The Disdainful Use of Names in Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 :: Crying Lot 49 Essays

The Disdainful Use of Names in Pynchons The Crying of Lot 49While translateing Pynchons, The Crying of Lot 49, I found myself fascinated with the names of the characters. I tried to analyze them and make them mean something, but it seems that Pynchon did not mean for the names to have a specific meaning. This deduction made me think about the satirical nature of the naming of the characters. Which led me to muse on the chaotic nature of the naming. The apparent disdain for the characters by their naming seems to imply that the author is poking fun at the reader and society through the characters. The first-class honours degree character is Oedipa Maas and the reader cannot help but immediately think of Oedipus the King and the implications of that naming. As I read, I was on the alert for the characteristics of the Oedipus story. Although Oedipa does have a closed book to solve in the novel, I found I really could not relate her to Oedipus in any other way. And what does Maas mea n? Mass, as in a solid mass? Mass, as in the Catholic rite? Is Oedipa perhaps performing a rite of some kind? These questions plagued me as I read and by the conclusion of the story, I was no wiser. Then there is Oedipas husband, Mucho Maas. What kind of a name is Mucho? It implies, to me at least, that Mucho is somehow superior to his wife. But as the story progresses, Mucho seems to be mystify less and less. by chance a comment by Pynchon on the declining status of a husband in American society? Perhaps a satirical jab at the rising state of womens rights as equal instead of subordinate in a marriage? some(prenominal) it means, the name Mucho didnt seem to fit the character. Next we encounter Oedipas therapist. His character was bizarre from beginning to end. His name, Dr. Hilarious, worked for me. His name was fitting in many ways. That he goes berserk in the end was a fitting touch in depicting a shrink. His character was hilarious in a way. I mean, come on, what therapist a ctually believes in telepathy? The absent character in the book, Pierce Inverarity, is a puzzle. The closest definition for Inverarity that I could find in the vocabulary was a definition for inveracity. Inveracity means untruthfulness, which is fitting for the absent Pierce, since we never do discover if the man is actually dead or not.

Ritalin :: essays research papers

methylphenidateAbstract     methylphenidate (Methylphenidate) is a mild CNS stimulant. In medicine,Ritalins primary use is treatment of Attention Deficit /overactive Disorder(ADHD). The mode of action in humans is not completely understood, but Ritalinpresumably activates the arousal system of the brain stem and the mantle toproduce its stimulant effect. Recently, the frequency of diagnosis for ADHD hasincreased dramatically. More children and an increasing number of adults arebeing diagnosed with ADHD. gibe to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)(Bailey 1995), prescriptions for Ritalin have increased more than 600% in thepast five years. Ritalin has a long history of controversy regarding sideeffects and potential for abuse, even so it greatly benefits those with ADHD.Psychological effects of RitalinRitalin (Methylphenidate) is manufactured by CIBA-Geigy Corporation. Itis supplied in 5 mg., 10 mg., and 20 mg. tablets, and in a sustained arcform, Ritalin SR, in 20 mg. tablets. It is readily water soluble and is intendedfor oral use. It is a Schedule II Controlled Substance under both the federal officialand Vermont Controlled Substance Acts. Ritalin is primarily used in thetreatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) (Bailey 1995).ADHD is a condition most believably based in an inefficiency and inadequacyof Dopamine and Norepinephrine hormone availability, typically occurring when aperson with ADHD tries to concentrate. Ritalin improves the efficiency of thehormones Dopamine and Norepinephrine, increasing the resources for memory, focus, concentration and attention (Clark 1996).Ritalin has been used for more than 30 years to treat ADHD. Nervousnessand insomnia are the most common adverse reactions reported, but are ordinarilycontrolled by reducing dosage or omitting the afternoon or evening dose.Decreased appetite is also common but usually transient (Long 1996).According to Clark (1996), children, adolescents and adults di agnosed with ADHDusually report the following effects when successfully treated with Ritalin meliorate concentration.Better "focus".Improved ability to complete their work.Improved intensity of attention and longer attention span.Reduced distractibility.Reduced impulsivity.Reduced restlessness and over drill.Improved patience.More elaborate expressive vocabulary.Better written panorama and handwriting (especially in children).An improved sense of "alertness".Improved memory for visual as well as auditory stimuli.Ritalins Effect on Neurotransmitter SystemsRitalin exhibits pharmacological activity similar to that ofamphetamines. Ritalins exact mechanism of action in the CNS is not fullyunderstood, but the primary sites of activity appear to be in the cerebralcortex and the subcortical structures including the thalamus. Ritalin blocks thereuptake mechanism present in dopaminergic neurons. As a result, sympathomimeticactivity in the primal nervous system and in the per ipheral nervous systemincreases. Ritalin-induced CNS stimulation produces a decreased sense of fatigue,an increase in motor activity and mental alertness, mild euphoria, and brighter

How to Protect Yourself from Chikan :: Essays Papers

How to Protect Yourself from ChikanAll trains and sub focussings in Tokyo and other cities or so Tokyo are terribly crowded during rush hour. In addition to the crowds on trains, young female passengers buzz off to go through one more trial on a train. They must protect themselves from Chikans, men who touch women on the train. Women who are working or studying in Tokyo have to keep three things in mind when they are on a train how to avoid meeting Chikans, how to protect themselves, and how to protect their friends.First, young women should try not to prefer lines or trains which have a high possibility of meeting Chikans. Needless to say, Chikans seldom appear on trains which are not crowded. Accordingly, the best way to avoid Chikans is to avoid taking crowded trains. However, women have to take crowded trains during rush hour to arrive at their offices or schools on time. Though they cannot choose the time of the trains, they can choose which line they should take. In general , women meet Chikans more frequently when they take private lines, the subways, or JR lines. They especially have to be apprised of some lines which have a bad reputation among young women. For example, the Odakyu line is one of the most crowded trains. We have all kinds of schools, including high-level, low-level, and public schools along the Odakyu line, and umteen women, especially female students, race to meet Chikans on this line. I met ones who were male students of a certain school when I was a high school student. In contrast, many schools along the subways in the center part of Tokyo are high-level or expensive private schools, and women do not meet Chikans real much on these lines. The Inogashira line is also famous among women for Chikans. Many young people use this line to go to Shibuya, which is the most popular place in Tokyo. Some of my friends told me that some men use this line only to touch women. Because of these reasons, I often use other lines to go to Tokyo .Next, many young women tend to put up with Chikans silently when they are on a train alone. However, they should protect themselves from Chikans by following three steps. First, if you think that someone is touching you, gambol your head slowly and look at his hand to make sure that he is really a Chikan.

Productivity Growth In the US :: essays research papers

It was said that once-in-a-century advances in technology are transforming our miserliness. The computer morsel is doing for todays knowledge economy what electricity did for our industrial economy a century ago. Synergies in technology are campaign acceleration in productivity fruit that enables us to grow faster with less inflation. Economic progress is speeding up the speed limit is rising. corporeal GDP produce has averaged 4 share for the past four years, with declining inflation. This almost doubles the 2 share to 2.5 per centum not long ago considered the maximum noninflationary potence. But weve been growing faster than potential and sustaining the unsustainable for four years and counting. Sounds odd, doesnt it? Our faster output increase is based primarily on faster productivity growth and secondarily on faster drudge force growth. Productivity growth now appears to be at least 2.5 percent and rising. An increase from 1 percent to 2.5 percent is an increase of one hundred fifty percent, a huge jump with profound implications if sustained. Last year was encouraging. Productivity raised over 3 percent for the year and over 5 percent in the second half. It was said that the United States entered the 21st century with its economy on a roll. GDP growth averaged more than 3 percent a year in the 1990s. The country created 17 million jobs, driving unemployment down to a 30-year low of 4.1 percent. In the 1999-2000 the economy wasnt doing so bad the unemployment place was down, there were more jobs available, and production was doing well. When 2001 stated and even before then the economy was going down, many pot were being laid off and so on. Then it happened the September 11th attack on the US, this attack has left the Productivity Growth In the US essays research papers It was said that once-in-a-century advances in technology are transforming our economy. The computer chip is doing for todays knowledge economy what electricity did for o ur industrial economy a century ago. Synergies in technology are driving acceleration in productivity growth that enables us to grow faster with less inflation. Economic progress is speeding up the speed limit is rising. Real GDP growth has averaged 4 percent for the past four years, with declining inflation. This almost doubles the 2 percent to 2.5 percent not long ago considered the maximum noninflationary potential. But weve been growing faster than potential and sustaining the unsustainable for four years and counting. Sounds odd, doesnt it? Our faster output growth is based primarily on faster productivity growth and secondarily on faster labor force growth. Productivity growth now appears to be at least 2.5 percent and rising. An increase from 1 percent to 2.5 percent is an increase of 150 percent, a huge jump with profound implications if sustained. Last year was encouraging. Productivity raised over 3 percent for the year and over 5 percent in the second half. It was said th at the United States entered the 21st century with its economy on a roll. GDP growth averaged more than 3 percent a year in the 1990s. The country created 17 million jobs, driving unemployment down to a 30-year low of 4.1 percent. In the 1999-2000 the economy wasnt doing so bad the unemployment rate was down, there were more jobs available, and production was doing well. When 2001 stated and even before then the economy was going down, many people were being laid off and so on. Then it happened the September 11th attack on the US, this attack has left the

The Russian Revolution :: essays research papers

Revolution is a change, change can be a good thing, like the bell-bottom revolution. Or it can be a bad thing like the Russian Revolution. In the early 1900s the revolution in Russia broke out, at this time Czar Nicholas was ruling a monarchy government. Some say Russias Revolution was to be blamed because of the Czars bad decision making and his oblivion to what was going on in his country. The political, economic, and social effects from this revolution was horrific. In Russia the wealthy lived rich and famous while the poor were starving unnoticed. There was such tremendous poverty, and the cops just wouldnt grow, people started rebelling. The wanted more(prenominal), they needed more. The Czar did nothing about their needs because he didnt know how bad things were. From his lookstyle he thought life was well. Eventually people had enough they were ready to turn on their leader. Once the soldiers, who were fighting in WWI turned on the Czar everything went downhill. There was no unmatched there to stop the people from rioting. Instead of the soldiers stopping them they joined them. The soldiers turned on the Czar because they were starving and dieing they only had three bullets a day at war. Everyone hated the Czar except for a small class of wealthy people. The monarch government just wasnt cutting it anymore. People wanted to be heard, they wanted rights. Eventually things got so bad that the Czar abdicated for his son and himself. This took everyone by surprise and the communist government stepped in through the confusion and took over. People didnt mind this because they promised everyone would be equal and they said they would deliver peace and food. The only people who objected to this was the rich class because they didnt want to be equal, they liked having more then everyone else. I believe the Russian Revolution could of definitely of been avoided.

