Primark Performance Management,

Primark Performance Management, Executive Summary: Company Introduction: Primark is a leading retail group in the value sector and operates a total of 187 stores in UK, Ireland (Penneys brand), Holland, Spain and Germany. Primark employs in excess of 27,500 people. In GB, in terms of market share, TNS ranks Primark as GBs second largest clothing retailer by volume and Verdict Research now places Primark as the leading retailer in value clothing. Primark was voted Best Value High Street Fashion by GMTV and ITV viewers. Strategic Aims and Objectives of Primark: Primark is mainly focuses on young people, those are less than 35 year offering them a superior quality and fashion trends at the value of their money. A strong consumer proposition has been developed for the Primark brand and embodied in the line Look Good, Pay Lesswhich communicates Primarks value-based offering in a precise manner, to its core target audience. Primark is offering to one of the high quality merchandise to their customers, at value for money, is supported by service promised by Primark. Its a mission of Primark staff and management to supply quality and class clothing and merchandize at the worth professed. Super competitive prices (the result of innovative technology, supply and volume buying, efficient distribution) Mainstream market product quality, clear focus on the target market, superior store fit, and high street locations. Primark is a high street retailer which has a family of brands and focuses much more on buying, logistics and supply chain managementrather than branding. 1. Set the performance targets of teams to meet strategic objectives. 1.1 Access the link between team performance and strategic objectives. Performance Management: Performance management is an integrated approach enabling managers to set targets, measure and review performance and re-define goals, giving a clear indication whether the activities undertaken by individuals and the organisation are achieving the organisations key objectives. â€Å"Management is a process of directing and supporting employees to work as effectively and efficiently as possible in line with the needs of the organisation.† (Walters) Performance management will look different in different places, but effective organisations share some common characteristics. These are: real-time, regular and robust performance data can-do culture inspired by strong leadership agreed lines of individual accountability clear performance management review, combining challenge and support transparent set of performance rewards and sanctions Effective performance management requires: Aims, objectives, priorities and targets Improvement, action or service plans Performance measures Performance reporting These plans and actions fit within a framework that we summarise as plan, do, review, revise. Through this framework, learning can be harnessed in a continuous cycle of improvement. 1.2 Evaluate tools and techniques available to set team performance targets. â€Å"When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers, you know something about it.† (Kelvin) Some are the following techniques and tools used for setting the team performance targets. Six Sigma Just in Time (JIT) Kanban Kaizen Six Sigma Six Sigma is a method to achieve near perfect quality. Any service or element of production can be focused by six sigma analysis and has a strong emphasis on statistical analysis in design, manufacturing and customer-oriented activities. The UK Department for Trade and Industry (2005) Just in Time (JIT) To grasp the concept JIT is very simple for example for my journey to college I could have left the house just in time to catch the train. JIT can also be defined as producing the necessary units, with the required quality, in the necessary quantities, at the last safe moment. It means that company can manage with their own resources and allocate them very easily. Kanban Kanban system is Japanese concept. Simply described a â€Å"pull† production or manufacturing   system that controls the flow of work through a factory by only releasing materials into production according to customer demands i.e. only when they are needed. Within the production field, the Kanban process is the most significant of these services. Kaizen Kaizen is also Japanese management method of incremental change. This philosophy assumes that every aspect of our lives needs to be improved. The key elements of Kaizen are: Effort Quality Communication Willingness to change Involvement of all employees 1.3 Access the value of team performance tools to measure future team performance. Primark focus on supply chain management concept in their business to deliver their merchandize to their stores from warehouses in right time, right quantity and right location. Right now for Primark Just in time (JIT) concept works with full swing their one of the most strong business strategy that is Supply chain management of their products. They believe that JIT concept can provides the company huge and diverse benefits. JIT has helped a lot in the following way. Reduced set up times in warehouse the company in this case can focuses on other processes that might need improvement. Improved flows of goods in/through/out warehouse, employees will be able to process goods faster. Employees who possess multi-skills are utilized more efficiently. The company can use workers in situations when they are needed, when there is a shortage of workers and a high demand for a particular product. Better consistency of scheduling and consistency of employee work hours. This can save the company money by not having to pay workers for a job not completed or could have them focus on other jobs around the warehouse that would not necessarily be done on a normal day. Increased emphasis on supplier relationships having a trusting supplier relationship is important for the company because it is possible to rely on goods being there when they are needed. Supplies continue around the clock keeping workers productive and businesses focused on turnover employees will work hard to meet the company goals. 2. Be able to agree team performance targets to contribute to meeting strategic objectives. 