Bed And Breakfast Business Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bed And Breakfast Business Plan - Term Paper Example The business intends to capitalize on personalized services, and its unique location to attract new customers and retain the existing customers. The business also intends to create an environment that will facilitate a pampered comfort that is far beyond the projected business competitors. The business will as well incorporate contemporary technology in its operation to holistically renovate the flow of tourism in Georgia. Services The business plans to create rental units that will target foreign tourists. Secondly, the proposed bed and breakfast business also projects to tender a guideline services to foreign tourists on the most eye-catching tourist sites in the areas. The business as well projects to work together with others tourists’ agencies and businesses in order to offers packing slot at a special rates. A part from offering tourism services, the business also plans to offer breakfast services such as preparing breakfast foods to its customers as well as preparing hi gh quality and delicious meals to its customers. General Staffing For a starter, the business plans to employ 91 employees. Among them, seven professionals with be mandated with the responsibility of the general management of the business will the others will be regular employees with specific responsibilities. The business intends to employs over 40 well qualified and trained chefs. The business will recruit 20 tour guides who will be responsible of guiding tourists in the business’s area of coverage. The recruitment exercise in the business will purely be based merit and experience. There will be not favors in the business recruitment and promotion exercises. Rationale Lodge and hotel businesses have over years played an exceptionally decisive role in the success of tourism activity in Tybee Island and in the entire world. However, despite the encouraging benefits of tourism business in the Tybee Island, there are awfully limited hotels and lodging services in the area. The refore, the new bed and breakfast business intends to offer a prevalent, quality, and affordable rental facility to foreign and local tourists. On the other hand, the local government also intends to advance tourism business in the area by encouraging entrepreneurs to invest in hotels and development of rental units. Therefore, the projected business will to some extent be acting in response to the local government proposal to invest in hotels businesses. Benefits of the Business The business is projecting to attract more tourists in the area by offering quality services to foreign and local tourists. Moreover, tourists in the area will increase the Island income thus minimizing the poverty level in the area. The business will create more employment opportunities in the area. Most of the business employees will be proficient members of the surrounding communities. Finally, the business will benefit the area residents by offering quality and affordable breakfast services to the inter ested community members as well as local and foreign tourists. Chart of Accounts The rationale Based on the reality that, most small businesses relies on lenders and creditors to develop their operations, the choice of Charts of Account is incredibly essential in the analyses of the business available resources, the expected resources and how the business intends to use the available and borrowed resources. Charts of Account are as well especially vital in providing the interested parties with adequate understanding of the financial position of the proposed business. Assets Assets Amount Cash $ 4, 538 Accounts receivable $ 740 Other current assets $ 670 Long term assets $7, 000 Accumulated depreciation $9, 413 Total assets $12948

School Administration in Texas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

School Administration in Texas - Essay Example 3. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was passed in order to redesign a number of federal programs which aim at the improvement of both primary and secondary schools. The improvements were made possible by increasing the accountability standards for all schools in Texas. It also provided more flexibility to parents to choose the school that should be attended by their child/children. The act also additionally focused on reading and also Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was aimed to be re-authorized. According to this Act, all the schools were required to distribute the contact details of each and every student to the military recruiters. The theories of standard-based education reform were enacted according to the act. Those theories were based upon a belief which says that if high expectations and goals were set, then every student would succeed. 4. Totally three kinds of funds comprise to generate funds for the funding for public schools in Texas. The three taxes are local funds, state funds and federal funds. If we consider the fiscal school year 2002-2003, the school funding was comprised of 49 percent from local taxes, 41 percent from state taxes and 10 percent from the federal sources. Based on the differences in the local property wealth and the population of students, these revenues may differ in the percentage. Area III: How the System Works - Expenditures Objectives of Budgeting: The following are some of the important objectives of Budgeting: It aims at providing a yardstick based on which future results can be compared. If any material variances exist against the budget, it is possible for the management to take actions basing upon the establishments of the budget. Direct capital expenditures can be most profitably directed by using budget. Budget is a guide to management decisions when affected by unforeseen conditions. In order to achieve maximum profitability, budgets help to plan and control earnings as well as expenditures. Adequacy in working capital and scarcity in resources can be planned and anticipated by making use of budgeting. Decentralization of responsibility to individual managers is possible. Methods of Budgeting: Different methods of budgeting are used for developing budgets. Affordability Method: In this method of budgeting, the budget is developed depending on the ability to spend. The major disadvantage in this method is that the allocations of funds are always arbitrary as the figure may have a short fall or exceed. Incremental Budgeting: This method is based on a particular department or functions on that of the previous period and is adjusted to inflation by a percentage increase. The advantage of this budget is that it is stable and there is a gradual and planned change. The disadvantage is that is assumes that work activities will remain same and it gives no scope to developing ideas. Zero Based Budgeting: This means, budget starts from a base of zero for each budgeting period. The proposed activities are then assessed and prioritized. Optimum utilization of resources is the primary advantage

Study on the selection process

