Bombardier Case free essay sample

The Problem Bombardier is the worldwide pioneer in business and territorial airplane producing and as of late has been improving their presentation. Their key target has consistently been to be worldwide pioneers in both their aviation and transportation divisions. Notwithstanding, there have been visit initiative changes since the broadening period finished in 1999, and numerous examiners and financial specialists have been addressing what their drawn out methodology in the avionic business is, particularly since the delay of the CSeries dispatch. Their provincial fly product offering is a worry with the maturing advancements of the CRJ and Q-Series models. What's more, the danger of the Chinese, Japanese and Russians entering the market is up and coming. It stays clear that Bombardier presently faces the test of having to deliberately survey its vital heading for the future so as to hold its upper hand in local fly market. Outer Analysis Bombardier is a piece of the Aerospace and transportation enterprises, yet the central business being referred to is the provincial airplane industry. We will compose a custom paper test on Bombardier Case or on the other hand any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page So as to direct an outside examination, Porter’s 5 Forces Model will be utilized. Danger of New Entrants: is moderate. On the off chance that the Chinese and Russian tasks don’t finish (since they would be the immediate contenders to the CRJ1000 and CSeries), it would be amazingly hard for different contenders to enter the market in light of the fact that the expenses related are moderately high. For instance, the underlying expense of Bombardier’s CSeries venture came to $100 million as of April 2007, and the assessed cost of the whole task is $2 billion (All figures are introduced in USD). Likewise, there are amazing firms set up in the business and for another firm to enter they would need to contend with firms as of now on the lower end of the expectation to absorb information (See Exhibit 1). Bartering Power of Suppliers: is moderate. There is no danger of providers bringing down quality on account of the exclusive expectations set by industry controllers. Notwithstanding, there is consistently danger of cost increments. There aren’t an immense number of providers in the business, and their parts are critical in the assembling procedure. Besides, Bombardier has incorporated innovations and parts with their providers that are explicit to their prerequisites. Thus, the exchanging expenses would be very high, and the accessibility of substitutes is nearly nil. Bartering Power of Buyers: is moderate to high. Passengers’ inclinations changed after some time from solace to low cost. Since the travelers are the end clients in this industry, aircraft organizations must address their issues. Thusly, traveler inclination is the central factor while picking which airplane to buy. The way that there are a few contending producers to look over adds to this force. Likewise, the exchanging costs are low since carrier organizations manage numerous producers paying little heed to what they have recently bought. What is significant for purchasers is to get airplane that will meet their customers’ needs and leave them with low working expenses. Danger of Substitute Products: is low. There are options in contrast to planes, for example, vehicles, prepares, and transports. Nonetheless, there is no substitution with regards to voyaging huge separations in brief timeframes. Contention Among Existing Competitors: is moderate to high. Bombardier’s fundamental rival in this industry is Embraer, anyway there are a few nations (China, Russia) endeavoring to enter the market. The extreme contention as of now exists among Bombardier and Embraer since they’ve both been presenting numerous new items over the previous decade. Likewise, the low overall revenues are a consequence of this exceptional rivalry. Besides, governments assume a significant job since they bolster their national makers to shield them from remote rivalry. Key Implications of Analysis Results: Currently, Bombardier is in a good position. They are the pioneers for business and local planes. However, the maturing innovation of the CRJ and Q arrangement models is an issue that should be tended to. Eco-friendliness is a major issue with the rising cost of oil and so as to keep up their upper hand, they have to grow new items that will make them the most vitality proficient and have the least working expenses. Concerning the eventual fate of the territorial stream advertise, the interest is moving towards airplanes with 100 to 150 seats and the worldwide market is moving toward BRIC nations. In this developing business sector, Bombardier should constantly be imaginative to remain in front of the potential rivalry originating from China and Russia. Inside Analysis The VRIN model has been chosen to assess the potential center skills (assets, capacities) Bombardier may have, bringing about an upper hand (see Exhibit 2). *Potential Core Competencies 1. Associations with makers of significant segments, providers of significant parts, and fix and upkeep organizations, bringing about key organizations. 2. Expanded arrangement of items in the Business Jets Segment and Regional Jets Segment. 27% and 51% piece of the overall industry deferentially (See Exhibit 3). 3. CRJ’s notoriety for being vitality proficient and the most well known territorial airplane arrangement ever. 4. Extraordinary plan and designing, bringing about tastefully engaging airplane with advertise driving eco-friendliness and low working expenses. 5. Efficiency and operational adequacy. For 2006, Bombardier Aerospace’s net benefit per worker was $24,444 contrasted with direct contender Embraer’s net benefit per representative which was $40,142 (See Exhibit 4). Vital Implication of Analysis Results: It is evident that their broadened portfolio, the CRJ notoriety, and one of a kind structure and designing of their airplanes are the variables that give Bombardier an upper hand over their rivals. This exhibits how Bombardier is one of a kind and how they separate themselves from their opposition. With the operational expenses being the fundamental factor for aircraft productivity, Bombardier holds a strong situation in the commercial center and it is these skills that will permit them to flourish. Notwithstanding, the relationship with their makers and providers, and their efficiency and operational adequacy bring about a serious hindrance and beneath normal returns. On the off chance that they are to support their upper hand, they should decrease their expense of incomes which is plainly harming their benefits (See Exhibit 4). Pushing Ahead Alternative 1 Proceed with the norm. That would mean dropping the CSeries undertaking and ontinuing to improve the CRJ model to in the long run include limit inside 100-150 seats. Bombardier would have the option to contend with its center skills of an enhanced portfolio, extraordinary notoriety of the CRJ, and their novel plan and building permitting them to be pioneers in vitality proficiency. Masters: * Save time and cash by not seekin g after the CSeries venture ($2 billion). * Allow them to put their assets in improving the CRJ model. * The CRJ is as of now the most famous local stream model in history and offering an airplane of 100-150 seats would address the future market requests. Cons: Lost time and cash previously put resources into the CSeries ($100 million). * Doesn’t address the key issue of the maturing innovations in the CRJ and Q-Series models. * Confusion of the drawn out system of the firm. * Not much development, not adjusting to change. Elective 2 Bombardier can additionally separate themselves by continuing with the CSeries venture to address a few issues of things to come. The CRJ1000 gives a quick answer for higher limit and solace at lower working expenses. The CSeries would be explicitly focused for the 100-150 seats market of territorial airplanes. Experts: Address the central issue of the maturing innovations in the CRJ and Q-Series models. * Set the drawn out technique and objectives of the firm, and give soundness to a firm that experts accept to have an obscured vision and key vulnerability. * Fill a hole in the commercial center by supplanting more established age planes of a similar limit and give more solace and effectiveness. * Meet the future needs of the market for local airplane which is moving towards airpl ane of 100-150 seats (See Exhibit 5). Cons: * Significant venture ($2 billion) required. * Uncertainty of market reaction to pristine line of territorial planes. Unexpected innovative issues may emerge (I. e. quality and after deal administration required) * Will it give great net revenues and fulfill investors and examiners desires? Last Recommendation (Best Alternative) The fate of the avionic business is evolving. Geologically on account of the developing markets in the BRIC nations, speaking to 35% of worldwide interest in 2005, and by class of airplane, in view of the expansion in short and mid-extend courses of territorial aircrafts. Moreover, carrier companies’ benefits are legitimately attached with working costs making cost-viability critical. The European Union set up the Emissions Trading Scheme starting in 2011, which will additionally expand the interest for eco-friendly airplanes. With the two choices introduced above, Bombardier would hold a preferred position over its rivals, all the more so in elective 2 with the dispatch of the CSeries (which would be the pioneer in eco-friendliness). So as to choose the best other option and answer for the issue, various different elements must be investigated. Right off the bat, the provincial stream product offering is a fundamental worry since the advancements of the CRJ and Q-Series models are maturing. With the interest for provincial airplane moving towards planes with a limit of 100 to 150