2.1 Analyse how to determine the required performance targets within teams against current performance. Performance criteria what so ever the aims and objective of the organisation it should be falling in SMART criteria. S-Specific M-Measureable A-Achievable R-Realistic T-Time bound In order to ensure what you aims and objectives have set by the management either they are realistic achievable and measureable against the required level of objectives and company strategies. Company should having a system on different hierarchical levels to access. Discussion of hierarchy and their responsibilities. Employee Responsibilities Manager Responsibilities Dedication and struggle for the achievement of company goals and objectives. Documentation of the work Ongoing requests for feedback and training Observations and step for improvement at work Communication with seniors, supervisor and managers Get the feedback Insurance of quality of work and professionalism Using of resource at right time and right place Collecting and sharing performance data and analysis Reinforcement and backup Preparing for performance reviews and promotions Provide essential training Strategic objectives and performance measurement systems Reviewing the performance of an organisation is also an important step when formulating the direction of the strategic activities. The main reasons are: Ensure that customer requirements have been met To give standards for establishing comparisons To be able to set sensible objectives and comply with them To highlight quality problems and determine areas for priority attention To provide feedback for driving the improvement effort Primark core strategic objectives and performance indicators Strategic core objectives Performance indicators Focusing on logistic, supply chain management of the goods rather than branding. Primark is a family of brands, they have more than 20 brands name in their stores. This clearly indicates that they are focusing on continuing supply of their good in the store. Focusing on labour laws for their suppliers in different part of the world. They have implemented the ethical trading initiative rules and regulation in the suppliers factories to ensure the labours laws caring and obligations. Maintaining financial suitability To maintain a healthy profit margin they always buy in bulk, whenever you buy in bulk your production cost goes down. Always giving and focusing good quality product to their customers in cheap prices. Mostly people ask how Primark keep low their prices. Primark is focusing on following five things. 1. They do not go for big advertisement. 2. They are buying in bulk. 3. They are just producing most popular sizes. 4. Designs are simple not much complicated. 5.They do not third part interaction in the business. Primark distinguish the blow of environment on its business. Release to air, let go to water, and land filling of solid wastes. Expansion of business in Europe. They are opening 2 new stores in Germany and Belgium. In future they are planning to open store in France. 2.2 Discuss the need to encourage individual commitment to team performance in achievement of organisational objectives. Concept of team: Mullins (2007) â€Å"Team occur when a number of people have a common goal and recognize that their personal success is dependent on the success of others. They are an interdependent.† Motivation: The following definitions of motivation were gleaned from a variety of psychology textbooks and reflect the general consensus that motivation is an internal state or condition that activates behaviour and gives it direction desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behaviour influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behaviour (Kleinginna and Kleinginna, 1981) Primark is basically a retail company, in case of it every employee or team member is depended the work of other team members. For example a task is given by the night manager to ensure the availability of new lines in the department till 7 AM. To complete this task supervisor need 6 staff members but he is having only 4 members, 2 are on sick leave. In this case all the remaining for people has to do some extra effort for the completion of task. Team needs to be motivated to put more energy in achieving their targets. This motivation can be done by fulfilling the needs of the employees so that they get more devoted to the goals or targets. This can be done by giving bonuses i.e. cash, promotion or any other facilities for their social needs. 2.3 Relate the application of delegation, mentoring and coaching to the achievement of organisational objectives. Delegation: The process of entrusting somebody else with the appropriate responsibility and authority for the accomplishment of a particular activity. Delegation involves briefing somebody else to perform a task for which the delegator holds individual responsibility, but which need not be executed by him or her. (BNET Business Dictionary) Primark is growing company having a good number of managers they should need to much more focus on their strategic way of decision making and delegate to fulfilment of their operational and statistical responsibilities. This will help them to open the new way of decision making, project and task sharing. This will reflect the positive and effective way for employees and workers they will start building the trust; the delegation should make the objective clear. Training and guidance should be given. It should also be reviewed and monitored but too much control will not fulfil the idea of delegation. Monitoring and coaching: Actually monitoring an coaching is the way to support those who are in learning and trying process and want to learn and try to achieve something for the prospectus of the organisational goals and objectives. It really plays an important role for the achievement of the common objectives, who are in learning stage. Learners employees get a chance to explore their views and ideas and then they take guidance from experienced and skilled staff or people. This will help them learn the skills and attributes which may help them achieve the Primark goals. 