Authentic Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Authentic Assessment - Essay Example The concepts of organizing, planning, leading, staffing, and controlling should be taken seriously by the supervisor. Supervisors act as intermediaries by communicating upper management’s objectives so as to realize the set goals. Supervisors facilitate the processes so as to keep the business operating. Based on the functions of the supervisors as well as their major roles, it is good for them to remain a key in steering forward the organization. The decisions made by supervisors on day to day activities affect attitudes and morale of employees as well as profits (Mosley et al, 2010). In the case of this supervisory development plan, the approaches of improving organizational performance through employee development will be reviewed. Developmental goals The goals of the supervisory development plan will be as follows. a. Improvement of communication between employees b. Better training for employees c. Develop a reward system for employees d. Efficient conflict management As a supervisor I have to ensure that my employees are well versed with skills and knowledge required for undertaking their roles. One of the main goals is to establish good communication with the employees. Good communication is essential in running efficient department. Without good communication, daily tasks will not be executed smoothly. Communication enhances efficiency in employee performance by minimizing workplace conflicts. It is essential for the supervisor to be a good listener and teach the employees how to be good listeners of one another. Good communication facilitates problem-solving and teamwork, which is essential for attainment of organizational objectives. Another key goal is ensuring better training of employees. This is essential for ensuring efficiency and increasing productivity. Well trained employees will be efficient in executing his or her duties. With proper employee training, issues of time wastage and flaws in business operations will be addressed. From an other perspective, the supervisory plan seeks to come up with a better reward system for employees. Employees need to be motivated by offering them regular rewards based on their performance. Rewarding employees serves as motivation, uplifts their esteem and acts as appreciation for their hard work. It is also a primary goal for the development plan to ensure effectiveness in conflict resolution. It is my focus that all departments are run well and as smoothly as possible without conflicts. This will be attained by ensuring good communication, proper training, motivation, and building trust with employees. Since best development plans are not always perfect, critiquing will be welcome to ensure constant review of the goals and adjust them accordingly for the benefit of all (Houldsworth & Jirasinghe, 2006). Performance gaps In order to improve employee performance, proper communication and training will be adopted. Employees will be taught on the fundamentals of good communication wi th one another as well as with their managers. There is a great performance gap in good employee performance. This entails the creation of a shared vision with all employees. There is need to communicate effectively with employees on the objectives of the organization and how to executive their roles. By creating a shared vision, the employees will be inspired

Separation of sand (SiO2) and salt NaCl Essay Example for Free

Separation of sand (SiO2) and salt NaCl Essay I am trying to separate SiO2 and NaCl.lso I will calculate the percentage of SiO2 and NaCl in the mixture. Apparatus/Chemicals * Weighing bottle * Analytical balance * Bunsen Burner * Side arm flask * Thick walled rubber tube * 5 grams of the mixture SiO2 and NaCl * Tripod * 50ml of H2O * Filter paper * Funnel * Spatulas * Evaporating dish * Clamp * Boss * Gauze Method 1. Collect all apparatus above 2. Measure approximately 5 grams of the SiO2/NaCl mixture on an analytical balance. 3. Measure 50cm3 of H2O 4. Pour SiO2/NaCl mixture into beaker with H2O. 5. Stir the solution so that the salt dissolves. 6. Set up vacuum filtration 7. Pour the mixture in the Buckner funnel. 8. Wait for the H2O to run into the conical flask. 9. Set up Bunsen burner. 10. Heat H2O left in the conical flask in an evaporating dish. 11. The H2O will evaporate leaving behind NaCl. 12. Weigh SiO2 and the NaCl. Results Weight of mixture before experiment 5.5380 After heating mixture there was SiO2 2.5221 NaCl 2.4317 2.5221+2.4317=4.9538 There was some salt and sand lost 5.5380 -4.9538=0.5894 Calculations on the percentage of SiO2 and NaCl in mixture Salt 2.4317 X100 =44% 5.5432 Sand 2.5221 X100 =45% 5.5432 Lost Sand/Salt 0.5894 X100=11% 5.5432 Conclusion My aim was to separate SiO2 and NaCl, which I did successfully to a certain extent. I lost 11 %of the mixture due to experimental error. Another part of my aim was to calculate the percentage of the SiO2 and NaCl, which I have done above. Evaluation From my results you can see I have made a major error.11% of the mixture was lost. This was due to experimental error. I cannot really say that in the mixture SiO2 had the highest percentage. This is because 11% was lost and I do not know how much of the lost percentage is SiO2 or NaCl. Whilst I was heating the evaporating dish. The H2O was spitting SiO2 out of the evaporating dish. I lost a lot of SiO2 here as it came out. In the future I can put a lid on top of the evaporating dish. Another error where I lost SiO2 was on the filter paper.Smal quantities of solid SiO2 were left on the filter paper and Buckner funnel. When transferring the mixture of SiO2 and NaCl from the weighing bottle to the beaker I could have lost some of the mixture in the bottle. Next time I do the experiment I could measure the mixture in the beaker. Therefore, I will eliminate the transferring of the mixture.

