Comparison/Contrast Essay Eng101

Name Professor ENG 101 November , 2012 British PSA is the best choice Although both the â€Å"British PSA† and the â€Å"AT&T PSA† use the fear of injury and death to discourage texting while driving, the British PSA is more effective than the AT&T PSA because it focuses on the details of the injury and death during the accident. Both the British PSA and the AT&T PSA show the â€Å"life changing† and â€Å"life ending† consequences that can occur when a person chooses to text while driving.The British PSA shows a deadly multi-car crash that occurs because the texting driver crosses the centerline and hits another car head-on only due to the fact that she and her teenage passengers were distracted by a text message on her cell phone. Likewise, the AT&T PSA shows several different people whose lives have been destroyed by tragic car accidents (involving injury or death) caused by texting while driving.Both videos show the devastating effects that texting whi le driving can have on the texting driver and other innocent people, but the â€Å"British PSA† is the more effective video. The AT&T PSA shows three separate storylines of people who have been affected by injury and/or death because of texting while driving. The 1st storyline is about a teenage girl who died a year earlier when she was texting while driving. The story has a policeman describing the accident scene and the victim’s family and friends describing their loss.The 2nd storyline is about a teenage boy who killed a man on a bicycle when he was texting while driving. The 3rd storyline shows a mentally and physically disabled young man who became disabled from a car accident in which he was texting while driving. These 3 storylines bring out strong feelings in the audience of compassion for the loved ones, sadness for the injured, and concern that something like this could happen to you or your loved ones.However, this video does not show any details of the actu al accident, therefore making it difficult for the viewer to imagine this all came from just a simple text message. In contrast, The â€Å"British PSA† clip uses a dramatic approach by showing the details of a full-fledge highway multi-car accident. The clip shows the terrifying effects of a deadly head-on collision in slow motion. Immediately after the head-on collision, the car with the 3 teenage girls gets broad-sided (T-boned) by a third car travelling at a high rate of speed.It provides a bloody and graphic example of the devastating effects that texting while driving can bring and strives to promote staying off cell phones while operating a vehicle by depicting an event that the audience would never want to live through. Instead of just showing the aftermath or the long term effects of the accident, The â€Å"British PSA† uses an approach to shock the audience and literally scare them from ever wanting to text while driving by showing the injury and death of seve ral people involved.The â€Å"British PSA† is more effective than the â€Å"AT&T PSA† because it allows the audience to witness the horrible details of a car accident instead of just hearing about the aftermath several months later. Works Cited AT&T Don’t Text While Driving Documentary. (2010). Retrieved November 22, 2012 from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=DebhWD6ljZs. PSA Texting While Driving U. K. Ad. (2009). Retrieved November 22, 2012 from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=R0LCmStIw9E.

Saving Electricity

Why Save Electricity? With the rising costs and shrinking economy more and more people are acting responsible and seacrhing for reasonable ways to save electricity. The other reason apart from these are that saving electricty will bring down your electicity bills, save you money and decrease pollution. Although many people have shifted to renewable sources such as solar power, there are other electricty saving tips too which will help you to conserve power. Electricity Saving At Home Replace old light bulbs with new florescent bulbs. Turn off the lights when not in use. Never leave electrical appliances on a standby. Keep doors and windows closed when heat or air conditioning is on. Check heat setting on the water heater. By lowering down the temperature you can reduce electricity. Put a layer of insulation around the water heater. Avoid using dryers in the washing machine since they consume huge amount of electricity when switched on. Turn off the water when brushing teeth and use less water for shower which will save electricity which is used to heat water. Do not use light bulbs during day hours. Use sunlight as much as possible. Electricity Saving At Office Use Ceiling fan as much as possible instead of air conditioners. Use maximum day light and use florescent bulbs. They are initially more expensive than the regular bulbs, but the benefits of the CFL bulbs will prove much more cost-effective in the long run by the amount of power they will save. Switch monitors of your PC when you are going to be away from PC for more than 10 mins. Use LCD monitors instead of CRT monitors. Get the consumption of AC's, PCs, Printers, Scanners, Refrigerator, Microwave Lift, EPBAX, lights, coffee machines etc. checked. There are some power saving equipments available which can be installed near the main point, which controls the excess supply being sent to the machine. Keep the doors & windows of the office closed when AC's are on.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 12

