Research Methods free essay sample

Structured interviews involve tight control over the format of the questions and answers. In depth, the structured interview is like a questionnaire which is administered face to face with a respondent. The researcher has a predetermined list of questions, to which the respondent is invited to offer limited option responses. The tight controls over the wording of the questions, the order in which the questions occur and the range of answers that are on offer have the advantage of standardization. Each respondent Is faced with Identical questions. And the range of pre-coded answers on offer to respondents ensures that data analysis is relatively easy. The structured interview, in this respect, lends itself to the collection of quantitative data (O’Leary, A. , 2004).. Structured interviews are often associated with social surveys where researchers are trying to collect large volumes of data from a wide range of respondents. Here, we are witnessing the replacement of interviewers armed with clipboards and paper questionnaires with interviewers using laptop computers to Input information direct into a suitable software program. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Methods or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Such computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) has the advantage of using software with built-in checks to eliminate errors in the collection of data, and it allows quick analysis of the data. However, its relatively large initial costs, caused by the purchase of the laptop computers, the development of suitable software and the training Involved, means that CAPI is better suited to large-budget, large number surveys than to small-scale research (Maddux, Robert B. , 1994). 3 Interview-Structured Steps / Procedures of Interview – Structured Before the interview: This step addresses important activities such as inviting applicants, arranging for assessment accommodation, if required, and preparing the interview. Therefore Before the interview take place the researcher has to make sure such of the following points are achieved: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Choosing a setting with the least distraction. Explaining the purpose of the interview. Addressing terms of confidentiality. Explaining the format of the interview. Indicating how long the interview usually takes. Providing contact information of the interviewer. Allowing interviewee to clarify any doubts about the interview. Preparing a method for recording data, e. g. , take notes, recorder During the interview: This step provides step-by-step guidance on how to conduct an interview, such as initiating and closing the interview, asking effective interview questions, and note-taking techniques. Therefore, during the interview, Researcher should: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Explaining the format of the interview. Occasionally verify the method of recording is working. Ask one question at a time. Attempt to remain as neutral as possible. Encourage responses. Be careful about the appearance when note taking. Provide transition between major topics. Not lose control of the interview flow. 4 Interview-Structured After the interview: This step offers guidance on how to assess interviewee responses and avoid common assessment errors, how to integrate interview results with other information to support the selection and informal discussion processes and how to provide feedback to applicants ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Assess the interviewee responses. How responses are relevant to the research topic. Write down any observations made during the interview Make any notes on your written notes. Evaluate and refine interview answer Verify if the tape recorder worked throughout the interview. Interview- structured characteristics Strength / Uses 1. Enables the researcher to examine the level of understanding a respondent has about a particular topic usually in slightly more depth than with a postal questionnaire. 2. Provides a reliable source of quantitative data. 3. The researcher is able to contact large numbers of people quickly, easily and efficiently. 4. All respondents are asked the same questions in the same way. In other words, this type of research method is easy to standardize. . It is relatively quick and easy to create, code and interpret (especially if closed questions are used). 6. The researcher does not have to worry about response rates, biased (self-selected) samples, incomplete questionnaires and the like. 5 Interview-Structured Weakness/ Limitation 1. Can be time consuming if sample group is very large (this is because the researcher or their representativ e needs to be present during the delivery of the structured interview). 2. The quality and usefulness of the information is highly dependent upon the quality of the questions asked. The interviewer cannot add or subtract questions. 3. A substantial amount of pre-planning is required. 4. There is limited scope for the respondent to answer questions in any detail or depth. 5. There is the possibility that the presence of the researcher may influence the way a respondent answers various questions, thereby biasing the responses. 6. The format of questionnaire design makes it difficult for the researcher to examine complex issues and opinions. Even where open-ended questions are used, the depth of answers the respondent can provide tend to be more-limited than with almost any other method. Interview-Structured Sample (1) of interview-structured (See Appendix A) Sample source: [Sample Reproduced from: http://www. va. gov/pbi/supervisor/intro_sup. htm ] Sample (2) of interview-structured (See Appendix B) Sample source: [Sample Reproduced from HSRI: http://www. hsri. org/cgi/hsri. cgi ] 7 Interview-Structured Conclusion Comments Generally, Research shows that structure d interviews are twice as effective as unstructured interviews in predicting job performance as can be seen from the structured question in the attached sample (1). However, by just looking into the two types of samples attached, we can see that sample (1) question structure is more direct and specific about job requirement and candidate’s competencies, while in the structured questions in sample (2) the question are based on the Community Support Skills Standards where the interviewees or the respondents has to choose a set of the list question which suit their needs and the people going to interviewed. On the other hand, structured interviews require adherence to a very particular set of rules. Each question that is outlined should be read word for word by the researcher without any deviation from the protocol. In some cases, the interviewer is also required to show consistency in behavior across all interviews. This includes bodily posture, facial expressions, and emotional affect. Reactions to participant responses should be kept to a minimum or avoided entirely. In fact, structured interviews are the type used most often by quantitative researchers. The style is most useful when looking for very specific information. The benefits are that it keeps the data concise and reduces researcher bias. Typically a wide variety of questions can be used to gain information about a candidate’s competencies. Use these questions as guides to help you develop questions that target specific job requirements. 1. Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses at work that tested your coping skills. What did you do? 2. Give an example of a time when you could not participate in a discussion or could not finish a task because you did not have enough information. What did you do? 3. Give an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision. How did you go about making the decision? 4. Tell me about a time when you had to use your spoken communication skills in order to get a point across that was important to you. How did you make your point? What technique or skill worked for you? 5. Can you tell me about a job experience in which you had to speak up and tell other people what you thought or felt? What was the result of your action? 6. Give me an example of a time when you felt you were able to build motivation in your co-workers or subordinates. How did you motivate them? What were the results? 7. Tell me about a specific occasion when you conformed to a policy even though you did not agree with it. What was the result? How did you feel? 8. Describe the worst customer or co-worker you have ever had and tell me how you dealt with him or her. 9. Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem and then tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision. What was the result or what happened? 10. Give me an example of an important goal you had set and tell me about your progress in reaching that goal. How did you go about setting the goal? 11. Describe the most significant written document, report, or presentation that you’ve completed. What was the process you used to write this document? What was the impact or result of your efforts? 12. Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done. What caused the situation that required this extraordinary effort? How did you feel about all this extra effort? 8 Appendix A—Common Structured Interview Questions 13. Give me an example of a time when you were able to communicate successfully with another person, even when that individual may not have personally liked you. What was the result of your communication? 14. Describe a situation in which you were able to read another person effectively and guide your actions by your understanding of his/her individual needs or values. What happened? 15. What did you do in your last job in order to be effective with your organization and planning? Be specific. How did you deal with competing priorities? 16. Describe the most creative work-related project you have completed. 17. Tell me about a time when you made a suggestion to improve the quality and efficiency of the work done in your unit. 18. Give me an example of a time when you had to analyze another person or situation carefully in order to be effective in guiding your action or decision. How did you decide what action or decision to take? 19. What did you do in your last job to contribute toward a teamwork environment? Be specific. What were the results of this teamwork? 20. Give me an example of a problem you faced on the job and tell me how you solved it. 21. Describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of others in a desired direction. How did this affect others in that environment? 2. Tell me about a situation in the past year in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or coworker. How did you handle the situation? What was the result? 23. Describe a situation in which others within your organization depended on you. What would they tell me about this situation? 24. Describe your most recent group effort. What was your role? How would you change the group to be more effe ctive? Adapted from: http://www. va. gov/pbi/supervisor/intro_sup. htm Interview-Structured Appendix B 11 Sample Structured Interview Questions Based upon CSSS competency areas. Instructions: This document contains example structured interview questions for agencies supporting persons with disabilities. The questions are based on the Community Support Skills Standards (available from HSRI http://www. hsri. org/cgi/hsri. cgi). We recommend that you choose questions that suit the needs of your agency and the people to be interviewed. We suggest your agency ask the same set of questions of all applicants for a particular position. A. Competency area 1: PARTICIPANT EMPOWERMENT 1. Describe a situation when you assisted an individual recognize that he or she had several choices in how to handle a difficult problem. What was the situation, what did you do, and what was the final outcome? 2. A participant at the group home in which you work has recently told you she thinks she might be a lesbian, and would like to meet other women in the gay community. What steps would you take to empower her? 3. Describe a situation where youve encouraged someone to advocate for themselves? 4. You and a person with disabilities you support are at a local restaurant. When the waitress comes to take your order, she looks and speaks only to you. The person you are with can give his/her own order. What would you do? B. Competency area 2: COMMUNICATION 1. Describe ways in which you have communicated with a person who does not communicate verbally? 2. Your new coworker Mohamed, is Muslim. During the month of Ramadan he is fasting during the day, and has asked you to change duties with him so he will not have to cook for the people who live in the group home. You cook a great deal already, and dont want to take on the extra duties for him. How do you respond to him? 3. Your coworker has a habit of interrupting you at staff meetings. In the past youve waited for her to finish and bring up your point again, only to have her interrupt once more. As a result, you often leave staff meetings feeling frustrated because your issues were not addressed. How do you address this issue? 4. Describe a situation in which your attempts to communicate with someone were ineffective. What was the situation, what did you do and what happened as a result? 5. Describe the worst misunderstanding you were involved in at your last job. What was the situation, what did you do and what happened as a result? C. Competency area 3: ASSESSMENT 1. Sallys mother expresses concern to you that Sally may be hard of hearing, and tends to ignore her when she is talking. You have noticed this, but have also found that when Sally is around friends or watching television her hearing appears to be fine. You suspect Sally is choosing to not listen to her mother. Sallys mother recently told you she wants her daughters hearing tested and asks you your thoughts. How might you share your assessment of the situation with her mother? 2. Tell us about a time when someone was injured and you had to make an immediate judgment on what needed to be done to help the person. Describe the injury and your steps in making the assessment. 3. Describe a situation in the past where youve participated in a team assessment process. What was your role? 4. Tell me about the last time you solved a problem where you had to do a lot of hard thinking and analysis; what difficulties did you encounter, how did you overcome them, what was the result? 1 D. Competency area 4: COMMUNITY SERVICE NETWORKING 1. A person you support tells you when he was a child his family went regularly to a Catholic church and he would like to become active in the faith again. How do you support him in this goal? 2. Midori, a Japanese-American is quiet and doesn’t leave the house. She is not involved in any activities and has no personal relationships. Midori claims she has no areas of interest but seems unhappy with her life. How might you assist Midori in recognizing and developing areas of interest? 3. Please describe some community resources you have had contact with in your own neighborhood. How might those resources be used by a person with a disability? 4. Think about the last time you moved to a new community. What strategies did you use to find places to engage in your favorite leisure activities? How did you go about meeting people with interests similar to yours? John recently moved from a large institution to a supported living setting. How might you assist John to learn about and become part of his new community? 5. Describe the most embarrassing situation you have experienced when you were with a person with a disability. What was the situation, what did you do, what happened as a result? What, if anything, would you do anything differently if you experienced a similar circumstance in the future? E. Competency area 5: FACILITATION OF SERVICES 1. Tell me about a time when you had to practice professional confidentiality. What was the situation? What did you do? What was the outcome? . When working with persons with developmental disabilities, what do you think is key in establishing a solid working relationship? 3. A few weeks after developing her support plan, Rachel changes her mind about wanting to get a job. How might you respond? 4. Describe a situation in which you helped a person set a goal and then supported the person to achieve th at goal. What was the goal and how did you help? 5. Describe a situation in which you or someone you know needed a medical, psychological or other support service but was having trouble getting it. What was the situation, what did you do, what was the result? F. Competency area 6: COMMUNITY LIVING SKILLS SUPPORTS 1. Describe the best meal you have ever prepared for a group of people. 2. Describe the household chore or duty you like least. What strategies do you use to ensure that the chore or duty is completed? 3. Describe the household chore or duty you like most. What strategies do you use to ensure that the chore or duty is completed? 4. What actions would you take if you recognized a person showing signs of having an allergic reaction (e. g. , hives)? 5. Kamol, a resident in the group home were you work was raised in a Thai community. Lately, he has expressed how much he misses his mothers cooking and talks about Thai dishes he loved as a child. How might you respond to this situation? 6. Describe a time when you were required to provide medical assistance or treatment to another person. What was the situation, what did you do, what happened as a result? G. Competency Area 7: EDUCATION, TRAINING, SELF-DEVELOPMENT 1. How have you kept up on relevant resources and information about a topic of interest to you? 2. What else besides your education and job experience qualifies you for this job? 2 3. Describe the last thing you did for self-improvement? 4. Tell me about the best class you have ever taken. What was the class? Why was it good? 5. What is the next thing you want to learn how to do, or how to do better? What is your plan for accomplishing this? H. Competency Area 8: ADVOCACY 1. What advocacy organizations/services are available in this community that might assist persons with disabilities? 2. Tell me about a situation where you have advocated on behalf of another person or a time when someone else has advocated on your behalf. What made that advocacy successful or unsuccessful? . Describe a time when you witnessed a person with disabilities being teased by a coworker or other person. What did you do? What could you have done to assist that person? I. Competency Area 9: VOCATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND CAREER SUPPORT 1. Mali would like to join a Hmong quilting group, but she has no method of transportation other than the bus, which is a long and confusing ride. What could you to do as her DSP to support her in gaining access to this program? 2. Describe a time when you have supported another person in a vocational or education program or with their career development? . Describe the things you have done in the last couple of years to advance your career. What supports did you use/receive? What was the most helpful assistance you got? 4. Describe the first job you ever had. What would you do to adapt that job so that it could be performed by someone who could not walk (talk, see, hear etc. )? J. Competency Area 10: CRISIS INTERVENTION 1. Betty a person in the home where you work is sensitive to loud noises. One afternoon, the maintenance crew comes to the house to do yard work and the sound of the riding mower sends her into a panic. She begins pacing rapidly while crying and covering her ears. She picks up a nearby object in attempt to throw through the window towards the maintenance worker. How would you handle this situation? 2. Describe the last time you became involved in a conflict or crisis situation. What was the situation? What did you do? How well did it work? What would you have done to prevent the situation from occurring? 3. Describe the most difficult person you remember ever dealing with at work or school. Describe the most difficult situation you remember encountering with that person. How did they react to you? How did you deal with the situation? What did you do about your own feelings? Did you ever discuss you differences with this person? If not, why not? If yes, what happened? K. Competency Area 11: ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPATION 1. Tell me about the mission of the last company you worked for. Did you agree or disagree with that mission, why? 2. Describe a situation where you played a role in making a change within your last place of employment (or church, community center or club). What was the situation, what did you do, what was the result? 3. Describe a situation in which you had a conflict with a co-worker. What was the issue, what did you do, what was the outcome of the conflict? 4. Describe a situation in which you had a conflict with your supervisor. What was the issue, what did you do, what was the outcome of the conflict? 3 5. What was the best experience you have ever had as a member of a team? What was your role on the team? What made it a good experience? 6. Describe the worst supervisor you have ever had. What made that person a poor supervisor? How did you work with that person to complete your job duties? 7. Tell me about the last time you found yourself trying to do too many different things at the same time. How did you handle the situation? 8. Describe the co-worker that you most appreciate? What characteristics or qualities of that person do you most appreciate? 9. What behaviors do you think are most important/most valued by team members or co-workers in the work place? Of the behavior you just listed, please do a self-evaluation and tell me which is your strongest most positive co-worker behavior? Which might be a possible improvement area for you? 10. What does team work mean to you? Give some examples of things you have done to be a good team member, or to improve teamwork. L. Competency Area 12: DOCUMENTATION 1. Tell me some of the reasons you feel documentation is important. 2. Describe a situation in which someone you know used words to describe a person or a group of people that showed disrespect. What if anything did you do in that situation? 3. Describe a situation in which you were asked to document an event. Describe what occurred, what information was documented, and the reasons behind your documentation. 4. What was the best thing you ever wrote? What was the topic; what made this the best thing you ever wrote? 5. Describe the most difficult writing assignment you have ever had. What was the assignment, how did you handle it? . Describe the last paper or writing assignment you completed in school or at work. What was the assignment, what did you do, what was the outcome of the assignment? Experience, Credentials and Self-Evaluation/Opinion Questions 1. Describe a typical day in your most recent job. 2. Describe any classes, experiences, or training you have received that prepare you for this job. 3. Most of us have more than one reason for leaving a job. What are some of yours, from past or present experience? 4. What one or two words would most of all of your previous supervisors use to describe you? 5. What part(s) of you last/present position did you like least? What did you do to try to overcome the situation? What would you think if you know in advance that this situation would be present in your new job? 6. Under what circumstances might you seek out a co-worker or peer for advice or suggestions? Provide examples of time you did that in the past. 7. Describe your ideal job. Discuss the amount and type of supervision you prefer, contact and kinds of relationships with co-workers, job tasks, and freedom to work or to make decisions. 8. Under what circumstances might you seek out a co-worker or peer for advice or suggestions? Provide examples of time you did that in the past. 9. If you had the authority or power, what one thing would you change about your current/last position? 10. Other than money, what rewards, benefits, or work situations are most important for you? 11. How much time did you miss from work last year? The year before? 12. What suggestions has your supervisor given you for performance improvement or development? 13. We have all made mistakes in our job, some bigger than others. Tell me about the biggest work place mistake you ever made. What were the circumstances, and how did you deal with it? What did you lean from the experience? 4. Tell me about your schedule flexibility, and your work schedule preferences.

