Responsibilities and Boundaries Essay

Roles, responsibilities and boundaries are evolving qualities within a teacher that are assessed through the teacher/training cycle. To become a successful tutor you will need to understand this cycle and include it in your daily teaching routine. The role of every tutor is to value all their learners individually and equally. A tutor has a duty of care towards learners, implicating they should carry out initial assessments of every learner, to understand their learning abilities. Every learner should be provided with any additional support they require. The learner has the responsibility to tell the tutor of any additional support they need, and the tutor should act upon this information at once to ensure the support is provided. Every organisation has different methods of teaching and providing support for learners. The tutor should know how to get access for additional support the learner needs. As learners develop a better understanding of the aims and objectives, their needs and requirements change. This should be reflected in continual reassessment. An organisation has many different initial assessments; it is the tutor’s job to know all of these. So the work can be based upon the needs of the organisation, the syllabus and the learners. As a tutor I must keep all records of teaching, plans and progression reports. I need to understand the different abilities each learner has. When I plan a lesson I must entail all the various learning methods are included, thus all learners gain some knowledge from the course. I will need to plan the lesson appropriately including the different learning styles; auditory, visual and kinaesthetic. The most common way a tutor understands the learning styles of a learner is to present them with a quiz, to analyse their own learning style. As a result the tutor will have a better understanding of the learners learning styles. To provide effective teaching I shall have to assess myself. I can do this by asking learners to fill out a questionnaire about the presentation and efficiency regarding my teaching techniques. With this information I can evaluate my teaching methods, so as to modify or make changes in the future. I shall know which new activities to plan and find the correct resources for them. Furthermore I will know what the learners expect of me and how I can stimulate their learning forward to help them reach their full potential and progress further. It is the tutor’s responsibility to make sure they have gained skills they need for the subject area they wish to teach. They are aware of all the learner abilities and to certify the learners have gained necessary skills and knowledge. The tutor has to make sure all handouts and presentations are thoroughly checked, as any mistake can have a lasting effect on the individual learner. Additionally to keep all learners engaged on the subject the tutor must use variable tactics of teaching. The boundaries of a tutor are placed to maintain a friendly but professional environment, so that the tutor or the learner cannot take advantage of either position. ‘Boundaries allow you to express your limits and to communicate the conditions or availability of certain privileges that your students desire’ (B. Jane 2010). The tutor can phone the learner, for delay of coursework or continuous absences, but it is prohibited for the teacher to harass the learner. As a tutor it is unacceptable to get emotionally involved with a student. If they require any counselling, it is the tutor’s job to reflect upon what is being said to them. As a responsible tutor it would be my utmost priority to signpost them to a counsellor within the organisation, without betraying their trust. In consequence maintaining contact on professional grounds.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 4