Vacant Chapter 9 Love Free Essays

The words are ringing in my ears: â€Å"I love you.† It happens to me I may have misheard. It’s the main conceivable clarification. We will compose a custom exposition test on Empty Chapter 9 Love or then again any comparable point just for you Request Now â€Å"So, you’re alright? Don’t tune in to those young ladies, Emily.† I’ll simply imagine those three little words aren’t lingering palpably †whether or not they were really said. â€Å"Ethan, did you hear what I just said?† What do I say? I have no clue how to move toward this, so I simply gaze at her wide-peered toward. After a couple of seconds, I feel warmth crawling up my thigh and understand its Emily’s hand. From the start, it’s an endeavor to stand out enough to be noticed, however as her hand climbs, I understand the goal isn't so guiltless. â€Å"We need to go. It’s time to go,† I state, unnatural, similar to Rain Man discussing his Kmart clothing. I hold the guiding wheel for dear life provided that I don’t, the vehicle and my life will go tilting into the void. I’ve invested this energy persuading myself that Emily and I would be nothing however companions. Realizing that she may feel the equivalent about me as I feel about her will convolute things, and I out of nowhere feel caught. It’s so tranquil as we drive, that I hear a little plinking that would go unnoticed something else, however as I close to the duplex, the sound the vehicle is making increments. I quickly wonder if it’s on the grounds that the plink is deteriorating or the calm is simply so extraordinary. I give careful consideration to discover the source of the plinking before putting such a large number of more miles on the vehicle. I ought to consider the lady sitting close to me and her ongoing statement rather than little pings, however I’m not†¦ I can’t. On the off chance that I do†¦ no. I can’t think. I’m not even sure how I arrive, yet I’m sitting in my bed, having a contention with myself. It’s nothing unexpected that I’m winning. â€Å"She disclosed to you she cherishes you.† â€Å"She says she wants to cook. She adores heaps of things.† â€Å"She’s in there and you’re in here.† â€Å"You truly need to clean the roof fan blades.† I can’t help yet feign exacerbation at myself. At the point when I at long last leave my room, the loft is dull and calm. Emily is snoozing on the lounge chair with a tight hold on the covers. Much to her dismay she’s grasping at my heart a similar way. The journal as an afterthought table gets my attention, and I can’t help however sneak. As I close to it, I see there are a few wads of paper flung over the floor †disposed of in light of the fact that they weren’t great. The top piece, despite everything sticking to life in its winding ties, is perfect. Dear Ethan †Plunking down to compose this, I’ve never felt more like a little youngster than I do well at this point. For as far back as two years, I’ve took a gander at you consistently with the expectation that some time or another †you’d feel for me, what I feel for you. However, presently I see that we see various things with respect to our relationship. Possibly it could be arranged on my part as legend love, yet I’d like to think I’m more brilliant than that. I think I know the contrast among fixation and love. I know there is a distinction in our ages, however what difference does it make? My heart has no clue how old your heart is. I simply realize that in the event that I don’t let you know, it will putrefy inside me, and I’ll die in some horrible, nightmarish way. I’ve just at any point cherished my mother and never truly comprehended what it resembled to think about someone else until I met you. I didn’t become hopelessly enamored with you that first day, yet after numerous long periods of figuring out how to value your consideration and concern, I could perceive how kind your spirit †your entire being is. That’s when I knew another sort of affection existed. It isn’t the kind of adoration between relatives, or a pound, yet a genuine affection that is unqualified and enduring, an affection that I can not stow away anymore. I know you presumably don’t return these emotions, however I couldn’t go one more second without you knowing. I comprehend on the off chance that it makes you awkward, and I’ll discover somewhere else to live in the event that you feel like we can never again be companions. Love consistently, Emily I firmly grasp the scratch pad page in my grasp. How might she do this to me? Doesn’t she know what she’s done? No†¦ it’s not right. Not at the present time, and with no further contemplations, I’m out the entryway. The most effective method to refer to Vacant Chapter 9 Love, Essay models

How to Write a Technical Paper Successfully

How to Write a Technical Paper Successfully How to Write a Technical Paper Home›Education Posts›How to Write a Technical Paper Education PostsIt is crucial to be aware on how to write a technical paper since white papers are essential if you study Business, Marketing, and Sales. Working on a white paper is a tough and time-consuming process that usually requires much effort. At the same time, when writing white papers, you can master your technical and engineering skills as well as improve your writing fluency. Moreover, white papers are effective when you want to provide information about the product or service you are writing about.How to Write a Technical Paper: Tips for Effective WritingIf you are not fully aware of how to work on white papers, you can definitely contact our custom writing company for help. We have a department of writers who specialize in white paper writing, so they can provide high-quality help for you and assure that you achieve success in your writing assignments. If you hesitate whether you need expert writing help from us or whether our writers can provide the type of help you need, you can download a free paper sample from our website and get started. On the whole, if you read the article provided below, you will not only learn where to get a premium-quality white paper, how to write a technical paper, and how to write a white paper but you will also know the strategies for the pre-writing process, which are even more important than the very writing strategies.Check out how to write a technical white paper in six steps:Identify the core aims of white paper writing and stick to the deadlinesThe way you plan work on white paper writing and the way you manage your time has a strong impact on the overall process of writing and its organization. Therefore, keep in mind that you will need some fundamental plan. First of all, you need to discuss the product with the team, get to know the tools or strategies you will use, make sure you know the product or service you will sell a nd make sure that you have a team that will cooperate together to achieve the same aim.As such, the plan, or an outline, should include the following details:a rough idea of the product and the main objectives of the paper;the deadline of completion;delegation of responsibility concerning the paper design and content writing.Take into account your target audience and their interestsWhen you have a task to write a white paper, you should definitely investigate your target audience and explore their main interests. Your topic may be really interesting and novel but if it does not match the needs of your target audience, the paper will not be a success. There is nothing more important when working on a white paper than taking into consideration interests of the target audience since your white paper should have a recipient. The description of a product or a service that you provide may have an impact on the decisions of your target audience. As such, try to adjust the description to wh at particularly interests your potential clients. Try to provide clear and detailed information concerning the benefits of your product, what it offers, etc.Carry out background research before starting to writeThis strategy can be applied to any type of paper writing. When you have a clear plan in your mind, the easier it will be to go through the very writing process. Sometimes, it is required to conduct some research on the technological sphere in order to be able to provide a comprehensive discussion of specific products or services. Moreover, background research is essential if you want to use appropriate technical jargon and terms. After you have jotted down the most important information and have gathered enough evidence, it is high time to provide a synopsis.Work on your synopsisIn the process of writing a white paper, you need to spend much time on the research process and writing your synopses. Sometimes, this pre-writing process may take up more time than the actual proce ss of writing the very paper. Still, planning is our everything. With the help of proper planning, you can manage your working process and maintain focus throughout all steps of writing. In other words, if you have a plan, the whole writing process will be easier. Planning and synopsis writing will help you formulate your ideas in a quicker and more effective way. Therefore, synopses are really important.Devise your paper outlineOne of the keys in how to write a technical white paper in an effective way is to compose your outline. As a rule, white papers are long, so outlines will come in handy here as in the other types of writing. All in all, the outline you use here can be virtually the same as for the ordinary essay. Here you might want to make it more detailed and extended but the main principles of composing an outline are the same.To make the outline effective, make sure to include the following constituents:A working title or the headline. It should reflect the main idea of your writing and should perfectly describe your paper topic.An executive summary. This is a brief overview of the paper, which is usually 150-250 words in length. Mainly, it should emphasize the topic significance and the overall aim you want to achieve.Introduction. Here you need to mention a few main point you will elaborate further in the body. Subheadings of the body sections. You need to clearly present what the body of the paper will focus on. Use bullet points if you want to provide information what each paragraph will include.Include breakout boxes. Sidebars can be used for including additional graphs, tables with data, statistics, etc. (any additional information or visuals depending on the topic).Conclusion. Provide a summary of the key points. If needed, provide a call to action.StructureThe widely accepted structure is the following:introductory paragraph;problem statement;solution to the problem;call to action/ conclusive statement.There is no generally accepted strateg y on how to write a technical paper and include all of the aforementioned sections in it but our company`s professionals recommend that the problem discussion and the solutions presented to it should be discussed in approximately 1/3 part of the report. As s rule, to make the process of writing more fluent, coherent, and smooth, it is recommended to write the introductory and conclusive paragraph at the end.General Guidelines on Successful Writing:Be clear and direct in what you write. Do not use lengthy sentences and flowery statements.Use the acronyms, terms, and professional jargon consistently.When discussing your own method, focus on its strengths and try to pinpoint to in what way exactly your chosen method is better than the others.Provide a clear discussion of you findings, solutions, experiments, provide a brief conclusion.Put a specific emphasis on what you are recommending, proposing, etc.Use only credible and trustworthy sources as your evidence.