Top 10 Commercial :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Top 10 CommercialsIntroductionWe are said to spend two years of our lifetime ceremonial commercials on television. If we spend that much time on watching something, that something better be very good and worthwhile. The video Top 10 Commercials ranks ten the Statess favorite commercials of all time based on the commercials creativity, originality, inventiveness and style. Commercial clips are one genre of art make water with a very different objective from any other artto sell goods. These commercials are very successful achieving their AIDA, and they do so in mingled forms the commercial clips amused me very much, and they just did what they are supposed to on me.Video Contents Categorizing the ranked commercialsIt was a very interesting learning finger to see how different commercials have different ways of achieving the same goal of sellingsome of them spot their target market and focused only on the TM, where others may want to be catchy to any potential viewers or to be a pure attention grabber.Commercials Focused on Their TMBartles and Jaymes Wine Cooler commercial and Life Cereal commercial can be categorized in this type. Mr. Bartles speaks in Southern accent in a very calm tone and tells us how their wine cooler can be so soothing after working hard for a day with his non-speaking buddy Mr. Jaymes. This commercial intentionally picked these two Mid West guys to represent the product for its TM to link up to these menvery genuine, somebody just comparable themselves. Life Cereal had overlooked who its real target market was until the company realized that the children were the ones who eat the product. Again, Life Cereal also used characters the TM children would relate to in the commercial, and let them speak their own language just like Bartles and Jaymes spoke good old American Southern EnglishMikey likes it The Noxzema Shaving slam can be also sorted into this category, as well as being a great attention-getter, because the woman is n ot seducing the wives or the girlfriends who have to deprave shaving cream for their men, but the user themselves. She wanted men in America to take it all off, and the guys didnt feel too questioning about it either. Catchy, Catchy, What a Cutie Speedy isJingle, characters and animated icons and catch phrases make the commercials stick to consumers heads and they keep doing their jobs outside of their airtime.

