Best Teacher Essay Example for Free

Best Teacher Essay I was the kind of child that always struggled to pay attention in school. I never wanted to be in class, except to visit with my friends. At times I wanted to drop out of school. I always felt like school was a big waste of time. Until I met a teacher named Mrs. Meyers at Kent Mountain View Academy. Mrs. Meyers is a teacher that is the most influential person in the world, (but the world doesn’t know it yet), I really admire her because she always encouraged me to go to class and treat other teachers and students with respect, and to try my best. If I ever needed any extra help in homework; she was there, it didn’t matter which subject it was. She always told me that I was very smart and to never to doubt myself. Mrs. Meyers is easy to talk to, I could just tell her anything because she’s very honest and talks to me (or anyone for that matter) openly about anything in life. She was always ready to listen to me when I was feeling down. With her comfort and warm words I always felt better and important. When I needed some advice, she was there for me. She is my friend, my mentor and like a mother. Mrs. Meyers has a great passion and love to teach children. She has so much patience to sit down with them and explain the work to them. She never makes the school work boring; she always made it fun and exciting and easier to learn. She always did it with a smile on her face, even when she wasn’t feeling well. If I had one hour to spend with Mrs. Meyers, I would ask her what influenced her passion for teaching children, how did her life experiences influence her to be a teacher, and many other questions relatable to that. I would ask these questions because she’s a great person, and who doesn’t want to know about a great person? I hope one day I could feel that same passion, care and love that she has of teaching and helping children like the way she help me. She completely changed my life around and made me a different person the one I am today. Mrs. Meyers was the one person who influenced me the most and to whom I am very thankful because she gave me the inspiration to become a teacher or at least strive to do my best at whatever job I choose. I am very glad that I met her and I think that without her I would never do as well as I do in school. Or in life for that matter.

Adventure Or Just Another Holiday Tourism Essay

Adventure Or Just Another Holiday Tourism Essay Adventure or just another Holiday? Holidays these days are not a luxury. They are a necessity. Every year people wait for that time of the year when they can shut off their laptops and head off to a place where they can forget about appointments and deadlines. The more people work the more is their need to get away from it all. Owing to lesser and lesser time people have on hand, holidays are a way to be together with families.   Ã‚   Recently the recession has brought about changes in the way people travel. Recession has created a new set of travelers called flashpackers. They are actually backpackers who are on a budget trip who do not share their sleeping space but opt for private rooms. People mostly these days go for all inclusive holidays which are a great help. They let you help your budget yourself; let you keep a check on your food, drink, entertainment and accommodation. The question is with little time on hand and lots of holiday agencies out there to lure you what would you go for? Is it a usual shopping-sightseeing-hogging type of a holiday or wellness treat that you look for? Does a yoga course soothe your senses or a rigorous trekking tour does it for you? According to official statistics families prefer to go on the predictable leisure holidays whereas youngsters and singles opt for adventurous trips. A general myth about adventure travel is that it is full of risks and not everyone can do it. This draws a lot of people away including families. General trend in travel has constantly shown that when parents and children decide to holiday together they always prefer beaches and mountains where they can laze around in hotels, go sight seeing and eat dinners together. If observed closely adventure travel lets you do all of it and much more. Adventure travel can be fun when the entire family is involved in doing a task together. And why just families group of friends or colleagues can have a good time on adventure travels. They are probably one way you can experience nature, be together, spend time and also learn about nature. Talking about nature, eco tourism is a new trend in travel these days which has been beautifully blend with adventure vacations. If you care for the environment which you should, and want to do something about conserving it you should try an eco tour. You get a chance to travel the remotest of the places which have very less human presence and nature at its wildest best.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Some statistics here can give you a better idea about the growing demands of adventure tourism and why you should be a part of it. Extreme Adventure vacations:There are many out there who have made a list which they call Ultimate 5 Lifetime Adventures. This one sorts out the adventures one must do before they die. Skydiving, Rappelling, A ropes challenge course supervised by the army trainer, Bike racing and Hot Air Ballooning. Family adventure holidays:Families have started choosing theme parks and all inclusive resorts more genuine nature-based, cultural, and education and learning excursions, says Doyle. Theses holiday trips came forth owing to the increasing demands of people to have holidays where they can be closer to families and nature.   Soft adventure vacations:There is an increase in number of people who wish for theme based holidays. The theme can be eco tour or Yoga course with a short trekking trip.   Infact Yog is a favorite and is combined with a lot of activities such as snow boarding or wind surfing.   These kinds of holidays are quiet popular among women.

Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions Essay -- Turkmenistan Turkme

Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions In October 2001, the Central Asian country Turkmenistan celebrated its tenth year of independence. Formerly the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (T.S.S.R), Turkmenistan gained its sovereignty with the collapse of its communist counterpart, the Soviet Union in 1991. However, there is much to be questioned about the status of the â€Å"democratic† republic which operates Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan functions as a government who has elected a lifelong dictator, supported the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, and allows no political opposition in any â€Å"democratic† function. Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea and the nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The land is mostly desert, giving little agricultural support to the Turkmen economy. Turkmenistan’s main industries include oil, petroleum, cotton, and textiles, all of which they export. More than 85 percent of the working population, however, works in agriculture. Most other resources are imported from surrounding countries, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. A current goal of Turkmenistan to generate more revenues is to build a transnational pipeline transport infrastructure to pump gas and oil through to Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. Exporting gas and oil from Turkmenistan has given the nation an economic advantage over its former Soviet counterparts, making Turkmenistan the nation who rose the fastest to its feet after gaining its independence. Or so Turkmenistan says. Economic analysts outside the former republics of the Soviet Union tend to disqu alify these claims based on the methods the Turkmen government has used to declare itself financially stable. The United States Department of... ...he communist spirit that was supposedly died with the fall of the U.S.S.R. and its counterparts, making relations between Turkmenistan and any country worth questioning. If Turkmenistan would consider revoking the lifetime term of their president and start abiding by their constitutional laws, the nation could one day lose its communist traditions and flow into the transnationalist blending of the world that is beginning for the more well-established countries of the world. Bibliography Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov Embassy of Turkmenistan: United States. www.turkmenistanembassy.org Library of Congress. www.loc.gov Mandelbaum, Michael. â€Å"Central Asia†¦ And the World.† New York, Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994. Rashid, Ahmed. â€Å"The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism?† Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1994. Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions Essay -- Turkmenistan Turkme Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions In October 2001, the Central Asian country Turkmenistan celebrated its tenth year of independence. Formerly the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (T.S.S.R), Turkmenistan gained its sovereignty with the collapse of its communist counterpart, the Soviet Union in 1991. However, there is much to be questioned about the status of the â€Å"democratic† republic which operates Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan functions as a government who has elected a lifelong dictator, supported the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, and allows no political opposition in any â€Å"democratic† function. Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea and the nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The land is mostly desert, giving little agricultural support to the Turkmen economy. Turkmenistan’s main industries include oil, petroleum, cotton, and textiles, all of which they export. More than 85 percent of the working population, however, works in agriculture. Most other resources are imported from surrounding countries, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. A current goal of Turkmenistan to generate more revenues is to build a transnational pipeline transport infrastructure to pump gas and oil through to Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. Exporting gas and oil from Turkmenistan has given the nation an economic advantage over its former Soviet counterparts, making Turkmenistan the nation who rose the fastest to its feet after gaining its independence. Or so Turkmenistan says. Economic analysts outside the former republics of the Soviet Union tend to disqu alify these claims based on the methods the Turkmen government has used to declare itself financially stable. The United States Department of... ...he communist spirit that was supposedly died with the fall of the U.S.S.R. and its counterparts, making relations between Turkmenistan and any country worth questioning. If Turkmenistan would consider revoking the lifetime term of their president and start abiding by their constitutional laws, the nation could one day lose its communist traditions and flow into the transnationalist blending of the world that is beginning for the more well-established countries of the world. Bibliography Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov Embassy of Turkmenistan: United States. www.turkmenistanembassy.org Library of Congress. www.loc.gov Mandelbaum, Michael. â€Å"Central Asia†¦ And the World.† New York, Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994. Rashid, Ahmed. â€Å"The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism?† Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1994.