Aardvark Fast Facts

Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) are known by several common names including antbears and anteaters; they are native to sub-Saharan Africa. The name aardvark is Afrikaans  (a daughter language of Dutch) for earth pig. Despite these common names, aardvarks are not closely related to bears, pigs, or anteaters. Instead, they occupy their own distinct order: Tubulidentata. Fast Facts: Aardvark Scientific Name: Orycteropus aferCommon Names: Aardvark, antbear, anteater, Cape anteaters, earth pigBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: Up to 6.5 feet long, 2 feet at shoulder heightWeight: 110–175 poundsLifespan: 10 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat: Sub-saharan AfricaPopulation: Not quantifiedConservation Status: Least Concern Description Aardvarks are medium-sized mammals (weighing 110–175 pounds and up to 6.5 feet long) with a bulky body, arched back, medium-length legs, long ears (resembling those of a donkey), a long snout, and a thick tail. They have a sparse coat of coarse grayish brown fur covering their body. Aardvarks have four toes on their front feet and five toes on their rear feet. Each toe has a flat, sturdy nail that they use for digging burrows and tearing into insect nests in search of food. Aardvarks have very thick skin which provides them protection from insect bites and even the bites of predators. Their teeth lack enamel and, as a result, wear down and must regrow continuously—the teeth are tubular and hexagonal in cross-section. Aardvarks have small eyes and their retina only contains rods (this means they are color-blind). Like many nocturnal animals, aardvarks have a keen sense of smell and very good hearing. Their front claws are especially robust, enabling them to dig burrows and break open termite nests with ease. Their long, serpentine tongue (10–12 inches) is sticky and can gather up ants and termites with great efficiency. The classification of the aardvark was controversial at one time. Aardvarks were formerly classified in the same group as  armadillos, sloths, and anteaters. Today, genetic studies have shown that the aardvark is classified in the order called the Tubulidentata (tube-toothed), and the family Orycteropodidae: They are the only animal in either order or family. Shongololo90/Getty Images   Habitat and Range Aardvarks inhabit a variety of habitats including savannas, shrublands, grasslands, and woodlands. Although they once lived in Europe and Asia, today their range extends throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, every ecosystem except marshes, deserts, and very rock terrains. Bridgena_Barnard/Getty Images   Diet and Behavior Aardvarks forage at night, covering extensive distances (as much as 6 miles per night) in search of food. To find food, they swing their noses from side to side over the ground, trying to detect their prey by scent. They feed almost exclusively on termites and ants and can consume up to 50,000 insects in a single night. They occasionally supplement their diet by feeding on other insects, plant material or the occasional small mammal. Solitary, nocturnal mammals, aardvarks spend the daylight hours safely tucked away inside their borrows and emerge to feed during the late afternoon or early evening. Aardvarks are extraordinarily fast diggers and can excavate a hole 2 feet deep in less than 30 seconds. The main predators of aardvarks include lions, leopards, and pythons. Aardvarks dig three types of burrows in their ranges: relatively shallow foraging burrows, larger temporary shelters to hide from predators and more complex burrows for permanent residence. They share their permanent residences with other creatures but not other aardvarks. Investigation of the residential burrows has shown that compared to the surrounding soil, soil inside the burrow is cooler (between 4 and 18 degrees F cooler depending on the time of day), and moister. The differences remained the same no matter how old the burrow was, leading researchers to name the aardvark an ecological engineer. Reproduction and Offspring Aardvarks reproduce sexually and form pairs only for a short time during the breeding season. Females give birth to one or rarely two cubs after a gestation period of 7–8 months. In northern Africa, Aardvarks give birth from October to November; in the south, from May and July. The young are born with their eyes open. The mother nurses the young until they are 3 months old when they start eating insects. They become independent of their mothers at six months and venture off to find their own territory. Aardvarks become sexually mature at two to three years of age and have lifespans in the wild of about 18 years. Evolutionary History Aardvarks are considered to be living fossils due to their ancient, highly conserved genetic make-up. Scientists believe that todays aardvarks represent one of the most ancient lineages among the placental mammals (Eutheria). Aardvarks are considered to be a primitive form of hoofed mammal, not because of any obvious similarities but instead due to subtle characteristics of their brain, teeth, and musculature. The closest living relatives to the aardvarks include  elephants, hyraxes,  dugongs, manatees, elephant shrews, golden moles, and tenrecs. Together, these mammals form a group known as the Afrotheria. Conservation Status Aardvarks once existed in Europe and Asia but are now only found in sub-Saharan Africa. Their populations are unknown but they are classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and not listed as threatened at all by the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System. Major identified threats to the aardvark are habitat loss through agriculture, and human and trapping for bush meat. The skin, claws, and teeth are used to make bracelets, charms and curious and some medicinal purposes.  Ã‚   Sources Buss, Peter E., and Leith C. R. Meyer. Chapter 52: Tubulidentata (Aardvark). Fowlers Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, Volume 8. Eds. Miller, R. Eric and Murray E. Fowler. St. Louis: W.B. Saunders, 2015. 514–16. Print.Gozdziewska-Harlajczuk, Karolina, Joanna Kleckowska-Nawrot, and Karolina Barszcz. Macroscopic and Microscopic Study of the Tongue of the Aardvark (Orycteropus Afer, Orycteropodidae). Tissue and Cell 54 (2018): 127–38. Print.Haussmann, Natalie S., et al. Ecosystem Engineering through Aardvark (Orycteropus Afer) Burrowing: Mechanisms and Effects. Ecological Engineering 118 (2018): 66–72. Print.Ratzloff, Elizabeth. Orycteropus afer (aardvark). Animal Diversity Web, 2011.  Taylor, W. A., P. A. Lindsey, and J. D. Skinner. The Feeding Ecology of the Aardvark Orycteropus Afer. Journal of Arid Environments 50.1 (2002): 135–52. Print.Taylor, A. and T. Lehmann. Orycteropus afer. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T41504A21286437, 2015.

The History of Cheesecake and Cream Cheese

According to anthropologists who have found cheese molds dating back to that period, cheese making can be traced back as far as 2,000 B.C. Cheesecake, however, is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. In fact, a form of cheesecake may have been served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 B.C. to give them energy. Greek brides of the era also cooked and served cheesecake to their wedding guests. In The Oxford Companion to Food, editor Alan Davidson notes that cheesecake was mentioned in Marcus Porcius Catos De re Rustica around 200 BCE and that Cato described making his cheese libum (cake) with results very similar to modern cheesecake. The Romans spread the tradition of cheesecake from Greece across Europe. Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America, with a variety of regional recipes brought over by immigrants. Cream Cheese When Americans think of cheesecake now, its most often associated with a product that has a cream cheese base. Cream cheese was invented in 1872 by American dairyman William Lawrence of Chester, New York, who accidentally stumbled on a method of producing cream cheese while trying to reproduce a French cheese called Neufchà ¢tel. In 1880, Lawrence began distributing his cream cheese in foil wrappers under the auspices of the Empire Cheese Company of South Edmeston, New York, where he manufactured the product. However, you might know it better by the more famous name Lawrence came up with for his not Neufchà ¢tel—Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese. In 1903, the Phoenix Cheese Company bought Lawrences business—and with it, the Philadelphia trademark. In 1928, the brand was bought by the Kraft Cheese Company. James L. Kraft invented pasteurized cheese in 1912, which led to the development of pasteurized Philadelphia Brand cream cheese, currently the most popular cheese used for cheesecake making. Kraft Foods still owns and produces Philadelphia Cream Cheese today. Fast Facts: Cheesecake Favorites Traditional Greek Cheesecake—Most â€Å"traditional† Greek cheesecake is made using ricotta cheese, however, for the real deal, try to find authentic unsalted  anthotyros or myzirtha cheeses which are made with either goat’s or sheep’s milk. Greek cheesecake is usually sweetened with honey. Some recipes incorporate flour directly into the cheese/honey mixture prior to baking, while others employ a crust.Cream Cheese Cheesecake—The cheesecake most Americans grew up with is one or another version of a cream cheese cheesecake. At the bottom of such cheesecakes, you’ll usually find a crust made of crushed Graham crackers or other cookies (Oreos are a top choice for chocolate cheesecakes) that have been blended with butter and tamped into the bottom of a pan or mold. Cheesecakes that rely on a custard base must be baked. (The original New York Cheesecake that hails from Juniors on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn is a baked cheesecake.) However, ther e are scads of recipes that use a blend of other rich ingredients—such as sour cream, Greek yogurt, or heavy cream—that firm up in the refrigerator to create a â€Å"no-bake cheesecake.† Cheesecake is Technically Pie, Not Cake While its called cheesecake because cheesecake is generally unleavened and usually has a crust—whether that crust is baked or not—its is really a form of pie. Most baked cheesecakes use a custard base for filling comprised of milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla or other flavorings. The standard cheesecake recipe has the addition of cream cheese but allows for variations in the type of crust, other flavorings, such as chocolate, and a variety of toppings that range from fruit to nuts to candy. Another misconception about cheesecake is that it has to be sweet. The French classic, quiche, is for all intents and purposes a savory cheesecake. You can find any number of recipes for savory cheese pies from countries across Europe and throughout the United States.

