Human Resource Planning of the New Lounge with Asian Cuisine

Business concept The new lounge with Asian cuisine will focus on offering nutritious food and beverages to residents of Seattle, Washington. The establishment will specialize in a combination of upscale foods. The foodstuffs will comprise of rice, chilies, soy, salads, and certain recipes focusing on Asian cuisine.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Human Resource Planning of the New Lounge with Asian Cuisine specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Based on its distinctive menu, the lounge will concentrate on a differentiation strategy, which will offer exclusive foods around Seattle, Washington. The keys to success for this lounge will be an ideal location and special Asian cuisine. A group of Asian investors in the region will own the business. The stakeholders will offer $50,000 capital investment. The additional $20,000 will be raised through a short-term loan from local banks.  Breaking into this market is expected to be a challenge. We expect to face competition from small and medium mobile food stalls spread across Seattle. The other competitors are restaurants and food kiosks that offer catering services. To gain a competitive advantage over our competitors, we will differentiate our products and services (Champniss, 2011). One major way of fulfilling the above is through value addition. As such, we plan to locate our business in Downtown Seattle. Here, the cost of renting space is significantly low. The cost saved in renting the premises will enable us to sell our services and products at lower prices compared to the prices charged by our competitors. By offering cheaper and quality services, we will eventually gain a competitive advantage in the market segment. Similarly, we will focus on improving the foods’ package to enhance their aesthetic appeal. All foods will be packed and served in impressive food packages designed to surpass our customers’ expectations. Thr ough the above initiatives, they will be able to add value to its products and services and gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. The lounge will target clients who work or study in regions around the Seattle. According to the market insight, thousands of persons reside around Seattle and its environs. The number of these clients is expected to increase in the future (Dess Lumpkin, 2014).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main reason for positioning itself in this segment is that the business has the opportunity of incorporating new features to the existing service charter. They include online ordering of food services to cater to the changing demands and needs of the targeted customers. The vibrant tourism, efficient transport, increased government expenditure, and improved trade in the region imply that the business will be favorable and convenient to m any individuals (Cone, 2011). An increase in government expenditure means that there is more money in circulation, and more people can afford to enjoy the food services at our lounge.  The lounge will also adopt an all-inclusive marketing and advertising promotions. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook are currently the most utilized platforms, and we will exploit them positively to reach more customers in the city of Washington and its environs. The above will not only control losses but also give an accurate record of sales and projections. The advent of computer scanners at retail checkout counters means that the supply of our business will be accompanied with the proper technology. The above will ensure strategic product positioning in the dynamic Washington market. With technological advancements, we will always be ready to adopt innovations in our services to ensure that they remain relevant in the business field. Through social media, we will encourage more potential c lients to access our services. The social media will also enable us to interact with potential clients to understand their expectations (Farris, 2010). Every year, the business must adopt new entertainment technologies to be ahead of its rivals. Similarly, we plan to form alliances with restaurant chains and kiosks, as well as with event organizers and corporate offices to capture market share. By doing so, we will be able to increase our source of income. HR management plan Organization chart, management team, and employee positions The organizational structure of the hotel displays a divisional corporate order. The divisional order is predominant service sections of the lounge. The sections include housekeeping segment, food and beverage segment, concierge segment, and front desk management. For instance, the big segments of the enterprise are separated into semi-autonomous bodies. The smaller segments are apportioned to a specific field of service. Every semi-autonomous segment h as a group head. As such, the group head is selected as the management officer of that specific segment. At the top of the hierarchy is the hotel manager. The present-day economic conditions in the hotel industry are characterized by increased competition.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Human Resource Planning of the New Lounge with Asian Cuisine specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this regard, the lounge will adopt the above organizational structure to save on the cost of operation. The organizational structure has many advantages. Through this structure, every section functions effectively for the reason that they are centered on certain precise task. By doing so, the bank has been able to enhance the output of every section. Below is a figure showing the organizational chart of the lounge. The hotel manager manages the overall undertakings like hiring and making financial arrangements. The assistant manager acts on behalf of the general manager in his or her absence. The junior manager reports to the overall manager. Since the lounge operates on 24 hours basis, an evening shift administrator will be required to night operations. A supervisor directs every functional group. The supervisor reports to the general manager. Fig 1: Organizational chart of the lounge Compensation and benefits Present financial situations in the hotel sector are characterized by increased operating costs (Collins Ewing, 2012). Recruitment and hiring of new employees contribute to the rise in operating costs. Therefore, the lounge will adopt a competitive reward scheme to reduce the employee turnover. Expecting to be among the top Asian cuisines in Seattle, the lounge’s reward systems are expected to be competitive. As such, the hotel’s reward scheme is expected to indicate the individuals to be awarded and the reason behind the rewards. The practice will enhance individual performance and general firm outcomes. The reward scheme balances with the organization’s culture. Policies and processes for attracting, motivating, and retaining employees Attracting, inspiring, and retaining skilled workforce is significant and often challenging for today’s businesses. Appropriate staffing measures will aid the hotel intensify the satisfaction of its workers, reduce recruiting costs, and increase the hotel’s productivity.