Study on the selection process According to R.D. Gatewood and H.S. Field, employee selection is the process of collecting and evaluating information about an individual in order to extend an offer of employment. In an organization, it is the main part of overall staffing process. This includes all the activities from Human Resource Planning, Recruitment to Retention. (By doing human resource planning, the organization projects its likely demand for personnel with particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), and compares that to the anticipated availability of such personnel in the internal or external labour markets.) Job Analysis: Pearn and Kandola (1993, p1) defines job analysis as a form of research and a systematic procedure for obtaining detailed and objective details about the job, task or role that will be performed in future or is currently being performed. Job analysis is the first step in the selection process of the employee for a job. This is also known as Occupational Analysis. Job Analysis is a process of examining a job in detail. The main purpose of Job Analysis is to determine and identify the duties and requirements of a particular job. It also helps us to provide information about the job description and person specification. http://www.hr-guide.com/data/G000.htm People Resourcing, Stephen Taylor, 4th edition, Pg.No.187 Job Description: Description which is also known as Job summary explains the role of a person and accountability. It gives the detailed description of job and its expectations. It also gives idea about the training needs for the job and determination of pay rates to the employees. It is a tool in recruitment and selection process. http://www.businessballs.com/jobdescription.htm http://www.businessbureau-uk.co.uk/personnel/recruitment/job_description.htm. People Resourcing, Stephen Taylor, 4th edition, Pg. No. 194 Person Specification: It describes the need of a person to perform the job. Therefore, it is the basis for selecting a person who fits the job. Person specification also helps the organisation to review and re-design the job if required. It also tell us what are the skills the person should have to do the job in good manner. http://tutor2u.net/business/people/recruitment_personspecification.asp People Resourcing, Stephen Taylor, 4th edition, Pg. No. 198 Recruitment: This is the process of attracting the candidates for employment. Recruitment process involves searching for the candidates and selection of the candidate who is suitable for the job. In recruitment there are many steps to follow from Attracting, Screening, Assessing, Short listing, Interviews, Testing and final selection. Selection: Selection is the final stage in the selection process where the final candidates who are suitable for the job will be selected. Before giving appointments or offers the organisation has to do the background check of the candidate. In that they have to check the qualifications, criminal records and previous experience. Appointment: Appointment is the next process where the selected candidates will be offered a job and the task to perform. If there is a need for the candidate has to take a training then the organisation has to provide training program before placing him in the job. (Reference: People Resourcing, Stephen Taylor, 4th edition, Pg.No.187) Selection: Organisations are made of people and in an age of increasingly complex technology, organisations are stating that employees are our greatest asset (Sue Newell and Viv Shackleton). The job requirements of organisations vary and some people are best suited for some roles and organisations than others. Therefore, as per CIPD, it is important to have an effective recruitment and selection system which will thereby help in selecting the right person, at the right time, in the right place is crucial to organisational performance. There are several definitions for Selection. F.W Taylor (1911), one of the earliest management writers, stressed the importance of, best man for the job. He was of the opinion that people should be selected for their particular skills and abilities which should be tested prior to the selection decision rather than based on who they knew or who was in the queue first. According to Hackett selection is concerned more with predicting which candidates will make the most appropriate contribution to the organisation now and in the future. Gupta (2006) defines it as a process of choosing the most suitable persons out of all participants. Selection according to Roberts, G (2005) is the most important element in the organisations management of people. Where there is faulty selection, the organisation suffers waste of time, money and choosing the wrong candidates leading to absenteeism and labour turnover. Different selection methodology: Application Forms: The information of the individual is collected systematically and presented in a consistent format in an application form thereby making it easier to assess the candidates suitability for the job (CIPD). There has been a rise in the usage of application form as a basis for employment decisions. CIPD (2003) also reports that 80% of the organisations surveyed use applications forms. While it acted as a useful preliminary to interviews and decisions, it also made sorting of applications and shortlisting easier. According to Huczynski and Buchanan (2007), application form provides background but is also impersonal. Interviewers used this as a basis for their interviews with information from the application form being taken and improved upon during the interview. The predictive validity of application form is 0.2 which is a fairly low predictive validity (Roberts, 2005). According to Gareths, the low rating is more of a reflection on the poor use of application forms. He further goes to say that if it is used to screen acquired competencies, then application forms can be considered as an effective technique especially if used properly with a clear rating system. Interviews: The individual interview is the most familiar and most commonly used method of selection. It provides for face to face discussion and also provides the best opportunity for the organisation to establish a good rapport with the candidate (Armstrong, 2003). According to Pilbeam Corbridge (2006), interview is more than a selection method. It is a forum where information about the organisation and about the job is given to the candidate. There is however, more scope for bias if one interviewer is used. There are two classifications of interviews structured and unstructured interviews. While the predictive validity of unstructured interviews is 0.2, structured interviews have a predictive validity of 0.4. Recent studies have also shown that behaviorial interviews which are based on experience are more effective predictors of success as compared to situational which is based on future scenario interview (Roberts, 2005). Although, there has been research done to suggest that traditional i nterviews are poor predictors of performance, one of the reason as to why they are still popular is the fact that they are cost effective (Taylor, 2002). Personality Tests: Personality tests are used mainly for management, professional and graduate jobs. CIPD (2005) states that personality test can be useful as an added dimension to decision-making but only when practitioners generally use those instruments that have been rigorously developed and for which thoroughly researched validation evidence and norms are available. Taylor (2002) states that when used carefully and professionally, personality test has a useful role to play in the selection process. According to a report by IRS (1997d:13), personality testing remained a stable selection procedure in the 1990s with approximately three-fifths of the organisation stating that it was used as one of the process for selection for certain positions. Biodata: Biodata provides a highly structured method of sifting applications. It consists of demographic details like the age, sex and family circumstances, education and professional qualifications, previous employment history, Assessment Centre: Assessment centres are used by organisations for various purposes like selection of candidates for jobs, for promotion and for decisions about the potential development of individuals over a long period of time (Fletcher, 1991). In UK, many organisations use this method of selection especially for the recruitment of graduates (Keenan, 1997). According to Robertson (1996), assessment centres not only ensure that the organisations appoint, develop and promote only people who are effective in their job, it also benefits the individual in terms of greater job satisfaction, good career prospects and enhanced earnings. For the organisation, this tool enables the effectiveness of the job holder to be reflected in terms of organisational effectiveness and therefore considerable financial gains. PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS: What are Psychometric Tests? The British Psychological Society definition of a psychometric test: a psychological test is any procedure on the basis of which inferences are made concerning a persons capacity, propensity or liability to act, react, experience, or to structure or order thought or behaviour in particular ways. Who uses psychometric tests? Large, medium, and