The Simpsons & a typical sitcom Essay Example for Free

The Simpsons a typical sitcom Essay Evaluate the extent to which The Simpsons follow the conventions of a typical sitcom. Refer to specific episodes that you have watched to support your evaluation. As T. V was getting more and more popular some shows had started, which fitted into a category of Sitcoms. These types of shows were both humorous and situational. The type of comedy which was comic devices like violence which is funny in cartoons or in real life the way the people fight and when some one gets hurt it brings a sense of comedy. There were a variety of different devices used examples include: Satire- this was a way of making jokes of stereotypes most people in America are stereotypes. Gags- In the sitcom it shows there were a lot of gags (jokes) used to make the show funny and more interesting. Slapstick- this was used a lot not only in cartoons but also in real life you would see idiotic people running into walls or slipping over banana peals. These sitcom shows were short. Normally what would happen is that there would be a situation but at the end everything will turn out to be OK and the situation would be dealt with. In most sitcoms when something funny would happen you would hear canned laughter it is an audience laugh recorded. Sitcoms were based on middle class homes/workers and about normal American/British families. The episodes werent in any sort of order any episode would come on. You would have main characters like the family and then the other characters friends, neighbours and other family/relatives etc. The narrative structure becomes a problem and it needs to be sorted out, at the end everything is back to normal, it is a simple plot. In the opening sequence of a sitcom called The Simpsons they show different stereotypes. The show is about a normal American middle class family. The father in this family is Homer Simpson who is a fat lazy slob he is definitely a stereotype because a lot of people are like him. In the opening sequence he is introduced when we go into the power plant he is doing dangerous work with a radioactive rod, which is glowing, there is a caution sign behind him, when the whistle blows to go home he drops everything takes his gas mask of. The radioactive rod bounces and falls into the back of his collar this shows how careless he is and it shows his stupidity. This is because he didnt care where the rod fell or even realized it fell he just wants to get home. In every Family you have a little devil that in the Simpsons appears to be Bart Simpson we see him at school writing lines on the board (he is in detention). Each episode he is writing something different and they are humorous for example I will not encourage others to fly the bell rings and he runs out of school, gets onto his skate board and goes home as he goes past chief Wiggum who is a police officer who waves his stick at him when Bart goes past him to slow down or to stop but Bart goes off. Also in every family you have an angel and in the Simpsons it is little Lisa Simpson she is intelligent and bright. In the opening sequence she is shown to be talented we see her in a music class she is playing a saxophone and she is very good at it. Marge is a stereotype as she stays at home and nurturing the children she doesnt go out as she is stuck with the household domestics e. g. cooking, shopping, cleaning etc. In the opening sequence she is shopping and she is not paying attention to Maggie who is on the till and she gets scanned at is put into the shopping bag Marge realises that Maggie is missing and she gets worried but Maggie pops her head out of the shopping bag and then they go home. The family get home at the same time. The episode that I had watched was Simpsons roasting on an open fire. A simple plot of this episode is that the family go out to do the Christmas shopping and Bart goes of and gets a tattoo Marge sees him and immediately takes him to get it removed unfortunately she spends all the Christmas money to get it removed she thinks she can use Homers Christmas bonus to use on Christmas. Meanwhile homer is at work and he finds out that he isnt getting a Christmas bonus so he thinks the family can use the money they saved not knowing Marge has spent it. When the family get home Homer finds out that the money they saved up has been spent to get Barts tattoo being removed Homer doesnt tell the family that his Christmas bonus is cancelled so he works in a superstore as Santa Clause. Bart finds out about this and at the end of Homers job he only gets $13. 00 so him and Bart go to the derby they lose but they bring the dog that they chose home because he was kicked out the derby so at the end every one is happy. In the Simpsons Homer is shown to be stereotyped because in America you would find a lot of people like him, he is not well educated, hes lazy, and he eats and drinks a lot, there are a lot of people in America like him but still though these people are stereotyped at the end they are all kind and loving towards there families. Homer would usually come home from work eat dinner with his family then he would either sit and watch telly or go out to Mos and have a drink with his friend. Another familiar character is Bart hes always in trouble and doing bad things, hes a rebel, and his family doesnt discipline him but only by his teacher who makes him write lines after school on the black board and it doesnt really help him. In the opening sequence when we see Barts school he is in detention writing out lines on the black board from there we can see that he is a bad boy and when he skates down the streets there are a lot of children who are exactly like this. Characters who are not part of the family lie Nelson Muntz hes in Lisas class and he is a typical bully who is normally hitting Bart or bullying other children. He is a stereotype because in every school or town you have a bully. He hangs around with a boy called Jimbo Jones and two other characters together they cause a lot of mischief. As always you have a group of bullies. Chief Wiggum is a stereotype like Homer he is fat lazy and doesnt do his job properly he is also very stupid (he is a police man). In one episode Bart is told to look after Maggie but while he is watching T. V she goes of with Homers car she zooms past chief Wiggum hes eating a donut and drinking coffee he says oh look theres a baby driving a car, and look theres a dog driving a bus he doesnt do anything about it. This shows how lazy he is and a stereotyped person. The Simpsons is not to fit into a stereotype of a typical sitcom. We analyse the episode The Simpsons Roasting on an open fire in this episode we see that the Simpsons, although different to what we have previously seen on typical sitcoms, they do love each other at the end of the day. The family are stereotyped of a normal everyday family. They are not perfect and they do have many problems but they are a healthy family. They are individually stereotyped in their own ways. Marge is a typical mother because like most housewives she is stuck at home with household domestics and looking after Maggie but she is more independent than other women in her position. Homer is very irresponsible he is clumsy and he is dumb. He is the father of the family he provides and cares for them but as we see Homer in the episodes he is shown to be really stupid but at the end of the day he does love, care and provide for the family. The children as a whole are very bright they have done a number of things for example Bart always catches out side-show Bob while he is planning something evil and Lisa helps her brother a lot she is very clever and saved her fathers life during a heart operation. The children do love their family and care for each other.