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The hotel should offer a positive working environment for its staff. Through this, the lounge will be able to attract and retain qualified workers. A positive work environment enables the employees to undertake their roles without challenges. Thus, the productivity of the lounge will increase. Similarly, the business should identify, compensate, and support the right behavior to attract and retain a competent workforce. Through this, the worker’s morale will be boosted. By involving and engaging the employees, the hotel will be able to motivate its workforce. As such, individuals are more dedicated and involved if they are allowed to add their thoughts and proposals towards the improvement of the business. Equally, the hotel should adopt fun in the workplace to motivate the employees. The initiative will enable the employees develop a positive staff culture, boost their morale and motivation, and enhance employer and employee relationship. Likewise, the approach will improve teamwork, boost employee satisfaction, help attract and retain the best people, and improve customer satisfaction. The initiative will also enhance creativity and problem solving, resolve conflict and difficult issues, and augment productivity and performance. Making ethical decisions For effective operation and ethical decisions, the lounge will adhere to required code of ethics. To prevent conflicts between the hotel and the law, the lounge will formulate and implement an appropriate ethical culture (Ferrell Fraedrich, 2014). The code of ethics will articulate the accepted standards. To achieve this, the lounge will be required to strengthen ethical culture and promote an ethical workforce within the executive branch. Similarly, the code of ethics will be used to institutionalize ethics within the firm. The code of ethics will illustrate a broad value system of an organization, describe the organization’s principles, and detail guidelines for decision making that are in ac cordance with these principles. Thereafter, the general manager should ensure that the code of ethics is implemented and adhered to at all time. Adhering to the code of ethics is very important to the lounge because it will reduce unethical practices. Unethical practices affect the morale of employees. Ethical wrongdoings have the potential to harm the lounge’s associations with customers, clients, shareholders, and suppliers. Managing diversity The new lounge just like other global hotel ought to uphold diversity. Through this, all employees and the management team should change the way they think, perform, and innovate. By embracing diversity management, the lounge will reap the benefits associated with diversity’s and reduce the potential hurdles like preconceptions that can weaken the operation of a diverse workforce (Volberda, 2012). Diversity in the hotel will be exhibited through the workers’ dissimilarities and similarities. The above implies that managi ng diversity will involve not only the management of race, ethnic, or gender, issue but also other complicated issues that bring out the differences of the employees. Some programs will be implemented to improve diversity in the workplace. Therefore, a management team will ensure that they offer strong leadership, evaluate the situation, offer diversity-teaching programs, transform culture, and evaluate the existing diversity administration programs.  Similarly, the lounge should also train its workforce about the importance of diversity. During the training, employees and the managers will be taught to recognize diversity mixtures in their departments. In doing so, the managers will be able to identify themselves with these features in their departments. Equally, managers should be taught how to scrutinize the mixtures and their associated pressures. Similarly, the training will inform managers on how to choose a suitable response. Through this training, they will be able to eval uate all the available alternatives. Likewise, hotel managers will come up with policies that encourage relationship among the employees. Through building relationship among the employees, the managers will enable the employees to understand and appreciate each other’s social, religious, or racial background (Wood, 2013). The above can be achieved by offering the employees with regular seminars, workshops, and other social events. Through this, they will get to know one another better enhancing mutual respect. Equally, human resource managers should foster mutual adaptation in the workplace to end issues related to religious mixtures. Through this initiative, every employee will be required to adjust his or her religious doctrines for the benefit of developing an appropriate work environment suitable for all religious groups. Evaluating performance To enhance the performance of the employees, the lounge’s executives will implement performance measurement strategies. Th e lounge will adopt quality and time performance measures. Quality performance measure will assess the value of the services rendered by the employees (Kreitner Cassidy, 2012). Equally, time performance will assess the period taken by the employees to render their services. To enhance the efficiency of the performance measures, the hotel will undertake the above assessment regularly.  Changes in performance measures and requirements related to enhancing the competency-base of workers to meet global requirements will also be monitored. Therefore, the hotel will implement a culture of accountability. Similarly, they will focus on results. When goals and visions are brought into line with organizational accountabilities, the administration can hold employees answerable for their tasks. Equally, performance measures will encourage workers to accomplish the lounge’s goals, missions, and objectives. Planning succession Appropriate succession planning measure will be put in place to recognize and develop internal staff with the possibility to fill vacancy positions in the hotel. The process is the most efficient and appropriate way of filling organization’s vacancies. Through this approach, the hotel will reduce its recruitment costs and orientation training expenses and time. The approach will offer employees with abilities to advance their career through regular training. As a result, employees will progressively develop and advance their careers. Through career advancement, workers’ morale will be enhanced enabling them to dispense their knowledge and capabilities effectively. Equally, by improving on the workforce’s morale the hotel will increase its productivity leading to an increase in returns. Ensuring a safe and non-discriminatory work environment In any organization, upholding safe and non-discriminatory work environment is considered a major management problem. The hotel will adopt appropriate organizational culture to addres s the issue. As such, organization culture determines how organizational members interact with each other. Appropriate organizational culture will minimize conflicts (Siegel, 2015). Usually, conflicts arise from personal differences or responsibility differences. Exceptional features of workplace setup also influence the conflicts. The features comprise of the stretched hours employees people spend in their workplace, the hierarchical arrangement of the business corporations, and financial or emotional the difficulties. The lounge’s executive will also ensure that the work environment is safe. Workplace accidents are a major concern to hotels’ managers and their workers. More often, accidents result from wet flows, spills, and sharp cutleries. In the lounge, managers and safety managers will supervise safety responsibilities. They will be required to ensure that the safety requirements of the employees and the clients are fulfilled. They will also ensure that appropria te systems are put in place to enable employees verify safety hazards. Similarly, the officials will ensure that all safety measures are upheld. References Champniss, G. (2011). Brand valued: how socially valued brands hold the key to a sustainable future and business success. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley. Collins, H., Ewing, K. D. (2012). Labour law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cone, S. (2011). Steal these ideas: Marketing secrets that will make you a star. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons. Dess, G., Lumpkin, G. (2014). Strategic management: Creating competitive advantages (7thed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Farris, P. (2010). Marketing metrics: The definitive guide to measuring marketing performance (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: FT Press. Ferrell, O., Fraedrich, J. (2014). Business ethics: ethical decision making and cases. San Francisco: Cengage learning. Kreitner, R., Cassidy, C. (2012). Management (12th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Siegel, D. (2015). S pecial Issue of Strategic Organization. Strategic Organization Journal, 13(2), 163-165. Volberda, H. (2012). Strategic Flexibility Creating Dynamic Competitive Advantages. Oxford Handbooks Online, 14(3), 23-34. Wood, M. (2013). The marketing plan: A handbook. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. This research paper on Human Resource Planning of the New Lounge with Asian Cuisine was written and submitted by user Jasper Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Chrome vs. Chromium - Chemistry FAQ