Timeliness And Method Of Internal Communication Management Essay

Timeliness And Method Of Internal Communication Management Essay This final chapter will provide an overview of the information and most important findings of the research. Next, a broad analysis of the conclusions and amelioration aspects will be provided in order for the organization to improve their current business strategies with regard to corporate reputation. Finally strategies for improvements will be presented. 5.2 Conclusions One of the variables analyzed in the research is the way, timeliness and method of internal communication within the organization is conducted as part of the Corporate Communication variable. In this specific case, the internal communication was not rated as high as it should be when evaluating its importance in the day- to-day business operations. Although the vast majority agrees that internal communication within an organization is important to smoothen and facilitate the core tasks that the organization has to carry out and that it also impacts the corporate reputation, it was established to be below average. When new projects are introduced, these are not explained internally as the employees would like them to. The lack of this information implies that they, in most of the cases, learn about certain developments in the media instead of being the first ones to be informed. It is also very remarkable that, although the SBAB is classified as a vertical organization, the management decisions are not well communicated to the employees, according to 50% of the respondents. If an organization has a vertical manner of doing business, where most of the decisions are made by the Di in dialogue with the management, it is a must for the organization to have an impeccable top down communication. This is with the main focus to prevent misunderstandings and miscommunications in the core business. The employees fully agreed, with a score of 70%, that the organization is being managed in a top down way. A lack of internal communication can also be perceived externally by the tax payers which will result in a lack of credibility towards the organization itself. This clearly shows that, although team meetings have as their main objective to communicate decisions taken by the management, this is obviously not the case. However, although the fact that decisions are not well communicated, the employees do not get information from the outside world. Another important aspect in the communication process is the timeliness of the communication. In this specific case the organization scored a low grade because a majority of the respondents disagreed with the statements that information is timely provided when a new event is about to take place in the workplace. Another aspect that did not score as well as it should is information regarding change management. Most respondents think that changes are implemented and afterwards when questions come on behalf of the employees, they get the information regarding the change. Based on the questions asked by the researcher on the internal communication aspect of the communication, the relationship with the organizations reputation was established to be a moderate one with a correlation coefficient of .615. In other words, a positive relationship was established between these two variables meaning that the internal communication moderately affects the corporate reputation. With regard to the external communication variable on the other hand, a rather large percentage of the employees neither agreed nor disagreed with the statements regarding the organizations efforts to communicate plans of new projects and other events with the external audience. These percentages surpass half of the amount of respondents. However, they acknowledged SBABs efforts in communicating effectively and efficiently with the external stakeholders but there is definitely more to be done. Furthermore, almost 82% of the respondents definitely agreed on the fact that the external communication has an impact on the organizations reputation. In this case the correlation coefficient for this variable, external communication, in relationship with the organizations reputation, this was established to be .880 which means that there is definitely a high correlation between these two. These responses on the statements regarding these two variables regarding communication, are the main reason why the employees gave a 6- (5.92) for SBABs overall communication efforts. The variable that has greatly impacted this mark is the internal communication aspect which they consider to be below what is acceptable. The last variable to be analyzed in relationship with the corporate reputation is the corporate social responsibility strategy. The SBAB has scored very high in its efforts to give back to the society. The organizations strategy of giving back to the less fortunate children of our society and the involvement of the personnel in this process is a big hit with 95% of the respondents agreeing that these efforts help in the corporate reputation building. The overall mark provided for this business strategy is an 8.05. However, the relationship between CSR and corporate reputation was also established to be moderate (.619) because, as stated in the literature review, it is not mandatory for an organization to adopt this strategy in the reputation building process. Nevertheless, if this strategy is well implemented and consistent, it will definitely affect the stakeholders perception of the organization. For the organization to know what the steps are that need to be undergone in order to improve its way of doing business, it should know how it actually performs. Based on this, an analysis was also performed on the current reputation of the organization. It can be concluded that, although a lack of internal communication was identified, the employees do not think that the SBAB currently has a less positive reputation. More than 80% say that through the years, they heard more positive news about the SBAB than negative. Although there is a relatively large amount (respectively 41.7% and 50%) that say that the news that they hear about the SBAB in the media is not always positive and that they do not always receive a positive reaction when they tell an outsider that they work for the SBAB. 5.3 Recommendations In order to improve the reputation of the organization, the following actions should be taken to stimulate a clearer, timely and transparent communication towards the employees. The management should involve the employees more in the process of making decisions that directly affect the employees. In other words, stimulate more bottom-up communication as the employees can give valuable input in certain situations because they work in the field and definitely know better. This can be done by polls managed by the manager of each team. In the case a certain rule will be adapted, for example the team managers must gather with the team members and let them vote on the proposed change. The manager of each team must present their results in the management meeting with the accompanying arguments. After these have been analyzed, decisions can be made in personnel related aspects. Assign a person and a substitute when absent who are solely responsible for all communication towards the organization itself and the external audience (a Communication Officer). This in order to prevent misunderstandings and confusion about who is the one that gives the accurate information. Management meetings are mostly held once a month. Decisions taken and other significant information with regard to new projects and personnel, for example must be communicated to the Communication Officer who will develop a newsletter, on a monthly basis, to inform the internal audience properly. After the employees have been informed, decisions regarding the external audience must be made public through press releases and, where possible, television interviews. This last part is in order to achieve a greater awareness. All of these efforts must be done by the Communications Officer, thus by centralizing of the information channel, in order to also prevent misunderstandings and confusion by the press. This monthly bulletin will only cover management decisions and other objective information. For more subjective information about new colleagues, birthdays and other personnel-related, non-work related activities, the BAB Aktueel must be published quarterly as it is currently done.. In order to create a higher level of awareness of the core tasks of the organization and its corporate social responsibility strategy, a monthly column can be publicized in newspapers (both in Papiamentu and Dutch) as well as in short television program of approximately 5 minutes to be aired during prime time on both local television channels, in which an employee of the organization is interviewed about tax legislation changes, the way and reason of a tax audit and to highlight the organizations efforts in helping 150 less fortunate children of the society etcetera. A timely and accurate communication is not only part of the reputation building process but also in the maintenance hereof. A method of continuously monitoring the corporate reputation is also through an evaluation form that has to be handed out by the tax auditor to the tax payer. Although paying taxes and correcting what did not go well is not the most favorite subject and people tend to be negative about it; however, if the process has gone according to the rules and with the respect needed, the organization can also receive valuable feedback from the external stakeholders also. If these recommendations are aligned next to each other, the conclusion can be drawn that in order for the organization to be perceived positively among both the internal and the external stakeholders, timely and accurate communication is the key aspect. The communication within the organization itself and from the organization towards the outside world is like the heart in a human body. It is the main organ and the one which life is not possible without. A smooth corporate communication will definitely facilitate the core business and from an external point of view the organization will be considered a transparent one. Corporate communication Organization Figure 1 Human body and the heart function

