How Homeschooled Students Should Prep for the ACT

How Homeschooled Students Should Prep for the ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you receive your education at home or outside the formal setting of a public or private school? If you're a homeschooled student aiming to go to a 4-year college, then you're probably planning to take the ACT (or its equivalent, the SAT). This guide will go over how you can prep for the ACT as a homeschooled student, come up with a solid test plan, and be strategic in your approach to taking this important test. The first step is asking yourself about your strengths and weaknesses as a student. Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses Is your imagination carried away when you read fiction, but scientific charts and graphs make you feel stuck? Do you love the challenge of word problems, but feel scared of the big blank page when it comes time to write an essay? Maybe you find something interesting in all your subjects, but you struggle to answer questions under strict time limits. Taking the time to honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses as a student will help you prep for the ACT. Rather than studying every section and question type equally, you should focus your energies on those areas where you need the most improvement. If time management is tough for you, for example, then you should learn and try time-saving strategies, along with timing yourself while you take practice tests. Through targeting and drilling your weaknesses, you can enhance your skills, gain confidence, and improve your overall scores. As a homeschooled student, you might be especially aware of your strengths, interests, and challenges as a student. Self-Reflection and ACT Prep Many home educators follow a philosophy of "natural learning" or "autonomous learning" that gives students more independence and input into shaping their learning by following their passions. If this sounds like your experience, then you likely have more practice with cultivating self-awareness than your peers who went through a traditional school system. As mentioned above, students who really improve their ACT scores don't just get to know the test really well, they also get to know themselves really well. Rather than wastingtime repeating what youalready know, you canstrategically approach test prep with a plan to identify and drill yourweak spots. Any areas of difficulty can be improved with training, just like you get better at layups by practicing them or at playing piano by repeatingscales and songs. Distributing your effort where it can make the most difference will make your test prep most effective. Plus you might present an even stronger case to your teacher(s) for adding some ACT prep toyour daily classes or homework assignments. Give Input Into Your Curriculum Do you get any say in what you're learning? If your educators are open to your contributing to the curriculum - which is often the case within home education - perhaps you can incorporate ACTprep into your day. Share your goal of getting into a 4-year college, and articulate how important scoring well on the ACT is to meeting that goal. If you can integrate ACT science, math, English, Reading, and essay questions into your classroom learning, then you can ground your learning in the context of the test and apply your understanding to practice problems. It will be a two-way street where your classroom learning can complement your ACT prep, and vice versa. If you're studying geometry, for instance, find some official ACT practice questions and include them as practice or a test. To practice stating and supporting your point of view in a 5-paragraph essay, bring in ACT essay questions (bonus points if you can time them for 30 minutes). Lee Binz of HomeScholar says it's "helpful to have your teen choose curriculum - ESPECIALLY in their weak areas. As your teens progress, try to engage them in curriculum choosing." This applies to ACT prep as much as any of your learning. Hopefully you can share your post-secondary goals, integrate ACT prep into class and homework, and incorporate more time limits to get used to the strict timing of the ACT. Of course, in order to effectively design a study plan on your own and as part of your curriculum, you must gain a clear understanding of exactly what's on the ACT. Can you give some input into your curriculum? Understand the Content of the ACT What's the difference between the Reading and English section of the ACT? How many math classes should you take to do well on the math section? Is the Science sectionabout straight recall or interpretation of experiment results? How many questions are in each section, anyway? The first step whenpreparing for the ACT should be thoroughly understanding what's on the Reading, English, Math, and Science sections (and don't forget about the essay, if you're taking the ACT Plus Writing!). With all the information on the test out there, you shouldn't have any surprises on test day. After reviewing the content of the test, you should try taking a diagnostic practice test. Official ACT practice tests are best, and you cansimulate testing conditions by sitting in a quiet place and timing each section. Then you can score your test and figure out which areas were easy and which were challenging. Analyzing your mistakes, along with reflecting on your general strengths and weaknesses as I talked about above, will give you a good launchingpoint. Once you know where you're starting and where you'd like to arrive, you can design astudy plan that will take you there. Design a Study Plan It's helpful to know where you're starting out from and the target scores you want to achieve. Apart from integrating test prep into your classes, you'll benefit from putting in the time and effort to study on your own. The following is an estimate of how many hours of prep you should devote in order to improve your composite score. These are rough estimates that could vary depending on your individual learning style and rate of growth. ACT Composite Point Improvement 0-1 points - 10 hours1-2 points - 20 hours2-4 points - 40 hours4-6 points - 80 hours6-9 points - 150 hours+ Before freaking out about the 150 hours+, think about how much time you could accumulate if you start studying early. If you took the ACT in the fall of junior year, the spring of junior year, and again in the fall of senior year, you'd have a whole year to improve from your first test (plus all the studying you did the summer before junior year). Let's think about this year between your first and final ACT test.There are about 48 weeks in 12 months, so studying for just 2 to 3 hours a week already adds up to 96 to 144 hours. If you could set aside just a few hours each week, then you could put in lots of prep time and see a significant score improvement. Plus you probably want to ramp up your study time in the couple of months before your test date. Besides reinforcing the concepts you need to know for the ACT, you also want to learn about and try out strategies to learn which ones work best for you. Get Strategic While you can't know exactly what questions you'll get on test day, you can have a pretty clear idea. Since the ACT is a standardized test given nationwide (and internationally, too), the testmakers must use a similar template for their questions test after test. By really examining the types of math, reading, English, and science questions, you can have a sense of what the questions are getting at and how they are generally reformulations of the same types of questions. Besides looking strategically at the questions, you can use strategies to save time. By glancing over the