Wemmick - Character Analysis Essay Example for Free

Wemmick Character Analysis Essay In an abstract manner Doyle uses Watson to represent the reader in terms of resemblance of attributes; for instance both the reader and Watson are both ignorant of many important intricacies of the case so that they both rely on Holmes to decipher the details for them. Also it could be suggested that both Watson and the audience are trying to escape a much more tedious life and indulge in the exhilarating escapades of Sherlock Holmes. Furthermore the questions that Holmes asks Watson also probe the reader to answer the question for themselves; this is major attraction to this genre, the sense that they are solving a crime. This teamed with the fact that a Victorian audience would be able to relate even more specifically, on different levels, with Watson due to the relevance of him being a Victorian gentleman of which the readers would have been familiar with. Watson is particularly descriptive which gives the reader a real sense of the location and atmosphere. The vocabulary is also characteristic of Watson with the many words being adjectives repeated from story to story. An illustration of this point is the word ejaculated to describe the abrupt vocalizations of someone; this all gives a sense of familiarity with the stories and also a rapport with Watsons character. This sense of security that familiarity brought was badly needed by a Victorian audience who were unsure of their safety due to the lacklustre crime prevention of the police force. Unlike the Victorian police Sherlock Holmes always captured the criminal which was exceptionally reassuring at the time. Holmes and Watson are two very different characters with one common goal, to apprehend the guilty party in whatever mystery they are both entangled in. This contrast in character serves again to glorify Holmes as a gifted detective, this works in the way that Watson is a rather passive character or Holmes foil if you will, which leads most of the proceedings to be conducted by Holmes which shows in a positively intellectual light. The contrast in the logical awareness of Watson and Holmes leaves Holmes appearing almost omniscient compared to the usually clueless Watson. This technique is also used with the numerous police inspectors Holmes employs to do his bidding, each time they look the fool whilst Holmes seizes the acclaim. This is technique used by Doyle to idolise Holmes to the reader. The language used throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories is intensely descriptive as to quench the readers thirst for all the aspects that could have effected the mystery incurring. In historical context this ultra-descriptive style of writing was a more necessary feature in a pre-television era, however in the twenty-first century a readers desire for a detailed picture of other human life is fulfilled by other more advanced forms of media. This is perhaps why, in my experience, readers of the present time period are not exhilarated by the, at the time innovative, detailed style of writing. Watson is very much used as tool by Doyle, in all the ways suggested throughout this essay but also in a different, more political manner. In the Holmes stories Watson conveys the generalised views of an upper class society at the time. The ideals concerned included a negative look upon drugs and an opinion that they are used, or abused, by the subordinate social groups. Watsons, or Doyles, views are shared in this quote You should be ashamed of yourself! This is Watson taking a stern view upon one of his own noble friends indulging in a couple days in an opium den. Watson is also especially respectable of all women throughout the stories, chivalry being an exceptionally valued commodity in Victorian times. Watson, or better still Doyle, is a voice of the Victorian era, which is why the stories were so popular at the time. Further still Watson gives a social commentary of Victorian London which, as you can imagine, would be most interesting to not only Victorian Londoners but also Victorians that lived in other areas but were curious of the cosmopolitan lifestyle of London. Watson teamed with Holmes gives them this along with a descriptive and arguably a thrilling story. In conclusion my belief is that, yes, Watson is a better suited narrator for a Victorian audience rather than a modern audience, this being because of the chronologically social relevance that would supply greater interest for a Victorian reader. However disagreement is found with the statement that Watson is an inadequate narrator for twenty-first century reader as the stories still raise a lot of interesting issues and remain a thrilling read due to the exciting adventures Holmes embarks upon. An objection modern readers have is that the stories are formulaic and therefore tiresome however for the Victorian audience this was an essential feature to bring a sense of security into their generally uncertain lives. There is no doubt that the Sherlock Holmes stories are written for a Victorian audience however this does not exclude modern readers from finding the same overall enjoyment from the stories. The fact is that certain features may not be relevant to a modern readers interests or experiences in a modern life. A plus point is that because of the impression made, upon the stories, by Victorian life that Sherlock Holmes is a useful research tool for that time period. Additionally it is not a question of Watson being unsuitable for a modern audience but instead it is an issue of the crime stories themselves being relevant and therefore enjoyable for a modern audience. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Important Factors In Selection Methods

Important Factors In Selection Methods INTRODUCTION The human resource planning is very important and necessary part of an organization. It plays important part in the long run success of an organization and there are several methods which are adopted by different organizations for selection of new employees so that the long term objectives of an organization could be achieved. The hiring process is not a easy task. Every organization has its own selection process according to its need. The selection procedure is very important effort to select right person for right job at right time. The various selection methods are used to obtain an assessment about the qualities of candidates. These selection methods are used to check overall personality, attitude, aptitude, knowledge, adoptability, confidence, communication skills, and managerial skills. If any organization wants to gain long term success in the marketplace, it must develop valuable selection techniques for recruiting new incumbents. The future job performance depends upon the selection of potential employee. It is very complicated and time consuming effort to find out desired talent in the pound of candidates. There are several types of Interviews and paper-pencil measures (tests) which are used at a time to analyse the future job performance of candidates. Sometimes a one organization uses more than one selection