Vampire Academy Chapter 2 Free Essays

TWO MY HATRED NOTWITHSTANDING, I HAD to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart. After they’d carted us off to the airport to and onto the Academy’s private jet, he’d taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated. â€Å"Don’t let them talk to each other,† he warned the guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. We will write a custom essay sample on Vampire Academy Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Five minutes together, and they’ll come up with an escape plan.† I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle. Never mind the fact we had been planning escape. As it was, things didn’t look good for our heroes – or heroines, rather. Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians, we’d sort of have a problem in getting off the plane. I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, but in the unlikely event I’d be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we’d probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. No, we weren’t getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana. I’d have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy’s magical wards and ten times as many guardians. Yeah. No problem. Although Lissa sat at the front with the Russian guy, her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern for her cut into my fury. They couldn’t take her back there, not to that place. I wondered if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he knew what I knew. Probably not. He didn’t care. As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat – in her skin even. It happened sometimes, and without much warning, she’d pull me right into her head. Dimitri’s tall frame sat beside me, and my hand – her hand – gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick up something, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: molnija marks. They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in an X symbol. One for each Strigoi he’d killed. Above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark. Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace. I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa’s emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn’t tell her when it happened. Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could. Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded places with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turned away, staring out the window absentmindedly Several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, â€Å"Were you really going to attack all of us?† I didn’t answer. â€Å"Doing that? ­protecting her like that – it was very brave.† He paused. â€Å"Stupid, but still brave. Why did you even try it?† I glanced over at him, brushing my hair out of my face so I could look him levelly in the eye. â€Å"Because I’m her guardian.† I turned back toward the window. After another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet. When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren’t Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree. After a minute, they let us pass on through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset – the start of the vampiric day – and the campus lay wrapped in shadows. It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic. The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them. This school wasn’t as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The buildings boasted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. After living on a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school. We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. We were going toward the upper school’s quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west. Around all the campuses was space, space, and more space. We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance. As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri. â€Å"Hey, Comrade.† He kept walking and wouldn’t look at me. â€Å"You want to talk now? â€Å"Are you taking us to Kirova?† â€Å"Headmistress Kirova,† he corrected. On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, Don’t start something. â€Å"Headmistress. Whatever. She’s still a self-righteous old bit – â€Å" My words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors-straight into the commons. I sighed. Were these people really so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova’s office, and they were taking us right through the center of the commons. And it was breakfast time. Novice guardians – dhampirs like me – and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy’s attention. When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swiveled toward us. I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to get a sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn’t seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy’s royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa’s gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and na?ve as before. And on the other side of the room? ­well, that was interesting. Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron, who’d no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever – maybe more so now – with those same golden looks that complemented hers so well. His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she’d gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do. But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven but had to be older, unless he’d become a pedophile during our absence. With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me. What the hell was that all about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I’d be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that. Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting – Headmistress Kirova’s office – didn’t really improve things. The old hag looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture. I knew her well because I’d spent a lot of time in her office. Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school’s guardians, and Dimitri stayed. They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required. Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session. A deep, gentle voice stopped her. â€Å"Vasilisa.† Startled, I realized there was someone else in the room. I hadn’t noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one. With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. Prince Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body. â€Å"Uncle,† she whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip. With a small smile, he gently patted her back. â€Å"You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa.† He looked toward me. â€Å"And you too, Rose.† I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He’d been sick when we left, but this – this was horrible. He was Natalie’s father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age. Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn’t seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king. Although not technically her uncle – the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals – Victor was a close friend of Lissa’s family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here. Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat. Time for the lecture. It was a good one – one of Kirova’s best, which was saying something. She was a master at them. I swear that was the only reason she’d gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually liking kids. The rant covered the usual topics: responsibility reckless behavior, self-centeredness? ­Bleh. I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping through the window in her office. But when the tirade shifted to me – well, that was when I tuned back in. â€Å"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it.† â€Å"Rose didn’t kidnap me.† Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings. â€Å"I wanted to go. Don’t blame her.† Ms. Kirova tsked at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back. â€Å"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn’t carry it out. If she’d done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she’d done her duty, she would have kept you safe.† I snapped. â€Å"I did do my duty!† I shouted, jumping up from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn’t trying to hit anyone. Yet. â€Å"I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you† – I made a sweeping gesture around the room – â€Å"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren’t going to.† Through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, again urging me not to let anger get the best of me. Too late. Kirova stared at me, her face blank. â€Å"Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there’s something you aren’t telling us?† I bit my lip. â€Å"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left – aside from the novelty of it, no doubt – was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance.† â€Å"No, that’s not – â€Å" â€Å"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible.† My cockiness dried up. â€Å"I? ­what?† Lissa stood up beside me. â€Å"You can’t do that! She’s my guardian.† â€Å"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn’t even a guardian at all. She’s still a novice.† â€Å"But my parents – â€Å" â€Å"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn’t deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave.† I stared at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. â€Å"Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you’ll send me off to my father?† Her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognized it. â€Å"Or maybe you’re going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we’ll be gone by the end of the day.† â€Å"Miss Hathaway,† she hissed, â€Å"you are out of line.† â€Å"They have a bond.† Dimitri’s low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him. I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn’t. His presence was way too powerful to ignore. He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his. He looked at me, not Lissa, his dark eyes staring straight through me. â€Å"Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don’t you?† I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. â€Å"No? ­that’s impossible. That hasn’t happened in centuries.† â€Å"It’s obvious,† he said. â€Å"I suspected as soon as I started watching them.† Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his. â€Å"That is a gift,† murmured Victor from his corner. â€Å"A rare and wonderful thing.† â€Å"The best guardians always had that bond,† added Dimitri. â€Å"In the stories.† Kirova’s outrage returned. â€Å"Stories that are centuries old,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Surely you aren’t suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she’s done?† He shrugged. â€Å"She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential – â€Å" â€Å"Wild and disrespectful?† I interrupted. â€Å"Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?† â€Å"Guardian Belikov is the princess’s guardian now,† said Kirova. â€Å"Her sanctioned guardian.† â€Å"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?† That was pretty mean of me to say – particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent – but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn’t like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign-born. My dhampir mother was Scottish – red-haired, with a ridiculous accent – and I’d been told my Moroi dad was Turkish. That genetic combination had given me skin the same color as the inside of an almond, along with what I liked to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features: big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn’t have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get. Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. â€Å"You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can’t make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian.† â€Å"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again.† â€Å"Impossible. She’ll still be hopelessly behind her peers.† â€Å"No, I won’t,† I argued. No one listened to me. â€Å"Then give her extra training sessions,† he said. They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickle of hope. â€Å"Who’s going to put in the extra time?† demanded Kirova. â€Å"You?† Dimitri’s argument came to an abrupt stop. â€Å"Well, that’s not what I – â€Å" Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. â€Å"Yes. That’s what I thought.† Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flicked toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big, pleading eyes? Or two runaways who’d broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa’s inheritance? â€Å"Yes,† he said finally. â€Å"I can mentor Rose. I’ll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones.† â€Å"And then what?† retorted Kirova angrily. â€Å"She goes unpunished?† â€Å"Find some other way to punish her,† answered Dimitri. â€Å"Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular.† His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about â€Å"blood whores.† Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore. Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner. â€Å"I’m inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent.† Ms. Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the Academy’s nocturnal schedule, morning and afternoon were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light. When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. â€Å"Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay.† Oh, Lissa, I thought. Be careful. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous – particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realize what was happening. I don’t even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed. â€Å"If Miss Hathaway stays, here’s how it will be.† She turned to me. â€Å"Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir’s is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you’re gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have – before and after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent? ­away.† I gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?† I nodded toward Lissa. â€Å"Afraid we’ll run away again?† â€Å"I’m taking precautions. As I’m sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for.† Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. â€Å"You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don’t let your attitude endanger it.† I started to say it wasn’t generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri’s gaze. It was hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn’t know. Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress. â€Å"Fine. I accept.† How to cite Vampire Academy Chapter 2, Essay examples

History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases free essay sample