passage-based questions and skimming the passages for the main points, for instance, you'll save a lot more time than if you did a close read the first time. By using process of elimination on the questions, you can see what "tricks" the ACT is using to distract you from the correct answer. Read about strategies, learn to recognize the common "distractor" answer choices, and utilize the approach that helps you avoid the common pitfalls and save time. Part of this, as I talked about above, is timing yourself as you prep to learn how to work quickly and efficiently. Ready...set...go! Use a Stopwatch Have an iPhone or Android? Use the stopwatch feature to time yourself as you take practice tests. Or kick it old school and use an actual stopwatch, like the shiny one above.Hereis how much time you get foreach section: English: 45 minutesMath: 60 minutesReading: 35 minutesScience: 35 minutesEssay: +30 minutes Taking your time to deeply understand the concepts is fine, but once you are taking practice tests, you should really set the same conditions that you'll experience on test day. If you can't demonstrate your knowledge in a short amount of time, then you unfortunately won't be able to hit the ACT scores you deserve. Studying concepts, applying strategies, and taking practice tests takes sustained focus and effort, and I'm definitely not trying to suggest that studying for the ACT is your only focus in high school. You have other classes, activities, plus the other parts of the college process to think about. But if you really want to perform well on the ACT, then you should make time to improve your scores through studying. So how can you balance ACT prep with everything else? (Hint: the answer is not to cut out sleeping at night.) Strike a Balance with Test Prep and Everything Else That last tip about starting early is really helpful for finding balance and making time for test prep in your busy schedule. Write down a schedule for yourself, and try to make a routine of it (things might come up, but try to keep this routine as regularas possible). If you start early, then you won't be struck with the anxiety of an approaching test date and no time (anxiety gets in the way of focusing and retaining information, too - no fun for anybody). Perhaps you're motivated by the last minute study rush, which is fine. Everyone has different study styles. But withoutlearning about the ACT and taking the diagnostic test, you won't know how much time you need. You won't know what you don't know, if that makes sense. So take the time to figure that out with months or a year to spare, and then design your optimal study plan from there, whether it's spread out equally or staggered to ramp up right before your test. Another important consideration when designing your schedule is what your other commitments are. Are you playing on a varsity sports team junior year? Are you designing an app, or have you convinced your parents to take you on a cross-country road trip in the name of college visits? Figure out what your competing commitments are so you won't find yourself overwhelmed by ACT prep. This mindset will help you find balance with your study plan and when choosing your test dates. Be Thoughtful About Your Test Dates I briefly touched on the typical schedule and prep hours for students. A lot of students take the real ACT for the first time in the fall of junior year, then again in the spring, and then for the final time in the fall of senior year if they still see room for improvement. This gives you three test dates, but you might want more to take the pressure off, get more real test experience, or build your scores up section by section. Plus if you're super busy junior year, then you can move prep ahead and get your test scores all finished and done with well ahead of your college deadlines. Even if you haven't studied some concepts extensively in school yet, like geometry or trigonometry, you can reinforce what you do know and get a headstart on new concepts.There are a lot of considerations when choosing your test dates, and by being thoughtful about each one you can devise a schedule customized to you. To keep all this straight, I can't emphasize enough the importance of writing everything down. Not you! Keep Track of Everything As a homeschooled student, you might nothave the same college-bound peer group or guidance counselors to be by your side and keep you updatedthroughout the college process (though you can make an appointment with a counselor at your local high school). That's why you might have some extra responsibilities when it comes to keeping track of your test dates, prep, deadlines, and application materials. Make sure you research your colleges' policies about standardized testing, expectations for scores, and any ACT-based scholarships they offer. Create a system of organization, whether you use binders or online tools like Google Calendar and Google Docs, to write everything down, create and stick to your schedule, and remember all those passwords you'll be creating for sites like the ACT and The Common Application. As a homeschooled student, you've probably developed a great deal of independence in your learning and organization, and you can draw on this strength as you work towards your post-high school goals. Not only will this help you geta strong ACT score and admission to your dream school, but these skills will help you be a successful and self-directed college student capable of achieving great things. What's Next? The best ACT practice questions come straight from the testmakers. Download official ACT practice tests with questions from previously administered tests here. Are you not sure when you should sign up for your first ACT? Should you take one just for the experience, or wait until you've put in some serious studying? Learn when to take your first official ACT here. Wondering what kind of science you need to study for the ACT Science section? Read about the only actual science you need to know(and how this section is more like the Reading section than you might think). Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?We have the industry's leading ACT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and ACT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Literary Analysis Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literary Analysis Paper - Assignment Example lped each other and made life bearable, the aspect of race is brought out in the story however the social class which a person belongs to have a bigger role. The two characters have the ability to be victimizers since they have one another. They share the same fact of being left by their parents in St. Bonny’s. The reason for Twyla to be there was because â€Å"she danced for the whole night† and Roberta’s was because she was ill. Both girls felt the pain of being abandoned by their parents and it was the main reason that the girls remained together irrespective of their different races. The later meeting they had at the dinner was however described as not worm by Twyla. The aspect of their racial difference seemed to be an issue of the feeling. However, when the two ladies talk about their meeting they mention of how they lived together in Newburgh, a society that was segregated racially and also had different social and economic classes (Yurdasever 36). Roberta got married to a rich person, and Twyla married a fireman. The hierarchies of power are involved with powerlessness and also intimidation; however, in the scene of business they are comprised with race. In the story Twyla described Maggie as being â€Å"sandy-colored,† and when Roberta referred to Maggie as a black person Twyla immediately rejected the idea. The memory of Twyla can get the question at this time; also to be questioned is the completeness of Twyla in terms of storytelling. She states â€Å"I could not be certain." She questioned her memory and could not tell the race in which Maggie belonged. She only remembered that Maggie had semicircle legs and a kiddie hat. It indicates that the race was not a major issue in St. Bonny’s. However, in the community the two women are living the aspect of race has taken a new meaning (Yurdasever 39). Elizabeth Abel indicates â€Å"Roberta is skeptical concerning racial harmony.† The issue of her mother being overbearing is supposed to be the cause for