method; it all depends upon the nature sensitivity of the job, organization size and number of applicants. Among all selection procedures, the Interview is the most frequent selection method to check oral responses regarding any particular inquiry. Interview is the essential part of selection procedure in most of organizations. Although paper pencil measures also in cycle to check different attributes of candidates but after examining the candidates by various selection methods, mostly organization use interview to finalize the candidate. The validity of interview is often criticised but on this base the importance of interview can not be minimised. An organization also can not fully rely on the validity paper pencil measures. It is a complex process sometime both methods becomes essential and sometime only interview or test is enough for employee selection but it all depends upon requirement, number of candidates, organization size and financial condition of the organization. Interview is still most famous selection tool (Judge et al., 2000; Posthuma et al, 2002). Employment interview is the best selection method (Barclay, 1999; Garman Lesowitz, 2005). There are different important factors in selection methods which are considered by management of firms for getting right staff at right time. Organizations consider such factors like previous work experience, qualification, knowledge, abilities, skills, attitude, personality, and other characteristics. There are also some problems and issues which arise during selection process and these are very important to handle to make selection on merit. For example the perception of interviewer, biasness, discrimination regarding sex, age, racial, religion, disability, physical appearance etc. The selection method must be neat and clean of such prejudices. SELECTION METHODS The selection method is the process of gathering and analysing the information about a person for the purpose of offering new job.(Gatewood Field 2001). There are two stages first is to define the requirement and objective of selection and the second stage is set up the selection method according to that requirement.(Guion, 1998; Patterson Ferguson, 2007).The selection method for hiring new employee depends upon the nature of job, organizational structure, mode of business, and number of candidates etc. Organizations recruitment criteria also depend upon time, cost and need of potential employee. Selection is the final part of total staffing process of an organization. The human resource department takes three basic steps in employee selection process i.e. planning, recruitment and selection. First of all, the human resource department starts planning by projecting the demands of organization for new employees with particular skills and abilities. In the second step , the organizat ion starts advertising to get in touch with potential external incumbent and posting internally to catch new employee within the organization In the third step, the organization finalised the new employee from the pool of candidates which are generated by recruitment process. The organization use different selection methods for hiring right person at right place and at right time. ( Kramar 2008) VALIDITY OF SELECTION METHODS In the context of selection, validity means meaningfulness, the appropriateness, and usefulness of the inferences made about applicants during the selection process.( Gatewood Field 2001).What is the validity of selection method and how it can be determined? These are the basic questions which arise in mind when we examine the validity. Actually the validity deals with the issue that whether the actual performance of the applicant is according to the expected performance which we incurred during the selection method. If the actual and expected performance is very close to each other then we can say the selection method for hiring new employee is valid and if both performances have gaps then the selection method must be change. (Price 2007) IMPORTANT FACTORS IN SELECTION METHODS There are various factors i.e. education, job experience, cognitive ability tests, integrity test, personality tests, IQ tests, interview, references. (Dipboye, 1992; Randall and Randall, 1990). Effective selection requirements should be blueprinted, either by gaining expert views (e.g. Janis Hatef, 2008) or conducting an appropriate job analysis (Patterson et al., 2000; Patterson et al., 2008).The organization takes two considerations in order to select new employee. Firstly analyse the individual differences between applicants by comparing their knowledge, skills and abilities and secondly decide the most appropriate selection method. (Gatewood Field 2001)The knowledge, skills, abilities are very important to determine potential candidate as well as previous job experience also matter. The responsibilities and duties of previous work and qualification can help a lot in understanding new work environment. The other characteristics like personality, attitude and intelligence as wel l as physical examination are also very important factors. Some organization also considers previous background and criminal records in their hiring process. 4.1. APPROPRIATE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES There are several stages of employee selection. First of all knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) of applicant are determined, secondly highlight the contents of job and to determine whether the existing employees skills are appropriate to job nature or not? This procedure is called job analysis. After job analysis the duties and responsibilities are described according to nature of job in documentary form call job description and then what type of human resource is required for that particular job called job specification. (Dessler 2011).The necessary skills, knowledge and abilities which are necessary to perform the job are called job requirements. These can be qualification, experience, training, aptitudes and abilities. (Gatewood Field 2001)The knowledge, skills and abilities ( KSAs) are the basic important factor which is specially examined in the applicant in recruitment process. There are also other two important factors i.e. previous work experience and other characteristi cs. Example: 1 (JAPANESE AUTOMOBILE) Japanese automobile companies generally consider organization dedication, social need and skills, and attention in work.( www.fbe.hku.hk/Programme/Undergraduate/doc/courses/2008-2009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011) Example: 2 (TOYOTA USA ) The selection process of Toyota (USA) takes minimum eighteen hours which consists of a general knowledge exam, attitude test, interpersonal skills, assessment centre, an extensive personal interview, and a physical exam. (www.fbe.hku.hk/Programme/Undergraduate/doc/courses/2008-009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011) Article accessed on 29/01/2011) WORK EXPERIENCE The duties and responsibilities handled by previous jobs are very important to understand the work criteria and requirements. The experienced persons knowledge and skills are the great assets for organization and it is the main benefit of knowledgeable persons. Organizations take advantages of their developed personal relations due to previous job works so it is very beneficial for future growth of the organization.