2.4 Evaluate a team performance plan to meet organisational objectives. Thus far, the nature of management has been examined primarily from the point of view of the individual manager. It has been shown how management as the board responsibility for a work process, together with the management functions of planning, allocating, motivating, co-ordination and controlling work are separated from the execution of work itself and dispersed through different managerial positions. Analysis of the common features and variations in managerial work showed that much of what managers do reflects their responsibility for planning, allocating, motivating, co-ordinating and controlling the work of others and the inherently problematic nature of this responsibility. An Initial Performance Plan is a detailed plan for either an individual or a team and is used to: Identify the desired performance levels Identify how these performance levels will be achieved Provide guidance and direction Measure progress towards the desired performance levels Individual and team Performance Plans should align with the organisations overall objectives. This can be achieved by aligning the: Performance Plans with the Team Operational Plan Team Operational Plan with the Team Purpose Team Purpose with the organisations Strategic Plan 3. Monitor actions and activities defined to improve team performance 3.1 Access the process for monitoring team performance and initiate changes where necessary. Monitoring Team Performance: Monitoring the team is one of the most critical aspects of performance management.   This involves not only managing internal staff but also managing any customer personnel and subcontractors assigned to the project team.   Key aspects of effective people management include: Delegating responsibility for work assignments and witnessing the commitment of each team member. Building co-operative working relationships and ensuring effective communications among all members of the project team. Monitoring team morale and taking action to correct problem areas. Providing effective performance review and appraisal to motivate staff and facilitate career development. The processes for monitoring are: Set Up Standards and Procedures for Team Performance Assign Responsibilities Meet with Team Recognize Success Monitor Team Morale Conduct Team Performance and Reviews In Primark high level management and managers are responsible for monitoring of the performance of teams and employees. The main and basic idea includes fro monitoring to ensure that: All the assigned responsibilities are being full filled as per required goals, To identify the opportunities and chance for improvement in the work, To make out the progress against the goals, Evaluate the progress against the internal and external standards. Feedback and reviews: Harry Levinson (1996) The greater the emphasis on measurement and quantification, the more likely the subtle, non-measureable elements of the task will be sacrificed. Quality of performance frequently, therefore, loses out to quantification. Feedback is a message which tells the team how it is performing. Feedback is essential for a team to improve its performance. If the team doesnt get feedback, it has no objective measure to guide it. The managers of Primark are responsible for seeking of feedback from their employees and customers. It is very important to know what the company is delivering in term of their objectives and goals are satisfying in real means to the people or not. The employee feedback should be in the form of asking them whether they are satisfied with the current policies of the company, the environment of work, facilities they are being given by the company and are they being over burdened of the work. Performance evaluation: McKinseys 7-S model is a helpful framework for exploring why a performance deviation might have occurred. The model starts on the premise that an organization is not just Structure, but consists of seven elements: Strategy Plans for the allocation of a firms scarce resources, over time, to reach identified goals. Environment, competition, customers. Structure The way the organizations units relate to each other: centralized, functional divisions (top-down); decentralized (the trend in larger organizations); matrix, network, holding, etc. Systems The procedures, processes and routines that characterize how important work is to be done: financial systems; hiring, promotion and performance appraisal systems; information systems. Skills Distinctive capabilities of personnel or of the organization as a whole. Staff Numbers and types of personnel within the organization. Style Cultural style of the organization and how key managers behave in achieving the organizations goals. Shared Value The interconnecting centre of McKinseys model is: Shared Values. What the organization stands for and what it believes in. Central beliefs and attitudes. 3.2 Evaluate a team performance against agreed objectives of the plan. Assessing the performance can be done by taking the feedback and comparing it with the planned targets. Amending or changing it according to the need. Inform the team their areas of responsibilities and where focus or change is needed. Motivating them and keeping record of all the documents. At Primark there is group of manager who are responsible for the evaluation of team. What they do? Access the daily based achieved targets against the given tasks. Monitor the individual participation for the purpose of promotions. Get feedback from new employees and their contribution in doing job. Do analysis of required documentation related to work and their presentation. Access the planning of job and alignment for achievement of goals. Judge the interest and commitment of employees for doing the job. Monitor the allocated resources for particular task are they enough or not. Do give the awards and appraisals for the motivation and dedication of employees. 