Transmitted Diseases, or commonly known as STDs, are the most common diseases known to man and it is one of the largest growing issues not only in the United States of America but around the globe. Sexually transmitted diseases are primarily spread through sexual contact from individual to individual, whether it is oral, vaginal, or anal sex. It can also be passed on by skin to skin contact such as through skin lesions, sores, sharing needles, or even by wearing the same clothing or lying in the same bedding as the individual who might have it. There are two different types of STDs, viral or viruses which are non-living and need a host to survive, this group includes Herpes and AIDS. Another type of STD is bacterial, with examples such as Chlamydia, Syphillis, and Gonorrhea. In this essay, I will be exploring the history of these sexually transmitted diseases. Herpes Cases of Herpes had been documented as early as in fact, the name Herpes was taken from the ancient Greek language. Hippocrates is known to have described the cutaneous spreading of herpes simplex lesions and scholars of Greek civilization define thegreek word herpes to mean to creep or crawl in reference the spreading nature of the herpetic skin lesions. † (Siegel, 2007) Although Herpes virus was identified in 1919, early civilizations realized that it was a real problem to society ancient Roman Emperor Tiberius introduced a ban on kissing at public events to try and curb the spread. Even British playwright William Shakespear wrote about the disease. In Romeo and Juliet, he writes Queen Mab to say Oer ladies lips, who straight on kisses dream, which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. One common belief in the ancient times was that the disease was caused by insect bites, which seems like an obvious explanation given the sores that the Herpes virus creates. Not much is known about early attempts to treat the disease, but physician Celsus experimental phase: he advocated that the sores be cauterised with a hot iron. It was not until 1893 when Vidal recognized that human transmission of Herpes was from one individual to another. And in 1919, Lowenstein confirmed experimentally the infectious nature of HSV. Before this time, people were unsure that herpes was a virus – in fact, many considered it to be like other common skin conditions, such as eczema, which cannot be transmitted. In the 1920s and 1930s, the natural history of HSV was widely studied and it was found that HSV not only infects the skin, but also the central nervous system. Herpes is certainly not just a modern phenomenon, it has been around for a while and unfortunately, unless a cure is found, it will continue to exist. Syphilis How syphilis was passed to nearly every corner of the globe is a trek that is still hotly debated today. It seems that nobody can agree on when and where this tiny bacteria began to dig out its own niche in human history. For centuries, many scholars and physicians tried to convince an audience that syphilis originated in either the Old World, the New World, or in both places independently. They have concluded that there are two major theories on the origin of syphilis, the â€Å"pre-Columbian theory†, and the â€Å"Columbian Exchange theory†. It is generally agreed upon by historians and anthropologists that syphilis was present among the indigenous peoples of the Americas before Europeans discovered the New World. However, whether strains of syphilis were present in the entire world for millennia, or if the disease was confined to the Americas in the pre-Columbian era, is debated. Many scholars believe syphilis was a New World disease brought back by Christopher Columbus. â€Å" In the work Tractado contra el mal serpentino written in 1510 and published in 1539, Ruy Diaz de Isla refers to have cured, during the travel of return in Europe, many members of the shipment of Columbus, ffections from certain luetic manifestations and thinks the new disease was imported from Hispaniola† (Di Cicco, 2008) The rapidly spreading disease was given several names, such as the â€Å"French disease,† after invading French soldiers either brought the infection to Italy or caught it from the Spanish mercenaries who fought along side them. The modern name was coined in 1530 by the Italian physician and writer Girolamo Fracastoro, who made poetic reference to a mythic Greek shepherd, Syphilus, who was cursed by the god Apollo with a dread disease. The â€Å"pre-Columbian theory† claims that syphilis was present in Europe before the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus. Scholars from the 1700-1800’s believed the symptoms described by Hippocrates in Classical Greece were Syphilis in its tertiary form. There have been skeletal findings in Europe where the remnants seem to be damaged by syphilis though interpretation of this evidence has been disputed. â€Å"There are other suspected syphilis findings for pre-contact Europe, including at a 13–14th century Augustinian friary in the northeastern English port of Kingston upon Hull. This citys maritime history, with its continual arrival of sailors from distant places, is thought to have been a key factor in the transmission of syphilis. † (Keys, 2000) Although folklore claimed that syphilis was unknown in Europe until the return of the diseased sailors of the Columbian voyages, Mercury was the remedy of choice for syphilis in pre-industrial Europe the understanding of the sexually transmitted diseases routes and this treatment gave birth to the expression: A night in the arms of Venus leads to a lifetime on Mercury. As syphilis became better understood, the ability to cure it increased. In 1908, the arsenic based drug Salvarsan was developed and, while not 100% effective, was a massive step forward. Its lack of effectiveness in the tertiary phase led to malaria being used as a cure, since it seemed that those with high fevers could be cured of syphilis, malaria was used to induce an initial fever, which was considered an acceptable risk because malaria could be treated with quinine. Penicillin eventually confined both these treatments to syphilis history. Gonnorhea The etymology of gonorrhea comes from the Greek words gono† which means seed and rrhea meaning to flow. This can be attributed to the flow of discharge from the penis caused by gonorrhea in men, and confusing this discharge of puss with semen. With the confusion, Gonorrhea was often mistaken for Syphilis in the Middle Ages, as without a microscope, the two had very similar symptoms. Of course, if one was diagnosed with Gonorrhea, one would be treated with Mercury or have the affected region causterized. â€Å"John Hunter championed its treatment with mercury and cauterization. He included his findings in his Treatise on the Venereal Disease, first issued in 1786. (Hoffman, 1818) Because of Hunter’s reputation, knowledge concerning the true nature of gonorrhea and syphilis was retarded, and it was not until many years later that his theory was proved to be wrong. It was not until 1879 when Albert Neisser discovered the cause of gonorrhea is a micro-organism. â€Å"After much laboratory work by many investigators, Albert Neisser on July 12, 1879, described a micrococcus that he stated was the cause of gonorrhea†¦ He later demonstrated these micrococci was without a doubt a separate disease (from syphilis) and was caused by the gonococcus. While continental bacteriologists in numbers speedily published reports confirming the observations by Neisser, it was not for several years after the event until progress was made in America. By the 19th century, silver nitrate was a widely used drug. Colloidal silver replaced silver nitrate, and was widely used until penicillin came to the rescue in the 1944. HIV/AIDS AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired means that the disease is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with a disease-causing agent (in this case, HIV). Immunodeficiency means that the disease is characterized by a weakening of the immune system. Syndrome refers to a group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease. In the case of AIDS this can include the development of certain infections and/or cancers, as well as a decrease in the number of certain cells in a persons immune system. Although many believe that AIDS has been around since as early as 1959 the first recorded case was in 1981. There was a lot of confusion on what the real deal with it was. People didnt have much of a grasp on where it came from, the effects on the persons body that it caused, how it was transmitted to others, and if in fact there was any possible way to cure the deadly disease. The dominant feature of this first period was silence, for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was unknown and transmission was not accompanied by signs or symptoms salient enough to be noticed. While rare, sporadic case reports of AIDS and sero-archaeological studies have documented human infections with HIV prior to 1970, available data suggest that the current pandemic started in the mid- to late 1970s. By 1980, HIV had spread to at least five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Australia). During this period of silence, spread was unchecked by awareness or any preventive action and approximately 100,000-300,000 persons may have been infected. (Mann, 1989) Given the evidence we have already looked at, it seems highly likely that Africa was indeed the continent where the transfer of HIV to humans first occurred. Researchers concluded that the chimpanzees found in West Africa were highly likely the origin of the pandemic.

deforestation Essays (128 words) - Environmental Issues,

There are a number of adverse effects of deforestation. Firstly, Erosion of soil is a great effect. When forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it very dry and eventually, infertile, due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. In addition, when there is rainfall, it washes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rainwater into waterways. Because of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients. Ultimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming useless. Large tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion.