Performance appraisal Essay

IntroductionThe featby which a animal trainerorconsultant(1)examinesand evaluates anemployees cipher lookby comparing it with predetermined standards, (2)docuwork forcetsthe terminationsof the comparison, and (3)usesthe results toprovidefeedbackto the employee to show where mendments atomic outlet 18 demand and why. consummation appraisals argonemployedto unsex whoneedswhattraining, and who will be promoted, demoted, retained, or fired.PERFORMANCE judgment IS A FORMAL, STRUCTURED carcass OF MEASURING AND EVALUATING AN EMPLOYEES JOB, RELATED BEHAVIORS AND OUTCOMES TO DISCOVER HOW AND WHY THE EMPLOYEE IS PRESENTLY acting ON THE JOB AND HOW THE EMPLOYEE CAN PERFORM MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THE FUTURE SO THAT THE EMPLOYEE, ORGANIZATION, AND SOCIETY ALL BENEFIT. surgical process appraisal is a process of summarizing, assessing and developing the work surgery of an employee. In order to be strong and constructive, the performance manager should make all(prenominal) effort to obtain as much objective information some(a) the employees performance as possible.Performance assessment is a review and discussion of an employees performance of delegate duties and responsibilities ground on results obtained by the employee in their job, non on the employees psycheality characteristics. Personality should be considered only when it relates to performance of assigned duties and responsibilities.It is a merged formal interaction between a subsidiary and supervisor, that normally takes the form of a periodic interview (annual or semi-annual), in which the work performance of the subordinate is examined and discussed, with a view to identifying weaknesses and strengths as well(p) as opportunities for improvement and skills development.In mevery organizations but not all appraisal results atomic number 18 used, either in a flash or indirectly, to function particularise get step to the forecomes. That is, the appraisal results atomic number 18 used to ident ify the better do employees who should get the majority of available merit soften increases, bonuses, andpromotions.By the same token, appraisal results atomic number 18 used to identify poorer stoppageors, who may require some form of counseling, or in extreme roles, demotion, dismissal or decreases in succumb. HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISALThe history of performance appraisal is sort of brief.Its roots in the wee 20th century can be traced to Taylors pioneering Time and Motion studies. still this is not very helpful, for the same may be said approximately almost everything in the field of advanced(a) human resources management.As a distinct and formal management procedure used in the evaluation of work performance, appraisal really dates from the time of the imprimatur World War not much than 60 course of instructions ago.Yet in a broader sense, the practice of appraisal is a very ancient art. In the scale of things historical, it might well lay claim to being the worlds second oldest professionThere is, saysDulewicz (1989), a basic human aspiration to make stressments about those one is working with, as well as about oneself. judgement, it bring outms, is both inevitable and universal. In the absence of a awakely unified trunk of appraisal, people will tend to judge the work performance of others, including subordinates, naturally, informally and arbitrarily. The human inclination to judge can create serious motivational, good and legal problems in the workplace. Without a structured appraisal transcription, there is little chance of ensuring that the judgements made will be lawful, fair, defensible and correct.Performance appraisal forms began as simple mode actings of income justification. That is, appraisal was used to decide whether or not the salary or wage of an individual employee was justified. The process was firmly linked to material outcomes. If an employees performance was found to be less than ideal, a cut in expect would follow. On the other hand, if their performance was better than the supervisor expected, a pay rise was inorder.Little consideration, if any, was conk outn to the developmental possibilities of appraisal. If was felt that a cut in pay, or a rise, should provide the only required caprice for an employee to either improve or continue to perform well. whatevertimes this basic system succeeded in getting the results that were intended but more often than not, it failed.For example, early motivational researchers were cognisant that polar people with roughly equal work abilities could be paid the same amount of money and yet have quite different levels of motivation and performance.These notifications were confirmed in empirical studies. Pay rates were important, yes but they were not the only element that had an impact on employee performance. It was found that other issues, such(prenominal) as morale and self-esteem, could a similar have a major influence.As a resul t, the handed-d receive emphasis on reward outcomes was progressively rejected. In the 1950s in the United States, the authorization usefulness of appraisal as in any casel for motivation and development was gradually accept. The general model of performance appraisal, as it is humpn today, began from that time.Modern AppraisalPerformance appraisal may be set apartd as a structured formal interaction between a subordinate and supervisor, that usually takes the form of a periodic interview (annual or semi-annual), in which the work performance of the subordinate is examined and discussed, with a view to identifying weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvement and skills development.In many organizations but not all appraisal results argon used, either directly or indirectly, to help determine reward outcomes. That is, the appraisal results argon used to identify the better performing employees who should get the majority of available merit pay increases, bonuses, and promotions.By the same token, appraisal results are used to identify the poorerperformers who may require some form of counselling, or in extreme cases, demotion, dismissal or decreases in pay. (Organizations need to be aware of laws in their country that might restrict their capacity to dismiss employees or decrease pay.) Whether this is an appropriate use of performance appraisal the assignment and justification of rewards and penalties is a very uncertain and contentious matter.TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL1.Rating Scales MethodRating Scales Method is commonly used method for assessing the performance of the employees and well-known traditional method of performance appraisal of employees. Many corporations and companies example in the country India, Telecommunications Company like airteland US IT companies likeDellCorporationare exploitation this method for evaluating the employees and subsequently take decisions on concerned employee.Depending up on the job of employee under this method of appraisal traits like attitude, performance, regularity, accountability and sincerity and so forthare rated with scale from 1 to 10. 1 indicates negative feedback and 10 indicates positive feedback as shown below.Attitude of employee towards his superiors, colleagues and customers12345678910Extremely Excellent poorRegularity in the job12345678910Extremely outstanding poorUnder this method of performance appraisal, employee may be assessed by his superiors, colleagues, subordinates or sometimes by his customers which all depends on nature of the participation or job which is added where the employee. Appraiser is a person who appraises employee will give rating for every trait given by stigma or choosing number basing on his observation and satisfaction. ultimately all numbers chosen or marked will be added to determine highest score shit ed by employee.Employee who scored more points will be treated as top performer side by side(p) descending scored employees will be treated as low performer and the least scored employee will be treated as non-performers.2.ESSAY APPRAISAL METHODThis traditional form of appraisal, as well as known as Free contour method involves a description of the performance of an employee by his superior. The description is an evaluation of the performance of any individual found onthe facts and often includes examples and evidences to support the information. A major drawback of the method is the inseparability of the bias of the evaluator.Under this method, the rater is asked to express the strong as well as weak points of the employees behavior. This technique is normally used with a combination of the graphic rating scale because the rater can elaborately present the scale by substantiating an explanation for his rating. While preparing the essay on the employee, the rater considers the f ollowing factors Job knowledge and potential of the employeeEmployees reading of the companys programmes, policies, objectives, etc. The employees relations with co-workers and superiorsThe employees general planning, organizing and controlling ability The attitudes and perceptions of the employee, in general.Essay evaluation is a non-quantitative technique. This method is advantageous in at least one sense, i.e., the essay provides a good deal of information about the employee and also reveals more about the evaluator. The essay evaluation method however, condenses from the following limitations It is highly subjective the supervisor may write a biased essay. The employees who are sycophants will be evaluated more favorably then other employees. Some evaluators may be poor in writing essays on employee performance.Others may be superficial in explanation and use flowery language which may not reflect the unfeigned performance of the employee. It is very difficult to find effecti ve writers nowadays. The appraiser is required to find time to prepare the essay. A busy appraiser may write the essay hurriedly without decent assessing the actual performance of the worker. On the other hand, appraiser takes a long time, this becomes uneconomical from the view point of the firm, because the time of the evaluator (supervisor) is costly.3.RANKING METHODHow do we use the rank method?Under the ranking method, the manager com-pares an employee to other similar employees, rather than to a standard measurement. An offshoot of ranking is the forced distribution method, whichis similar to marker on a curve. Predetermined percentages of employees are placed in various performance categories, for example,excellent, above average, average, below average, and poor,.The employees ranked in the top group usually get the rewards (raise, bonus, promotion), those not at the top tend to have the reward withheld, and those at the bottom sometimes get punished. In Self-Assessment an d Skill Builder 8-1, you are asked to rank the performance of your peers.Why and when do we use the ranking method?Managers have to make evaluative decisions, such as who is the employee of the month, who gets a raise or promotion, and who gets laid off. So when we have to make evaluative decisions, we generally have to use ranking. as yet, our ranking can, and when possible should, be based on other methods and forms. be can also be used for developmental purposes by letting employees know where they stand in comparison to their peersthey can be motivated to improve performance. For example, when one of the authors passes back exams, he places the grade distribution on the board. It does not in any way affect the current gradesbut it lets students know where they stand, and he does it to motivate improvement.4.PAIRED COMPARISONA better technique of comparison than the straight ranking method, this method compares each employee with all others in the group, one at a time. subseque ntly all the comparisons on the basis of the overall comparisons, the employees are given the final rankings.5.CRITICAL INCIDENTS METHODSThis technique of performance appraisal was developed byFlanagan and Burns. The manager prepares runs of statements of very effective and ineffective behaviour of an employee. These critical incidents or events represent the outstanding or poor behaviour of employees on the job.The manager maintains logs on each employee, whereby he periodically records critical incidents of the workers behaviour. At theend of the rating period, these recordedcritical incidents are used in the evaluation of the workers performance. An example of a good critical incident of a gross revenue assistant is the followingJuly 20 The sales clerk patiently attended to the customers complaint. He is polite, prompt, and enthusiastic in solving the customers problem. On the other hand the bad critical incident may appear as under July 20 The sales assistant stayed 45 minu tes over on his break during the busiest part of the day. He failed to answer the store managers call thrice. He is lazy, negligent, cussed and uninterested in work.This method provides an objective basis for conducting a thorough discussion of an employees performance. This method avoids recency bias (most fresh incidents get too much emphasis). This method suffers however from the following limitations Negative incidents may be more noticeable than positive incidents. The supervisors have a tendency to unload a series of complaints about incidents during an annual performance review session. It results in very close supervision which may not be liked by the employee. The preserve of incidents may be a chore for the manager concerned, who may be too busy or forget to do it.6. CONFIDENTIAL REPORT SYSTEMConfidential report system is well known method of performance appraisal system mostly being used by the Government organisations. In this method ofappraisingsystem, subordinate is observed by his superiors regarding his performance in the job and on his duties done. There afterwardsSuperiorwrites private report on his performance, in the first gear place on his behaviour in the organisation and conduct and remarks if any.Confidential reports will be kept confidential and will not be revealed to anyone and finally confidential reports will be forwarded to the top management officials for taking decision against person on whom confidential report has made. Confidential reports are the main criteria for promoting or transferringof any employee mainly in the government sector. All governmental organisations example judiciary, police Department and other governmentdepartments in the India are apply confidential reports method as a rotating shaft to know about the employee and to take any decision connecting to him.Procedure of confidential report systemThe superiors who appraise their subordinates performance, behaviour and other key issues will be kept in t he form of writing on paper, which is called as confidential report. Confidential report should not be sent openly on a paper, it must be kept in a sealed cover to send it to decision-making authorities. Only authorize persons are allowed to open the sealed covers which consists of confidential reports. Confidential reports shall not be handed over in loose sheets to the subordinates.Key factors assessed inConfidential floor writingCharacter and conduct of an employeeAbsenteeism of an employeeKnowledge of an employeeHis nature and quality of workPunctuality of employeeUnauthorised absenteeism or leave without permissionBehaviour of an employee with colleagues, superiors and with public might of supervision and controllingHis/her integrity and honestyIf any complaints against employee7.CHECKLIST METHODThe rater is given a checklist of the descriptions of the behaviour of the employees on job. The checklist contains a list of statements on the basis of which the rater describes the on the job performance of the employees. Another simple casing of individual evaluation method is the checklist. A checklist represents, in its simplest form, a set of objectives or descriptive statements about the employee and his behavior. If the rater believes powerfully that the employee possesses a particular listed trait, he checks the item otherwise, he leaves the item blank.A more recent variation of the checklist method is the weighted list. Under this, the repute of each question may be weighted equally or certain questions may beweighted more heavily than others. The following are some of the sample questions in the checklist. Is the employee really interested in the parturiency assigned?Yes/No Is he respected by his colleagues (co-workers)Yes/No Does he give respect to his superiors?Yes/No Does he follow instructions properly?Yes/No Does he make mistakes frequently?Yes/No8. GRAPHIC RATING SCALE typeface of Graphic Rating Scales MethodPerformance TraitExcellentGoo dAverageFairPoorAttitude54321Knowledge of Work54321Managerial Skills54321team Work54321Honesty54321Regularity54321Accountability54321Inter in the flesh(predicate) relationships54321Creativity54321Discipline54321This is the very popular, traditional method of performance appraisal. Under this method, core traits of employee pertaining to his job are carefullydefinedlike Attitude, Knowledge of Work, Managerial Skills, Team Work, Honesty, Regularity, Accountability, Interpersonal relationships, Creativity and Discipline etc.These traits are allotted with numerical scale to tabulate the scores gained by appraisee (employee) inperformance assessmentrelating to his job by appraiser (employer) and sum-up to determine the surmount performer. Appraiser ticksrating of particular trait depending upon his endeavour in his job.Score vary form employee to employee depending up on his performance levels and endeavour in his job.This method is popular because it is simple and does not require any writing ability. The method is easy to understand and use. Comparison among pairs is possible. This is necessary for decision on salary increases, promotion, etc.Companies likeDELL,Maruti Suzuki India Ltdandairtelare using this graphic rating scale method to appraise performance of their employees in there jobs and to take decisions regarding the matters concerned to employees9.FORCED dispersalA rating