Introduction to Sentence Combining Exercises

Introduction to Sentence Combining Exercises This exercise will introduce you to sentence combining- that is, organizing sets of short, choppy sentences into longer, more effective ones. However, the goal of sentence combining is not to produce longer sentences but rather to develop more effective sentencesand to help you become a more versatile writer. Sentence combining calls on you to experiment with different methods of putting words together. Because there are countless ways to build sentences, your goal is not to find the one correct combination but to consider different arrangements before you decide which one is the most effective. An Example of Sentence Combining Lets consider an example. Start by looking at this list of eight short (and repetitive) sentences: She was our Latin teacher.We were in high school.She was tiny.She was a birdlike woman.She was swarthy.She had dark eyes.Her eyes were sparkling.Her hair was graying. Now try combining those sentences into three, two, or even just one clear and coherent sentence: in the process of combining, omit repetitive words and phrases (such as She was) but keep all of the original details. Have you succeeded in combining the sentences? If so, compare your work with these sample combinations: Our Latin teacher in high school was a tiny woman. She was swarthy and birdlike. She had dark, sparkling eyes and graying hair.When we were in high school, our Latin teacher was a tiny woman. She was swarthy and birdlike, with dark, sparkling eyes and graying hair.Our high school Latin teacher was a swarthy, birdlike woman. She was tiny, with dark, sparkling eyes and graying hair.Our Latin teacher in high school was a birdlike woman, tiny and swarthy, with graying hair and dark, sparkling eyes. Remember, theres no single correct combination. In fact, there are usually several ways to combine sentences in these exercises. After a little practice, however, youll discover that some combinations are clearer and more effective than others. If youre curious, here is the sentence that served as the original model for this little combining exercise: Our high school Latin teacher was a tiny, birdlike woman, swarthy, with sparkling dark eyes, graying hair.(Charles W. Morton, It Has Its Charm) An unusual combination, you might say. Is it the best version possible? As well see in later exercises, that question cant be answered until we look at the combination in the context of the sentences that precede and follow it. Nevertheless, certain guidelines are worth keeping in mind as we evaluate our work in these exercises. Evaluating Sentence Combinations After combining a set of sentences in a variety of ways, you should take the time to evaluate your work and decide which combinations you like and which ones you dont. You may do this evaluation on your own or in a group in which you will have a chance to compare your new sentences with those of others. In either case, read your sentences out loud as you evaluate them: how they sound to you can be just as revealing as for how they look. Here are six basic qualities to consider when you evaluate your new sentences: Meaning. As far as you can determine, have you conveyed the idea intended by the original author?Clarity. Is the sentence clear? Can it be understood on the first reading?Coherence. Do the various parts of the sentence fit together logically and smoothly?Emphasis. Are keywords and phrases put in emphatic positions (usually at the very end or at the very beginning of the sentence)?Conciseness. Does the sentence clearly express an idea without wasting words?Rhythm. Does the sentence flow, or is it marked by awkward interruptions? Do the interruptions help to emphasize key points (an effective technique), or do they merely distract (an ineffective technique)? These six qualities are so closely related that one cant be easily separated from another. The significance of the various qualities- and their interrelationship- should become clearer to you as you continue to work on this skill.

