American Accounting Scandals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

American Accounting Scandals - Essay Example 55, 2009). Interestingly, this is not the first time in the history of United States that its accounting practices, approaches and system has received criticism and strict scrutiny from its stakeholders. After the bankruptcy of Enron and WorldCom in 2001 and 2003, respectively that was also the biggest accounting scandals of their time, the US accounting practices made the headlines all over the world (Ketz, pp. 234, 2003). This paper is an attempt to explore the accounting standards whether they are too flexible or too rigid. The discussion would include looking over the causes of Enron’s bankruptcy rooted in its accounting problem, debate between rules based accounting and principles based accounting and the problems with the possible convergence of accounting standards all over the world. ... 144, 2006). Non-transparent and unethical accounting was the most important cause attributed to the failure and downfall of Enron. In the year 2004, McLean wrote Enron scandal that, â€Å"The Enron scandal grew out of a steady accumulation of habits and values and actions that began years before and finally spiraled out of control† (Silverstone & Sheetz, pp. 22, 2007). Furthermore, another writer in an attempt to explain these â€Å"habits and values† wrote that, â€Å"the primary motivations for Enron's accounting and financial transactions seem to have been to keep reported income and reported cash flow up, asset values inflated, and liabilities off the books. (Duska, Duska, & Ragatz, pp. 74-75, 2011)† Without any doubts, Enron had some of the smartest minds in the company, as its executives and accountants, who were spot on in tweaking and twisting, the accounting laws to their advantages (Rapoport & Dharan, pp. 106, 2004). They used off balance sheet vehicles , complex financial structures and others to hide their debts and inflate their incomes. Furthermore, the mark to market accounting further allowed the company to manipulate its financial figures for deceiving the shareholders, creditors and other stakeholders. More importantly, Enron used the ambiguities and gaps in the mark to market accounting to inflate its income (Rezaee, pp. 175, 176, 2002; Mulford & Comiskey, pp. 44-46, 2005). Mark to Market accounting method requires showing the net present value of the cash flows from any long-term project and adjust the values of market assets according to the current market value. However, the problem with this method is that under certain situations and for certain projects, correct, accurate, and timely predictions about their future

Schools of Strategic Management Thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Schools of Strategic Management Thought - Essay Example The key characteristic of the Environmental School of Strategic Management Thought is that business is considered as closely depended on its environment – being unable, in a way, to take initiatives that would support its various activities. In accordance with Sadler (2003) the specific School of Strategic Management Thought is based on the contingency theory. In this context, it is noted that businesses that are influenced by the Environmental School of Strategic Management Thought have the following characteristics: a) their strategic decisions are likely to be influenced by the organizational environment, b) all organization’s decisions and activities need to be aligned with the environment, c) the leaders of these organizations do not have power to act independently; rather they should focus on identifying the conditions of the organizational environment and ensure the alignment of the business decisions with these conditions, d) businesses that follow the rules of the specific School of Strategic Management Thought are finally become unable to keep their identity and to realize their goals; this result to the gradual loss of the power of the organization to face the environmental conditions – which are likely to become hostile; in the long term, this phenomenon could lead the organization to stop its operations. In accordance with Matthews (2005) the Environmental School of Strategic Management Thought is based on ‘strategy formation as a reactive process’ (Matthews, 2005, p.29).

Mix Design Procedure And Principles Engineering Essay

Mix Design Procedure And Principles Engineering Essay 1. Introduction In the following coursework we are going to take look at the steps that must be taken into account for performing a concrete mix design. When we talk about mix design, we are going to deal with two categories of property requirements: one category specific for fresh concrete (fresh properties of concrete); and another category specific for hardened concrete (Neville 1995). The aim of this coursework is also to analyze the properties of the freshly formed concrete due to the design performed, and not of the hardened concrete. As outlined in Lecture 2, the two types of property categories are not independent from one another, more likely they are directly linked, and failure in compliance with fresh properties will lead to poor concrete quality in hardened state. Basically, concrete mix design is performed by a careful selection of quantities for concrete ingredients with the aim at producing cost effective concrete having a minimum set of properties such as: workability, compressive strength and durability (Neville 1995). For the purpose of this coursework, we are going to design concretes which will contain mixes of classic ingredients like ordinary Portland cement as a bonding material and, either 100% Gravel or 100% Recycled Aggregates, as a filler material. Also, we are going to design mixes by replacing a part of the Portland cement with cementitious materials such as Silica Fume (10% SF) or Fly Ash (30% FA) and the reason of using these fine materials is that they will limit the amount of energy consumed in the mixing process, which ordinary Portland cement is not capable of doing. Having 4 types of concrete mixes, we are going to deal with different properties between these mixes, each set of concrete properties being governed by the properties of the materials used. For example, recycled aggregate presents an increase in porosity compared with gravel, so it is no surprise that concretes with recycled aggregates will demand more water content than ordinary, natural aggregates. Eventually the workability will be affected by the higher water demand (Dhir et al. 1998). Also, as comparison between the effects on concrete determined by SF or FA we must state that concretes with FA will experience a decrease in water demand, reduced bleeding and good cohesiveness, while concrete with SF will bring an increase in water quantity. Because they were 4 different types of mixes to be designed and tested in the lab, 4 groups, each designing their own mix, were created. Our group had the task of performing the mix design for the 10% SF mix and this was done according to BS 1881: Part 125: 1983 Testing concrete Methods for mixing and sampling fresh concrete in the laboratory. Silica fume has certain characteristics that make the handling, when we make the mixing of components, to be a difficult task. This is due to the small particle size and high fineness of the silica fume, so slurry is going to be prepared, by combining silica fume with water, when performing the mixing and also we should make sure that the slurry will be fully dispersed into the mix. By having a high fineness, the SF particles will demand a large surface to be covered with water, bringing an increase in water demand as stated above. Mixes having silica fume as ingredient will give us high performance concretes., and the presence of SF in the mix design process will not only affect the quantities of the mix proportions to be used as ingredients of concrete, but also will lead to an improvement in the fresh properties of the concrete like: high cohesiveness, little to none bleeding, suitable for pumping (Neville et al. 1995). In the lab, after we performed the mix, we made some tests in order to have quality control over the product: Slump Test, according to BS EN 12350-2:2000 Testing fresh concrete Part 2: Slump test, to determine the workability of the concrete and the Plastic Density Test, according to BS 12350-6, 2000 Testing concrete Method for determination of density of compacted fresh concrete, to determine the actual plastic density of the concrete. 2. Mix Design Procedure and worksheets. 2.1. Procedure principles. It should be stated that this method is not an exact method of quantity assessment mainly, because of the variability of the parameters affecting the constituents of this procedure. Trial mixes are made with the purpose of guessing which combinations of ingredients will be suitable for the desired concrete properties and we can modify these mixes to correspond to our requirements (Neville 1995). 