Chrome vs. Chromium - Chemistry FAQ Have you ever wondered what the difference is between chrome and chromium? Chromium is an element. It is a hard, corrosion-resistant transition metal. Chrome, which you may see as decorative trim on cars and motorcycles or to harden tools used for industrial processes, is an electroplated layer of chromium over another metal. Either hexavalent chromium or trivalent chromium may be used to produce chrome. The electroplating chemicals for both processes are toxic and regulated in many countries. Hexavalent chromium is extremely toxic, so trivalent chrome or tri-chrome tends to be more popular for modern applications. In 2007 hexa-chrome was banned for use on automobiles in Europe. Some chrome for industrial uses remains hexa-chrome because the corrosion resistance of hexa-chrome plating tends to exceed that of tri-chrome plating. Its interesting to note that prior to the 1920s the decorating plating on automobiles was nickel and not chrome. Key Takeaways: Chrome vs Chromium Chrome and chromium are not the same substances, although they are related to each other.Chromium is element number 24 on the periodic table. It is a transition metal.Chrome is the name given to chromium when it is electroplated over another metal. It often contains chromium oxide, which protects the underlying metal from corrosion.

Research article the False Memory Syndrome Foundation Paper

Article the False Memory Syndrome Foundation - Research Paper Example Cases of parents being accused by their children for traumatic incidence that purportedly happened years back were on the rise. The foundation would not only seek to understand the reasons for the rise of False Memory Syndrome, which was causing a lot of agony to families but also help prevent the condition. Moreover, the foundation provided a platform where affected families would support each other cope with the terrible agony of the loss of their offspring and the distress of being falsely accused of sexual abuse. The false memory syndrome has caused a lot of harm to both the children, parents and society as a whole. The condition has forced children to abandon their parent resulting to pain to parents from losing their loved ones. Accusations that go public causes trauma and creates stigma that would never go away even after the accusation are concluded to be false. The syndrome has forced affected families to seek counseling (False Memory Syndrome Foundation,

The contemporary issues in India Research Paper - 1

The contemporary issues in India - Research Paper Example The country is suffering from the problem of corruption and this is restricting the human development efforts in the country. Human trafficking is also an issue that is tarnishing the reputation of the country and many people are being trafficked from India into other countries. The increasing population of India is also a major problem the country is facing. All these issues will be discussed in great detail in the essay. Corruption, human trafficking, and increasing population are the three issues that will be discussed in the essay. Corruption is one of the most major issues India is facing today. Many institutions of the country like politics, bureaucracy, and law enforcement institutions all are suffering from the deadly disease of corruption (Express India, p.1). India became an independent state in 1947, before then it was a British colony. In more than half of a century the institutions of the country have not developed enough and this is why the problem of corruption exists in the country. The lack of infrastructure in the country may also be responsible for corruption because people working for the civil services know that they will not be caught while taking bribes. This lack of fear of conviction is one of the major reasons of growth of corruption in India. India is facing corruption problems at the grass root level. It is not just the institutional level of corruption that is haunting India. Lower level civil employees have developed a habit of taking bribes from the ordinary citizens. It is common for very small restaurant owners to pay bribes even to stay open for longer hours (Burke, p.1). This level of prevalence of corruption is extremely dangerous because eradicating it becomes impossible. Top level corruption can be controlled by changing the management of the country through effective leadership but lower level of corruption means that the

Physical Tamper-Resistant Devices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical Tamper-Resistant Devices - Essay Example In this scenario, encryption keys are stored in a computer that can be vulnerable to abuse, use, or alter by an illegal user or an attacker. For various reasons one of the most important techniques to secure encryption keys is to store them in a more protected tamper resistant hardware system. These systems can be utilized for a wide variety of applications varying from protected online cash transfer to e-mail and credit card transactions. In fact, they provide physical safety to the encryption keys saved inside them, as a result making sure that these security keys have not been illegally modified or read. Naturally, attaining access to the information and data on tamper resistant device necessitates knowledge of a password (or PIN) that exactly what kind of system access can be attained using this information and data depends on the device (EMC Corporation., 2012; Anderson & Kuhn, 2000). There are different types of physical tamper-resistant devices and each device has different ch aracteristics. Basically, physical tamper-resistant devices are based on some kind of seals, locks, covers, coatings, and tamper response and detection mechanisms. According to FIPS 140 security levels there are basically four levels of physical security management standards. For the sake of application of a physical tamper-resistant system, the level 1 is about the implementation of some primary requirements on cryptographic algorithms. In this scenario, there are no such physical security devices at this level. The level 2 of the physical tamper-resistant system is based on the tamper evident seals or coating. While at level 3 we have an improved physical security system that can stop illegal access to systems and devices. The level 4 is based on extremely dependable tamper detection and response devices that can instantly erase the entire secret data (Anderson & Kuhn, 2000; NIST, 2001). In addition, the physical tamper-resistant can be of different types for example for the sake of devices’ warranties and support management we have tamper evident seals. These seals can deal with a tempering of opening devices. Such seals are used to make sure that warranties and support services still be offered (ommerling & Kuhn, 1999). In addition, for the sake of technology based systems security management we make use of the tamper resistant microprocessors. Such microprocessors are utilized to store as well as process sensitive and private data and information. To stop security breaches and attacks from illegal source such chips make it difficult for the outsiders to get access to sources as well as make sure that these resources are accessed only by the embedded software. Another kind of tamper resistance devices is known as DRM. These devices can include set-top boxes, smart cards and other technology based systems which are utilized for the management of digital rights. Additionally, some software applications are also used for tamper resistance. However, the se systems are not similar to above discussed physical devices but have embedded instructions to lock the system after a specific number of illegal attempts or destroy the data as well (Anderson & Kuhn, 1997; ommerling & Kuhn, 1999). According to my point of view tamper resistant systems are similar to bank vaults. Such kinds of system are characterized through the outer device case design for solid access management scheme. Someone needs high level methods and tools to breach such security based system. However, some of the systems are tamper responding systems which are based on the idea of the burglar alarm method. Such kind of security mechanism is based on detection of some illegal activity or intrusion and notifying the responsible staff for such issues.

George Herbert Mead Early Life Sociology Essay

George Herbert Mead Early Life Sociology Essay Higher Education Mead graduated from Oberlin College in 1883 and matriculated at Harvard from 1887-1888 where he studying philosophy and sociology and graduated with a Masters degree. Although he belonged to a deeply religious family, Mead became a devout naturalist and non-believer after attending college. After leaving Harvard, he participated in many causes and was an ardent activist of any progressive causes. He marched in favour of the womens suffragette and took part in several civic duties in Chicago. The Chicago Philosopers Club 1896 Mead was influenced by Charles Darwins Theory of Evolution which is evident in his theories as a naturalist. At Harvard, Mead studied with Josiah Royce who was a major influence in his life, and  William James, whose children he tutored. In 1888, Mead left Harvard and travelled to Germany. There, he studied with psychologist Wilhelm Wundt who was his influence for the concept of the gesture, which would soon be an important aspect of his work. In 1891 he married Helen Kingsbury Castle. He taught at the University of Michigan and then the University of California. Mead wrote intensively over a 40-year career, however he didnt publish any books. He published over 100 scholarly articles. Mead died of heart failure on April 26, 1931. Following his death, his students put together a collection of his notes, unpublished letters and lessons, and finally published a book of his thoughts and teachings. Epistemology Ontology He observed that people acquired knowledge about behavior based on what they observe and acquire from society. The principle of sociality is the  ontological  foundation of  Meads  concept. The distinction between mind and matter and that between consciousness and the physiological organism is a distinction which is drawn between contents which may appear on either side of the line. Mead noted that there is more than what meets in the eye in terms of human interactions. This means, that there are reasons behind certain actions, which can be brought out through micro-investigations of human interaction. People who influenced Mead Mead was influenced by his friend John Dewey who led him into educational theory. However Meads thinking diverged from that of Dewey and he developed the famous psychological theories of mind, self and society. This idea was also greatly influenced by Wilhelm Wundt; who Mead met when he went to Germany to study psychology At Harvard, Mead studied with an American idealist philosopher Josiah Royce who also was an influence. Mead was influenced by Adam Smith and thus identified the social act of economic exchange. In Meads writing I and the Me Mead takes William Jamess distinction between the I and the Me and develops it further. William James was a renowned pragmatist philosopher. The prominent sociologist Charles Cooley (A philosopher) also influenced Meads thinking. People who were influenced by Mead Herbert Blumer, a sociologist who studied at the University of Chicago was influenced by Mead. He took over Meads lecturing responsibilities and went on to chair the Department of Sociology at the University of California Berkeley. He is often referred to as the heir of George Herbert Mead. During the second half of the twentieth Century, Meads theory of symbolic interactionism was separated into two distinct branches : The Chicago school under Herbert Blumer and the Iowa school under Manford Kuhn. Both of whom were influenced by Mead. Norman Denzin and Sheldon Stryker also continued to develop the Symbolic Interactionism theory of Mead. Ervin Goffmans so-called dramaturgical sociology is also highly influenced by Mead. Major Publications Mind, Self, and Society (1934) The Philosophy of the Act (1938) The Philosophy of the Present (1932) Basic Sociological Concepts Double Centre of Gravity Taking the role of the other Self Development The Self The self emerges from social experience Individual selves are the products of social interaction and not the biological or logical preconditions of the mentioned interaction Hence The self is not part of the body, and it does not exist at birth Explaining further in the absence of social interaction (i.e. isolated children) the body may grow but no self will develop. Social experience involves communication and exchange of symbols Dog example A dog responds to what you do, but humans respond to what you have in mind as you do it. Social interaction involves seeing ourselves as others see us taking the role of the other (Mead). Double Centre of Gravity In Meads concept of the self, he expressed Double Centre of Gravity by dividing the self in to the I and the Me. The I and the Me The I and the Me are derived from the self. The Self is the relationship between I and Me The Me is the internalization of others perspective of ourselves the perspective we get of ourselves from how others treat and interact with us. The I is the part of us that responds to these internalized attitudes.   Explaining further the Me is the social self that takes into account the reactions of others, while the I is the indistinctive part of the self which has ideas and imagination and is independent to social norms. Taking the role of the other Mead suggested that socialization derived primarily from peoples ability to take the role of the other. Taking the role of the other means putting yourself in another persons place to think/reflect about yourself. Taking the role of the other helps to integrate the individual with organized social processes By taking the role of the other, Mead meant putting oneself in the place of another individual in such a manner that one arouses the same response in both. Self Development According to Mead, developing the self is learning to take the role of the other   The first stage is Prep Children imitate and begin to understand symbols such as languages and gestures The Second Stage is Play Children role-play and pretend to be another person. Play involves assuming roles of significant others, helping kids see the world from others points of view. The Third stage is Game Children, at 7 or 8 begin to understand others roles and responsibilities, making games possible. The fundamental difference between the game stage and its antecedent play stage lies in the childs ability to take the roles of multiple people at the same time Generalized Other The norms, values, attitudes and expectations of people in general; the childs ability to take the role of generalized other is a significant step in the development of a self. The individual defines his or her own behavior with reference to the generalized attitude of the social group(s) they occupy. Significant other An Individual who significantly influences someone elses life. i.e. Individuals who are most important in development of the self. (e.g. parent) MEADS CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIOLOGY Mead is one of the most influential and acclaimed sociologist of the 20th Century Praised by Critics throughout the world as a pioneer and a Stalwart Has had several books published posthumously about his teachings the individual mind can exist only in relation to other minds with shared meanings (Mead 1982: 5) CRITICISM THE END