The Doryphoros :: Essays Papers

The Doryphoros Description This stone sculpture is a naked human-like figure standing six feet tall. The body is in chiasmos stance with the left leg slightly bent and the left foot slightly behind the right. The head is turned slightly downward and to the right, and its size is approximately 1/6 of the body. The hair is cropped closely to the head with no part. The body has a defined musculature, however the forearms appear to be missing. There is an object behind and to the right of the right leg that is about 2 feet tall and 10 inches wide. Formal Analysis This sculpture seems to epitomize the ideal male human form. All of the body parts seem perfectly proportioned and the muscles are beautifully defined as if the image were of an athlete. The image is youthful with a calm demeanor. The right missing forearm looks as if it used to be resting at his side, while the left elbow was probably at a 90 degree angle, with the hand holding something. The slight bend in the left leg gives the impression of movement, as if the image was frozen while walking. The counterpoised stance adds an air of nobility to the "man". Historical Analysis The sculpture is a Roman copy of the original Greek bronze made by artist Polykleitos in 450BC. It is recorded that he made the Doryphoros as an example of perfect proportion. He wrote a book to accompany the statue called, "The Cannon of Proportion, " and countless artists copied the statue because of its perfection. This regal figure was named Doryphoros (Greek for "spearbearer") because it originally held a long spear in its left hand.