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous By Maeve Maddox A reader comments: I have seen and heard the word homogeneous  used to refer to a multiracial or multicultural society, whereas I would have used heterogeneous. Surely homogeneous  describes an â€Å"unmixed† group of people or things? Homogeneous is from a Greek word meaning â€Å"of the same kind.† It is often used in the context of describing a group of people who are all of one race, religion, ethnicity, or gender. For example, until 1932 when Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman to win election to the US Senate, that governing body was homogeneous in that it was made up entirely of men. The following examples illustrate this meaning of homogeneous: Pastors in the United States need to be intentional in making their congregations less homogeneous and more multi-ethnic, says the pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the country. Countries in Europe and Northeast Asia tend to be the most homogenous [sic], sub-Saharan African nations the most diverse. Note: In the second example, the spelling homogenous is an error. The word spelled homogenous (without the second e) is used in biology with the meaning â€Å"having a common descent.† For example, â€Å"Any graft, either autogenous or homogenous, that is not immediately required can be stored for use at a later date.† Heterogeneous is from a Greek word meaning â€Å"of different kinds.† It may also be used to describe inanimate objects as well as groups of people: Now residents of highly educated, high income, racially mixed communities are often attracted to interethnic heterogeneous churches. Rubbish is composed of  a heterogeneous mixture  of discarded materials and is largely of  household origin. It is made up principally of paper, rags, wood, glass, crockery, bottles, tin cans, and numerous  other wastes.   The  melting pot  is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements melting together into a harmonious whole with a common culture.   The â€Å"melting pot† example offers a clue to the apparent contradiction that the reader has noticed in â€Å"the use of homogeneous  used to refer to a multiracial or multicultural society.† For example, a group might include a mix of different races, but be the same in some other respect: â€Å"Unlike state prisons, which almost exclusively hold people serving state sentences, jail populations are heterogeneous, making them particularly challenging to manage,† the report said. In this context, prisoners in a state prison are seen as a homogeneous group, in contrast to prisoners in a local jail. The prison inmates, whatever their race or gender, are homogeneous in that they are all there for the same reason: all are serving state sentences. What makes the jail inmates heterogeneous is not race or gender, but the fact that they have different reasons for being there. Perhaps the most controversial of all philosophical dilemmas concerning the structuring of people within the middle school is the homogeneous versus heterogeneous grouping debate. In this context, a â€Å"homogeneous grouping† would consist of children of similar abilities, whereas a â€Å"heterogeneous grouping† would include children of varying abilities. When lawmakers speak of the necessity to create â€Å"a homogeneous multiracial society,† their goal is a society in which race, ethnicity, and religion are of secondary importance to a sense of civic equality and consciousness of a shared culture. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should KnowTaser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?Predicate Complements

Carmen by Georges Bizet - Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Carmen by Georges Bizet - Report - Essay Example The costumes of the opera singers were typically in the character of a Spanish Seville setting. At one point we saw actual Toreador clothing. PERFORMANCE SETTING According to the Grove Music Online the opera was chosen after a French book. A distant cousin of Bizet was one of the two people who wrote the libretto. The librettist were Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy. (Grove 2011)They wrote for other French composers. Bizet chose the subject himself. He wanted to use melodrame as it had been used since 1850 in opera comique . (Grove 2011) An opera where there was dialogue accompanied by music was a technique that came from Italy in the opera buffa. TYPE(S) OF MUSIC . The opera was an opera comique taking after the opera buffa in the classical period. There were spoken parts. Carmen, the provocative bohemiane gypsy was a mezzo- soprano. Don Jose was a tenor which is higher than a bass. Before the opera began there was a short spoken introduction. I did not listen. I was too excited to hear the performance begin. Carmen is a gypsy who provokes men into loving her. A soldier, Don Josee, sees her kill another women and takes her to the police. He falls in love and lets her go. When he finds her again, she is already married to someone else. He becomes a bandit. He kills Carmen out of jealousy or madness because she won't come back to him. This soldier is Don Josee. Carmen, Don Josee, Micaella, and Escamillo are the principal characters. It was so different seeing the opera on stage than seeing it on a screen; the sounds of hearing the whole hall were amazing. Knowing that Bizet never had been to Spain makes one wonder how he could have written such Spanish sounding music. The Grove's said his opera changed the Spaniard's conception of their own music. The two parts of the opera chosen were. Carmen's Fate aria, and the Duet in Act IV before Don Josee kills Carmen. Carmen's Habanara "aria" is using all of Bizet's use of musical genres. 1. It starts with the use of voi ce as if were spoken drama with music being played under the voice. Please note the music is not accompanying the voice at certain points where it is at others. 2. The voice is used in dialogue with the chorus answering 3. The voice is used as an accompaniment to the chorus 4. The voice is used as a solo without any instrumental accompaniment. 5. The full orchestra with the full chorus begins the Fate "aria" The second part chosen is in Act IV of the opera. It is the final duet which ends the opera. The duet between Carmen an Don Josee is exquisitely beautiful. It is long for a duet of the Romantic Era. Bizet uses many techniques to change the emotions and the color of the aria. In the beginning there is very little instrumental intervention and the voices are calm. He is singing of how he loved her and she is saying she doesn't anymore. There is a build up of emotions when she says in the bottom of her soul she doesn't love him. The percussion and strings are playing and there is a change of attitude of Don Josee. He starts to beg and she sings in duet that she cannot go away with him. At one moment we hear the chorus and orchestra playing the Toreador theme. Don Josee knows Escamillo is coming and starts to sing more quickly. When he sings he is going to kill her, the key (tone ) changes to minor and the bass instruments play to show the gravity of the situation. He does kill her and the Toreador, Escamillo comes. This is a duet with