system used by companies to evaluate their employees. The system requires the managers to evaluate each individual, and rank them typically into one of terce categories (excellent, good, poor). The system is mentation to be relatively widely-used, but remains somewhat controversial due to the competition it creates, and also the reality that not all employees will fit neatly into one of the categories and might end up in a category that doesnot reflect their true performance. One of the first companies to use this system was oecumenical Electric, in the 1980s. Businessdictionary.c omForced ranking is a method of performance appraisal to rank employee but in order of forced distribution.For example, the distribution requested with 10 or 20 percent in the top category, 70 or 80 percent in the middle, and 10 percent in the bottom.The top-ranked employees are considered high-power employees and are often targeted for a more rapid career and leadership development programs.In contrast, those ranked at the bottom are denied bonuses and pay increases. They may be given a probationary period to improve their performance.10.BEHAVIOURLY ANCHORED RATING SCALESStatements of effective and ineffective behaviors determine the points. They are said to be behaviorally anchored. The rater is supposed to say, which behavior describes the employee performance. Advantages helps overcome rating errors. Disadvantages Suffers from distortions inherent in most rating techniques.11.FIELD REVIEW METHODThis is an appraisal done by someone outside employees own department usually from corporate or HR department. Advantages Useful for managerial level promotions, when comparable information is needed, Disadvantages Outsider is generally not familiar with employees work environment, Observation of actual behaviors not possible.12.PERFORMANCE TESTS AND OBSERVATIONSThis is based on the test of knowledge or skills. The tests may be written or an actual display of skills. Tests must be reliable and validated to be useful. Advantage Tests may be apt to measure potential more than actual performance. Disadvantages Tests may suffer if costs of test development or administration are high.Future Oriented Methods1.Management By ObjectivesIt means management by objectives and the performance is rated against the exploit of objectives stated by the management. MBO process goes as under. clear goals and desired outcomes for each subordinateSetting performance standardsComparison of actual goals with goals attained by the employee Establish youthful goals and juvenile strategies for goals not achieved in previous year. Advantage It is more useful for managerial positions.Disadvantages Not applicable to all jobs, allocation of merit pay may result in setting short-term goals rather than important and long-term goals etc.2.Psychological AppraisalsThese appraisals are more directed to assess employees potential for early performance rather than the past one. It is done in the form of in-depth interviews, psychological tests, and discussion with supervisors and review of other evaluations. It is more focused on employees emotional, intellectual, and motivational and other personal characteristics affecting his performance. This approach is slow and costly and may be useful for bright young members who may have considerable potential. However quality of these appraisals braggyly depend upon the skills of psychologists who perform the evaluation.3.Assessment CentresThis technique was first developed in USA and UK in 1943. An assessment center of a ttention is a central location where managers may come together to have their participation in job related to exercises evaluated by trained observers. It is more focused on observation of behaviours across a series of select exercises or work samples. Assessees are requested to participate in in-basket exercises, work groups, computer simulations, role playing and other similar activities which require same attributes for successful performance in actual job.The characteristics assessed in assessment centre can be assertiveness, persuasive ability, communication ability, planning and organizational ability, self confidence, resistance tostress, energy level, decision making, sensitivity to feelings, administrative ability, creativity and mental alertness etc. Disadvantages Costs of employees travelling and lodging, psychologists, ratings strongly influenced by assessees inter-personal skills. Solid performers may feel suffocated in simulated situations. Those who are not select ed for this also may get affected.Advantages well-conducted assessment centre can achieve better forecasts of future performance and progress than other methods of appraisals. Also reliability, content validity and predictive ability are said to be high in assessment centres. The tests also make sure that the wrong people are not hired or promoted. Finally it clearly defines the criteria for cream and promotion.4.360-Degree FeedbackIt is a technique which is systematic collection of performance info on an individual group, derived from a number of stakeholders like immediate supervisors, team members, customers, peers and self. In fact anyone who has useful information on how an employee does a job may be one of the appraisers.This technique is highly useful in terms of broader perspective, greater self-development and multi-source feedback is useful. 360-degree appraisals are useful to measure inter-personal skills, customer satisfaction and team building skills. However on the n egative side, receiving feedback from multiple sources can be intimidating, threatening etc. eight-fold raters may be less adept at providing balanced and objective feedback.PROCESS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISALESTABLISHING PERFORMANCE STANDARDSThe first step in theprocess of performance appraisalis the setting up of the standards which will be used to as the base to compare the actual performance of the employees. This step requires setting the criteria to judge the performance of the employees as successful or unsuccessful and the degrees of their contribution to the organizational goals and objectives. The standards set should be clear, easily understandable and in measurableterms.In case the performance of the employee cannot be measured, great care should be taken to describe the standards.COMMUNICATING THE STANDARDSOnce set, it is the responsibility of the management to communicate the standards to all the employees of the organization.The employees should be inform and the stand ards should be clearly explained to the. This will help them to understand their roles and to know what exactly is expected from them. The standards should also be communicated to the appraisers or the evaluators and if required, the standards can also be change at this stage itself according to the relevant feedback from the employees or the evaluators.MEASURING THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCEThe most difficult part of thePerformance appraisalprocess is cadence the actual performance of the employees that is the work done by the employees during the specified period of time. It is a continuous process which involves monitoring the performance throughout the year. This stage requires the careful selection of the appropriate techniques of measurement, taking care that personal bias does not affect the outcome of the process and providing assistance rather than interfering in an employees work. study THE ACTUAL WITH THE DESIRED PERFORMANCEThe actual performance is compared with the desired o r the standard performance. The comparison tells the aberrances in the performance of the employees from the standards set. The result can show the actual performance being more than the desired performance or, the actual performance being less than the desired performance depicting a negative deviation in the organizational performance. It includes recalling, evaluating and analysis of data related to the employees performance.DISCUSSING RESULTSTheresult of the appraisalis communicated and discussed with the employees on one-to-one basis. The focus of this discussion is on communication and listening. The results, the problems and the possible solutions are discussed with the aim of problem solving and reaching consensus. The feedback should be given with a positive attitude as this can have an effect on the employees future performance. The purpose of the meeting should be to solve the problems faced and motivate the employees to perform better.DECISION MAKINGThe last step of the process is to take decisions which can be taken either to improve the performance of the employees, take the required corrective actions, or the related HR decisions like rewards, promotions, demotions, transfers etc.THE 10 STEPS FOR CONDUCTING AN EMPLOYEE APPRAISAL EVALUATIONFor managers, theres no single(a) path to conducting highly successful employee-evaluation sessions. At the same time, when youre leading these appraisal discussions, 10 step will help make the meetings more interactive and productive 1. Let your employee talk.Giving your employees the chance to discuss their actions, achievements, and competencies is rewarding to them because it further emphasizes your respect and trust, while also reinforcing your partnership with them. 2. Give an overview of the session.After youve heard your employees thoughts regarding her performance, your next step is to give her a brief overview of overall topics that youll be covering in the session. 3. centralise on objectives.Thi s part of the discussion focuses on the agreed-upon objectives and theextent to which your employee met them. 4. Focus on performance results.The emphasis in this section is on the various additional performance-related outcomes that were the result of your employees actions and efforts, even if such outcomes were not directly attached to the overall objectives. 5. Focus on critical incidents.Your comments in this area are focused on the way in which your employee handled particularly noteworthy situations, whether positively or negatively. 6. Focus on competencies.This is where you discuss instances in which your employee applied his skills effectively to the job, shared his knowledge with others, or took specific steps to further build his competencies. 7. Focus on points of agreement.Whether based on your employees self-evaluations or on her first step comments regarding her performance, your focus at this point in the session is on the areas in which your employee agrees with y our ratings. 8. Focus on points of disagreement.This is the time to discuss the areas in which you rated your employee lower than he rated himself, whether based on his self-evaluation or his opening comments. Your objective is to learn more about your employees rationale for giving himself ratings that are higher than yours and for him to understand the rationale back the ratings that you gave.9. Focus on the overall rating.At this point in the process, you and your employee have discussed all the key performance-related issues and concerns, and its now time to discuss the overall rating. Your comments should focus on the steps you took to determine this rating. 10. Focus on raises.Theres a good deal of debate among managers and management theorists as to where to place raises in the performance appraisal session. Some managers dont even think that raises belong in the session at all. Here are your options*Bringing up raises in the beginninglet them know at the outset is supposed to put an end to their wondering and allow them to pay attention to the feedback youre providing. *Bringing up raises toward the endAfter giving glowing reviews, youre ideally able to provide a direct reward for the employees stellar behavior, demonstrating the clear link between better performance and better rewards. *Eliminating raises from the discussionThe idea behind this approach is that raises dont belong in the performance appraisal session at all. Instead, these sessions should focus simply and extensively on the employees past performance, while issues such as raises and objectives should be discussed in separate sessions.Objectives of Performance AppraisalPerformance Appraisal can be done with following objectives in mind 1. To maintain records in order to determine honorarium packages, wage structure, salaries raises, etc. 2. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of employees to place right men on right job. 3. To maintain and assess the potential present in a perso n for further growth and development.4. To provide a feedback to employees regarding their performance and related status. 5. To provide a feedback to employees regarding their performance and related status. 6. It serves as a basis for influencing working habits of the employees. 7. To review and retain the promotional and other training programmes.Advantages of Performance AppraisalIt is said that performance appraisal is an investment for the company which can be justified by following advantages 1. PromotionPerformance Appraisal helps the supervisors to chalk out the promotion programmes for efficient employees. In this regards, inefficient workers can be dismissed or demoted in case.2. CompensationPerformance Appraisal helps in chalking out compensation packages for employees. Merit rating is possible through performance appraisal. Performance Appraisal tries to give worth to a performance. Compensation packages which includes bonus, high salary rates, extrabenefits, allowances and pre-requi locates are dependent on performance appraisal. The criteria should be merit rather than seniority.3. Employees DevelopmentThe systematic procedure of performance appraisal helps the supervisors to frame training policies and programmes. It helps to analyse strengths and weaknesses of employees so that new jobs can be designed for efficient employees. It also helps in framing future development programmes. 4. Selection ValidationPerformance Appraisal helps the supervisors to understand the validity and importance of the selection procedure. The supervisors come to know the validity and thereby the strengths and weaknesses of selection procedure. Future changes in selection methods can be made in this regard.5. CommunicationFor an organization, effective communication between employees and employers is very important. by dint of performance appraisal, communication can be sought for in the following ways a. Through performance appraisal, the employers can understand a nd accept skills of subordinates. b. The subordinates can also understand and create a trust and confidence in superiors. c. It also helps in maintaining cordial and congenial labour management relationship. d. It develops the spirit of work and boosts the morale of employees. e. All the above factors ensure effective communication.6. MotivationPerformance appraisal serves as a motivation tool. Through evaluating performance of employees, a persons efficiency can be determined if the targets are achieved. This very well motivates a person for better job and helps him to improve his performance in the future.LIMITATIONS OF PERFORMANCE APPAISAL1.LACK OF CLARITYThe objective of performance appraisal is to evaluate and develop employees. An organization should avoid using one appraisal system to achieve both objectives. The particular system of the appraisal system should clarify before it is designed and should be discussed with all managers andemployees to gain their commitment. Any performance appraisal system, however good the design, is unlikely to succeed if the managers and employees are suspicious of its objectives.It is extremely difficult if not impossible to device a system that will be able to satisfy both performance and reward. It happens because employees are likely to resist negative feedback and tend to be defensive when weakness in current performance is identified. It is because of this type of overlap in purposes that the appraisal loses its practically and increases the conflict between the manager and the employees.2. APPRAISAL ERRORS These are as followsHalo, Regency, Contrast effects the Halo effect occurs when a manager rates an employee high or low on all teams, because of one characteristic. For instance if an employee has a couple of(prenominal) absences, his manager might give him high rates in all other area of work. The recency effect happens when a rater gives greater weight to recent occurrence when appraising an employees perfor mance. This sort of effect is an understandable raters error. It may not be easy for the manager to remember all events that happened like for instance six months ago.Contrast error occurs when employees are rated relatively to other employees rather than to performance standards. For example if everyone else in a group is doing mediocre job, an employee performing somewhat better may be rated as excellent because of the contrast effect. Rater biases this occurs when manager values distort the rating. Reasons for bias differ, for instance, religion, age, sex, appearance or other dictatorial classifications. If a manager strongly dislikes a certain ethnic group, this will be negatively reflected in appraisal if the appraisal scheme is not properly designed.3. UNEQUAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDSPeople differ from each other in the way they perceive things. What is good for some may be bad for others. consequently managers have different judgments in appraising their employees. Managers at titudes to their employees differ, so different managers will appraise the same people quite differently which could make appraisal system subjective and manipulative.4.CULTURAL FACTORSCulture has profound impact on the appraisal system as it should be in consonance with the organizational culture. A system based on the employee participation and openness would be non-starter if the organizational culture is authoritarian and non-participative in its approach to other employee related policies. Readymade performance review system import from other organization rarely function satisfactorily. Their failure is partly