Budget Management Anylasis Essay

The first step in cost-variance analysis is developing a budget; this is an assumption of all cost in the hospital (Miller & Ryan, 1995). The second step is to collect information on accurate cost accounting (Miller & Ryan, 1995). It can be challenging for healthcare organizations to develop a budget or cost-variance analysis because of the complexity of the healthcare economy. Using the hospital of phoenix budgeted costs were compared to actual utilization. Several variances exist in all categories. Developing an accurate budget is one strategy to manage a budget within the forecast. Collected data and accounting resources can help management to formulate an accurate budget. Other strategies can come from surveying all parts of the hospital to get the opinions of staff in all areas on how to keep costs in budget or simply minimize cost. The involvement of all staff will create an urgency for budget compliance and involvement will make employees feel as though the task is more personal. Benchmarking progress through out the year is important. Changes and evaluations can be made to areas that are not with in the targeted budget. This will help by making changes before the variance becomes any higher and may decrease the overall variance. The budget report showed variance overage among; inpatient revenue, outpatient revenue, office supplies, purchased services, equipment maintenance & repair, depreciation expense, and operating margin before contractuals. The inpatient and out patient revenue had variances that were over the projected budget. However, as a result of the decrease in patient  services the operational expenses of salaries, benefits, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals were reported under the projected budget amount. The decrease in patient services could have been for a number of reasons. Repairs and maintenance on equipment was under budgeted for. Lack of functioning equipment may have been one reason for the decrease in patient services. If needed equipment is not available a patient must be sent to a facility with the proper equipment and services. This takes away from the hospitals revenue as well as its statistics. To determine other reason why there was a decline in patient revenue would require more information. The overage of money spent on office supplies cannot be accounted for. There was a lower than expected patient load therefore the cost for office supplies should have been lower than expect as the medical supplies proved to be. There needs to be a unit based investigation to see where the additional expenses on office supplies are coming from. To improve the variance with in the predicted budget and the actual spending benchmarking should be used. There are three approaches to benchmarking; competitive, cooperative, and collaborative (Finkler, 2007). Competitive benchmarking would find specific information about individual areas. This would be a good way to track supply usage and also staffing on individual units or areas of the hospital. Cooperative benchmarking is a process in which information from other organizations is used to improve this hospitals budget (Finkler, 2007). This could help the hospital improve the overall budget analysis and plan ways to save within the facility. The third benchmarking approach is collaborative benchmarking which refers to finding information in particular areas of the hospital and using it to benefit all areas of the organization (Finkler, 2007). Information from the pharmaceuticals area could be used to improve other areas such as the variance with office supplies. Reference: Finkler, S. (2007). Financial Management for Nurse Managers and Executives (3rd ed.). Saunders Elsevier Inc. St. Louis, MO. Retrieved on February 29, 2013 from: University of Phoenix Materials. Miller, T. R., & Ryan, J. B. (1995). Analyzing cost variance in capitated contracts. Healthcare Financail Management, 49(2), 22-3. Retrived from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196372371?accountid=35812 Nelson, B. (1994). Improving cash flow through benchmarking. Healthcare Financial Management, 48(9), 74-8. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196364264?accountid=35812