Maimonides: On Creation Essay

Creation is a metaphysical attribute attached by Philosophers to the notion of God. With regard to Maimonides’ interpretation, he regarded Creation as something created by God out of nothing or ‘ex nihilo’. He argues that Creation is something that can be proven through philosophy however, philosophy alone cannot explain creation out of nothing and thus, there is a need to rely on Torah (Trepp, 2000). Nonetheless, the whole discussion of Maimonides on the topic of creation in his book ‘Guide for the Perplexed’, he cautioned the readers to ‘expect some ambiguities and deceptions at worst (Rudavsky, 2000)’. Thus, several interpretation of Maimonides’ account of creation arise trying to decode whatever hidden message is preset in his writing. In the Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides explicates three possible theory of creation; Platonic, Aristotelian and Mosaic. As he reiterated, at his conclusion on the chapter of creation, he stated that believing in the Mosaic interpretation is preferable and somehow practical; nonetheless, Plato’s account is also an option. This denotes that he is not in favour of the Aristotelian account. To see clearly the distinction, a brief overview of each account would be essential. The Mosaic interpretation holds that God created everything out of nothing or ‘ex nihilo’ (Dobbs-Weinstein, 1995). The Platonic version of creation put forwards the existence of something along with God in which God created everything. The last account, that of Aristotle believes that ‘the world is eternal and therefore necessitated out of God’s own nature or being’ (Dobbs-Weinstein, 1995). When Maimonides explained that the Platonic version is also an option, it undermines the fact that it is also possible. Nonetheless, Maimonides does not demonstrate or even thoroughly give explanation as to why Plato’s view is preferable; instead, he argued against Aristotelian view while defending the Mosaic view –only because it is according to prophecy. Due to the warning given by Maimonides, his exact view about creation is controversial. For the purpose of discussion, it is better to stick with the actual passage written in his book. In the Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides point out that, the Aristotelian view would prove that miracles and the commandments are false or does not emanate from God. This is because creation as something eternal and a product of necessity removes God’s ability to choose freely (Dobbs-Weinstein, 1995). He argued against the assumption of Aristotelian philosophy that the world is something that is eternal by establishing the fact that God is something that is beyond human knowledge. Aristotelian argument of the world as eternal, rest on the assumption that creation is impossible because change is inherent in nature as well as change is impossible for something as perfect as God, thus everything is and always has been (Taffel, 2004). Maimonides asserts that the interpretation of what God has created could not lead to God’s real nature, as there is a difference between the account of origin and the account of change (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, 2008). For origin is creation initially, whatever is there before the initial creation is something that man could not know unless he could go back there and see it for himself (Pines and Yovel, 1985 ). The account of change which states that something precedes something else does not apply to God in the sense that what applies to the created does not necessarily applies to the creator. Creation, in Maimonides terms, seems to be ‘ex nihilo’ in nature or that of the Mosaic view. However, agreeing on Plato’s account that God created something from something is a contradictory of the first belief. Nonetheless, both beliefs represent God as something that can will as opposed to Aristotelian God who exists necessarily (Pines and Yovel, 1985). Since Maimonides warned for ambiguity, it could be ascertain that one ambiguity lies on his position about change, wherein he disagree that something comes from something as extrapolated from human experience yet he concluded that Plato’s account is also acceptable (Rudavsky, 2000). At the end, Maimonides concluded that the Mosaic view is the most preferable because he is faced with uncertainties himself. Works Cited: Dobbs-Weinstein, I. Maimonides and St. Thomas on the Limits of Reason. SUNY Press, 1995. Pines, S. and Yovel, Y. Maimonides and Philosophy. Papers Presented at the Sixth Jerusalem Philosophical Encounter, May, 1985. Rudavsky, T. Time Matters: Time, Creation, and Cosmology in Medieval Jewish Philosophy. SUNY Press, 2000. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Maimonides. 2008. Retrieved on November 7, 2008, from http://www. science. uva. nl/~seop/entries/maimonides/ Taffel, David. Introduction. The Guide for the Perplexed. By Maimonides. Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2004. Trepp, L. A History of the Jewish Experience: Eternal Faith, Eternal People. Behrman House, Inc, 2000.