A tale of two lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A tale of two lives - Essay Example As a result, the two teenage boys are now serving a sentence in juvenile jails (Pioppi 3). Frank court sentence is more rigid unlike Carlos. Frank is more violent and his criminal activities have landed him in jail thrice for alleged offences including drug peddling and murder. He is serving a sentence at the Long Lane School in Middletown. The juvenile prison is regarded as the home to some of the toughest teen criminals such as Frank. At this prison, the freedom of juveniles is curtailed and when they are allowed to go out, it must be under a guard watch (Pioppi 4). Unlike Frank, Carlos detention school is friendlier than Long Lane and it is managed by a private agency. Detainees at this prison are also privileged to have several amenities unlike in Long Lane. There are tennis courts and a swimming pool where the teens can unwind. According to the author, the Connecticut Junior Republic in Litchfield is more of a boarding school rather than a juvenile center for young criminals. In my view, Carlos prison enjoys more freedom than in Long Lane School, where juveniles are always handcuffed and their movements monitored. Carlos is never handcuffed and can move around the school without being guarded (Pioppi 5). Even though Frank is in a more secure facility, he manages to escape and still commit other serious crimes. His first crime was selling drugs at the city of New Haven. He was later released and was sentenced against for murder charges. He escaped again several time and was involved in a shooting incident. This shows his determination to commit more crimes without getting worried about spending his entire life in prison. His tone is rough and unapologetic and it shows that prison life has not rehabilitated him. As the author notes, the prison authorities are contemplating sending him to prison for good (Pioppi 4). Carlos is friendlier and polite as compared to Frank. The author describes him as a changed person who does not correspond to

Walt Whitman :: essays research papers

Walt Whiteman though himself out to be the poet of American democracy. His poetry described an america where the future had already begun. Whitman believed every individual had as much dignity, and inmportance as anyone else. No job was considered to small or insubordinate. He believed that in order to reach their full potential, people had to break down the barriers that seperated them from others and from parts of their own being. He enciouraged things that made people less embarassed and mroe outgoing. Whitman was the kind of poet who follows his own bent, in spite of his misunderstanding. He found supporters among the leading writers of his time and was gradually recognized as the first great poet of new age. In "i am one of the nation" Whitman wrote, "I am of old and young, of foolish, and of wise, and stuffed with the stuff that is find. One of the natrions the smallest, the same, and the largest, the same." After reading this, I notice Walt Whitman is talking about being equal. People are all equal and together we make up an equal nation. He also wrote " the runaway slave came to my house, and stepped inside...and went where he sat on a log and led him in and assured him, brought him water, filled a tub for his sweated body, and bruised feet, and gave him a room that entered minem and gave him coarse clean clothes. I had him sit next to me at table" This shoes that Walt Whitman believes everyone is equal and deserves equal tretment and respect. He believes in everything he writes about. In a march in the ranks hand pressed" Whitman says "at my feet more dinstinctlively a so;dier, a meere lad in danger of bleeding to death" when he said this, I niticed he did not say a black man or a white man, he was talking about the solidiers together, as equal indivuduals. In "when lilacls last in the dooryard bloomed" Whitman wrote this as al elegy.

Human Resources Management In Small and Medium Enterprises Essay

Introduction Competitive advantage to a firm accrues from the judicious employment of three basic types of resources, namely Physical Capital Resources, such as Finances, Plant and Equipment Organizational Capital Resources – Structure and systems in the organization Human Capital Resources, which include the skills, competencies, experience and intelligence of employees.[1] Human resources are among the most important resources that an organisation utilises and hence its importance to any organisation can be easily understood. Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are no exception to this rule, although this aspect is frequently lost sight of. This paper examines the role and importance of Human Resources in SMEs, and compares SMEs from two different cultural backgrounds – Taiwan and the UK. Role of Human Resources in SMEs â€Å"The study of human resources management in SMEs needs to be strongly encouraged. CEO/founders in SMEs view human resource management decisions as very important to the growth of their enterprises†[2]   A study into the perception of important HR issues in small organizations showed that â€Å"top six issues were wage rates, availability of quality workers, government regulation, training, benefits, and job security†[3] The role of Human Resources in SMEs is to contribute meaningfully to organisational objectives in a flexible and demanding environment. Lack of strategic employee management is widely accepted as characteristic of small enterprises. Decision-making has been perceived to be of relatively short-term nature compared to larger organisations, making small enterprises more flexible and less conflict-prone. At the same time, this also means that the advantages of long-term planning such as greater efficiency and effectiveness are lost. On the human resources front, this means that such organisations tend to have reduced capability to attract, retain and motivate the best human resources. This becomes important in view of the fact that out of thousands of small businesses that are established every year, only a few manage to survive in the long-term. While long-term planning and HR strategy are not the only reasons for this, they are among the important reasons. Hence an examination of the HR function as a strategic part of business, and its relevance to long-term planning, is in order. In addition, the role of recruitment and selection, training, and performance management, are also relevant to any discussion on the role of human resources. Planning and Human Resources Management Strategic planning for the organisation needs to be linked to individual goals. In turn, this means that the job design should take into account the long-term objectives of the organisation. â€Å"A framework for strategic management incorporating HRM involves developing a mission statement that answers questions of what businesses the organisation is in; determining goals that are general and long term; and establishing objectives that are short term and measurable. It should also encompass a complete SWOT analysis that incorporates HRM as a functional unit of analysis.†[4] One of the essential requirements of Human Resources Planning is proper job design. Human resources planning involves the matching of the knowledge and skills that are likely to be required in future with those that it has or will have. Human Resources Planning will help the organisation to estimate critical resource requirements, plan training and development needs, and link individual goals to organizational objectives. Job design involves specifying the characteristics of the job and the requirements such as skills for performing these jobs. Job design will thus provide the framework for a host of HR planning activities that can be linked to organizational objectives.[5] Recruitment and Selection Once the plans of the organization are clear the next important issue that any organisation needs to address is to get the right staff to implement the plans. â€Å"Surveys indicate that about 25 per cent of small businesses view the lack of qualified workers as a threat to their expansion and very survival.†[6] The problem assumes particular importance in the case of small enterprises because they almost always have a problem in attracting and retaining the best talent. This is partly due to the fact that they are unable to compete with larger firms for quality staff, because it is impossible for them to match the rewards and prestige that come along with positions in larger firms. Additionally, smaller firms have a reputation for being oriented towards a ‘hire and fire’ culture. Training Once the plans are clear, and the recruitment of the right people has been completed, it becomes necessary to motivate the staff, as well as to enable them to perform their tasks efficiently. This requires periodic training of the employees. Training is important in the case of small enterprises because they are more prone to changing environments and higher attrition rates. This makes it necessary for people to be more flexible, and to be trained in all aspects of the business. While the need for training of staff is thus greater in the case of a small enterprise, it is also accompanied by greater constraints that make it more difficult for these organisations to implement training programmes. Small organisations face two constraints in t his respect: Their budget for training may be more limited, and they may lack the necessary resources to carry out such training It is more difficult for small enterprises to spare their people for training programmes. In spite of the above limitations, however, small enterprises need to concentrate more on training, as it is an investment that needs to be done. â€Å"It has been suggested that top performing companies are distinguished by their higher spending on training and development.†[7] Performance Management Performance Management â€Å"includes work and job design, reward structures, the selection of people for work, the training of these employees, assessment of work performance and policies associated with rewarding and improving performance.†[8] Performance Appraisals are an important part of Performance Management and are useful in improving performance, assist HR planning, and identify development needs and potential for promotion. Small businesses, in general, lack a formal performance appraisal system. The disadvantages of not using structured and formal appraisal systems are that appraisals, and the consequent rewards, are often subjective, and may promote greater dissatisfaction. Consequently, appraisal systems and Performance Management play an important role in determining the alignment of HR planning with organisational goals, and ensuring that a proper climate is available for the achievement of the objectives. â€Å"In developing formal performance appraisal systems, small businesses not only are able to ensure that performance management may become strategically aligned with organisational goals, but also increase accountability, decrease under-utilisation of human resources, address concerns of productivity, and decrease employees’ concerns about fairness and accuracy.