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Homeland Security - Essay Example An evaluation of Department of Homeland Security demonstrates that in spite of its shortcomings, it is the best hope for protecting Americans from terrorists. Consequently, it is necessary to enhance its effectiveness and address the challenges that limit organizational efficiency. The Patriot Act was passed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center (The Department of Justice, 2015). The widespread support for this tool was demonstrated by the huge bipartisan support. The Senate passed it 98-1 while the House voted 357-66 to approve its passage (The Department of Justice, 2015). The Act gave the Department of Homeland Security new tools to detect and neutralize terrorism threats facing the country. The tool allowed the Department of Homeland security to enhance the effectiveness of its existing tools by giving it more surveillance powers and making it possible to access business records without tipping the suspects (The Department of Justice, 2015). In addition, it made it possible for different security agencies to coordinate effectively. The approach enabled them to connect the dots to result in improved security outcomes. It is noted that the Act updated the law for it to be consistent with new technologies and emerging threats. It is also evident that the Act increased the penalties for the individuals and organizations that engage in terrorist activities. The Act also exudes varied controversies because many people believe that since it was passed forty-five days after the terrorist attack, it was not subjected to intense scrutiny (Diamond, 2015). The security agencies have also abused the Act to create a surveillance state. Interestingly, the increased surveillance led to the collection of colossal amounts of data that made it difficult for the security agencies to find valuable patterns. The revelations by a NSA analyst, Edward Snowden raised concerns about its

Housekeeping Operations In A Hotel Unit Operated Marketing Essay

Housekeeping Operations In A Hotel Unit Operated Marketing Essay Corinthia Hotels International Ltd (CHI ltd) was established in 2000. This Maltese management company provides a full range of technical assistance and managerial service to hotel owners. CHI is the exclusive operator and developer for the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Africa and The Middle East. The current Portfolio amounts to twelve luxury and upscale properties in city and resort locations with products ranging from boutique to conference hotels. Total room capacity of the current portfolio amounts to 6000. In line with the companys expansion strategy, there are another eleven hotels currently under development in various locations worldwide. Therefore increasing capacity levels by 25 % upon their completion. Head Office and each respective hotel unit have fully functional administrative departments such as Sales Marketing, Human Resources, Stores, Information Technology, Finance and Administration. Additionally, each hotel unit also operates the following service departments:- Housekeeping, Front Office, Engineering , Food Beverage and Kitchen. The various hotels forming part of the company portfolio are able to serve the needs or the demands of different categories of travellers. Notwithstanding the diversity of each unit, be it location, structurally or market arena in which they compete, the primary function of a hotel is to provide accommodation for those away from home, and to supply travellers with their basic needs. Therefore, each hotel unit requires basic components of hotel products, which can be categorised into two key areas which are sleeping accommodation and food and beverages. For the purposes of this assignment I will be concentrating one specific operational departmen t, namely Housekeeping. Irrespective of the total size of the property in square metres, or the total bed stock capacity the main objective of the housekeeping department is to provide a quick and thorough servicing of rooms and pubic areas to a consistently high standard and with little inconvenience to the guests as possible. Therefore, until such time that there are machines that can make beds, service and replenish hotel bedrooms and public areas, the housekeeping department will remain an essential service function in any hotel. Due to the high element of manual work, this department is highly dependant on manpower to produce its outputs. Hence, the key resource utilised is employees. In order to establish adequate manpower levels the total departmental requirements are primarily calculated on maximum capacity of three factors :- The total number of hotel bedrooms. The total land area of the hotel. 100% Occupancy levels. However, from the day to day operations perspective, manning levels are predominantly calculated on forecasted business levels. Tasks for room attendants are individually assigned using the management information systems Fidelio Opera, whereas Public Area Cleaners have fixed work type schedules which differ according to the various shifts. Being a unionised environment, the collective agreements define maximum output levels within an eight hour shift, which in the case of a room maid, a maximum of sixteen rooms to service can be allocated. Outputs over and above this quota must be produced after the eight hour period, which in turn impacts costs based efficiency levels. Other parameters exist which encompass a Total Quality Management perspective :- The company has established a systematic ten step work process for the cleaning of bedrooms. The process has been designed in such a way as to establish standard operating procedures, define desired quality levels and to promote ergonomic work practices. The best work practice is communicated through training and supervision on the ten step cleaning process , which if followed correctly will prevent repetitive strain or manual handling related injuries, ensure safe materials handling and the attainment of desired quality levels. Guest expectations relating to the quality and type of intangible services are constantly changing, this in turn brings about regular shifts in customers needs. Therefore, to remain an attractive alternative to the competition, customers requests have become the catalyst for departmental diversification. Nowadays most housekeeping departments also co-ordinate laundry and dry cleaning services, inventories, staff uniforms, floral services, baby sitting services and seasonal hotel decorations displays. Q.2.3.4 Subsystem Function Model Structure Objective Housekeeping Function Service C SCO Maximum Customer Service through minimizing completion time. Consistent levels of cleanliness leading to high quality perception of service level. Minimized customer queuing. High resource productivity In-house Laundry Service C SQO Consistent levels of quality leading to customer satisfaction. High levels of productivity. Dry Cleaning Service/ Transport C DQO