Assimilation of Blacks in Song of Solomon, Push and Life of Olaudah Equ

Assimilation of Blacks in Song of Solomon, Push and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano      Ã‚   Our African American texts call for close examination of the status of slaves and subsequent generations of free Blacks, how they fit into American society, and their quest for and denial of the benefits of Americanism. So does one assimilate or resist? But The Melting Pot Theory is not inclusive of Blacks since the process of assimilation could not work its magic on black skin.    In the slave narrative, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, the capture of Africans, their ultimate enslavement in the Americas, the West Indies, and Europe exemplify the assigned inferior status to Blacks in societies of the alien worlds. Blacks have less than their proportionate share of wealth, power, and social status, and are discriminated against by those in the majority. The yoke of slavery did not sanction inclusion, instead it convoluted their status as immigrants or a colonized minority and that sentiment remained a constant. Equiano's race and his life as a seafaring slave narrowed his opportunity of citizenship in a landed community; consequently, he was neither immigrant or colonized. In fact, he was more displaced that ever, sailing under whatever flag happened to be that of his owner/captain. In Song of Solomon and Push the characters are several generations removed from slavery so the question is not whether the po sition of Blacks is that of immigrant or colonized minority, even though it could appear to be either. More importantly, theirs is the problem of dealing with the ambiguities of being "up from slavery," as the characters come into their own. The su... ...rally fixed neighborhoods, or "sell out" by embracing the dominant culture and sometimes attempting full assimilation (although it is realized impossible) in order to advance one's career, and acquire better housing and/or education for one's children is ubiquitous. Total assimilation is not real for Black people, it never has been and it probably never will be and that is a sad commentary on the state of the country.    Works Cited Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudauh Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African. "The Classic Slave Narratives". Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. McLemore, Dale S. Racial and Ethnic Relations in America. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1991. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Sapphire. Push. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1996.

Concealment in Chesnutt’s The House Behind the Cedars Essay -- House B

Concealment in Chesnutt’s The House Behind the Cedars Who has something to hide? Everyone in The House behind the Cedars has something to hide. With the possible exception of a few minor characters and children (innocents/ innocence), most characters have something to conceal. Taking this into account, this is more than likely Chesnutt’s acknowledgement of human nature before he gets into the varying motives. Is concealment ultimately worthwhile? Who is hurt and who is helped – or is there any difference? Molly, John, Rena (The Absent/ Dead Father) This family is where much of the major concealment starts. Ironically, the family is the same place where secrets are revealed. They start as a secret themselves - hidden away, behind a row of cedars, and inside the house on Front Street. The long dead, white lover of Mis’ Molly, concealed this family from his world, just as he kept his name from his illegitimate children – denying something to each. As a result, Mis’ Molly made many sacrifices. The first sacrifice she made was herself to her lover, which in return brought some security for herself and her family. We are told by the narrator, â€Å"she worshipped the ground upon which her lord walked, was humbly grateful for his protection, and quite as faithful as the forbidden marriage vow could possibly have made her† (105). This passage does not seem to indicate a sacrifice on her part, but ultimately it was also done for her immediate family. When her immediate family began to include children, Misâ €™ Molly had to face that her children were not legitimate, had no family name, and were thrust into a world that would not easily accept them. As this escalates over time, she sacrifices her happiness for the happiness of her child... ...tood hierarchy among classes, racial and economic, that while not publicly acknowledged, is indeed common knowledge. The novel discusses this in regards to Mis’ Molly, her neighbors – darker and poorer. Word Cited Go here for websites with further Charles W. Chesnutt Information http://docsouth.unc.edu/chesnuttcolonel/about.html Biography http://www.virginia.edu/history/courses/courses.old/hius323/chesnutt.html Biography http://www.berea.edu/faculty/browners/chesnutt/biography/biography.html Biography http://www.berea.edu/faculty/browners/chesnutt/biography/familytree.html Family Tree http://www.berea.edu/faculty/browners/chesnutt/classroom/class.html Chesnutt in the Classroom http://authorsdirectory.com/biography_online_book_portrait_picture/c_authors_charles_w_chesnutt.shtml Biography, Lesson Plans, Online Text, Portrait and Pictures, etc.