an increasing number of small firms use psychometric tests. Over 70 % of larger companies are currently using psychometric tests to gather vital information from potential and current employees. More and more companies are using psychometric tests for: graduate recruitment filtering out candidates when there are large numbers of applicants Over 70% of large companies use them in their recruitment process and small companies are using them increasingly. They are also used to assess existing employees for: training and staff development needs promotion What do psychometric tests measure? Psychometric tests may measure aptitude, personality or interests: Aptitude Tests these measure how people differ in their ability to perform or carry out different tasks. (these are the type you are most likely to find at the first stage of a selection process). Interest Tests these measure how people vary in their motivation, in the direction and strength of their interests, and in their values and opinions (these are less likely to be used on new graduates but are sometimes). Personality Tests these measure how people differ in their style or manner of doing things, and in the way they interact with their environment and other people (personality). Whereas aptitude tests measure your maximum performance capacity, the other tests examine typical or preferred behaviour. Why are Tests Used? If psychometric tests are to be useful as indicators of shifts in the demand for skills, then it is important that organisations use of tests is linked to their wish to measure the skills of prospective employees. If tests are in use for other reasons, then this would undermine their usefulness as indicators of skill demands. Do organisations in the UK make use of tests in order to measure work force skills, or have they adopted tests for some other reason, or set of reasons? Here we look at the rather limited evidence available on this question. There are a few surveys which have asked organisations why they make use of tests, and there is a more speculative literature dealing with change in test use over time. We take each of these in turn. Some past results suggest that the perceived objectivity of tests, their predictive abilities, as well as their ability to filter out unsuitable candidates were important reasons for test use by companies and local authorities. Some quite similar results were obtained in the IRS (1997) survey. The data show that companies believe the tests are valid measures of something useful, although it gives us no insight into what exactly the companies are, or think they are, measuring through the tests. It also does not explain why there have been such sizeable changes in test use since the 1980s. In what follows we divide the current literature on changes in test use into those which concentrate on changes in the labour market, and those which focus on other possible reasons for changes in the use of tests, or indeed changes in recruitment and selection practices more generally. Why use psychometrics in an employment setting? The main advantages of using psychometric tests are: Objectivity they dramatically reduce bias and personal perspective. Clarity they provide a robust framework and structure. Equality and fairness for all individuals (tests are standardised so that all individuals receive the same treatment). Increase the likelihood of being able to predict future job performance (they have a high level of predictive validity). The identification of training needs. Encourage employers to do thorough job analysis in order to identify appropriate skills and abilities. This helps to ensure that candidates for a position are assessed on skills only relevant to the job. What are psychometric tests used for? Some uses of psychometric tests are: Selection of candidates to jobs Personal development/identification of training needs/staff development Careers guidance Building and developing teams Psychometric tests have been used since the early part of the 20th century and were originally developed for use in educational psychology. These days, outside of education, you are most likely to encounter psychometric testing as part of the recruitment or selection process. Tests of this sort are devised by occupational psychologists and their aim is to provide employers with a reliable method of selecting the most suitable job applicants or candidates for promotion. Psychometric tests aim to measure attributes like intelligence, aptitude and personality. They provide a potential employer with an insight into how well you work with other people, how well you handle stress, and whether you will be able to cope with the intellectual demands of the job. Most of the established psychometric tests used in recruitment and selection make no attempt to analyze your emotional or psychological stability and should not be confused with tests used in clinical psychology. However, in recent years there has been rapid growth (particularly in the US) of tests that claim to measure your integrity or honesty and your predisposition to anger. These tests have attracted a lot of controversy, because of questions about their validity, but their popularity with employers has continued to increase. Psychometric testing is now used by over 80% of the Fortune 500 companies in the USA and by over 75% of the Times Top 100 companies in the UK. Information technology companies, financial institutions, management consultancies, local authorities, the civil service, police forces, fire services and the armed forces all make extensive use of use psychometric testing. As an indicator of your personality, preferences and abilities, psychometric tests can help prospective employers to find the best match of individual to occupation and working environment. As a recruitment and selection tool, these tests can be applied in a straightforward way at the early stages of selection to screen-out candidates who are likely to be unsuitable for the job. They can also provide management with guidance on career progression for existing employees. Because of their importance in making personnel decisions it is vital that the tests themselves are known to produce accurate results based on standardized methods and statistical principles. A psychometric test must be: Objective: The score must not affected by the testers beliefs or values Standardized: It must be administered under controlled conditions Reliable: It must minimize and quantify any intrinsic errors Predictive: It must make an accurate prediction of performance Non Discriminatory: It must not disadvantage any group on the basis of gender, culture, ethnicity, etc. VALIDITY Validity refers to the quality of a measure that exists when the measure assesses a construct. In the selection context, validity refers to the appropriateness, meaningfulness, and usefulness of the inferences made about applicants during the selection process. It is concerned with the issue of whether applicants will actually perform the job as well as expected based on the inferences made during the selection process. The closer the applicants actual job performances match their expected performances, the greater the validity of the selection process. (http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Em-Exp/Employee-Screening-and-Selection.html) Face Validity Face validity is concerned with how a measure or procedure appears. Does it seem like a reasonable way to gain the information the researchers are attempting to obtain? Does it seem well designed? Does it seem as though it will work reliably? Unlike content validity, face validity does not depend on established theories for support (Fink, 1995). Criterion Related Validity Criterion related validity, also referred to as instrumental validity, is used to demonstrate the accuracy of a measure or procedure by comparing it with another measure or procedure which has been demonstrated to be valid. For example, imagine a hands-on driving test has been shown to be an accurate test of driving skills. By comparing the scores on the written driving test with the scores from the hands-on driving test, the written test can be validated by using a criterion related strategy in which the hands-on driving test