( Price-2007) Example: 3 (BERNARD HOLDANE ASSOCIATION) The chairman of Bernard Holdane Associates, Jerry Weinger, says candidates should have strong record of distinctions and success in a challenging environment like down economies. (Price-2007 ). EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Qualification is very important factor for selection of new employees. Every organization seeks qualified persons for hiring. It verifies the educational claims of candidates. The job descriptions and specifications are set out according to qualification. (Kramar 2008) Example: 4 (HRA INDUSTRIES ) Qualification is matched with requirement in selection process of HRA industrial. (www.hr-guide.com/data/016.htm accessed on 29/01/2011) PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS The other characteristics refer to different personality traits as well as his professional attitude. Many organizations examine personal attributes of candidates, his communication style, presentation skills, oral and written competency of language, confidence, behaviour adoptability etc. These all characteristics build up the personality of the candidate and organization has to seek best potential candidate who have good professional and personal attributes. ( Price 2007) Example: 5 (TOYOTA) Toyota, a Japanese company give more importance to personal traits as compare to technical skills. (Price 2007). Example: 6 (PRET A MANAGER) A famous Company Pret A Manager which have 2800 employees on 118 shops, received 55000 application for 1500 places. According to recruitments strategy of Pret A Manger, the candidates have to show sociable personality, positive approach to life in interview.( Beardwell 2007). PHYSICAL EXAMINATION Candidates are physically examined in process of hiring to discover the diseases and medical limitations for candidate. The future job performance can be affected by candidates health issues so it is necessary to check medical complications before hiring. (Price 2007) Example: 7 (AFG INDUSTRIES)The hiring process of AFG Industries for factory workers includes screening formal resumes , personality testing, that suggest some plant jobs, panel interviews and a medical exam. www.fbe.hku.hk/ Programme/ Undergraduate/ doc/courses/2008-2009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011). CRIMINAL RECORDS AND BACKGROUNDCHECKS The criminal records and background checking depends upon the nature and type of organization. This is not a common practice of all the organizations. It is very time consuming and costly. There are several jobs like police jobs, security concern jobs, teaching jobs and sensitive nature jobs where criminal records and background verification is very necessary. Example: 8 ( AMERICAN COMPANIES) The professional back ground companies are getting space in almost 80 percent of American companies due to importance of background checking and necessity of verification of criminal records of candidates.. (www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/pre-employment-background-screening-company-a-reliable-hiring-outsource-for-human-resource-departments-3414302 accessed on 30/01/ 2011) CHOICE OF SELECTION METHOD After identifying the skills and abilities the organization have to take decision about the choice of selection methods. The organization can develop its own selection method to assess the applicant or can adopt selection method of other organizations. The most important test include exercise of assessment centres, cognitive ability testing, integrity testing which are used to assess job performance (Campion et al. 1994; Howard, 1997; Randall, 1990; Salgado and Moscoso, 2002; Wright et al., 1989).So there are various employee selection methods utilizing by different organizations but the most famous selection method is job interview. The other methods could be aptitude test, personality test, reference, assessment centres, background checking, cognitive ability test, drugs test etc. All these methods are used to assess the applicants skills and abilities and to determine any situation which is becoming the root cause of performance failure. The selection method must be appropriate to nature of job and it must be accurate as much as possible in providing the information. The accuracy of selection method depends upon reliability and validity of selection method. IMPORTANT SELECTION METHODS The organizations use various selection methods according to nature of job, size of organization and number of candidates. The organization can use one or more selection methods; it depends upon the reliable and valid so that expected performance of employee could be achieved. (Price 2007) Example: 9 ( MAZDA) In USA, the famous company Mazda is recruiting new employees by assessment of several selection methods. The methods include application forms, aptitude test, group problem solving, personal interview, and previous job experience. (Price 2007) The important methods can be described as: Application Forms and CVs Online Screening and Short Listing Psychometric Testing Ability and Aptitude Tests Personality Profiling Presentation Group exercises Assessment centres References INTERVIEW (Anderson Cunningham-Snell 2000) 5.1. APPLICATION FORMS CVs The application forms mostly use in public sectors. The application forms are prescribed in a formulated way which helps to know about important information of incumbents and this information can be examined during other tests and interviews. The main problem is that sometime the application forms are so lengthy and complicated. CVs are commonly used in private sector to gain initial and necessary information about the candidates qualification, previous job experiences and other distinctions but the problem with CVs is that CVs are presented by applicant in way to which he consider himself more fit for the job. So it is difficult for employer to judge the candidate only by CV. (Anderson Cunningham-Snell 2000) Example: 10 (GOVT INSTITUTIONS) In Pakistan, almost all the Govt institutions require the application and CV from candidates for hiring and selection of candidates for positions. ( personal experience) ONLINE SCREENING AND SHORT LISTING The Online screening is the quick procedure to filter potential incumbents among the huge number of applicants. Generally there are two criterions to short list the candidate by online screening, one is applicants experience and other is qualification. In this method scores are set according to criterions and candidates are shortlisted on the base of those scores. This is very useful method to save valuable time by short listing the applicants in very short time but costly in a sense of implementation of software and uploading of online information for screening applicants. Sometime potential candidate missed the chance of getting opportunity of that required job due to inappropriate key words during search. (Anderson Cunningham-Snell 2000) Example: 11 ( WOOLWORTH) The one of the largest retailer in the market Woolworth is using web-based recruitment policy to hire new employees. Woolworth have 2800 staff in its 800 stores and used online screening method very successfully. (Beardwell 2007). Example: 12 (CADBURY SCHWEPPS) The Cadbury Schweppes have introduced online verbal and numerical reason tests for its recruitment process and received about 4000 applications for just 20 places.