2.2. Description for performing concrete mix design. Mix design follows several steps according to BRE Report 331, in which the flow chart of steps takes into consideration all parameters of the mix constituents and also shows us how they are linked together. The results of the computation are going to be written on a Concrete Mix Design Form. For performing this procedure a number of initial specifications must be given, specifications which include: Cement type 52.5 N; Aggregate type Gravel; Maximum aggregate size 20 mm; Fine aggregate grading 44%; Aggregate relative densities 2600 kg/m3; 10% Silica Fume 0.45, 0.6 and 0.75 w/c, 180l/m ³ water content, Slump of 30-60 mm (achieving S3 with SP) The stages which govern this procedure, as specified in BRE Report 331 are: Stage 1 water/cement ratio Stage 2 water content Stage 3 cement content Stage 4 total aggregate content Stage 5 fine aggregate proportion Stage 6 trial mixing Having the 3 free-water cement ratios, the slump and the maximum size of the aggregates given, we can skip the first stage and the amount of water needed can easily be determined. As we can see, 3 mixes will be prepared for which we can determine the amount of bonding material needed if the quantity of water is known. In this total amount of bonding material, 10% is Silica Fume, while 90% is ordinary Portland cement. In stage 4 we shall determine the total quantity of aggregate present in the mix. Because we have the grading of the fine aggregate, we can determine the quantity of the coarse aggregates by subtracting from the total quantity of aggregate the fine aggregate quantity. From the total quantity of coarse aggregate we know that 1/3 is for 10 mm Gravel and 2/3 for 20 mm Gravel. After we have determined all the mix proportions, we have to make specimens from the resulted concrete mix, specimens which will be subjected to different tests and conditions in order to determine the suitability of hardened concrete. These concrete specimens result from trial mixes for which batch weights are computed for a batch size of 0.02 m3. One aspect hasnt been discussed so far: the use of admixtures in the concrete mix design. Admixtures are regarded as secondary ingredients of concrete, and not in the same class of importance like water or cement. There are different types of admixtures, depending on their effect on concrete, and, also their use is regarded from an economical and an increase in concrete quality point of view. For the purpose of our assignment, the admixture type which we are going to use is Superplasticizer (Glenium 51) and the British standard that regulates and controls their use is BS 5075: Part 3: 1985. Superplasticizers are water reducing admixtures, and their effect on concrete is related to an improvement in fresh properties, mainly an increase in workability. 4. Batch quantities allowing for absorption. 4.1. Porosity, Absorption and their link. Porosity and absorption are aspects concerning the aggregates, so the following discussion will take into account the way in which the presence of pores will affect the concrete. There are 2 types of pores: internal and external pores, which vary in size- the external pores, can even be seen sometimes with the naked eye. Because of its viscosity, cement paste cannot fully cover the pores of the aggregates, but water is able to do that, which eventually will lead in an increase of water demand (Neville 1995). It might seem that because its only related to aggregate, porosity and absorption will not affect concrete, but lets not forget that the weight of aggregates represents approximately 75% of the weight of concrete. Also, by doing the mixing of concrete in the lab, the moisture content of the aggregates decreases, so an adjustment for absorption of aggregates must be done: we fully dry the aggregates in an oven, after which we put the aggregates in water, for 24 hours. An increase in weight occurs, meaning that all the pores are fully saturated (Neville 1995). The absorption is expressed as a ratio between the moisture content increase observed in the dried aggregates to the mass of the dried aggregates. The following absorption values for aggregates are used for our designed concretes: Gravel 5/20 1.0% Sand 0/5 0.5% RA 5/10 3% RA 10/20 4% 4.2. Adjustments for absorption. The adjustments for absorption, determined in accordance with BS 812: Part 2, are performed on the aggregate types which are going to be used in the mixture. The aggregates which we are going to use for the 10% SF mix concrete are: sand 0/5 and gravel 5/20. The method allows computing the additional quantity of water required for absorption by the following formula: Material batch weight (kg) x absorption value (%) = additional water required Having found the additional water quantity, the adjustment for absorption of aggregates can be performed by: Aggregate batch weight (kg) absorbed water (kg) = adjusted aggregate batch weight 5. Mixing procedure and tests carried out in Lab 1. 5.1. Mixing procedure. Relevant Standards: BS 1881: Part 125: 1983 Testing concrete methods for mixing and sampling fresh concrete in the laboratory. The mixing procedure is the combining of all concrete ingredients, with the purpose so that the aggregates surface is covered by cement paste, and it follows 2 steps: a) Sample preparation; b) mixing. At the previous topic, the adjustment of aggregates for absorption was explained. Its one of the requirements for the sample preparation step, and was the last one that needed to be carried out before the proper mixing of all concrete ingredients can be performed. When discussing about sample preparation, we also must take into account that we should produce at least 10% more quantity of concrete than the required quantity for the tests that have to be done; Follows a series of tasks: initially, the aggregates should be added in the following order: coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, sand after which we mix for 30 seconds. 1/2 of the water quantity must be added next, mix for another minute, after which we thoroughly mix by hand. Water absorption by the aggregates takes place when we leave covered the mixer for 8 minutes. Silica fume is mixed with water for 1 minute before adding it to the mix, after which we add the cement and mix it for 1 minute. We clean the paddles; we add the remaining water and superplasticizer and mix for other 4-5 minutes, after which we ensure homogeneity by mixing the sample by hand. 5.2. Tests carried out in Lab 1. Before starting the discussion about what tests must be done, we should note that all these tests on fresh concrete should be carried out within 15 minutes of mixing. Two tests will be done: slump test and plastic density. After the tests are carried out, we must put the used concrete in the mixer and mix for other 30 seconds. The Slump test has the aim of analysis of the workability of the fresh concrete, and it regulated by BS EN 12350-2:2000 Testing fresh concrete Part 2: slump test standard. When performing this test we must have some basic equipment: a slump cone with foot rests and a metal rod (16 mm diameter, 600 mm long). First, we must moisten the slump cone, after which we pour the concrete in the cone, while it is hold firmly into position. The pouring of the concrete must be done in 3 equal layers which are tamped 25 times with the steel road. The excess of concrete at the top and around the slump cone is removed, after which the cone is removed, inverted and placed next to the slumped concrete in order to enable us to measure the vertical distance from the top of the cone to the highest point of the slumped concrete. The measured vertical distance has to be reported for the nearest 5 mm, and shows us the nature of the slump that we deal with: true, collapse and shear slump. Fig. 5.2: True, shear and collapse slump (Neville et al. 1987) If the shear or collapse of the sample concrete occurs, we must perform the slump test once again. Plastic Density is determined on a compacted concrete sample in the lab, and is regulated by BS 12350-6, 2000 Testing concrete Method for determination of density of compacted fresh concrete standard. When performing this test we must have some basic equipment: 10 liter steel container (200 mm internal diameter, 320 mm internal height, and 4 mm wall thickness), vibrating table and 300 mm steel rule. The test is carried out as follows: we measure the mass of the empty container after which we measure the mass of the container filled with 10 liter of water. The concrete is poured in the empty container, in six equal layers which will be compacted on the vibrating table and the excess concrete at the top will be removed. We record the mass of the container with the concrete in it; we return the concrete to the mixer and clean the equipment. The computation can now be performed with the following formula: Plastic density, D = m / V Where, m = mass of concrete in container (To the nearest 10 g) V = volume of container = mass of water in container (from calibration) /1000. During the mix design we have found a plastic density for each water-cement ratio. Having found that plastic density, the new lab computed plastic density must not differ by more than  ±20 kg/m ³ then the actual plastic density (mix design). 