Selection Training of Pran Essays

Selection Training of Pran Essays Selection Training of Pran Essay Selection Training of Pran Essay Executive Summary Selection is a key component in the acquisition of human resources. Without a reliable and effective selection mechanism, a business can never flourish, especially in the present world of market economy, which is fiercely competitive. Big multinational corporate houses try to recruit the best people in order to continue their dominance in the market. In such circumstances, local firms should also be concerned and put their best to select best available persons Training is another component of human resource management, which needs special attention. Selecting the potential candidates will not serve the purpose until they are grouped up appropriately to meet the requirements of the job . At present many sophisticated techniques are Selection Training available for providing training to employees. But unfortunately, in Bangladesh, traditional techniques, whose affectivity is relatively lower, are mostly used . There are ample scopes in most of the local organization to enhance the performance level of employees by adequate and effective training programs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is my pleasure to acknowledge the effort of the report of â€Å"Selection and Training process in PRAN Group† and lecturer’s, students and other personnel for supporting such a nice program, from which I have earned a wonderful experience. I would like to thank my honorable advisor and course coordinator Ms. Farzana Elahi Asian University of Bangladesh , for providing proper guidance and help to complete the research project. I would also like to acknowledge the following personnel and classmates for helping me to make report in several ways. Iqbal Hossain (Manager, HRD PRAN Group) Mamunur Rashid (GM, PRAN Group) 1. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: To study the selection process and selection devices used in PRAN group. To study the training programs and methods used in PRAN Group. To evaluate the selection process and training programs of PRAN Group. To coordinate the theories of selection and training in a real life Situation. To coordinate the scope of improvement in the selection and training of PRAN Group. 2 Methodologies Reviewing the theory of selection and Recruitment Selection of the organization to be studied. Determining the variables required. Developing a questionnaire on the basis of required information. Interviewing the personnel orally and with the questionnaire. Studying the supplied materials by the organization. Analyzing the collected materials and information. Correlating the analyzed information with theory. Assessing the overall selection and training procedures in PRAN Group. 3 Limitations of the study It was often difficult to correlate theory with practice as the selection and training processes of PRAN Group, which is not very well defined and systematic. Due to secrecy of business strategy, the authority of PRAN GROUP did not disclose much in-depth information regarding organization. Corporate executives usually remain very busy. It is difficult to get adequate time from them. More importantly, sometimes they expressed once, which was embarrassing for the authors. 1 History of PRAN PRAN is the brand name of Agricultural Marketing Co. Ltd. (AMCL). It was launched in 1983 as an agricultural business. The company was established to serve diverse purposes like serving small farmers with inputs, marketing farm products, organizing contract growers to grow specific crops and exporting of agricultural products. PRAN stands for 11 â€Å"Program for Rural Advancement Nationally†. The Mission of the company is to generate employment opportunity and to earn dignity and self-respect for their compatriots. The objective of the company is to achieve social values with sustainable pecuniary advantage. The company is very much vertically integrated that starts from the mango cultivation up to the finished products in different forms. The company makes available farm inputs at the farmers doorstep. They go for cultivation and processing of hybrid tomato, baby corn and mango through contract farmers on commercial scale. PRAN has latest technology that can produce pineapple round the year. PRAN also introduced tissue culturing, cultivation, processing, canning and dehydration of the mushrooms on commercial basis. In the factory it has food processing plant and pulping plant, which supply the ingredients for the main plant. Unlike other companies who are importing raw materials from other countries, PRAN is basically trying to help the farmer community of Bangladesh. Country can be proud to have PRAN because it is made from our mango and sugar. AMCL set up its bottling and canning factory on 8 acres of land in May 1991. Over the years the factory has expanded substantially in all spheres of food processing such bottling, canning, pulping, pickling, concentrating, dehydrating as well as installation of Bangladeshs first tetra pack facility for juices and modem extrusion plant for snack food. Machinery for all these lines are being installed, expanded, modified and fabricated continuously. PRAN became very successful competing with strong multinational companies like Coke, Pepsi, and big companies from different parts of the world from very beginning. It has a strong distribution channel, which helped the company to become successful in the beverage industry. One other important factor that is needed to sustain in this business is to have a very strong market. Though Bangladesh is a highly populated country with 120 million people, there are very few people who can afford to have a quality product like PRAN. If market grows and over all macro economic condition improves then companies like PRAN can sell high volumes. For the development of beverage industry three things are needed. One is company like PRAN should come with quality products, good distribution network and important thing is increasing the income level of people to afford quality products. 2 Subsidiary Enterprises PRAN Group is one of the fastest growing corporate houses in the country. It has got quit good number of subsidiary enterprises, which includes: Property Development Ltd. (PDL): This is the oldest enterprise of PRAN Group. The Group was established on the profit made by PDL. This enterprise is one of the pioneers in apartment business in Dhaka. Property Lifts: It is a new enterprise of PRAN Group. It imports elevators and other accessories to meet the growing demand of modern lifts and escalators. Rangpur Foundry Ltd. (RFL): This is an established engineering enterprise, which focuses to meet the demand of rural community of Bangladesh. A tube well made by RFL is most prominent in the country. Agricultural Marketing Co Ltd. (AMCL): AMCL was started as a fruit processing enterprise. Gradually, other sectors of food industry (e. g. Chips, mineral water, Tomato Ketchup etc. ) were also incorporated in the manifold of AMCL. At present, AMCL has become the flagship enterprise of PRAN Group. Most of the resources of PRAN Group are now devoted for the growth and operation of AMCL. In the long run, the group intends to become a global leader in the field of agricultural industry. 3 Products of PRAN The average sales growth of PRAN is more than 70%, which is an extraordinary growth. PRAN is in bottles, tetra packs, and in plastic bottles. RAN currently producing and marketing the following products: ? Mango, Orange and Pineapple juice, ? Pineapple slices, ? Orange, Apple and Litchi drink, ? Mushrooms, gherkin, mango, pineapple, lemon and orange squashes, ? Mango, mixed fruit and Pineapple jams, ? Orange and Apple jelly, ? Tomato ketchup, ? Mango, Olive, Chili, Garlic, Jujube and Satkora pickles ? White and Malted vinegar ? Rose Kewra flavored water, ? Mineral water ? Dehydrated Banana, Jackfruit, Mango and Pineapple. ? Full cream liquid Milk etc. 4) Present Activities of PRAN PRAN exports processed and semi-processed fruits, vegetables and mushroom products to U. S. A. , UK, France, Italy, Australia Germany, India, Nepal, and Bhutan etc. It is focusing heavily on export of their products to many parts of the world. PRAN has a state of the art modern food processing plant, which many other countries do not have today. PRAN has lots of loyal customers. Right now PRAN is producing 7000 to B cases a day. PRAN is setting u p a new machine, which will be able to produce 15000 cases a day and the total production will be 23000 cases a day. The quality control measures of PRAN are much stricter than any other company. PRAN is selling their products to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Hotel Sonargaon and Sheraton and many other companies. This year PRAN has started production of snakes. They will also introduce confectionery products. They are planning to process aseptic bagging and storage juices for the local market. It is trying to tie up joint ventures with India to make PRAN plant in India and Nepal. PRANs target is to go out of Bangladesh and compete in the global level, which will bring foreign currency to our country. It has also several futures backward forward expansion plans like expansion of bottling, packing and tetra-pack line. It is also planning to set up 3000 MT capacity cold storage, potato cultivation, processing, freezing, pineapple plantation, export of mango, pineapple and tomato juice and paste, production of dairy milk products, set up poultry project, production of potato chips and French fries. (A) Steps in Selection Process 1. Getting Requisition of the Vacant Posts Prior to the selection process a requisition of the vacant posts is obtained from the CEO as per approved by the individual department heads. Then starts actual searching of suitable candidates. Internal search is done first, and if necessary then external search is done. 2. Raising Advertisement In case of internal search an advertisement of specified pattern (attached in the appendix) is circulated over the various department notice board. If no suitable candidates are found in internal search, an option of head hunting comes first. A sample notice of head hunting is also included in appendix. Then the company goes to advertise in the renowned national daily newspaper. Specifically, for mid level and top level management, the company directly goes to newspaper advertisement. The higher the position in the organization the more specialized the skills, or the shorter the supply of that kind in the labor market, the more widely dispersed the advertisement 3. Receiving Application Form Always more than adequate numbers of candidates submit application. These applications usually include the candidates name, letter address and phone numbers. PRAN Group doesnt provide these application forms. Applicants submit their curriculum vitae or comprehensive Personal profile with me application form. So the company gets a synopsis of what the applicants have been doing during their adult life, their skill and accomplishments. It is to note that PRAN Group doesnt bother about initial screening of selection process. 4. Short Listing the Candidates In PRAN Group during short listing, at first, a preliminary review of potentially acceptable candidates is made- Then the selectors are confronted with a number of potential candidates. Based on the curriculum vitae, job description, and job specification some of these respondents are eliminated- Factors that lead to a negative decision include inadequate or inappropriate experience or similarly inadequate or inappropriate education. For an example, how they make the short list of candidates we can mention that recently they seek a production manager having 5 7 years related experience. For this post several application forms were received. Among these one was such that the applicant is currently doing job in a project getting Tk. 50000 salary per month. He did his graduation from a British University having related job experience of 5 years. As the selection committee knows about the range of salary package, and considering other practical aspects they initially rejected that application form. 5. Preparing and Sending Interview Cards On receipt of application forms the short listed candidates are considered to receive interview cards. Specially, for mid4evel and top4evel management posts, interview cards are issued. These interview cards are usually sent in normal national postal service. Applicants are given no TA (transport allowance) or DA (day allowance). The company bears no responsibility of Accidentally missing interview cards. 6. Employment Tests Usually employment tests are designed for lower-mind and mid level management posts. These tests usually include intelligence, aptitude, ability, and interest tests. However, many of the general intelligence tests have a disparate impact on minorities. But, the company doesnt pay attention to alter the existing test procedure through validity testing. 