be able to determine if there are any changes to the schedule. If the schedule has changed, the project manager will need to reassess the schedule, taking into account these new developments. The project manager will also have to ensure that the changes to the budget will not affect the scope of the project by having to leave out some tasks due to budget constraints. Cost reporting of each task will be determined based on its size and budget. Large and expensive tasks will be reporting more frequently than small and cheap tasks. The period between reports is chosen by the project manager on a case-by-case basis. 5.3.4 Quality Control Plan The details of the Quality Control Plan are outlined in the Quality Assurance Plan, (section 7.4). The Quality Assurance Plan describes the measuring and controlling mechanisms used to assure the quality of the work processes and products. These mechanisms include audits, joint reviews, process assessments, and quality assurance of the processes. 5.3.5 Reporting Plan This plan highlights the reporting mechanisms, formats and frequencies of the reporting structure of the project. These relationships are displayed in table 5.2, below. Table 5.2: Reporting and Communication plan Communication From To Time Period Action plans Audits Minutes of meetings Risk Assessment Schedule checks Progress of assigned tasks All group members Project Manager Weekly 5.3.6 Measurement Plan All project measures, where not predetermined by either Buena Vista College, or any other external requirements, will be agreed upon by the project team based on the projects main issues. These details will be formally recorded in the Measurements Recording Form (Appendix #). The metrics used in the measurement plan will be collected at two processes in the development lifecycle, at the verification and validation processes, and at the end of the project. These measures will be collected mainly through interviews and reports at each of these times. The collected data will then be validated and stored by the project manager. 5.4 Risk Management Plan The risk management plan is designed for the development team to recognize any risk that may have a clashing affect to the projects schedule, budget and quality. The risk management covers the identification of risk factors, the assessment of the possible severity and likelihood of the risks, definition of management strategies for avoiding and containing risk, and the means for ongoing monitoring of the risk factors. 5.4.1 Risk Factors Identified Risk factors that were identified early in the project are listed below. During the life of the project the PM may find more risk factors that may affect the schedule and budget of the project. The PM will record each new risk factor in a Risk Identification Form (Appendix #). The risks presently identified are: v Conflict with team members v Staff skills and competence v Functional Rise v Conflicts with client/Customer v Low quality v Low productivity v Consistent to standards v Business Risks (absence caused by illness of accident of involved stakeholder.) v Loss of client. v New/Old technology conflicts. v Client Acceptance v Availability and use of Resources. 5.4.2 Risk Assessment Each risk factor identified was assessed on the likelihood and severity of it becoming an issue. Each assessment gave a value of 1 to 10, where 1 was low and 10 was high, indicating its importance. The assessment for each risk factor gave the reasons for the risk, impact of the risk, monitoring of the risk, and the resolution of the risk. With this detailed assessment of the risk factors a top ten risks identification and report was created. Also a risk matrix was created of each risks likelihood and severity. The project risks can be founding APPENDIX. 5.4.3 Risk Management Strategy Impacts of the risks on the project will be the cost, schedule and quality of the product. The PM must understand that risks are part of the day-to-day operations of the project. As part of the risk management strategy, the PM must conduct weekly reviews on the status of the current top-ten risks, and continually be aware of the development of any new risks. Any new risks identified must be formally recorded in a Risk Identification Form (Appendix #). Once identified, if in the top-ten, a risk has a contingency plan developed in case it becomes an issue, and is continually monitored. If a risk eventuates and becomes an issue, it will be recorded, its contingency plan will be started, and a group member will be assigned to handle the issue. These procedures are outlined in Issue Management, section 7.6. The PM must also be able to produce a report on the current status of the risks to any stakeholder if required. 5.4.4 Top Ten Risks Identification The top-ten risks identification highlights each risk and its details. It identifies each risks probability of occurring, 1 10(high), its severity and exposure (probability of occurrence * severity), the problem resolution technique, who is responsible for monitoring the risk, and the time period of the risk. Table 5.3: Top Ten Risks ID Item Prob Loss Exp Resolution Who Date 1 Conflicts with team members 6 8 48 Group Meeting PM Cont 2 Resource Availability 4 9 36 Reschedule PM Cont 3 Low Productivity 4 8 32 Inspection PM Cont 4 Consistent standards 5 6 30 Inspection PM Cont 5 Low Quality 4 7 28 Inspection PM Cont 6 Client Acceptance 4 7 28 Client meeting PM Hand -Over Phase 7 Conflict with Client 4 7 28 Client meeting PM Cont 8 Staff skill and competence 3 9 27 Training PM Cont 9 Functional Rise 2 9 18 Reschedule PM Cont 10 Absence of a stakeholder 2 9 18 Reschedule PM N/A Cont = Continuous (on -going) Below is example report kept by the PM to monitor risks in the project. The PM must have a current copy of the report. He must be able to show the report when requested by a stakeholder. Table 5.4: Risk Report Item Rank Now Last Time Time List Resolution Conflicts with team members 1 New 0 Have a group meeting. Resolve differences among the team members Resource Availability 2 New 0 Get more resources Low Productivity 3 New 0 Use Software process improvement methods. Consistent standards 4 New 0 Check QA plan. Low Quality 5 New 0 Design a Quality Model to achieve software quality standards Client Acceptance 6 New 0 Rework project until the client is satisfied. Conflict with Client 7 New 0 Talk with client and resolve issue Staff skill and competence 8 New 0 Train Staff Functional Rise 9 New 0 Redo Schedule for project. Absence of stakeholder 10 New 0 Redo Schedule for project. 5.4.5 Risk Matrix The risk matrix identifies the top-ten risks in terms of their likelihood of occurrence and severity. Items towards the top-left of the matrix are both probable and severe, and should be monitored carefully. Items towards the bottom-right are improbable and have a negligible impact on the project. Table 5.