is compared to the written test. Construct Validity Construct validity seeks agreement between a theoretical concept and a specific measuring device or procedure. For example, a researcher inventing a new IQ test might spend a great deal of time attempting to define intelligence in order to reach an acceptable level of construct validity. Construct validity can be broken down into two sub-categories: Convergent validity and discriminate validity. Convergent validity is the actual general agreement among ratings, gathered independently of one another, where measures should be theoretically related. Discriminate validity is the lack of a relationship among measures which theoretically should not be related. To understand whether a piece of research has construct validity, three steps should be followed. First, the theoretical relationships must be specified. Second, the empirical relationships between the measures of the concepts must be examined. Third, the empirical evidence must be interpreted in terms of how it clarifies the construct validity of the particular measure being tested (Carmines Zeller, p. 23). Content Validity Content Validity is based on the extent to which a measurement reflects the specific intended domain of content (Carmines Zeller, 1991, p.20). Content validity is illustrated using the following examples: Researchers aim to study mathematical learning and create a survey to test for mathematical skill. If these researchers only tested for multiplication and then drew conclusions from that survey, their study would not show content validity because it excludes other mathematical functions. Although the establishment of content validity for placement-type exams seems relatively straight-forward, the process becomes more complex as it moves into the more abstract domain of socio-cultural studies. For example, a researcher needing to measure an attitude like self-esteem must decide what constitutes a relevant domain of content for that attitude. For socio-cultural studies, content validity forces the researchers to define the very domains they are attempting to study. RELIABILITY Reliability is the extent to which an experiment, test, or any measuring procedure yields the same result on repeated trials. Reliability is concerned with the accuracy of the actual measuring instrument or procedure. ( http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/relval/pop2a.cfm) Equivalency Reliability Equivalency reliability is the extent to which two items measure identical concepts at an identical level of difficulty. Equivalency reliability is determined by relating two sets of test scores to one another to highlight the degree of relationship or association. In quantitative studies and particularly in experimental studies, a correlation coefficient, statistically referred to as r, is used to show the strength of the correlation between a dependent variable (the subject under study), and one or more independent variables, which are manipulated to determine effects on the dependent variable. An important consideration is that equivalency reliability is concerned with correlational, not causal, relationships. For example, a researcher studying university English students happened to notice that when some students were studying for finals, their holiday shopping began. Intrigued by this, the researcher attempted to observe how often, or to what degree, this these two behaviors co-occurred throughout the academic year. The researcher used the results of the observations to assess the correlation between studying throughout the academic year and shopping for gifts. The researcher concluded there was poor equivalency reliability between the two actions. In other words, studying was not a reliable predictor of shopping for gifts. Stability Reliability Stability reliability (sometimes called test, re-test reliability) is the agreement of measuring instruments over time. To determine stability, a measure or test is repeated on the same subjects at a future date. Results are compared and correlated with the initial test to give a measure of stability. An example of stability reliability would be the method of maintaining weights used by the U.S. Bureau of Standards. Platinum objects of fixed weight (one kilogram, one pound, etc) are kept locked away. Once a year they are taken out and weighed, allowing scales to be reset so they are weighing accurately. Keeping track of how much the scales are off from year to year establishes a stability reliability for these instruments. In this instance, the platinum weights themselves are assumed to have a perfectly fixed stability reliability. Internal Consistency Internal consistency is the extent to which tests or procedures assess the same characteristic, skill or quality. It is a measure of the precision between the observers or of the measuring instruments used in a study. This type of reliability often helps researchers interpret data and predict the value of scores and the limits of the relationship among variables. For example, a researcher designs a questionnaire to find out about college students dissatisfaction with a particular textbook. Analyzing the internal consistency of the survey items dealing with dissatisfaction will reveal the extent to which items on the questionnaire focus on the notion of dissatisfaction. Interrater Reliability Interrater reliability is the extent to which two or more individuals (coders or raters) agree. Interrater reliability addresses the consistency of the implementation of a rating system. A test of interrater reliability would be the following scenario: Two or more researchers are observing a high school classroom. The class is discussing a movie that they have just viewed as a group. The researchers have a sliding rating scale (1 being most positive, 5 being most negative) with which they are rating the students oral responses. Interrater reliability assesses the consistency of how the rating system is implemented. For example, if one researcher gives a 1 to a student response, while another researcher gives a 5, obviously the interrater reliability would be inconsistent. Interrater reliability is dependent upon the ability of two or more individuals to be consistent. Training, education and monitoring skills can enhance interrater reliability. There can be validity without reliability if reliability is defined as consistency among independent measures. Reliability is an aspect of construct validity. As assessment becomes less standardized, distinctions between reliability and validity blur. (Moss, 1994) The two most important and fundamental characteristics of any measurement procedure are reliability and validity. (Michael J. Miller, Ph.D.) (http://www.michaeljmillerphd.com/res500_lecturenotes/Reliability_and_Validity.pdf) From the above explanations by the authors it is clear that both validity and reliability is important aspect in the selection process where they rely on one other thing. It is also possible that there can be reliability without validity if the reliability is consistent in certain aspects. VALIDITY IN SELECTION METHODS: The attainment of validity depends heavily on the appropriateness of the particular selection technique used. Validity means the truthfulness of the test. We should use some test to know whether our selection process is valid or not. A firm should use a selection method that is reliable and accurate in measuring the needed qualifications of an employee. The reliability of a measure refers to its consistency. Reliable evaluations are consistent across both people and time. Reliability is maximized when two people evaluating the same candidate provide the same ratings, and when the ratings of a candidate taken at two different times are the same. When selection scores are unreliable, their validity is diminished. Some of the factors affecting the reliability of selection measures are: Emotional and physical state of the candidate: For example if the candidate is in tensed mood where he is not able to perform well in the interview then he may be not selected for the job. Lack of rapport with the administrator of the measure: If the candidate and the administer is not communicate well then there will be a problem