â€Å"Kill me, Doug. Just kill me now. Put me out of my misery.† My immortality notwithstanding, the sentiment was sincere. â€Å"Christ, Kincaid, what did you say to him?† murmured Doug. We stood off to the side of Seth Mortensen's audience, along with many others. All the seats had filled up, putting space and visibility at a premium. I was lucky to be with the staff in our reserved section, giving us a perfect view of Seth as he read from The Glasgow Pact. Not that I wanted to be in his line of sight. In fact, I really would have preferred that I never come face to face with him again. â€Å"Well,† I told Doug, keeping an eye on Paige so as not to draw attention to our whispering, â€Å"I ripped on his fans and on how long it takes for his books to come out.† Doug stared at me, his expectations exceeded. â€Å"Then I said – not knowing who he was – that I'd be Seth Mortensen's love slave in exchange for advanced copies of his books.† I didn't elaborate on my impromptu flirting. To think, I'd imagined I was boosting a shy guy's ego! Good Lord. Seth Mortensen could probably bed a different groupie every night if he wanted. Not that he seemed like the type. He'd demonstrated much of the same initial nervousness in front of the crowd as he had with me. He grew more comfortable once he started reading, however, warming to the material and letting his voice rise and fall with intensity and wry humor. â€Å"What kind of a fan are you?† Doug asked. â€Å"Didn't you know what he looked like?† â€Å"There are never pictures of him in his books! Besides, I thought he'd be older.† I guessed now that Seth was in his mid-thirties, a bit older than I looked in this body, but younger than the forty-something writer I'd always imagined. â€Å"Well, look on the bright side, Kincaid. You succeeded in your goal: you got him to notice you.† I stifled a groan, letting my head flop pathetically onto Doug's shoulder. Paige turned her head and gave us a withering glance. As usual, our manager looked stunning, wearing a red suit that set off her chocolate brown skin. The faintest swellings of pregnancy showed under the jacket, and I couldn't help but feel a tug of jealous longing. When she had first announced her unplanned pregnancy, she had laughed it off, saying: â€Å"Well, you know how these things can just happen.† But I had never known how it could â€Å"just happen.† I'd tried desperately to get pregnant as a mortal, to no avail, instead becoming an object of pity and carefully hidden – albeit not well enough – jokes. Becoming a succubus had killed whatever lingering chance I might have had at motherhood, though I hadn't realized that at the time. I had sacrificed my body's ability to create in exchange for eternal youth and beauty. One type of immortality traded for another. Long centuries give you a lot of time to accept what you can and can't have, but being reminded of it stings nonetheless. Giving Paige a smile that promised good behavior, I turned my attention back to Seth. He was just finishing up the reading and moving on to questions. As expected, the first ones asked were, â€Å"Where do you get your ideas from?† and â€Å"Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together?† He glanced briefly in my direction before answering, and I cringed, recalling my remarks about him impaling himself when those questions were asked. Turning back to his fans, he addressed the first question seriously and dodged the second one. Everything else he answered succinctly, often in a dry and subtly humorous way. He never spoke any more than he had to, always providing just enough to fulfill the questioner's requirements. The crowd clearly unnerved him, which I found a bit disappointing. Considering how punchy and clever his books were, I guess I'd expected him to speak in the same way he wrote. I wanted a confident outpouring of words and wit, a charisma to rival my own. He'd had a few good lines earlier while we spoke, I supposed, but he'd taken time to warm up to them and to me. Of course, it was unfair to make comparisons between us. He had no uncanny knack for dazzling others, nor centuries of practice behind him. Still. I had never imagined a slightly scattered introvert capable of creating my favorite books. Unjust of me, but there it was. â€Å"Everything going okay?† a voice behind us asked. I looked over and saw Warren, the store's owner and my occasional fuck-buddy. â€Å"Perfectly,† Paige told him in her crisp, efficient way. â€Å"We'll start the signing in another fifteen minutes or so.† â€Å"Good.† His eyes flicked casually over the rest of us staff and then shot back to me. He said nothing, but as he scoured me with that gaze, I could almost feel his hands undressing me. He'd come to expect sex on a regular basis, and usually I didn't fight it since he provided a quick and reliable – albeit small – fix of energy and life. His low moral character erased any guilt I might have for doing so. After the questions ended, we faced crowd control issues as everyone queued up to get their books signed. I offered to help, but Doug told me they had things under control. So, instead, I stayed out of the way, trying to avoid eye contact with Seth. â€Å"Meet me in my office when this is all over,† Warren murmured, coming up to stand close beside me. He wore a tailored, charcoal gray suit tonight, looking every inch the sophisticated literary tycoon. In spite of my distasteful opinion of a man who cheated on his wife of thirty years with a much younger employee, I still had to acknowledge a certain amount of physical charm and allure to him. After everything that had happened today, though, I was not in the mood to be sprawled across his desk when the store closed. â€Å"I can't,† I answered back softly, still watching the signing. â€Å"I'm busy afterwards.† â€Å"No you aren't. It's not a dancing night.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"But I'm doing something else.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"I have a date.† The lie came easily to my lips. â€Å"You do not.† â€Å"I do.† â€Å"You never date, so don't try that line now. The only appointment you have is with me, back in my office, preferably on your knees.† He took a step closer, speaking into my ear so that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. â€Å"Jesus, Georgina. You're so fucking hot tonight, I could take you right now. Do you have any idea what you're doing to me in that outfit?† â€Å"‘Doing to you?' I'm not ‘doing' anything. It's attitudes like that that result in women being veiled around the world, you know. It's blaming the victim.† He chuckled. â€Å"You crack me up, you know that? Do you have any panties on under that?† â€Å"Kincaid? Can you come help us over here?† I turned and saw Doug frowning at us. It would figure. He wanted my help, now that he saw Warren hitting on me. Who said there was no chivalry left in this world? Doug was one of the few who knew what passed between Warren and me, and he didn't approve. Yet, I wanted the escape, belated or no, and thus temporarily evaded Warren's lust as I walked over to assist with the book sale. It took almost two hours to shuffle customers through the signing line, and by then, the store was fifteen minutes from closing. Seth Mortensen looked a little tired but seemed to be in good spirits. My stomach flip-flopped inside me when Paige beckoned those of us not involved with closing to come over and talk to him. She introduced us matter-of-factly. â€Å"Warren Lloyd, store owner. Doug Sato, assistant manager. Bruce Newton, cafe manager. Andy Kraus, sales. And you already know Georgina Kincaid, our other assistant manager.† Seth nodded politely, shaking everyone's hand. When he reached me, I averted my eyes, waiting for him to just move on. When he did not, I mentally cringed, bracing myself for some comment about our previous encounters. Instead, all he said was, â€Å"G.K.† I blinked. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"G.K.,† he repeated, as though those letters made perfect sense. When my idiotic expression persisted, he gave a swift head jerk toward one of the promotional flyers for tonight's event. It read: If you haven't heard of Seth Mortensen, then you obviously haven't been living on this planet for the last eight years. He's only the hottest thing to hit the mystery/contemporary fiction market, making the competition look like scribbles in a child's picture book. With several bestselling titles to his name, the illustrious Mr. Mortensen writes both self-standing novels and continual installments in the stunningly popular Cady & O'Neill series. The Glasgow Pact continues the adventures of these intrepid investigators as they travel abroad this time, continuing to unravel archaeological mysteries and engage in the persistent witty, sexual banter we've come to love them for. Guys, if you can't find your girlfriends tonight, they're here with The Glasgow Pact, wishing you were as suave as O'Neill. – G.K. â€Å"You're G.K. You wrote the bio.† He looked to me for confirmation, but I couldn't speak, wouldn't utter the clever acknowledgment about to spring from my lips. I was too afraid. After my earlier mishaps, I feared saying the wrong thing. Finally, confused by my silence, he asked haltingly, â€Å"Are you a writer? It's really good.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Ah.† A few moments passed in cool silence. â€Å"Well. I guess some people write the stories, and others live them.† That sounded like a dig of sorts, but I bit my lip on any response, still playing my new ice-bitch role, wanting to defuse the earlier flirtation. Paige, not understanding the tension between Seth and me, still felt it and tried to allay it. â€Å"Georgina's one of your biggest fans. She was absolutely ecstatic when she found out you were coming here.† â€Å"Yeah,† added Doug wickedly. â€Å"She's practically a slave to your books. Ask her how many times she's read The Glasgow Pact.† I shot him a murderous look, but Seth's attention focused back on me, genuinely curious. He's trying to bring back our earlier rapport, I realized sadly. I couldn't let that happen now. â€Å"How many?† I swallowed, not wanting to answer, but the weight of all those eyes grew too heavy. â€Å"None. I haven't finished it yet.† Practiced poise allowed me to utter those words calmly and confidently, hiding my discomfort. Seth looked puzzled. So did everyone else; they all stared at me, rightfully perplexed. Only Doug knew the joke. â€Å"None?† asked Warren with a frown. â€Å"Hasn't it been out for over a month now?† Doug, the bastard, grinned. â€Å"Tell them the rest. Tell them how much you read a day.† I wished then that the floor would open up and swallow me whole, so I could escape this nightmare. As if coming off as an arrogant strumpet in front of Seth Mortensen wasn't bad enough, Doug was now shaming me into confessing my ridiculous habit. â€Å"Five,† I finally said. â€Å"I only read five pages a day.† â€Å"Why?† asked Paige. She had apparently never heard this story. I could feel my cheeks turning red. Paige and Warren stared at me like I was from another planet while Seth simply continued to remain silent and look thoughtfully distracted. I took a deep breath and spoke in a rush: â€Å"Because†¦ because it's so good, and because there's only one chance to read a book for the first time, and I want it to last. That experience. I'd finish it in a day otherwise, and that'd be like†¦ like eating a carton of ice cream in one sitting. Too much richness over too quickly. This way, I can draw it out. Make the book last longer. Savor it. I have to since they don't come out that often.† I promptly shut up, realizing I had just insulted Seth's writing prowess†¦ again. He made no response to my comment, and I couldn't decipher the expression on his face. Considering, maybe. Once again, I silently begged the floor to consume me and save me from this humiliation. It obstinately refused. Doug smiled reassuringly at me. He found my habit cute. Paige, who apparently did not, looked as though she shared my wish that I be somewhere else. She cleared her throat politely and started a completely new line of conversation. After that, I scarcely paid attention to what anybody said. All I knew was that Seth Mortensen probably thought I was an erratic nutcase, and I couldn't wait for this night to end. â€Å"†¦ Kincaid would do it.† The sound of my name brought me back around several minutes later. â€Å"What?† I turned to Doug, the speaker. â€Å"Wouldn't you?† he repeated. â€Å"Wouldn't I what?† â€Å"Show Seth around the city tomorrow.† Doug spoke patiently, as if to a child. â€Å"Get him acquainted with the area.† â€Å"My brother's too busy,† explained Seth. What did his brother have to do with anything? And why did he need to get acquainted with the area? I faltered, unwilling to admit I'd spaced out just now while wallowing in self-pity. â€Å"If you don't want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Seth hesitantly. â€Å"Of course she does.† Doug nudged me. â€Å"Come on. Climb out of your hole.† We exchanged smartass looks, worthy of Jerome and Carter. â€Å"Yeah, fine. Whatever.† We arranged the logistics of me meeting Seth, and I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. I no longer wanted to stand out. In fact, I would have preferred if he could have just blotted me from his mind forever. Hanging out as we toured Seattle tomorrow didn't seem like the best way to make that happen. If anything, it would probably only result in more foolish behavior on my part. Conversation finally faded. As we were about to disperse, I suddenly realized something. â€Å"Oh. Hey. Mr. Mortensen. Seth.† He turned toward me. â€Å"Yeah?† I frantically tried to say something that would undo the tangled mess of mixed signals and embarrassment he and I had stumbled into. Unfortunately, the only things that came to mind were: Where do you get your ideas from? and Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together? Dismissing such idiocy, I simply shoved my book over to him. â€Å"Can you sign this?† He took it. â€Å"Uh, sure.† A pause. â€Å"I'll bring it back tomorrow. â€Å" Deprive me of my book for the night? Hadn't I suffered enough? â€Å"Can't you just sign it now?† He shrugged haplessly, as though the matter were out of his control. â€Å"I can't think of anything to write.† â€Å"Just sign your name.† â€Å"I'll bring it back tomorrow,† he repeated, walking away with my copy of The Glasgow Pact like I hadn't even said anything. Appalled, I seriously considered running over and beating him up for it, but Warren suddenly tugged on my arm. â€Å"Georgina,† he said pleasantly as I stared desperately at my retreating book, â€Å"we still need to discuss that matter in my office.† No. No way. I definitely wasn't putting out after this debacle of an evening. Turning slowly toward him, I shook my head. â€Å"I told you, I can't.† â€Å"Yeah, I know already. Your fictitious date.† â€Å"It's not fictitious. It's – â€Å" My eyes desperately scanned for escape as I spoke. While no magical portals appeared in the cookbook section, I suddenly locked gazes with a guy browsing our foreign language books. He smiled curiously at my attention, and in a flash, I made a ballsy choice. † – with him. It's with him.† I waved my hand at the strange guy and beckoned him over. He looked understandably surprised, setting his book down and walking toward us. When he arrived, I slung my arm around him familiarly, giving him a look that had been known to bring kings to their knees. â€Å"Are you ready to go?† Mild astonishment flashed in his eyes – which were beautiful, by the way. An intense green-blue. To my relief, he played along and returned my serve masterfully. â€Å"You bet.† His own arm snaked around me, his hand resting on my hip with surprising presumption. â€Å"I would have been here sooner, but I got held up in traffic.† Cute. I glanced at Warren. â€Å"Rain check for our talk?† Warren looked from me to the guy and then back to me. â€Å"Sure. Yes. Of course.† Warren had proprietary feelings toward me, but they weren't strong enough for him to challenge a younger competitor. A few of my coworkers also watched with interest. Like Warren, none of them had ever really seen me date anyone. Seth Mortensen busied himself packing up a briefcase, never meeting my eyes again, for all the world oblivious to my existence. He didn't even respond when I said goodbye. Probably just as well. My â€Å"date† and I left the store, stepping out into the cool night. The precipitation had stopped, but clouds and city lights blotted out the stars. Studying him, I kind of wished maybe we were going out after all. He was tall – really tall. Probably at least ten inches taller than my diminutive five-four. His hair was black and wavy, brushed away from a deeply tanned face that nearly made those sea-colored eyes glow. He wore a long, black wool coat and a scarf with a black, burgundy, and green plaid pattern. â€Å"Thanks,† I said as we paused to stand on the street corner. â€Å"You saved me from an†¦ unpleasant situation.† â€Å"My pleasure.† He held out his hand to me. â€Å"I'm Roman.† â€Å"Nice name.† â€Å"I guess. It reminds me of a romance novel.† â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Yeah. No one's really named that in real life. But in romance novels, there are a million of them. ‘Roman the Fifth Duke of Wellington.' ‘Roman the Terrible yet Dashing and Eerily Attractive Pirate of the High Seas.' â€Å" â€Å"Hey, I think I read that last one. I'm Georgina.† â€Å"So I see.† He nodded toward the staff ID badge I wore around my neck. Probably an excuse to check out my cleavage. â€Å"Is that outfit the standard uniform for assistant managers?† â€Å"This outfit's becoming a real pain in the ass actually,† I noted, thinking of the various reactions it had elicited. â€Å"You can wear my coat. Where do you want to go tonight?† â€Å"Where do I – ? We aren't going out. I told you: you just saved me from a minor entanglement, that's all.† â€Å"Hey, that's still got to be worth something,† he countered. â€Å"A handkerchief? A kiss on the cheek? Your phone number?† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Oh, come on. Did you see how good I was? I didn't miss a beat when you roped me in with that come-hither look of yours.† I couldn't deny that. â€Å"All right. It's 555-1200.† â€Å"That's the store number.† â€Å"How did you know that?† He pointed to the Emerald City sign behind me. It contained all of the store's contact information. â€Å"Because I'm literate. â€Å" â€Å"Wow. That puts you, like, ten steps above most of the guys that hit on me.† He turned hopeful. â€Å"So does that mean we can go out sometime?† â€Å"Nope. I appreciate your help tonight, but I don't date.† â€Å"Don't think of it as a date then. Think of it as†¦ a meeting of minds.† The way he looked at me suggested he wanted to meet more than just my mind. I shivered involuntarily, but I wasn't cold. In fact, I was starting to feel unnervingly warm. He unbuttoned his coat. â€Å"Here. You're freezing. Wear this while I take you home. My car's around the corner.† â€Å"I live within walking distance.† His coat was still warm from his body and smelled nice. A combination of cK One and, well, man. Yum. â€Å"Then let me walk you home.† His persistence was charming, which was all the more reason I had to end things now. This was exactly the kind of quality guy I needed to avoid. â€Å"Come on,† Roman begged when I didn't answer. â€Å"This isn't much to ask for. I'm not a stalker or anything. All I want is one walk home. Then you never have to see me again.† â€Å"Look, you barely even know me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused, reconsidering what he'd said. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Okay what?† â€Å"Okay, you can walk me home.† â€Å"Really?† He brightened. â€Å"Yup.† Three minutes later, when we arrived at my apartment building, he threw up his hands in dismay. â€Å"That wasn't fair at all. You're practically next door.† † ‘One walk home.' That was all you asked for.† Roman shook his head. â€Å"Not fair. Not fair at all. But† – he looked up hopefully at my building – â€Å"at least I know where you live now.† â€Å"Hey! You said you weren't a stalker.† He grinned, gorgeous white teeth flashing against his tanned skin. â€Å"It's never too late to start.† Leaning down, he kissed my hand and gave me a wink. â€Å"Until we meet again, fair Georgina.† He turned and walked off into the Queen Anne night. I watched him go, still feeling his lips on my skin. What an unexpected – and perplexing – twist to the evening. When he was no longer in sight, I turned around and went into my building. I was halfway up the stairs when I realized I was still wearing his coat. How was I going to get it back to him? He did that on purpose, I realized. He let me keep it. I suddenly knew then that I would be seeing wily Duke Roman again. Probably sooner, rather than later. Chuckling, I continued on to my apartment, halting after just a few more steps. â€Å"Not again,† I muttered in exasperation. Familiar sensations swirled behind my apartment door. Like a glittering tempest. Like the humming of bees in the air. There was a group of immortals inside my home. What the fuck? Did I need to start charging admission to my apartment? Why did everyone suddenly think they could just go right inside when I wasn't there? It occurred to me then, ever so briefly, that I had not sensed Jerome and Carter's presence earlier. They had caught me completely unaware. That was weird, but I had been too distracted by their news to pay much attention to anything else. Similarly, my current anger did not allow me to further ponder that odd piece of trivia now. I was too annoyed. Slinging my purse over one shoulder, I stormed into my home.