Effects of Violent TV Programming on Adolescent Behavior Essay

Violent behavior is a central theme in many kinds of media. Television and movies depict violent behaviors as acceptable ways of communicating and resolving problematic social situations (Strasburger & Donnerstein, 1999). During the twentieth century, Americans were introduced to a wide variety of media technology, including televisions, digital computers, video cassette players and handheld electronic machines (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Although television is but one of the many media venues, it represents the predominant medium to which very young children are exposed. The 1972 report to the Surgeon General found that 96% of American homes have one or more television sets and the average home set is on more than six hours a day and frequent viewing usually begins at about age 3 and remains relatively high until about age 12 (1972, pp. 1-2). Kaiser’s study (1999) found that children spend up to 40 hours per week in front of the television. For children under the age of 7, Wright et al. (1994) found that media exposure averaged just over four hours per day. Other studies have concurred that the television has become a predominant medium of experience for the child. In a 1990 position paper, the NAEYC stated that the trend toward increased depiction of violence in the media jeopardizes the healthy development of significant numbers of our nation’s children (1990, p. 18). The viewing experience is highly complex, subjective, and dependent upon the child’s level of cognitive and emotional understanding (Wright et al. , 1994). Social scientists and policy makers have expressed concern about the potential negative impact of exposure of violence on children (Bushman & Geen, 1990). They have explored the negative impact longitudinally, both experimentally and observationally, and found that children as young as 2 and into adolescence are adversely affected by televised violence. Studies demonstrated that after viewing violent programs, the child behaved aggressively and imitated the scenes of the violent behavior in his play (Anderson & Bushman 2001). This paper explores the current state of research in this area and seeks for the relationship between television watching and childhood violence. Television and Violence The most recent large-scale longitudinal study was initiated in 1994 by researchers at the Universities of California, Texas, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. The National Television Violence Study (NTVS) was deemed the largest scientific study of television violence ever undertaken (Federman, 1998). NTVS involved a three-year effort (1994-1997) to review violence in televised programming. It examined three areas of concern: televised programming context, factors that either positively or negatively alter the risk of viewing violence, and the interactions between programming and the viewers. In this study, nearly 10,000 hours of televised cross-channel programming were examined using five major groupings: broadcast networks, independent broadcast, public broadcast, basic cable, and premium cable. The authors found that 61% of programs contain violence. By the third year of the study, there was more violent interaction observed across the programs analyzed. Specific to the younger child, the study found that children’s programs, as a genre, contained the greatest share (50%) of all high-risk violent interactions, as well as the highest ratio of interactions per hour (. 75) (Federman, Vol. 3, 1998, p. 175). Child-oriented cable programs such as those on Cartoon Network, Disney, or Nickelodeon contained the most high risk violent interactions (27%), compared to general-entertainment basic cable (24%), independent broadcast (19%), and premium cable (17%) (Federman, 1998). Early morning viewing, which is primarily child-focused cartoon programming, has at least one high-risk violent presentation every hour. In one week, a child is exposed to at least 20 violent behavior depictions, and in one year over 1,000, if he watches three hours of early morning television a day (Federman, 1997-1998). The authors also found that over the course of three years there was little change in the overall number of violent programs. However, there was a significant increase (8%) in the portrayals of violent incidents per program and children’s programs continued to depict violence in animated stories (Federman, Vol. 2, 1998). In many of these violent interactions, the main character did not experience any appropriate consequences for aggressive behavior. One of the goals of the NTVS was to encourage more responsible television programming and viewing. The study emphasized the message that understanding the impact of viewed televised violence offers an opportunity to significantly reduce the risks to society that are posed by exposure to televised violence. Young Child’s Experience of Violence The American media is rife with portrayals of justified violence (Federman, 1997-1998). The good guy beats up the bad guy, and laughter or expressions of glee follow hurtful acts. This conveys the message that aggression is an acceptable way to solve problems and express frustration. Children of all ages watch television and videos on a daily basis and are exposed to acts of violence that potentially shape their way of thinking and behaving (Minow & Lamay, 1995, p. 36) Cartoons feature patterns that are more likely to encourage aggression in children, especially if they are under the age of seven (Boyatzis et al. , 1987). Aggressive behaviors, often portrayed in the genre of animation aimed at children, are confusing for the young child. The stories presented as humorous, with laughter accompanying actions that are hostile and aggressive. This may lead to a decrease in his potential fear of danger and may also foster desensitization to harmful situations (Federman, 1997-1998). Significant results revealed that televised violence is changing the behavior of children (Federman, 1997-1998). Individuals of all ages learn through observation. Three important factors affect the impact of learning through modeling. First, the more engaging and attractive the model is, the more the viewer will stay attentive; the less appealing the character is, the more likely the viewer will be distracted or ignore the experience. The second compelling factor is the repeated exposure of the modeling stimuli. As a result of repeated exposure, modeling stimuli eventually produces enduring, retrievable images (Bandura, 1977, p. 25). The third factor, the complexity of the observed experience, affects the rate of observational learning. It is based on the observer’s capacity to process information. However, the young child may imitate without knowing what his behavior means. Bandura suggests that immediate imitation does not require much in the way of cognitive functioning because the behavioral reproduction is externally guided by the model’s action (Bandura, 1977, p. 27). Bandura’s research throughout the 1960s and 1970s with the inflatable Bobo doll demonstrated a relationship between viewing aggressive acts of behavior and performing them. He found that children would more often choose the Bobo doll to punch after viewing a televised violent program than reading a book or choosing a quiet game. Although Bandura’s work on modeling has been challenged over the years, there has been strong support. Later researchers have expanded Bandura’s initial studies, finding that the younger the child is, the more likely he will use imitation rather than rational thinking to choose an appropriate, non-violent way of relating. Eron et al. (1972) reported a strong relationship between viewed violence at age 8 and aggressive behavior. Canton and Sparks (1984) found that preschool children have a greater fear response than older children and react accordingly to what they see. Singer et al. (1999) concluded that there was a significant association linking violent exposure with children’s self-reported violent behaviors. Boyatzis et al. ‘s 1995 study of 52 elementary school children with a mean age 7 years, 9 months, showed how children reacted to watching an episode of The Power Rangers. They found