â€Å"Tonight you get a taste of what our world wil be like when our competition is out of the picture. Fol ow me!† Riley bounded away; Raoul and his team were right on his heels. Kristie's group started shoving and clawing right through the middle of them to get to the front. â€Å"Don't make me change my mind!† Riley bel owed from the trees ahead. â€Å"You can al go thirsty. I don't care!† Kristie barked an order and her group sul enly fel behind Raoul's. Fred and I waited until the last of them was out of sight. Then Fred did one of those little ladies first sweeps with his arm. It didn't feel like he was afraid to have me at his back, just that he was being polite. I started running after the army. The others were already long gone, but it was nothing to fol ow their smel . Fred and I ran in companionable silence. I wondered what he was thinking. Maybe he was only thirsty. I was burning, so he probably was, too. We caught up to the others after about five minutes, but kept our distance. The army was moving in amazing quiet. They were focused, and more†¦ disciplined. I kind of wished that Riley had started the training sooner. It was easier to be around this group. We crossed over an empty two-lane freeway, another strip of forest, and then we were on a beach. The water was smooth, and we'd gone almost due north, so this must have been the strait. We hadn't passed near any residences, and I was sure that was on purpose. Thirsty and on edge, it wouldn't take too much to dissolve this smal measure of organization into a screaming free-for-al . We'd never hunted al together before, and I was pretty sure that it was not a good idea now. I remembered Kevin and the Spider-Man kid fighting over the woman in the car that first night I'd talked to Diego. Riley had better have a whole lot of bodies for us or people were going to start tearing each other up to get the most blood. Riley paused at the water's edge. â€Å"Don't hold back,† he told us. â€Å"I want you wel fed and strong – at your peak. Now†¦ let's go have some fun.† He dove smoothly into the surf. The others were growling excitedly as they submerged, too. Fred and I fol owed more closely than before because we couldn't fol ow their scent under water. But I could feel that Fred was hesitant – ready to bolt if this was something other than an al -you-can-eat smorgasbord. It seemed like he didn't trust Riley any more than I did. We didn't swim long, and then we saw the others kicking upward. Fred and I surfaced last, and Riley started talking as soon as our heads were out of the water, like he'd been waiting for us. He must have been more aware of Fred than the others were. â€Å"There she is,† he said, waving toward a large ferry chugging south, probably making the last commuter run of the night down from Canada. â€Å"Give me a minute. When the power goes out, she's al yours.† There was an excited murmur. Someone giggled. Riley was off like a shot, and seconds later we saw him fly up the side of the big boat. He headed straight for the control tower on top of the ship. Silencing the radio was my bet. He could say al he wanted about these enemies being our reason for caution, but I was sure there was more to it than that. Humans weren't supposed to know about vampires. At least, not for very long. Just long enough for us to kil them. Riley kicked a big plate-glass window out of his way and disappeared into the tower. Five seconds later, the lights went out. I realized Raoul was already gone. He must have submerged so we wouldn't hear him swimming after Riley. Everyone else took off, and the water churned as if an enormous school of barracuda were attacking. Fred and I swam at a relatively leisurely pace behind them. In a funny way, it was like we were some old married couple. We never talked, but we stil did things at exactly the same time. We got to the boat about three seconds later, and already the air was ful of shrieks and the warm scent of blood. The smel made me realize exactly how thirsty I was, but that was the last thing I realized. My brain shut down completely. There was nothing but fiery pain in my throat and the delicious blood – blood everywhere – promising to put that fire out. When it was over and there wasn't a heart left beating on the whole ship, I wasn't sure how many people I'd personal y kil ed. More than triple the number I'd ever had on a hunting trip before, easy. I felt hot and flushed. I'd drunk long past the point at which my thirst was total y slaked, just for the taste of the blood. Most of the blood on the ferry was clean and luscious – these passengers had not been dregs. Though I ha dn't held back, I was probably at the low end of the kil count. Raoul was so surrounded by mangled bodies that they actual y made a little hil . He sat on top of his pile of the dead and laughed loudly to himself. He wasn't the only one laughing. The dark boat was ful of sounds of delight. I heard Kristie say, â€Å"That was amazing – three cheers for Riley!† Some of her crowd put up a raucous chorus of hurrahs like a bunch of happy drunks. Jen and Kevin swung onto the view deck, dripping wet. â€Å"Got 'em al, boss,† Jen cal ed to Riley. So some people must have tried to swim for it. I hadn't noticed. I looked around for Fred. It took me a while to find him. I final y realized that I couldn't look directly at the back corner by the vending machines, and I headed that way. At first I felt like the rocking ferry was making me seasick, but then I got close enough that the feeling faded and I could see Fred standing by the window. He smiled at me quickly, and then looked over my head. I fol owed his gaze and saw that he was watching Riley. I got the feeling that he'd been doing this for some time. â€Å"Okay, kids,† Riley said. â€Å"You've had a taste of the sweet life, but now we've got work to do!† They al roared enthusiastical y. â€Å"I've got three last things to tel you – and one of those things involves a little dessert – so let's sink this scow and get home!† With laughter mixed in with the snarls, the army went to work dismantling the boat. Fred and I bailed out the window and watched the demo from a short distance. It didn't take long for the ferry to crumple in the middle with a loud groan of metal. The midsection went down first, with both the bow and the stern twisting up to point to the sky. They sank one at a time, the stern beating the bow by a few seconds. The school of barracuda headed toward us. Fred and I started swimming for shore. We ran home with the others – though keeping our distance. A couple of times Fred looked at me like he had something he wanted to say, but each time he seemed to change his mind. Back at the house, Riley let the celebratory mood wind down. Even after a few hours had passed, he stil had his hands ful trying to get everyone serious again. For once it wasn't a fight he was trying to defuse, just high spirits. If Riley's promises were false, as I thought, he was going to have an issue when the a mbush was over. Now that al these vampires had real y feasted, they weren't going to go back to any measure of restraint very easily. For tonight, though, Riley was a hero. Final y – a while after I would have guessed that the sun was up outside – everyone was quiet and paying attention. From their faces, it seemed they were ready to hear just about anything he had to say. Riley stood halfway up the stairs, his face serious. â€Å"Three things,† he began. â€Å"First, we want to be sure we get the right coven. If we accidental y run across another clan and slaughter them, we'l tip our hand. We want our enemies overconfident and unprepared. There are two things that mark this coven, and they're pretty hard to miss. One, they look different – they have yel ow eyes.† There was a murmur of confusion. â€Å"Yel ow?† Raoul repeated in a disgusted tone. â€Å"There's a lot of the vampire world out there that you haven't encountered yet. I told you these vampires were old. Their eyes are weaker than ours – yel owed with age. Another advantage to our side.† He nodded to himself as if to say, one down. â€Å"But other old vampires exist, so there is another way that we'l know them for sure†¦ and this is where the dessert I mentioned comes into play.† Riley smiled slyly and waited a beat. â€Å"This is going to be hard to process,† he warned. â€Å"I don't understand it, but I've seen it for myself. These old vampires have gone so soft that they actual y keep – as a member of their coven – a pet human.† His revelation was met by blank silence. Total disbelief. â€Å"I know – hard to swal ow. But it's true. We'l know it's definitely them because a human girl wil be with them.† â€Å"Like†¦ how?† Kristie asked. â€Å"You mean they carry meals around with them or something?† â€Å"No, it's always the same girl, just the one, and they don't plan to kil her. I don't know how they manage it, or why. Maybe they just like to be different. Maybe they want to show off their self-control. Maybe they think it makes them look stronger. It makes no sense to me. But I've seen her. More than that, I've smel ed her.