( Beardwell 2007) PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING Psychometric testing refers to mental measurement. It helps in testing of ability and aptitude as well as personality profiling. Trained and qualified staff is necessary to arrange psychometric testing. Many organizations use these tests with the interview method as a part of selection process. (Beardwell 2007).There must be a proper staff for suitable psychometric testing. The psychometric testing can be divided by two parts. In first par only ability and aptitude is checked and in second part personality is judged. It is essential that candidate are offered feedback and the candidate must know that how information is worked during test. Example: 13 (MORGAN BANKS) The Morgan Banks recruitment consultancy conducted about 10 to 15 psychometric tests in selection procedure of hiring new employees. (Kramar 2007) Example: 14 (BT COMPANY) BT company always consider psychometric test as important tool for hiring new employees. ( Kramar 2007) Example: 15 (AFR COMPANY) AFR a famous organization is also conduction psychometric tests for its recruitment. (Kramar 2007) ABILITY AND APTITUDE TESTS The ability and aptitude tests are very useful to analyse general intelligence, spatial ability, verbal ability, sensory and motor abilities, clerical ability, numerical ability, mechanical ability, diagrammatical ability. The logical reasoning and mental performance is checked by these tests because these tests are designed very comprehensively. It include multiple question which are to be answered in a strictly time. For example if the questions are thirty ,the time would be 30 minutes. ( Gomez-Majla 2010) Example: 16 (USA) In USA ability test is conducted for entry level jobs and Govt. Is saving almost $15 billion per year. ( Gomez-Majla 2010) Example: 17 ( TOYOTA USA ) The selection process of Toyota (USA) takes minimum eighteen hours which consists of a general knowledge exam, attitude test, interpersonal skills, assessment centre, an extensive personal interview, and a physical exam. (www.fbe.hku.hk/Programme/Undergraduate/doc/courses/2008-009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011) Article accessed on 29/01/2011) PERSONALITY PROFILING Personality profiling is also very important for acquiring of good job. Sometime personality of person is not suitable to job so its difficult to handle that job for such a person. But if the individual can shift himself according to job criterion and suitability then it can be possible to get particular job.The relative importance of different selection factors; The personality and appearance of characteristics that are observed in an interview and rated as important include being energetic, confident, honest, organised, and verbally fluent (Spina et al. (2000). Example: 18 (ALLIED SIGNUAL) Personality tests are very important selection measure. It is used by companies such as Allied Signal, 3M.and Apple as selection criteria. (www.fbe.hku.hk/Programme/Undergraduate/doc/courses/2008-009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011) Article accessed on 29/01/2011) Example. 19 ( ATT, Honeywell, Citicorp, ) ATT, Honeywell and Citicorp are also used personality test as selection criteria. (www.fbe.hku.hk/Programme/ Undergraduate/ doc/courses/2008-009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011) Example: 20 (HAYS) HAYS human resource management department specially focus on candidates personality and character profiling. (Human Resource Management (Kramar 2007) Example 21 (AFG INDUSTRIES) The hiring process of AFG Industries for factory workers includes screening formal resumes (not job applications), personality testing, pre-employment training that simulates some plant jobs, interviews with panels of manager s and/or employees, and a medical exam.(www.fbe.hku.hk/ Programme/ Undergraduate/ doc/courses/2008-009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011) PRESENTATION In senior level jobs the selection method of presentation is widely used. A topic is given to the candidate and within a time frame he has to deliver a presentation. Sometime candidate receive presentation topic with interview letter and sometime on the spot topic is given. Candidate may have to deliver presentation on power point or overhead projector. (Kramar 2007) GROUP EXERCISES This selection method is used to filter a potential candidate among the group of applicants. The candidates have to debate on a topic or play a given role to show their knowledge, skills and abilities about the given topic. The observers give scores to candidates according to set criterion. (Price 2007). Example: 22 ( MAZDA) In USA, the famous company Mazda is recruiting new employees by assessment of several selection methods. The methods include application forms, aptitude test, group problem solving, personal interview, and previous job experience. (Price 2007). ASSESSMENT CENTRES The assessment centres refers to multiple testing methods. It includes ability testing, group exercise, presentation, aptitude testing, personality profiling etc. This selection method gives the opportunity to the candidate to show his knowledge, skills and abilities and get higher marks irrespective of his previous academic background. This selection method must be fair and neutral.(Beardwell 2007) Example: 23 ( GKN MANUFACTURING COMPANY) 22 GKN, the famous manufacturing company, having business in all over the world is using assessment centre selection method for recruiting new employees. It receive 1000 applications for just only 20 positions ( Beardwell 2007 ) Example: 24 (AT T COMPANY) The American Telephone and telegraph Company (ATT) recruits employees on the basis of Assessment centres. (Human Resource Management by Alan Price 3rd edition, ch 15, p 376). REFERENCES References are also considered very important in selection process. It is difficult for candidate to get a reasonable job with substandard references especially in a private sector. (Gromes- Majla 2010). The basic objective of references is to get information about the applicants qualification, employment history, experience etc. Generally reference is taken from current and former employees. If candidate is not working then the personal reference is demanded. Most organization demand references in written either in form of unstructured letter or in form. Example: 25 (US COURTS) 207 U.S Courts recruits new employees on the basis of reference check. The formal employers feedback is give high importance in selection procedure. ( Gromes-Majla 2010) 5.10. INTERVIEW An interview is a process intended to get the information from a person