Free Essays on Paul

Paul was one of Jesus’ most important apostles. He preached about Christ in some of the toughest most diverse ancient cities in the world. One of these cities was Rome. â€Å"The task of preaching Christ in cities of the ancient world was as great as any that has ever faced Christians† (Perkins, 133). People had different beliefs, most people believed in what they could see and what was proven to them. Paul thinks that people have their own ability to think and the ability to know right from wrong. Paul proclaims that God is right, and any other worship is wrong. Rome was a large mixture of all types of religious beliefs from the Greek Gods to the Jewish community which seemed to be growing larger and larger everyday. Paul wrote a passage in the bible about Rome, called â€Å"The Letter of Paul to the Romans†. This passage was written in Corinth about 55-58 A.D. Paul’s reasoning for this was to point out to all the Romans what it is, in his mind, that they were doing wrong with their worship. Paul is trying to prove that Christ is the only true faith. â€Å"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them† (ROMANS 1:19). This is saying that people are being unfaithful not to believe that God is our creator. The fact that they all know in their hearts that God is our creator but that maybe they need some one like Paul to preach it to them. He was trying to point out that believing in these false Gods and Goddesses would at some point lead them to false behavior. â€Å"and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles† (ROMANS 1:23). This is what he explains as â€Å"The Guilt of Human Kind†. At this time Rome was growing as an empire and becoming the strongest economically and politically. There were also a lot of other things going on in Rome at this time, things like the Roman baths which later led to same sex relati... Free Essays on Paul Free Essays on Paul The 5 Minute Battle A sharp ringing resounds in my head As I realize I’m not lying in my bed At the best episode of a reverie. The teacher strides by striking me In the head with that wretched weapon She wields by her side to beckon All scholars who have fallen deep Without effort into an oppressive sleep. I leap to my feet and fly to the door Attempting to beat the crowd wondering evermore From class to class never halting to rest As Moses and his nation roaming to discover their nest. Eking along at a miserable eight feet per minute I panic in the realization of a lacking time limit. As I rush down the hall mimicking an untamed river An ignorant freshman stands frozen beginning to quiver. The masses consume him and I My heart longs to rise up and fly Up and over the mob. My first destination Comes into sight, to reach it requires fierce determination! As I warily whirl the wheel Seeking three consecutive numbers, I feel A sudden great waft to my extended wing Similar to that the giant felt coming from David’s sling. Breathlessly I scurry to recover from the clout. â€Å"One minute left!† A nearby straggler did shout. Teachers commence to hiss At the lovers yearning for one last kiss. I round the bend and break into a sprint! For my next over-zealous teacher will not show a hint Of grace towards those who lose the five minute battle Against those students lingering like cattle. The last few seconds flutter by Five minutes is all but over, I can’t afford to be shy. Pushing, pulling, jumping, scratching, lunging, I skate over the threshold into the classroom, gasping For air I plummet into my chair in time to hear The jingle of that tardy bell ringing in my ear.... Free Essays on Paul Paul was one of Jesus’ most important apostles. He preached about Christ in some of the toughest most diverse ancient cities in the world. One of these cities was Rome. â€Å"The task of preaching Christ in cities of the ancient world was as great as any that has ever faced Christians† (Perkins, 133). People had different beliefs, most people believed in what they could see and what was proven to them. Paul thinks that people have their own ability to think and the ability to know right from wrong. Paul proclaims that God is right, and any other worship is wrong. Rome was a large mixture of all types of religious beliefs from the Greek Gods to the Jewish community which seemed to be growing larger and larger everyday. Paul wrote a passage in the bible about Rome, called â€Å"The Letter of Paul to the Romans†. This passage was written in Corinth about 55-58 A.D. Paul’s reasoning for this was to point out to all the Romans what it is, in his mind, that they were doing wrong with their worship. Paul is trying to prove that Christ is the only true faith. â€Å"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them† (ROMANS 1:19). This is saying that people are being unfaithful not to believe that God is our creator. The fact that they all know in their hearts that God is our creator but that maybe they need some one like Paul to preach it to them. He was trying to point out that believing in these false Gods and Goddesses would at some point lead them to false behavior. â€Å"and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles† (ROMANS 1:23). This is what he explains as â€Å"The Guilt of Human Kind†. At this time Rome was growing as an empire and becoming the strongest economically and politically. There were also a lot of other things going on in Rome at this time, things like the Roman baths which later led to same sex relati...