7. Yield: corrected mix proportions and differences between design/plastic and volumetric method. Because in the mix design we have taken into account only those parameters that have a major impact on concrete characteristics, and we disregarded those that have a minor role, some errors might occur during the mix design. Such errors might include: faulty maneuvering of concrete ingredients, errors in performing the mixing procedure. These errors are visible when the total weight of the concrete ingredients is different than the lab computed wet concrete density (plastic density). Having computed in the lab the actual plastic density of the mix, we can make corrections to the mix proportion weights so that some of the residual errors might be able to be corrected. One of the ways by which this can be done is adjusting for yield. Yield is the ratio between the actual density and the total density, and the adjustment is performed by multiplying this ratio with the weight of each constituent, giving us corrected mix proportions. As an example we shall perform the correction of the mix proportions for the 0.45 w/c ratio mix: During the mix design we have found that the wet density of concrete (plastic density) is 2380 kg/m3. Cement+10% SF 360+40 kg/m ³ Water 180 kg/m ³ Sand 650 kg/m ³ 10mm Agg 385 kg/m ³ 20mm Agg 770 kg/m ³ TOTAL DENSITY 2385 kg/m ³ ACTUAL PLASTIC DENSITY 2410 kg/m ³ (tested in labs) The correction is done with the following formula: Corrected = (Actual density/ Total Density) x each constituent = 2410/2385=1.0105 Cement+10% SF (365+40) kg/m ³ Water 180 kg/m ³ Sand 655 kg/m ³ 10mm Agg 390 kg/m ³ 20mm Agg 780 kg/m ³ CORRECTED DENSITY 2410 kg/m ³ Another method by which we can adjust the mix proportions is the volumetric method. The main feature of this method is that, when performing the adjustment, we will take into consideration the particle density of each constituent taking part in the mix design. We shall also make an example for the volumetric method of correction of mix proportions. Cement 360 kg/m ³ / 3150 kg/m ³ = 0.114 SF 40 kg/m ³ / 2000 kg/m ³ = 0.02 Water 180 kg/m ³ / 1000 kg/m ³ = 0.18 Sand 650 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.25 10mm Agg 385 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.148 20mm Agg 770 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.296 ACTUAL 1.008 THEORETICAL 1.0000 The correction formula: Correction factor = (Theoretical/Actual) x each constituent = 0.992 Cement 355 kg/m ³ / 3150 kg/m ³ = 0.1133 SF 40 kg/m ³ / 2000 kg/m ³ = 0.020 Water 180 kg/m ³ / 1000 kg/m ³ = 0.180 Sand 645 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.2474 10mm Agg 380 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.1461 20mm Agg 765 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.2932 ACTUAL 1.0000 THEORETICAL 1.0000 The main difference between the two methods which we have shown is that the yield method requires computing the lab plastic density, and comparing it to the plastic density taken into account in the design phase of the mix, while for the volumetric method is not necessary to make that extra effort in order to make the adjustment. As far as to which method is more appropriate to be used, from a first look at our example, we can consider that the volumetric method is more appropriate, at least from an economic point of view, because the adjustments made gave us smaller weights of materials than the adjustment for yield weights. But my opinion is that the plastic density method is much more appropriate to be used, because its more reliable, and you have a superior certainty about the elimination of the errors that appear in the mixing phase and also a better control of quality of the concrete. 8. Comments on fresh properties. The discussion about the fresh properties of concrete might seem to be not as important as the hardened concrete properties from a structural point of view, but as we have previously noted, there is a direct link between the two types of properties: for example the strength of hardened concrete is greatly improved when a sufficient compaction of the fresh concrete was established (Neville 1995).The objective of this discussion is to see the degree by which different concrete components affect the fresh properties of concrete, and we shall do this by comparing the mixes presenting silica fume, fly ash and recycled aggregate with the ordinary Portland cement mix (100% Gravel). The influence of aggregate type: by comparing the fresh properties of the 100% Gravel mix and 100% RA mix. Due to the fact RA have a higher porosity, a larger amount of water is needed in the mix which will eventually affect the workability of the fresh concrete. Because we have considered an absorption value for RA which was too high (RA density was larger than 2400kg/m3), the RA mix presented collapse slump, thus poor workability, also a slight bleeding, and segregation of the concrete constituents is present, leading to a poor cohesiveness. In the 30% FA and 10% SF mixes we have used as aggregate, gravel, so the influence of aggregate type on fresh concrete is the same in all 3 mixes, the only differences occur from the influence of other parameters. The cement type that we have used was either ordinary Portland cement (CEM I 52.5 N) or composite Portland cement, by combining the Portland cement with a cementitious material like silica fume or fly ash. As we can see from the comparison of the composite Portland cement mixes with those having only Portland cement, the 30% FA mix presents no bleeding or segregation of materials, a good cohesiveness and finishability. Fly ash reduces the amount of water to be used in the mix, having a similar effect as a superplasticizer, so at larger water cement ratios we have collapsed slump, poor cohesiveness, and a slight bleeding and segregation is present but the compactibility and finishability is still good, making it suitable for pumping . That is not the case with silica fume. Silica fume increases the water demand, and generally the mixes with silica fume present good cohesiveness, no bleeding and segregation, true slump giving us a good workability. The usage of both silica fume and sup erplasticizers has a good effect on concrete. The amount of fine material is directly linked to the cost of both silica fume and fly ash. The cost of production is quite large, so the use of silica fume and fly ash is no longer a cheap, viable solution for Portland cement replacement. As far as their consequences on fresh properties, for the 100% Gravel mix, at lower water-cement ratios we deal with a stiff mix, having less finishability and compactibility than when the amount of Portland cement is decreased, while the cohesiveness, lack of bleeding and segregation is kept the same on all mixes. We could use higher amounts of SF and FA but after a certain amount they cease to have any effect on the fresh properties of concrete. The water-cement ratio is one of the main factors affecting the concrete fresh properties, simply because water and cement are two of the main constituents of concrete. In the 100% RA mix, because of the use of RA, it was necessary to have a higher amount of water than in the other 3 mixes, which in return gave us a poor cohesiveness, a collapsible slump resulting in a poor workability. Also some segregation and bleeding was observed, which was not present in the other mixes. As a general rule, when the w/c ratio is decreased, the ratio between the other concrete constituents is kept constant, so the workability increases (Neville 1995). The SP amount required for workability. Superplasticizers greatly affect the slump of a mix. For the 100% Gravel mix we used approximately 0.12% amount of superplasticizers for all w/c ratios, which gave us a true slump. When we look at the 30% FA and 10% SF mix we can see that we have increased the amount to about 0.31% which gave us a collapse in slump when we used FA, so too much SP, and a true slump for SF, because SF works much better with SP compared to FA. 9. Conclusions This coursework has to be looked at as being divided in two parts: a part about the concrete mix design and establishing all the mix proportions of the concrete constituents and another part relating to the fresh properties of the resulted concrete. During this coursework we have successfully designed 4 types of concrete, and as a result the fresh properties of the 4 concretes were individually established and assessed. The mix of concrete ingredients, the determination of slump and the computation of plastic density were all done in the lab according to the relevant standard governing each task. The designed concrete types were: 100% Gravel, 100% RA, 30% FA and 10% SF. By assessing the concrete fresh properties we have seen which mixes had problems and were not suitable for using on site, but excluding some problems found (a high amount of superplasticizer than the one needed in the 30% FA), in general the mixes presented good workability without segregation or bleeding, were suitable for pumping so they could be used on site, in real conditions.