which will affect the reliability. Inadequate knowledge of how to respond to a measure: If the candidate is illiterate or he dont know anything about the job or role. Individual differences among respondents: Each and every individual is different from others. If the administer uses the same technique for every individual then it will not be giving the same result expected. Question difficulty: If the interviewer is not clear in what he is doing then the reliability of the process is failed. Length of measure: If the length of measure is too long then there will be a conflict in the reliability and validity in selection process. The Validity of Tests While the immediate causes of test use may include a variety of factors internal and external to the company, the adoption of formal tests for selection rests on the belief that they provide reliable and valid information about a variety of relevant characteristics. Do the tests predict job performance i.e. do those who score well in psychometric tests go on to do well in the job? There is compelling evidence from the research literature that cognitive ability tests are successful in predicting performance. There is a long history of investigation of this topic amongst psychologists and a great deal of evidence had accumulated on the predictive power of measures of general intelligence, for example in Ghisellis (1966) well-known study. However, until about twenty-five or thirty years ago there was an apparent tendency for different measures to vary enormously in their predictive power, implying that the validity of a given measure was highly sector and indeed firm specific. This perception has now changed due largely to the work of Schmidt and Hunter (1998) who conducted meta-analytic studies which demonstrated the underlying consistency in this set of work. Schmidt and Hunter showed that the apparent variability was in fact largely the result of sampling error (deriving from small sample sizes) along with a number of other measurement artefacts. Cognitive tests were confirmed as good predictors of performance across a very broad range of jobs. The predictive validity of personality testing is more controversial. There has been a good deal of debate about whether personality measures are valid predictors, with some commentators suggesting that reported correlations in this field could be of little value, or even entirely spurious (Blinkhorn and Johnson, 1990). Meta-analysis has given some support to the use of personality tests in recruitment and selection. Tett et al (1991) conducted a meta-an alytic review of 494 studies in this field, and found significant correlations between personality scales and measures of job performance. Unlike the case of cognitive ability measures, however, there is no unifying g factor for personality measures, so that careful attention has to be paid to the relevant characteristics for each type of job. Indeed Tett et al found that studies which were confirmatory i.e. had clear prior hypotheses about the traits likely to be relevant for particular occupations obtained much higher validities than studies which were exploratory or data-driven. Studies that made use of job analysis so as to be clear about which characteristics were required for the job also obtained higher validities than those which made no use of job analysis. Growth in test use seems to have taken off at some point in the 1980s. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, researchers were beginning to discern substantial shifts in companies selection techniques. Shackleton and Newell (1991), comparing their survey results with those of Mabey five years previously, reported what they felt was an encouraging trend towards higher proportions of companies making use of more reliable and valid methods of selection. Since then surveys have continued to suggest that more organisations have adopted psychological testing. In the main, it is large organisations which have chosen to use tests. Psychometric testing is not unknown in smaller organisations, but they tend to be deterred by the costs of the tests and the low numbers of vacancies which they have. There are now a wide range of tests on the market, and new products are being introduced all the time. These may be completely new products, or up-dates of well established tests. Some tests measure broad skills while others are more narrowly focused on particular occupations, whether managerial, technical, or manual. There are tests of cognitive ability, literacy and numeracy skills, as well as personality questionnaires designed to assess softer, people-oriented competencies. The costs of tests are quite substantial, and suggest that employers which use them are likely to be drawing on them for a clear purpose, rather than just responding to some passing management fad. The rather limited survey evidence available on why tests are used does show that prediction of job performance is an important factor, as well as the perceived objectivity of the tests. Because most surveys are relatively small-scale, and only make very broad distin

What Are The Main Contrasts To Be Found In Portugal? :: essays research papers fc

What Are The Main Contrasts To Be Found in Portugal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When answering a question such as this, one must primarily begin by pointing out that not only does Portugal have a great many contrasts within its land, but also that it contrasts greatly with the other Mediterranean countries. Portugal is not to be considered by any means as Spain's poor neighbour, nor should a shadow be cast over it by such a formidable nation. Portugal has a great deal to offer any visitor, it is not merely a tourist's paradise, yet this is regrettably how it is viewed by a large number of individuals. One must also not forget Portugal's history of being, in days gone by, one of the greater maritime nations, one of the more advanced exploring countries of Europe. Whilst Spain was occupied with discovering the Indias and consequently the Americas, Portugal was itself busy exploring Africa and making its own invaluable discoveries, although these are for the most part overlooked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being situated on the westernmost edge of Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal enjoys a relative privacy and independence from the rest of Mediterranean countries. Bordering on Spain on two sides and the sea on the others, the nation as naturally turned towards the sea, from which it draws both its strength and wealth and turned its back on its greatest rival, Spain. Due to its constant waves of invasion throughout the ages, Portugal is a vastly diverse land, not only in geographical terms but also in terms of heritage. It is true to say that Portugal does share a number of similarities with Spain, but it is by no means identical. Rather it is a nation which blends Moorish influences, British tradition and Mediterranean culture to form a truly unique land of peoples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When considering the diversity of a country such as Portugal, the mention of which immediately conjures up a melange of images from North African to Western European, from hot and balmy weather to snow capped mountains, one must really begin by describing the two principle factors, those of climate and geography, which themselves are interwoven. These in turn have a great effect on and to a certain extent bring about other differences which can be noted within the narrow confines of this nation, such as those of vegetation, economy and landscape.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On examining Portugal in terms of contrasting regions or areas, one must obviously have a starting point and that is generally considered to be a comparison between north and south, the River Tagus (Tejo) being the dividing line. However, Portugal can naturally be divided into three great natural

Unit 332 Engage in Personal Development