Sustaining Employee Performance

In this paper, team D will address the course design objectives of Riordan Manufacturing. First of all, the team will pick two job positions within the company, and discuss the general functions of performance management systems, job evaluation methods, compensation plans, and the importance of employee benefit plans. The two job positions discussed in this paper will be the Director of Administration, and Human Resources/recruiter. These positions were selected due to the extreme amount of importance their roles play in completing Riordan Manufacturing’s Mission. General functions of performance management systems The general function of performance management systems in organizations is for employers to manage employees’ performance and development by providing individual feedback on their performance evaluation to identify and plan measurable areas for personal development to ensure the organization’s strategic goals are being met (DeCenzo and Robbins, 2007). For years, many organizations provided appraisal type performance reviews to their employees that ranked them against other employees. This type of ranking system is problematic, as it is unfair to compare employees from different departments who’s primary goals may be different from one another and can viewed as putting down employees who may be unable to put in as many hours or as much effort as others who have only one set project at a time and can bog down to set higher numbers. If employee development is not properly measured and managed, the organization may find it difficult to meet their strategic goals. This in turn can create complications between mainstream workers and management, as well as the company, and their customers. Riordan Manufacturing uses a behavioral-anchored rating scale for their annual performance evaluations. The employees are rated by their performance in different areas of competencies to determine if they met, exceeded, or if they did not meet the standard expectations of the job. â€Å"Behaviorally anchored rating scales specify definite, observable, and measurable job behavior† (DeCenzo and Robbins, 2007, p. 264). This rating is issued and determined by managers and is a sufficient measure for performance management. Though this rating style eliminates competitive work habits that may assist in high productivity, it is a proven system that works much more consistent (Noe, Gerhart, & Wright, 2012) . Job evaluation methods Job evaluations are important for every organization to use because it ranks each position in the organization and is used to determine the pay structures for positions. Positions are usually broken down by responsibility, skill, effort, and work conditions. It is also helpful to separate the positions into groups such as managerial, professional, sales, and so on. This makes the rankings more valid within the job categories. To evaluate the director of administration a good evaluation method would be the ordering method. The ordering method uses a committee composed of managers and employee reps to arrange jobs in ranking order from highest importance to lower importance. The base of this is to compare two jobs and decide what job is more important or difficult. Then to add another job to the comparison until all of the positions have been compared and ranked. There are two major drawbacks to doing evaluations this way. One is there can be many positions within the organization which can make the processes confusing and long. Two, there are no consistent standards in the ranking evaluations. Another way to evaluate the director of administration position is through the classification method. This method was developed so that a standard was set in the evaluation processes. Classifications are set based off of skills, knowledge, and responsibilities and then by classes such as managerial, sales staff, and so on. Once these are established, then they are put in order by importance based on the criteria they are in. This process can be just as confusing as the ordering method if not done properly. A human resource department can be evaluated with the point method. The point method breaks positions down based on identifiable marks like skill, effort, and responsibility, and assigns points to the criteria’s. This method can be helpful because all positions with the same amount of points are in the same pay grade. Jobs can change over time but the rating scale under the point method stay intact (DeCenzo& Robbins, 2007). Even though the point method is the most reliable it is the most time consuming. Compensation plans Director Administrator and Human Resources/Recruiter are both important functions in a business. They have common commonalities. Between the two, they have distinctive, important functions. The Director of Administrations functions are to meet business goals and organize the personnel in the business. They also operate with financial management and marketing management. Human Resources are responsible to manage, hire, making plans to retain employees, and find the right candidates. Human Resources are an important tool for any organization, industry, and geographic location. The difference between Administration and Human resources is that the administrative function is predominantly to maintain the conditions of employment. On the other hand, Human Resources use the traditional process to manage Riordan Manufacturing’s goals and strategies, which follows with developmental organizational activities. Both positions seek for the compensation plans for the organization by administering to employee bonuses, overtime calculations, and payroll. Riordan Manufacturing focuses on Administration and Human Resources, because it can create investments in the future if the training programs are well elaborated and developed. Both fall into finding the best program functions (technical, finance). The