through oral responses to oral techniques. ( Dessler 2011) A selection interview is a selection procedure designed to predict future job performance on the basis of applicants oral responses to oral enquires. ( Michael McDaniel et al.,1994 ).The validity of interview is often criticised but still interview is interview is most famous selection tool (Judge et al., 2000; Posthuma et al, 2002).Still, practitioners continue to use the employment interview as their primary selection tool (Barclay, 1999; Judge et al., 2000). The non cognitive attributes of candidates are often assessed by interviews. (Otero et al., 2006) According to Nayer about 99% of USA medical schools ,interviews are basic element of the admissions process (e.g. Johnson Edwards, 1991).Interview is the procedure to assess the knowledge, skills and abilities of the candidates by his oral responses towards oral enquiries. Interview is good tool to an alyse the confidence, knowledge, presentation, communication and managerial skills. Some critics question about the validity of interview but still interview is the most appropriate and most useful selection method for hiring new employees. Example: 26 (SUN MICROSYSTEM) In the hiring process of Sun Microsystems , there are multiple interviews for hiring new Organization can use one or more than one selection method for recruitment according to job requirement. www.fbe.hku.hk/ Programme/ Undergraduate/doc/courses/2008-009/BUSI0075/Fit.pdf Article accessed on 29/01/2011) Article accessed on 29/01/2011) 5.10.1 CLASSIFICATION OF SELECTION INTERVIEW The selection interview is can be classified by three heads i.e. structure, content and administers. STRUCTURE VS. UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS INTERVIEW CONTENT ( TYPE OF QUESTIONS) HOW THE FIRMS ADMINISTER THE INTERVIEW (Dessler 2011) STRUCTURED INTERVIEW According to key requirements of job , the structured interview process is formulated and list of questions are set up. Each applicant have to face a group of interviewers and they score them on the basis of their performance. Recent studies of employment interviews have concluded that structured interviews offer greater predictive validity than unstructured interviews (Judge et al., 2000; Ployhart, 2006; Barclay, 1999). If selection system is challenged the structured interviews have more important regarding legal defensibility.(Posthuma et al., 2002)The preset standardised questions are set in the structured interview which is very helpful scrutiny of potential candidate from large number of candidates and gaining accurate results. The structured interviews are very useful and more comprehensive as compare to unstructured. Structure in interviews is one of the generally vital arbiters of its achievement in the calculation of act (e.g. Huffcutt Arthur, 1994). The structured intervi ews have higher foretelling and parallel validity than unstructured interviews (e.g. McDaniel, Whetzel, Schmidt, Maurer, 1994; Wiesner Cronshaw, 1988). The structured interviews were apparent positively and impartially. (Westwood et al. (2008) UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEW The unstructured conventional interviews assessed personality dimensions and social skills while the structured behavioral interview mainly assessed job knowledge, job experience, and situational judgment. (Salgado and Moscoso 2002). Unstructured interviews do not use a standardised set of questions, do not have objective scoring protocols (Latif et al., 2004), and are often prone to biases that affect ratings (Patterson Ferguson, 2007) Despite evidence of their low reliability and validity, unstructured interviews are still used for selection purposes. In a recent survey of pharmacy colleges in the US, only 13% of those that interviewed applicants used a pre-defined list of questions (Joyner et al., 2007).In the unstructured interview there is not set format and manager asks question according to his mind and preferences. It is friendly conversation between interviewer and interviewee. Courneya et al. (2005) compared structured with unstructured interviews, and reported that struct ured interviews put interviewees at ease and allowed them to express themselves more than unstructured interviews. INTERVIEW CONTENT (WHAT TYPE OF QUESTIONS TO ASK) The type of question which are asked in interview called interview content. There can be different categories of questions which can be situational, behavioural, job-related, and stress questions. These questions are used to determine attitude and decision powers of the candidate. There are series of question in which candidates overall reaction and behaviour is checked. If any satiation is given to candidate for response that interview is called situational interview and in some situations candidates are asked how he behaved in past called behavioural interview. In some situation interviewers intentionally ask such questions to candidate which create stress , such interviews are called stress interviews. Candidates are asked questions about past experience, responsibilities and duties, such interviews are named as job-related interviews. In all such interviews candidates overall behaviour, reaction, response, patience level and personality attributes are examined ( Dessler 2011) HOW FIRMS ADMINISTERS THE INTERVIEW Interviews are administered by employers by various ways i.e. face-to-face (one to one) or panel interview, sequentially or all at once and computerised or personally. (Dessler 2011) These interviews also can be telephone, online or video/web based interviews according to nature and circumstances. Organizations mostly use two types of interview; one to one and sequential. In one to one two persons meet and in sequential a series of questions are asked to candidate. Another one is panel interview in which a groups of interviewers meet each candidate with set of questions an score them according to their answers. There are also some other interviews like computerised interviews which are conducted due to distance and saving the precious time of organization. In the computerised interviews the applicants oral or/ and computerised replies are taken in response of computerised oral or visual or written questions. Some organization conduct telephone interviews to ease the applicant or due to distance problem. In this interview some questions are asked about the knowledge ,skills and abilities of the applicant and it gives more confidence to candidate as compare to face to face interview. The online or video/web based interviews are also conducted due to distance and easiness of both organization and applicant. Through video conference each candidate is asked a set of questions and employers examine their responses. (Dessler 2011) Example: 27 ( MONITOR CONSULTING FIRM) Monitor is a famous consulting firm uses group interview as a selection method. Applicants are given a problem to solve and they are monitored by interviewers. (www.kelloggforum.org/top-10-consulting-firms accessed on 5/02/2010) 5.10.2 ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEW I. ADVANTAGES: Interview is useful