† Slow and dramatic, Riley reached into his jacket and pul ed out a smal ziplock bag with red fabric wadded up inside. â€Å"I've done some recon in the past few weeks, checking the yel ow-eyes out as soon as they got near the area.† He paused to throw us a paternal look. â€Å"I watch out for my kids. Anyway, when I could tel that they were moving on us, I grabbed this† – he brandished the bag – â€Å"to help us track them. I want you al to get a lock on this scent.† He handed the bag to Raoul, who opened the plastic zipper and inhaled deeply. He glanced up at Riley with a startled look. â€Å"I know,† Riley said. â€Å"Amazing, right?† Raoul handed the bag to Kevin, his eyes narrowing in thought. One by one, each vampire sniffed the bag, and everyone reacted with wide eyes but little else. I was curious enough that I sidled away from Fred until I could feel a hint of the nausea and knew I was outside his circle. I crept forward until I was next to the Spider-Man kid, who seemed to be at the tail end of the line. He sniffed inside the bag when it was his turn and then seemed about to hand it back to the kid who had given it to him, but I held my hand out and hissed quietly. He did a double take – almost like he'd never see me before – and handed me the bag. It looked like the red fabric was a shirt. I stuck my nose in the opening, keeping my eyes on the vampires near me, just in case, and inhaled. Ah. I understood the expressions now and felt a similar one on my face. Because the human who had worn this shirt had seriously sweet blood. When Riley said dessert, he was dead right. On the other hand, I was less thirsty than I'd ever been. So while my eyes widened in appreciation, I didn't feel enough pain in my throat to make me grimace. It would be awesome to taste this blood, but in that exact moment, it didn't hurt me that I couldn't. I wondered how long it would take for me to get thirsty again. Usual y, a few hours after feeding, the pain would start to come back, and then it would just get worse and worse until – after a couple of days – it was impossible to ignore it even for a second. Would the excessive amount of blood I'd just drunk delay that? I guessed I'd see pretty soon. I glanced around to make sure no one was waiting for the bag, because I thought Fred would probably be curious, too. Riley caught my eye, smiled the tiniest bit, and jerked his chin slightly toward the corner where Fred was. Which made me want to do the exact opposite of what I'd just been planning, but whatever. I didn't want Riley to be suspicious of me. I walked back to Fred, ignoring the nausea until it faded and I was right next to him. I handed him the bag. He seemed pleased I'd thought to include him; he smiled and then sniffed the shirt. After a second he nodded thoughtful y to himself. He gave me the bag back with a significant look. The next time we were alone, I thought he would say aloud whatever it was he had seemed to want to share before. I tossed the bag toward Spider-Man, who reacted like it had fal en out of the sky but stil caught it before it hit the ground. Everyone was buzzing about the scent. Riley clapped his hands together twice. â€Å"Okay, so there's the dessert I was talking about. The girl wil be with the yel ow-eyes. And whoever gets to her first gets dessert. Simple as that.† Appreciative growls, competitive growls. Simple, yes, but†¦ wrong. Weren't we supposed to be destroying the yel ow-eyed coven? Unity was supposed to be the key, not a first-come, first-served prize that only one vampire could win. The only guaranteed outcome from this plan was one dead human. I could think of half a dozen more productive ways to motivate this army. The one who kil s the most yel ow-eyes wins the girl. The one who shows the best team cooperation gets the girl. The one who sticks to the plan best. The one who fol ows orders best. MVP, etc. The focus should be on the danger, which was definitely not the human. I looked around at the others and decided that none of them were fol owing the same train of thought. Raoul and Kristie were glaring at each other. I heard Sara and Jen arguing in whispers about the possibility of sharing the prize. Wel, maybe Fred got it. He was frowning, too. â€Å"And the last thing,† Riley said. For the first time there was some reluctance in his voice. â€Å"This wil probably be even harder to accept, so I'l show you. I won't ask you to do anything I won't do. Remember that – I'm with you guys every step of the way.† The vampires got real stil again. I noticed that Raoul had the ziplock back and was gripping it possessively. â€Å"There are so many things you have yet to learn about being a vampire,† Riley said. â€Å"Some of them make more sense than others. This is one of those things that won't sound right at first, but I've experienced it myself, and I'l show you.† He deliberated for a long second. â€Å"Four times a year, the sun shines at a certain indirect angle. During that one day, four times a year, it is safe†¦ for us to be outside in the daylight.† Every tiny movement stopped. There was no breathing. Riley was talking to a bunch of statues. â€Å"One of those special days is beginning now. The sun that is rising outside today won't hurt any of us. And we are going to use this rare exception to surprise our enemies.† My thoughts spun around and turned upside down. So Riley knew it was safe for us to go out in the sun. Or he didn't, and our creator had told him this â€Å"four days a year† story. Or†¦ this was true and Diego and I had lucked into one of those days. Except that Diego had been out in the shade before. And Riley was making this into some kind of solstice-y seasonal thing, while Diego and I had been safe in the daylight just four days ago. I could understand that Riley and our creator would want to control us with the fear of the sun. It made sense. But why tel the truth – in a very limited way – now? I would bet it had to do with those scary dark-cloaks. She probably wanted to get a jump on her deadline. The cloaked ones had not promised to let her live when we kil ed al the yel ow-eyes. I guessed she would be off like a shot the second she'd accomplished her objective here. Kil the yel ow-eyes and then take an extended vacation in Australia or somewhere else on the other side of the world. And I'd bet she wasn't going to send us engraved invitations. I would have to get to Diego quick so we could bail, too. In the opposite direction from Riley and our creator. And I ought to tip Fred off. I decided I would as soon as we had a moment alone. There was so much manipulation going on in this one little speech, and I wasn't sure I was catching it al . I wished Diego were here so we could analyze it together. If Riley was just making up this four-days story on the spot, I guess I could understand why. It's not like he could have just said, Hey, so I've lied to you for your whole lives, but now I'm telling the truth. He wanted us to fol ow him into battle today; he couldn't undermine whatever trust he'd earned. â€Å"It's right for you to be terrified at the thought,† Riley told the statues. â€Å"The reason you are al stil alive is that you paid attention when I told you to be careful. You got home on time, you didn't make mistakes. You let that fear make you smart and cautious. I don't expect you to put that intel igent fear aside easily. I don't expect you to run out that door on my word. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked around the room once. â€Å"I do expect you to follow me out.† His eyes slid away from the audience for just the teensiest fraction of a second, touching very briefly on something over my head. â€Å"Watch me,† he told us. â€Å"Listen to me. Trust me. When you see that I'm okay, believe your eyes. The sun on this one day does have some interesting effects on our skin. You'l see. It won't hurt you in any way. I wouldn't do anything to put you guys in unnecessary danger. You know that.† He started up the stairs. â€Å"Riley, can't we just wait – ,† Kristie began. â€Å"Just pay attention,† Riley cut her off, stil moving up at a measured pace. â€Å"This gives us a big advantage. The yel oweyes know al about this day, but they don't know that we know.† As he was talking, he opened the door and walked out of the basement into the kitchen. There was no light in the wel -shaded kitchen, but everyone stil shied away from the open doorway. Everyone but me. His voice continued, moving toward the front door. â€Å"It takes most young vampires a while to embrace this exception – for good reason. Those who aren't cautious about the daylight don't last long.† I felt Fred's eyes on me. I glanced over at him. He was staring at me urgently, as if he wanted to take off but had nowhere to go. â€Å"It's okay,† I whispered almost silently. â€Å"The sun's not going to hurt us.† You trust him? he mouthed back at me. No way.