Hassle free door to door service. Minimum Customer Waiting Time. Consistent Quality of service provided Cost Effectiveness Q5. Key : C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png= Very Important X = Relatively Unimportant C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png = Relatively Important X = Unimportant Sub- System Resource Utilisation Customer Service Materials Machines Labour Specn Cost Housekeeping C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X X Laundry C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Dry Cleaning X X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Q5.1 Housekeeping The primary resource utilised is manpower The secondary resource is materials e.g. detergents, cloths, brooms etc Minimal amount of machinery is utilised to perform cleaning processes Customers expect to find the public areas and guest bedroom clean at all times. The customer does not pay directly for the service as it forms part of the room rate tariff. Q5.2 Laundry All laundry processes are highly dependant on the use of machinery e.g. washing machines, folding machines, pressing machines. All inputs and outputs are handled physically by the linen keeper. This includes ensuring that par levels are maintained to prevent stock outage, distribution of linen to room attendants and quality control. Cleaning materials amount to a small percentage of the running costs within this subsection of the housekeeping department. Time taken to supply the service is imperative to the customer. Two levels of service exist these being next day service and same day service. Customers pay directly for the service rendered. Customers are willing to pay premiums for express services. Q5.3 Dry Cleaning All dry cleaning is outsourced to Swan Laundry and therefore the only resource required by the hotel is labour. As the hotel operates its own laundry, the same personnel are used to co-ordinate guest dry cleaning requests. Items are delivered directly to the room by the Linen Keeper. Primary factor for the customer is to receive cleaned garment in the shortest possible time frame. Customers will be willing to pay a premium for an express service. Q61. Industrial Unrest The general union has one hundred percent recognition within the hotel property. Negotiations with the management have reached a deadlock which has consequentially resulted in the union issuing an advice of Industrial action to the management and a strike directive to its members. Therefore, during the period of time that industrial action persists, both cleaning and laundry services have been paralysed and hence these two functions are now required to be outsourced to a private contractor until such time that that conciliation can be reached. Subsystem Model Structure Objective Housekeeping Function C DQO Continued uninterrupted service to the customer Loss of business is minimised Quality of service remains constant In-house Laundry C DQO Continued uninterrupted service to the customer Loss of business is minimised Quality of service remains constant Sub- System Resource Utilisation Customer Service Materials Machines Labour Specn Cost Housekeeping C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X X Laundry x X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Q61.1 Housekeeping Function Manpower still remains the primary resource utilised due the nature of the work involved. Payroll costs will substantially increase as in addition to payroll, additional sums will have to be paid to the contractor for services rendered. Thus impacting profitability due to manpower. As the same tasks are required to be performed by the contractors quantities of materials and machine usage remain unchanged. Customers expectations in terms of services provided and time factors remain unchanged. Q61.2 Laundry Function Linen keeper function will be taken over by a member of the housekeeping management team. Thus ensuring that inventories and control of services are monitored internally. Therefore, no additional cost in terms of labour as management grades are not paid overtime for extra hours worked. Machinery and materials are provided by contractor therefore, there will be little or no impact in terms of resources. Major consideration is that extra costs will be incurred to pay contractor however, the reduction in consumption in utilities such as water and electricity will to contribute towards balancing the additional costs incurred. Q7a Concepts where Ceterus Paribus was used The daily operation for the housekeeping department performs same tasks at similar times of the day. Rooms are serviced between the hours of 0800 hrs until 1700 hrs, Internal Laundry operates from 0700-1900 hrs and Public Areas are serviced from 0600hrs until 2300hrs. These timings are covered providing the person scheduled turns up to do their duties and there are no large shifts in demands due to unexpected group arrivals or delayed departures due to flight cancellation. Linen inventory levels are well stocked on a 3 par level thus providing sufficient availability of linen for more than one day. An emergency situation doe not arises in the hotel. This may lead to hotel evacuation or redeployment of housekeeping team members to assist in a clean up process. All machinery in the laundry section is working to maximum out put levels and there are no interruptions to utility services provided by any of the following:- Technical problems. Preventative maintenance. General Power Failure in area. Back up Generator is able to sustain the emergency lighting system until such time that power supply is resumed. Reverse Osmosis System is operating efficiently. External Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service operates seven days a week, for next day service garments have to be submitted to the Housekeeping department prior to 0900hrs of the previous day. The same applies to express cleaning services. The unit is highly dependant that the service provider delivers the garments at the contracted times. Shortfalls in service by the contractor would lead to customer dissatisfaction. Although the contingency plan during industrial action would be to outsource both the housekeeping and laundry function to a third party contractor, it may be the case that the entrance to the loading bay may be barricaded thus impeding contractors to enter the building to perform the tasks required. Or indeed that contracted staff may sympathise with those who are picketing. Q7b Strategic Choices CHI owns and operates a total of three hotels on the island. All of which are unionised and hence seeking manpower from sister hotels would not be possible in the event of industrial action. The company has a contract with Bad Boy Cleaning Organisation who in return for a fixed fee supply additional cleaners upon the request of the hotel management. Therefore, any influxes in demand can be addressed on a real time basis by the supply of additional manpower through the oursourced company. Should the action occur when it is forecasted that the hotel will have lower occupancy levels, rooms or floors could be closed and the cleaning of the said rooms could be postponed until such time they are required. The current late booking trend could be advantageous for the hotel management to counteract additional last minute bookings by closing all room type availability. Although this measure would result in loss of room revenues it would limit the burden on the operation and safeguard the reputation of the company. Additional manpower could also be attained through management personnel, who could temporally abandon their roles and assist in the housekeeping department in order to maintain