The Link between Sports and Success in Death of a Salesman and Fences E

The Link between Sports and Success in Death of a Salesman   and Fences Sports have become one of the most dominant elements in society. Today sports are an integral part of lifestyle, entertainment and leisure. Sports have become an outlet for success and prestige. The recurring emphasis on sports appears in both Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and August Wilson’s Fences. While Death of a Salesman portrays sports as a means to popularity and subsequent success, Fences portrays sports negatively, discouraging sports, in spite of an unmistakable talent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Miller’s Death of a Salesman is the tragic account of the demise of a meager salesman, Willy Loman. Willy is passively nearing the end of his career and life. His two sons, Biff and Happy show little remorse or pity for Willy, despite his obvious senility. When Biff borrows a football from his coach to practice passing, Willy encourages him: â€Å"Coach’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative!† (Miller 30). Willy erroneously praises Biff, not realizing that such affirmation could deceive Biff. Later, as Biff awaits an appointment with a prominent businessman, he feels compelled to steal his fountain pen, â€Å"I don’t know, I just—wanted to take something†(Miller 104). Such incidents set a precedent for Biff, eventually leading to his lackluster professional status. Willy once again deludes Biff as he mistakenly deters him from his studies. When Bernard reminds Biff, that in order for Biff to graduate, he must study his math, Willy initially agrees and encourages Biff to study: â€Å"You better study with him, Biff. Go ahead now†(Miller 32). When Biff confidently shows Willy his sneakers, on which he printe... ...troubles with theft persist. On the other hand, Cory joined the marines and has advanced to corporal.   As Miller and Wilson revealed, athleticism is not always analogous with success. Willy regarded Biff highly because he observed Biff’s presence and athleticism, and he believed these qualities would result in immediate success. Today many parents associate sports with success and therefore pressure their children to excel in sports. In today’s society it is very rare that fears of discrimination would cause children to not pursue a lucrative career in sports. Both Miller and Wilson knew the impact of sports on family dynamics, and how sports have evolved from a leisure time activity to a full-time commitment. Clearly, many of the qualitative aspects of sports--competition, teamwork and physical dexterity can contribute to being a success in almost any career.