Business communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Business communication - Essay Example Joe recently asked me if he could take his annual two-week vacation in the very near future. I have tried to get Joe to reconsider and possibly postpone this vacation because I know that our department will be extremely busy over the next few weeks. To this, Joe politely turned me down. However, it gets worse. What he then said to me was that he would not be returning after he has taken his annual leave. This is potentially a small problem for our department because it would take us at least two to three weeks to recruit and hire a qualified replacement. Also, I know that it is the company’s policy not to give paid vacations for employees who will not be working for at least three months after a vacation. I think that I have come up with a solution that will satisfy all parties, namely Joe Smith and our company. I have already discussed my opinion with Joe at length and he is willing to go along with what I am proposing. My idea is that Joe splits his annual vacation up into two parts—one week on two separate occasions. The first week would be taken almost immediately. Our department could manage without Joe for a week as long as we all pulled together. Then, after Joe has had a week off, he would return to work for the next three months. Because of this, his first week of vacation would be paid. During our busy period over the next couple of months, Joe would be working as hard as he always has. Once these three months are up, Joe would then take another week’s vacation. However, he would not be returning to work after this second week’s vacation period. The compromise would be that this would also be a paid vacation even though it goes against company policy. T his would be our company’s way of extending a hand in thanks that Joe worked three months longer than he planned to. Joe had originally planned to find another job after his two weeks of vacation—he already has a job lined up. Joe has

The Realization of Speech Act Requests encountered by Iraqi Learners Dissertation

The Realization of Speech Act Requests encountered by Iraqi Learners of English in Australian Universities - Dissertation Example The direct strategies will compare the respondents on the basis of imperative, performative, statements of obligation & necessity, statements of speaker’s needs and demands, and statements of speaker’s wishes and desires. The conventionally indirect strategies will focus on the suggestory formulae, the hearer’s ability when preparing a query and the hearer’s will when preparing a query. This is followed by the permission requests which are again query preparatory in the conventionally indirect strategies. The non-conventionally indirect strategies include the grounders, the feasibility for the requested act and the availability. At first the respondents were asked specific questions based on the ways in which they behave with other people when communicating or asking for particular requests in order to fulfill their requirements in one way or the other. This distribution clearly shows that the Iraqi learners living in Australia are more conservative and us e the conventionally indirect approach when asking other people for something or requesting other people for help in any of their quests. Most of them rely on the ability of the person they are talking to for their desired queries. This is followed by the ones who put in a permission request in order to satisfy their needs. 4.1 Choice of Strategy in High Power Settings: Question 1: The first question shows that the order questions made by the Iraqi people who have been in Australia for a shorter span of time will be focusing more on the permission request strategy which is conventionally indirect in the Australian English. These people are the ones who have been in Australia for a few months and others and have not been able to adapt the culture and the way Australians behave in a proper way. Almost 31.2% of the Iraqi people living in Australia will follow permission strategy which is followed by the hearer’s ability as 25.74% Iraqi’s were more inclined to use this as part of the request for the query that they may seek to ask for anything they have to. This is followed by the imperative style which takes in 22.86% of the answers of the Iraqi’s. This shows that they will be asking in a demanding way. There was equal distribution of respondents in their perspectives of the needs of speaker’s needs and demands and the speaker’s wishes and desires. This toll was around 8.57% of the 35 Iraqi respondents who were available for this survey. This shows that the Iraqi speakers will make some same and some different choices in terms of strategy compared to Vietnamese and the Australian speakers. Most of the Australian speakers use the permission and the ability strategy in order to make a request. The Vietnamese speakers will also use the imperative strategy along with the permission and the ability strategy. The rate at which they use the permission strategy is the same as compared to the rate of imperative strategy. Comparatively, t he Iraqi people will look forward to the permission strategy mostly, followed with the hearer’s ability when forming the strategy. They will also use the imperative strategy when it is needed but to a lesser extent compared to that of the Australians and the Vietnamese. Question 2: The second question was based on a situation in which one is an office manager who is looking for a document. The document is to be seen immediately after the meeting

La Misma Luna Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

La Misma Luna - Essay Example La Misma Luna is a modern day film that takes the viewers on a journey. The setting of the film varies significantly, but presents different environment and situation that the character finds himself. Besides, the setting ranges from lavish cities and restaurants in Los Angels to poverty-stricken background of the boy. In addition, the boy finds himself in the truck as he illegal gets immigrated by coyotes. The director of the film in bringing out the crude mode of trans-border dubious strategies succeeded in highlighting reckless police checks at the border. As the film progresses, the boy finds himself at the edge of being caught by the police. In the same scene, some women dresses provocatively around the restaurant suggestive of females working in the sex trade. In addition, men characters are seen wearing small boxer shorts an indication of immorality at the restaurants where immigrants find themselves working. The film portrays a woman smoking, men drinking beer and using derogatory language as they watch a football match. La Misma Luna â€Å" you bastard come here†. It is, therefore, certain that through costume designs immorality is brought to focus. In Mexico, the scenes appear darker an indication of sheer poverty. In addition, the Rosario, the leading protagonist is among the few lucky people to enjoy the bright U.S environment. In one of the scenes, Rosario is awakened by an alarm and she shouts "Are you up?" However, the lighting and the scene changes to Mexico to Carlitos as he prepares to leave in pursuit of his mother. In this scene, the lighting, costumes and setting helps to bring out the contrast of life in these two different worlds. The boy meets a benevolent fellow migrant Enrique although they separated shortly after crossing border. In this scene, the three-pointer light use helps in unraveling the boy emotional

A Code of Ethics for Corporate Code of Ethics Essay

A Code of Ethics for Corporate Code of Ethics - Essay Example In fact, responsibility and respect toward those in need of help may simply disappear if people disregard universal codes of conduct and are driven by personal prejudices. Nevertheless, caring for and participating with people of different tastes and identities would jump-start an upward trend of a company’s reputation. There are several reasons why it works. First, genuinely human intentions coming from a company make people more devoted to it. Second, consumerism is driven by people’s choices. Third, being ethical complements universal tendency for goodness, though it makes companies grow rich. In accordance to my workplace dilemma, it was essential for me to take the right part in the situation. Racial profiling is impossible when talking about code of ethics in medicine. Otherwise, the universal codes of ethics among paramedics would fail to be true. Egocentricity and biases are those drives which influenced the law enforcement and my partner. As I see, sociocentric thought fulfilled their narrow-minded vision of the situation (Paul & Elder, 2006). It appeared for them to be of rationality not to take care of the man bleeding from his neck. However, I disregarded this viewpoint, even though it was predominant at that time, and refused such a self-serving perspective going apart from ethnical minorities. As a result, it was a good a chance to improve, since the man had positive consequences after we provided him with a medical care.