housekeeping services. In the worse case scenario, whereby industrial action is paralysing the operation, arrangements to relocate guests to other hotels in the vicinity would be the only option available. Q7b Capacity Management Capacity Management in terms of the service industry can be categorized in terms of facilities, labour and equipment. Unlike manufacturing operations, in the service industry the success of a hotel operation is linked to its use of room capacity and the rates charged per room. Matching of capacity and demand is a challenge for any hotel operation. This is partly due to the fact that most hotel services cannot be stored in the form of inventory. Occupancy levels vary according to seasonality and can vary drastically from one day to the next in terms of excess or insufficient demand. When a hotel room is not sold on a particular day the revenue lost can never be regained, this is referred to as perishability factor. The maximum capacity will be defined by the total number of bedrooms whereas the optimal capacity will relate to the maximum number of clients that can be served at the desired level of service. Capacity management therefore involves certain trade-offs between the objective s of profit maximisation and operational cost efficiency. The housekeeping department has little to no input into maintaining business levels, as this area is covered by Yield departments, namely Sales and Reservations. Therefore, the primary objective for the Housekeeping department is to ensure that all vacant rooms are serviced in preparation for an eventual sale. Additionally, on high demand days, procedures allow quick turnarounds to allow room to be sold more than once thus maximizing revenue. Labour is the most variable source of a service provider. Business levels and activities within the hotel will be a defining factor as to how much staff are required each day. Therefore, the housekeeper will use business forecasts when preparing working schedules for her department. As mentioned previously maximum output levels within an eight hour day are governed by a maximum number of rooms that can be allocated to each team member. Concessions to the 16 room allocation are :- New team member has joined the company and is undergoing training on the ten step process. The three month probationary period for new team members whereby number of rooms allocated is less until they are able to work productively at the required levels of cleanliness. Following scheduled maintenance when deep cleaning process is conducted in rooms, a time span of 2 hours per room is calculated. Equipment As the hotel has its own laundry par levels of bath and bed linen is set at three. Stock takes are conducted on a monthly basis to monitor and control stocks and re-order levels. When items in stock reach the minimum levels and requisition is submitted. All requisitions are channeled through a computerized inventory management system. Consumable items : Centralised purchasing department Par levels are set according to seasonality.

Managing Human Resources, Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka

Abstract The research sets out to evaluate the impact of employee motivation, Leadership and fellowship and the organizational culture of Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan with regard to employee performance and gaining competitive advantage in its respective market. This research enables me to highlight my time working at Dilemma Travels and to identify problems with regard to the proposed topics and to recognize possible solutions within the frameworks of Human Resource Management.Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan Dilemma Travels is one of Sir Land's leading destination management companies which boasts over 35 years of experience. Formerly which is known as Hem Tours, and in 2009 Hem Tours merged with Dilemma Travel Thailand. Their main focus is to provide customize quality driven travel experiences to their valued customers in the world. Their service Includes representing tour operations, handling frequent travelers and group Inclusive tours, transport services etc.From an Internal point of vie w they value employees need to learn and grow to reach desired heights and to fulfill career aspirations. To support this Dilemma Travels Sir Lankan provides recognized training programs, career guidance for new employees to develop inherent capabilities and acquire new skills. With an understanding of the fact that continues learning is essential for professional growth for an individual and corporate level the management Invests considerable amount of resources of employees for them to develop their competencies.The recognition provided for the talented employee group working at Dilemma Travels, handsome rewards, compensation packages that challenges the highest in the country, attractive annual performance bonuses, medical insurances and weekly fitness programs for eligible employees are some of the motivations boosters used by the company. With this level of Importance and considering the current state of Dilemma Travels and their operations with regard to their culture, leaders hip and the level of motivation provided for employees the difference between current practices and possible improvements must be addressed.Problem Statement Considering the current working standards of Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan it is evident that the majority of the younger employees have considerable room for expansion to better themselves as professionals. But in recent years these professionals seeking other opportunities opt to leave the company In search of career progression. This Issue has given me the motivation to find out the reasons behind this Issue. With this in mind I conducted the research in order to find out the route causes contributing to this problem.This study will show the level of motivation and employee satisfaction within Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan which will enable me to identify said problems, if there are any with regard to the given criteria. If identified to formulate solutions or to give recommendations accordingly. 1. What forms of motivation are avai lable to employees of the Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan? 2. What factors motivate workforce most in the Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan? . What role(s) does motivation play on employees' performance in Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan? 4. What is the correlation between motivation and employee performance in the Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan?Understanding the importance of employee motivation Increased Productivity: With motivated employees from an internal or from an external source shows passion for work which in turn provides better performance. If motivation is provided employees will work hard to set and reach goals. Companies that offers challenging jobs must provide a framework that lets the employee know that the management rusts their abilities to perform which gives them confidence to complete their given tasks. This sort of attitudes of the work force brings forth increase productivity which is very beneficial for an organization. Bimodal Bath, 2011) Improved Employee Morale: In order to boos t employee morale continues motivation is necessary. A work force with high morale is ready to take up any challenge without any issue. This high surface team created in the employee's mindset provides added values for an organization with less absenteeism and employee conflicts. (Bimodal Bath, 2011) Increase Loyalty: Increased loyalty is gained by an organization with