Financial Planning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Planning - Case Study Example The ethical standards also require the financial planners to get acknowledgement from their clients for deploying funds in the high risk investment avenues. In cases of conflict of interest, the financial planners are required to regard their professional duty of giving priority to the interest of their client. Finally, the high standards of practice require the financial planners to provide unbiased financial advises to their clients for protecting their interests. The financial planning done by the planners of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia falls under the FPA code of professional and ethical practice. However, the issues that led to the inquiry by the Senate against the scandal in the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning activities exposed the activities of the financial planners of CBA. ... ivities of CBA financial planners that came to light after the global financial crisis included misallocation of superannuation funds in the investment areas that is considered to be highly risky as a result of which the retired employees lost a major part of their superannuation fund. This is a specific example of CBA breaching the FPA code of conduct and ethics as the investments in high risks avenues was done by CBA without the consent of the retired employees and the clients. Apart from deploying funds into high risk management avenues without the prior permission of the holder, several associated issues related to forgery of signatures, and mysterious missing of documents came to light. Thus, the financial planners of CBA resorted to unethical practices which are against the professional norms. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia concealed that information from their clients who were not even informed of the activities of the financial planners. Question 1 b The financial plannin g scandal of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia demonstrated the conflict of interest between the clients of the bank and the activities of the financial planners of the Commonwealth Bank and the management. The financial planners under the management of the Bank were engaged into unethical professional practices of undertaking high risks on investments with the funds of the investors who were their clients. Although a logical reasoning by the financial planners would explain the investments were risky, they were engaged into unfair practices by taking a chance to increase the return of the bank with the help of public money (McKeown, 2012, p.39). The interest of CBA was to maximize the return on investment made by them with the use of public funds. The interest of the bank never

Multimedia and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multimedia and Design - Essay Example Norman (2007) reveals that it is particularly important that before we judge these people we try step into their shoes. Before allowing one to label this person, try imagining they are acting like so or saying those things they are saying. Maybe this person always keeps to him/herself because s/he is uncomfortable around others, they just are not used to conversing with people hence they are a little cold, or most probably, they were not feeling well at the particular time you encounter them. We need to put ourselves on the receiving end, as in being treated the way we may be treating these people. It is necessary to note this before saying anything to the other person. It is definite that you would be pretty hurt if a stranger or someone you are not familiar with said something mean to you because you did not look or sound or act to their expectations or anticipated thoughts. If you could not take the pain, then you would not want to subject someone else through the same path. Just because the first encounter with this person gave you a poor impression does not mean that they are constantly saying or acting in that manner. Some people may be psychiatric cases, a force the prompts them behave in weird ways, and if one is not able to; at an instance make this out, one may end being prejudiced in his/her judgment of the subject. There is a probability of them having a bad day at the time of encounter or were in some way depressed or angry (Norman, 2007). One should try to engage this person often and see how they act before you create an impression. Some people are generally moody hence; a number of encounters should be enough ground to draw a solid ground on their behavior. Some machines are able to read peoples moods and determine the ability to engage in some chores effectively in the said mood, while some can measure the level of desire of something in a person. Norman (2007) suggests the need of incorporating an emotional component program into

How top managements vision can be translated into operational goals Essay

How top managements vision can be translated into operational goals and why this is important - Essay Example The paper tells that in order to benefit from the vision of their top managements, organizations should translate this vision into operational goals. This can be achieved by applying a lot of management practices that are very specific. One tool for ensuring this is done is a scorecard. According to Kaplan and Norton, a scorecard helps managers of a company to clarify their vision for the firm and translate it into measurable objectives and actions that can be understood by employees. This also includes objectives that will enable the organization to balance and respond to the concerns of its stakeholders. The conversion of the vision of top management into operational goals is important because if articulated with effective strategies that are properly executed, it can provide one important way through which an organization can control its destiny. From the developed objectives, the management will be able to develop specific, workable strategies to support these objectives. These s trategies will touch both on primary and secondary management practices, deal with strategy paradox and guide on responsible restructuring. The translation of this vision into specific objectives that are unambiguous to the employees means the employees of the organizations will be in position to align their actions and efforts toward the achievement of core objectives/business of the organization. Generally, it provides a list of operational measures that act as powerful drivers, good for future financial performance. References Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. (1996). The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. (1st Ed). Havard. Harvard Business Review Press. An organization that has experienced a virtuous spiral and how it compares with the concepts presented in "Treat People Right" An example of an organization that has experienced a virtuous growth is Southwest Airlines and an examination of its situation shows a high correlation to the concepts presented in "Treat Peopl e Right". In this book, Lawler explains how individuals and organizations are interdependent in that they can propel each other into a virtuous spiral of success. He explains that organizations that value and reward their employees motivate them to perform better and this in turn pushes the organization to attain greater levels of accomplishments in agreement with Helge (2006). There is an adequate implementation of the 7 principles outlined in Treating People Right in Southwest Airlines and the company has achieved impressive results because of this. Lawler (2004) explains that the company is a people focused organization that always seeks quality relationship with its employees and identifies its people as its competitive advantage. The Airline has placed an emphasis on careful selection of employees, developing a work environment that is employee-friendly, giving employees the autonomy to control their work and jobs, stock ownership and profit sharing for all employees, and provi ding them with opportunities for growth, development and advancement within the organization. The outcome of this has been excellent customer service which is important for airlines because it influences the attitude of customers toward the company. It has also led to the elimination of the hostile labor relationship common in all other major airlines. Despite being highly unionized, the Airline has never had a strike and this has improved its image in the market. It is mentioned both by employees and customers as one of the best workplaces. References Helge, D. (2006). â€Å"Employee Motivation, Engagement & Retention - Use Corporate Culture to Overcome Negativity.†