Looking for the :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Looking for the "I" Function among the Visual Processes; Contemplating its Character and Possibilities Oliver Sacks wrote a case study about a sixty-seven year old painter who lost his color vision as a result of a car accident. His vision was such that everything appeared to him as a black and white TV screen. After numerous tests his doctors could find nothing wrong with his eyes and concluded that he had a rare cerebral dysfunction form of achromatopsia caused by visual cortex damage. Mr. I, as Oliver Sacks called him, retained an awareness of where color should be. His color perception was replaced with a sharp acuity for tones of grey to a degree not known to color-sighted people or congenital color-blind people. He felt uncomfortable because he saw only "awful and disgusting" shades of grey where the color should have been. As an artist, his response to the loss of a fundamental faculty was to shun social and sexual intercourse, because everyone, including himself, looked like "animated grey statues". Food became disgusting because a black tomato suggested death to him. His awar eness of where the color should be because of all the grey shades and tones was so distracting that he began to try to surround himself with black and white-white rice, black coffee, ... even redecorating parts of his house in black and white (1). Recent research into visual perception has revealed that color recognition requires a minimum of three sub-systems to be functioning: Physical receptors (the retina cones), wavelength-sensitive cells (apparently located in an area of the brain known as V1), and a higher order color generating mechanism (located in the V4 region). These three processes need to work in harmony to yield the perception of color (1). Tests revealed that for Mr. I, the higher order color generating mechanism in V4 was not working. His other two processes were operating perfectly. Because of his two normal vision processes, Mr. I was able to judge variations in grey by the comparative wavelength of the reflected light without being able to see the actual color. Mr. I could also see textures and patterns that are normally obscured to those of us because of their embedding in color. Oliver Sacks puts it this way: "His brain damage had made him privy to, indeed trapped him within, a strange in- between state-the uncanny world of V1-a world of anomalous and, so to speak, prechromatic sensation, which could not be categorized as either color or colorless" (1).

Successful Professionals Essay -- Business

There are few exceptionally successful business professionals, for example, Michael Dell and Andy Grove. Michael Dell was interested in computers at the very early age of 12 when, "he issued his first product catalog. It was called, â€Å"Dell’s Stamps...", (Krames, 2003). He eventually quit college because he had a dream. He created Dell Computer Corporation with a low investment and turned it into a multi-billion dollar Corporation. His theory was to market computers directly to his consumers to keep the cost of buying a computer, affordable. His product line has been enhanced to include handheld computers, storage, servers, and other services as well for all of your business and personal needs, (Dell.com). Andy Grove is another extremely successful business professional who teaches at Berkeley in his spare time. Andy, along with a couple of colleagues, changed the industry of computers by inventing a silicon-based integrated circuit. Their partnership evolved to be a multi -billion dollar corporation called Intel. It was very difficult for them in the beginning because demands kept changing. There were a lot of sacrifices made, but it increased the strength of the company in the long run. Both of these men made huge contributions not only to the computer world, but the business world as well. Michael Dell created one of the most highly acclaimed computer giants in the world, Dell Computers. By producing computers that the public wants and focusing on the consumer, Michael has sold billions of dollars in computers. He has listened to his consumers, which created a staggering amount of demand. Putting the customer first has always been one of his prioritie... ... and company as a whole. They looked for short cuts to achieve their goals and followed their convictions. They have created powerful partnerships and built a company of owners that learn from their direct sources. They have developed a philosophy that focuses on the customer while thriving on the change of the economy. Michael Dell is a fantastic salesman and Andy Grove is a terrific innovator, both of which lead to an enormous success. Combined, they make true superheroes. Works Cited Krames,J. A. (2003). Place the customer at the epicenter of the business model. In What the best CEOs know: 7 exceptional leaders and their lessons for transforming any business (pp. 55-77). Krames, J. A. (2003). Prepare the Organization for Drastic Change. In What the best CEOs know: 7 exceptional leaders and their lessons for transforming any business (pp. 131-152).

Death in the stranger and night Essay

Before Meursault dies, he talks about his philosophy, and how he thinks the universe works. In this philosophical rant that he trails on, he says that nothing really matters in his life, or in anyone’s life. He begins to understand the actions of his mother towards the end of her life, and says that he understands the actions of the universe, and actually says the universe is like a brother. â€Å"As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself-so like a brother, really-I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. † (122-123). Meursault’s indifference to his own death once again represents Camus’ philosophy that death is simply an action that needs to be carried out at the end of life. This especially represents Camus’ philosophy since Meursault had been representing the philosophy of Camus in the pages beforehand, which means that Camus most likely holds this attitude towards death, which is what is being broadcast through this book. In Night, the most important death that occurs in the book, among the many that are referenced, is the death of Elie’s father. Both before and after his father’s death, Elie is extremely attached to his father, emotionally. He takes his relationship with his father so seriously that he says â€Å"I had to stay at Buchenwald until April eleventh. I have nothing to say of my life during this period. It no longer mattered. After my father’s death, nothing could touch me any more. † (107) This shows that Elie is extremely attached to his father, since his father’s death drives him to apathy towards his life. He takes the death of his father extremely seriously. The importance of his father’s life to him is shown through his continued attempts to keep him alive. In example, the head of Elie’s block tells him â€Å"Here, there are no fathers, no brothers, no friends. Everyone lives and dies for himself alone. † Instead of heeding the man’s advice, Elie decides he will keep on trying to save his father by feeding him his rations of soup and bread. This shows that Elie’s view on death is a personal one. He views death as a loss to the living. He very much cares about the fate of the dead, and would very much have them stay alive than die. The representation of death in the two novels represents the attitude towards death held by the two cultures that the books represent. The Stranger, or L’etranger, in the original French, represents French culture, since Albert Camus, who is really an Algerian, was greatly influenced by the French. Since Algeria was a French colony at the time that The Stranger written, French and Algerian culture in the sense of their philosophy on death is really the same. Night represents Eastern-European Jewish culture, seeing as Elie Wiesel, a Jew born and raised in Eastern Europe, wrote the novel and portrayed other Eastern-European Jews in it. Albert Camus’ novel The Stranger, and Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night both represented death in two very different ways. Albert Camus, through The Stranger portrayed death as a natural action that had to happen to every person at some time in his or her life, and should not be taken as seriously as it is. Elie Wiesel, through Night, argued that death should be taken seriously, as should the dying.