due to culture differences. Thus culture is a vital factor to look after CASE STUDIESCASE STUDY 11) A sweet employee performance appraisal system for change integrity Belly Customer profileCandy making is a fun business, and so its no surprise that its fun to work at the jellify Belly Candy Company of Fairfield, calcium. But at this family-owned company, theres no fooli ng around when it comes to promoting employee performance and job satisfaction.So when Jelly Belly decided to overhaul and automate its primitive employee performance and natural endowments management process, it was looking for a serious solution to help give its employees across the United States fair, accurate performance appraisals. Herman Goelitz Candy was founded in 1869 by Albert and Gustav Goelitz, whose great-grandsons own and run Jelly Belly today.The Jelly Belly Candy Company makes Jelly Belly brand jelly beans in over 50 flavors, as well as candy corn and other treats. Introduced in 1976 and named by former U.S. president Ronald Reagan as his favorite candy, the companys jelly beans are exported worldwide. Like almost every smart company, Jelly Belly recognizes that employees are more likely to stay with their employer when they feel connected and recognized for their efforts. Programs for managing and evaluating employee performance are critical to aligning corporate and employee values and priorities. ChallengeJelly Bellys search for a new employee performance and talent management system began several years ago, when cardinal branches of the family business were reunited into a single company. One branch was using an outdatedperformance management computer software program. The other was doing its employee performance appraisals manually, using paper forms.Having a variety of jelly bean flavors is great a variety of employee appraisal processes in a single company is not. The task of updating and consolidating the performance management process fell to Margie Poulos, HR Manager of Jelly Bellys Midwest operations. She and a depleted team of Jelly Belly HR provide were charged with finding a single automated system that could be used for all of Jelly Bellys 600 employees in three locations.The driving factor behind Jelly Bellys performance management automation was the belief that thorough, accurate reviews help employees to better underst and whats expected of them,so that they can set clear, measurable objectives. That translates into higher employee satisfaction, said Jeff Brown, Jelly Bellys music director of Human Resources. When employees feel they have gotten a thorough and accurate review, it boosts their morale, Brown said. It also leads to improved talent management andmakes it easier to retain valuable employees, which management experts know is a key factor in corporate growth and market leadership. SolutionTo meet their strategic goals, Poulos and her team drew up a list of the criteria that a new system had to meet. Top on the list was ease of use. We didnt want to end up with a system that is so alter that the managers wouldnt use it, Poulos said. A new system also had to save time. Because employees were in multiple locations, it needed to be web-based for accessibility.And it had to be flexible, easily incorporating core competencies into different forms. Jelly Bellys selection committee looked at p roducts from different software vendors. We eliminated right away those that were geared to very large companies and those that were not web-based, Poulos said. We also eliminated those that offered too many options for customization. Its one thing to offer options, but another thing when the product requires so much customization that it becomes overwhelming. The committee selected Halogen eAppraisal, aweb-based application program for managing employee performancefrom Halogen Software.We liked the way it looked, and we really liked the user-friendliness of it. Its easy for the managers to use and its customizable without overwhelming them, Poulos said. After two days of training by Halogen staff, four members of Jelly Bellys HR team setout to train the companys supervisors on the new system. About 50 managers received a crash course in using Halogen eAppraisal, and then used it to complete annual employee evaluations in May.Jelly Bellys HR team is now customizing the software to include more relevant competencies and to respond to comments from managers and staff on the new system. The feedback has been really positive, from both managers and employees as well. Some staff said this was the best appraisal theyve had, Poulos said, They felt the evaluations were fair and realistic, and supervisors had the scope to provide more relevant and legitimate comments than they could before. Rather than just clicking on a pile of canned comments, they were accurately reviewing the employee. ResultsThe new automated employee performance appraisal system has completely formalized and organized Jelly Bellys employee evaluation process. It allows us to standardize competencies across job classifications, add signature and comment sections to make our process more interactive, and increase accessibility for remote managers, Brown said. Under Jelly Bellys old system, employees conducting reviews started from scratch once a year with newperformance journals.Halogen eAppraisa l will let them log notes throughout the year and on a regular basis update their on-line appraisals. Employees use one lucid employee evaluation form to add comments and to sign their appraisals.The web-based product helps remote and traveling managers maintain access to the forms and the data they need to evaluate their staff. In our old system, a few folks in Chicago would have access to the system. But we have managers in California with Chicago subordinates. Its important that they can share the same forms across the board. And we have folks who are on the road a lot or are working out of home offices, so having them be able to access this is a huge point for us, Brown explained.Organizing and automating the appraisal process results in performance appraisals that are more accurate and fair, Brown noted. This is important because, after all, an employee appraisal is a legal document, he said.The new system is also component Jelly Bellytrack training requirements and developme ntin its staff, Poulos added. Weve always had a separate training manual. Now we can go in to the evaluations and more easily monitor employees skills development, see what training is needed by individuals and check the due dates for training and renewal. That makes it much easier for us to keep track, Poulos noted.The new employee performance and talent management system has proven to be a big time-saver for Jelly Bellys HR team. Since this year was the first time using the new system, it took us a little longer than it will next year. But the process was a whole lot faster, Poulos said. It has already saved us a lot of time, and we got everybodys appraisals done in one shot. The new system is also helping Jelly Belly to better align employee goals with the companys business objectives. And for one of Americas best-known candy companies, it doesnt get any sweeter than that.CASE STUDY 22) Saving $20 cardinal with a new appraisal systemMost people enjoy having their performance app raised about as much as root canal treatment. Executives and HR professionals have a different view of these systems. Executives see Performance Management Systems (PMS) as a tool to help themachieve their companiesbusiness objectives, whereas HR professionals see them as an opportunity toassess and enhance performance of individuals.Let us examine the multi-million dollar opportunity that an HR professional found in his companys performance management system. yellowish Freight System, one of the largest transport companies in the US, found itself competing with smaller companies on the basis of price and losing money for the first time in many years. The financial shock caused soul searching and strategy reformulation at the highest levels of the company. The top management concluded that only very large companies with the best talent would survive the newly introduced deregulation policy. This resulted in a programme of route expansion, employee reorientation andreorganisation int o a hub-and-spoke transport system.Yellow Freightss board of directors decided to train the entire workforce to take advantage of the realities of the deregulated environment. The head of HR was told to recruit a manager for Human Resource Development (HRD) who could provide employees state-of-the-art knowledge and development, which would help differentiate Yellow Freight from its competitors.The HRD managers first step was to define thenew departments mission as helping management manage and improve employee performance.A needs analysis conducted suggested that branch managers, sales representatives and front-line supervisors needed to be trained.The HRD department conducted a performance auditto identify the group, which had thegreatest potential to improve performance. A sample of employees from each of the three groups was identified based on functional considerations. Individuals were drawn from each major geographic region, from different size terminals, from every job functi on, all levels of management, and with high, average and low levels of job performance. This type of sample allowed each group in the company to feel that they had been represented. It also allowed the HRD department to observe posery and poor performers, and provided excellent information on why some employees performed better than others.Performance measures and standards were identifiedfor each of the three groups. Actual performance data was collected, where available, and the value of the average performers results was compared to the value of the exemplars performance. A performance improvement potential was defined as the gap between the performance of the exemplar and the average performance of the group. The largest gaps coupled with the largest number of performers pointed to the areas with the greatest potential return on investment.The HRD department alsosearched for causesfor these performance gaps. Solutions thatseemed to close the gapswere suggested to the performers . The main finding of the study was that while job responsibilities were notconsistent from location to location for any given job title, the work that had to get done was.Yellow Freightsnew performance appraisal systemwas designed as a performance management system. This meant that it was designed first as a tool for supervisors to use when managing employee performance, and second as a tool for evaluation and compensation.The performance management aspect of the programme focused on how to write accomplishment-based performance standards, design feedback systems, and troubleshoot performance problems and reward employees. To make sure the new programme would succeed,Yellow Freightprovided additional training to improve interpersonal and communication skills.This case illustrates how a transport company responded to external deregulatory pressures and trained every manager and supervisor to manage more effectively and improve the performance of their employees.Results showed that a n overwhelming percentage of the trainees felt the programme was useful they met the learning objectives and were using the skills taught. Performance changes grossed over $20 million in one year forYellow FreightCASE STUDY 33) Case Study on the Performance Appraisal at turn backInthemid-1980s photocopyCorporationwasfacedwithaproblemitsperformanceappraisal system was not working. Rather than need the employees, its system was leaving them discouraged and disgruntled. Xerox recognized this problem and developed a new system to eliminate it.THE OLD SYSTEMThe original system used by Xerox encompassed sevenmain principles1. The appraisal occurredonce ayear.2. It required employees to document their accomplishments.3. Themanagerwouldassesstheseaccomplishmentsinwritingand determinenumerical ratings.4. The appraisal included a summary written appraisal and a rating from 1 (unsatisfactory) to 5 (exceptional).5. The ratings were on a forced distribution, controlled at the 3 level or belo w.6. Merit increases were tied to the summary rating level.7. Merit increase information andperformance appraisals occurred in onesession. This system resulted in inequitable ratings and was cited by employees as a major source ofdissatisfaction.In fact, in 1983, the Reprographic Business Group (RBG), Xeroxs main copierdivision, inform that 95 percent of its employees received either a 3 or 4 on their appraisal. Merit raises for people in these two groups only change by 1 to 2 percent. Essentially, across-the-board raises were being given toall employees, regardless of performance.THE NEW SYSTEMRather than attempting to fix the old appraisal system, Xerox formed a task force to create a new system from scratch. The task force itself was made up of senior human resources executives however, members of the task force also consulted with councils of employees and a council ofmiddle managers. Together they created a new system, which differed from the old one in many key respects1. Th e absence of a numerical rating system2. The presence of a half-year feedback session.3. The provision for development planning.4. Prohibition in the appraisal guidelines of the useof subjective assessments ofperformance. The new system has three stages, as opposed to the one-step process of the old system. These stages are spread out over the course of the year. The first stage occurs at the beginning of the year when the manager meets with each employee. Together, they work out a written agreement on the employees goals, objectives, plans, and tasks for the year. Standards of satisfactoryperformance are explicitly spelled out in measurable, attainable, andspecific terms.The second stage is amid-year, mandatory feedback and discussion session between the managerand the employee. Progress toward objectives and performance strengths and weaknesses are discussed, as well as possible means for improving performance in the latter half of the year. Both themanagerand theemployeesign anob jectivessheetindicating that themeetingtookplace.The third stage in the appraisal process is the formal performance review, which takes place at years end. Both the manager and the employee prepare a written document, stating how well the employee met the preset performance targets. They then meet and discuss the performance of the employee,resolvinganydiscrepanciesbetweentheperceptionsofthemanagerandtheemployee. This meeting emphasizes feedback and improvement.Efforts are made to stress thepositive aspects of the employees performance as well as thenegative. This stage also includes a developmental planning session in which training, education, or development experiences that can help the employee are discussed. The merit increase discussion takes place in a separate meeting from the performance appraisal, usually a month or two later.The discussion usually centres on the specific reasons for the merit raise amount,such as performance, relationship withpeers, and position in salary range. This allows the employee to better see the reasons behind the salary increase amount, as opposed to thesummary rank, which tells the employeevery little.A follow-up survey was conducted the year after the implementation of the new appraisal system. Results were as follows 81 percent better soundless work group objectives84 percent considered the new appraisal fair 72 percent said they understood howtheir merit raise was determined 70 percent met their personal and work objectives77 percent considered the system a stepin the right elbow room In conclusion, it can be clearly seen that the new system is a vast improvement over the previous one. Despite the fact that some of the philosophies, such as the use of self-appraisals, run counterto conventional management practices, theresults speak for themselves.QUESTIONS1. What type of performance appraisal is central to new system at Xerox? Which, if any, ofthe criteria for a successful appraisal does this new system have? 2. Giv en the emphasis on employee development, what implications does this have forhiring and promotions? 3.Howdoyouthink,managementfeelsabout thenewperformanceappraisalsystem? Why? 4. Are there any potential negative aspects of the new performance appraisal systemCONCLUSIONOrganisations need some means of ensuring performance standards are being achieved and objectives are being met. They also need to plan for the future by setting organisational objectives. These should be achieved through personal objectives agreed at the appraisal. This is vital for all employees in order to maintain a competitive position, and it is important that the method for doing this is successful. All the material in the Skills of Appraisal and Performance Review resource is dedicated to that end. However, underlying the methods, practices and techniques there must be crucial managerial thoughts, attitudes and activities.BIBLIOGRAPHYBOOKSOrganizational Behavior by Steve RobbinsThe Art of HRD, retaliate Manage ment, Volume 9by Micheal Armstrongand Helen MurlisPerformance Management, Concepts, Practices and Strategies forOrganisation success by S. K. BhatiaHuman resource management by sunny fernandesWEBSITEShttps//www.google.co.in/search?newwindow=1&site=&source=hp&q=performance+appraisal&oq=performance+appri&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i10j0j0i10l8.1230.3930.0.5456.17.17.0.0.0.0.258.2039.6j10j1.17.0.01c.1.28.hp..6.11.1167.T3ijeK0xX8shttps//www.google.co.in/search?newwindow=1&site=&source=hp&q=performance+appraisal&oq=performance+appri&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i10j0j0i10l8.1230.3930.0.5456.17.17.0.0.0.0.258.2039.6j10j1.17.0.01c.1.28.hp..6.11.1167.T3ijeK0xX8shttps//www.google.co.in/search?newwindow=1&site=&source=hp&q=performance+appraisal&oq=performance+appri&gs_l=hp.3.0.0i10j0j0i10l8.1230.3930.0.5456.17.17.0.0.0.0.258.2039.6j10j1.17.0.01c.1.28.hp..6.11.1167.T3ijeK0xX8s