Employment Testing and Human Resource Management Article

Employment Testing and Human Resource Management - Article Example The researcher states that while Ajila and Okafor give a detailed and informative account of employment testing, the relevance of such testing in Human Resource Management is given only superficial treatment. Ajila and Okafor define Human Resources Management, its objective in matching organizational goals with employee skills, and the use of employment testing as a step in any â€Å"comprehensive screening program†. The authors present an in-depth account of the origin and nature of employment testing, beginning with its roots in the tests of Francis Galton in 1883, and its evolution over the decades: from Alfred Binet’s scales, the Stanford-Binet test, and the Army Tests used in World War I. Ajila and Okafor go on to define psychological tests, and analyze employment testing in terms of validity and reliability. As personnel selection is one of the most significant features of Human Resource Management, the authors explore validity (accuracy, legitimacy) and reliabili ty (dependability or consistency) in terms of measures used to assess the â€Å"attributes related to success on the job†. The authors give a comprehensive report of the various types of tests used in personnel screening and selection, based on cognitive ability, mechanical ability, motor and sensory ability, aptitude, personality, and knowledge. By providing examples of each kind of test, the authors further elucidate the nature of employment testing and the purpose and use of the different tests. Ajila and Okafor conclude with the unequivocal assertion that employment testing should definitely be a part of the process of personnel selection. While the authors give a commendably detailed analysis of the history of psychological testing, and a comprehensive list of the types of tests, the article does not make a strong enough case for the inclusion of such testing in the personnel selection process. Ajila and Okafor do not quote any studies or research to back their stand tha t employment testing is a reliable and valid method of personnel selection.

My Reason for Becoming a Nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Reason for Becoming a Nurse - Essay Example Caring for patients in their own environments is both rewarding and challenging. The many dynamics present in a home environment often require an interdisciplinary approach to issues and concerns. As I review my career, I realize my focus has been on teaching others - another reason I love nursing is that it allows me to do this. I get a great deal of personal satisfaction from helping patients, and from helping families care for their loved ones. This involves teaching them about disease processes, medication, and signs and symptoms of complications from terminal illness. Most important of all to me is to give my patients the best quality of life possible, and to show their families how they can help their loved ones. I am presently working as an Admission Nurse in a hospice. This work is unlike any I have previously experienced. Having now worked in the hospice for 18 months I have realized that you truly must have a calling to help others during such a crucial period in their lives. Many people are so overwhelmed that it is necessary to approach the patient from a holistic approach. I truly endorse the hospice philosophy because I feel that an interdisciplinary approach to health care is very important. This role is very challenging, and flexibility is essential in providing good care.

Model of Family Therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Model of Family Therapy - Essay Example I have always observed that people of a family interact with one another on an emotional level. The emotions may not apparently be quite obvious or visible, but they lay the basis of everyday decisions that have an impact upon the overall emotional and psychological balance of the family. It is usually quite helpful to study the social perceptions of the respective roles of different members of a family because most of the times, people tend to stick to these social norms. â€Å"Social constructionism †¦ can offer new possibilities for assessment and intervention with families.† (Worden, 2002, p. 13). Among numerous models of family therapy, I feel that the structural model of family therapy is based on similar principles and adopts a similar approach towards the resolution of the problem. That is why I think the Structural family therapy model fits best my style or personality. A therapist (Marriage and Family Therapist Career) employing SFT must first assess the familyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s interactions, figuring out the family’s hierarchy, alliances within the family, such as a mother and son against a father, or siblings against another sibling or siblings. (AllPsychologyCareers.com, 2011). The structural model of family therapy emphasizes upon a change in the structure of family and requires the therapist to play a very active role in bringing about the change. This model can be applied to a whole range of emotional imbalances. This model perceives family which may show an evolutionary transformation. The family is essentially a living open system in which the individuals depend upon one another to satisfy their individualistic needs. â€Å"Families are organizationally complex emotional systems that may comprise at least three – and increasingly today, as a result of longer life expectancies – four generations† (Goldenberg and Goldenberg, 2008, p. 4). Such families can be characterized by such traits as conflict avoidance, inter generational associations, lack of growth and triangulation. In the structural model of family therapy, the therapist sees the problem behavior as a component of the family’s stagnation. Thus, the therapist assesses the perceptual and transactional structure which is supportive of the symptom instead of serving as a causal factor. Accordingly, change occurs in terms of the family structure’s modification. This involves changes in the distance between various family members, positional changes. In addition to that, the hierarchical relations are redefined and a different set of rules for the family is explored. What I like the most about the structural model of family therapy is the fact that it illustrates the significance of the emotional inter-relatedness of the family members more than their blood relations with one another. A father may be blood-related to his child, but he may not be experiencing the necessary emotional relationship with the child. Likewise, the c hild may not be as close a relative of an uncle or aunt but may be more comfortable in sharing his problems with him/her. All the therapist is required is to see how to manipulate the structure of the family. In this model of family therapy, the therapist plays with distances in a way that all family members share optimal distance with one another. It is more like a game in which success is achieved by adequate positioning of

Reflection on Practice - Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflection on Practice - Portfolio - Essay Example , titled "The Darkest Corners," details the grim conditions and human rights abuses faced by people who are committed to psychiatric care against their will, even if they do not pose a demonstrable threat of harm to themselves or to others. "[Such individuals] are denied the right to make decisions regarding their own fate, including admission, discharge, and treatment," CHRD said in an e-mailed statement. "Forced medical treatment, violence, and mistreatment occur frequently." It said psychiatric care facilities frequently restrict or prevent patients from communicating with the outside world, including their relatives and lawyers, and assume that patients relatives have the right to direct their treatment, even if the person is still quite capable of thinking for themselves. Under the Chinese mental health system, patients have no right to independent reviews upon admission or during their time in psychiatric hospitals, and the judicial system is unwilling to handle cases brought by former psychiatric patients. The report cited the case of Fujian website editor Cheng Tianfu, who was reportedly kidnapped by a group of psychiatric healthcare workers in a van in January, 2008, while on his way to the train station to catch a train to Beijing. "During his one-month detention in the hospital, Cheng was subjected to electric shocks and forcibly medicated," CHRD said. "Only when Cheng’s family consented to his discharge was he allowed to leave the hospital." Chinas rapid economic growth and deepening social inequalities are ramping up stress across the population, with urban white-collar workers, high-flyers, and young people all seeking psychological help in unprecedented numbers, mental health professionals say. Even the medically-based psychiatric profession was virtually nonexistent until well after the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) had ended, and psychologists were almost unheard of until about a decade ago. Meanwhile, Wang Wanxing, founder of the

Favorite Holidays Essay Example for Free

Favorite Holidays Essay 1. One of my favorite Holidays is 4th of July. A few years ago my dad and I went to Washington to pick out some illegal fireworks. So we went to the Black Cat firework store . I got some mortars and roman candles and all the fun fireworks you could think of. So the day before 4th of July we were lighting off a few roman candles and all of a sudden a under cover police car pulled into our driveway and the police officer inside the car said â€Å"are you lighting off illegal fireworks?† because he saw me with the roman candles, and my dad said â€Å"yes† so the police officer confiscated all the fireworks we had bought and were fined a thousand dollars. We did get our ticket reduced down to $250 because we attended a fire works class. This definitely opened my eyes to the danger of fire works. From that day forward, I’ve learned not to do anything your not supposed to do, like buy illegal fireworks. 2. My sister graduated last year and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her passion. She grew up training in dance and singing. We have a close family and we support her all the way. My family and I traveled to see her this summer. She sang originals song and danced with her back up dancers for the music label industry. Very important people were their to see her. She did fantastic and is signing with a major record label. She will be releasing her single by the end of this year and her album in Januarary of 2014. This was a big eye opener to me to know that working hard and pursuing your dreams can really come true. 3. A couple years ago my grandmother passed away. She was very sick the last few days she was alive and my family and I knew she only had a few more days before she was to pass away. I helped her all that I could and so did my parents. She was a great grandmother and nobody could replace her, she was my dads mother, she was the best grandmother anybody could ask for. I remember the game we use to play when she would babysit me, it was called hide the thimble. She had a thumb thimble for sewing, and we use to hide it all over her house kind of like hide and seek, she also used to make the best brownies I have ever eaten. But from that day on I have always learned one thing, you never know how much you miss someone until there gone.