3.3 Evaluate the impact of the team performance in contributing to meeting strategic objectives. Team performances in contributing the strategic objectives have a great impact by doing this team performance can enhance. Team performance measures can be set: The objectives and targets for the teams Customer satisfaction targets Commitment with the company and objectives Skill and expertise levels for the teams Primark management is keeping proper record and control of the overall objective of the company whether they are being achieved by team or not. Are the customers being satisfied by the service provided by the companys employees? Are the staff members doing their responsibilities as a team member i.e. achieving targets, following company policy, time punctuality and absenteeism etc., and the level of skill for doing job. If any of these things is not being achieved then positive steps should be taken in order to achieve the company objective and maintain the standards and policies. Use of Key Performance Indicators (KPI): Defined Measurable/quantifiable Aligned with goals Can be used as a benchmark Reasons for Variance: Lack of training work and motivation Insufficient resources at work place Socio Political environment Unexpected working circumstances Bad KPIs It is the liability of the management of Primarkto execute and bring any needs compulsory for the better performance and achieving of company goals. Have to check is there any lack of training or motivation, reasons should be sought and proper and required training should be given to the staff. Proper resources to be arranged for the like providing proper uniform and working tools and stuff. Working environment should be examined on periodic basis to avoid any misshape related to health and safety, any strikes or resignation of the workers. If the Key performance indicators are not as per requirement they should be replaced and should introduce reworking realistic and achievable standards. 4. Apply influencing and persuading skills, to the dynamics and politics of personal interactions. 4.1 Determine influencing and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action. Influence is defined here as the attempt to modify others behaviour through the mobilization of or reference to power resources. Leaders are the people who have influence with power having clear focus on the company objectives; they can motivate the employees and can change or modified the company strategies accordingly. There is no single method of influencing or persuading everyone. Working climate: There are two types of climate sunny stormy.   Sunnyteam climate mean people are allowed to take initiatives and understand their contribution to do good performance. People know their abilities, skill, and motivation of team members are recognized. There is a clear direction and good communication. Workload is distributed evenly. Physical work environment is conducive to good performance. Stormyteam climate mean people are not allowed to take initiative and they do not understand their contribution to do good performance. People have little understanding of their role. There are conflicting goals and mixed messages. Work is spread unevenly amongst the team. Physical environment prevents good performance. Improvement factor: Climate in team can be improved by Create a shared vision Improve the physical environment changes Use ideas from the team to make improvements Consider peoples skills, abilities and aspirations Influence and Power: Deploying power to influence others behavior is only rarely an obvious, straightforward, visible process: influence mat take a variety of different forms. First, power resources may used to influence behavior either positively, in the sense of providing the resources to the benefit of the recipient, or negatively, in the sense of withdrawing or withholding the resources to the cost of the recipient. There should be a balance between the power and influence taking the example of Primark if the managers of the Primark are having power and authority but no influence to the employees and supervisors than this can be the lost of the company and resources to achieve the strategic objectives of the company. Motivational Value System: Elias Porter, everyone has a basic desire to feel good about themselves, but we achieve that in different ways. Philanthropic person is motivated and most rewarded by helping others. An analytical person will find reward in carful analysis of a problem and minimizing risks. People feel empowered when they are able to express their natural style. Individual impacts on others: Understanding the individual impacts on the others; get feedback from colleagues. A questionnaire is used that is called 360 °. 360 ° Feedback The idea of 360-degree feedback is that the performance of an individual is rated by people who are related to the individuals work. This could include reports, peers, managers, customers or clients, colleagues etc. 360-degree feedback gives the employee of the veterinary practice insight into how peers and other relations perceive him. It increases self awareness and position in the context. 360-degree feedback encourages self-development. It increases understanding of the behaviours required to improve personal and organisational effectiveness.   It increases communication within the veterinary practice. Its a powerful trigger for change.

Elderly Sex Offenders: Causes, Crimes and Punishments

Elderly Sex Offenders: Causes, Crimes and Punishments Introduction In the recent years, the number of reported crimes involving geriatric offenders has increased, especially in sex related offences. Although there is a recent spate of sex offences, there has been minimal discussion with regard to sex offenders who commit their crimes in their golden years. Furthermore, the media has been seen to portray the elderly as feeble and delicate targets for criminals, more than a perpetrator of crimes. This essay will firstly define the ground rules and establish a common understanding of the age range of the elderly. Part II of the essay will examine and discuss the types of offences committed by elderly sex offenders, follow by the reasons for committing the sexual crimes. Part III of the essay will delve at the current punishments and treatments for geriatric sex offenders based on classical and positivist approach. Finally, Part IV will offer some recommendations on the way forward of elderly sex offenders. Definition of an Elderly Person According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most of the countries worldwide have accepted the chronological age of 65 years as a definition of elderly person (WHO, 2010). This definition also coincides with the definition of elderly in United