development of employees is very important for Riordan Manufacturing since it helps create satisfaction among employees. The Board of Directors also maintains the executive and auditing committees under the corporate governance plan (Apollo Group, Inc. 2011). Riordan Manufacturing also has to implement a corporate compliance plan to have a safe future for the company. Riordan’s compliance plan will guide the company on how to handle current and future issues. The compliance plan is focused on working with issues, such as technological, logistical, and governance. By performing well in these areas, the company could be prosperous. The company has to maintain high quality in the performance of products and processes. This will help the company to be unsusceptible to product liability issues. Importance of employee benefit plans to employees working in team D’s chosen positions Director of Administration and Human Resources/Recruiter† Employees are offered benefits as a means to provide additional compensation above their regular salary to make their lives a little easier outside of the workplace. Health insurance, vacation and holiday time, social security and retirement plans, are all important benefits to employees and their families. At Riordan Manufacturing, the Human Resources Recruiters receive the same benefits that are of fered to every employee, which is an important factor for employee retention. The Directors at Riordan are offered special perks such as, travel benefits, a company vehicle, expense accounts, and other benefits that are not offered to every employee. Executive level employees receive these special perks to encourage them to work hard for the organization and to promote loyalty in the event of a hostile takeover. Conclusion Ending on a positive note, the team demonstrated in informative content to the reader, an understanding of the concepts of sustaining employee performance in this paper. These concepts are the four important activities of the HRM motivation function, and the connections to stimulating employees are observed. The team identified two job positions within Riordan Manufacturing, which are the Director of Administration, and Human Resources/recruiting. The team described the general functions of performance management systems. The team suggested two job evaluation methods for both of the job positions and answered questions about the advantages and disadvantages of these methods based on the recruiter and Director of Administration and Human Resources job positions. The team compared and contrasted the possible compensation plans for those two job titles. The team explained the importance of providing employee benefit plans to the recruiter/director of HR. An in-depth, comprehensive overview of activities planned in sustaining employee performance in the two positions at Riordan as referenced from week five materials, and the virtual organization site, followed by a logical conclusion. Sustaining Employee Performance In this paper, team D will address the course design objectives of Riordan Manufacturing. First of all, the team will pick two job positions within the company, and discuss the general functions of performance management systems, job evaluation methods, compensation plans, and the importance of employee benefit plans. The two job positions discussed in this paper will be the Director of Administration, and Human Resources/recruiter. These positions were selected due to the extreme amount of importance their roles play in completing Riordan Manufacturing’s Mission. General functions of performance management systems The general function of performance management systems in organizations is for employers to manage employees’ performance and development by providing individual feedback on their performance evaluation to identify and plan measurable areas for personal development to ensure the organization’s strategic goals are being met (DeCenzo and Robbins, 2007). For years, many organizations provided appraisal type performance reviews to their employees that ranked them against other employees. This type of ranking system is problematic, as it is unfair to compare employees from different departments who’s primary goals may be different from one another and can viewed as putting down employees who may be unable to put in as many hours or as much effort as others who have only one set project at a time and can bog down to set higher numbers. If employee development is not properly measured and managed, the organization may find it difficult to meet their strategic goals. This in turn can create complications between mainstream workers and management, as well as the company, and their customers. Riordan Manufacturing uses a behavioral-anchored rating scale for their annual performance evaluations. The employees are rated by their performance in different areas of competencies to determine if they met, exceeded, or if they did not meet the standard expectations of the job. â€Å"Behaviorally anchored rating scales specify definite, observable, and measurable job behavior† (DeCenzo and Robbins, 2007, p. 264). This rating is issued and determined by managers and is a sufficient measure for performance management. Though this rating style eliminates competitive work habits that may assist in high productivity, it is a proven system that works much more consistent (Noe, Gerhart, & Wright, 2012) . Job evaluation methods Job evaluations are important for every organization to use because it ranks each position in the organization and is used to determine the pay structures for positions. Positions are usually broken down by responsibility, skill, effort, and work conditions. It is also helpful to separate the positions into groups such as managerial, professional, sales, and so on. This makes the rankings more valid within the job categories. To evaluate the director of administration a good evaluation