A Study of Job Stress in Call Centre Employees

A Study of Job Stress in Call Centre Employees CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION â€Å"A STUDY OF JOB STRESS AMONG EMPLOYEES OF ACCENTURE CALL CENTRE IN BANGALORE† INTRODUCTION In all walks of life, people suffer from some degree of stress due to factors known and unknown. The causes may be the increasing complexity of modern living, insecurity in work environment, growing confusion regarding the future, etc. Stress may be lead to psychological, social and physiological disorders. Individuals need to learn ways and means of effectively copying with stress. The work place has become ever more demanding of our time and effort. With the increased efficiency and productivity brought to us by the computer and communication innovations of recent years, you would think that life would be easier. But we have been carried into an increasingly frantic work-day by the need to master ever more complicated technology; to be quicker, faster and more innovative; and to advance and make more money. There is less time for lunch, for leisure, for family. Even when we are away from the job, we can be reached or hooked into a weekend project by computer and the internet. With work demands more and more intrusive in our lives, we may experience subtle but progressive symptoms of physical and psychological stress. In todays world, stress has become a common phenomenon and it is so widespread that people and organizations should be concerned about how to manage it more effectively. Pressures to perform in a climate of rapid economic and technological change, especially in developing countries like India, cause stress. It is a fact that stress affects individual and organizational productivity and strategies to cope with stress requires greater attention. â€Å"Everybody talks about what stress is, but nobody knows what it is† What is Stress? Stress refers to physiological, psychological behavioral reactions to events appraised as threatening or exceeding ones level of coping responses and options. DYNAMICS OF WORK STRESS: An important part of ones life is that there are various causes that lead to a great deal of stress in ones job or work. Work related stress is of growing concern because it has significant impact on the productivity of the employees, resulting in economic implications for the organization. Work stress may be due to both ‘on the job factors and extra-organizational factors. On the job factors are as follows: 1. Poor working conditions, workload monotony. 2. Role conflict and role ambiguity. 3. Lack of promotional opportunities, policies and job insecurity. 4. Poor relationships at work. 5. Poor organizational culture. Over above these, there are extra-organizational stressors that interact with ‘on-the-job factors. These are family problems, personal problems and social problems. Stress can cause a disturbance in sleep, loss of appetite or libido. You might stay up all night worrying about the project thats due in two weeks. Food no longer tastes good, or it tastes too good and youre eating all the time and starting to gain weight. The total amount of stress emanating from theses sectors will depend on the tolerance limit of the person. 1. Euphoria on getting a new job: The persons appointment to a new job is accompanied by an euphoric feeling of excitement, enthusiasm, challenge and pride. Dysfunctional processes at this stage would include the depletion of energy reserves in coping and adapting to the new environment. 2. The full throttle stage: Gradually vague feelings of loss, fatigue and confusion may arise because of the rapid depletion of resources. Other symptoms include dissatisfaction; sleep disturbances and escapist tendencies such as overeating, drinking coffee/tea/alcohol, or even smoking. 3. The chronic symptoms stage: Fuel shortage could gradually lead to the development of chronic and more pronounced physiological symptoms. Chronic exhaustion, physical illness, anger and depression may overpower the person. 4. The crisis stage: As the symptoms persist the person enters the crisis stage. He develops as escapist attitude and feels oppressed. Chronic backaches, headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia and even peptic ulcers and asthma develop. 5. Hitting the wall stage: No person can continue under strain for too long as ones energy resources are not infinite. Under the pressure of constant stress couples with the physical and mental effects, one may reach the end of ones professional career. In other words, burn Out Stress Syndrome (ROSS) may occur. At the other extreme, i.e., under conditions of extreme stress, Rust out Stress Syndrome (ROSS) may be seen. This is most likely to occur when the gap between ones capabilities and environmental demands becomes too wide. Reactions or effects of excessive work stress take an exacerbated form in some occupations. In service oriented jobs, or for instance, in which one is forced to constantly engage in interpersonal dealings (which are referred to as people oriented jobs) a stage is reached when one starts feeling that enough is enough, the job has become impossible. This stage is called burnout and can be likened to the burnout of an electric bulb, which has had to glow constantly over an extended period of time. In much the same way, when an individual is forced to â€Å"put on a smile†, in other words to â€Å"glow† constantly, the eventuality can be burnout. People working in customer-oriented services such as call centers, are more prone to such burnout effects. The chief cause of burnout is unrelieved work stress which results in emotional and / or physical exhaustion, lowered job productivity and increased dissatisfaction and pessimism at work.The utility industry has undergone a ma ssive transformation over the past decade. Local markets have been deregulated, while at the same time local and regional firms are rapidly disappearing as ownership becomes more centralized. To date there has been far less attention given to the impact theses changes have had on workers in the utility industry. Far less is known about the workers who remain, their jobs, their working conditions, their joys, and their struggles. Given the tumultuous changes in the utility industry, theirs are not the same jobs that existed five or ten years ago. This paper focuses on one group of workers in the utility industry call center representatives. These are the women and men who assist residents and businesses in establishing or changing their utility service and troubleshooting problems that customers might have with their service, their billing, and a host of other issues. While perhaps less visible than the men and women who work on poles or read meters, call center representatives are an important part of the workforce in the utility industry. While there has been considerable research on customer service representatives in the telecommunications industry, [1] there has been virtually no research on call center representatives in the utility industry. Thus there is a need to know what causes stress to call center representatives and if their company helps them to overcome it. Turnover rates in call centers around the world are extremely high. Some facilities exceed 200 percent. Although there are a variety of reasons for employee turnover, call center managers must look to a major psychological factor called burnout. The conditions of the call center and the job of the TSR/CSR cause stress in call center reps. It is a fast-paced, high-stress job that can become very repetitive. Continuous repetition without change or the chance leads to boredom or anxiety. Without a release for these negative feelings, reps experience stress. INDUSTRY PROFILE CALL CENTER INDUSTRY Call Centers are defined as Operational Centers set up to utilize telecommunication and computer technologies to automate various high-volume inbound and outbound telephone activities and services. Inbound call centers are typically characterized as cost centers. Outbound call centers are generally characterized as profit centers. These days all call centers are becoming both inbound and outbound by taking advantage of blending technology and hence their characterization into one of the categories is becoming increasingly difficult. Most call centers successfully operational currently are fairly large and have some experience in the form of promoters having worked abroad or previous experience with such ventures or as subsidiaries of foreign companies. Call centers are typically mixed mode centers used for customer support and service. Two primary reasons why captive call centers are implemented are cost reduction and enhanced customer service. There are two kinds of technologies available for call centers Traditional EPABX based and Server based technology. Traditional EPABX based call center: Historically, call centers evolved from being a place with just telephone lines landing on agents desks. Then a PBX was added to distribute calls coming on common lines. Over time, Predictive Dialers, IVR systems and CTI were added to create a full-fledged call center. Server Based Call Center: A server based call center integrates all the components of a call center into server as software components. Server based call centers offer three main advantages. One dramatically lower cost. A server based call center costs far less. Standard hardware and software components rather than proprietary systems and the elimination of expensive and difficult due to the need for integrating proprietary systems from different vendors the total cost of ownership upto one fourth of the traditional architecture. Other advantages of server based call centers is, they provide in increasing the sale of operations. Most of the information delivery is moving towards the web and hence web integration becomes very important for providing good access to customers. The multimedia handling capability of server based systems will become crucial in the coming years as communication will be through rich â€Å"Hypermedia†, which will seamlessly integrate video, voice and data. EQUIPMENT SIZING Both telecommunication and computer equipment must be sized appropriately to handle call loads projected for a call center. A certain number of incoming PSTN trunks will be required to handle a specific load. PBX/ACD and IVR units must have an appropriate number of network connections. Appropriate sizing of each of these components is essential for efficient call center implementation and operation. Server based call center architectures are generally non-blocking, hence the complexity is reduced to estimating the call load, which is used to derive the number of PSTN ports required. A general rule of thumb is that the ratio of PSTN ports to number of agents for effective agent utilization should be between 1.5 to 2. Telecommunication equipment is generally sized based on peak loads and desired performance levels. Various formulas and queuing algorithms are used to determine line and port configurations for incoming call center operations. Call Centers initially recruited employees with minimum educational qualification, with a good command over the English language. A basic graduation degree will no longer be enough to land a call center job. The slow down in securing customers for basic call centers is making existing call center operators move up the value chain by repositioning themselves as help desks. Several players are already gearing up to offer both services under the same roof. The transition from call center to help desk will also spur the demand for better qualified professionals, software engineers for instance, since a help desks basic function is to provide customers with quick solutions to specific problems. According to Harsh Manglik country managing director of Accenture India. â€Å"A typical call centers is perceived to be made up of low end operators answering customer calls. But we are moving up the value chain to position the call center as a help desk for telecom and health care companies†. India has traditionally been used by multinationals to offer help desk services. IBM out sources its support and helpdesk services to its facilities in Bangalore for its operating system OS2. Now independent companies are also getting into the act. He says â€Å"Once you can convince the customer about the reliability of the telecom infrastructure and ensure that the leased lines will not go down, it is easier to get business. Most customers are aware there is trained manpower in India to offer theses services†. Today, about four percent of the total employment in US is in support services. Most companies are now looking at relocating their support service functions to places like India, which offers a cost advantage. To capture this business, existing call center operators will have to upgrade to help desks, which is where the money is. â€Å"What prospects does India has to have become one the major source of customer service industry?† With India emerging as call center capital of the CRM world, many MNCs and start-ups are setting operations here. The country has become an obvious choice of the industry as it provides a large pool of English speaking professionals who are also very passionate about making a career in the field of IT enabled services. India is well placed to handle back office fulfillment and Business process delivery systems in areas such as Internet-, HR- Accounting Services, Transaction Processing Services plus Customers Service. India has a large population of highly educated people, a well developed software and CTI Industry and a large unemployed workforce cost of labor is Computer Software Integrators with a proven track record in both software development, implementation application area. But Call Center business is not just plug and play. You need to have an excellent understanding of the industry. You have to deal in quality and there is no second chance. Words once said by the agent are gone. The level of skill and quality required is much higher when the agents have to sell a product or service to a remote customer. v The English spoken by Indians is a very heavy dialect. In 1981 when GE established The GE Answer Center in Louisville Kentucky, 3 months was spent researching which American dialect would best be suited for all Americans before the location was decided upon. So here were 20 years later and an average American are expected to understand Indian-English-quite a challenge to both the customers and the staff. v The non-existent Customer Service Culture in India will make training of reps mandatory and difficult, since such a luxury as service is not part of everyday life in India. v There is further need to improve infrastructure. The business culture and the mix of Government intervention will be a cultural shock for Western Business People with no previous experience. v Add to this a lack of a Call Center Industry and very few people with Call Center experience which makes it very hard to recruit Call Centre managers with a proven track record. It is predicted that the Indian Call Centre Boom will be short lived unless its based on Indian Joint Venture Partners with experience in handling both regulatory hurdles and ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is in place. When India develops its own Customer Service Culture and has de-regulated its Telecom sector, then may be well see a sustainable Call Center Industry to service the large Indian market place. The Projected Cost savings is best realized by