States. In Singapore, however, the elderly, or otherwise known as senior citizen, own their status once they have reached the age of 55. Although senior citizenship starts from the age of 55, it is worthy to note that Singaporeans retired at the age of 62 and statistics from the government actually delineate age 65 and above from the others when determining the age structure for the purpose of statistics (Statistic Singapore, 2010). Ironically, criminals whose age are 50 and above are not subjected to canning regardless of the offences committed, though the average life expectancy of Singaporeans is 81.4 (Male: 79 and female: 83.7). For the purpose of this essay, we will define age 65 and above to qualify as elderly. Offenses Perpetrated by Elderly Sex Offenders While the majority of the sex offenders are still committed by younger men, statistics show that nearly 4 percent (2858 persons)of the sexual crimes in United States in 2006 were age 60 and above (Sullivan, 2007). Whereas in Singapore, there were 50 over sexual crimes in 2009 and out of the 50 over cases, less than 5 cases are elderly offenders. Generally, sex offences committed by elderly are more passive sexual activities as compared to younger sex offenders. Research has shown that elderly sex offenders are more likely to commit non-violent sexual offences such as pedophilia, fondling or molest, statutory rape, exposing of the genitals and other acts of exhibitionism (Eysenck Gudjonsson, 2000). For example, a recent case of 90 year-old Australian arrested and charged for raping four young sisters (age 5 to 7) whom he allegedly lured to his home in Thailand with imported chocolates and English lessons (Suchaovanich, 2010). In Singapore, a 68 year-old magician was arrested and char ged for molesting a 12 year-old apprentice (SSN, 2009). Although there are many different scenarios of elderly sex offenders, these 2 incidents seem to suggest that elderly sex offenders frequently choose children as their victims and are more likely to do so than younger offenders. Potential reasons postulated that the elderly men have lost their charisma and are generally unattractive to females. Also, the fact that grandfather image tend to be more trust worthy than younger men and this increases the opportunity of committing sexual crimes. Besides, young victims are less able to defend themselves and easier to bribe and less likely to report such incidents (Hucker, 1984). Possible Reasons for Sexual Crimes Other possible reasons seem to indicate that elderly sex offenders may be suffering from a lost sense of masculinity. Furthermore, sexual crimes are committed by elderly offenders who are feeling less potent and less active in their golden age. It is postulated that by victimizing someone less powerful, the elderly is able to recover his lost self-esteem (Benett, 1987). Another postulation by Hucker and Ben-Aron (1987) seems to suggest that they are unable to physically live out their fantasies and hence, only capable of performing their desires in a limited sexual capacity. Additionally, it is also hypothesized that the elderly sex offenders are overwhelmed by typical problems such as social isolation and loneliness due to separation from grown up kids, death of spouse or even poverty. One of the prison psychologists, Susan King felt that elderly offenders are still sexually driven. However, due to their health condition and potency, they become frustrated and therefore acted on chi ldren simply because they are easy targets. Moreover, elderly sex offenders do not want to seek counseling or treatment (Rayburn, 2007). Punishment or Treatment of Elderly Sex Offenders According to the Penal Code (Chapter 224, Section 375 and 376), the penalty for sex offences is imprisonment of not less than 8 years and not more than 20 years, and shall also be punished with not less than 12 strokes of cane. Most of the countries have average sentence of 12 years for rapists but caning is not commonly used in some countries such as United States and some African nations. Usually, a criminal justice system is more inclined towards the classical approach as this theory is very policy oriented and concentrates on establishing and operating a criminal justice system that is rule-based, consistent and predictable (Joyce, 2006). Punishments meted out by such system are usually acted as a form of deterrence to members of public from committing crimes. Other than the classical approach, positivist theory is another approach to deal with crimes. Rather than focusing on the law and the offence committed, this approach looks into the contributing factors leading to the crime . It advocates treatment and rehabilitation over punishments. However, more often than not, when elderly sex offenders are convicted of their crimes, the question that will be normally raised, what to do with these criminals? Which approach to be used? While there is a strong disinclination of locking the feeble and frail elderly into the prison and spend his final years, nobody would allow a sex offender to be roaming in the streets and inflicts harm on the children. In United States, sex offenders are banished from the towns and they are restricted from living 750 meters within the streets and schools. They were forced to live under bridges and homeless (Kelley, 2010). In fact, many of these elderly sex offenders are first timer with no prior criminal record of any sexual or other offense (Hart, 2008). If Singapore were to impose such restrictions, we will see sex offenders congregating outside the city and this would have other repercussions and inadvertently create other social problems in the society. Another important aspect that influence and shape the publics perception is the power of media as it exerts an imperative influence on the popular perception of the nature and effect of crime. Just because sex, violence and controversy sells newspaper, it actually enables profit-run mass media companies to publish and sensationalize stories that the public would generally be interested in reading and watching so as to boost the sales and advertising revenue. However, the media is not providing an accurate portrayal of the news and allows deviance amplification and moral panic to set in. In essence, the members