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Catherine the Great and enlightened absolutism in Russia Coursework

Catherine the Great and enlightened absolutism in Russia - Coursework Example They also condemned those, who lived under the rules of doubtful traditions, full of irrationality and superstitions. Enlighteners did not deny the existence of God, in spite they tried to explain it rationally, and attacked institutions of Church because of their conservatism and corruption. Acceptance of God within the Enlightenment has led to the image of wise and rational absolute monarch as an ideal governing system - a view that has been accepted by many rulers of that time. The term "enlightened absolutism" dates back to 1847 when the historian Wilhelm Roseler first used it to describe the policy of certain European rulers in 1760-1790 (Henderson, 2005). Frederick II of Prussia (1740-1786), Charles III of Spain (1759-1788), Catherine II of Russia (1762-1796), Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (1765-1790), Gustavus III of Sweden (1771-1792) - all these rulers were absolute monarchs, and all of them were influenced by principles of the Enlightenment. This doctrine applied by monarchs in governing their countries put much greater emphasis on rationality in compare with arbitrary rules of their predecessors. However, there were significant differences in understanding the Enlightenment among rulers. Shaped by the geographic, demographic and cultural specifics, enlightened absolutism has taken a unique form in every state where it was embraced. Although smaller than it is today, Russia occupied a large territory stretching from Baltic Sea to Alaska (East to West) and from Arctic Ocean to Caspian Sea without the access to Black Sea (North to South) by the middle of 18th century. At that time the population of the country was about 18 million people (Riasanovsky, 1999). Such vast lands and huge population were always hard to control from a single centre. Monarchs had to rely greatly on nobles, which had almost unlimited power within their domains, especially in distant regions of Russia. Such great power given to nobles complicated the concept of enlightened absolutism, according to which a ruler must have absolute control. Typically for European absolutist states of that time, Russian treasury was supplied mainly through the increase of taxes (direct or indirect), while the main sources of expenditure were army and navy, governance, and court maintenance in the descending order. Only a small part of budget was planned for th e development of culture, education, and sciences. Such internal policy was implanted by nobles, and even if a monarch wanted, it was almost impossible to go against their interests. Meanwhile, concerns of serfs, which comprised about half of Russian population, were left out of account. The excessive protection of nobles' interest has led to the continued existence of serfdom cancelled only in 1861 in Russia. Cultural factors had a positive influence on the development of enlightened absolutism policy. Although the majority of Russian population was uneducated, the belief in 'a kind and fair tsar' was always a part of cultural tradition in imperial Russia. Nobles were often set off against the monarch in the eyes of peasants. At the same time, fascination with the European culture and the rise of the Enlightenment caused the spread of ideas among educated classes attacking serfdom as a retrograde and economically unprofitable system. The intrusion of Church