The History Of Bitumen Engineering Essay

The History Of Bitumen Engineering Essay Bitumen is described as mankinds oldest engineering material. This fact is supported by some evidence. Back at the time, nearly 3000 years BC, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia used bitumen to fasten ivory or pearl into the eye sockets of their statues. They also sculptured votive offerings which the mixture of their sculpture is originally from bitumen and clay. From the finding, it is proven that some thousand years later, bitumen was being used by the early Babylonians as a building material because of its properties as a cement and water proofing agent. Later, bitumen became the standard material and being used in civil engineering and architectural projects to hold bricks and stones together which used to line drains, watercourses and grain storage. It was also being used to create damp courses and seal the flat roofs of the houses in the same way as it is used today. It is also important in paving (Ask.com, 21 Dec 2010). Other Evidence found that, about 600 BC King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon rebuilt the city wall, which he intends to restrain the water of the Euphrates with burnt bricks and bitumen because the old wall which is made of dried clay bricks had failed to keep the waters at the bay. The Babylonians had developed a technique using layer of bricks, bitumen and clay which they reinforced with reed for construction purposes. The system was so successful whereas they were able to build towers up to twelve storeys high. The evidence is proven when archeologists excavating the site of the ancient city and they found traces that bitumen had been used for the construction of the building. Instead of using bitumen for construction, the reason why bitumen was widely used in this area was its availability in various forms. It can be found in certain places where we can find it easily. It was also available as a solid material in the form of bituminous limestone, which was used as the basis for small carvings. Because of its availability, bitumen has taken parts in many great legends of Biblical and pre-Biblical times. It is said that, bitumen has being used in the building of the Tower of Babel and for the waterproofing of Noahs Ark and Moses wicker basket (Zayn Bilkadi, Dec 1984). The Romans used bitumen for medicinal purposes whereas they use bitumen for preventing and curing a number of ailments including boils, toothache and ringworm. Meanwhile, Roman ladies used bitumen for cosmetic purposes whereas they used bitumen as a means of beautifying their eyebrows. Bitumen also was being used for maritime usage whereas Christopher Columbus and Sir Walter Raleigh found that the lakes of asphalt in Trinidad are useful for re-caulking their ships for the return voyage. Apart from maritime usage, bitumen was used mainly for medicinal, cosmetic and crop protection purposes. On the other hand, the German metallurgist Georg Agricola was writing in the early part of the sixteenth century that Bitumen is produced from mineral waters containing oil, also from liquid bitumen and from rocks containing bitumen. Liquid bitumen sometimes floats in large quantities on the surface of wells, brooks and rivers and is collected with buckets or other pots. Small quantities are collected by means of feathers, linen towels and the like. The bitumen easily adheres to these objects and is collected in big copper or iron vessels and the lighter fractions evaporated by heating. The residual oil is used for different purposes and some people mix it with pitch, others with used axle oil to make it thicker. On the other hand, the entry for bitumen in Blounts Glossary published in 1656 defined it as a kind of clay or slime naturally clammy, like pitch, growing in some countries of Asia. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the usage of bitumen for the road construction is to solve the problem of the dust raised by the horse-drawn traffic in towns. The availability of supply of tar from local coal-gas works led to the use of tar for treating streets and pavements. They started to realize the important of streets and road which would lead to the unimagined standard of smoothness and durability for the elements needed for their creation in the future. Rock asphalt and the Trinidad Lake were the sources of bitumen first used to bind mixtures of aggregates in road building in the modern style. (Asphalt Origin,) Nowadays, a small scale of high quality bitumen can be exploited from petroleum which is a readily available source of low cost. The production of bitumen grew with the rise of the motorcar and the universal demand for paved highways. The proportion of bitumen which is resulted from petroleum refining whereas lead that today most bitumen sources is from the distillation of crude petroleum oil. (BP , 2010). 2.2 Bitumen Bitumen is a versatile material that is widely used in civil engineering. Bitumen is a mixture of organic liquid that are black, oily, highly viscous that is a naturally occurring organic product by product of decomposed organic materials. This basically consists of hydrocarbons ,carbon hydrogen the rest becomes oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen and trace the various metals such as nickel, vanadium, lead, chromium, mercury and also arsenic, selenium and other toxic elements. Bitumen can provide good preservation of plants and animal fossils. Bitumen and asphalt is two different things. In American asphalt used to mean bitumen but outside American asphalt refers to the mixture of bitumen and aggregate laid as a road surface. H:TOPEKBitumen Definition_filesBitumenInBeaker2.gif Figure 2.1: Bitumen 2.3 Sources of bitumen Bitumen can be derived from different type of sources. It occurs naturally, but for most occasions, the world relies on petroleum for the supplies of bitumen. The bitumen consists of crude petroleum oil that normally varies between 25% and 40%, but content of crude oil can vary between 15% and 80% (BP 2010). There are three categorization for crude oil bitumen that is bitumen based, paraffin based or bitumen and paraffin based. Bitumen present in the form of colloidal dispersion or in a true solution based on the type of crude petroleum oil. In the refining process, the proportion of oil to bitumen particles changes because of petroleum oil is taken away by distillation. Relatively in few numbers, this particle become closer to one another and their size increase when it is dispersed. At the time the distillation process stopped, the petroleum becomes a colloidal dispersion of black solid known as asphaltenes. This asphaltenes are dispersed in an oily brown yellow liquid, known as the maltenes fraction. It also react as a stabilizing agent to keep the asphaltenes in suspension are another group of hydrocarbon known as resins. Normally bitumen is found in a few forms, from the hard, easily crumbled bitumen in rock asphalt to the softer, more viscous material found in tar sands and so-called asphalt lakes. It is normally consist of varying proportions of mineral and vegetable impurities that need to be extracted before in can be used as engineering material. Bitumen also can be found as asphaltite. It is natural bitumen without an impurity that varies in the amount the asphaltite can be dissolve in carbon disulphide. Natural petroleum like bitumen naturally occurs as the result from the special decompositions of marine debris. After thousands of years it has been move through porous rock such as limestone and sandstone often by volcanic action. In certain areas notable for their petroleum resources, like in the Middle East, semi fluid bitumen can be found oozing out of fissures near hot spring or seeping out of the ground. Rock asphalt, it is more costly to move around and to process. This is because its variable and relative low content of bitumen and tends to be found away from the places where bitumen needed. It is important to distinguish between bitumen and coal tar. Even though coal tar is black and viscous like bitumen, it is obtained from the carbonization of coal that why it is very different chemical properties. Many part of the world in engineering project, from the construction of transcontinental highways to the waterproofing of flat roof surfaces, depending on the specific nature of asphalt. Petroleum crude oil processed by the industry to provide all but a small part of this material is important.(BP, 2010) 2.4 Manufacturing process Manufacturing of bitumen consist of three processes which is refinery process, storage and distribution. 2.4.1 Refinery process In oil refinery process, the crude oil is divided into different groups based on their boiling range. The first stage of refinery process is atmospheric distillation. In this process the crude oil is heated about 3000 C to 3500 C and the more volatile components in the crude oil such as petrol and kerosene are distilled off. Residue from this process called atmosphere residue, which is need further distilled under vacuum. Because of the applied vacuum, the effective distillation point is 5000 C 5600 C. this vacuum distillation process produce more volatile products called as vacuum distillates and leaves vacuum residue which is a non volatile residue of high viscosity. Based on the crude oil origin, the vacuum residue can be used directly as bitumen and for some cases of crude oil it needs additional process to meet certain specification such as air blowing of the residue. To ensure consistent product, the air blowing needs careful selection and control of process temperature, air rate and residence time. In other hand bitumen are produced by blending vacuum residue with asphaltenes which is derived from the production of lubricating oils. The selection of crude is the most important element of bitumen manufacture because it is required expertise and experience to yield a satisfactory product. 2.4.2 Storage Large permanent tank made of mild steel plate use to stored bitumen at refineries with capacities of between 100 and 10000 tones. To make sure the bitumen remain fluid, steam or hot oil is pumped during heating oils in the heavily insulated tanks. 2.4.3 Distribution To make sure the bitumen not cool and unworkable the product must be kept between 150 °C-190 °C throughout the supply chain.  The temperature of bitumen can fall about 7oC to 10oC when it is loaded into a road tanker and it will continue to fall further while in transit. Most of the bitumen will be transferred from the refineries using the road tankers with capacities of 10 to 40 tones. The road tanker is insulated by single-compartment tanks, normally with some kind of heating such as heating tubes. Insulated rail cars are sometimes used to transport bitumen to intermediary depots with reheating facilities. 2.5 Properties of Bitumen Bitumen is a durable and strong adhesive use as a binder in many applications with other material without affecting their properties. Its durability is important to major engineering part such as road and water ways. Bitumen is insoluble in water and can be used as an effective water proofing sealant. Bitumen can be used to line watercourses because it resist and do not react with acid, alkalis, salt and does not contaminate water. Bitumen is soften and thermoplastic material. Bitumen becomes liquid when heated and hardens when it cools. Bitumen can used easily in the area where its need to used because it can readily be liquefied by one of three methods thats applying heat, dissolving it in petroleum solvents or dispersing it in water (emulsification). Total production of bitumen is larger use in road construction. This is because bitumen gives flexibility to the mixed mineral aggregates that been used in road construction. It is available with economic cost all around the world. 2.6 Types of Bitumen There are several types of the bitumen below based on BP bitumen 2010: 2.6.1 Paving grade bitumen This type of bitumen considered as a parent bitumen of the other form of bitumen produced below. It is refined and blended to fulfill the industrial and road engineering specification that considered different climate condition. 2.6.2 Cutback bitumen This type of bitumen has lower viscosity than other types of bitumen. This bitumen has been diluted in order to make it more flow able and suitable for application. Cutback bitumen mostly is used for cold weather bituminous, road construction and maintenance. In cutback bitumen suitable solvent is used to lower the viscosity of the bitumen. Fluidity of bitumen depends on the proportion of solvent and degree of hardness of the bitumen base. Cutback bitumen classified based to the time it takes to become solid, as rapid curing (RC), medium curing (MC) or slow curing (SC). RC is recommended for surface dressing and patchwork. MC is recommended for premix with less quantity of fine aggregates. SC is used for premix with appreciable quantity of fine aggregates. The solvent used for preparation of cutback of bitumen are white spirit commonly used for RC grades, kerosene for MC grades and diesel for SC grades. In view of the environment, health and safety cutback bitumen cause a problem because the solvent used evaporates and currently the evaporation is regarded as a potentially undesirable characteristic. 