of public forms their opinions of the offences and crimes based on what they read and watch. Take it for instance, the media in Singapore has always portrayed the elderly as frail and frightened, being the victims of robbery rather than perpetrators of crimes. Recommendations Besides the usual classical system meted to punish elderly offenders, the system should advocates for a sympathetic treatment of elderly sex offenders because the elderly offenders tend to be non-aggressive in their acts, possess low recidivism rate and deprived of notable social, health and mental problems (Hucker, 1984). In fact, evidence from Steffensmeier (1995) seems to imply that elderly sex offenders receive more lenient sentences than the younger offenders. One possibility for reconciling the differences in sentencing might be due to the fact that elderly sex offenders are generally less aggressive towards their victims and are more likely to commit non-violent sexual offenses when compared to younger sex offenders. Some of the elderly sex offenders suffer from sicknesses such Parkinson disease, Alzheimers, dementia and other elderly illnesses. As such, by sending the elderly sex offenders to the prison may aggravate their health condition because the prisons are geared prima rily for young offenders and it has little emphasis placed on special problems of incarcerating the elderly offenders. Moreover, increased numbers of elderly offenders will equate to an increased in the medical cost and facilities required for the elderly. With the increase in elderly offenders, setting up an elderly prison might be worthwhile considering as the prison can be tailored to the elderly offenders special needs such as medical and psychological facilities and equipment available for the offenders. In the state of Nevada in United States, the governor implemented a special needs program for different groups of offenders such as the elderly offenders, pregnant offenders, sex offenders and etc (NDOC, 2007). The Ministry of Home Affairs could perhaps set aside certain percentage of the allocated funds to run such program when elderly offenders have increased substantially. For a stronger deterrence message to prevent elderly offenders from committing sexual crimes, the government should also review the Penal Code and relook into the caning requirements, if the countrys law and order is based on classical approach. As brought up earlier, caning for age 49 and below does not coincide with the life expectancy as well as the criteria age for elderly. The government should revise the mandatory caning requirement to age 64 and below for serious offences and caning can still be carried out for age 65 and above subjected to medical examination. In this way, the punishment meted can transmit a stronger deterrence signal to future elderly sex offenders. For a justice system to be more effective and encompassing, the government should consider a mixture of both the classical and positivist approaches. Conclusion While elderly sex offenders only account for a small percentage of sexual crimes committed, it is definitely alarming that an elderly who has lived within the norms of society for their entire life can commit such horrendous acts at such a late stage in their life and turn into a dirty old man. Nevertheless, elderly sex offenders are generally less violent and their intention is never to harm their victims, the crime is committed purely out of personal gratification. With the increase in elderly offenders, dedicated prisons are recommended for elderly offenders and they can make use of the medical facilities for their health and mental treatment.

Ineffective Argument in Jessica Statskys Essay, Children need to Play,

Jessica Statsky, in her essay, â€Å"Children need to Play, Not Compete† attempts to refute the common belief that organized sports are good for children. She sees organized sports not as healthy pass-times for children, but as onerous tasks that children do not truly enjoy. She also notes that not only are organized sports not enjoyable for children, they may cause irreparable harm to the children, both emotionally and physically. In her thesis statement, Statsky states, â€Å"When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children† (627). While this statement is strong, her defense of it is weak. One of the assumptions Statsky makes is that, â€Å"One readily understandable danger of overly competitive sports is that they entice children into physical actions that are bad for growing bodies† (627). This statement rests on the assumption that children would not perform any â€Å"physical actions that are bad for growing bodies† (Statsky 627) without organized competitive sports. This is simply untrue. Children jump from swings, climb trees, skateboard, â€Å"pop wheelies† and otherwise put themselves in physical peril with alarming regularity. Children’s free and unorganized play often results in broken bones and stitches, even for the most timid children. Statsky also makes another faulty assumption, which is that competition is an adult imposition on the world of children’s play. She says in her article, â€Å"The primary goal of a professional athlete – winning – is not appropriate for children† (629). Children compete to win in the same way that adults do, and they do so on their own without any adult pressure. Common playground gam... ...petitive sports can cause lasting harm and have no benefits for these children (Statsky 627), then examples of how childhood competition negatively affected individuals years after the fact would go a long way to proving her accusation. As Statsky's thesis rests on the assumption that adult imposition of competition and organization in children's sports makes the games neither satisfactory nor beneficial to the children, then lack of benefit must be shown along with lack of satisfaction. The existence of unsatisfied child athletes in organized sports is no indication that children are somehow unsuited to competition and team sports. Works Cited Statsky, Jessica. â€Å"Children Need to Play, Not Compete.† Reading Critically Writing Well: A Reader and Guide. Ed. Rise B. Axelrod, Charles R. Cooper, and Allison M. Warriner. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2005. 627-631.