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Capital Punishment in Texas - Essay Example The typical methods of execution have been by electrocution, lethal injections and firing squads. Crimes such as murder, rape, piracy, treason, desertion all carried the death penalty. Currently the death penalty has been applied to crimes which fall under â€Å"capital crime† category. These capital offenses include murder of law enforcement personnel, during prison breaks, person serving life sentences, perpetrated during arson or robbery, children and multiple murders. Texas has executed 405 people since 1976 while 393 people are currently in death row (State by State Information). There are many reasons why Texas has a high death penalty rate. Judges in Texas are elected by popular support. Public pleasure drives their desire to impose tough punishments on crime. This increases their chances of getting reelected. Further lawyers are appointed by the court that has little experience in defending capital punishment crimes. Jurors are not allowed to consider less severe evidence during the sentencing period of the trial. Still others believe that the high rate of executions has to do with Texan history of frontier justice. Capital Punishment permanently damages justice and it is a violation of a criminal rights. Life imprisonment is a much better punishment in place of capital punishment. The death penalty is cruel and inhumane. It prevents the possibility of criminal rehabilitation. Further there is also the risk of executing innocent people. Proponents of the capital punishment claim that it acts as deterrence to murder. Murder is perpetrated either due to passion or insanity. A criminal does not take into consideration the consequences of their actions. Capital punishment also brutalizes society since it justifies state sanctioned killings and that it is acceptable to kill in some cases. Supporters of the death penalty argue that it does not brutalize society but provides justice upon