employee motivation. Recruiting and training new staff is an expensive task for any company therefore a loyal work force is essential to gain a good reputation in the market and to reduce this added expenditure. Chowder, M. (1997),) Better Creativity: The passion towards their Jobs enables employees to express their views and ideas freely. This fact gives them the assurance and the understanding of their important position within the organization so that they can contribute more towards the betterment of themselves that further brings benefits for the company. Enhancing the creative factor is therefore essential and t he manages have to design a motivational structure and a leadership style that facilitates employees in providing new suggestions, ideas and methods of expansion with regard to delivering cost effective performance. (N.D. Baboon, 2011) Individual growth and Improvement A motivated workforce takes up new tasks regardless of how challenging it might be and would provide best efforts in completing them. For this reason further learning and training programs are essential. The environment created within an organization tit regard to completion is also an added motivational factor for employees to increase performance. All these factors comes together in forming expertise within a workforce of an organization. These experts and their efforts must be carefully evaluated and appreciated by given the appropriate appraisal and promotion opportunities.Criteria 1: Out of 40 employees, questionnaire has been distributed to 10 males and 10 females as per table 1. 1 below. 1. 1 IP -Increased Prod uctivity MIME -Increased Employability IL -Incrementally SC-Better Creativity GIG -Individual Growth and Improvement years. Most of respondents are found from the age of 18 – 24 range and there are no employees found above 45 years from study area. Table 1. Present the age distribution of employees. 1. BC-Better Creativity 18 years to 24 years category shows tremendous growth of productivity, morale, loyalty, better creativity and individual growth and improvement comparing to other age categories. This category represents teenagers and very young crowd of the company who are mainly working in the operational level and at a trainee level. And according to Abraham Moscow in his Hierarchy of Need, those within this category are preoccupied with higher order needs such as esteem and self-actualization, having had their lower order needs taken care off (Moscow,1943).Criteria 3: A motivated person has the awareness of specific goals which must be achieved in specific ways; therefo re he/she directs its effort to achieve such goals (Nell et al. , 2001). Motivated person has more energy to achieve their specific goals than denominated person. In Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan after observing along the staff categories (Table 1. 3), I have noticed some changes between senior level, tactical level and operational level employees. When productivity and employee morale is considered operational level employees' progression is higher than others.Tactical level employees' shows low values in all the categories. At the same time senior level member are showing progression in individual growth and improvement than others. 1. 3 While assessing above situation, we can identify lack of progression in tactical level employees. This means there are some difficulties in that level and there is less opportunity to move forward from tactical level. Factors that Motivate Employees at Work While considering motivational factors which we discussed earlier, the following is an overall assessment with regard to the employees of Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan.According to Herrings (1959), Hygiene factors relate to satisfaction at work and also e suggest that managers can give their employees more authority to their Job and offer them direct and individual feedback in order to motivate and help employees to connect to their work (Wartime,2007). Productivity, morale, individual growth and improvement are higher than other factors. This means most of the employees are performing well and at the same time they are able to do the work with minimum supervision. On the other hand employee loyalty and their creativity have gone down.This will affect the company growth indirectly hence employees searching better opportunities for their career development opt to leave the company. Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan† should take necessary actions to build up employee loyalty and their creativity. The Rennin's Liker Theory could be adopted in such instances where it mainly focuses on high performing managers changing their perspective and addressing key motivating factors which enables these frustrated employees to change their own perspective and helps them to be accepted in a ‘supportive' group.Findings Forms of motivation available to workers The motivational packages given to the workforce at Dilemma Travel is considerably inadequate. This situation is substantially worse in the operational level. At the actual level it shows similar trend as to the operational level. The senior management however are entitled to professional allowances, entertainment allowances, as some of the added incentives available to them. The room for improvement and career progression is considerably poor at the tactical level.Employees at Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan confirm that if the working environment is conductive they will be motivated to give better performance. Some of them perceive efficient work. As stated by Herbert (1959) the hygiene factors effects and concentrate on workplace satisfaction. Employee Job Performance: The Role of Motivation Motivation being crucial factor as presented by Robert (2005) a manager's Job is to ensure the work done through employee is possible.With regard to Job performance the evidence show that encouragement is crucial and conferred to the workforce who will help them to expand and deliver. Reward for Good Work Done At Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan monitory rewards in the forms of overtime allowances and in form of bonuses are provided as preferred forms of motivation. According to Broom (1964) â€Å"people are motivated by how much they want something and how likely they think they are going to get it† It is advisable for the management to reward employees by understanding their desires and structuring their incentives accordingly.Leadership and fellowship Effective leadership is a personal role that requires the blending of motivational, strategic and management skills to align focus, energy and drive whilst creating a culture which encourages individual thinking and attainment. Ultimately leadership is about pushing ideas and thoughts forward, bearing responsibility and aspirations to bring out the confidence of others. Leaders are required to have greater project leadership and influencing skills than in the past.Summary of some key leadership skills: Managerial – keep track of progress against targets and take action on slippage Trustworthy – speak honestly and openly and expect the same from others Aware – understand each individual's abilities, limitations, motives and drivers Influential – use vision, argument and important stakeholders to sway opinion Visionary – know what needs to be achieved and how to go about achieving it Inspirational – create and bring to life an image of how things can be ASCII (1998) have narrated that ‘Managing People' a Critical Role for Every Manager, ND when it comes to managing people, all managers must be concerned to some degree.The leaders at Dilemma Travels must