method would be the ordering method. The ordering method uses a committee composed of managers and employee reps to arrange jobs in ranking order from highest importance to lower importance. The base of this is to compare two jobs and decide what job is more important or difficult. Then to add another job to the comparison until all of the positions have been compared and ranked. There are two major drawbacks to doing evaluations this way. One is there can be many positions within the organization which can make the processes confusing and long. Two, there are no consistent standards in the ranking evaluations. Another way to evaluate the director of administration position is through the classification method. This method was developed so that a standard was set in the evaluation processes. Classifications are set based off of skills, knowledge, and responsibilities and then by classes such as managerial, sales staff, and so on. Once these are established, then they are put in order by importance based on the criteria they are in. This process can be just as confusing as the ordering method if not done properly. A human resource department can be evaluated with the point method. The point method breaks positions down based on identifiable marks like skill, effort, and responsibility, and assigns points to the criteria’s. This method can be helpful because all positions with the same amount of points are in the same pay grade. Jobs can change over time but the rating scale under the point method stay intact (DeCenzo& Robbins, 2007). Even though the point method is the most reliable it is the most time consuming. Compensation plans Director Administrator and Human Resources/Recruiter are both important functions in a business. They have common commonalities. Between the two, they have distinctive, important functions. The Director of Administrations functions are to meet business goals and organize the personnel in the business. They also operate with financial management and marketing management. Human Resources are responsible to manage, hire, making plans to retain employees, and find the right candidates. Human Resources are an important tool for any organization, industry, and geographic location. The difference between Administration and Human resources is that the administrative function is predominantly to maintain the conditions of employment. On the other hand, Human Resources use the traditional process to manage Riordan Manufacturing’s goals and strategies, which follows with developmental organizational activities. Both positions seek for the compensation plans for the organization by administering to employee bonuses, overtime calculations, and payroll. Riordan Manufacturing focuses on Administration and Human Resources, because it can create investments in the future if the training programs are well elaborated and developed. Both fall into finding the best program functions (technical, finance). The development of employees is very important for Riordan Manufacturing since it helps create satisfaction among employees. The Board of Directors also maintains the executive and auditing committees under the corporate governance plan (Apollo Group, Inc. 2011). Riordan Manufacturing also has to implement a corporate compliance plan to have a safe future for the company. Riordan’s compliance plan will guide the company on how to handle current and future issues. The compliance plan is focused on working with issues, such as technological, logistical, and governance. By performing well in these areas, the company could be prosperous. The company has to maintain high quality in the performance of products and processes. This will help the company to be unsusceptible to product liability issues. Importance of employee benefit plans to employees working in team D’s chosen positions Director of Administration and Human Resources/Recruiter† Employees are offered benefits as a means to provide additional compensation above their regular salary to make their lives a little easier outside of the workplace. Health insurance, vacation and holiday time, social security and retirement plans, are all important benefits to employees and their families. At Riordan Manufacturing, the Human Resources Recruiters receive the same benefits that are of fered to every employee, which is an important factor for employee retention. The Directors at Riordan are offered special perks such as, travel benefits, a company vehicle, expense accounts, and other benefits that are not offered to every employee. Executive level employees receive these special perks to encourage them to work hard for the organization and to promote loyalty in the event of a hostile takeover. Conclusion Ending on a positive note, the team demonstrated in informative content to the reader, an understanding of the concepts of sustaining employee performance in this paper. These concepts are the four important activities of the HRM motivation function, and the connections to stimulating employees are observed. The team identified two job positions within Riordan Manufacturing, which are the Director of Administration, and Human Resources/recruiting. The team described the general functions of performance management systems. The team suggested two job evaluation methods for both of the job positions and answered questions about the advantages and disadvantages of these methods based on the recruiter and Director of Administration and Human Resources job positions. The team compared and contrasted the possible compensation plans for those two job titles. The team explained the importance of providing employee benefit plans to the recruiter/director of HR. An in-depth, comprehensive overview of activities planned in sustaining employee performance in the two positions at Riordan as referenced from week five materials, and the virtual organization site, followed by a logical conclusion.