†[9] In addition, the salaries and rewards that are offered as part of the employment and the management of diversity within the workforce are important considerations for any organisation. These have a greater significance in the case of small organisations. As can be seen from the above, the role of Human Resources management in small organisations is an important one that needs to be well understood and implemented with care. One interesting extension to the role of HR management in small to medium industries is the use of Balanced Score Cards, which are normally viewed as the exclusive tool of large industries. The Balanced Score Cards approach shifts the focus to long-term growth, and includes measures of operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and employee related measures. The Balanced Score Card method thus includes a part of HR Management to assess the overall performance of the organisation. In a case study that included three SME organisations, Gumbus and Lussier present some interesting conclusions that have significance for the HR function in SME companies. The cases also serve to highlight the importance of HR in SME companies and the link between performance and HR. One of the three companies cited in the case is Futura Industries, an international company based in Clearfield, UT with 230 employees. It has over 50 years of experience in aluminium extrusion, finishing, fabrication, machining and design. The company believes that the two competitive weapons that put them ahead of competition are â€Å"their ability to hire and retain the best people and their devotion to the customer.† Futura’s President, Susan Johnson’s belief that committed and loyal employees make the difference has led the company into using the Balanced Score Card method. In the words of Ms. Johnson, the company â€Å"had all the financial metrics, lots of customer measures, and got ISO accredited three years ago †¦ but it is our employees that differentiate us from all other extrusion companies.†[10] A Comparison of SMEs in the UK and Taiwan A study by Lin found that successful SMEs in Taiwan place greater emphasis on soft skills and attitudes rather than on hard skills. He infers that SMEs in Taiwan seemed to have a better grasp of its human resources.   â€Å"Whenever SMEs modernize equipment, alter production processes, revise compensation policies, and engage in other reorganisation activities, they take pains to handle employees’ responses and feelings with special care and invest heavily in skills development.â€Å"[11] According to Hu, the Human resource scenario in Taiwan is characterised by abundance of entrepreneurs and availability of high quality professionals. Hu traces this to the importance laid on education by Chinese, and the large-scale injection of high quality human resource into the island in the aftermath of the retreat into, and subsequent withdrawal from, Taiwan of the KMT government. In addition, the Taiwanese population has inherited from its ancestors the qualities of â€Å"hard working, brotherhood, strong family ties, competition, and similar attributes that form the basis for strong family businesses.†[12] According to McKenna & Beech, the following values characterise the Asian HR scene[13]: Politeness and courtesy Emphasis on personal relationship Not losing face Harmony- avoidance of open conflict Predominance of group interests over individual interests Discipline and respect for authority and for elders Normative, rather than externally imposed control Trust and mutual help in business relationships Centralisation and authoritarianism As against the above, the HR scenario in Europe is characterised by the following features[14]: Pluralism as against unitarism Collectivism and social orientation instead of individualism, with the emphasis being on national, rather than individual, interests Legal framework: firing is more difficult Social Partnership: Employment security, protection of workers’ rights, and representation of workforce through trade unions. Social Responsibility: Concern for environment and other social obligations Tolerance for diversity Recognition of complexity and ambiguity. The characteristics enumerated under Asian values represent the Taiwanese scene, and the scenario in Europe is representative of the UK. From the above, it can be seen that the SMEs in Taiwan are formed with reliance on individual assistance, based on respect for authority, with trust and mutual relationships as the supporting factor. In the UK, and other European countries, it is the legal framework that gives the necessary assurance and support to the business rather than trust. In Taiwan authority is enforced, and followed, because it is natural to the culture. In the UK, the legal aspects are augmented by collective bargaining with a recognized trade union to achieve this purpose. Taiwanese take great care to handle employees’ feelings appropriately whenever major decisions need to be taken. This is replaced by collective bargaining and more formal communication in the UK. SMEs predominate in Taiwan, whereas larger firms represent the more prevalent form of business in the UK. SMEs constituted 99.43 percent of Taiwan’s total manufacturing firms in 1954, the highest level ever recorded; 95.26 percent in 1976, the lowest; and 98.07 percent in 1996. Among them, the smallest firms, employing fewer than 10 persons, accounted for 90 percent of all firms in the manufacturing sector in the 1950s.[15] On the other hand, SMEs generate roughly one quarter of the GDP of the UK. The generation of employment by SMEs varies from sector to sector, the highest being in the construction sector with 84% of the employment being generated by this sector. The SME sector, which was declining up to 1970, picked up momentum thereafter, and showed a rising trend till 1994. Since 1994, the number has remained constant.[16] As can be seen from these figures, the SME sector is less dominant in the UK than in Taiwan. Why Human Resources are important in firms â€Å"The resource-based view of organisations explains variations in firm performance by variations in firms’ human resources and capabilities†[17] Firms can gain competitive advantage by generating specific knowledge and skills that are difficult to imitate. This can be achieved through human capital development. The importance of Human Resource Development in small firms is thus self-evident – they help the firms to succeed by being competitive. In a study of more than 100 small enterprises in two towns from Germany, Rauch et al found that â€Å"human resources are essentially important and an optimal utilization of skills and knowledge increases small business growth.