Curriculum Evaluation Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Curriculum Evaluation - Research Paper Example The curriculum aims to meet their needs, and have notable and measurable outcomes from the program (Keating, 2010). There are different models that nursing educators have designed over time so as to evaluate different curricula used in nursing education. There is the Nightingale Model, the Tyler Model, the Baldridge Evaluation System and the CIPP. This essay examines the Nursing curriculum of the University of Phoenix according to the CIPP model of curriculum evaluation. CIPP model This model is a qualitative method of evaluating curricula. The initials CIPP stand for â€Å"context, inputs, processes, and products.† It uncovers aspects that more contextual approaches have hidden. This is one of the advantages of this method, it brings to light, social processes that influence curriculum implementation, such as power relationships. It also helps the audience to understand the details of the situations. The CIPP model further helps in the development of instruments for quantitat ive evaluation of curricula (Utley, 2011). This model allows for the core components of nursing education to be evaluated at formative and summative levels. The components that are analysed in this case are as given by the initials the model name indicates. The curriculum The curriculum in issue builds up on previous knowledge as the learners are expected to add to their knowledge on several body systems. This knowledge is to be used in training the future nurses how to manage care of complex adult clients. It also aims to explain the role a nurse has to play in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of interventions used. All these processes have to be carried out in line with supporting data. Clinical experiences are also integrated into the learning process. This is to give the learners an opportunity to put into practice the theoretical knowledge gained from the classroom. Findings To evaluate this curriculum using the CIPP model, the components of the model ha ve to be related to the curriculum. It is vital to consider this curriculum as per the components of the model. The context examines the curriculum under two categories. First the fit between the vision of the organization and the program is examined. The ability of the organization to attain the goals and objectives it has in place is considered. All areas of training covered by the curriculum require both theoretical and practical know-how. This is observed in the learning objectives that have been set for each section. The University is well within its capability to attain the set course objectives. For teaching in theory, the university uses electronic resources, books, learning software, and other outlined course materials. Clinical conferencing and other practical activities such as filling in Preparatory Client Care Plan give the learners practical knowledge. Another aspect that helps in this aspect is that the University has set out the goals it wants to accomplish by comple tion of the specified learning period. Planning is vital for the achievement of anything. Inputs evaluation reveals the human and other resources in the institution, and their allocation. It also considers the cost-effectiveness of the curriculum (Young & Paterson, 2006). Curriculum implementation takes place in different modes. The classroom setting requires physical resources in order to create a conducive learning atmosphere. For a classroom to allow for students to learn well, it needs instructors, electricity,

What is Confucianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is Confucianism - Essay Example Confucius, in his teachings, sought to improve the traditions and social life of humans. He emphasized on the ethics of conduct, which in his view is the ways of a superior man. He argues that such a man is honest, respectful and loyal to both his leaders and culture. The greatest of all, a superior man is considered humane towards his interaction with others. Hidayat at al. (2014) further explains that a society is organized in different relations: the government and its subjects, the family and the friendship aspect among others. The guiding principle of Confucianism is humaneness, commonly referred to as ‘run’, which suggests an outstanding behavior in reference to the China ritual norms and virtues (Low and Patrick 2011, p.11-127). It is an element of optimistic nature of humans, which accords that human conditions are not permanent but are bound to changes. Confucianism also records that humans are capable of learning, improving and perfecting their lives which is typically Confucian. It then recognizes heaven and its influence towards human events. Apart from its ethical principle, Confucianism has no definite ritual or practice to follow like other religions prevalent in China. It is mainly about interactions for the families, where members of the family show love, concern and the respect to each other (Low and Patrick 2011 p.111-113). Confucianism ideals are considered inspirational in that they aim at perfection. It is of the opinion that if individuals could realize their potential in creating best relations with others, they would attain perfection in their personality (Hidayat at al.

Behavioural finance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Behavioural finance - Research Paper Example It is imperative to note that the mistakes made by portfolio managers, brokers and other market participants are driven by behavioral biases. This paper seeks to analyze major behavioral biases that cause the investment mistakes and the reasons as to the participants fall in the trap. During the decision making process, investors should fame the questions that will guide them in the process. According to Tversky and Kahneman 1124, the framing of a problem highly influences the decisions made by the investors. Framing bias entails the failure to reframe the choices given. As a result, investors suffer losses that can be avoided if the questions are reframed by the participants during a research. In order to ensure appropriate choices are made Lim 2540 depicts that managers should consider various factors. First, they should ask themselves whether or not they are addressing the actual problem. Secondly, they should integrate gains and losses in the choices available. Thirdly, they need to reverse the questions. For example, if there are sellers they should evaluate their behaviors assuming they are buyers. Fourthly, managers must frame the questions to cover the entre aspects of an investment for instance the total costs. In addition, managers must emulate an inten sive perspective during framing. The section below analyses some of the major statistical errors that are associated with framing bias. Representativeness heuristic is adopted by people to evaluate the probability based on the fact that an event A resembles and event B. For example, if an event B is highly representative to an event A, then it means that the probability that A originated from B is high (Tversky and Kahneman 1124). One of the major courses of errors that are related to representativeness is the use of similarity to determine the relationship between events. This is based on