Pedestrian Counts

1. Pedestrian Counts My Isoline Map of Cambridge shows that, as I predicted, the overall trend of my data is that the further you move away from the city, the fewer the number of pedestrians. This theory is backed up by my scatter graph, which shows a negative correlation meaning that the pedestrian counts and the distance away from the city centre are inversely proportional, with lower counts the further you move away. The two innermost, red coloured zones of the map have pedestrian counts in the mid four hundreds. These counts are this high for a number of reasons. They are in the centre of Cambridge's CBD, and as a result are filled with high demand shops and services, and a large number of densely populated office blocks. For instance the reading recorded on Market road, showing 419 people passing that point in ten minutes was most probably due to the famous ‘Cambridge Market' which lies there. The highest reading of 465 on the corner of St Andrews street was again due to the presence of a great many shops and services. I also note that the time when these readings were taken is also important. The fact that they were taken at 11:30am on a Wednesday morning is crucial as this would be one of the times where the highest density of people would be shopping and working in offices. If these readings had been taken at 11:30am on a Sunday then I believe that the results would have been very different. At point number 27 I would say that there is an anomalous result. A pedestrian count of only 90 here does not keep in with the 400+ trend, and though there are a few similar results around it, such as the 107 at point 28, I feel that this result is an anomaly. A possible explanation for this is that there are very few shops in that area, but I think that a more likely one is that the boys took the reading at a point which was not actually on the main road, but down a tiny side street. Of course the boy may simply have got it wrong. The next zone on the Isoline map is coloured orange and deals with pedestrian counts from 300 down to 200. These points are situated mainly near the larger collages meaning I would estimate that the majority of the pedestrians would be tourists. This theory is corroborated by the fact that the highest reading of 270 was recorded at the corner of the St John's Collage, a place of great tourist interest. The final yellow zone is for counts of 200 to 100. They seem to be mainly clustered around the western side of the shopping district, with four out of the seven reading found here. The other three readings are on main roads, with the highest of 178 being found at a junction of two main roads. This Isoline map is similar to the Burgess Urban model, in the highest density of people are in the centre of the town. However, it also differs from it as the zones are clearly not circular, with no people being found on the river. 2. Tax Discs As you can see from my tax discs map, most (12 out of 20) of the cars I surveyed were registered in Cambridge. This fits my prediction, and the is obviously because the survey was carried out IN Cambridge, and therefore any residents surveyed were very likely to have their car registered at the placed they lived. In regard to the other 8 cars not registered in Cambridge, the ones registered in relatively far off places such as Kent and London and were most probably belonging to tourists who had come up to see Cambridge.