Avian Song Control :: Birds Bird Neorology Essays

Avian Song Control Bird songs continue to fascinate neurobiologists and neuroethologists because the development of song has been a popular model used to examine the role of environment on behavior. In most species, only male birds sing complex songs. Their vocalizations are the result of sexual dimorphism in the brain regions responsible for the production of song. However, this behavior is not genetically hardwired into the avian brain. Certain conditions must exist in order for male birds to successfully produce their species-specific song. Additionally, the neuronal circuitry and structure of the avian song system shows high levels of plasticity. If the brain and behavior are indistinguishable, then the structural differences in the avian brain are responsible for behavioral differences across the sexes. Nottebohm and colleagues identified six anatomically distinct regions of the forebrain involved in the production of song, which are arranged into two independent pathways, the posterior pathway, which controls song production, and the anterior pathway, which controls song learning. The collective unit is typically referred to as the vocal control region (VCR) (1) (2). Female birds sing rarely and this behavioral difference is reflective of the anatomy of the female avian brain. There are significant differences in the size of three neural areas involved in the production of song across the sexes, and a specific area, Area X, is present in the male and absent in the female. Additionally, the incorporation of radiolabeled testosterone in certain locations is different in males and females (3) (4). Scientists have been particularly interested in the origin of the structural differences in male and female songbirds. Research has suggested the importance of gonadal hormones, specifically testosterone in the production of song. It was observed that castration eliminated all song production (5). Additionally, when testosterone levels are low, there is not only a decrease in the production of song, but also a decrease in the size of some nuclei involved in song production (6). Further support for the necessity of testosterone for song production was demonstrated by Nottebohm (1980) when he injected female birds with testosterone, which lead to the production of song (7). This research has interesting implications regarding anatomical changes that may occur when an organism is chemically imbalanced. Disruptions in chemical equilibrium may alter brain structure and subsequently influence behavior. Nevertheless, not all research has supported the claim that testosterone is responsible for anatomical and behavioral differences between male and female songbirds. Avian Song Control :: Birds Bird Neorology Essays Avian Song Control Bird songs continue to fascinate neurobiologists and neuroethologists because the development of song has been a popular model used to examine the role of environment on behavior. In most species, only male birds sing complex songs. Their vocalizations are the result of sexual dimorphism in the brain regions responsible for the production of song. However, this behavior is not genetically hardwired into the avian brain. Certain conditions must exist in order for male birds to successfully produce their species-specific song. Additionally, the neuronal circuitry and structure of the avian song system shows high levels of plasticity. If the brain and behavior are indistinguishable, then the structural differences in the avian brain are responsible for behavioral differences across the sexes. Nottebohm and colleagues identified six anatomically distinct regions of the forebrain involved in the production of song, which are arranged into two independent pathways, the posterior pathway, which controls song production, and the anterior pathway, which controls song learning. The collective unit is typically referred to as the vocal control region (VCR) (1) (2). Female birds sing rarely and this behavioral difference is reflective of the anatomy of the female avian brain. There are significant differences in the size of three neural areas involved in the production of song across the sexes, and a specific area, Area X, is present in the male and absent in the female. Additionally, the incorporation of radiolabeled testosterone in certain locations is different in males and females (3) (4). Scientists have been particularly interested in the origin of the structural differences in male and female songbirds. Research has suggested the importance of gonadal hormones, specifically testosterone in the production of song. It was observed that castration eliminated all song production (5). Additionally, when testosterone levels are low, there is not only a decrease in the production of song, but also a decrease in the size of some nuclei involved in song production (6). Further support for the necessity of testosterone for song production was demonstrated by Nottebohm (1980) when he injected female birds with testosterone, which lead to the production of song (7). This research has interesting implications regarding anatomical changes that may occur when an organism is chemically imbalanced. Disruptions in chemical equilibrium may alter brain structure and subsequently influence behavior. Nevertheless, not all research has supported the claim that testosterone is responsible for anatomical and behavioral differences between male and female songbirds.

Sundays :: Personal Narrative Child Abuse Essays

Sundays My mother has always lived her life helping others. That is why it came as no surprise when she set out on a one woman quest to turn her children into avid-volunteers and general bidders of good will. Around the age of ten, she decided that it was time for me to step out and do my part to start saving the world. At the time, being an every day hero was the last thing on my mind, and in my eyes it was much more of a chore than an opportunity. As time went on however, it began to open my eyes to my own life and the lives of others. â€Å"It’s good for you; it will keep you out of trouble;† those were her famous words. So on life went, as I spent year after year testing the rough waters of one service project after another. I had no choice in the matter. It was her belief that I was to always be busy. A life spent wasting my time away having FUN was just not acceptable. She even went so far as to sign me up to serve my time in the local small-town library in Sandy Pond, New York, while we were there on vacation. I knew I was doomed. As I got bored with one project, I would move on to the next endeavor. In four years, I had become a registered volunteer in three libraries, a hospital, the Special Olympics, the New Times 10K, Grand Canyon State Games, a homeless shelter, and the Race for the Cure. In each new challenge, I was there more to please my mother than to please myself. Lost in the jumble of good deeds and service hours, I eventually stumbled upon a small organization called the Child Crisis Center. Just like all the others, it started off with the same famous phrase. â€Å"It’s good for you; it will keep you out of trouble.† I can still remember my first day. I passed through the endless security doors, and my nose scrunched in horror from a stench that was a mix between a hospital and a playpen.