Unit 332 – Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings. OUTCOME 1 1. 1 My responsibilities and duties include †¢ Helping pupils individually and in groups †¢ Support literacy †¢ Support numeracy †¢ Support science †¢ Supervising art activities †¢ Listening pupils read †¢ Support PE lessons †¢ Support the use of ICT in learning activities †¢ Supervising role play activities †¢ Supporting other members of staff †¢ Feedback teacher Going on school trips †¢ Providing resources for lessons †¢ Providing clerical support 1. 2 Since National Occupational Standards were introduced, the role of the TA becomes professional. It specifies the standard of performance we need to achieve in place of work together with knowledge and understanding that we need to meet standards consistently. What it means is that we need to develop all the time in order to keep in p eace with ever changing demands of the education.Also gaining Level 3 qualification gives us great opportunity to progress to the foundation degree. Teaching assistants should have qualities like: to be good communicators, use initiative, be a good listener, respect confidentiality, have emotional intelligence, be consistent, have sense of humour, will undertake CPD. OUTCOME 2 1. Practitioners should reflect on their practice in order to achieve good results in professional development. Being reflective: †¢ Demonstrates that practitioners are actively concerned about the aims. Enables practitioners to monitor, evaluate and revise their own practice continuously †¢ Requires an ability to look carefully at practice in order to develop new skills and understanding †¢ Requires an open-minded attitude †¢ Enhances professional learning and personal fulfilment through collaboration and dialogue between practitioners What does reflection involves? †¢ Reflection â₠¬ in† action, or thinking on your feet †¢ Reflection â€Å"on† action, or after the event †¢ Our thoughts and ideas †¢ Our colleagues ideas The views and knowledge gained from our own experiences and that of theoretical literature It might be hard to reflect on practice if we have negative feelings like anger or anxiety, lack of confidence, questions if my behaviour is consistent with model behaviour. Unrealistic, high expectations – I am a perfectionist, reluctance to accept help and admittance to weakness. 2. I reflected on my practice by completing PDP and answering 11 questions (see attachment 1 and 2). The aim was to spot where my strengths and weaknesses lie.In what ways I have succeeded in classroom and in what ways can I improve? To ensure â€Å"best† practice. To see what training might be necessary. This gives me the chance to build on my strengths and develop strategies to minimise my weaknesses. I also did my SWOK analysis (atta chment 3). 3. Everyone has different values, beliefs and preferences. We might get across people whose views we do not agree, our reaction to the differences and how they affect the way we work is a crucial part of personal and professional development.We need to respect and promote people’s individual views and wishes. Everyone’s values and beliefs are affected to different degrees by the same range of factors, they might include: family values, psychical, social and emotional stages of development, national/regional, cultural background, education, employment, religious beliefs and values. They might affect how we relate to people. It is important that we are aware of how we might behave differently towards people because it could make a difference to the quality of our work.Our beliefs and experiences can help us within our role. OUTCOME 3 4. 1 It is important to continuously engage in personal development to make sure that we are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge not only to perform our current role but also to prepare ourselves for future opportunities and changes required in order to support success of our work place. There are ways in which we can plan personal development. through many types of learning experiences.We can attend training event or workshop, studying for a formal qualification, reading a newspaper, journal, even in discussion. In order to aid the continuous learning, we should keep personal development record. Is it important to identify priorities when agreeing to the plan because it contributes to stability and growth. It provides a basis for monitoring progress, and for assessing results and impact. It enables to look into future in orderly and systematic way, provides clear focus.

Since human individuals

Psychology has made great strides in the development of principles and methods and the discovery of facts which find useful application in various aspects of everyday life. The objectives of psychology are : (1) to understand human behavior; (2) to predict human behavior by means of observation and experiment; (3) to influence or alter the behavior of he individual or group in desirable ways so that he can achieve the goal he desires (McLeod, 1998). Psychology is the scientific of human behavior and mental processes; a study which is of considerable interest to almost all people.In the pursuit of this study is the important feature of understanding the goals or objectives. To describe, explain and predict behavior and if possible control or modify it, are the main objectives of this scientific discipline. These objectives confine as well as broaden student’s approach towards a deeper perspective of the field in the sense that he/she will have a grasp on the variety of subject matters that psychology provides, the advances or breakthroughs it has attained, its inadequacies and shortcomings, as well as forthcoming challenges the discipline faces.Since human individuals are complex and changing, the study is fascinating yet possesses a certain degree of difficulty. Fascinating because it explores all the facets of being human and possessing a certain degree of difficulty because of its multifarious sub-disciplines. Behavior is described and analyzed (McLeod, 1998). On this basis, an attempt to predict behavior is possible, and although this may not thoroughly and completely be accomplished in some endeavours, the basic understanding then is that there are certain expectations concerning how any person would act or decide upon things that are within his conscious awareness.Psychology is of great importance to man since psychological problems are common to group relations, in whatever framework a person or group of individuals come from (McLeod, 1998). The wo rk of a counsellor is a privilege since the counselee or client will be unfolding his life and makes himself vulnerable to a stranger. It is not an easy choice to make hence, all the training and knowledge would be indispensable to help the client reveal and trust himself to another. Counselling is not a very easy job.But it can be facilitated well when there is a clear vision of what and how it unfolds in the relationship that is established with the client (Nelson-Jones, 1988). A healthy personality does not mean it does not have any difficulties at all. It means that a person has the capabilities to withstand any turmoil or stress that come his way. He has learned the skills to make him adjust to the internal and external stresses; minimizing conflicts from within and without but in a healthy and normal functioning way.Personal growth occurs in the context of self-insights; insights concerning the workings of one’s mind in relation to the structures and stimuli around the person. The self-insight is very significant and crucial to the client for him to be able to work well with those who are there to assist in his recovery and eventual personal growth (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). The important thing is that of flexibility and resiliency on the counselor’s part when to apply or implement the theory (i. e., person-centred in this case) in the context of the client. It starts with the identification of specific problems and especially the root causes (Lishman, 1994). When this is confidently achieved, the therapist is actually midway to attaining his/her goals which includes not only the relief of the symptoms that the sufferer is currently experiencing but especially the reduction of the occurrence if not altogether eliminated. The specific treatment goals are likewise essential and it helps in the remaining aspects or levels of the process.The diagnostic part by itself in most