joining up with Indian Company with a proven track record in IT project management. Beware of short term relationships offering â€Å"a pie in the sky†. But the invisible factor that comes in the way of achieving the objectives of the Call Center Industry is the Stress Factor. There is a direct relationship between stress level and productivity. Particularly, stress in this industry is mainly because of its very nature of business. In the last couple of years India has become the leader din the Call Center Services industry. With nearly 66% of the worlds outsourcing and call center services business in India, its time to step back and access the pluses and minuses of this industry that has become the panacea for the Indian economy. Call Center Services offered by a majority of Indian companies are in the low-end of the value chain. The call center services industry essentially requires low value skills. The learning curve is low but slow. It does not require high qualification or degrees to get into call center companies. The compensation for such call center jobs is decent, compared to jobs for the same qualification in any other industry. This often results in mass complacency, where fresh graduates prefer to take up a call center job rather than study further or enter any core sector of specialization. Looking at the industry from a long-term perspective, India can do itself more harm than good if it does not move up the value chain. India would not like to repeat American follies. America in the 50s and 60s had high school graduates who could get good jobs and a decent paycheck. This generation was caught in a kind of time warp they are struggling to get out of even now a general acceptance of low education levels. In fact this is one of the many reasons that Asian countries have become the outstanding and call center havens for America and Europe. On the up-side, call center services have increased the availability of jobs for fresh graduates substantially. Now, a fresh graduates has more chance of getting a good paycheck than ever before. Engineering graduates prefer to join Call Center Services operations as transit jobs before opting for more technical jobs. This has made call center job retention a major issue for the HR department of call centers. Call Center Service operations have sprouted in India in cities like Gurgaon, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi et. It has been a window of opportunity for young graduates who would have been busy hunting for a job, to head for entrance tests of a BPO outfit or call center. Call Centers have created jobs for India, theirs no doubt about that. Call Centers face a major problem though. Since call center operations do not require a stringent graduate education like an engineering degree or likewise, call centers find it extremely difficult to retain jobs. The HR department is hard at work to retain the people it has, after all, they would gladly shift for better salaries. Call Center Agents need to be continually motivated to avoid those days of frustration when the client shouts at them. Employees on the telephone talking to US destinations enact an American accent, which is often stressful to maintain. Added to this, the nightshifts and odd timings can get frustrating quite often. This is where the HR and their team can play an important role. They try to maintain a friendly and helping atmosphere in office. They often have displays with the latest news from America, so that if any client got chatty on the telephone, the call center representatives wont be in a fix. Very often an HR manager in a call center will have to contend with office romances and ask them to keep their cool. Besides trouble shooting personal problems, the HR has to handle many daily operations problems, both on a personal and group basis. Many think that working in a call center is a monotonous job and there is a school of thought, which believes that the growth options are very limited in this field. However, says one on the HR managers of call center, it is not correct to say that the call center jobs are monotonous, in fact they are as challenging and exciting as any other career option. There are some who believe that call center jobs are too stressful, as they require working in shifts, mostly at nights. However the companies say they do understand that working late nights can be a problem, especially for women employees. Therefore they not only provide transport facilities but also take care of snacks and other energy revitalizes. Usually call centers have five working days in a week, but if someone works during weekends, a suitable compensation is granted. To add more ‘spice during night shifts, the companies provide an array of activities which include aerobic sessions, dart boards and mini basketball. They also have relaxation room where an expert can rejuvenate the employees by giving massages. While most ambitious youngsters see call center services temporary jobs, since starting salaries are often better than average engineering jobs and jobs hard to find, many prefer to enter the call center services market on a term basis but they pay a high price for that. This study concentrates on the Stress experienced by the agents or the representatives of call centers. The sources and effects of the stress are highlighted with a few recommendations to work on the same. STRESS IN CALL CENTERS Stress exists in every walk of life or work and call centers are no exception. Call Centers are stressful work environments. The demand of serving the customer in real-time helps to lay the foundation. Add to this, factor such as job repetition, potential job dissatisfaction, poor ergonomics or low pay and the stress level climbs higher. Many things cause stress. Time pressures, high expectations, lack of communication, high call volume, inexperience, ill prepared, to name a few. Call Centers are living and vibrant workplaces where the demands are high and the need to manage and reduce staff stress is paramount. Studies have shown that staff turnover is directly link to a staff persons ability to deal with Stress. If stress in the workplace (i.e. the call center) is not on the agenda the results of stress are revealed through higher absenteeism than other parts of the company, higher Workers Compensation claims and ultimately in reduced customer satisfaction. Raising the pay isnt necessarily the solution. There are many other creative means of managing stress in the call centers. This paper focuses on one group of workers in the utility industry call center representatives. These are the women and men who assist residents and businesses in establishing or changing their utility service and troubleshooting problems that customers might have with their service, their billing and a host of other issues. While perhaps less visible than the men and women who work on poles or read meters, call center representatives are an important part of the workforce in the utility industry. These representatives experience stress from a variety of factors, but particularly from the constant monitoring, pressure to work fast, and being disrespected by customers. This stress is leading to physical problems and emotional distress for employees, which ultimately hurts their work performance. The constant pressure to answer more calls with less people has given us the Age of the ‘battery call center. Long hours of work , permanent night shifts, incredibly high work targets, loss of identity†¦ are the dark clouds that threaten to mar the ‘sunshine call center industry in India? Irate customers who never seem to respect to the person helping them are hard to please even when the service is at its best. Especially American customers are known for using abusing words very frequently. The representatives who are Indian by birth find it very offensive. For them, it is difficult to be immune to those abusive words. Not finding time to spend with family members makes the respondents feel isolated, Also due to the time constraint they find it difficult to indulge in their extra curricular activities. These frustrations affect the quality of performance though the representatives are aware that their performance is monitored every minute. Many people, between 18 and 21 years, are seeking counseling. Today, most top executives acknowledge that a steady turnover of staff is an inevitable aspect of this industry. The reasons could be boredom, seeking better prospects or a change, or inadequate training for the job. Or the toll taken by this demanding job. High performance.Delivered. accenture COMPANY PROFILE Company Overview Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, committed to delivering innovation. Accenture: The Growth of a Global Leader Continuous innovation and rapid transformation have been themes throughout Accentures history. Initially called Andersen Consulting, Accenture was formally established in 1989 when a group of partners from the Consulting division of the various Arthur Andersen firms around the world formed a new organization focused on consulting and technology services related to managing large-scale systems integration and enhancing business processes. That same year Accenture formalized Business Integration, its framework for aligning a clients people, processes and technology in support of its overall strategy to enable all components of the client organization to work to enhance business performance. During its first 10 years, Accenture evolved from a systems integrator to a global management consulting and technology services company, providing the full range of consulting, outsourcing and related technology services. For instance, in 1991 Accenture began work on one of its first major outsourcing arrangements when the company started managing British Petroleum Explorations accounting, finance and support functions from a special center that it established in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1994 the company established the Accenture Technology Labs—then known as Centers for Strategic Technology—in Palo Alto, California, and Sophia Antipolis, France. As the technology RD organization within Accenture, the Accenture Technology Labs create a vision of how technology will shape the future and invent the next wave of cutting-edge business solutions. In fact, technological innovation is part of Accentures heritage, as the company traces its roots back to 1954 with the installation at General Electric of the first computer for business application. A New Name, A New Direction By 2000, Accenture had achieved more than a decade of tremendous growth, with net revenues exceeding US$9.5 billion and more than 75,000 professionals in 47 countries delivering to clients a broad range of consulting, technology and outsourcing services and solutions. On Jan. 1, 2001, the company changed its name to Accenture (from Andersen Consulting) as the result of an arbitrators decision in August 2000 that severed the contractual ties between Accenture and Andersen Worldwide Society Cooperative (AWSC). Accenture then launched one of the largest and most successful re-branding campaigns in corporate history. The new name reinforced Accentures new positioning and reflected the organizations further growth and broadened set of capabilities. By 2001, it became apparent to Accentures partners that maintaining the organizations existing structure—since its inception in 1989, Accenture had operated as a group of locally owned independent partnerships or other entities in more than 40 countries—would limit the companys ability to continue its growth. Therefore, the partners decided to transition to corporate form, enabling Accenture to build and acquire the necessary capital to remain competitive and fuel its growth. In April 2001, Accentures partners voted overwhelmingly to pursue an initial public offering, and Accenture became a public company on July 19, 2001, when it listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ACN. Today Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, identifying new business and technology trends and developing solutions to help clients around the world enter new markets, increase revenues in existing markets, improve operational performance, and deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently. Company Description Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with net revenues of US$16.65 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2006. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. Our â€Å"high performance business† strategy builds on our expertise in consulting, technology and outsourcing to help clients perform at the highest levels so they can create sustainable value for their customers and shareholders. Using our industry knowledge, service-offering expertise and technology capabilities, we identify new business and technology trends and develop solutions to help clients around the world: †¢ Enter new markets. †¢ Increase revenues in existing markets. †¢ Improve operational performance. †¢ Deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently. We have extensive relationships with the worlds leading companies and governments and work with organizations of all sizes—including 87 of the Fortune Global 100 and nearly two-thirds of the Fortune Global 500. Our commitment to client satisfaction strengthens and extends our relationships. For example, 96 of our top 100 clients in fiscal year 2005 based on revenue, have been clients for at least five years, and 83 have been clients for at least 10 years. Among the many strengths that distinguish Accenture in the marketplace are our: †¢ Extensive industry expertise. †¢ Broad and evolving service offerings. †¢ Expertise in business transformation outsourcing. †¢ History of technology innovation and implementation, including our research and development capabilities, on which we spend approximately $250 million each year. †¢ Commitment to the long-term development of our employees. †¢ Proven and experienced management team. Our Core Values have shaped the culture and defined the character of our company, guiding how we behave and make decisions: †¢ Stewardship: Building a heritage for future generations, acting with an owner mentality, developing people everywhere we are, and meeting our commitments to all internal and external stakeholders. †¢ Best People: Attracting and developing the best talent for our business, stretching our people and developing a can do attitude. †¢ Client Value Creation: Improving our clients business performance, creating long-term, win-win relationships and focusing on execution excellence. †¢ One Global Network: Mobilizing the power of teaming to deliver consistently exceptional service to our clients anywhere in the world. †¢ Respect for the Individual: Valuing diversity, ensuring an interesting and inclusive environment, and treating people as we would like to be treated ourselves. †¢ Integrity: Inspiring trust by taking responsibility, acting ethically, and encouraging honest and open debate †¢ By enhancing our consulting and outsourcing expertise with alliances and other capabilities, we help move clients forward in every part of their businesses, from strategic planning to day-to-day operations. With approximately 140,000 people in 48 countries, deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills and technologies to help clients improve their performance. Accentures ability to help clients identify and leverage insight and innovations are key ingredients. Our deep industry expertise and insight, our