Performance management or performance evaluation Essay

The basic aim of performance management is to create an environment for the employees where they can work at their best. It begins when a particular job is defined whereas it ends when the employee quits from the organization and performance management basically serves as a replacement of the traditional appraisal system. There are certain advantages of performance management and the most important one is the goal of developing clear job descriptions for the employees that can be easily comprehended by them. The second advantage is that it helps the employer to hire the best candidates for the job that suits them and at the same time, performance management helps them to negotiate with the employees on various issues. When the employee is finally hired, he can be provided with necessary training followed by the feedback of the coach that enable organization to develop sessions in which issues regarding performance development can be discussed and according to the results of the performance of the employees, the remuneration package can be designed. Moreover, performance management also provides various career opportunities for the employees and can also provide assistance when conducting exit interviews to know why the employees choose to leave the organization. The concept of annual performance is a bit different from that of performance management. When managing other people, the manager has to conduct performance appraisals in order to know how the employees are performing and this can help motivate the employees to work well in future. Annual performance is basically done to evaluate the performance of the employee and to know how well they have worked throughout the year and the contributions that they have made for the progress of the organization. It not only helps in the development of the staff but it also improves the communication between the staff and the managers, however annual performance has some disadvantages as well. When conducting performance appraisals, employees might ask for feedbacks from their friends in the organization who are more likely to give positive feedbacks and may avoid any negative comments of the employee. Moreover, when conducting appraisals the companies often send evaluations to the raters without telling them how to accurately do the appraisal and without advance notice. (Leat, 2001). Reference Leat,M. (2001). Exploring Employee Relations. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Airline Regulation

Airline regulation has been a subject of debate for a long time now. This has been due to various views that have been expressed by various stake holders who hold that there are pros can cons of government regulation of the airline industry.This paper will try to look at various issues that surround the regulation of the airline industry by the government.            1.Is the regulation from the government necessary again?The regulation from the government is necessary at the airline industry. The reason as to why the government should regulate the airlines is because of lack of uniformity and decrease in quality of services. If the government could regulate the industry, this be avoided since there will be a fair playing ground in the industry. This would also encourage various airlines to concentrate on safety matters and equip the aircrafts with required systems by the law.According to Aarons (1996) the USAF B737-200 clashed killing all 34 on board and the sources say that the aircraft was not equipped with all systems required by the civil regulation, (FDR, CVR, TCAS 11or WDS AND GPS). If this aircraft was equipped with the above systems, the accident could not have occurred.         2. How far should the government go in tightening or loosening its control over the industry?The government should control only the fare and airport charges nationwide. This would help in unifying the great competition affecting smaller airlines from larger airlines. Some areas have few passengers than other areas and if an airline monopolize in those routes they may run at a loss.The government should standardize the charges depending on the weight of the aircraft and which airfield the airline is flying or operating from. The government should not be interfering with the airlines marketing strategy.   (Economic Council of Canada, 1999)         3.How have the events of the September 11 attack affected your decision on airline Regulation?After the September 11 attack, airlines were affected as many people feared to fly and the effects were felt in other areas as the incoming flights reduced drastically in fear of more attacks.  Through the government regulation, people were assured of safety as the government established a board to investigate the matters regarding the attack. No airline would claim to be safe than the other because they should all follow set rules. After the attack, only the strong/bigger airlines were able to ferry passengers in the country because they were able to make more flights in given period for they could afford to reserve some seats for security personnel, this favored them affecting smaller airlines.In one incidence, a passenger was found with a pistol on a flight to, the airline’s public relations manager said would take the matter to ensure that the security at the airport was tightened. (Air transport news, World Air news magazine february1994)        4.How do war and a weak economy change your perception of government regulation?When war engulf a country, there is a possibility of disruption of flight schedules which makes some areas becomes partially or completely inaccessible. If there is no government intervention, the airlines suffers losses.   But if the government regulates the economy may stabilize which comes as relief to the a ffected airlines.When the growth of the economy slows down and the strength of the currency weakens, cost goes up including fuel, the airlines fare goes up as a result. There is need for government regulation in this case in order to slow lower the cost of fuel operation.ConclusionPartial regulation by the government is important to put some kind of control in the industry. This would be in line with protecting the interests of the passengers and the interest of the airlines.ReferenceAaron, A. (1996). CFTI in Dubrovnik. Business & Commercial Aviation international, August 1996.Economic Council of Canada, (1999). Responsible Regulation. An interim Report, August 1999.World air news, (2004). Air transport news. February 2004.