that the child’s aggressive tendency and lack of fear was immediate and markedly greater following an exposure to but a single episode of The Power Rangers. (Boyatzis et al. , 1995, p. 53). Animated programming such as The Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles characterizes the hero as attractive, strong, and powerful. These characters use violence to solve problematic situations and rescue the helpless victim. The NTVS found that a preschooler who watches an average of 2 hours a day of such content will 43 be exposed to at least 10 hazardous portrayals a week, and over 500 in a year (Federman, Vol. 3, 1998, p. 163). Other studies have documented the relationship between exposure to violence and aggressive thought and action. For example, Josephson (1987) presented two television excerpts, one violent and one non-violent, to 396 third-grade boys from 13 schools. She hypothesized that there was a relationship between viewed violence and aggressive play behavior. Significance was found in increased aggressive behavior in boys who played a game of hockey after watching a violent program. Boys who scored high on characteristic levels of aggressiveness used more aggressive behaviors in their hockey game if they were in the groups that viewed violence. Furthermore, she found that the boys who watched the violent tape and were not given verbal cues about appropriateness of the behavior played more aggressively after the tape than either the boys who watched a non-violent tape, or boys who watched a violent tape but were given verbal cues that commented on appropriateness of behavior(Josephson, 1987). Children are being presented with messages that invite aggressive ways of relating to resolve situations and handle life events (Groves 2002). Current televised shows use cartoons, as well as live actors, to display forms of aggression as a means of relating to others and solving problems. A significant shift in televised programming, though, has occurred with the portrayal of aggressive behavior through more real life characterization, as illustrated in shows like The Power Rangers. The visual experience of aggressive behavior has become more like real life to the child because instead of viewing animated characters using aggressive behavior, the child can now watch individuals similar to himself transmogrify into violent machines (Boyatzis et al. , 1995). In this mechanical state, the portrayed behavior is violent and aggressive with the child’s intention of solving a problem. Witnessing these aggressive acts of behavior gives the child a script to construct his social interactions. Since young children create and store behavior that they see, viewing violence becomes a potential way of relating to an experience. Whether the televised programming is in the form of cartoons or real life, social scripts are constructed by the child and are then employed in day-to-day experiences (Groves 2002). Mitigating the Influence of Violent Television Even though there have been numerous studies documenting the impact of televised violence on the behavior of children, the television industry has been reluctant to change violent programming (Singer et al. , 1999). As a result, recent research has focused on how to mitigate the experience of what the child sees rather than waiting for the industry to change what is presented to the public. The child uses internal processes, relying on cognitive and emotional capacities, to actively understand what has been experienced. In his efforts to understand these experiences, the child will find a way to concretize the experience into either emotional or behavioral responses. Younger children need the assistance of another to understand what they experience because they are unable to adjust their viewing and comprehension activities in response to learning instructions (Field & Anderson, 1985, p. 91). Collins, Sobol, and Westby (1981) studied 47 children with a mean age of 7. 8 years. Children who watched a program in the presence of an adult who provided ongoing commentary showed improved comprehension of the plot and the witnessed experiences. Without adult participation, the younger children remembered only the aggressive behaviors without remembering the link to either the motive or the consequence. Huesmann et al. (1983) sampled 169 first- and third-grade children over a two-year period. The focus of the study was to mitigate the relation between aggression and television violence viewing in children through an intervention that altered the children’s attitudes about aggression and violent shows (Huesmann et al. , 1983, p. 899). They found a significant change in how the child responded to violence when the experimenter commented on the violent behavior. More children responded with appropriate answers when they were directly asked, â€Å"what are the bad things that could happen when a child imitates the aggressive behavior of a character? † St. Peters et al. (1991) found that the role of co-viewing by the parent with the child is beneficial. This study was conducted over a two-year period and involved the participation of 271 children, ages 3 to 5 years, and their parents. Parental comments about the televised material helped the children understand what they saw. The parents’ comments differentiated acceptable and non-acceptable behavior for the child. Young children need this clarification and guidance because they have relatively few internal structures to guide them in their behavior (St. Peters et al. , 1991). Kubey (1996) noted that network and cable programming are unsuitable for some children, especially the young child. No amount of adult commenting will completely mitigate what a child experiences. Monitoring and limiting a child’s choice of television shows to reduce the exposure to violent behaviors is similar to monitoring a child’s choice of foods to ensure health and nutrition. Children are victims to the effects of exposure to violence. Parents are critically important as a resource for the child in his attempt to understand the world. Grover (2002) noted that the child who has been exposed to violence responds more favorably to a nurturing, sensitive and caring adult relationship. The more parents know about their child’s changing capacities to understand the world, the better able they are to respond empathically and appropriately to the child (Garbarino, 1992). However, it is essential, as a parent is a primary resource to buffer, explain and clarify life experiences for the child that are beyond the child’s capacity to understand ((Minow & Lamay, 1995). The study by Singer et al. (1980) found that parents influenced their children’s perceptions of the importance of television by the type and amount of television viewing they had. Collins et al. (1981) found that parental commentary helped children understand the implicit program content. The longitudinal study by St. Peters et al. (1991) of 3- and 5-year-olds and their families’ viewing patterns found that parents’ viewing choices play a role in determining a child’s exposure to television programs. Conclusion Young children often copy the violent actions that they have witnessed. Bandura’s work on modeling in the field of social learning has been significant in conceptualizing the relationship between viewing violence and subsequent behaviors. The solution for ameliorating the impact of televised violence focuses on change in parental attitudes as well as profound changes in the entertainment industry. Changing parental attitudes and behavior toward media violence is more feasible than changing the way the entertainment industry portrays violence. Educating parents about the child’s cognitive and emotional developmental capacities has been recommended widely as one solution to lessen the potential impact of media violence. References Anderson, C, & Bushman, B. (2001). Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature. American Psychological Society, 12, pp. 353-359. Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Boyatzis, C. J. , Matillo, G. M. , & Nesbitt, K. M. (1995). Effects of â€Å"The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers† on children’s aggression with peers. Child Study Journal, 25(1), pp. 45-55.