2.6.3 Bitumen emulsions Frequently the bitumen that been applied to mineral aggregates substrates in road construction is in the form called bitumen emulsion. Bitumen emulsions are the dispersion of bitumen in an aqueous continuous condition and been stabilized by the addition of emulsifier. Bitumen emulsions are the ideal binder can be used in hill road construction which the process of heating the bitumen or aggregates are not easy in that area. Rapid setting emulsions usually used for surface dressing work, Medium setting emulsions use for premix jobs and patch repairs work and slow setting emulsions are ideal use during rainy season. Around 60% of bitumen content in the emulsion and the left over is water (Tom V. Mathew and K V Krishna Rao, 2007). During the road construction, these emulsions will breaks down resulting in released of water and the mix will starts to set. Grade of bitumen affect the time of setting. Bitumen emulsion is ideal for used in road construction because it have low viscosity and workable in ambient temperatures. But to apply this bitumen in road making process, it requires controlled breaking and setting. Bitumen should not break before it is laid on the surface of road but, once it placed, it should break quickly. This implies that the road can be in service without delay. 2.6.4 Modified bitumen Modified bitumen is bitumen treated with modifiers. Certain additives added as bitumen modifiers to improve the service performance by changing such properties as their durability and hardness. Natural rubber, polymer and thermoplastic are commonly used to modify bitumen. This is an exciting development of growing importance due to the ability of modem technology to satisfy the demands of the bitumen and international market. Modified bitumen will contribute towards a longer road life and lower cost maintenance. 2.6.5 Multi-grade Bitumen This type of bitumen is chemically modified bitumen. It has multi properties that are properties of hard paving bitumen at high service temperature with the properties of soft paving grades bitumen at low temperature. Multi-grade bitumen gives improvement in resistance to deformation 2.6.6 Industrial bitumen Industrial bitumen also known as oxidized bitumen. This bitumen is made by blowing air through hot paving grade bitumen called blowing process. The result from blowing process is a product that softens bitumen at higher temperature than provide by paving grade bitumen softens. It also has rubberlike properties and its viscosity is less affected by changes in temperature than is the case with paving grade bitumen. 2.7 Requirement of Bitumen The some requirement properties of bitumen depend on the mix type and construction. In general, Bitumen should fulfill the following properties: (Prof. Tom V. Mathew, 2009) The bitumen should not be highly temperature susceptible: during the hottest weather the mix should not become too soft or unstable, and during cold weather the mix should not become too brittle causing cracks. The viscosity of the bitumen at the time of mixing and compaction should be adequate. This can be achieved by use of cutbacks or emulsions of suitable grades or by heating the bitumen and aggregates prior to mixing. There should be adequate affinity and adhesion between the bitumen and aggregates used in the mix. 2.8 Modification of bitumen Many studies have been conducted in order to improve the performance of bitumen used in road pavement by modified bitumen with other material. Additional materials such as rubber, polymer and epoxy resin have been used as modifier in bitumen in the previous research. This study stresses on the usage of fly ash as an additive in bitumen. 2.9 Coal combustion products Fly ash is one of the coal combustion residues. Coal combustion residuals are formed during coal-burning processes in power plants. Coal combustion product consists of several materials: (R.  Majko, 1996). 2.9.1 Fly ash Fly ash is the fines ash of coal ash particles from combustion of coal. It is called fly ash because it is transported from combustion chamber by exhaust gases. Fly ash is a fine powder produce from the mineral contain in coal. It also consists of noncombustible mater in coal and a small amount of carbon thats remains because of incomplete combustion. Fly ash is usually light tan in color. It is commonly consists of silt sized and clay sized glassy spheres which is gives fly ash a consistency somewhat like talcum powder. The property of the fly ash varies based on coal composition used and plant operating system.http://www.undeerc.org/carrc/Assets/FlyAsh1.JPG Figure 2.2: fly ash 2.9.2 Bottom ash Bottom ash and fly ash is two different materials in physical, mineralogical and chemical. Bottom ash is a coarse, granular, and incombustible material which is collected from the bottom of furnaces of combustion of coal in generation of electricity. Different with fly ash, bottom ash coarser than fly ash with grain sizes spanning from fine sand to fine gravel. The type of the bottom ash depends on type of furnaces used to burn a coal. http://www.undeerc.org/carrc/Assets/BottomAsh1.JPG Figure 2.3: bottom ash 2.9.3 BOILER SLAG Boiler slag is normally a black granular material with numerous engineering uses. It is formed in cyclone boilers which form a molten ash thats cooled with water. Boiler slag is coarser than fly ash.http://www.undeerc.org/carrc/Assets/BoilerSlag1.JPG Figure 2.4:boiler slag 2.9.4 FGD GYPSUM Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum is also can be defined as scrubber gypsum. FGD gypsum is the product from an air pollution control system which is removes sulfur from the flue gas in calcium based scrubbing systems. It is composed of calcium sulfate and produced by employing forced oxidation in the scrubber. FGD gypsum is most usually used for agricultural activity and for wallboard production. http://www.undeerc.org/carrc/Assets/FGDMaterial1.JPG Figure 2.5: FGD gypsum 2.10 Production of fly ash Fly ash normally produced from burning of coal for power generation.   Normally coal is pulverized and blown with air into the combustion chamber. In this part the coal will be ignites, generating heat and producing a molten residue. Then the boiler tubes will extract heat from the boiler and then cool the gas in the chimney. This make the residue from the combustion of coal harden and produce ash known as coal combustion products. The coarse ash kwon as bottom ash and  it will fall at the bottom of coal furnaces. In the other hand, the light ash will the light ash will remain suspended in the flue gas and will be collected by electrostatic precipitators, baghouses, or mechanical collection devices such as cyclones. C:Documents and Settingsto_pekDesktopproduction of fly ash.gif Figure 2.6: production of fly ash (ACAA, 1997) 2.11 Utilization and benefit of fly ash Fly ash have been used many part of the engineering application around the world. The table below shows the utilization of fly ash in the engineering part. (Fly ash facts for highway engineers, 2003). Application Benefit used in Portland cement concrete (PCC) -improved workability -decrease water demand -reduced bleeding -improved durability used in stabilized base course -provide a strong and durable mixture -lower cost -suitable for using recycled base material -increased energy efficiency used in flowable fill -allows placement under freezing conditions -reach 100% density with no compactive effort -increase soil bearing capacity -increase the speed and ease of backfilling operations Used in soil improvement -eliminates need for expensive materials -expedites construction works by improving unstable subgrade By improve subgrade conditions, cost saving through reduction in required pavement thickness. Used in asphalt pavement -reduce potential of asphalt stripping due to hydrophobic properties of fly ash -reduce stripping because fly ash consist of lime -a lower cost than other filler Used in grouts for pavement subsealing -develop high ultimate strength -accomplished quickly with minimum effect to the traffic flow. -used to correct undermining without 2.12 Type of fly ash Fly ash is collected use electrostatic precipitators or bag houses and then transferred to large silos for shipment. Fly ash divided base on precise particle size requirement, thus assuring a uniform and quality of product. There are 2 different type of fly ash from combustion of coal in large power plant which is class C and class F. 2.12.1 Class C Class C fly ash is produced usually from lignite and sub-bituminous coals and normally contains significant amount of Calcium Hydroxide (CaO) or lime (Cockrell et. al., 1970). Fly ash class C will harden when exposure to the water. Class C normally contains more than 15% of lime and can reach until 30% of the composition (Dr. Kamar Shah Ariffin, 2007). Higher of CaO in class C fly ash make it more special with self hardening characteristic. This is because calcium is a good adhesive agent. The existence of pozzolan properties in the fly ash class c make it different from fly ash class F. 2.12.2 Class F Class F fly ash is produced from bituminous coals and burning anthracite .Class F is normally contains greater combination of silica, alumina and iron about 70% of the composition but low in lime content usually under about 15% of the composition (Dr. Kamar Shah Ariffin, 2007). This fly ash has Siliceous and aluminous material, which itself possesses little or no cementitious value but in finely divided form and in the presence of moisture, chemically react with Calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperature to form cementitious compounds (Chu et. al., 1993). 2.13 Characteristic of fly ash 2.13.1 Size and shape Fly ash consist of powdery and fine particle that are in spherical shape, either in solid or hollow and mostly glassy in nature. The carbonaceous in fly ash consist of angular particles. The particle size distribution of bituminous coal fly ashes is usually similar to the silt which is less than a 0.075 mm or No. 200 sieve. Sub bituminous coal fly ashes are similar to the silt size and it is slightly coarser than bituminous coal fly ashes. A coarser particle can result in a less reactive ash and could contain higher carbon contents. Figure 2.7: Fly ash particles at 2,000x magnification 2.13.2 Color By depending on the amount of unburned carbon in the ash, the color of fly ash can be found and vary from tan to gray to black. If the fly ash contains low carbon, the color will be lighter. Lignite or sub bituminous fly ashes are typically light tan to buff in color, representing relatively low quantities of carbon in addition to the presence of some lime or calcium. However, bituminous fly ashes are usually some shade of gray, with the lighter shades of gray generally indicating a higher quality of ash.    Figure 2.8: typical fly ash colors 2.13.3 Specific gravity The specific gravity of fly ash is generally varies between 2.1to 3.0 whereas the specific surface area are varies in range from 170 to 1000 m2/kg that been measured by the Blaine air permeability method. 2.13.4 Loss of ignition Loss of ignition is a measured of remaining unburned carbon in a coal. It is a critical property of fly ash need to be measured, especially for concrete applications. High carbon levels, the type of carbon, the interaction of soluble ions in fly ash, and the variability of carbon content can cause air entrainment problem in fresh concrete and can affect the durability of the concrete. In some application of fly ash are not affected by the loss of ignition such as filler in asphalt and flowable fill can accept fly ash with high content of carbon. 2.13.4 Chemistry Chemical compositions of the coal mainly affect the chemical constituents of fly ash. Depending on the coal combustion technology used, the fly ash can be significantly different even though they are produced from the same source and similar chemical composition. Therefore the ash hydration properties with the leaching characteristic can vary a lot between generating facilities. The combustion and glassification process used at certain power plant will affect the quantity of crystalline material versus glassy phase material because these two substances were depends on these two process. When the maximum temperature of the combustion process is above approximately 12000 C and the cooling time is short, the ash produced is mostly glassy phase material (McCarthy et. al., 1987). Crystalline phase calcium compounds are formed where boiler design or operation allows an extra gradual cooling of the ash particles. The factors that affect the hydration and leaching properties of fly ash such as the relative proportion of the spherical glassy phase and crystalline materials, the size distribution of the ash, the chemical nature of glass phase, the type of crystalline material, the nature and the percentage of unburned carbon (Roy et.al, 1985). Generally, the most important factors that influenced the mineralogy of coal fly ash are (Baker, 1987): Chemical composition of the coal Coal combustion process including coal pulverization, combustion, flue gas clean up, and fly ash collection operations Additives used, including oil additives for flame stabilization and corrosion control additives. The minerals present in the coal dictates the elemental composition of the fly ash. The boiler design and operation dictated the mineralogy of the ash. 2.13.5 Chemical Requirements for Fly Ash Classification (Dr. Kamar Shah Ariffin, 2007) Properties Fly Ash Class Class F Class C Silicon dioxide (SiO2) plus aluminum oxide (Al2O3) plus iron oxide (Fe2O3), min, % 70.0 50.0 Sulfur trioxide (SO3), max, % 5.0 5.0 Moisture Content, max, % 3.0 3.0 Loss on ignition, max, % 6.0 6.0