20 Christmas Quotes to Make You Feel Like a Kid

20 Christmas Quotes to Make You Feel Like a Kid As children, all of us believed in Santa. Christmas meant gorging on cookies, milk, and pudding, opening the gifts with gusto, and listening to grandpas stories around the Christmas tree. However, with time, innocence is replaced by skepticism. Christmas is now a time to let your hair down and party till the wee hours. If you miss those wonder years, read these cute Christmas quotes. Sometimes, it is fun to be a kid again...or at least feel like you are. Cute Christmas Quotes for Kids and Adults Hamilton Wright Mabie Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. George W.Truett Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries. He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I heard the bells on Christmas Day; their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the word repeat of peace on Earth, good-will to men! Norman Vincent Peale Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Walter Scott A Christmas gambol oft could cheer; The poor mans heart through half the year. Charles Dickens I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Larry Wilde Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. Don Meredith If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, wouldnt it be a Merry Christmas? Washington Irving Christmas! Tis the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial fire of charity in the heart. Bing Crosby Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska wont make it white. Dale Evans Christmas, my child, is love in action. Bob Hope My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that? Benjamin Franklin A good conscience is a continual Christmas. Edna Ferber Christmas isnt a season. Its a feeling. Mary Ellen Chase Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. Dale Evans Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, its Christmas. Jerry Seinfeld Thats the true spirit of Christmas; people being helped by people other than me. Peg Bracken Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. Calvin Coolidge Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Margaret Thatcher Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.

Background of the Problem Essays

Background of the Problem Essays Background of the Problem Paper Background of the Problem Paper From the very beginnings of antibiotic therapy, scientists have feared that its widespread use can lead to the development of resistant bacterial strains, able to mutate into forms that can sidestep antibiotics. In 1945, as the discovery of penicillin was hailed as a magic bullet that was the answer to so many infections and health problems that beset mankind. However, it is important to note that the discoverer of this first antibiotic himself, Alexander Fleming was aware of the potential dangers of the use of antibiotic, and warned that the abuse and misuse of this wonder drug could foster resistance to it (Sheff, 2001, p.42). In 1941, almost every strain of Staphylococcus aureus was treatable with penicillin. However, by 1950, 60 percent of hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus infection was resistant to said drug. Indeed, Flemings prediction has been alarmingly prophetic (Sheff, 2001). According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2 million people annually develop an infection from receiving healthcare in the US.   (Houghton 2006) The CDC also indicates that between 90,000 to 100,000 patients die each year from healthcare-associated infection (HAI). This is an extensive problem that affects healthcare worldwide (Houghton, 2006). Problem Statement HAIs exact a high price in terms of human suffering and morality. Moreover, HAIs exert a huge financial burden on healthcare institutions. In a 2004 study that focused on hospitals in Pennsylvania, 12,000 patients were found to develop HAIs during their hospital stay (Houghton, 2006). This translates to $2 billion in additional healthcare costs and at least 1500 preventable deaths (Houghton, 2006). CDC (2006) defined HAIs as â€Å"infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving treatment.†Ã‚   HAIs are unnecessary tragedies because they are highly preventable. In response, the Department of Health released guidelines to prevent HAIs which hospitals were required to adopt (Houghton, 2006). However, the guidelines did not provide precise directives as to how healthcare providers can evaluate their ability to comply with the guidelines or assess the efficacy of their procedures (Carling, Briggs, Hylander, Perkins, 2006). To this end, this research seeks to identify the prevalence of MRSA and VRE bacterial strains in HAIs at the Assir Central Hospital and Khamis Mushait Hospital, and identify how these MSRA and VRE strains are resistant to vancomycin.   Results will then be related to how Assir Central Hospital and Khamis Mushait Hospital evaluated their guidelines and how effective they have been in combating MRSA and VRE in HAIs through vancomycin. Research Hypothesis and Questions The evaluation methods of Assir Central Hospital and Khamis Mushait Hospital have a significant relationship to the effectiveness of combating MRSA and VRE in HAIs. The independent variable is the evaluation methods that Assir Central Hospital and Khamis Mushait Hospital use as far as combating MRSA and VRE in HAIs through vancomycin. The dependent variable is the effectiveness of the said hospitals in terms of successfully combating MRSA and VRE in HAIs. Intervening variables that could affect the outcome of the research are the health practitioner’s level of awareness and education in so far as MRSA and VRE in HAIs are concerned Research question: How cleaning and disinfecting practices affect the problem of HÐ µalth-associatÐ µd infection? Significance of the Study Infections are serious problems because the infection can become systemic and lethal as the microorganisms involved develop resistance to antibiotics (Broadhead, Parra, Skelton, 2001). Moreover, there is no simple answer to address the dangers of antibiotic-resistant organisms and their spread. Roughly 10 to 20 percent of all healthy individuals carry Staphylococcus aureus in their anterior nares at any given time, which indicates the prevalence of this pathogen in the environment (Zaoutis, Dawid, Kim, 2002, p. 313). Exacerbating the problem is the fact that other microorganisms continue to develop resistance to antibiotics and therefore pose a similar threat to public health (Wiseman, 2006).