† [18] In order to harness this important resource and ensure it gives the best returns, an organisation needs to select its employees with care. â€Å"It is expected that as firms grow, the skills and abilities required to perform various functions and activities no longer would be available from the familiar and informal recruitment sources preferred by the owner-manager†[19] Apart from recruitment, other functions such as Training and Development, Performance Appraisal, and formal procedures and documentation help the organisation in improving efficiency. According to Kotey and Slade, â€Å"Benefits of formal HRM practices include meeting legal requirements, maintaining records in support of decisions in the event of litigation, treating employees fairly, and increasing efficiency.† [20] A study by Kotey and Slade involving more than 1300 small firms in Australia showed that as firms grow they tend to introduce formal HR practices and procedures. In the words of the authors, â€Å"While the analyses show that a significant percentage of SMEs implement formal HRM practices with growth, HRM remains informal in the majority of firms, particularly in small firms. It could be that implementation of formal HR structures and procedures necessary to support growth differentiates successful from unsuccessful SMEs.†[21] In a small organisation, people need to be more flexible and undertake a greater variety of jobs. This needs both motivation and skills. In turn, many employees may get better exposure and greater opportunities to learn and shoulder higher responsibilities in a small firm. All of these underline the importance of Human Resources Management in organisations, particularly small firms. The HRM model is â€Å"composed of policies that promote mutual goals, influence, respect, rewards and responsibility between employees in the organisation.†[22] These policies are promoted by practices such as team working, aligning performance objectives with organisational goals, and a flat organisation structure, all of which can be achieved only through a proper Human Resources Management in the organisation. Survey Research findings have confirmed the theoretical position with the conclusion that good HR systems is a source of competitive advantage. One study has shown that higher performance in a number of areas is correlated to good HR systems and practices. Companies that had significantly higher ratings on their HR practices also reported better market value, higher accounting profits, higher growth rates, better sales per employee, and lower employee turnover. Another study has found that newly started companies had a better survival rate if they had good HR practices. The probability of survival was found to vary by as much as 42% between the firms with the best HR practices and rewards, and those with the worst. Yet another study found that performance of the organisation was strongly linked with practices such as acquisition and development of skilled people, better job design, better autonomy, and positive employee attitude. All these studies clearly show that good HR could positively impact organisational performance practices, highlighting the importance of Human Resources in an organisation. Apart from improving performance good HR practices result in lower costs, while poor practices increase the costs to the organization. One of the contributing factors for this is the cost of employee turnover. â€Å"Interviewing and training recruits has significant out-of-pocket costs for the employer.† Replacing an employee involves expenses for Separation, Replacement, and Training. [23] Employee turnover costs can be divided into three major elements: Separation costs: These are the costs that are directly incurred when an employee leaves the firm, and include such costs as exit interviews, administrative and paperwork costs, disbursement of separation benefits, and revenues lost due to shortage of staff. Replacement Costs: These represent the cost of replacing the employee who has left and include the costs of advertising, sourcing, interviewing and selection. Training Costs: These are the costs that the company incurs for training and induction of a new employee. Apart from the actual expenditure on these activities, the costs of loss of efficiency in the initial stages, and the time lost during the training period should also be considered. Thus employee turnover could represent a fairly high cost to the organisation. Employee turnover can be classified into avoidable and unavoidable turnover. Most of the avoidable turnover results from lack of proper HR initiatives.[24] How Good/Bad employees affect the firm â€Å"A good employee is possibly the most valuable asset a small firm or SME can possess; a bad one could ruin the enterprise.†[25] Any firm, and more importantly a small firm, can ill afford to have people who do not perform. Robert Townsend, a noted Management expert was once asked the secret behind his ability to take over loss making firms, and changing them into profitable ones. The reply that he gave will be of interest to anyone asking how good or bad employees make or mar the firm. Mr. Townsend identified three factors that contributed to his success: Releasing the potential of employees so that they could perform at much higher levels by the practice of appropriate management styles Identifying people within the organisation who were blocking progress and preventing others from performing, and either changing their ways, or dismissing them Identifying people who had the ability and drive to take the company to greater heights, and promoting them. It can be seen that this highly successful Management practitioner reduced success to three simple rules, namely, eliminating deadwood, promoting and encouraging those with potential and creating the right climate in the company. This clearly shows that apart from creating the right environment, the most important requirement for success is the quality of people. Good people could transform a loss making company into a profitable one.[26] â€Å"Whether a firm is small or large, it’s only as good as its staff.