Types Of Communication Essay

Types Of Communication Essay Communication always has a specific purpose. Communication is contextual so, the objective of communication varies in any given situation. This requires adaptation to the situation in terms of ways of expression, means and methods of transmission of information. Effective communication not only transfers information but also transfers understanding of the message. In the present globalised world when we come across real face-to-face and virtual communication situations, it becomes even more important to express and transmit the message effectively across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries. An understanding of the types of communication helps us to analyze the complexity of communication in various contexts. We may broadly categorize communication according to the type of context in which it takes place. The two categories are: Interpersonal Communication Mass Communication INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: The communication that occurs between two or more people as unique individuals, where they understand each other on the basis of their uniqueness in behavior is termed as interpersonal communication. Effective interpersonal communication depends on various interpersonal skills including listening, asserting, influencing, persuading, empathizing, negotiating and compassion. Important aspects of communication between individuals include body language and other forms of nonverbal communication. Interpersonal communication can be dyadic or small group communication. The word Dyad refers to a unit constituting two parts, so when communication takes between just two people it is called dyadic communication. In our everyday life we are a part of a small group as a member of family, a work unit or a team at workplace. Though individuals, we are a member of a group in a given context participating and coordinating actively to achieve a common goal. This communicat ion is known as small group communication. The characteristics of interpersonal communication: Interpersonal communication is inevitable: We are in constant communication with individuals around us not only through words but also by our body language (facial expression, gestures, etc.), paralanguage (tone, pitch, silence, etc.). We communicate in spite of our attempt not to communicate. Interpersonal communication is irrevocable: A Russian proverb says, Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again. One cannot take back the words once uttered, the impact stays. Interpersonal communication is intricate: Interpersonal communication is complicated in the sense that it involves psychological context- personality, behaviour, needs, desires, values; social context- an interaction in an annual general meeting will be very distinct from a press release on the companys annual turnover; cultural context- if you come from a culture where it is considered discourteous to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of courtesy evade eye contact. If the other individual comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact indicates credibility then, the cultural differences lead to misunderstanding. Interpersonal communication is interdependent: Communication between two different and unique individuals is always linked and interdependent as the performance of one member of the team decides the performance fate of the entire team. MASS COMMUNICATION: Mass communication occurs when a homogeneous message from a person or a group is transmitted to a large anonymous as well as heterogeneous audience through a special medium. Mass communication is very valuable when advertising a brand or a product for sales promotion through electronic or print medium. Communication, interpersonal or mass communication, both will become non-existent in the absence of forms of communication. The various forms of communication are as follows: Verbal communication Nonverbal communication Verbal communication: When exchange of thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions takes place through words- spoken or written, the communication is known as verbal communication. Communication through spoken words is known as oral communication whereas communication through written words is known as written communication. Thus verbal communication takes two forms: Oral communication Written communication ORAL COMMUNICATION Definition and Meaning Transmission of thoughts and ideas through spoken words is known as oral communication. Oral communication constitutes 65-75% of an executives time at the work place. A manager spends about 90% of his working hours in oral communication in various formal and informal situations. Meetings, interviews, group discussions, speech, presentations, instructions, etc. are a few examples of formal oral communication situations. Grapevine is an example of informal oral communication. Oral communication also occurs through specific medium such as a face-to-face interaction through video conferencing, videophone or telephone. The way we communicate orally speaks volume about our personality, attitude, and emotional quotient. So, besides words nonverbal communication plays a vital role effective oral communication. Infact, nonverbal communication complements and completes oral communication. Merits of oral communication Oral communication is swift and speedy. It is faster than written communication as messages can be transmitted as well as received simultaneously. Oral communication generates immediate feedback. Direct face-to-face discussion on queries, doubts enhances the efficacy of communication. Oral communication is economical when compared to written communication. It saves the expenses on stationary and administrative formalities. Oral communication provides opportunities to amend and adapt according to the needs and situation. Reading non verbal clues of the audience during oral communication promotes better understanding. A speaker can always reframe the words and rework the tone, pitch for greater clarity of the receiver. Oral communication serves better in negotiations, arriving at a consensus and resolving conflicts. Oral communication is the most appropriate means to healthy interpersonal relations and healthy working environment. Demerits of oral communication Lack of evidence is a major drawback of oral communication. The validity of the message cannot be legally challenged. Oral communication cannot be preserved for long for future reference. Oral communication is not suitable for long messages such as reports, proposals. Human memory is transitory, so its difficult to retain and remember long messages. Oral communication is not a suitable for communicating across geographical boundaries. Communication through telephones or video-conferencing or even traveling long distances is not cost effective. External noise or disturbance in telephone or interference of any kind can reduce the clarity and understanding of the message communicated orally. Personal prejudices, biases, attitudinal problems can hamper proper understanding while communicating orally. Lack of concentration, inattentiveness and anxiety on the part of the receiver can also adversely affect in understanding the message. Senders personality, content and delivery can reduce or enhance the effectiveness of the message. It is difficult to hold people responsible and accountable for the messages communicated orally. One can easily deny and negate oral information. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Definition and Meaning All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary its just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences. -Somerset Maugham When transmission of information takes place in writing/written words, the communication is referred to as written communication. Written communication is not merely a bundle of words or sentences. Words and sentences matter only when the receiver receives, decodes and understands the meaning as intended by the sender. Written communication is all pervasive-it pervades the length and breadth of an organization in the form of rules, regulations, instructions, notices, letters, reports, etc. Written communication is an indispensable part of planning, execution, collaboration, coordination in an organization. It also defines the structure, hierarchy, roles and responsibilities in the organization. Written communication also ensures greater clarity, accuracy, validity, reliability, accountability and long life of the information. Written communication can be formal as well as informal. Examples of written communication in a formal situation: Issuing orders, directives, notices and circulars Implementing decisions like appointments, transfer Making and implementing policy decisions, rules and regulations Directing letters, memorandum Merits of written communication A piece of written communication can be kept as record for future reference for longer period of time. Written communication is legally valid evidence and so can be challenged before law. Written communication avoids ambiguity and maintains uniformity of decisions, policies and procedures. One can always refer back to a written piece of information. So it can be retained for a longer period of time and has a long-lasting impact. Written communication is suitable for long, complicated messages. In todays globalised world where we have virtual teams and virtual managers working across cultural boundaries written communication is more accurate as it avoids misunderstanding arising due to different accent, tone, pitch and other nonverbal elements. One can always be held responsible for the information conveyed in writing for errors, omissions and the consequent misunderstanding. A written message carries more credibility than oral message as it can be produced in situations of dispute. Written communication facilitates decision making as the past records provide requisite information and necessary guidance. Demerits of Written Communication Written communication is time consuming as the sender needs to plan, organize and transmit the message through proper channel. Some times excessive paper work and the message traveling through various nodes in a communication network leads to the delaying of the message. This delay may also give rise to red-tapism. Written communication does not evoke immediate feedback. It is difficult to make changes, corrections and improvisations in the message once transmitted. If there arises a need to change the message, the process is again time consuming. Written communication is not cost effective. Planning, drafting and circulating of a message in large organizations require proper set up and appropriate infrastructural facilities that add to the expenditure. Writing is an art as well a skill; it is inherent and can also be acquired. Lack of clarity, incoherent organization, excessive jargons, and ambiguous language leads to misinterpretation, which in turn hampers the achievement of the desired objective. Effective written communication Clarity, completeness and persuasiveness are the keys to successful written communication. Composing and conveying the ideas to intended audience is a craft. Following are some measures that enhance the effectiveness of written communication: Adapt to the audience: One needs to adapt communication to the needs and expectations of the target audience. Audience analysis reduces the chances of misunderstanding. Adopt YOU Attitude i.e the communication should be audience centered. Replace I, me, mine, our, us by you, your. (examples) Use bias free language; avoid jargons, sms lingo and the internet language. While communicating to global audience on net take account of the cultural and linguistic differences and follow nettiquetes. While communicating unpleasant news always emphasize on the positive aspects of the situation. (examples) Make appropriate use of functional and content words.(examples) Difference between Oral and Written Communication The above differences between oral and written communication do not establish the superiority of one form of communication over the other. A good communicator always makes an attempt to choose the right form of communication to suit the need, objective, and situation. NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION When transmission of ideas, thoughts, feelings, emotions takes place without words, the communication is termed as nonverbal communication. We do not always communicate through words- a smile on the face, broadening of eyes, a frown, sitting posture with legs overlapped, body cross etc. speak volumes about an individuals state of mind, attitude, intentions and emotional status. Non verbal communication finds its roots in culture, so it vast and varied in different communities and cultures across the globe. The exhibit below suggests the impact and extent of nonverbal communication and advocates greater