Much Ado About Nothing Essay: Act 5 Scene 1- Climax of the Dénouements

Much Ado About Nothing:   Act 5 Scene 1 - Climax of the Denouements  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      A particular section of Act 5, Scene 1, could be seen as the denouement of the play, Much Ado About Nothing.   Perhaps it is more accurate to say the climax of the denouements - at its conclusion, all that remains for the play is a happy ending. It is here that the perpetrator is displayed before all the interested male parties, and here that Leonato can be assured that his belief in Hero's innocence was justified - and perhaps more importantly, that it can be seen to be justified: armed with Borachio's confession, and Claudio and Don Pedro's half-acceptance of guilt, he tells them to 'Possess the people in Messina here How innocent she died' (l. 282-283). This continues the play's concern with appearances and reality, the nature of truth and evidence: it seems that the revelation of the deception instigated by Don John, despite being accepted by all the relevant parties, doesn't count unless it is displayed publicly - even performed, for Claudio is told to ...

Multicultural Management in the Virtual Project Setting

MULTICULTURAL MANAGEMENT IN THE VIRTUAL PROJECT SETTING Carlos Galamba, University of Liverpool Introduction The Virtual Project Setting In today’s globalisation era, effective cross-cultural management of virtual teams is an emerging subject in international business literature and practice. Virtual teaming has a number of potential benefits; not only in terms of human resources flexibility but it can also reduce the operating costs of one organisation. On the other hand, the challenges of such environment should not be undermined. Many scholars have attempted to analyse the impact of virtual work in a number of factors such as communication, leadership, trust, decision-making and productivity (Symons and Stenzel, 2007), while others were particularly concerned with the management of geographically dispersed units and therefore addressed the challenges of working with time zone differences and culturally diverse groups (Ardichvili et al. , 2006). The findings are very interesting and the business literature appears to agree that the virtual project setting is somehow different from face-to-face working and more important it brings some unique challenges. This project will review the literature under these headings and explore the critical issues regarding cross-cultural management in the virtual project setting. Based on the theoretical framework for virtual teaming I will attempt to outline solutions and establish a set of best practices for effective international management of such environments. Managing the virtual environment Critical issues The emerging number of virtual teams is a reality in the global market place. The virtual project setting allows organisations to assign the most skilled individuals to projects across the globe, with less concern for travel or elocation expenses, which improves productivity (Rorive and Xhauflair,  2004). However the challenges of managing culturally and geographically diverse teams must not be undermined. Some of the problems and critical issues arise in different areas such as: communication, technology, synergy among team members, culture and time zone differences (Grosse, 2002; Kuruppu arachchi, 2009). In the next pages I will discuss these issues and review the current literature and theoretical framework to outline possible solutions. |COMMUNICATION | |ISSUE |In the bigger picture the most critical factor with regards to communication is the language barrier. Effective | | |communication can be affected when team members speak different native languages. For instance, Bakbone Software, a US| | |company faced communication problems when Japanese workers were employed in their virtual team, due to their flawless | | |English (Alexander, 2000). | |Nevertheless, some cultures prefer a more formal communication than others, and managers must pay special attention to| | |individual needs. There are a number of communication platforms available, such as phone, email, chat and | | |video-conferencing. Selecting the most appropriate method for a virtual project setting is critical for the project’s | | |success. Ardichvili et al. (2006) found significant differen ces in the preferred methods of communication of Russian | | |and Chinese team members. The former are comfortable with email communication whilst the second would rather prefer | | |face-to-face or phone calls. These findings seem to support the distinction between high and low-context cultures | | |established by Hall (1981). | |SOLUTION |A valuable strategy to deal with communication challenges can be achieved by understanding and identifying everyone’s | | |strengths and backgrounds. By recognising different levels of expertise, skills and experience among team members, | | |virtual team leaders can distribute the workload accordingly. | |Lipnack and Stamps (1999), posit three basic steps to overcome obstacles to communication: listening skills, respect | | |and patience. | | |TECHNOLOGY | |ISSUE |The available technology is another critical factor for virtual teams. It is essential that an equal access to | | |technology can be guaranteed to all team members, otherwise productivity can be compromised (Kuruppuarachchi, 2009). | |Broadband services are not ava ilable in every location and some regions may experience slower internet speed than | | |others or may have incompatible networks | |SOLUTION |Ardichvili et al. (2006) posit that the start of the project is crucial and moreover team leaders must choose the most| | |appropriate computer-mediated technology that best suits the needs of team members. One that can be readily available | | |to all users and therefore potential problems in the use of technology must be identified before the virtual project | | |takes place. | | |CULTURE | |ISSUE |Individualism-collectivism is one of the biggest dimensions of cultural variability. The findings by Gudykunst (1997) | | |and Hofstede (1980) suggest that team members from collectivist cultures are less ready to trust others than those | | |from individualistic cultures. | | |Chow et al. (2000) established that individualistic and collectivist cultures make a sharp differentiation between | | |in-group and out-group members, with regards to knowledge sharing. For example, Chinese managers are found to be more | | |reluctant in sharing knowledge with an out-group member when compared to Americans. |SOLUTION |With regards to culture, many scholars agree that cultural awareness is the most effective solution to minimize the | | |negative effects of cross-cultural differences (Mead and Andrews, 2009). Ardichvili et al. (2006) emphasise that | | |leadership must facilitate an environment of cultural adaptation in order to create a unique competitive advantage. | | |Therefore it is essential that managers have the ability to channel culturally-determined behaviours and d ifferent | | |expectations into rich outputs. | |SYNERGY | |ISSUE |To communicate across cultures it is essential that managers can foster an environment of trust and understanding. | | |Several factors, such as repeated interactions, shared experiences and shared social norms, have been found to | | |facilitate the development of trust (Mayer et al. 1995). Many scholars also argue that face-to-face encounters are | | |irreplaceable when it comes to building trust (Ardichvili et al. , 2006). |SOLUTION |Following Ardichvili et al. (2006) findings, it appears essential that virtual team leaders make personal meetings | | |possible, because face-to-face encounters are one of the most critical factors for trust building, particularly at the| | |beginning of the team’s existence. This has been found to be essential in many cases of virtual teams, like Ericsson | | |in China (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008) and the virtual project of the New South Wales police in Australia (Peters and | | |Manz, 2007). | |Nevertheless, in the virtual project setting, this synergy may be difficult to maintain and it is therefore important | | |that virtual organisations consider activities that indirectly create trust, such as group and individual feedback | | |(Walker et al. , 2002 cited in Ardichvili et al. 2006). | | |TIME ZONE DIFFERENCES | |ISSUE |The problem of working in distant geographical locations arises for example when certain activities need to be | | |synchronized or when real time communication is critical for the project. Due to time zone differences, users may not | | |be able to exchange information instantly. For example, the US company BakBone software, faced some challenges in the | | |coordination of its Israeli and US teams, because they have a 7 hour time difference between them (Alexander, 2000). | |SOLUTION |Precise coordination processes can help conquer time-related challenges and help increase production outcomes. | | |Planning of schedules and tasks appears to reduce repetition in discussion (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). This | | |planning should also be organic, particularly if disruption of planned activities takes place. Additionally, virtual | | |team leaders must ensure that all team members are aware of time-zone differences so that they can plan ahead the best| | |time for communication. | | |Microsoft for example, has overcome some of these issues by using a 24 hour service in some of their virtual teams | | |(Alexander, 2000). | Ethical implications Lee (2009) describes e-ethics as the ethical leadership that is required in the virtual project setting. The need to address ethical issues in virtual teams has increased over the years and appears to be more important in the international business environment. The literature over this subject appears to agree that there is a clear distinction between the issues raised within this new virtual design when compared to more traditional organisations (Lee, 2009). Therefore, based on the problems and solutions identified before, for the multicultural management in the virtual project setting, I will now attempt to review the ethical implications of such issues. Based on the work developed by Lee (2009) I agree that ethic leadership is ultimately the responsibility of the project manager (p. 457). It is up to the leader to ensure that an ethical environment can be followed by the users at all times, and moreover that environment must be encouraged in the organisational design of the virtual project setting. Cranford (1996) highlights that the use of computers that are in different geographic locations can affect the communicative behaviour of the users involved. For instance, the absence of face-to-face interactions can encourage a more aggressive and disrespectful behaviour. Therefore it is up to the project leader to control this environment, and monitor any unethical behaviour as it can have a negative effect on trust and synergy among team members. Moreover, Lee (2009) agrees that it is essential that a code of ethics is available to all users, so that they understand what is acceptable or not in the virtual environment. Another issue identified in the literature regards the potential for social isolation in the virtual community (Lee, 2009), which in turn can affect motivation and commitment to the project. It is up to the project leader to ensure that all users are participative enough and avoid potential morale problems due to the lack of interaction. The latter has been found to be more noticeable in the virtual environment than in traditional organisations (Lee, 2009). There are a number of other ethical issues in the virtual environment, but the ones identified above appear to be those that are directly linked with working in cross-cultural virtual teams that lack face-to-face interaction. It is essential that leaders can effectively manage the unique ethical