†[27] This can be easily understood because the employees of the organisation make the vital difference between good and poor performance in every area. Apart from the demonstrated effect that this has on the firm’s performance, which has been cited earlier, this also stands to reason. A company depends on coordinated working by its employees towards a common goal to achieve its objectives. In order to meet these objectives, the organisation has to do what it does well. In other words, the competence of its employees should be good if it wants to achieve results. Secondly, the soft skills of the employees are important to achieve internal teamwork as well as to nurture customers with excellent performance and service. Thirdly, the employees of the company need to work efficiently if it is to have a healthy bottom line. All these objectives can be achieved only with good employees who know their job and possess the necessary hard skills, have the necessary soft skills, and are committed to the company’s success. In other words, a company needs good employees who have the right levels of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Conclusion Human Resources Management in Small-to-medium industries has been gaining a lot of attention lately. There is increased awareness among many of the SME entrepreneurs themselves about the importance of good HR practices and policies. It has been shown that organisations having formal Human Resources practices grow faster, and are more profitable, than those that do not do so. A comparison between SMEs in two countries, namely Taiwan and the UK, shows that the SME sector is more predominant in Taiwan, which is characterized by a culture that lays greater emphasis on group working, respect for authority, and mutual trust. This is contrasted by the UK situation where the SME sector is les pervasive, and the HR climate is characterised by formal and legal supports, collectivism, and social responsibility. Although the two situations are quite different from each other, the importance of formal HR systems in the SME segment is being recognised in both cases, and seem to affect performance positively, irrespective of the background. Works Cited A Causal Analysis. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(6): 2005: 681+. Bennett, Roger. Small Business Survival: Strategies for Delivering Growth and Staying Profitable: Second Edition. London, Financial Times Management, 1998. Burns, Paul. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. New York, Palgrave, 2001. Griffith, Roger W and Hom, Peter W. Retaining Valued Employees. London, Sage Publications, 2001. Gumbus, Andra, and Robert N. Lussier. Entrepreneurs Use a Balanced Scorecard to Translate Strategy into Performance Measures. Journal of Small Business Management 44(3): 2006: 407+. Heneman, Robert L., Judith W. Tansky, and S. Michael Camp. Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unanswered Questions and Future Research Perspectives. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 25 (1): 2000: 11. Holbeche, Linda. Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001. HRD in Small Organizations, Edited by Graham Beaver & Jim Stewart. New York, Routledge, 2004. Hu, Ming-Wen. Many Small Antelopes Make a Dragon. Futures 35(4): 2003: 379+. Kotey, Bernice, and Peter Slade. Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 43 (1): 2005: 16+. Lin, Carol Yeh-Yun. Success Factors of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Taiwan: An Analysis of Cases. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(4): (1998): 43. McKenna, Eugene and Beech, Nic. Human Resource Management, A Concise Analysis. Essex, Pearson Education Limited, 2002 Megginson, David, Banfield, Paul, and Joy-Mathews, Jennifer. Human Resource Development. Kogan Page India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2001. Rauch, A., Frese, M., & Utsch, A. Effects of Human Capital and Long-Term Human Resources Development and Utilization on Employment Growth of Small-Scale Businesses: Satava, David. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Here’s How Not to Give Them One. Journal of Accountancy 195 (4): 2003: 67+. [1] L. Holbeche, Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001, pp.10-11. [2] R.L. Heneman, T.W. Judith and S. M. Camp. Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unanswered Questions and Future Research Perspectives. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 25(1): (2000): p. 11 [3] HRD in Small Organizations, Edited by Graham Beaver & Jim Stewart, New York, Routledge, 2004, p. 81. [4] Ibid, p81 [5] Ibid [6] ibid, p82 [7] ibid, p 85 [8] ibid, p 89 [9] ibid, p 89 [10] A. Gumbus and R. N. Lussier. Entrepreneurs Use a Balanced Scorecard to Translate Strategy into Performance Measures, Journal of Small Business Management, 44(3): 2006: p.407. [11]C.Y. Lin. Success Factors of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Taiwan: An Analysis of Cases. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(4): (1998): p. 43. [12] M. Hu. Many Small Antelopes Make a Dragon, Futures, 35(4): 2003: p. 379. [13] E.McKenna and N. Beech. Human Resource Management, A Concise Analysis. Essex, Pearson Education Limited, 2002, pp.4-5. [14] ibid [15] M. Hu. P. 379. [16]   P.Burns. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. New York, Palgrave, 2001, p12. [17] A. Rauch, M. Frese & A. Utsch. Effects of Human Capital and Long-Term Human Resources Development and Utilization on Employment Growth of Small-Scale Businesses: A Causal Analysis. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(6): 2005: p681. [18] ibid [19] B.Kotey and P. Slade. Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 43(1): (2005): p.16. [20] ibid [21] ibid [22] E. McKenna and N. Beech, p34-35 [23] D. Satava. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Here’s How Not to Give Them One, Journal of Accountancy, 195(4 ): 2003: p. 67. [24] R. W. Griffith and P. W. Hom. Retaining Valued Employees, London, Sage Publications, 2001, p10 [25] R. Bennett. Small Business Survival: Strategies for Delivering Growth and Staying Profitable: Second Edition, London, Financial Times Management, 1998. [26] D. Megginson, P. Banfield and J. Joy-Mathews. Human Resource Development. Kogan Page India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2001, p. 82. [27] Satava, David. â€Å"The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Here’s How Not to Give Them One.† Journal of Accountancy 195.4 (2003): 67+.