How Emily Brontë Fulfills the Expectations of the Gothic Genre Essay

How Emily Brontà « Fulfills the Expectations of the Gothic Genre Within this essay I will examine the social and historical background of Emily Brontà «'s upbringing, and the way her only novel, wuthering height, is related to the gothic genre. Emily Brontà « was brought up in a time very different from our own; she lived on secluded moors and without many of our modern day privileges, and became very close to her family. Many of her close family members died within her lifetime, affecting her deeply and leaving her emotionally scarred. The tragedy and misfortune of Emily Brontà «'s life is shown through her novel 'Wuthering Heights'. The many dark, sad and misfortunate parts of this novel which represent Emily Brontà «'s life are the same parts which can be categorised it in to the gothic genre. Cathy represents Emily Brontà «; they both suffered the loss of a parent and lived on secluded moors. The semi-autobiographical nature is also shown through Hindely, Cathy's brother, and his similarities to Emily Brontà «'s brother, both go through a spiral downfall into alcoholism and drink themselves into early graves. Emily Brontà « lived in a male dominated Georgian society. It was this male dominance and the idea of female inadequacy that forced her to publish her only novel Wuthering Heights under the male pseudonym Ellis Bell. Brontà «'s novel contains many of the elements that can be seen in the gothic genre. The setting is true to the gothic style; it is in a secluded place that often represents something that happened there. 'On that bleak hill top the earth was hard with a black frost.' In my opinion it represents the dark and gloomy past of Wuthering Heights, the death of Cathy and the tormented life of Heat... ... of a higher class. This shows the shallowness of society at the time and that society was male dominated. Women were forced to be dependent on men and had to marry men they didn't love to secure them a financial future and to gain a better social status. The novel raises issues that can been seen in societies of all times, including the modern society in which we live. It shows how people are judge on material things, most commonly in this novel it shows how people are judged on social status. The novel is told through two narrations, Nelly Dean and Lockwood. The parts of the novel that Nelly Dean narrates are informal, This shows Nelly is a servant, and is considered to be lower class in society. However when Lockwood narrates, the language is more formal, and like that of a highly educated person showing he is of higher class than Nelly Dean is.

Women in the Military :: Women in Military Essays

Men and women live in society jointly. According to the U.S. Constitution, all men are created equal, and thus includes women. Although everyone is considered equal, history of women in the military proves different. Many contributions have been given to the military by women for hundreds of years. 'Women's struggle for a place in the armed forces has been about seeking the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship' They have earned the right to the recruiting poster?s promise and challenge: 'Be All You Can Be'" Major General Jeanne Holm, USAF(Ret.) (Women 4 Mar 1998). Although the Military standards have been set, equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, or religion, "glass ceilings" are still in effect in the military. According to the Active Duty Military Personnel by Grade/Rank and Gender 1997 and 1995 chart, women are still stopped by a "glass ceiling". At the grade of O-10 from both 1997 and 1995, zero women had achieved this status. At O-9, two women and at O-8, three women respectively. For total officers in 1997 only 13.53% were women and total enlisted only 13.71% were women(Glass 4 Mar 1998). These facts and figures show the difficulty that women have had in breaking through the "glass ceiling" even today when women have proven themselves to be competent and successful. Women have served in the military for hundreds of years. The "official" history of the United States military begins in the 20th century with the establishment of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 (American 4 Mar 1998). These women worked hard and dedicated to the troops and their country. They cared for the sick and wounded, identified and buried the dead, cooked, sewed, and laundered(American 4 Mar 1998). Although these women worked diligently and were dedicated, they were considered officially invisible and only earned half rations and earned the name Camp Followers(American 4 Mar 1998). Tending to the sick was considered woman?s work. Until 1901, they were civilian volunteers or contract workers who had no rank and received no benefits(American 4 Mar 1998). A bill was written by Dr. McGee to establish a permanent Nurse Corps of June 20, Congress passed this bill in 1901(American 4 Mar 1998). The United States Navy Nurse Corps was established on May 13,1908. At that time, no provisions had been made for rank and rating compensation equal to the Navy?s personnel(Women WWI 26 May 1999). In 1913 Navy nurses began serving on ships aboard the USS Mayflower and the USS Dolphin(American 26May 1999).