to find out important information about candidate and his/her attributes. Employer can easily determine the communication and social skills of candidate. The supplementary information can be determined by interview. The verbal fluency can also be checked. It is helpful to find candidates job knowledge. Interview is very useful to compare candidates having equal qualification. Candidate also gets the opportunity to ask questions to interviewer if he/she has any confusion. II. DISADVANTAGES: Personal liking and disliking can be major factor of biasness. Usually interviewer made his mind about the selection of candidate in first few minutes and then remaining part of interview is just used to validate his decision. There can be a great chance of prejudice as according to research it has been proved that minorities are ignored in interviews. There can be a more weight to negative information. Validity and reliability of interviews are always in questioned. (www.hr-guide.com/data/G311.htm Accessed 0n 02/02/2011) IMPORTANT ISSUES IN CONDUCTING INTERVIEW The main purpose of interview is to hire right person for right job but there are some issues which arise during the process of interview which may become hurdle in the neat and clean process of selection. These are the problems which are necessary to address. First of all the perception of the interviewer can affect the selection of the process. The interviewers inability to understand the candidates characteristics and attribute can become big barrier in the selection of potential candidate. Secondly the biased behaviour of the interviewer can also be the hurdle in selection of right applicant. The discrimination of sex, age, racial, relig

The Old Man And The Sea and Moby Dick Essay -- Moby Dick Essays

The Old Man And The Sea and Moby Dick      Ã‚  Ã‚   One might say we are presented with two fish stories in looking at Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea and Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, a marlin in the former and a whale in the latter.   However, both of these animals are symbolic of the struggle their hunters face to find dignity and meaning in the face of a nihilistic universe in Hemingway and a fatalistic one in Melville.   While both men will be unable to conquer the forces of the universe against them, neither will either man be conquered by them because of their refusal to yield to these insurmountable forces.   However, Santiago gains a measure of peace and understanding about existence from his struggles, while Ahab leaves the world as he found it without any greater insight.    In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control.   We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage.   Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles.   Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds.   His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin.   Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission.   However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature.   However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway   99).   Santi... ... the character of Santiago.   He is not as determined as Ahab when it comes to his own nature.   He is able to accept that humility and love do not take away his pride and in fact they are life sustaining.   Ahab cannot give up the only thing he knows, his passions.   Knowledge does not come in the face of a world that remains as mysterious and evil when we leave it as it was when we entered it.   For Santiago, there is some measure of relief from the indifferent universe through the interdependence of human beings.   Ahab never finds this measure of relief.   Yet, they both retain some measure of dignity because they know they cannot conquer the universe but they do not let it conquer them either.    Works Cited Hemingway, E.   The Old Man and the Sea.   New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1952. Melville, H.   Moby-Dick.   New York, W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1967.

Muslim and Non Muslim Laws :: essays research papers

Islamic law and non-Muslims Some pro-Israeli opinion cite traditional interpretations of sharia (Islamic law) which requires, among other things, that Muslim territory encompass all land that was ever under Muslim control, as a source for the Arab-Israeli conflict. Since the territory of Israel, prior to being the British Mandate of Palestine, was once part of the Ottoman caliphate, some Islamic clerics believe it is unlawful for any portion of it to remain 'usurped' by non-Muslims. By contrast, pro-Arab opinion points at the pronounced religious tolerance of the caliphates, where Christians and Jews coexisted "harmoniously" with Muslims and were granted limited self-autonomy. Resentment of Israeli Jews, this argument concludes, only emerged as a result from and after the rise of the Zionist enterprise in Palestine. Pro-Israeli views, however, often dismiss this explanation with the argument that Muslim Arab hostility towards Israel is largely derived from the sharia dictation that Jews or Christians are not to be considered equal to Muslims. Pro-Arab commentator view this as running counter to the tradition of tolerance towards "People of the Book" in Islam. They also point towards the long tradition of Palestinian Christians in their resistance to Israel and its policies, including such noted figures as Edward Said and George Habash, and the various Palestinian secular movements such as the PLO itself. In turn pro-Israeli proponents refer to a declining Christian Palestinian population (along with those of most Arab Christians) as, at least in part, a product of Muslim hostility towards non-Muslims, in general. According to a report published in December 2001 by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies think tank.The Christian Exodus from the Middle East (http://www.defenddemocr acy.org/usr_doc/Christian_Exodus.pdf), in December 1997 The Times noted: "Life in (PA ruled) Bethlehem has become insufferable for many members of the dwindling Christian minorities." The report also states that "Christians in the Palestinian territories have dropped from 15% of the Arab population in 1950 to just 2% today." Some Palestinian Christian are of the opinion that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has led to the diminishment of their population[[8] (http://christianactionforisrael.org/antiholo/hate_jews.html)][[9] (http://www.amconmag.com/2004_05_24/article.html)]. Ohers, like Abe Ata, a Palestinian Christian, are of the opinion that American Christians have "turned their backs" on them by supporting Israel [[10] (http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/112202/112202r.htm)]. The Anglican bishop of Jerusalem, Riah Abu El-Assal, is recorded as being "intemperate in his attacks on Israel"[[11] (http://christianactionforisrael.org/ant iholo/hate_jews.html)]. Many Palestinian Christians have complained about Israel's treatment of them. One such complaint is that Israel does not give Palestinian Christians permission to visit holy places [12] (http://www.