Everything you need to know about writing a resume

Everything you need to know about writing a resume Your resume is the first piece of any job hunt. It’s the foundational document for your job search- think of it like your own personal Constitution. But what if you’re just starting out, and don’t yet know the ins and outs of what a resume is for, what it’s supposed to achieve, and what you’re supposed to put in it? We got you. And if you just want a refresher on resume basics, you’re welcome to join in too. What is the Purpose of My Resume?Your resume is a snapshot of you as a professional. When you’re applying for a job, you don’t have the benefit of being able to introduce yourself in person, answer questions about what you do, or make a personal impression. So your resume has to do that talking for you. It includes basic contact information, information about your skills, a summary of the work experience you have, and usually an indication of what you’re seeking. It takes this information and organizes it in a straigh tforward, easy-to-read format for someone who likely doesn’t know anything about you. That’s it.What a resume isn’t: It’s not a long, conversational story about your life. It’s not a place to give opinions about your last boss. It’s not a place to list every class you’ve ever taken. Your resume is a very focused, targeted version of you- the best version of your professional self, for the job opportunity you’re seeking.How Should My Resume Look?Traditionally, resumes have been very strict, templated affairs. Your contact info goes here, your experience comes next, your skills go here, and a neat note about references wraps it up. That rigid idea of what a resume should look like has loosened up a little, mostly thanks to the digital informality that seems to be affecting all aspects of our lives. (Think emails replacing letters, and text-speak popping up, well, everywhere.) But while things are getting a little more flexible in the hiring world, things haven’t gone too crazy. After all, your resume still has to have the same base information included:Contact info.  This includes your name, address, phone number, and (professional-sounding) email address. (Sorry, hotchick1989@aol.gov.)Summary/objective information.  This is a leading sentence or two summarizing you as a job candidate, what makes you well-suited to this job, or why you’re seeking this particular job.Skills.  These are bullet points listing out the hard skills (easily quantifiable skills like specific software expertise, typing speed, etc.) and soft skills (more general skills like communication, organization, attention to detail, creativity, etc.) relevant to the job.Experience.  These are bullet points (no more than a sentence or two) showing what you’ve done in your career so far, or related volunteer/extracurricular work.Education.  These are brief bullets related to your education. Here, you’d list any degrees or certificates you have- and, if relevant to the job itself, information about your major/course of study.Then there are optional elements which are nice to include if you have them and have enough room, but aren’t necessary to complete the resume:A headline that summarizes your overall resume in a succinct one-linerRelevant hobbies (key word here: relevant)Languages you speak (if you’re multilingual)Volunteer workAnd then there are things that you shouldn’t include in your resume:Information about your gender, age, or marital status. It’s illegal for potential employers to ask about those, so don’t even open the door.A photo of yourself. Same rationale as bullet #1. You want your accomplishments and skills to speak for themselves.Lies or exaggerations. It can be tempting to innocently boost some skills you don’t really have, or throw in a job responsibility that you didn’t have, but remember that you may always be called upon to prove anything in your resume.As long as you include appropriate information in these basic areas, you can change the format up a bit in order to emphasize the information you most want the reader to know, or to deprioritize something you don’t want to emphasize (like an employment gap, or a lack of experience). However, some parts shouldn’t change- for example, your contact info should always be centered at the top, for easy reference, and your headline/objective/summary statements should go right under that to avoid confusion. But think of the other sections as moveable blocks that can be moved around for maximum impact. You can find a format that works best for you.A Sample Traditional ResumeIf you’ve got a lot of work experience in your field under your belt, then the traditional format might work best for your job search. In this â€Å"reverse chronological resume,† you put your work experience bullets up front, working backwards starting wi th your current or most recent job. This is followed by skills, education, and any other relevant information. Your resume would look something like this example:[START RESUME EXAMPLE]Terry Perkins 101 Main Street New York, NY 12121 111*222*3333 TerryP@emaildomain.com LinkedIn: T.Perkins.linkedin.comQUALIFICATIONS SUMMARYExperienced leader guiding a large team of customer service managers and representatives.Proven track record of providing top-notch customer service and support for more than 20 years.Specialize in implementing customer feedback systems to improve service and boost customer relationships and provide better service.Consistently positive and dedicated attitude in working with customers and internal stakeholders, forming strong relationships both within the company and with external customers.WORK EXPERIENCEGlobal Communications Inc.Director of Customer Service (2014 – present)Senior Customer Service Representative (2008 – 2014)Customer Service Associate (2001-2008)Manage a team of 25+ Customer Service Representatives.Serve as an escalation point for customers with challenging issues.Monitor and analyze monthly call volume reports, and identify trends.Refine customer service processes to improve customer experience and outcomes.Analyze and report business trends and employee statistics on a monthly basis.Manage all hiring for the department.Work closely with other departments within the company to ensure proper handling of customer service issues.BigBox.comCustomer Service Representative (1999 – 2001)Worked directly with customers via phone to address questions, product issues, and order issues.Developed a personal Excel tracking system to ensure comprehensive follow-up with customers.Worked with management and team members to incorporate customer feedback and improve the customer service experience.Communications ConglomerateOffice Assistant (1997 – 1998)Provided administrative support for the Regional Director of Sal es.Tracked sales data, collating monthly reports.Prepared financial reports.SKILLSCustomer serviceComplex problem solving with diverse types of customersCommunicating with internal and external partiesTime managementDeveloping and implementing best practicesMicrosoft Office suiteCall triage management softwareSalesTracker softwareEDUCATIONAnderson Business School, Leadership Training Seminar (completed May 2016)University of South Beach, B.A. in Communications, 1996[END RESUME SAMPLE]A Sample Skills-Focused ResumeIf you’re just starting out, or trying to change careers, you might want to set up your narrative a little differently, emphasizing your skills and capabilities instead of specific work experience. In this case, you might want to go with a â€Å"skill-based† resume, where you emphasize your qualities before your experience. Here’s an example of an internship resume based on this format:[START RESUME SAMPLE]Sandy Jones1300 University StreetSan Diego, CA 99999(000) 111-2222S.Jones@emaildomain.comMotivated, detail-oriented graphic design student seeking to leverage design skills, writing skills, and social media experience into an experience-building internship in graphic design.SKILLSCreative visual designCompleting projects on deadlineBranded social media communicationAbility to work in a variety of environmentsWorking with clients and colleagues to complete projects on spec and on deadlineSoftware: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesignBilingual: French and EnglishEDUCATIONUniversity of San Diego,  Expected graduation: May 2018B.A. CommunicationsB.A. Graphic DesignActivities: Campus Happenings Magazine (layout and design for print and digital content)  Memorial High School, San Diego, CA,  High School DiplomaActivities: Student Soapbox student newspaper (reporter and layout artist)  EXPERIENCEFranklin’s Pub  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   April 2007 – August 2009Server/Social Media coordinatorHandled Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for the restaurantActed as a brand ambassador for the restaurantServed customers and handled cash transactionsProvided cheerful, courteous service to all customers[END RESUME SAMPLE]While your resume should formally look like a resume, that doesn’t mean you need to have the same resume as everyone else. You can structure it so that it shows your strengths right up front for the reader to see. For more on how to write your resume from scratch, click here.You also don’t have to work from scratch. We’ve got lots of free templates you can use to get the process started.Should I Get Fancy with My Resume?Short answer: probably not. You can never go wrong with a classic, well-laid-out text document. Things like video resumes and infographi c resumes get a lot of hype because they’re different and seem hipper, but it’s important to remember a few things about your resume:The first person reading your resume may be a robot. Online applications generally have some kind of screening process in place before a pair of human eyes ever reads applicants’ resumes. If your resume can’t be screened by standard text-based software, then it likely won’t move on to the next round.The average time that recruiters or hiring managers spend reading a resume is 8 seconds. Alarming, no? That means your information needs to jump out at them. The best way to do that is to use a familiar format, but make the information pop. If they have to spend time figuring out what they’re looking and and where to get the information they need, it can definitely work against you.So again, unless you’re applying for a video-heavy creative arts position or a graphic design gig, â€Å"cool† formats sho uld probably be secondary to a classic format.How Do I Make My Resume Stand Out?Once you’ve got the basic information in your resume, you can use these elements to make it stand out in a crowd of similar applicants:Deploy action verbs. Using strong words to describe your experience and responsibilities makes it more vivid and interesting to the reader.Use stellar spelling and grammar. Always, always, always proofread your resume, and have someone trusted do it as well. Glaring mistakes could cost you, especially since you likely used â€Å"detail-oriented† or something similar as one of your skills.Don’t overcrowd. We’ve all had it drilled into our heads that a resume should be no longer than one page. One page is still a decent rule of thumb, but if you genuinely need more space than that, don’t overcompensate by making the font and margins tiny to cram everything in. If your resume isn’t easily readable, chances are it won’t be read .Whether you’re a resume first-timer or merely looking for a memory boost, we hope this info gets you started on the path to a kickass resume for your next job opportunity. Good luck!