Verbal Abuse

Sabrina Minton Mrs. Laura Ahmed English 3A 10-25-10 Verbal Abuse The reason why I choose this topic is because I have been a victim of verbal abuse. Many people know or have heard of someone that has been verbally abused. Many people including myself be suffer in silence and feel isolated. Many parts of human action, include the mind and heart. â€Å"As he thinks within himself, so he is†. What does a person think in his or her mind, and heart will be reflected and his or her words or actions. In this paper, I want to address this very important issue in an effort to understand this phenomenon and provide answers.Verbal abuse and physical abuse result from a world view that is clearly not biblical. The difficulty of verbal abuse is that there are no visible signs. The majority cases; verbal abusers are often male and the victim is usually female. Kerby Anderson who wrote â€Å"Verbal Abuse† has many degrees. He has a B. S. from Oregon State University, M. F. S from Yale University, and M. A. from Georgetown University. And has authored many books (Anderson). Patricia Evan has written many books and has been seen on KTLA5THECW, FOX11 NEWS, Oprah Winfrey Show, Sonya Live-CNN and NEWS TALK.She has done over two hundred radio programs, and seventeen national television shows (Evans). Kerby Anderson says he writes his paper from an educated point of view but more importantly he is man. Men are most often the abuser in a relationship; with women being the victim. Mr. Anderson has several degrees and advocates that both the victim and abuser seek help and support within their religious faith. He feels that this behavior is often learned at home and that devotion to family and church and help train these abusers.He also suggests that godly men and women gather together to lovingly confront the person who is verbally abusing the victim. He suggests that the abuser confronts their sin and make an attempt to change with the support of the church. Patricia Ev ans does not have an educational degree but has written several books and established a foundation for support and workshops for people who feel that have been abused. Ms. Evans is a woman and has a very therapeutic point of treatment. She feels angry or critical words will destroy your confidence or self-esteem. She views verbal abuse s a boiling cauldron of pain and anguish in possibly millions of homes. She worries that a person who might cross from verbal to physical abuse is likely to show signs of an impending physical assault by launching intense and repeated verbal attacks, by indulging in rages or by becoming abusive in public. She tends to address the needs of the abuser with support groups, workshops and books to help identify behavior and help recognize and deal with abusive people. I wrote my paper with a personal bias, as I have been the victim of verbal abuse. I decided to compare two different authors based on approach, education and gender.Although only Mr. Anderson has degrees, both have written books and have excellent references. I really liked that both people had a written books. Often time’s victims are of low income and self help books can be a great resource. Mr. Anderson suggests the church as s support group and for many people this would probably be a workable option. I personally prefer a more therapeutic approach. I thought the establishment of workshops with people who had experienced similar situations and the added support of therapists and staff; would make for a better option to help stop the pattern of abuse.The workshops would seem to be the best way to educate yourself and learn the behavior skills to help assure you avoid future situations. I felt both authors had excellent information. Mr. Anderson's information was in a book  form with 7 pages that read like a textbook. Ms. Evans information was keyed to specific questions that a person would answer, according to their feeling and situation. Again there are que stions that redirect the reader  to another page with topic specific information with a set of questions to see if you needed more information; or had obtained the information you needed.The pages also linked to workshops, support groups, self help books, and videos. Mr. Anderson's advice and information may suit some people well and they may already attend a church. To be fair Mr. Anderson's information is relevant for anyone, just as Ms Evans would be appropriate for a religious person. If someone was looking for good information and options of the subject, either author would be able to provide that.Works Cited Anderson, Kerby. Probe Ministries Verbal Abuse. 14 July 2002. ;lt;www. leaderu. com;gt;. Patricia, Evans. Verbal Abuse Survivors Speak Out: On Relationship and Recovery . 1993.

Human Resources Task Essay

First, we need to ask what performance appraisals are. They are â€Å"The identification, measurement and management of human performances within an organization.† (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) Performace appraisals are popular and used world wide to measure personal and team performace. Performance management has increased with the gripping economy and having less to do more. Managers have always thought of optimal performance, yet a poorly written performce appraisal has a devistating impact on the employee, the manager, and the company. Today we will discuss the negative affects of a poorly written appraisal and the positive affects of an effective written appraisal. We will cover the steps to take, the information to include, and the expected end results of the appraisal. Covering the core competencies is critical, they include: Inclusiveness, Stewardship, Problem solving and Decision Making, Strategic Planning and Organizing, Communication, Quality Improvement, Leadership, Service Focus, and Teamwork. So, are apprasials needed? Absolutly†¦the appraisal system identifies and ensures we retain the best employees. It gives an outlook of who can best do what, and where best to utilize them. It ensures they reach their highest potential within the company. It allows managers to provide coaching and feedback to the employees so they can improve performace levels in identified areas. Affective appraisals inhibit improvement and development of employee performance. On the other hand, they may be a source of justified legal documentation resulting in discussions or termination. Performance appraisals are critical when it comes to our customers, their survey comments are a source of manager documentation that allows a solid source for a well written employee appraisal. Our customers are our business, and without them our company would fail. (Levinson, 2003) Bonuses are also dependent on appraisals as they provide a fair and reliable merit system. Employees are evaluated on the exact same criteria. Target goals are based on performance and results, and are measures of expectations applying to all employees equally. Discrimination is also avioded as the employee (or team) is able to write their own successes down and have the ability to ensure they represent themselves as the best employee (or team) who deserves the highest (or lowest) recognition. Employees have to see the value in the appraisal system, and if the managers don’t display that value then the system fails. As managers embrace the system and its value, so too will the employees. This will lead to stronger performances as they take ownership in their own success. In short, Performance appraisals save time, inhibit accountability, reduce conflict, increase efficiency and consistency, and promote manager involvement in overall performance. They allow the employees to have a direct clarification of expectations, performance level, self-assessment of performance, and a clear idea of where they need to improve to attain their and the companies expected level of satisfaction. The company then benefits through time management savings, accountabiliity of managers and employees, accuracy in appraisal ratings, increased productivity, employee retention, and increased communication of expectations. PRE-APPRAISAL Collecting accurate data and documentation (D&D) allows an employee/supervisor/manager to create a solid performance appraisal. The day the employee is hired, both positive and negative D&D begins. How you collect D&D is up to you as a manager, but normally it is collected using emails, feedback from team members and the employee, performance reviews, status updates from different projects the employee is working on, knowledge of work scope, communication skills, customer feedback (when used appropriately), work attendance, and finally taking your own notes. These forms of communication and D&D collection will provide for the necessary  information in writing a firm and accurate performance appraisal, benefiting the company and the employee. It is important to know how and what is measured on a performance appraisal; quality and quantity of work performed, and social efficacy are examples of what is to be measured. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) Performance will certainly differ subject to occupation description and team objectives, yet company business goals will not differ and relevance between the two must correspond with one another. This is a serious tool for management as it has the potential of corrupting a respectable performance appraisal system Now lets address the social part of what should be in a performance appraisal. An easy way to approach this is to ask; what needs to be addressed? Areas and information might include: development intervention, establishing organizational mechanics and progression opportunities. It’s a must to discuss policy initiatives in order to govern company results. Using self-assurance, diverse assistance, joint ventures, area amalgamation and development will assist in the electives and results we are pursuing as a company. Looking back to prepare for the future minimizes and avoids common mistakes, benefiting all members. The following evaluation tools help prevent negative impacts using the pre-appraisal evaluation; relative, absolute, trait, behavior, and outcome. Let’s take these one at a time and strengthen our understanding of each. Relative – a supervisors tool used to compare employees one to another that perform the same work. An example of this is to classify employees to different categories of top, middle, and lowest; then from best to worst. It forces supervisors/managers to rank employees differently rather than equally (ranking employees the same, in effect, inulls the value of the appraisal). The downside is it also creates a difference in performance between employees when there may be none. Absolute – employee performace appraisals are according to company standards only. Supervisors s a better opportunity of a higher rating than that where  the relationship isn’t as strong with use a rating system from 1-10, lowest (1) to highest (10). The downside is that supervisors differ on who should be a 6 and who should be an 8. No consistency exists between supervisors. Personal favorites due to a strong bond between employee and supervisor haanother employee. As with all companies, supervisors change leaving the favored employee at a disadvantage because his next appraisal will not be based on the relationship he/she has with the supervisor. Integrity in the appraisal system then becomes questionable. Trait – consistent and enduring traits of the employee are judged by supervisors. These traits include: reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders, and great followers. Keep in mind that these are easily defined but hard to find in employees. The downside; bias occurs wheather intended or not. By virtue it is, unfortunately, unusable in a legal case if requested by the courts. Behavior – this is tool takes time to prepare as employees are ranked based on employee participation in events or meetings, and timeliness to attend such events and meetings. Appraisal comments are very tangible and exact, but essentially are only illustrations of preferred behavior. They measure from 1-10, poor (1) to exceptional (10), and allows employees to assertain which behaviors are favorible and which are not. The downside is because the comments are illustrations of preferred behavior, the actual behavior is perceived rather than authentic. Also, when company changes happen, it’s possible the change can nullify the measuring system of the appraisal. Outcome – employee result focused appraisal tool. This tool can be compaired with the Management By Objectives (MBO) system. There is litheness in rating the employee because bias is eradicated, a clear well-defined standard is set as a measuring tool and allows the employee to achieve the companies objectives. The downside is this tool focuses on output rather than quality and includes areas like: production numbers, and quantity not quality of products sold. If you have produced or sold 2,500 shirts in one day, but the seams in half the sales are defective, you cost the company more money than you made it because now you have to replace those defective orders. Now lets cover which evaluation method a company recognizes for their performance appraisal method. There are 2 common models used; competency, and 360 degree. Competency Model – a model used to measure observable qualities and characteristics employees display in successfully performing job tasks. A great deal of time is spent developing this model, but once complete it is effective in meausuring and developing a sustainable human resources, products, and financial areas within the company. The downside is there is a fineline between personality and performace traits. Supported forms of discrimination are not what a company wants in their performace assessment tool. 360 Degree Model – more of a global approach to measurement. It provides feedback to managers and administrators to review in determining objectives and goals a companies work components can work towards. This feedback consists of peer evaluations, subordinate evaluations, employee evaluations, employee interactions, and company performance from all viewpoints. Each pertinent to the performace objectives the company is attempting to attain. Employees want to promote within their division or company, and in order to do that they must have a clear and direct goal to follow. Employees may be strong in certain tasks, and weak in 1 or 2 others, so too are companies when evaluated. Identifying the weak areas and addressing them head on, the employee and company are destined to succeed. The 360 degree model gives a clear view of where the company stands with reaching their goals and objectives. POST APPRAISAL ACTIVITIES Now that the appraisal is complete we are done right†¦.wrong, we still have to create a plan for improvement and development for the employee. This is called the post appraisal activity as we are now working on making a good employee a great employee. Important during this time are the supervisor/manager records of the employees precise performance. Employee participation is critical as they may discuss how they perceive their  performace to be, allowing the supervisor/manager to develop a plan of continued growth based on both parties’ feedback of each objective. In order to attain a higher level of efficiency and sustainability, a proper evaluation proccess gives the needed information for this success. In order for progress to proceed, it’s imperative that we look back at lessons learned from our performance appraisal system. It gives a snapshot of where changes are required to minimize past faults, and imperious in developing an action plan. Distinct and detailed actions plans are imperative for employee comprehension of objectives and goals. As adjustments are identified and made, the action plan is created and offered for immediate action. They must be inspirational, measurable, specific, and attainable so as to promote compliance for success. Results are key and relevant to action plan success of company goals and objectives. Modification and time bound, these goals must be effective during implimentation. Now we need to close the plan once its been finalized. Performance appraisals are implortant to the employee because they want to see if the supervisor/manager has the same vision of their performance as they do. It is important to the company because they want to have the best success with the best employees, this is a way of measuring that success and making changes where necessesary to ensure that happens. It’s important that the employee be an active member of the closing of their performance appraisal as this is a time to celebrate their succcesses and action plan for increased success. It also gives management the opportunity to instill in the employee that they are a valuable asset to the company and want to ensure they succeed at all levels. An bi-annual review of the action plan allows both the supervisor/manager and the employee time to make adjustments where needed to ensure the path to success is achieved. It’s my recommendation that we use the 360 degree model as it offers more of a snapshot of where we are, where we need to be, and an action plan to get there. This model offers the greatest opportunity for a prosperous result  in our employee and companies success. I recommend a review of our current performance appraisal system be completed by the Human Resources Department with changes being presented to the Board of Directors within 45 days. Finally, I recommend annual training to our supervisors and managers starting immediately within 30 days to ensure they are up-to-date should these changes be implemented. The training will ensure that the staff is in strict compliance with the guidelines are equal for everybody. Communication is key to this being successful as it minimizes the opportunity for error. FEEDBACK MISTAKES Would you agree that employee development is extremely important? Of course it is†¦yet one of the â€Å"faults† a manager makes is they fail to provide timely performance appraisal feedback to the employee throughout the year. The employee has no way of improving in key areas because the manager has waited until the end of year performance appraisal to provide the feedback. This is an injustice to both the employee and the company as the employee now feels victimized, or targeted and becomes self-justifying in their response and actions. DO NOT WAIT†¦if you do the only feedback you will have on the appraisal will be negative because there was nothing the employee was aware of that needed improvement. Providing feedback throughout the year will balance both the positive and negative comments (hopefully more positive than negative). As the employee receives this feedback throughout the year, it reassures them that their manager and company have their best interests at hand, and that the feedback is to ensure they succeed to their fullest potential. A successful employee is a successful manager, something that must be emphasized in Manager’s meetings. I cannot stress enough how important that keeping notes on employee performance throughout the year is critical. Far too often, the most recent of events will bear the greatest of weight on a performance appraisal, I call this â€Å"Overstating Performance† reviews. The problem with this is it appears that the employee was only successful toward the end of the appraisal period, making it look as though he did not give that 100% throughout the rest of the year. This lack of leadership and understanding of the importance of the performance appraisal  system leads to reviews of imbalanced assessments. This is an injustice to the employee and undermines what the performance appraisal system is created to do. It has a high probability that average employee performances will receive exceptional reviews, and exceptional employee performances will receive average reviews. Unfortunately when this happens it becomes a â€Å"time period† based performance appraisal instead of a yearly review, and there is no time period where we have exceptional