issues that arise in the virtual setting; in turn this will increase job satisfaction, efficiency and ultimately improve the service value. Case study BankCo Inc. as a result of a fusion of many multinational companies, as an attempt to create a global brand, with similar corporate identity and global standards. The virtual team members are based in many different countries and come from well distinct cultures, for example Greece, UK, Germany and Singapore. It has been suggested that any poor performance or project delays were not related to the virtual team itself, but mo reover were a result of cultural differences and communication problems (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). For example, some groups considered the excessive number of conference calls to be unproductive and time-consuming. The critical issues Communication With regards to communication, the authors point out that the excessive number of emails, over a 100 per person per day, was seen as negative by many of the users, particularly in the Greek and UK teams problems (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). It is suggested that this could be the result of a low-trust culture, where colleagues feel they have to preserve email communication if a dispute takes place, for example. The excessive number of emails also meant that they could not be fully tracked or even read sometimes. The company used video-conference as a replacement for face-to-face interaction, however staff felt that many of these conference calls were very long and unnecessary (over 8 hours in some cases). As suggested in the literature, the business language used can be a challenge for non native speakers, however this was not the case for the team in Singapore, due to their superior command of the English language. In the case of BankCo Inc. this was actually more problematic amongst Germany, Spain and Italy when they had to communicate in English. Also, despite the business language being English, BankCo Inc. as flexible enough to allow certain groups to discuss problems in their native language when interacting with each other, for example, in Singapore, this allowed easier explanation of concepts. Technology With regards to Technology, there were a number of tools available for communication. However, there were cases reported where users were not familiar with them. For example, with th e tool â€Å"Test Director†, created to identify and raise problems, many users were duplicating work, by using emails as a secondary way of raising these problems. The article by Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008) emphasises that the challenges of technology could be resolved if managers addressed the training needs of the users involved, in a way to improve communication. Synergy among team members In the early stages of the project, it was reported that there was lack of clarity in responsibilities and roles, and therefore people were passing on the problems to others. Also, the authors pointed out that there was no obvious global project leader, which could have been seen by the users as lack of leadership and direction. The scholars highlight that cultural and temporal issues affected the building of trust. For example the UK and Greek teams showed some frustration by the East tendency to avoid answering a question fully. They also felt they could not rely on their Eastern counterparts to complete tasks, even if they were committed to do so. Senior management acknowledged the problem, and highlighted the need for more interaction and understanding. As a consequence, some positive steps were taken, for example by implementing more face-to-face meetings. Culture The authors pointed out that there was a difference in the work ethics between the West and the East, for example despite those in the West work very hard, the colleagues in the East worked longer and socially unaccepted hours. Another issue pointed out was the way that members in the team in Singapore would accept all change requests from senior management, even though they did not have the time to complete those tasks. They justified it as being part of their culture to not reject or disappoint any requests from someone higher in the hierarchy. However, the Western counterparts perceived this as inefficient and pointed out that â€Å"these guys are lying continuously† (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008, p. 60). Time zone differences With regards to this issue there were two different sides: some of the virtual team groups were working long hours, for example in Singapore to allow flexibility and problems to be picked up, even out of routine hours. On the other hand, the West assumed that they could then communicate with the East whenever they wanted to, and some problems arose when staff in Singapore was dealing with queries way past midnight. Conclusion By examining the critical issues regarding global virtual teams, this project offers significant insight to broaden our academic understanding of culturally and geographically distant virtual teams. An emergent perception that arises from this discussion is that the virtual project working has a set of unique characteristics that in turn create new challenges for international management. The findings in the case of BankCo Inc. also suggest that a variety of issues affect cross-cultural virtual teams, but on closer inspection, only cultural differences impacting on conflict and team elations, and time zones differences affecting coordination and communication, may be directly related with the temporal and geographical distance features of virtual teams. Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008) highlight that the remaining factors, such as trust, technology, and communication are not unique to virtual teams, and can also be found in more conventional organisations. That being said, the ir presence should not be undermined, as it adds to the challenge found in the virtual project setting. For instance, communication as a traditional team issue can be magnified by cultural diversity and distance. Based on this discussion, I would consider the following as a set of best practices for the effective management of cross-cultural virtual teams: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ? Leaders must ensure that a functional language is adopted in the virtual project setting, one that fits the level of diversity of the virtual team. ? The organisation must provide guidelines for communication and adequate training with the relevant communication tools. ? Equal access to information must be assured for all members of one team. ? Recognise that technology is an enabler SYNERGY ? Encourage face-to-face encounters where possible, particularly at the beginning of the team existence. ? Good definition of roles. Leaders must clarify what is expected and what are the responsibilities of all team members and also ensure that members in one team are aware of each other’s responsibilities. ? Set clear, measurable and achievable goals ? Provide constructive feedback VIRTUALLY MINIMIZE TIME-ZONE DIFFERENCES ? Encourage the planning of schedules and tasks. ? Consider the possibility of 24h services. Ensure that all team members are aware of time-zone differences amongst fellow colleagues CULTURAL AWARENESS ? Understand the different backgrounds and distinct cultures of all team members. ? Leaders must be able to predict potential areas of conflict due to cultural differences and prevent them from happening. ? Foster one organisational culture that promotes listening skills, respect and patience among culturally diverse workers. ? Value diversity The fut ure This project identified key areas for cross-cultural management and it represents a step towards more research regarding global virtual teams. Also it provides a more profound understanding of the managerial implications in the virtual project setting. One can argue that the use of virtual teams contribute to a borderless world, however a new set of borders appears to emerge from this particular environment. One that is well distinct from other, more conventional multinational corporations. This project demonstrated that the durability and future of the virtual project setting relies heavily on both the organisational capabilities and the individuals, and moreover that organisations cannot depend solely on their members to attain the organisational goals. Future research is encouraged to address the unique challenges of such organisational design, and contrast the effective leadership styles when face-to-face contact is hardly present. References ? Alexander, S. (2000) Virtual Teams Going Global, InfoWorld, 22(46): 55-56. ? Ardichvili, A. , Maurer, M. , Li, W. , Wentling, T. & Stuedemann, R. (2006) ‘Cultural influences on knowledge sharing through online communities of practice’, Journal of Knowledge Management, 10 (1), pp. 94–107 ? Cranford M. (1996) ‘The social trajectory of virtual reality: substantive ethics in a world without constraints’. Technol Soc; 18(1):79–92. ? Jarvenpaa, S, & Leidner, D (1999), ‘Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams', Organization Science, 10, 6, pp. 791-815, ? Kuruppuarachchi, PR (2009), ‘Virtual team concepts in projects: A case study', Project Management Journal, 40, 2, pp. 19-33 ? Lee, M. R. (2009) ‘E-ethical leadership for virtual project teams’, International Journal of Project Management, 27 (5), pp. 456-463 ? Lee-Kelley, L, & Sankey, T (2008), ‘Global virtual teams for value creation and project success: A case study', International Journal Of Project Management, 26, 1, pp. 1-62 ? Mead, R. & Andrews, T. G. (2009) International management. 4th ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. ? Peters, L. M. , & Manz, C. C. (2007). ‘Identifying antecedents of virtual team collaboration’. Team Performance Management, 13(3/4), 117–129. ? Rorive, B. et Xhauflair, V. ,  (2004),  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What binds together virtual teams? Some an swers from three case studies†, in Reddy, S. (Ed. ), Virtual teams: concepts and applications, India, ICFAI University Press, pp. 132-140. ? Symons, J. & Stenzel, C. 2007) ‘Virtually borderless: an examination of culture in virtual teaming’, Journal of General Management, 32 (3), pp. 1-17 ? Hall, E. T. (1981), Beyond Culture, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday. ? Lipnack, J. and Stamps, J. (1999), `Virtual Teams', Executive Excellence, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 14-15. ? Grosse, C (2002), ‘Managing Communication within Virtual Intercultural Teams', Business Communication Quarterly, 65, 4, pp. 22-38 ? Mayer, R. C, Davis J. H. , Schoorman F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organization trust. Acad. Management Rev. 20 (3), pp. 709- 734 ? Hofstede G. 1980), Culture's Consequence: International Diâ‚ ¬erences in Work-related Values, Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. ? Gudykunst, W. B. 1997. Cultural variability in communication. Comm. Res. 24 (4) 327-348. ——à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ OPENING CASE: BANKCO INC. BankCo Inc. is a large consumer bank that is truly global, with branches in more than 100 countries (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). By being present in distinct geographic areas (Africa, Europe and Middle East), this is a great example of a virtual organisation that faced unique challenges and more important, it includes all of the critical issues identified above. Team relations and communication were affected by both time zone and more important, cultural differences. Also, I will use this case study as a reference for establishing a set of best practices for â€Å"management in the virtual project setting† for two reasons: 1. It incorporates cross-cultural management of geographically and culturally distant units. 2. The company achieved an outstanding level of success in terms of budget, time and value delivery.