7. Final Comprehensive Interview After employment tests being held, every individual candidate is taken to face a comprehensive interview. Since, in the PRAN Group, there is no initial screening interview; in this comprehensive interview the management describes the job in enough detail to the candidates so that whether they were really serious about the job. The management also bargains about salary range with the applicants. They check whether the applicant is willing to work at any place in the country where their office is available. In the PRAN Group, the final comprehensive interview the selection department officials, the Officials of the department that has vacant post(s) and an official of legal administration interview applicants. The interviewers try to probe into that hidden area of the applicants that cant be addressed by the application form of tests viz. ssessing ones motivation, ability to work under pressure, and ability to fit in with the organization. 7. 1 Modalities of Interview Process Usually the interview board comprises of 3/4 persons. Before the interview starts, interviewers are supplied with all the information of the candidates. This includes the curriculum vitae and the result of the written test. There are no predetermined criteria of evaluation or questions. Interviewers ask questions according to their indi vidual judgment. Interviewers together usually give a combined grade. That is, after the departure of a candidate from the room; interviewers discuss among themselves regarding the strong and weak points of the candidate and compare the candidate with other candidates. Finally, with the consent of other members of the board, the chairman of the interview board gives a final grade. That grade is considered as the opinion of the whole board. 7. 2 Features of Interview: The following features characterize the interview process, typically carried out in PRAN group. Qualifications evaluated. Through the interview process, it is tried to ascertain whether the applicant is serious to get the appointment. The management of PRAN Group does not want to face a situation where they select the best available person in terms of education, written test score and other qualifications; but who does not feel motivated to do the concern job. Interviewers. Interview board in PRAN Group typically consists of the representatives from HRM Department, representatives of the concerned department for which employee is being selected and sometimes representatives of the CEO. No training for the Interviewers. Interviewers are not given any special training for taking interview. It is assumed that since the persons taking the interview are related with the job (a senior official of the concerned department, for which appointment is being made is always present), so the selection would be flawless. No structured questionnaire: Interviewers ask different questions to different applicants using their discretion and experience. No standard score sheet. After departure of an applicant, chairman of the interview board discusses with other members of the board and they reach a consensus regarding a grade to be provided to the applicant. The chairman thus gives the final grade. 8. Making List of Suitable Candidates After having a comprehensive interview, the selection committee (headed by the responsible department head) makes a list of suitable candidates who may be selected finally. Specially, written test scores are given more weightage. If an applicant perform poorly in the final comprehensive interview, he still has opportunity to be selected depending upon his written test score. However, sometimes the selection committee selects candidate if the candidate perform very well during the interview. 9. Final Employment decision This crucial decision always takes the Chief Executive Officer of the PRAN Group. The CEO takes a list of suitable candidates from the selection committee (headed by the responsible department head) from which he selects the final candidates. The CEO may ignore the suggested candidate without showing any reason. Suppose, the selection committee has selected a candidate looking at her agile and intelligent performance during interview ignoring his poor performance in written test, the CEO can discard that candidate outright. However, the manager in the department that had the position should make the actual final decision open. The applicant will eventually work for this manager not for the chief executive officer and therefore a good fit between the boss and the employee is necessary- Moreover, if the decision of selecting that applicant will appear wrong the concerned department manager will be solely responsible. (2)Elements of Selecting Applicants The following elements are considered in selection process (1) Education of the candidate (2) Age of the candidate (3) Personality (4) Political involvement (5) Profession 6) Social involvement (7) Discipline (8) Work Experience (9) Reasons for changing Job (10) Pattern of the job change (11) Salary requirement (12) Reasons of applying (1) Introductions Every organization needs to have well-trained and experienced. People to perform the activities We have to be done. If current or potential job occupants can meet this requirement, training is not important. When this is not the case, it is necessary to raise the skill levels and increase the versatility and adaptability of employees- As jobs have become more complex, the importance of employee training has increased. The PRAN-Group is a conglomerate company and Wishes to be one of the top companies in the country as well as in the world; it needs highly skilled and trained employees. Realizing the importance of training, PRAN has set up a different department for training, named Training Department. (2) The Organogram of Training Department Though the training department is not a big one as other departments, it does a huge task every year. The head of this department is Chief Trainer and a Junior Executive assists him. This department is under direct supervision of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Thus this department gets very importance within the group. The organogram of this department is shown bellow. (3 ) Training Need Assessment CEO Chief Trainer (PRAN-Group) Junior Executive Fig: Organogram of Training Department This is the vital part of training. Before designing training program it needs to assess the training It is surprising that there was no formal or planned training need assessment system in PRAN Group though they consider training as the vital part of the organization. Without prior assessment they used to do some pre selected training every years and years. Of course the training that they used to give is nevertheless less important yet it demands appropriate training needs assessment. This year they have realized the needs of assessment and accordingly have launched a training need assessment system. They have designed an assessment form to be filled up by various departments. From that form they will the areas of training needs and will design the training program accordingly- However they used to assess training needs by the following ways. (a) What are the organizations goals? (b) What tasks must be completed to achieve these goals? (c) What are the behaviors necessary to complete the tasks? (d) What are the deficiencies the employees have? (4) Formal Employee-Training Methods There are two types of training methods followed by PRAN. These are on- the-job training and off-the-job training. . 1 On-the-job Training The most widely used methods of training take place on the job. This can be attributed to the simplicity of such methods and the impression that they are less costly to operate. On-the -job training places the employees in an actual work situation and makes them appear to be immediately productive. It is learning by doing. For jobs that either are difficult to simulat e or can be learned quickly by watching and doing, on4heAob training makes sense. One of the drawbacks to on4heAob training can be low productivity while the employees develop their skills. Another drawback can be the errors made by the trainees while they learn. However, when the damage the trainees can do is minimal, where training facilities and personnel are limited or costly, and where it is desirable for the workers to loam the job under normal working conditions, the benefits of on-the-job training frequently offset its drawbacks. Apprenticeship Programs: Employees seeking to enter skilled trades to become, for example, special machine operators are often required to undergo apprenticeship training before they are accepted to journeyman status. Typically, this apprenticeship period is two to five years. In PRAN this period is for only six months. This period is often called Probationary period. During the apprenticeship period, the trainee is paid less than a fully qualified worker is. Job Instruction Training (JIT) This is one of the most systematic approaches to train employees. This program is usually carried out in the factories for those employees, who are in the operative positions. JIT consists of four basic steps: Preparing the trainees by telling them about the job and overcoming their uncertainties. The basic instructions are: o Breaking down the job o Preparing an instruction plan o Putting the learners at ease Presenting the instruction, giving essential information in a clear manner. The instructions are: o Telling o Showing o Demonstration o Explaining Having the trainees try out the job to demonstrate their understanding. The basic instructions are: ? Have the learner talk through the job. ? Have the learner instruct the supervisor on how the job is done. ? Let the learner do the job. Provide feedback both positive and negative. ? Let the learner practice. Placing the workers into the job, on their own, with a designated resource person to call upon should they need assistance. The basic instructions are: ? Checking progress frequently at first. ? Telling the learner whom to go to for help. ? Gradually taper off progress checks. 4. 2 Off-the-job Training Most of the training covered by this company is off-the-job training. Most of these training programs are conducted ar e in the premises of the training department and in the factory of the company. Sometimes the company arranges training outside the company. There are variety techniques that are followed to provide such training. The mostly used technique is classroom lectures. The other techniques are films, demonstrations, case studies and other simulation exercises. Classroom lectures This is well-adapted method to convey specific information-rules, procedures, or methods. Most of the off-the-job training programs are conducted by this method. Sometimes the use of overhead projector (OHP), films and demonstration make the session interesting. The lectures that are given are well structured and formatted. Mainly the chief trainer and junior executive trainer take these lectures. For some training programs the head of different departments also give lectures. These lectures mainly cover the detailed view of the respective departments. The department heads give information about the type of jobs, their internal organizational structure, and areas of responsibilities etc. After each day lecture an exam is taken to get the feedback from the employees. And at the end of the training session a comprehensive exam is taken and the evaluated score is send to the CEO for his consideration. Films PRAN is a large group and it is not an easy task for each employee to get the overall picture of the organizational structure and its activities. There is every possibility that many employees will be in the dark about their organization. Though it is not so much necessary for the employees to know about the whole organization to perform their duties, the vastness of the company may give the employees additional motivation and a sense of security of their jobs. Further more the understanding of the organization will help the employees to understand the organizational goals and their future plans. It will help the employees to be prepared mentally for the forthcoming challenges. With this view the training department arranges films show for the new entries. Demonstration Sometimes during the training session the trainees are asked to demonstrate the behavior on which they are being trained. As for example for sales training, trainees are asked to mockup the behavior that they will exhibit during sales for convincing the clients. This type of training removes the inertia of the employees and helps the employees to be friendly and free with other employees. This is considered as an important part of the training program. Case study Case study programs are usually done for those, who are in the managerial position. But these types of programs are very occasionally done. In fact the training department is not matured and equipped (qualified personnel) enough to arrange such programs. More over the training department concentrates mainly on employee training who will work in the field and in the factory. Training outside the company Sometimes the company arranges training programs outside of the company. These training programs are mainly for engineers. The engineers are sending to Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB). Some top and mid level personnel are sending to Chambers. Because the personnel of the training department are not capable