focus on the following, Transparent and innovative system of recruitment and induction of employees. Better and extensive training facilities and chances. Programmed / designated on Job training and courses. Strategies implemented to provide mental relaxation within the environment. Audit and control system is standardized. The ‘time management' in private organization is implemented. Working under innovative concept of efficiency / effectiveness. Flexibility in ideas and procedure implementation. New Technology is given preference. Effective and prompt means of communications are used. Personal welfare and efficiency of employees leads to better out put. 16. Probability of misuse of power.At Dilemma Travels, the leaders are mainly chosen by the qualities and traits approach which states certain people have inherited characteristics or personality traits therefore limited training is provided for the managers wit h regard to managing people. This poses a number of drawbacks as situational factors and employee behavior within the organization is ignored. Almost all of the managers eve an autocratic behavioral style of leadership that often neglect employee input towards decision making. Many tactical level staff believes that a democratic approach by the managers would be beneficial for employee motivation and for the organization as a whole. An argument can be made for an autocratic method at the senior managerial level where quick decisions must be made and team agreement is not always necessary for a successful outcome.With Linen's three participatory leadership styles conclude that the most effective style is democratic and extensive alternative styles lead to revolution and denomination. Understanding the situation and formulating contingencies are some key skills that a leader should consider. The three types of forces (situation, follower, and leader) that were identified by Attainment and Schmidt in 1958, understood and used properly could benefit the managers at Dilemma Travels. The main problem that I see is the lack of training provided to the people who considered being leaders of the company. The level of action centered leadership that is needed mainly in the operational and tactical levels of the organization is inconsistent that forces employees to show denominated behavior to work with different managers.When assessing the qualities with the transformational method a leader is able to examine and search for the needs and motives of others while seeking a higher agenda of needs. Acting as the change agent and a visionary a transformational leader is capable of inspiring people and with a clear vision is able to inject enthusiasm and energy. At Dilemma Travels it is ideal to adopt this method of leadership as transformational leaders show integrity, and they know how to develop a robust and inspiring vision of the future. They deviate people to achieve th is vision, they manage its delivery, and they build ever stronger and more successful teams.However, managers must often need to adapt different styles to fit a specific group or situation, and this is why it's useful to gain a thorough understanding of other styles as well. A method must be developed at Dilemma Travels in order to provide this knowledge to the managers with a structured training programmer that will enable them to use these theories for the betterment of the organization. Organizational culture – the â€Å"personality' of an organization that guides how employees think and act on the Job – is central to the values, beliefs, inter-personal behaviors, and attitudes to stakeholders that determine how the organization does its Job.Culture is a key factor not only in achieving organizational goals, but in attracting and keeping desirable employees, creating a positive public image, and building respectful relationships with stakeholders. In his seminal 19 92 work entitled Organizational Culture and Leadership, Edgar H. Scheme, Professor Emeritus in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, offered a definition of what he called â€Å"an empirically based abstraction†. â€Å"Organizational culture†, he said, is â€Å"a pattern of shared basic assumptions that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration.Culture is important because it shapes: What the organization considers to be â€Å"right decisions† What employees consider to be appropriate behaviors and how they interact with each other within the organization How individuals, work groups and the organization as a whole deal with work assigned to them The speed and efficiency with which things get done The organization†s capacity for and receptiveness to change The attitudes of outside stakeholders to the organization In short, an organization†s culture can be s upportive of – or hinder – the implementation of new initiatives and the achievement of its overall goals. Does the organizational culture at Dilemma Travels need a change?As highlighted by the study many employees at Dilemma Travels are unhappy with the working conditions and the environment. To solve this issue the best possible way is to start at the core framework of the organization which is its culture and move on to the leadership styles and employee motivation. When an organization is faced by a changing marketplace or regulatory environment, or has identified the need for a shift in strategic direction, the implementation of a new technology, or the introduction of new processes, the established culture may impede progress unless it, too, is changed. For that reason, the success of major organizational change initiatives are almost always dependent on internal cultural change† Edgar H. Scheme. Circumstances change Stakeholder expectations The demographic s of the organization change New technologies are deployed A proactive method must be adopted at Dilemma Travels in order to bring this hanged. A step-by-step top down approach could be beneficial for the organization in this regard. Design and Build phases of implementation Visioning session(s) with key stakeholders and consultation assessment (performance against plan) Leadership coaching & action planning Team renewal (team-building) Change readiness Identification & enrolment of change agents within the organization Identification of impacts of new technology & processes on individuals agent training Employee Workshops Implementation stage Executive briefings on the initiative Change leadership plan Communication planOrientation session for project team members Training plan for team members Change leadership training Team building sessions Leadership alignment The deliver and operate face Workforce transition support including related HER policies & programs training performanc e evaluation compensation reward and recognition career development and planning Skills gap analysis Change The management should ensure that communication process should flow in all directions, upward, downward, in parallel to reach outsiders results. For the operational level staff providing added rewards along with their monthly alarm would be an ideal method to increase motivation. The poorly structured working schedule for all the level of employees is another issue that needs to be addressed. Identifying employees living condition, traveling methods, non-work related commitments and responsibilities an arranging possible methods to create a better scenario is another contributing factor to increase motivation.Creating new Job opportunities which will help the current employees with regard to career progression is one of the essential steps that could be taken to keep the expertise within the company Leadership needs assessment for improvement. For