Short Story Advice from the Masters of the Craft

Short Story Advice from the Masters of the Craft Writing a short story is one of the most difficult and complex endeavors a writer can undertake. The process of ensuring change within characters over the span of only a few pages is more difficult than it seems to the untrained eye, and telling a story within such limited space takes much patience to get it right.So what do the masters of short-story writing have to say about the genre and the process? Take a look at the quotes below and consider the suggestions for your own approaches to the genre.A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film.Lorrie MooreThinking of a short story in much the same way as a journalistic photographer thinks of a photograph will put you on the right track in the creation process. When setting up a shot, a photographer will make every attempt to include details that give depth to the subject of the photograph. A photograph of a young girl standing alone with a flower might not have much depth, bu t widen the frame to a photograph of that same girl holding a flower in front of the gravesite of her father and suddenly the entire picture takes on a much deeper meaning. Widen the frame even more, and the viewer only sees a graveyard with a figure standing alone.If the photographer focuses the frame too narrowly, the meaning is absent because of the lack of visual information; if the writer focuses too broadly, the meaning is lost in a sea of other distracting visual elements. In the same sense, when writing a short story, you have to include visual, sensory elements of setting that give greater depth to your characters. Add too many, however, and the theme is lost. In such, finding the perfect frame for the attempt is your greatest challenge.A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.Edgar Allan PoePoe is undoubtedly one of the most prolific and influential authors of the genre. He is often referenced when discussing the importance of building tension and creating a mood within a piece. In this quote, he cautions against writing about anything that isnt a necessary progression toward the storys denouement. Simply put, if the main character has a cousin in England but that cousin has nothing to do with the story, dont mention him.For the same reason you should know the end before you even start writing, you should also know the target mood you want to accomplish before beginning the first sentence. In the same way that every plot point in your short story must be moving toward the conclusion, every sentence you write should attempt to convey the targeted mood. When you use this formula and ensure its application, the likelihood of getting off track or having too broad a scope will be decreased significantly.With a novel, which takes perhaps years to write, the author is not the same man he was at the end of the book as he was at the beginning. It is not only that his characters have developed- he has developed with them, and this nearly always gives a sense of roughness to the work: a novel can seldom have the sense of perfection which you find in Chekhovs story, The Lady with the Dog.Graham GreeneWhen writing a short story, you should aim for perfection in every word. If a novelist does this, her book would likely never be ready for publication- it would simply take too long to finish. This is where the uniqueness of a short story sets it apart from any other genre (except poetry). Every word, every description, every element of setting, every movement must have purpose- and that purpose is to guide the story and its characters toward the resolution.I believe that the short story is as different a form from the novel as poetry is, and the best stories seem to me to be perhaps closer in spirit to poetry than to novels.Tobias WolffWhile were on the topic of poetry, we cant leave out this wonderful quote from Tobias Wolff that demonstrates the difference between sitting down to work on a novel versus sitting down to write a short story. When a poet writes, the process is often a period of agonizing over every single word. This process involves analyzing the word, considering its connotations, and searching for any other word that might fit better to convey the exact emotion the author wishes to convey.The process of writing a short story should be very similar to the poets process. The author needs to agonize over word choice, setting, clothing†¦ anything that is included in the story. The sound of the language is as important in a short story as it is in poetry. Every word should be selected carefully to convey the right mood and the right emotion, and every action must have a purpose.Im a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he cant and then tries the short story which is the most demanding form after poetry. And failing at that, only then does he take up novel writing.William FaulknerOften, a writer will take on a short story thinking that it will be simpler than writing a novel. As far as time commitment, this may be the case, although as William Faulkner points out, the short story is one of the most demanding forms of literature to write. It requires much of the same level of research as a novel, but must be condensed like poetry to tell only what is most relevant, most crucial and most poignant about a characters interaction with time, place and situation.

Cultural Diversity in the U.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Cultural Diversity in the U.S - Essay Example Even though Brazilian and Mexican citizens have similarly been insecure and subject to social injustice by the abusive civil authorities, police enforcers as well as corrupt politicians, Mexicans still afford, by articles 6 and 7 of their constitution, to obtain the proper implementation of the provision that grants each citizen the freedom of speech or of any other forms of self-expression which the Brazilians are mostly anxious to put into practice having been confronted with constant risk of harassment and killings in the process (MIEPA). When reviewed, Brazil’s state has had difficulty in stabilizing institutions to accord with the established policy as in the time when there occurred imbalance due to economic factors associated with inflation and unresolved issues on human rights violation alongside. On the other hand, Fox administration had managed to align economic policies of the government with the desired institutional stability. On a greater scale, however, on reforming certain policies by a government which comprised officials who are inadequately knowledgeable of handling the tasks to maintain a stable Mexican economy, there ought to be alternative means of exhibiting political effectiveness to expedite economic growth and thus affect other sectors in a favorable manner. It may additionally be pointed out that when it comes to providing reinforcement of environmental protection laws, neither Brazilian nor Mexican government agency has been found blameless of inefficient employment of appropriate measures. IBAMA of Brazil, for instance, has relied upon tools and resources that are rather scarce or have limited capacity to aid in analyzing corporate plans in relation to environmental impact. In the same way, while the Mexican government has identified specific means to regulate the worsening case of air pollution in the country,

Proposal of Anti-discrimination of Mexican Americans in the South Research Paper

Proposal of Anti-discrimination of Mexican Americans in the South - Research Paper Example The United States has witnessed the movement of many ethnic and racial groups from Latin America and South America. These groups are often identified as Latinos, Hispanics and Mexicans in popular jargon though their racial and ethnic linkages may not always be with these particular groups. Perhaps the greatest influx of these racial and ethnic groups has been in the South of the United States where hundreds of thousands of people cross the border each year in search of better job opportunities and living standards. The most notable of these movements of Latinos and Hispanics originates from Mexico which is just south of the United States border. A large proportion of these immigrants are Mexicans while there are large swathes of naturalized Mexicans already present inside the United States. The Mexican ethnic groups have long been subject to racial discrimination in one form or the other such as the popular association of mafia and drug culture with the Mexicans (E-RACE, 2011). Howev er such sentiments are not always grounded in fact and the Mexicans have played a large part in the development of the United States economy. The racial discrimination faced by the Mexicans has brought direct costs for the federal as well as state governments. This study will focus on the costs of discrimination against Mexicans in South Carolina and the actions and policies that could be implemented in order to deal with these problems through affirmative action and other means. 2. Defining Mexicans As mentioned before the term Latino, Hispanic and Mexican tends to over assume the racial and ethnic identities of the subject groups. The living habits and social behavior as well as the overall outlook for these groups are similar so it is natural to find discrimination across the board for all of these groups. However for the purposes of this study the particular segment in focus will be Mexicans who reside in South Carolina. These Mexicans could either be immigrants who have come ac ross the border recently, workers who work for some time in the United States and then relocate to Mexico as well as Mexicans who are permanently settled in the United States and are naturalized. 3. Economic Profile of Mexicans in South Carolina A study conducted for Mexicans available in South Carolina (Lacy, 2007) demonstrated that most Mexican immigrants were employed in four economic sectors that are: Construction; Restaurants; Manufacturing; Services. Some smaller proportions of Mexicans are also employed in poultry processing and landscaping as well. The study showed that only 0.02 percent of the included respondents were reported as unemployed. However around 11% of the surveyed women (who were home makers) said that they considered taking up another job to augment the total family income. The communication barrier because of lingual differences (Spanish versus English) seemed to play a major role for these women being unable to find jobs. Around 54% of the women surveyed wer e employed and out of these some 56% worked either in restaurants or as domestic help (such as house cleaning, elderly and child care). The income levels of the respondents varied widely. People employed in the construction industry reported incomes of $ 1,350 per month on average but these figures varied depending on weather conditions as well as other factors. The people employed in restaurants reported higher earnings of around $ 1,450 per month on average while those in the manufacturing sectors reported incomes