to provide such technical training. These training programs need fund and the, company is always ready to such funds. In one occasion the company sends an engineer to Japan for advanced special training. (5)Types of Training provided The training department arranges various types of training programs for different purposes and for different levels. There are some basic courses for all and some refresher courses. The detailed classification of the training programs is shown bellow. New employee training program This is the basic orientation program for the new management trainee for the head office. This is a three days program. Here the trainees are given a detailed @ about the total organization and usually conducted by different department heads. Mid management level training program This training is only for mid management level. The purpose of this training is to develop managerial skill and increase their job performance efficiency. Factory management training This is behavior- modification training and given to the factory supervisors. The purpose of this training is to modify the behavior of the supervisors to supervise the employees and to exhibit such behavior that are necessary to with co-workers to attain the desired production level. Sales training This training is for the employees of the sales department. The purpose of this training is to help the sales person to perform their work activities. This includes method of filling the sales form, the sales technique, the company sales policy, distribution channel etc. There is two of this type of training programs. They are: ? Basic sales course for new entries Senior sales management training ? Junior sales management training. Factory training There are two types: Factory union training Distribution loaders Factory union training: PRAN has labor union in its entire factory. To handle the unions the training department gives training to employees and supervisors. Any disruption in the production would hamper its market share. So the department gives employees some behavioral modification training to have an effective and efficient employee union. Distribution loaders: PRAN has a very effective distribution network and skilled work force. To ensure smooth distribution the department frequently gives necessary training to its employees Store management training This training program is for store employees of factory and head office. Office assistant training This training is given to the employees, who work as office assistant. Distribution sales management training This is vital training as sales managers play a vital role for the growth of the company. This program mainly includes the techniques of sales decisions that are taken frequently on the spot by the managers. It also includes the making of future sales forecast for planning purposes. Material management training PRAN procure raw materials from inside the country as well as from outside of the country. It handles raw material which are highly perishable in nature such mango, tomato, orange pineapples etc. To handle such raw materials it requires special training. The training department provides such training to the employees who deal with material management. Supervisors training PRAN has a huge supervising force. It has sales supervisors, distribution and loading supervisors, factory supervisors etc. Depending on the type of works supervisors are given different training . Basic English course In the near future the training department is planning to introduce this course for management level employees. As PRAN is going into joint venture with some international companies, it is considering to preparing the employees to fit in the international business atmosphere. Further more, now English is required in all respects of office works. PRAN follows English in most its official works. But as our present education system doesnt ensure good command on English for the graduates, it is preparing to introduce English Course in training program. (6) Future Plan of Employee Training The training department is planning to need basis training instead of course basis. At present the department is offering different preset training programs for different employees. Sometimes it overlooks the real needs of the appropriate training. So the department has planned for offering need-basis training and for this it is preparing a systematic procedure for assessment of training needs. The idea behind this training is that though existing training programs are doing a lot for the development of the skills and behavior of the employees, it needs a change due to change in corporate culture and competitiveness among the organizations. The vision of this group is to be top organization in all respects. To cope its employees with all these change in the global business atmosphere it requires immediate review of all the present training programs. In this circumstance the company is planning to take a modem approach for its training programs. With this view PRAN is going for following need basis training. (1) Findings about Selection Discreet selection Process PRAN Group follows a discrete selection process that comprises of mainly application form, written tests, and comprehensive interview. Initial screening, physical examination, and background investigation are not in the selection process of PRAN Group. No Structured Interview Interview taken during the selection process is not structured. Interviewers ask questions according to their discretion. All the applicants are not asked the same questions. Final Employment Decision Final Employment Decision in PRAN Group is taken by the CEO. Reliability of Selection Tests There is no proof of reliability of the selection devices used in PRAN Group. Validity of Selection Tests In most cases there is no evaluation of the validity of selection devices in PRAN Group. However, in few cases, such as mid level management positions, content validity exists. Applicants of mid-level management positions are often given tests, which resembles actual job. Emphasis on Written Test The top management emphasizes most on written test. Person with poor performance in interview can expect to be employed if he / she had done well in the written test. But the reverse is not true. Variable cut score Cut scores in the selection tests are frequently changed considering the environmental change. If number of applicants is quite big relative to job openings, then a high cut-score is set. On the contrary, if number of qualified applicants is relatively low, then a moderate or law cut-score is fixed. No quota There is no quota system in PRAN Group for selecting an employee. The sole criterion of getting selected is ones qualifications. (2) Findings about Training Absence of Paper Training need Assessment No comprehensive system is there to determine the training need of the employees of PRAN Group. Training programs provided are determined by the traditional view about the training needs (e. g. employees need basic training course to know about the organization). With the changing circumstances, it is not possible for the management to know about the changing pattern of training needs of the employees well in advance. Diversified Training Program Training department of PRAN Group provides variety of training programs to cater the need of the employees. Employees are trained about desired behavior, about the Objective and operation Of the Organization; even they are trained on trade unions. Such diversified array of training programs is a plus point for PRAN Group as various types of training needs can be fulfilled using internal resources. Lack of Management Development programs Though there are ample scope and arrangements of training for employees, but the training opportunity for the managers is relatively low. Special and customized need of managers cannot be fulfilled by the training programs provided by the training department of PRAN Group. Poor Evaluation Of the effectiveness of Training Programs At present, sales volume and Annual Confidential Report are considered as an index to determine the effectiveness of a training program. 13ut there could e many reasons besides training, such as Provision of incentives, need for growth etc. which could have affected the sales volume or ACR of an individual. No mechanism is there to filter the effectiveness of training program alone. Moreover, in many cases the evaluation of the effectiveness is based fully on the subjective perception of individuals. Less Simulation Exercises Training methods employed in PRAN Group are mostly lecture-oriented. There is a dearth of simu lation exercises. Though limited opportunity of simulation exercises. Like mock sales by the sales representative or case study by the line managers are there in PRAN Group, but overall quantity of such training mechanism is low. (1) Recommendations About Selection Increase of Reliability and Validity of the Selection Devices No measure of reliability of the selection devices used in PRAN Group has yet been done. Validity of the devices is also very low. To enhance the possibility of choosing the right candidate, reliability and validity of the selection devices should be taken into consideration. For this purpose, advice of a management expert might be taken. Introduction of Structured Interview Interviews should be structured in order to have n increased reliability. A fixed set of questions should be presented to every applicant. Thus a more consistent and unbiased result might be reached. Avoidance of Prior information before the Interview Placing the curriculum vitae and scores of written test in front of the interview board beforehand causes a possibility of bias. This practice should be stopped in order to have unbiased result. Training of Interviewers Interviewers should know about how to take interview in order to select the suitable employee. Brief training might be provided to the interviewers for this purpose. Introduction of Realistic Job Preview In order to remove undue and inflated ideas of applicants regarding the job or the organization, realistic job preview should be emphasized. At present, there is no way that an aspirant employee can know about the problems and hardship associated with the job. If an employee knows beforehand about the negative points of the job and then join, then the possibility of turnover would decrease significantly. So, realistic job preview should be provided to the applicants. This may be done by providing brochures, or script made up of realistic statements that accurately portray the job. Introduction of Physical Examination Appearance always does not reflect the true health of an individual. So, a basic physical examination should be applicable to all new recruits just to ensure that they have the minimum qualifications needed to bear the stress of the workload. (2) Recommendations about Training Training Need Assessment To develop and implement an effective training program, it is important to know the areas where training is mostly needed. There should be specific mechanism whereby the management can know which type of training is needed by the employees and take action accordingly. The management can adopt any of the following methods to determine training needs: Observation and analysis of job performance, Management and staff conferences, Analysis of job requirements, Consideration of current and projected changes etc. Comprehensive Evaluation of Training Effectiveness No systematic and flawless evaluation method is followed in PRAN Group to evaluate the effectiveness of different training programs. Minimizing subjective perception, the management should try to evaluate the training programs quantitatively. While measuring the effectiveness of a training program, effort should be there to ensure that other factors besides training do not contaminate the final result. Experimental-control group method would be better to evaluate the training programs. Use of Simulation Exercises Simulation techniques are very effective for training, especially for management development. At present, the use of simulation techniques is not sufficient. More simulation techniques like, case study, decision games, and role plays should be used in order to make the training programs more effective. More Personnel for the Training Department At present, only two persons look after the training department. They have the responsibility to determine the training needs of employees, as well as to develop and implement the training programs. Though, experts of other departments often come to training department as instructor and this reduces the workload of the two personnel of training department to a certain extent; but still the departments need more personnel to carry out its operation smoothly. Inclusion of New Training Programs: Training programs provided by the training department of PRAN Group are not adequate enough to meet the changing requirements of the employees. To keep track with the fast moving corporate world and market economy, PRAN Group should introduce new training programs. APPPENDIX Bibliography Gary Dessier –7th Edition John . M. lvancevich- 7th Edition Milcovich5th Edition M. Omar Ali –2nd Edition Ricky W. Griffin –7th Edition