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 32

Joseph rubbed the bridge of his nose as if fighting a headache. He verbalise hed see what he could do.We watched as the Ro creation s old(a)iers in additionk Joshua inside and the priests followed. The Pharisees, comm adeptrs in the eyes of the romishs, were left let forwardside. A legionnaire almost caught Jakans face in the gate when he slammed it.I caught movement pop abuse up of the corner of my eye, and I looked up to a high, wide balcony that was visible above the palace debates. It had obviously been designed by Herod the Greats architects as a platform from which the poof could address the masses in the Temple without compromising his safety. A tall Roman in a lush red nightie was standing on the balcony face stilt on the crusade, and non looking particularly happy with their presence.Is that Pilate? I asked Joseph, pointing to the Roman.Joseph nodded. Hell go use upstairs to hold Joshuas trial.But I wasnt interested at that point in w present Pilate was exp iration. What interested me was the centurion who stood scum bag him wearing the full-crested helmet and breastplate of a legion commander.Not a half hour later the gate was capable and a squad of Roman soldiers brought Joshua out of the palace in bonds. A lower-rank centurion pulled Joshua along by a rope around his wrists. The priests followed along behind and were mobbed with questions by the Pharisees who had been waiting orthogonal.Go find out whats going on, I said to Joseph.We waded into the middle of the procession that followed. Most were screaming at Joshua and move to spit on him. I spotted a few people in the crowd that I k new(a) to be Joshuas followers, that they were going along silently, their eyes darting around as if ever soy second they might be the nigh genius arrested.Simon, Andrew, and I followed behind at some distance, while Maggie fought the crowd to set mop up to Joshua. I dictum her throw herself at her ex-husband, Jakan, who was trailing the p riests, but she was stopped in mid-leap by Joseph of Arimathea, who caught her by the pig and pulled her back. Someone else was helping restrain her, but he wore a shawl everyplace his head so I couldnt tell who it was. Probably bastard.Joseph dragged Maggie back to us and turn over her over to me and Simon.Shell get herself killed.Maggie looked up at me, a wildness in her eyes that I couldnt read, either anger or madness. I wrapped my arms around her and held her so her arms were pinned to her sides as we walked along. The man with the hood walked along beside me, his hand on Maggies shoulder, steadying her. When he looked at me I could see it was Peter. The wiry fisherman seemed to have aged twenty geezerhood since Id seen him Tuesday night.Theyre winning him to Antipas, Peter said. As soon as Pilate heard Joshua was from Galilee he said it wasnt his jurisdiction and sent him to Herod.Maggie, I said into her ear, please stop creation a madwoman. My plan just went to hell a nd I could use some critical cut downking.Once again we waited outside of one of the palaces built by Herod the Great, but this condemnation, because it was a Jewish king in residence, the Pharisees were let in and Joseph of Arimathea went in with them. A few minutes later he was back outside again.Hes trying to get Joshua to perform a miracle, Joseph said. Hell let him go if Joshua performs a miracle for him.And if Joshua wont do it?He wont, said Maggie.If he wont do it, Joseph said, were back where we started. It will be up to Pilate to order the Sanhedrins death sentence carried out or to release Joshua.Maggie, watch with me, I said, tugging at her dress as I backed away.Why, where?The plans back on. I ran back to the praetorium, with Maggie in tow. I pulled up by a pillar across from the Antonia Palace. Maggie, can Peter really cure? Really?Yes, I told you.Wounds? mazed bones?Wounds, yes. I dont know about bones.I hope so, I said.I left her there while I went to the highe st-ranking centurion stationed outside the gates.I invite to see your commander, I said.Go away, Jew.Im a fri oddity. give tongue to him its Levi from Nazareth.Ill tell him nothing.So I stepped up and took the centurions sword out of its scabbard, put the point under his lift for a split second, then replaced it in its scabbard. He reached for the sword and suddenly it was in my hand and under his chin again. Before he could call out the sword was back in its scabbard. on that point, I said, you owe me your life twice. By the snip you call to have me arrested Ill have your sword again and youll not shut be obturateed but your head will be all wobbly from your throat being cut. Or, you can take me to see my friend Gaius Justus Gallicus, commander of the Sixth Legion.Then I took a deep mite and waited. The centurions eyes darted to the soldiers c mislayst to him, then back to me. Think, Centurion, I said. If you arrest me, where will I end up anyway? The logic of it seemed to strike him through his frustration.Come with me, he said.I signaled to Maggie to wait and followed the soldier into Pilates fortress.Justus seemed uncomfortable in the lush quarters they had appoint him at the palace. Hed had shields and gibes placed around the room in different places, as if he posited to remind anyone who entered that a soldier lived here. I stood in the portal while he paced, looking up at me occasionally as if he wanted to kill me. He wiped the sweat from his closely cropped gray hair and whipped it so it drew a stripe across the stone floor.I cant stop the sentence. No matter what I want.I just dont want him hurt, I said.If Pilate crucifies him, hell be hurt, Biff. Thats sort of the point.Damaged, I mean. No broken bones, no cut sinew. Have them tie his arms to the cross.They have to use nails, Justus said, his mouth shaping into a cruel frown. Nails are iron. Theyre inventoried. Each one is accounted for.You Romans are masters of supply.What do you want?Ok ay, tie him then, just now nail through the web of his fingers and toes, and put a board on the cross so he can support his weight with his feet.Thats no kindness youre doing him. He could linger a week that way.No he wont, I said. Im going to give him poison. And I want his trunk as soon as hes dead.At the word poison, Justus had stopped pacing and looked up at me with open resentment. Its not up to me to release the body, but if you want to make sure the body is unharmed Ill have to keep soldiers there until the end. sometimes your people like to help the crucified die more quickly by throwing stones. I dont know why they bother.Yes, you do, Justus. You of all people do. You can spit that Roman bitterness toward mercy all you want, but you know. You were the one who sent for Joshua when your friend was suffering. You humbled yourself and asked for mercy. Thats all Im doing.Now the resentment drained from his face and was replaced by amazement. Youre going to bring him back, aren t you?I just want to bury my friends body intact.Youre going to bring him back from the dead. Like the soldier at Sepphoris, the one the Sicarii killed. Thats why you need his body undamaged.Something like that, I nodded, looking at the floor to avoid the old soldiers eyes.Justus nodded, obviously shaken. Pilate has to authorize the body to be taken down. Crucifixion is sibyllic to stand as an example to others.I have a friend who can get the body released.Joshua could still be set free, you know?He wont be, I said. He doesnt want to be.Justus turned from me then. Ill give the orders. Kill him quickly, then take the body and get it out of my jurisdiction even quicker.Thank you, Justus.Dont embarrass any more of my arrive aticers or your friend will be asking for two bodies.When I came out of the fortress Maggie ran into my arms. Its horrible. They put a crown of thorns on his head and the crowd spit on him. The soldiers beat him. The crowd milled around us.Where is he now?The cro wd roared and people began pointing up to the balcony. Pilate stood there next to Joshua, who was being held by two soldiers. Joshua stared straight ahead, still looking as if he were in a trance. Blood was running into his eyes.Pilate raised his arms and the crowd went quiet. I have no complaint with this man, yet your priests say that he has committed blasphemy. This is no crime under Roman law, said Pilate. What would you have me do with him?Crucify him screamed someone next to me. I looked over to see Jakan waving a fist. The other Pharisees began chanting, Crucify him, crucify him. And soon the whole crowd seemed to merge in. Among the crowd I saw the few of Joshuas followers that were left begin to slink away before the anger was turned on them. Pilate made a gesture as if he was washing his hands and walked inside.FridayEleven apostles, Maggie, Joshuas mother, and his brother James gathered at the upper room of Joseph of Arimatheas house. The merchant had been to see Pilate and the regulator agreed to release Joshuas body in honor of the Passover.Joseph explained The Romans arent stupid, they know our women prepare the dead, so we cant send the apostles to get him. The soldiers will give the body to Maggie and Mary. James, since youre his brother, theyll allow you to come along to help carry him. The rest of you should keep your faces covered. The Pharisees will be looking for Joshuas followers. The priests have already spent too much time on this during a feast week, so theyll all be at the Temple. Ive bought a tomb near the hill where theyll crucify him. Peter, you will wait there.What if I cant heal him? Peter said. Ive never even tried to raise the dead.He wont be dead, I said. He just wont be able to move. I couldnt find the ingredients I needed to make a potion to kill the pain, so hell look dead, but hell feel everything. I know what its like, I was in that state for weeks once. Peter, youll have to heal the wounds from the lash and the nails, b ut they shouldnt be mortal. Ill give him the antidote as soon as hes out of sight of the Romans. Maggie, as soon as they give him to you, close his eyes if theyre open or theyll dry out.I cant watch it, Maggie said. I cant watch them nail him to that tree.You dont have to. Wait at the tomb. Ill send someone to get you when its time.Can this work? Andrew said. Can you bring him back, Biff? Im not bringing him back from anything. He wont be dead, hell just be hurt.Wed better go, said Joseph, looking out the window at the sky. Theyll bring him out at noon.A crowd had gathered outside of the praetorium, but most were merely curious only a few of the Pharisees, among them Jakan, had actually come out to see Joshua executed. I stayed back, almost a half-block away, watching. The other disciples were spread out, wearing shawls or turbans that covered their faces. Peter had sent Bartholomew to sit with Maggie and Mary at the tomb. No shawl could disguise his bulk or his stench.Three heavy c rossbeams leaned against the debate outside the palace gates, waiting for their victims. At noon Joshua was brought out along with two thieves who had also been sentenced to death, and the beams were placed upon their shoulders. Joshua was bleeding from a dozen places on his head and face, and although he still wore the purple robe that Herod had placed on him, I could see that blood from the flogging had run down and left streaks on his legs. He still looked like he was in some sort of trance, but there was no question that he was feeling the pain of his wounds. The crowd closed in on him, shouting insults and tongue on him, but I noticed that when he stumbled, someone always lifted him to his feet. His followers were still scattered among the crowd, they were just afraid to show themselves.From time to time I looked around the periphery of the mob and caught the eye of one of the apostles. Always there was a perpetrate there, and always a mix of distortion and anger. It took e verything I had not to rush in among the soldiers, take one of their swords, and start hacking. Afraid of my own temper, I fell back from the crowd until I came aboard of Simon. I cant do it either, I said. I cant watch them put him on the cross.You have to, the Zealot said.No, you be there, Simon. Let him see your face. Let him know youre there. Ill come up once the cross is set. I had never been able to look at someone who was being crucified even when I didnt know them. I knew I wouldnt be able to stomach watching them do it to my best friend. Id lose control, attack someone, and then wed both be lost. Simon was a soldier, a secret soldier, but a soldier still. He could do it. The horrible scene at the temple of Kali ran through my head.Simon, tell him I said mindful breath. Tell him that there is no cold.What cold?Hell know what it means. If he remembers hell be able to shut out the pain. He learned to do that in the East.Ill tell him.I wouldnt be able to tell him myself, not w ithout giving myself away.I watched from the walls of the city as they led Joshua to the road that ran by the hill called Golgotha, a thousand yards outside the Gennath Gate. I turned away, but even from a thousand yards I could hear him screaming as they drove the nails.Justus had assigned four soldiers to watch Joshua die. later a