cases is considered therapeutic since many clients have experi enced immediate relief. In addition, another important ingredient in the process is to identify effective reinforcers which help people in crisis for instance or those in acute and chronic mental and emotional anguish to sustain their plan for change and control of their disorders. Helping the client set up a kind of self-help management program is a very effective strategy to pursue within the relationship (Smith 1997, 2004). Nature of the therapeutic approachWithin the person-centred approach human nature is understood as that of the individual possessing to the innate capacity of man towards growth, health and fulfilment which means that man is basically good and equipped to face many obstacles in life. Client-centred therapy avoids the imposition of goals on the patient or client during therapy. It is the client who takes the lead in the session and of the conversation. It is the job of the therapist to create the conditions conducive to the client’s positive judgment of those experiences that are intrinsically satisfying to the client.The ‘goal’ then is to reach the point where the client desires to be a good and â€Å"civilized person. † Unconditional positive regard enhances this atmosphere however, and although the goal may be difficult to achieve, unconditional positive regard eventually, according to Rogers, encourages even the â€Å"`unbehaved† to conform or even transform (Corey, 2004; Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). Anchored on Carl Rogers’ theory on the person-centered approach of understanding behavior and applying such an understanding to the â€Å"healing† process, the concept of congruence is among the highlights of this renowned theorist’s perspective.It is understood as a concept which usually starts or initiated by the therapist or practitioner and modelled to the client whereby the former displays more of the real person that he/she is and reducing denial of the real struggles or fe elings that tend to be kept inside (Smith, 1997; Rogers, 1951; Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). In the process, the client learns to unveil the real self rather than assume a facade which not only masks the real problems, make the therapeutic relationship increasingly difficult (Rogers, 1959).Rogers probably in his long years of exposure to different clients or patients, found commonality in his interactions that help facilitate better recovery and congruence as modelled by a therapist eventually gained its place in his approach. Application or Action Point: Case study: â€Å"Mrs. Todd was admitted to an elder care home following the death of her husband and at the request of her daughter, aged 70, who could no longer manage. Six months after admission Mrs Todd refused to get out of bed for a week, saying that there was no point.During the sensitive questioning by the residential social worker revealed that Mrs Todd had never come to terms with the loss of her husband. On top of t his she had been unable to put into words her grief, plus the perception that she had lost control independence, despite high-quality care in the home, had resulted in confused thinking, distortion of grief and withdrawal. † There are some â€Å"steps† that had been coined by Rogers to put the theory in â€Å"action, so to speak. However, it is imperative that the progression of the helping relationship is not forced or hurried.The goal in this case is for Mrs, Todd to be â€Å"influenced† by the counsellor’s sense of optimism which means that these positive characteristics must somehow rob off on the client. Roger’s understanding is that helping someone can only be most effective when the person is encouraged or has moved on from a state of despondency to vitality regardless of her/his circumstances. This is the primary reason that Roger’s extensive discussion also revolves around the congruent self (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980).One imp ortant aspect of the person-centred approach is the empathy that should be exhibited by the counsellor/therapist. Carl Rogers (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980) initiated the model with the premise that within each person is the capacity to eventually surpass any obstacle with the help and support of critical people. The unconditional positive regard which when cultivated by a therapist is believed to be very crucial to the recovery and healing of the patient.There is curative value to the skills which, importantly, shall comprise the approach that the therapist takes in the course of their healing relationship. In the case of Mrs. Todd whose state of discouragement and grief had not been overcome will be a point of reference for the counselling setting. The person centred therapist is a believer that when given time, a patient-listening-ear and other skills, help for Mrs. Todd is to tap the inner strength that she possesses can be had.The goals of therapy include the readjustment of a person’s understanding of himself, becoming aware of the discrepancies of his real experiences and real self versus the projection of other’s viewpoints and rubbing these onto him, thereby affecting the person of the right attitude and perspective of what life is truly all about (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). Because the emphasis is on the uniqueness of the individual, it goes beyond the mere acceptance of the real worth of the self. It also accepts that there are realities in life that need to be accepted but the individual must transcend above these unwelcoming encounters.The importance is to accept as well that one’s choices and decisions are important and the person must accept his responsibility of the consequences of his actions (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). One important aspect of the person centered approach is the empathy that should be exhibited by the counsellor/therapist. Carl Rogers initiated the model with the premise that within each p erson is the capacity to eventually surpass any obstacle with the help and support of critical people. The unconditional positive regard which when cultivated by a therapist is believed to be very crucial to the recovery and healing of the patient.There is curative value to the skills which, importantly, shall comprise the approach that the therapist takes in the course of their healing relationship (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). The therapeutic nature of the person centred therapy to help this person get the insights, not only to the death and the sense of loneliness and seemingly abandoned feelings at this point in her life, but especially to the fact that other lives are affected as well is not easy as it may seem when one uses this approach. Mrs. Todd must wade through her confusions, her feelings of despondency and the sense of hopelessness.What is actually happening when there is a gradual realization of these issues and the hope that the future may hold for her, is that t he practitioner is more than a crutch and a pole that pulls the patient. The therapist with or without the conscious awareness of the patient is her source of strength and resolve to weather the seemingly heavy burden ahead of her. That is why for many, this approach has become widely used; it is to an extent a very successful model in the field of psychotherapy (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980).The client or person-centred therapy is persuaded that a person is only understood from the point of view of his or her own perception and emotionality or feelings, also known as the phenomenological world. It takes time to be able for the therapist to look into how Mrs. Todd, in this particular case, experience events not just at the events that Mrs. Todd is experiencing; i. e. , her problems and her seemingly hopeless outlook. Mrs. Todd‘s phenomenological world is a major determinant of behavior and what makes Mrs. Todd’s unique from other patients (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980)The person-centred therapeutic goals attempt to empower the patients or clients to increasingly be made aware and accepting of the real self’s true beliefs and worth and condition