Iraq Backlash

The main argument in this article is that the continued involvement of the United States in the war in Iraq will lead to unforeseen and even disastrous consequences such as a civil war or even global war given the fact that the United States is ill equipped at dealing with the insurgents and in properly identifying its role in the conflict and the impact of its continued involvement in the war.The writer presents his views by first defining what backlash is and proceeding to show the escalating death toll and skirmishes that have happened in Iraq since the United States has gotten involved. The writer then paints a grim picture of future that lies ahead if the United States continues its policies and involvement in the conflicts in the Middle East and the war in Iraq.The view presented by the writer is correct to the extent that the continued involvement of the United States could indeed make them the victim of unforeseen and disastrous consequences such a rising casualties of the ar med forces currently stationed there and of the civilians. The continued involvement in Iraq could also be detrimental to the United States economy as any conflict in the Middle East causes the price of oil to rise and directly affects the economic output of any country.A prolonged war, as in this case, caused by continued United States involvement will definitely affect its economy in the long run. The writer however is too quick to point out that global war will be the direct effect of such actions. There is no substantial evidence to show that this will indeed result to a world war III or a world war IV. The other world leaders have been quick to show that the United States is acting on its own accord and have refused to lend any aid in the war in Iraq.

American Civil War and Amendment Source

It explains the basics about why the 14th Amendment was passed. It also does give many other cool facts that you could find useful. This Includes the fact that the congress had to vote for the amendment to be passed. It also does explain how the 14th Amendment did not completely free slaves. When I say this, I mean that In some places, the 14th Amendment was not active. That means that the slaves In that area, were not free. Evaluation: I did not find the source useful AT ALL. The entire book was Just text, no pictures or anything. This dad It hard to visualize what was happening In the book.Also, the fact that only a fraction of the book was about the 14th Amendment, did not help on the Informational side. I would not recommend this book to someone that Is Just researching about the 14th Amendment. Source 3: Online weapon http://w. NM. Impermeableness. Gob/]b/recon/]b_recon_reveled_l . HTML, by: Web Guides Summary: This Is a weapon created by Web Guides. They go over everything you need to know about the 14th Amendment. They say that the amendment was ratified on July 9th, 1868 and granted excellently to everyone. The senate voted yes by 33 to 11 votes.The House of Representatives voted yes by 120 to 32 votes. Overall, It granted freedom to many African-American slaves. This was for reconstruction purposes for the aftermath of the call war. Evaluation: I found this website page very useful. It had many pictures and links to give you extra facts and Information. It also showed me about what happened after It. I would recommend this weapon/website to everyone.