Marriott Corporation” the Cost of Capital Essay Example for Free

Marriott Corporation† the Cost of Capital Essay What is the weighted average cost of capital for the Marriott Corporation and cost of capital for each of its divisions? – What risk-free rate and risk premium did you use to calculate the cost of equity? – How did you measure the cost of debt? – How did you measure the beta for each division? Solution What risk-free rate and risk premium did you use to calculate the cost of equity? – Risk-free rate proxy The risk-free rate is determined using the yields of U. S. Treasury securities, which are risk-free from default risk. U.S. Treasuries are subject to interest rate risk, therefore, the selected maturity should correspond to an investment horizon[1]. – Investment horizon According to the cost-of-capital calculation methodology used by Marriott Corporation, lodging division was treated as long-term, while restaurant and contract services divisions were treated as short-term because those assets had shorter useful lives. – Expected return proxy Arithmetic average return is more suitable than geometric mean as it is better in estimating an investment’s expected return over a future horizon based on its past performance (geometric mean is a better description of long-term historical performance of an investment). – Risk-free interest rate Taking into account the above, arithmetic average annual returns of long-term U.S. government bonds for the period 1951-1987 (4.88%, see Appendix 1) is  considered to be risk-free rate for lodging division. Arithmetic average annual returns of short-term U.S. government bonds for year 1987 (5.46%, see Case Exhibit 4) is considered to be risk-free rate for restaurant and contract services divisions. – Market proxy SP 500 index is selected as a market proxy as it is believed to be close to the true market portfolio. As it is important to use historical returns for the same market index used to calculate beta (which is given), an assumption is made that the given leverage data is calculated based on the same SP 500 index. – Market risk premium Market risk premium should be calculated for the same horizon as that used for the risk-free interest rate. Thus a spread between SP 500 composite returns and long-term U.S. government bond returns for the period 1951-1987 (7.88%, see Appendix 2) is a market risk premium for lodging division. A spread between SP 500 composite returns and short-term U.S. government bond returns for year 1987 (-0.23%, see Case Exhibit 5) is a market risk premium for restaurant and contract services divisions. How did you measure the cost of debt? Marriott Corporation and each division are given market value-target leverage ratios and credit spreads as well as U.S. government interest rates as of April 1988 (see Case Tables A and B). According to investment horizons discussed above, the following cost of debt is estimated: How did you measure the beta for each division? Ideally, when estimating beta by using past returns, time interval should be consistent with an investment horizon. Betas given in Case Exhibit 3 are estimated over 1986-1987 period. As these are the only betas given, they are assumed to be relevant for both long-term and short-term investment horizons. Equity betas of each division are calculated from comparable hotel and restaurant companies. Equity betas are then unlevered taking into account financing structure of each company according to the following formula: [pic], where Tax = 40% An average of unlevered betas of comparable companies is assumed to be a proxy for unlevered betas of Marriott divisions. For calculations of unlevered betas for each division see Appendix 4. What is the weighted average cost of capital for the Marriott Corporation and cost of capital for each of its divisions? WACC is calculated according to the formula given in the case taking into account the tax shield. Cost of equity is calculated according to CAPM model.