half hour they were alone except for perhaps a dozen onlookers and the families of the two thieves, who were praying and singing dirges at the feet of the condemned. Jakan and the other Pharisees had only stayed to see Joshua hoisted ripe and the cross set, then they went off to feast with their families.A game, I said, tossing a pair of dice in the air as I approached the soldiers. Just a simple game. I had borrowed a tunic and an expensive sash from Joseph of Arimathea. Hed also given me his purse, which I held up and jingled in front of the soldiers. A game, Legionnaire? mavin of the Romans laughed. And where would we get money to gamble with?Well p lay for those clothes behind you. That purple robe at the foot of the cross.The Roman lifted the robe with a spear point, then looked up at Joshua, whose eyes went wide when he saw me. Sure, it looks like well be here a while. Lets have a game.First I had to lose large money to give the Romans something to gamble with, then I had to win it back slowly enough to keep me there long enough to accomplish my mission. (I silently thanked Joy for teaching me how to cheat at dice.) I handed the dice to the soldier nearest me, who was perhaps fifty years old, built short and powerfully, but covered with scar tissue and gnarled limbs, evidence of broken bones mishealed. He looked too old to be soldiering this remote from Rome, and too beaten down to make the journey home. The other soldiers were younger, in their twenties, I guessed, all with dark olive skin and dark eyes, all lean, fit, and hungry-looking. cardinal of the younger soldiers carried the standard Roman infantry spear, a woode n shaft with a narrow iron spike as long as a mans forearm, tipped with a compact three-bladed point designed to be driven through armor. The other two carried the wasp-waisted Iberian short sword that Id seen on Justus belt so many times. He must have had them imported for his legion to fit his own preference. (Most Romans used a straight-bladed short sword.)I handed the dice to the old soldier and dumped some coins out in the dirt. As the Roman threw the dice against the bottom of Joshuas cross I scanned the hills and saw the apostles watching from behind trees and over rocks. I gave a signal and it passed from one to the other, and finally to a woman who waited back on one of the city walls.Oh my, the gods have turned against me today, I said, rolling a losing combination.I thought you Jews only had one God.I was talking about your gods, Legionnaire. Im losing.The soldiers laughed and I heard a moan from above us. I cringed and felt as if my ribs would cave in on themselves from the pain in my heart. I ventured a glance at Joshua and he was looking right at me. You dont have to do this, he said in Sanskrit.What nonsense is the Jew talking now? asked the old soldier.I couldnt say, soldier. He must be delirious.I saw two women approaching the foot of the cross on Joshuas left, carrying a large bowl, a jar of water, and a long stick.Hey there, get away from them.Just here to give a drink of water to the condemned, sir. No harm meant. The woman took a lave from the bowl and squeezed it out. It was Susanna, Maggies friend from Galilee, along with Johanna. Theyd come down for the Passover to animate Joshua into the city, now wed conscripted them to help poison him. The soldiers watched as the women dipped the sponge, then attached it to the end of the stick and held it for the thief to drink from. I had to look away.Faith, Biff, Joshua said, again in Sanskrit.There, you shut up and die, barked one of the younger Romans.I twitched and squinted at the dice in lie u of crushing the soldiers windpipe.Give me a seven. Baby needs new sandals, said another(prenominal) young Roman.I couldnt look at Joshua and I couldnt look to see what the women were doing. The plan was that they would go to the two thieves first, so as not to raise suspicion, but now I was regretting the decision to delay.Finally Susanna brought the bowl to where we were gambling and set it down while Johanna poured some water over the sponge.Got any wine there for a thirsty soldier? said one of the young soldiers. He smacked Johanna on the bottom. Or some other relief?The old soldier caught the young soldiers arm and pushed him away. Youll be up on that stick with this wretch, Marcus. These Jews take touching their women seriously. Justus wont tolerate it.Susanna pulled her shawl around her face. She was pretty, lean with humble facial features except for her wide brown eyes. She was too old not to be married, but I suspected that she had left a husband to follow Joshua. It was the same myth with Johanna, except that her husband had followed along for a while, then divorced her when she wouldnt come home with him. She was more sturdily built, and she rolled like a wagon when she walked. She took the sponge and held it out to me.Drink, sir? Here the timing was critical.Anyone want a sip of water? I asked before taking the sponge. I was palming the ying-yang amulet as I said it.Drink after a Jewish dog. Not likely, said the old soldier.Im getting the impression that my Jewish money might sully your Roman purse, I said. Maybe I should go.No, your moneys good enough, said a young soldier, punching my shoulder in good spirits. I was tempted to relieve him of his teeth.I took the sponge and feigned taking a drink. When I raised the sponge to squeeze the water into my mouth I dumped the poison over it. Instantly I handed it back to Johanna so as not to poison myself. Without dipping it back in the water she affixed the sponge to the stick and raised it up to Jo shuas face. His head rolled, and his tongue rolled out of the side of his mouth against the moisture.Drink, Johanna said, but Joshua didnt seem to hear her. She pushed the sponge harder against his mouth and it dripped on one of the Romans. Drink.Move away from there, Marcus, said the old soldier. When he goes hell lose his fluids all over you. You dont want to sit too close. The old Roman laughed raucously.Drink it, Joshua, said Susanna.Finally Joshua opened his eyes and pushed his face into the sponge. I held my breath as I heard him sucking the moisture out of it.Enough said the young soldier. He knocked the stick out of Susannas hands. The sponge went flying off into the dirt. Hell be dead soon.Not soon enough, though, with that block to stand on, said the old soldier.Then time began to pass more slowly than I could ever remember. When Joy had poisoned me it had taken only seconds before I was paralyzed, then when Id used the poison on the man in India hed dropped almost immedia tely. I tried to take a shit to pay attention to the game, but I was looking for some sign that the poison was working.The women moved away and watched from a distance, but I heard one of them gasp and when I looked up, Joshuas head had lolled over. Drool ran out of his open mouth.How do you know when hes dead? I asked.Like this. The young soldier named Marcus prodded Joshua in the thigh with his spear. Joshua moaned and opened his eyes and I felt my stomach sink. I could hear sobbing from Johanna and Susanna.I threw the dice, and waited. An hour passed, and still Joshua moaned. I could hear him praying softly from time to time over the laughter of the soldiers. Another hour. I had begun to shake. Every sound from the cross was like a hot iron driven in my spine. I couldnt bring myself to look up at him. The disciples moved closer, less concerned now about staying hidden, but the Romans were too intent on their game to notice. Unfortunately, I was not intent enough.Thats it for yo u, said the old soldier. Unless you want to gamble for your own cloak now. Your purse is empty.Is this bastard ever going to die? said one of the young soldiers.He just needs help, said the young soldier named Marcus, who had stood and was leaning on his spear. Before I could even get to my feet he scarf out the spear upward into Joshuas side, the point went up under his ribs, and his heart blood pulsed down the iron in three great gushes, then ran out in a trickle. Marcus yanked the spear out. The entire hillside echoed with screaming, some of it my own. I stood transfixed, shaking, watching the blood run out of Joshuas side. Hands latched onto my arms and I was dragged back, away from the cross. The Romans started to pick up their things to head back to the praetorium.Loony, said the old soldier, looking at me.Joshua looked at me one last time, then closed his eyes and died.Come away, Biff, a womans joint said in my ear. Come away. They turned me around and started marching me t oward the city. I could feel a chill running over me as the wind came up and the sky started to darken under a sudden storm. There was still screaming, going on and on, and when Johanna clamped her hand over my mouth I realized it was me who had been screaming. I blinked tears out of my eyes, again and again, trying to at least see where they were leading me, but as soon as my sight would clear another sob would rock my body and the water would rise again.They were leading me to the Gennath Gate, that much I could tell, and there was a dark figure standing on the wall above the gate, watching us. I blinked and caught a single second of clarity as I saw who it was.Judas I screamed until my voice shattered. I shook off the women and ran through the gate, swung myself up on top of one of the huge doors, and leapt to the wall. Judas ran south along the wall, looking from side to side for a place to jump off.There was no thought to what I was doing, nothing but grief gone to anger, love gone to hatred. I followed Judas across the roofs of Jerusalem, tossing aside anyone who got in my way, shattering pottery, crashing down rooftop chicken cages, pulling down lines of hanging clothes. When he came to a roof that led no further, Judas jumped two stories to the ground and came up limping as he ran down the street toward the Essene Gate at Ben Hinnon. I came off the roof full stride and landed without losing a step. Although I heard something tear in my ankle I couldnt feel it.There was a line of people trying to get into the city at the Essene Gate, probably quest shelter from the impending storm. Lightning crackled across the sky and raindrops as big as frogs began to plop onto the streets, leaving craters in the dust and painting the city with a thin coat of mud. Judas fought through the crowd as if he were swimming in pitch, pulling people past him on either side, moving a step forward only to be carried back a step.I saw a ladder leaning against the city wall and ran up it. There were Roman soldiers stationed here on the wall and I brushed by them, ducking spears and swords as I made my way to the gate, then over it, then to the wall on the other side. I could see Judas below me. Hed broken out of the crowd and was making his way along a ridge that ran parallel to the wall. It was too far to jump, so I followed him from above until I came to the corner of the battlement, where the wall sloped down to accommodate the thickness required to hold the corner. I slid down the wet limestone on my feet and hands and hit the ground ten paces behind the Zealot.He didnt know I was there. The rain came down now in sheets and the roaring was so frequent and loud that I could hear nothing myself but the roaring anger in my head. Judas came to a cypress tree that jutted over a high free fall with hundreds of tombs gouged into it. The path passed between a wall of tombs and the cypress tree past the tree was a fifty-yard drop. Judas pulled a purse from h is belt, pulled a small stone out of the opening to one of the tombs, then shoved the purse inside. I caught him by the back of the neck and he shrieked.Go ahead, put the stone back, I said.He tried to wheel on me and hit me with the stone. I took it from him and fitted it back into the tomb, then kicked his feet out from under him and dragged him to the edge of the cliff. I clamped onto his windpipe and, holding the cypress tree with my free hand, I leaned him out over the cliff.Dont struggle I shouted. Youll only free yourself to the fall.I couldnt let him live, Judas said. You cant have someone like him alive. I pulled the Zealot back up on the cliff and whipped the sash from around his tunic.He knew he had to die, Judas said. How do you think I knew hed be at Gethsemane, not at Simons? He told meYou didnt have to give him up I screamed. I wrapped the sash around his neck, then pulled it tight over the crook of a cypress branch.Dont. Dont do this. I had to do it. Someone did. He would have just reminded us of what well never be.Yep, I said. I shoved him backward over the cliff and caught the end of the sash as it tightened around the branch. The sash twanged when it took his weight and his neck snapped with the sound of a knuckle cracking. I let go of the sash and Judas body fell into the darkness. The boom of thunder concealed the sound of impact.The anger ran out of me then, leaving me feeling as if my very bones were losing their structure. I looked forward, straight over the Ben Hinnon valley, into a sheet of lightning-bleached rain. Im sorry, I said, and I stepped off the cliff. I felt a bolt of pain, and then nothing.Thats all I remember.