employees all the time; it just doesn’t happen! Keeping notes throughout the year allows the manager to systematically create a timeline of events that leads to an accurate and fair performance appraisal. It is up to the manager to ensure accurate employee performance reviews are conducted, and note taking throughout the year is critical in writing accurate re Being too critical on employee performance appraisals is not constructive criticism. Negative comments are a form of constructive criticism when given in moderation; employee inclusion is critical when devising a plan of correction for self-improvement. Likewise, being too critical is detrimental to employee morale as they feel they are worthless and cannot perform to the standards set by their manager. We want the employee to understand that they are valued, and critical to the success of the company. Being able to portray this while giving negative feedback takes time, skill, and an understanding of an employee’s limits of self-worth. We need to know our employee and how we can help them be successful without being too critical, yet still being constructive. It is imperative we maintain an open line of communication to make this happen. So we know that being too critical is negative in itself, so too is not providing the constructive guidance for employee improvement. Constructive advice must have value, and insure the employee feels and sees the legitimacy in the employee appraisal system. It is important that they know we want to see them succeed and promote within the company so they can feel pride and self-worth. When they see the value constructive criticism has in the appraisal system, they see a future the company has to offer. Being critical is good, but being critically constructive is better. The manager needs to know that when they provide constructive criticism, they must hold the belief that the employee is capable of making necessary changes to be  successful. The employee needs to know that applying the constructive criticism displays their abilities and desire to remain and promote within the company. Rather than being too favorable or damaging, it should be our goal as managers to give an honest a ssessment; allowing the employees to understand and increase in value what the appraisal has to offer also increases the opportunity to be successful. The appraisal should offer an equally balanced assessment of what the employee is doing correct, their accomplishments, what they need to work on, and (if any) failures with lessons learned. Again, taking notes will allow for an equally balanced assessment that guarantees to promote success with the individual employee and the company. Finding value in the performance appraisal takes interaction between the manager and the employee, not just the manager talking. Both the manager and the employee need to be able to talk and listen, creating an environment of trust, understanding, responsibility, and accountability. The appraisal system is not designed to be a one-way discussion. Employee interaction is not only pertinent to a successful appraisal, but also necessary for understanding underachieved job performance. Two-way communications is required for both parties to attain common goals and realizing the importance in achieving those goals in the upcoming year. This two-way communication requires that the manager be prepared ahead of time by reviewing his notes from the previous year, listening to the employee and not just appearing to be in the same room, and not interrupting the employee when he/she is talking. Proper scheduling is very important, because you want to allow yourself enough time to read over the review, listen and communicate with the employee, wrap up the review once the employee has left, prepare for the next review by going over your notes on the incoming employee, then do it all over again. If your schedule does not allow for extra time, one employee Smith’s appraisal information is sure to be mixed with employee Wright’s appraisal information. This would be a drastic oversight as a deserving employee may receive not so deserving results. Scheduling a break between reviews will minimize this risk preventing a miss rating of employees. As we identify a problem in the performance appraisal process, managers must focus on the employee and not the performance, (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) as this allows the manager to be objective. The employee needs to know their manager is more concerned for  their individual development. Keeping that two-way communication is instrumental to a successful relationship, appraisal, and success of the manager, employee, and the employee then takes possession in their success, and personal and professional growth. Employee performance is what we are looking for; allowing the employee to actively discuss future goals builds trust between the manager and the employee. The employee’s future success is up to them, and taking an active role in setting achievable goals for the upcoming year they are also able to communicate possible solutions to current performance levels. HOW TO ACHIEVE PEAK WORTH Performance appraisals are usually divided into two separate categories: Performance evaluation and salary judgement. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) The supervisor/manager provides feedback from the performance review so the employee can better comprehend the cooresponding performance score they attained. Relative advice is needed for employee understanding and compliance. During the performance appraisal, the supervisor/manager must become a mentor to support, teach, encourage, and energize employee and team members while providing guidance. If the employee/team believe in their abilities, they are more likely to adapt and overcome. As a supervisor/manager, it’s critical that you perfect the skill of giving guidance in a positive manor to develop their performance . Supervisors/managers want their employess to display passion, drive, skill, and belief that they are the best qualified to ensure optimal results. When the employee is assisted by his manager to move them above his position, then the manager becomes a pronounced leader and is the foundation to a companies capability to endure trying times. A managerial assessment is required on the staffs performance. It concentrates on providing appraisal feedback for administrative conclusions. Next, managers must recognize and deliver advice/feedback for the action plan with a emphasis on proficiency expansion. This process needs to involve the employee as they generate the prosperous results creating the  companies success. In the closing phase, the manager and employee discuss the action plan, it’s timeline, and their successes. All performance appraisals should be the same across the board, meaning there is no change based on position or reputation within the company. Once the performance appraisal and action plan are offered, they must be signed by both parties with the understanding that they are both in agreement with the appraisal, the action plan, the timeline, and have a new found commitment to working as a team to reach the anticipated result. THE BENEFITS Why is it necessary for our employees to succeed? Because their success is the companies success, it’s the only time we benefit. With the employee and manager on the same page and working together for a common goal, it aligns their actions with the goals and objectives of the company. Our companies future depends on how much time and energy we invest in our employees. Image is everything (so they say) and when we can display successful employees, then we have the image of a professional organization that invests in it’s future through it’s employees. Employee turnover rate reduces with a successful appraisal system in place, experienced managers, and professional employees. All these contribute to production increase, contractural agreements met, and customer/employee satisfaction. As an employee takes interest in the success of the company, they are able to relay their approval through great customer service and word of mouth (creating that positive image). Largely the internal philosophy and image of the company improves, profit margin increases with lowered revenue loss and is the single most significant stock we as a company must invest in. EVALUATIONS OF TEAMWORK There are different approaches to teamwork evaluations; these are a few:  ·Managers rate team performance centered on pre-set standards, also known as the Traditional performance review. Team performance assessments can be idiosyncratic, creating very little change, if any, in total performance.  ·Another evaluation type is called the 360 degree assessment, this type includes feedback from what I like to call the â€Å"4 corners†; managers, peers, supervisors, and customers. This type of assessment, or review, displays strengths and weaknesses based on thorough feedback from a 360 degree â€Å"4 corner† view. Unfortunately there is a drawback from this type of multi-source assessment, deciphering the information requires education and training. Once the information is properly interpreted, then performance growth sprouts like fruit on a tree. (AMISANO, 2012)  ·A third type is called objective performance appraisals. This type takes a set of pre-determined objectives and goals and evaluates them based on similar job titles. As this is effective in Individual performance appraisals, it has no bearing on team performance appraisals.  ·The concluding evaluation selection is a team performance appraisal. This assessment type allows you to have an overview of team compatability and performance in a team building environment. This type of evaluation consist of common principles, team effort, and actions achieved on the project. (AMISANO, 2012) Team evaluations are based on financial results, not individual performance results. This type of assessment takes a different approach in that you now are rating based on vital performance indicators like:  ·Customer service quality  ·Marketplace success  ·Financial strength  ·Individual growth  ·Team growth  ·Product deliverable quality These areas, as deemed by leadership as necessary measurement factors, can include other areas as approved by the appraising authority. All approved areas are used in evaluating the team as one entity and how that team functions. It’s important for you to know that there are two sections to team evaluations 1.The individual contribution to team performance 2.The team performance as one entity Outcomes, traits, and behaviors are the areas a manager uses to assess the individual contribution to the team, and behavior measurement assessment for individual involvement to the group’s outcome. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) This is another system that needs to be in balance when evaluating. For example, we would not use the same standards of measuring financial goals as we would with customer service approval/fears. (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) It’s imperative that the result measurements compliment the measurements of the method. Results are important, but strong personal relationships are what drive team performance to success. A new team will not assess the same as a veteran team that has built a relationship of trust, knowledge, and teamwork. It takes time, education and training to be a successful team member, this is where the team assessments come to play. They assist new members in becoming solid team performers in a limited amount of time. These team assessments are essential in ensuring that they swiftly align with company goals and standards while minimizing undesireable behavior. Criteria influenced by team members must be united with assessment measurements to be effective. Team performance appraisals are specific, calculable, achievable, outcome determined, related, and time assured. Every team member provides feedback to management during their assessments, this is called team inclusion. Team goals must be prioritized by importance as it provides a timeline of tasks forthcoming, and allows focus to be shifted where needed. Teams are a relationship that must be nurtured prior to being effective. As issues arrise, team members are able to adequately adjust and apply changes necessary to avert disaster and solve the issues. This is important because minimal time is spent on a damaged processes and channeled to  product progression. Downside to team assessments are that some members of the team who are not as productive and not pulling their weight, receive acculades on project milestones when in essence they ought not. Employees prefer individual performance appraisals because of this reason. Their work ethics and sacrifices are who they are, and to be judged by somebody elses is an injustice that depletes morale and professional development. RECOMMENDATION Due to the amount of research completed, I feel confident in recommending the use of the 360 degree appraisal model to impliment integration of the individual performance appraisal with the individual contribution to the team appraisal and an overall team performance appraisal. Allowing the combination of appraisals ensures accurate assessments of all employees and how they performed as a team. Following previously mentioned tools, supervisors and managers will utilize all feedback from employees, customers, and individual notes to accurately evaluate the employees. The employees will evaluate their individual performance, they will evaluate their team members performance, and be evaluated by each of the team members resulting in a 360 degree evaluation method. This becomes critical as it separates individual assessments from team assessments so credit is given where credit is deserved. Team performance evaluations are also recommended to use the 360 degree appraisal model. A 360 degree snap-shot view allows the manager to see team performance and functionality from all angles. It exhibits if the team is aligned with company goals and objectives. Utilizing the following evaluator approved evaluation areas, we are able to include the finance department, customer service department, Marketing department, and the quality assurance department in the feedback stage of the assessment.  ·Customer service quality  ·Marketplace success  ·Financial strength  ·Individual growth  ·Team growth  ·Product deliverable quality With feedback from all these sources, including the managers notes, we will create a baseline to revisit when measuring growth. An precise blueprint minimizes risk! TEAM V. INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS Parameters, Objectives, Results, Recognition The differences between Team performance evaluations and individual performance evaluations are simple. Individual evaluations require an individual to be hired, provided a job position that comes with a job description with job responsibilities requiring accomplishment. As managers we then have a baseline of the job description and responsibilities, by which we can then evaluate their performance in accomplishing (or not) said job. After which we rate that performance by comparison to another employee with a similar or same job title. The result is a direct reflection on the employees individual performance. He/she takes ownership of their evaluation without fear of other employees mis-deeds. Team evaluations have pre-set conditions approved by the evaluation team and aligned with the company goals and objectives for a determined project. Generally team performance is a result of team member effort, and therefore performance (good or bad) is reflected on the rating of team members. Evaluation results differ based on team member abilities, training, self-reliance, knowledge, and communication. It only takes one bad apple to spoil the harvest, meaning if one team member fails at their part of the mission, the whole team looks bad and receive a disearning review. On the flip side the other team members may be skilled enough to overcome the one team members incompetency and still complete the project on time, under  budget, and to the customers satisfaction. In this case the whole team most likely will receive a great review, including the employee who did not succeed. While the most common appraisal is an individual performance appraisal, companies see the benefit of using team power to complete assigned tasks. As this team-oriented change happens, having team performance evaluations on hand has given us an unfair advantage as we now have a baseline for future team performance evaluations. We know what works and what doesn’t, we know what to look for and what to avoid. We have the tools required at our disposal to ensure our team performance evaluations become flawless. Having said that these evaluations tools can easily be imprudent in a way that causes caos and frustration among team members. That is why it is important that my previous recommendation be taken seriously and implemented immediately. As for recognition, Individual performance evaluations are subject to bonuses, salary increases, and promotions. Team performace evaluations are trickier, but not impossible. If my recommendation is implemented, it becomes a lot easier as we then can include individual contribution to the teams success (or failure) rather than to the team as a whole. Imagine the conflict that would take place if a team failed to successfully accomplish a task because of one team member, and because of that team member they failed to receive recognition for their individual successes. SUMMARY ANALYSIS Performance appraisals: 1.Improves the development and overall performance improvement of the employee 2.Aligns employee performance with company strategy  3.Defines and aligns strategic planning for the employee to emulate (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) 4.Justifies legal action (termination) due to documentation, as well as promotions, bonuses, and raises. 5.Promotes a professional image Progression Planning 1.Needed for future stability 2.Removes fear, instability and uncertainty when leadership changes 3.Delivers our company mission and strategic priorities (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) 4.Investment is with our employees, and therefore with the guaranteed future of our company. Team Appraisals 1.Teams identify issues and initiate change for faster resolution (GOMEZ-MEJIA, 2010) 2.Increased productivity as less time is spent identifying an issue and a resolution implemented 3.Production progression is amplified 4.Teams are an investment as society and the environment dictate change 5.Teams are what make progression planning a success. We owe our stakeholders and ourselves to remain professional, profitable and ethical in our business and personal lives. It is only right to invest in those who invest in you, and that is what our company is dedicated itself to accomplish. Their investment in you guarantees their investment in the company’s future. It is a obligation we can accomplish using the proven tools provided†¦strong performance appraisals creating better employees, a progression plan with strong teams to ensure results and growth. Increased revenue is due to the tools we have in place; it is due to customer satisfaction, increased profit margins, employment gratification, and a riveting public image projecting International quality Works Cited AMISANO, C. (2012, OCTOBER 17). METHODS FOR EVALUATING EMPLOYEE & TEAM PERFORMANCES. Retrieved October 17, 2012 GOMEZ-MEJIA, L. (2010). MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES, SIXTH EDITION. INDIANAPOLIS: PRENTICE HALL. Levinson, H. (2003, January). Management by whose objectives. 81(1), pp. 107-116. Univeristy of California, B. (2012, October 24). Human Resources at University of California, Berkeley  © UC Regents. All rights reserved. Berkley, UC. Retrieved October 24, 2012, from Core Competencies and Behavioral Anchors: http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/files/attachments/behavioral-anchors-matrix-core-competencies.pdf