Home Depot Essay

Organizational talent is where the organization has the best of the best personnel in as its staff. This covers all the departments of the organization from subordinate staff, production staff as well as the technical staff. Having such a staff base can be advantageous to the organization in terms of efficiency and quality service delivery. The Home Depot Company is one such organization that has the very best personnel as members of its staff. According to Bullard (2010), there are a few basic tactics in which and organization can make maximum of use of its organizational talent and they are: Remove your Constant Underperformers: It is a waste of resources to pay an employee whose performance is not worthy talking about. Therefore in order to remain with employees who can perform, it is wise to get rid of the nonperformers. This is one strategy that the Home Depot uses to improve its service delivery. Bad apples: There are many obstacles that an organization encounters in the day to day running of its activities; therefore for there to be smooth running of the business, the organization should get rid of these internal and external obstacles. Hidden gems: Each organization has the â€Å"silent performer†. This is the employee who is never in the limelight but delivers the best services for the company. Discovering this employee and nurturing him through motivation is the best way that an organization can use to ensure that the organizations talent is maximized. High-quality outside hires: Short term outsourcing can be beneficial for the company especially in technical areas. The human resource department should always be on the look out for those potential employees who can add value to the business and hire them when need arises. The Home Depot as an international brand intends to use the following management techniques to gain a competitive advantage in the Do It Yourself industry (Hewitt, 2007). Performance Management: The performance management allows the company to evaluate the individual performance of its employees and as such it can able to tell which employee fits in which department and how to ensure they deliver the best service for the company. Compensation Management: Nothing can be more motivation an employee as being rewarded for good performance. The Home Depot Company is one such company that ensures that its best performers are recognized and rewarded. This gives them more moral to perform and deliver quality work for the company. Learning Management: Employee training forums help them to be able to learn about new production as well as sales and marketing and as such they can be able to diversify and produce more quality goods. The Home Depot intends to use this management feature to ensure that their staffs especially in the production sector are well trained and conversant with the latest market trends and designs. Social Networking: Social networking can also be referred to as team building, even thou this concept is not new at the Home Depot company, it seeks to improve it and come up with diverse methods of networking and team building. Discuss the Key Channels that Home Depot Developed for Recruiting Talent By recruiting talent, the Home Depot has been able to build the following key basic channels of organization management as well as customer relationship management. The Home Depot has been able to discover capabilities that can be used to determine the success of the customer experience as well as the customer relationship management (Hewitt, 2007). Some of the capabilities include the design and implementation of viable customer relationship management (CRM). This will be used to ensure that clients’ needs are well taken care of. Another key channel that the Home Depot developed by recruiting talent is that it has been able to determine the most productive channel for each department. This has ensured that the level of production in the organization is on steady upward progress in each and every department (Hewitt, 2007). The last key channel of development that the Home Depot develops by talent recruit is that it has been able to build a mutual relationship between itself and its various business partners and associates. This has helped it to ensure that there is smooth running of businesses it the various franchises that it operates in and outside America. Discuss the Critical Programs used by Home Depot to Keep Talent in their Pipeline  The Home Depot has put in place a few programs / strategies that are meant to ensure that the staff it hires are not tempted to jump ship and search for greener pastures but they stay committed to their work. For the new recruits, they are first guided on the various functions of the department they will assigned to, after which they are given a challenge to undertake (Hewitt, 2007). The talent will feel â€Å"empowered† by the challenge given to him / her and will strive to deliver the best, however the management is always on the standby to ensure that they are given any support that they may require. In addition to that, the skilled talents are allowed to try out a variety of roles before they can be advised on the best carrier choice to take. Finally the talents are given an opportunity to try out new innovations and ideas that they might have, by so doing the talents will feel appreciated and as such it will hard for them to leave the organization (Hewitt, 2007). Discuss Three Lessons Learned by Home Depot related to Talent Management. Some of the lessons that the Home Depot learned in relation to talent management are: Investing in talent, give programs time to work, listen and respond to naysayers. Listen and Respond to Naysayers: In every organization, there is always positive and negative criticism coming in from all quarters. The Home Depot has learnt to use the public relation skills by always giving a positive and promising feed back to any criticism that is raise against it. In so doing the company has been able to draw admirers from different regions of the world. Youth Investment: The youths can be used to determine the future of an organization, this is because of their willingness to work, learn and deliver. The youths are also innovative and filled with creative ideas. The Home Depot extensively invests in the youths in all sectors and departments. The youth are then given the responsibility of delivering quality serviced for the organization. Time: The rush by most organizations to have instant results is what makes the programs the implement fail, however when it comes to Home Depot, it has learnt to give time for the programs it implements to develop, mature before the results trickle in. y so doing, the company has been able to reap maximum inputs from the output it gives. Summation / Conclusion The Home Depot Company is a sure that with good planning and implementation, any business can grow into an empire in the shortest time possible. In addition to that investing in youth talent is another way for a company to expand rapidly. The Home Depot should spread its customer base to other untapped market like Africa where there is a lot of potential.