improvement of behavior skill and traits of personality to perform better leadership roles. Positive reinforcement methods must be taken with regard to new innovative ideas. At the present stage an employees efforts to contribute new ideas to a certain department or the company itself is constantly met with an indulgence but a pathetic approach by the senior management. (Negative Reinforcement) This contributes to discouragement of making further suggestions and may even consider of leaving the job.In an instance, by comparison if an employee is encouraged to assisting in the placement by providing new ideas (Positive Reinforcement) would benefit and generate better ideas. When considering distribution of rewards the management must understand that each employee idea of an ideal incentive would be different from another. It is prudent for the management to reward workers according to their hearts desires than providing them with something that may not please them. Which intern creates a denominating factor beli eving that they are not properly compensated for their efforts The research shows that many employees of Dilemma Travel Sir Lankan would

What Everyone Else Does When It Comes to What Is the Purpose of Research Proposal and What You Need to Do Different

What Everyone Else Does When It Comes to What Is the Purpose of Research Proposal and What You Need to Do Different The Little-Known Secrets to What Is the Purpose of Research Proposal In case the researcher doesn't have any particular hypotheses beforehand, the study is exploratory with regard to the variables in question (although it may be confirmatory for others). A case study is understood to be the use of one person in a research study. Case studies shouldn't be utilized to determine cause and effect, and they've limited use for making accurate predictions. Survey studies enable researchers to get a whole lot of information quickly, from plenty of individuals. A business program is for planning the actions necessary to bring the company idea to reality. Others simply can't compose the job independently. The point of a business feasibility study is to learn whether the business idea can generate profitability and continue being possible in the market for a lengthy mom ent. If it is interested in a new business enterprise or a new venture for instance marketing a new product so it is important to conduct a feasibility study of the idea to assess its viability. What Is the Purpose of Research Proposal As you are coping with the best of the writing, it is important that you have to attempt to write in compliance with the question that the concept of research questioning may lead to the chance of another research. You also need to go through previous literature reviews to provide you with an idea about what is expected of you. Basically, it's a synopsis of the paper. Much like any bit of writing, the introduction is crucial. In the event the soil is full of organic matter, N dose can be lowered. In fixed designs, the plan of the study is fixed before the major stage of information collection occurs. The proposed research is viable with respect to time available to finish the degree. Or you might emphasize the problem you're attempting to solve, backing this up with statistics concerning the impact on mankind. A Startling Fact about What Is the Purpose of Research Proposal Uncovered Also explain how much it's very likely to cost you to perform the research. The research could possibly be exploratory or it can be formalized. The research as outlined is suitable for the length. Developmental research developmental research is quite similar to applied research but usually concentrates on what's already known to enhance a current technology or subject and make an entirely new item. The 30-Second Trick for What Is the Purpose of Research Proposal Essentially, the compensation ought to be commensurate to the intricacy of the endeavor. As a result, the total validity of the study is going to be undermined. You will shortly locate the official data about us. The intricacy of the comparative research could be raised by the amount of dependent variables. The Appeal of What Is the Purpose of Research Proposal There are lots of pitfalls which make the process harder and actually, the majority get stuck on the very first stage deciding on the best research paper topics. As you don't know it to write and what to not write and you are bewildered in the specific situation, it's evident to quite a great extend that you find it possible to compose things in the very best manner if you know your questions. The great thing about qualitative research is that you may get feedback on how people actually feel and you may probe people for extra details. The actual folks highly praise our essay help site. Your CV is the initial step for your fantasy job as it's the first matter to be noticed by the recruiters and by thinking about the different CVs they shortlist the candidates from a variety of applications they've attained. You could also find some brief details about every one of them. Make certain you write down the references so you may use them later. Key Pieces of What Is the Purpose of Rese arch Proposal There are pros and cons to the several types of research studies utilized in medical care. There are many methods to categorize the various types of research models. You should look for the help of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions which may have regarding a health condition. There are lots of ways to categorize different kinds of research. In any case, it's great medicine for many different diseases. There are various varieties of market research that cover various regions of study, and consequently are often misunderstood. State problems are less difficult to measure than process troubles. You are able to emphasize the extraordinary advantages of the technology in your proposal. The timing of production along with the degree of degree in which you're enrolled will impact the purpose, and thus the coverage in your proposal. In addition, a proposal defines a problem that has a purpose of solving it. The expression simply suggests that you aren't in a lab.

History of Israeli Flim Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Part of the reason why gender is marginalized in the past films made in Israel is due to the Zionist culture s suppression of the sexual body and the preference for the body of the worker attached to the hoe or the plow. According to Esther Fuchs, sexuality and eroticism are subordinated to the national project. (p. 305) Such emphasis prevented the exploration of individualism that is fundamental in shattering the female stereotype as the object that is needed only to reinforce men and the Zionist agenda. The Arabs, on the other hand, first served as the enemy for the eventual Israeli triumph and later on would recede in the landscape to support the Zionist enterprise and to allow the theme of recent immigrants discovering their Hebrew identities. Arab women are not given dialogues in most early Israeli films and that the few sequences that depicted them were mostly to portray characters of exotic Orientals. The Arabs were required in the films because they functioned as background elements against which the Israeli identity and culture built upon. The others the women and the Arabs - were considered to be repulsive elements that the masculine hero in films must be ceased to be identified with or must do away with in order to be united with the more attractive Zionist identity. We will write a custom essay sample on History of Israeli Flim or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page