Willy Loman, Redefining the Tragic Hero in Arthur Millers Death of a S

Willy Loman, Redefining the Tragic Hero in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚   The events in the life of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman are no doubt tragic, yet whether or not he can be considered a tragic hero in a traditional sense is a topic requiring some discussion. Aristotle set the criteria for qualities a character must possess in order to be considered a tragic hero. In order to reach a conclusion on this matter, all six criteria must be examined to determine whether or not they are present in the character of Willy Loman. The first criterion for a tragic hero is hamartia, or a tragic flaw in the character's personality that brings about their downfall. Willy Loman definitely does possess a tragic flaw, and in his case it is pride. Loman cannot accept that he is a terrible salesman, a substandard provider, and suffering from mental illness. He borrows money every week from Charley, his neighbor, so that he can tell his family stories of his successful sales trips. While Willy definitely does possess a tragic flaw, another criterion required by Aristotle is peripeteia, a character's reversal near the end of the story for the purpose of self-reservation. Willy definitely does not meet this criterion. When Willy is terminated from his job late in the story, Charley offers him a job working for him, but feeling too much pride, Willy turns it down, saying he's already got a job. He turns down a chance to make a decent means to finish paying off his house and refrigerator, but turns it down because of his stubborn pride. A tragic hero must have a mix of both good and bad qualities, predominantly good, so that they are more of a character that readers could relate ... ...Sons in which the main characters are somewhat like tragic heroes but lack the high standing. They are all just common people, which might lead to the idea that Arthur Miller tried to create a mold for an American tragic hero. This however, is not a topic relevant to this assignment. So overall, Willy Loman is not a tragic hero, but just an unlucky man destined to be the Low Man. Sources Field, B.S.   "Death of a Salesman" Twentieth Century Literature.   January, 1972. 19-24.   Rpt. in World Literary Criticism.   Ed. Frank Magill.  Ã‚   "Arthur Miller" Detroit: Gale Research, 1992.   2366-2368. Hoeveler, D. J.   "Redefining the Tragic Hero Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: Modern Critical Interpretations.   Ed. Harold Blum.   Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1988. 72-81. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Gerald Weales, ed. New York: Penguin, 1996

20th century poetry Essay

We have been giving to 20th century poems to examine. They are â€Å"Evans† by R. S Thomas and â€Å"Death in Leamington† by Sir John Betjeman. Both poems are about death, but in two very different situations. I will examine the poem Evans first of all. Evans was written by a man called R. S Thomas. He lived from 1913-2000. he was born in Cardiff. He became a clergyman and taught himself welsh so he could work with the people in the hills, because not many of them spoke English at this time. Evans is a 20th Century poem. The poem begins as if the writer is talking to somebody else. It looks like the other person has asked him something like, â€Å"Do you remember a man Evans? † and the writer replies, â€Å"yes, many a time. † The first verse of the poem describes Evans’ house. It talks about the â€Å"bare† stairs and the â€Å"gaunt† kitchen. We can depict from the first verse that Evans was a poor man, his house is not at all well furbished, and he doesn’t have much to his name. Everything that Evans owns has a dull, dreary adjective attached to it, like stark farm and black kettle. His kitchen must be filthy because crickets can be heard. The last line of this verse tells us that he lives on a lone farm upon a hill. From this verse we have found out that this man is poor, lonely and doesn’t really care much about what his house looks like. The 2nd verse tells us that something appals the speaker. He says that it isn’t the darkness around him, which seems to fill his mouth and that it isn’t the tree that the rain drips off. I think the tree is symbolism, because the speaker says, â€Å"of rain like blood form that one tree, weather tortured. † I think he is really describing Evans appearance. The speaker says that it’s the veins of Evans. He sees darkness in them, and that it is â€Å"silting† them. Silt is the thick sandy substance at the bottom of rivers. I think it means that the darkness is trapped in Evans’ veins and that it is slowly killing him. The writer says, â€Å"I left stranded upon the vast and lonely shore of his bleak bed. † The writer believes that he has failed is his job, which is to comfort the sick if they are going to die. The writer feels that he is inadequate and that he hasn’t done what he wanted to. Again we see another dreary adjective attached to one of Evans possessions, his bleak bed. The word lonely is used again here. The writer wants to get the point across that Evans has no one, no family or friends to comfort him, that is why the writer feels so bad that he cant do this for him. This poem is about the bad way to die, all on your own and no one to comfort you. The next poem, Death in Leamington, is about the other way to pass on. Death in Leamington was written by Sir John Betjeman. Poets of his day liked to write poems making fun of the middle class people. The first verse tells us that someone has died, and that it is a woman. It has happened in the late evening. She has died in her bedroom. The room has a plate glass window, which means this place wherever she was staying must has been pretty well off. The second verse gives us a little more insight to the woman. She owned a crochet, which means she must have been quite old. It lay beside her bed, which means she can’t have been too old because she was still able to walk. Again the writer tells us that she is dead.