the person to realize these –worth and self-acceptance within the therapeutic relationship. The management then is not impossible but neither is this easy. Specifically, the counselee or patient must want to heal or believe that there is going to be curative effects in the process. It presupposes that he/she must learn to trust the therapist in his/her capabilities as well in leading or facilitating the changes or modifications.It is very much essential that (in the perspective of a cognitive-behaviourist) that the client understands ownership to the deeds and choices in thought patterns he/she made are crucial to the recurring or occurring condition that s/he experiences (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980)). Moreover, the identification of specific treatments or interventions according to the diagnosed issue will be accommodated and implemented based on the chosen treatment modalities fit with the therapeutic approach utilized.Another contention of this approach is that the therapist should never attempt to manipulate the circumstances for Mrs. Todd. What is important is that Mrs. Todd should create conditions that will empower her to make decisions of her own. The premise of this approach lies in the belief that when a person like Mrs. Todd is no longer concerned with the evaluations, preferences and demands that others make upon her, she will then be released to spur on and live according to the expected innate tendency to self-actualize or reach her potential self.Many of those who use this approach however, do not usually strictly use the pattern that Rogers indicated in his model. In this case, a counsellor’s personality and disposition must merge well with this approach. This is because, the skills needed are at times individual in nature; the crucial a spect then is how some of the strategies must be patient to put up plain unconditional positive regard (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). There is no hundred percent guarantee that Mrs.Todd will be able to fully heal in every aspect of her struggling life. Her problems can be real as she has to cope with the loss that can no longer be restored. So much so that it is not easy in the individualistic society that America is and become confined in a home or institution whose caregivers may be distant. When a therapist pursues the client with tenacious determination to enable and empower the patient, it is not impossible that the likes of Mrs. Todd will have her life back and find meaning even in the twilight of her years.Conclusions It is always worthwhile to spend ample time thinking and studying the many-faceted dimensions of human persona, from physical to moral and psychological areas among others. It has contributed a lot to my personal understanding of self-awareness and the devel opment of the consciousness and sensitivity of what other humans like me are going through. It caters to a deeper understanding as well as acceptance of people’s frailties, and also their strengths. ~Nature and Importance of therapyBehavior is described and analyzed. On this basis, an attempt to predict behavior is possible, and although this may not thoroughly and completely be accomplished in some endeavours, the basic understanding then is that there are certain expectations concerning how any person would act or decide upon things that are within his conscious awareness Psychology is of great importance to man since psychological problems are common to group relations, in whatever framework a person or group of individuals come from.Although an immediate relief is very helpful, this may not always be the case in most illnesses. The goal as mentioned is to provide long-term reduction of the symptoms and the occurrence of the disease altogether if possible. The management t hen is not impossible but neither is this easy. Specifically, the counselee or patient must want to heal or believe that there is going to be curative effects in the process. It presupposes that he/she must learn to trust the therapist in his/her capabilities as well in leading or facilitating the changes or modifications.It is very much essential that (in the perspective of a cognitive-behaviourist) that the client understands ownership to the deeds and choices in thought patterns he/she made are crucial to the recurring or occurring condition that s/he experiences (Seden, 1995). ~Promoting therapy Psychotherapists believe that therapy contributes a lot to the improvement of the psychological condition of the client (Seden, 1995). Therapy can come in many varied forms and the use of these or any of these has been proven to be of vital significance to clients from various walks of life and with myriads of problems or mental and emotional challenges.Therapy may be long-termed analyti cal experiences or encounters or brief problem-oriented treatment/intervention. Whatever the case, these consultations and in-depth interactions and activities between a practitioner therapist and the client in most cases, are beneficial (Burnard, 1992, 1994). The relationship here is that the therapist and client relate in a cordial and friendly manner and the therapist propels the conversation in an energized tone (Hough, 2002). This sets the pace for the client to talk about themselves, how the feel about anything and everything surrounding their lives.More to that, this intricate relationship and dialogue with the therapist assist the client to hear themselves and how they experience themselves, how the therapist experiences them, how they experience the therapist as an individual and friend and so on Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980) Needless to say this kind of therapy can be very tricky to use especially in the case of two opposite sex. It may yield a counter transference and the therapeutic distance. This may impede on the effectiveness of the therapy.It is therefore important that the therapist be very self aware of himself and objective through out the whole process of therapy. He should be in close monitoring of the evolution of the relationship with the client and on the look out for potential obstruction or abuse of power during the sessions of therapy (Smith, 1999, 2004; Rogers, 1980). This is not only a requirement in gestalt psychotherapy but basically in all psychotherapies. It is required by law that the therapist should always keep a therapeutic distance from the client because a breach in observing that distance is tantamount to abuse.This is because in therapy the client is usually vulnerable to the therapist and may feel pressured to please the authority (therapist) although in the real situation, this would be atrocious. This means that if not in the jurisdiction to the therapist to choose for the client what is morally right or wrong sin ce the foundational basic of this therapy is that the client is responsible and is capable of charting his/her own course and behavior. Basically, in this therapy it is not about the ‘should’ and ‘should nots’ so to speak since this impedes on spontaneity and the integration of wholesome self awareness (Brearley, 1996).Reference:Burnard, P. (1994) 2nd ed Counselling Skills for Health Professionals. London: Chapman & Hall. Burnard, P. (1992) Effective Communication Skills for Health Professionals. London: Chapman & Hall. Brearley, J. (1996) Counselling And Social Work. Buckingham: OU Press. Hough, M. (2002) A practical Approach to Counselling, 2nd edn. London: Prentice Hall. Lishman, J. (1994) Communication in Social Work. Macmillan. McLeod, J. (1998). Introduction to Counselling. Buckingham: OU Press. (Chpt 1) Nelson-Jones, R. (1988) Practical Counselling and Helping Skills (4th Ed).London Cassel Rogers, Carl . R. 1951. Client-Centred Counselling, Boston: H oughton-Mifflin. Rogers, Carl . R. 1959. A theory of therapy, personality and interpersonal relationships, as developed in the client-centered framework. In S. Koch (ed. ). Psychology: A study of science. (pp. 184-256). N. Y. : McGraw Hill. Smith, M. K. (1997, 2004) ‘Carl Rogers and informal education', the Encyclopaedia of informal education. [www. infed. org/thinkers/et-rogers. htm. Seden, J. (1999). Counselling Skills in Social Work Practice. Buckingham: OU Press.