Nothing Can Be Good or Evil in Itself Essay -- Philosophy essays

Nothing Can Be Good or Evil in Itself    "Truth, beauty, and goodness are not eternal, objective realities which man discovers, but are the creative products of the human mind as it exercises its 'will-to-power'.   In other words, man is a creator of values." (Nietzsche) So what is good and evil, but that defined by man and therefore a purely subjective concept.   Could we, society, have one without the other?   By determining what is good, we in turn determine what is evil.   How do we know what they are; that is if they really exist?   One must first try to define what good and evil are before attempting to question their existence. What is good?   Is it the selfless act of a volunteer at a homeless shelter or an honest and truthful taxpaying citizen?   Webster's dictionary defines good as being of favorable character, wholesome, and virtuous. (Merriam-Webster)   "A good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes--because of its fitness for attaining some proposed end: it is good through its willing alone-that is, good in itself." (Kant)   In essence, the traditional sense of good is an act done only with the benefit of others in mind rather than for one's own personal interests.   However, for society to view this as good, an act must be intended to benefit society as a whole as well.  Ã‚   Dr. Martin Luther King's speech, I Have A Dream, is an excellent example of a good will affecting the society as a whole.   "King believed that the struggle for civil rights was a part of a larger struggle in which the forces of freedom and individuality, the forces of righteousness, would triumph over the forces of oppression and prejudice, the forces of ignorance." (King)   He stressed freedom as a right, as an overall good... ....   "I Have A Dream."   The Twentieth Century: Mirrors of Mind.   Second Edition, Revised.   Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Hunter Books, Incorporated, 1991.pp 138-140. Merriam-Webster of America.   The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.   Springfield, Massachusetts:   Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1997. pp 325-326. Mill, John Stuart.   "Utilitarianism."   Philosophy: A Literary and Conceptual Approach.   Third Edition.   New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Incorporated, 1995.   pp 306-319. Nietzsche, Friedrich.   "Beyond Good and Evil."   The Twentieth Century: Mirrors of Mind.   Second Edition, Revised.   Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Hunter Books, Incorporated, 1991. pp 16-20. Sartre, Jean-Paul.   "The Humanism of Existentialism."   Philosophy: A Literary and Conceptual Approach.   Third Edition.   New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Incorporated, 1995. pp 434-443.

Cablevision Term Paper :: essays research papers

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the past twenty years my family has been subscribed to Cablevision for cable services. I have enjoyed the eighty channels and special movie channels that they offer. The excellent service they have provided for many years only gets better. When Cablevision came out with IO digital cable my family upgraded. I no longer have to go out and rent movies. Instead I now order them from the television. Instead of eighty channels there are now hundreds of channels to choose from. The variety of things to watch on my television is unlimited. Many of neighbors that used to have satellite television were unhappy with the service. I recommended them to switch over to Cablevision. When they made the switch they were extremely pleased with the service. My family also uses their service of Optimum Online for our computer. We used to have a dial up service that took forever until we upgraded to Optimum Online. The internet is now extremely fast on my computer, and I have never had to wait for anything to load ever since. We also use Optimum voice which has so many options to use. There is enhanced voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID helps making phone calls better. I am a fan of the New York Rangers and the New York Knick’s in which Cablevision owns. Ever since I was a little kid I would wear jerseys of the Knick’s and Rangers and go to some of their games. Although I wish I had season tickets for both teams, I was still able to watch them play on television. Many people do not have the privilege of Cablevision’s services. Instead they have satellite television which they think is much better than Cablevision. However, they are extremely wrong in making that statement. My neighbor had satellite television for three years and was fed up with it after those years. The best time to watch a good movie is when it is raining outside and there is nothing to do. The only problem is that whenever it is raining or there is a storm outside, the satellite does not work properly. This causes everyone to be unable to watch television. With Cablevision you can watch you TV anytime you want without any interruptions. As you watch TV you can watch the Knick’s and Rangers play and call up your friends using Optimum Voice and tell them about the great service Cablevision offers.

Animal Abuse Awareness Essay -- Violence Papers

Animal Abuse Awareness â€Å"Ignorance is bliss.† Often times we hear that saying but never truly stop to think of its validity. Think of all the things we as mankind are unaware of. Obviously, there are a number of issues out there that people do not want society to know about. But when it really comes down to it, there isn’t much out there that we wouldn’t be able to learn about, if we really wanted to. Specifically pertaining to controversial or questionable public topics, the information is available to give people the options of learning more about them and forming opinions. This is where the saying â€Å"ignorance is bliss† comes in to play. How much do we as society really want to know? How curious are we to figure out just what animals go through when they are used to test toxins or cut up for coats? These are just two of many scenarios out there that animals suffer through but our society fails to acknowledge. We don’t focus on the negative aspects of th ese issues and others, because we are too dependent on the benefits that come from them. Members of an organization called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are out to end society’s ignorance in regards to the awareness of animal abuse. Their mission is to inform and convince people of animal rights. Participants hold the belief that animals have the right to be protected from being used for food, experimentation, clothing, and entertainment (PETA). There are a variety of ways the members of PETA try to get their mission and facts across. One major way they go about doing that is through the World Wide Web. PETA’s main website, www.PETA.org contains information about the cruelty of animal abuse in a variety of aspects, like those mentio... ...o end animal abuse would find the sites interesting and informative. In that retrospect, the website does do a good job in giving its intended viewers what they want to read about or see. Despite that, I think like any organization it is in their best interest to grow and expand, and they cannot do this without teaching the unknowledgeable public the facts they need to know. If they put more emphasis in that, perhaps their beliefs can become more widespread across the United States , and around the world. Works Cited â€Å"Cows are Cool.† 1 October 2003. â€Å"Kentucky Fried Cruelness.† PETA. 7 October 2003. â€Å"PETA Kids.† 1 October 2003. â€Å"PETA.† 1 October 2003. â€Å"PETA Unleashes Dogs on Iams.† PETA Main. 7 October 2003.