Essay Choosing Sides in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself

â€Å"Song of Myself† is an attempt by Walt Whitman to become the â€Å"American poet† as described by Ralph Waldo Emerson; he attempts to be â€Å"[T]he sayer, the namer, and [representative] of beauty† (Emerson 1182). Whitman wants to speak to and for America. Whitman does not explicitly choose sides on the slavery debate that was raging at the time of his writing, but he does express the equality of all people, regardless of gender and race in â€Å"Song of Myself†. While Whitman’s writing can be read as neutral but â€Å"Song of Myself† is, in reality, very anti-slavery and pro-equality. In â€Å"Song of Myself† Whitman attempts to speak on behalf of the entire American population. He tries to pull the reader into a world of many possibilities. Whitman makes a†¦show more content†¦The suggestions of equality between all people are not blatant and are not abundant in â€Å"Song of Myself† but they do exist, showing that Whitman was not as neutral as most readers are led to believe. He believed in equality. Whitman uses the grass as a metaphor to imply that all people are connected. Whitman uses the grass to represent things he cannot explicitly name. People are all different, individual, but the blades function together. Everyone is needed to make up the grass; one blade cannot stand-alone. The grass encompasses all of America, regardless of race, gender, or religion. Grass grows everywhere there is water and touches everyone. This is one of the ways Whitman seeks to appeal to everyone through language. Whitman also seems to be much more anti-slaver than pro-slavery. While he never says explicitly that black people are equal to white people, he does imply it several times. In section six when he is speaking about grass he says, â€Å"Growing among black folks as among white† (Whitman 2214). Following the metaphor that the blades of grass are all people, functioning together, this implies that black people were equals in the eyes of Whitman. They too, were just blades of grass, individual parts of the whole American population, growing everywhere they could. Whitman alsoShow MoreRelatedWalts Whitmans Vision of America in Leaves of Grass17685 Words   |  71 PagesWalt Whitman’s vision of America in Leaves of Grass Valentine†©Abbet†© TRAVAIL†©DE†©MATURITE†© †© Sous†©la†©direction†©d’Anne†©Roland†Wurzburger†© Gymnase†©du†©Bugnon,†©Lausanne†© 2012†©  «I have sung the body and the soul, war and peace have I sung, and the songs of life and death, And the songs of birth, and shown that there are many births. I have offerd my style to every one, I have journeyd with confident step; While my pleasure is yet at the full I whisper So long! » Walt Whitman, So Long !, Deathbed editionRead MoreLupe Fiasco’s Modern Voice Essay1514 Words   |  7 Pagesagainst the degrading world society and does so by influencing the public through their appeal of music. He rejects and contrasts from the negative influences of the world and uses his music to contradict those who degrade our society. Born in the west side of Chicago Illinois, Fiasco grew up opposing what most other kids in his time regarded as their inspiration. Unlike the others he grew up around, Fiasco took interest in literature spending most of his time reading books and comics. Inspired by artistRead MoreThe Hidden Messages Of Water, Japanese Scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, Uses High Speed Photography1462 Words   |  6 Pagesportraits in his short stories became my favorite way to escape reality. Spending my childhood in rural Michigan, my adolescence in the suburbs of Chicago and the islands of Hawaii, then moving to Puerto Rico before settling in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, as well as speaking basic French, I have adapted not only to these dialects but also all of these ways of interpreting the world. This synthesis has left me something of a linguistic polygamist, oscillating between slang while speaking in a mannerRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesactually meant. Finally, dialect, stress and word choice all provide important clues to character: they may reflect the character’s origin, occupation or social class. 5. CHARACTERIZATION THROUGH ACTION. Character and action are often regarded as two sides of the same coin. To establish character on the basis of action, it is necessary to scrutinize the several events of the plot for what they seem to reveal about the characters, about their unconscious emotional and psychological states as well as