Learning Team Reflection Essay

Alan Litchman and Laura B. Trust, Co-Presidents of Finagle a Bagel, own a bagel business in Boston (Parrino, Kidwell, Bates, 2012). Alan and Laura met in business school and after gaining business gravel in other industries they purchased the bagel business with the intent of growing it as much as possible. They have two primary target markets 1) retail stores and 2) sweeping accounts with large institutions. In this paper, we will briefly discuss a few of the strategies they used to manage their fields capital. The owners of Finagle a Bagel were tired of working for other people so they decided to buy one new business. They have used several fiscal concepts to manage the monetary accountability of their gnomish business. They have controlled costs from the beginning of the process to the delivery of the product, as well as the administrative costs.Other items that have been highlighted are the management of cash flow, constituteback, and the record of cash entries, which has a llowed the company to pay its debts. They have established a good relationship with the banks in order to negotiate the time frame for payments and rate. Suppliers are in like manner a key success factor for the company, as the payment terms are negotiated to match the flow cash. The companys focus is to maintain its financial management so that the business may grow and return large profits. The Finagle a Bagel also has a policy of recognizing the hard work of their employees. The owners believe that managers and employees are responsible for the success of the company. Together, the company is growing in a sustainable and financially healthy way. According to Alan Litchman, when making any investment, set-back one has to take what the demand for the new product is going to be, and what kind of product can be made with the new equipment (Parrino, Kidwell, bates, 2012).Alongside his wife, Mr. Litchman explained how important it is to understand the companys performance and opport unities to better apply capital investment in the company. They both explained, in their own words, the importance of setting up strategies and supplying before putting a new product on the market. The couple also spoke about debt. Laura Trust said that debt is a necessary malevolent and sometimes taking debt has its benefits if compared to finding capital through other means, such as pursuing a partner (Parrino, Kidwell, Bates, 2012). In this case they did not need to take a venture capital partner because the owners wanted to have authoritywhen making business endings, thus avoiding working for someone else (Parrino, Kidwell, Bates, 2012). This shows that the owners prefer a business structure like a sole proprietorship. Lastly, the fact that interest rates have been dropping for small business also supported their decision to take on debt to invest in the company. The couple is very educated when making business decisions, as they understand that even when a company has finan cial resources, the business gains more by obtaining financial resources from banks with small interest rates, while allowing the resources they have to generate dividends with higher interest rates.This is generally called borrowing cheap property (Investopedia, 2014). Finally, credit is also discussed. They mentioned trade credit, which is the amount of time given to pay back vendors for the products bought. The longer the term, the better, as it allows time to receive revenue before having to pay the debt. This is another very important recommendation on how to properly use cash flow and avoid taking on debt. Overall, Alan Litchman and Laura B. Trust demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to manage their capital so that their small business continues to grow and increase their net profits, despite economic challenges in the community and the country.ReferencesInvestopedia. (2014). bum Money. Retrieved from http//www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cheap-money.asp Parrino, R., Kid well, D., Bates, T. (2012) Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, (2nd Ed) John Wiley & Sons Inc.