Maersk Group (Maersk) Human Resource Development

Introduction My 48 hour exam project is a case study of A. P. Moller – Maersk Group (Maersk); the objective of my assignment is to elaborate on Maersk`s talent management challenge, focused on development. Furthermore I will describe the cosmos of Maersk learning and competence development and provide alternative angles of conducting in this cosmos, in accordance with my own perspective. My ontological standpoint for this exam is constructivism (Olsen & Pedersen, 2005). The reality perceived is therefore not objective but created, or constructed, by man’s interpretation.This does not signify that I will avoid handling theories that are ontological objectivistic in order to discuss and compliment the various learning and competence development challenges of Maersk; but rather discuss the objective views and theories, and its contrasts to my standpoint. Organizational Change at Maersk Maersk have developed from a very standardized, family run company with certain and spec ific ways of running things; to a worldwide organization that have had to change in order to keep up with the time and trends.The major change in Maersk way of dealing with their learning and competence development occurred in 2008; Maersk had before 2008 a very objective approach to learning which were aimed towards trainees (Case, Page 7). In 2008 the People Strategy Sessions (PSS) is created and a shift towards a more individual development process has begun. PSS is developed to identify individuals, primarily in top management positions, that have a necessity for learning and competence development. These individuals is identified via Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) Learning and Competence developmentHolt Larsen defines competence as a result of a learning process (Holt Larsen, 2010). Competence development is therefore the learning process where the Maersk employees’ know-how and skills are improved; where the employee becomes good at what is required, and not just real ly good, this is what Holt Larsen believes falls under qualifications (Holt Larsen, 2010). Competence development therefore results in the employee’s knowledge, within a specific area of expertise, growing deeper and more elaborate.This knowledge is then transferred into actions, the employees ability to use his or hers knowledge in concrete and unknown situations is therefore an indication on whether or not the employee is competent, hence; good at what is required. Holt Larsen elaborates on this by stating that an employee can be qualified to do his job, but if the attained knowledge cannot be transferred into action due to, for example; the company culture, what the employees are allowed or what the employee’s experience allow him to have the courage to do.Then the employee can be defined as incompetent, since the assignment is not completed (Holt Larsen, 2010). Holt Larsen mentions three learning barriers (company culture, rules and confidence) that affect some emp loyee’s ability to complete their assignment in tasks where their competences fall short. When an employee began his or her career in Maersk, they would possess formal competencies (Ellstrom & Kock, 2008) in the form of, for example, a high school or a college degree (Case, page 8).Maersk’s old way of providing learning and competence development to their employees can through my perspective be seen as a very universal, or objective, way of providing competence development. The standardized development programs were, in Maersk’s defence, designed for employees who did not possess competencies that exceeded the formal kind. The Maersk learning and competence development strategies that came after 2008 were also designed to include experienced individuals (Case, Page 7) who already possessed actual competencies.An example, based on the theory, of an employees’ actual competence development (Ellstrom & Kock, 2008) could be a result of; job rotation in the fo rm of assignments in various different Maersk departments. Furthermore internal evaluations, on the job training; informal learning in work and mentoring by superiors (Ellstrom & Kock, 2008) would be advisable to Maersk. The latter mentioned experiences can be seen as a way of developing the Maersk employee’s competences (Wahlgreen, 2002).Which one of the latter mentioned experiences that works best, is according to my standpoing depending on the individual employee that it is applied on; this correlates with the Maersk initiative â€Å"talent intimacy†, where the managers were encouraged to acquire the knowledge on how each of their individual employees learns best (Case, Page 10) In order to understand the terms learning and competence, one has to understand the similarities and contrasts between them. According to Hermann learning is a process were competencies is enabled. Learning is consequently he most important part of the competence development process (Hermann , 2003). In the case of talent intimacy Maersk is therefore able to archive competence development by the managers acting on behalf of Maersk, to learn about the individual employees; hence, the organization is learning. The latter correlates with Argyris & Scons theory of Organizational Learning (Argyris & Scons, 1996); the talent intimacy process encouraged the managers to act as agents (Argyris & Scons, 1996) which enabled Maersk to learn as an comprised entity, containing individuals.This can be seen as a shift away from the more objective way of evaluating and developing the employees that Maersk made use of before 2008, and is very much aligned with my standpoint. The learning is therefore facilitated vertically by means of the subjective way that Maersk observes its employees. In contrast, Maersk has developed an increased focus on KPIs when evaluating their employees. This objective way may hinder learning and the division of knowledge to spread horizontally throughout the o rganization. They KPIs of Maersk is linked to a reward system; according to Elkj? (2005) it can â€Å"hinder a productive organizational learning, if the behaviour in the organization influenced by defensive communication forms† (Elkj? r, 2005, Page 41). The managers can perceive that they have something to lose by sharing knowledge horizontally in the organization, if sharing could have a negative consequence on their own KPIs, or a positive influence on the KPIs on they co-workers/†competitors†. Elkj? r elaborates â€Å"win/loss behaviour draws attention away from finding and correcting errors. And instead moves the attention towards the individuals protection of themselves† (Elkj? r, 2005, Page 42).This problem can be worsened or alleviated by group size (Laezear & Gibbs, 2009), individual performance evaluation will have a tendency to distort the incentives of the individuals and therefore create fewer incentives for the Maersk employees to cooperate wi th their co-workers (Laezear & Gibbs, 2009). Regrettably measuring group or business unit’s performance increases the risk and decreases the controllability of the measurement. This learning process at Maersk, it seems, is either facilitated or hindered by the New HR processes; depending whether the processes subjective or objective.On the basis of this it would therefore be advisable for Maersk to use other angles, dimensions and parameters when identifying, evaluating and categorizing their employees, with the purpose of learning and competence development What should Maersk do with their high- and low performing employees? Concerning identifying, evaluating and categorizing; Since the development plans of the Maersk employees is based on evaluation and categorizing, it is relevant to look into various theory and ways of doing just that.Employees are often divided into top performers and poor performers, or A- and B employees (Naqvi, 2009). In the Case of Maersk the employe es are categorized as High Performers, Successful and Less Successful (Case, Page 6). According to Naqvi (2009) employees should not only be retained, but also nurtured for elevated responsibilities. Correspondingly, the mass of B employees should continuously be developed and trained for better performance, making optimal use if the employees competencies (Naqvi, 2009).The theory of Naqvi therefore corresponds with the process created by Maersk to analyse which leaders that underperform and therefore is in need of learning and competence development (Case, page 9 and 10). According to Stevens (2008) it is important to identify the skills that distinguish top- and poor performers from each other. By doing so it will become possible to; get an accurate job match with the right people getting the right jobs, to advance in succession planning, to provide a high level of job satisfaction and to accurately identify training- and competency development needs.The objective perspective; whe re talent is objectified as a size that can be measured, grouped and categorized, is very similar to the concept, talent management as fit tool (Schuler and Jackson, 2008).. Through this perspective talent is reduced to pieces of a puzzle, where it is up to the management to select, measure and assemble all the pieces in a manner that conform with the business strategy; subjectivity is thus ignored. I will elaborate on this concept later on.If the necessity to divide the employees of Maersk into groupings is inevitable due to; for example, the need to ease the top managements evaluations and discussions regarding the employees or to lower evaluation costs: A less simplified and general model could be utilized (appendix: 1) (Haskins and Shaffer, 2010). The 9 grid talent matrix is a more advanced, but still a straightforward way of evaluating an organizations talent pool. The horizontal axis considers the performance while the vertical axis considers the leadership potential. The 9 gr id alent matrix is an excellent method of identifying development needs amongst the employees. In addition it promotes dialog amongst the management team and consequently provide an adequate assessment, compared to if it was one person who evaluated the employee, as well as calibrating the different manager’s ratings and expectations. Both Maersk evaluation approach and the 9 grid talent matrix has the advantage that they are relatively easy to approach and rather inexpensive. The disadvantages of them is that they are very one-dimensional, in the sense that it the person being evaluated is only being evaluated by his or her superiors.A potential multidimensional evaluation approach at Maersk could be a 360 degree performance evaluation (Burton & Delong, 1998). In this approach the subject is being evaluated by both his superiors, co-workers, subordinates, costumers/suppliers and by himself. This evaluation system should consequently portray are more complex and adequate eval uation compared to the one-dimensioned evaluations. The 360 degree system essentially facilitates and creates individual development plans for the subject.Another advantage to the 360 degree evaluation is that it uncovers good performers that may not do well in the act of promoting themselves. Furthermore it uncovers individuals that might be a little too good at promoting themselves. A general disadvantage with subjective evaluations, one-dimensional as well as multidimensional, is that they suffer from grade inflation (Laezear & Gibbs, 2009); this implies that people are reluctant to give low ratings; it is therefore hard to distinguish performance and to show the best and worst performers.The disadvantage of the 360 degree evaluation is that it is time consuming and therefore the evaluations costs are higher, compared to the subjective ways of evaluating. This is arguable a fact that should be acceptable to Maersk to ignore, since the PSS evaluations only comprise of the top 120 positions in the company (Case) What seems obscure is that Maersk chooses to move away from the objective approach when it concerns competence development. But when choosing who to actually provide with learning and competence development they make use of something as objective as performance indicators.As one Maersk employee puts it; â€Å"Maersk Line is incredibly driven by objective settings and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and schemes that dictate behaviour† (Case, Page 7). Concerning the high performing employees at Maersk; Maersk emphasizes a great deal on performance when evaluating the individuals in the top positions of the company, but could other parameters be applied in conjunction with performance? And how should they act towards their high performing employees? It is an interesting actuality that almost all high-potential (HIPO) employees are high performers.But only approximately 29% of high performers have the potential to succeed in higher senior positio ns (Corporate Leadership Council, 2005). In correlation 47% of high performers is not HIPO`s due to shortcomings in aspiration (Corporate Leadership Council, 2005). These low performers have the highest, 44%, probability of succeeding at the next level. In comparison high performers with shortcomings in engagement consist of 48% of the high performers who are not HIPO`s, and they do only have 13% probability of succeeding at the next level.The high performers, who have shortcomings in ability, have a 0% probability of succeeding at the next level (Corporate Leadership Council, 2005). On the basis of this it would therefore be advisable for Maersk to explore the development opportunities and increase the ambition levels, amongst the high performers with short comings in aspiration. With the remaining high performers it would be advisable for Maersk to keep them motivated in their current positions.Concerning how Maersk should act regarding, improving the performance, through developm ent, amongst the employees where it is needed; Under Allen (Case) the idea for a more individualized employee training, that is applied due to low performance has been a process used by Maersk since 2008. It is a commonly expressed proposal and notion, that all companies will be able to enhance their operational and fiscal performance by developing and incorporating HRM practices with the aim of an increased performance (Kaufman, 2010).The Strategic HRM processes that are perceived as being able to increase the performance are described as high-performance work practices (HPWPS) (Kaufman, 2010). The HPWP entail various ways of increasing the employees performances as a result of providing better work conditions, by means of; introducing compensation incentives, by providing the employees with job training which will enable them in performing new ssignment, do better in their existing assignments and give the employees a greater sense of belonging at Maersk, additionally a higher lev el of job flexibility, amongst other things, should help increase the employees satisfaction, motivation and decreasing the employee turnover, thus retaining them, these aspect would all lead to a higher performance and productivity. By attempting to differentiate between the different theoretical aspects and their link between the HRM processes and the organizational performance, they are separated into three perspectives (Kaufman, 2010).Pfeffers Universalistic perspective has identified seven HRM practices that will succeed in increasing performance when implemented, in all situations, due to the fact that they are universal: employment security, selective hiring of new personnel, decentralized decision making and self-managed teams, pay-for-performance, extensive training, reduced status differentials and information sharing. The universalistic perspective can be perceived as a very objective view.The truth discovered in the factors effects are therefore according to ontological objectivity (Christensen, 2002) seen as a final, universal, absolute and concluding truth and knowledge, which cannot be distorted by the individuals subjective way of considering the findings. Via the Configurational perspective (Kaufman, 2010) the combination of the various practices and the impact of these is lesser simplified than with the universalistic perspective and would therefore enable the possibility to better grasp the angle that is required in order to archive performance enhancement amongst the employees at Maersk.The concept behind the configurational perspective is that some of the practices have a synergetic link with some of the other practices which will lead to an increased performance enhancement when combined. The practices will as a result perform better if they are equally aligned in a synergetic and parallel package, which will therefore fit horizontally. Correspondingly the practices will implement in a more optimal way if they complement and are aligned w ith Maersks business strategy in a vertical fit.The concept of fit is therefore relevant from my standpoint, as opposed to the universalistic perspective; it is meaningful in the case of Maersk to mention the proposition of the Best Fit (BF) model (Kaufman, 2010). The concept of the BF model is that the optimal practices and practice combinations vary in accordance with the unique and concrete in the specific situation. The concept of BF correlates with Allen`s and Maersk HR idea of individualized employee training the concept of talent intimacy; and consequently correlates with my standpoint. Maersk Talent management – perceived as a fit toolMaersk have through their newly developed People Strategy Session (PSS), attempted to create a process that ensures â€Å"getting the right people in the right jobs at the right time† (Case, Page 5). The talent management (TM) in Maersk can therefore be perceived as a Fit tool. According to Schuler and Jackson (2008) one of the ma in ways that international companies can archive and maintain a global competitive advantage is by effectively meeting the challenges in global TM, in core warranting that they have the right people, with the right competencies and motivation at the right time and in the right position (Schuler and Jackson, 2008).TM used as a fit tool can therefore help Maersk to archive; an optimal utilization of Maersks resources (their employees), a most advantageous productivity and a competitive advantage. According to Schuler and Jackson (2008) the concept of TM is about planning for, attaining, choosing, motivating, developing and maintaining the individuals with the right skill combinations and levels of motivation, both internally and externally, in coherence with the strategic course of the multinational organization in a vibrant and very competitive global environment (Schuler and Jackson, 2008).TM is spoken of as a part of the fit that transients throughout the entire corporation. TM ena bles the possibility to secure that the right talents are placed at the right locations – and this placement of talents should be coherent with Maersks overall strategy. In correlation with the latter mentioned, Maersk should therefore be seen as a puzzle or a jigsaw, where the objective is to get all the different pieces to fit perfectly together.In order to do so, Maersk should make use of HRM processes that can measure the talents competencies, output and abilities, and subsequently find out where they fit. In Maersk the individuals were reviewed and divided based on their performance (Case). When TM is used as a process that assures that the right employee is linked to the right job, TM can be seen as a fit-facilitator. The talent is simplified into performance and objectified as a component that has a certain and transparent internal, that can be measured and matched to a ertain job description. This assumption is only possible if one has a perspective that assumes that competences are measurable and therefore transparent; in the case of Maersk they are measured by performance. Maersk does therefore not take the intangibles or latent (Bramming, 2001) competencies into account. The latent competencies, of the individual Maersk employees, are extremely harder, more time consuming and therefore more costly to plot out. To elaborate, the intangibles (Laezear & Gibbs, 2009) are much harder to quantify.For example, the initial revenues and profit from a business unit may be high, but if the general customer satisfaction is low, it will damage the organization in the long run. A less objectivistic perspective could be that a perfect fit does not exist. No matter what position an employee is put in, he will always have shortcomings and will probably also have skills that exceeds what is required of him. The situation that demands competences that the employee does not possess will therefore drive the Maersk employee to learn (Chambers et al. , 1998) and th erefore develop his or hers competencies.If a perfect fit is avoided Maersk would therefore facilitate the employees learning and developing in their positions, and at the same time the positions would develop with the employees; thus the Maersk as an organization will learn and develop. Conclusion The optimal way of Maersk to act concerning learning & competence development is to provide it in a manner and at a time that the management and the individual employee perceives it as needed; Either in order for the employee to expand its role or performance; within its position, or when the possibility to rise to the next level occurs.It is not recommendable to provide competence development solely on the basis of unsatisfactory performance; the learning and development processes may be at a risk to be seen as a punishment, rather than a privilege and opportunity. Furthermore the increased focus on individuals KPIs will inevitably create internal competition, which will consequently hin der learning, throughout the organization.Regarding identifying, evaluating and categorizing in order to decide which high ranking employees that is in need of employee training, a more complex and adequate evaluation system is recommendable. Furthermore it should not only be the bad performers that is selected for development, through the 360 degree evaluation and dialogue a development plan should be created amongst all participants The high performing employees that do not have the ability or engagement to be a high potential, should be acknowledged for being a high performer, and encouraged and motivated to stay in their role.Concerning the high performers with lack in ambition, the development possibilities and professional reasons for lack of aspiration should be explored. Concerning increasing the performance though development amongst the employees were it is needed, it is advisable to continue to focus on the individuals reasons, the specific situation, what drives and moti vates the employee to learn and develop, and if nothing of the latter is successful, consider if the individual is the right person for Maersk.Regarding placing the right employees, in the right position at the right time; some competencies might be measurable, but some are definitely not. In order for Maersk to grow, positions should not be seen as fixed or static, of course an employee has to live up to certain qualifications in order to do the work demanded by the position. Beyond that, a slight mismatch between the employee and the position will probably lead to a growth and development of the position, as well as the employee; hence will Maersk learn and develop. ——————————————- [ 1 ]. Original text †forhindre produktiv organisatorisk l? ring, hvis adf? rd i organisationen er pr? get af defensive kommunikationsformer† [ 2 ]. Original text †En †vinde/tabe-adf ? rd† tr? kker opm? rksomheden v? k fra †at finde of rette fejl†. Og flytter den i stedet hen pa individers beskyttelse af sig selv† [ 3 ]. A survey of more than 11,000 employees at 59 global organizations