Advantages and disadvantages of WAN

Advantages and disadvantages of WAN Assumption. The company consist of 4 buildings, one as headquarter which located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and three as branches which located in Jakarta Indonesia, Bangkok Thailand and Manila Filipina. The company consists of 4 departments that are admin staff, IT department, marketing department and human resources department, which have total 40 employees in every office. Each department has 10 employees, which mean every departments room consist of 10 personal computers. LAN architecture will be the same between headquarter and branches. Every building Consist of 3 floors, 1st floors for administrator staff and human resources staff, 2nd floor for IT department and server room and the 3rd floor for marketing and meeting room. Every department has its own peripherals such as printer, scanner, and Photostat machine. Projector will be in meeting room. Have connection to the Internet and connection to each office. Headquarter office has external backup which located in Malaysia nearby headquarter office approximately 2 km, its provide backup for the database. Problem identification. The company does not have network yet. The company does not have DBMS (Database Management System). The company does not have backup yet. Security issues. WAN explanation. There are five sites in the WAN diagram, consist of headquarter office which is located in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, three branches offices which is located in Thailand Filipina and Indonesia and one external backup which is located nearby headquarter office. The function of external backup is to keep the data as the original data. WAN topology. Basically WAN topology is almost similar with the LAN topology consist of point-to-point topology, ring topology and star topology. There are several advantages and disadvantages for every topology. The advantages and disadvantages of each topology will be shown in table bellow. For this company we suggest to use star topology because it is more scalable, provides shorter data paths between two sites and easy to add new nodes, if someday the company will expand the business by adding new branches in the other country it will easy to add to the existing WAN, the disadvantages of star topology is it has single point of failure at the concentrator routers. To overcome this problem network administrator tend to add some alternatives links between sites. WAN transmission technology. For WAN technologies we will do comparison between three technologies that are leased line, frame relay, X.25 and PPP. For WAN technologies we suggest to use frame relay because it can provide performance similar with the lease line with significantly less cost over long distance. Another reason is reduce internetworking cost because with frame relay required fewer port to access other network, increase performance with reduce complexity and definitely it is cheaper than leased line. Lower cost over long distance makes frame relay is good for this company because the branches office located across the country. Technology. For WAN technology we suggest to use VPN (virtual private network). VPN is alternatives technology to replace the more expensive WAN technology. The advantages of VPN that available online on: (http://www.universitydissertations.com/Communications/using-VPN.php) are, provide well security method, less expensive when compare with the WAN technology, reduce setup times, fast network link, simple network topology and productivity improved due to less constraints when compared with other networking methods. And the disadvantage of VPN is limited security for wireless users. According to the comparison above, we suggest to use star topology to each department. It is because star topology is more robustness, when one link fails only that link is affected and not the entire networks, and also it is easy to add new devices into the network if someday the company will expand the network. The major disadvantages of this topology is dependants on the hub or switch, if central hub or switch fails the entire network will be affected, but sometimes this dependency will becomes another advantages of star topology, because it make easy to troubleshoot the errors, if the entire network is not working it will be problems in the hub or switch. And for connecting each floor, we use backbones cable. So overall LAN topology for each office is using tree topology that combines BUS topology and STAR topology. It will combine the advantages of both topologies, which is easy installation, expandable, combine between multipoint and point-to-point. Transmission media. According Michael Palmer and Robert Bruce Sinclair (2003), when choosing the best medium for LAN or WAN, it is important to consider the capabilities and limitations of each type, including factors such as: data transfer speed, use in specific network topologies, distances requirement, cable and cable component cost, additional network equipment that might be required, flexibility and ease of installation, immunity to interference form outside source, and upgrade options. For LAN transmission media is using UTP and fiber optic. UTP or Unshielded Twisted Pair also known as 10BaseT is one of twisted pair type. There are several category of UTP, namely, cat3 has a maximum transmission rate16 Mbps, cat4 maximum rate up to 20 Mbps, cat5 has transmission rate 100Mbps, cat5e transmission rate up to 1000Mbps and cat6 has a transmission rate up to1000Mbps. For cat5e and cat6 is support for using gigabyte Ethernet. For UTP cable in this LAN we use cat5e and cat6. Cat5e is using to connect workstations and peripherals to the switch and switch to the backbones in each departments room. The reason why we select the UTP cat5e because it has high-speed networking capabilities of up to 1000 Mbps. Another UTP that we use is cat 6 to connect between backbones cable and server. This cable can carry twice the bandwidth of cat5 and has less crosstalk than cat5e. Whereas for backbone cables we suggest for using fiber optic, no doubt about it that now a days fiber optic is the best cable. Why we suggest using fiber optic, it is because highest bandwidth than other cable, resistance to electromagnetic interference and Radio frequency interference, secure transmission and early detection of cable damage. The main disadvantage of this cable is very high cost. LAN protocol. We use TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet protocol) for protocol. The reason why we use TCP/IP because: according Michael Palmer and Robert Bruce Sinclair (2003), it has many advantages includes: It is used on most networks and Internet, which makes it the international language of translation. There is a wide range of network device designed compatible with TCP/IP. Most computer operating system now uses TCP/IP as their main protocol. There is a larger body of network professionals who understand TCP/IP. There are several protocol and application of the TCP/IP suite. In our network we only use application that we need such as FTP, DNS, STMP, Telnet, HTTP. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) There is three transfer protocol that support with TCP/IP: FTP, TFTP and NFS. For our network we use FTP because it is the file transfer protocol options preferred by Internet users. FTP is an application that enables to transfer data from one remote device to another, its very useful application in our network because the user in branches office can log in into the headquarter office and download one or more data files, the user have an authorized user ID and password on the host. DNS (Domain name system) DNS is used to converts a computer or domain name to an IP address or that converts form IP address to a computer or domain name. STMP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) STMP is used for sending email. SMTP can only send text files, so files in other format must be converted into text files before sending through STMP. By using this application the staff can send and receive the email. Telnet (telecommunication network) Telnet is used to communicate with host computer usually mainframes minicomputer and to ensure that all network devices connect properly. HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) HTTP is used World Wide Web communication. Using this application protocol the staffs can use internet properly in their workstations. Security. Proxy server. Proxy servers are devices that operate as intermediary agents on behalf of clients that are on a private or protected network. Clients on the protected network send connection requests to the application proxy in order to transfer data to the unprotected network or the Internet. Consequently, the application proxy sends the request on behalf of the internal client. (Jazeb Frahim and Omar Santos, 2005). According to Michael Dance in (http://www.ehow.com/facts_5016663_functions-proxy-server.html) the functions of proxy server are, caching: proxy server will save frequently accessed resources to save the bandwidth and faster loading, content filtering: it will filter the accessed web, by blocking certain web, security: when accessing the website proxy servers send Internet requests through a proxy before reach website destination. The proxy will encrypt the information, such as a password, before passing it onto the website. DMZ (Demilitarized zone) Basically DMZ is separate between public server and the LAN to allow external user to access into public server without access the internal server. Benefit of using DMZ is, by separating the public server with the private servers if someone hacks into one of public server does not mean that he can hacks into the private servers and also does not afford any easy route to the LAN. Multimedia devices.

Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy

Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy SYNOPSIS TOPIC : â€Å"Assessment Centers Its Pertinence, Functionality and Application† OBJECTIVE : Primary Objective The theme permeating this research is to know about the Assessment Centers inside out, its relevance in todays businesses, functions and objectives. Secondary Objective To apprehend the application of Assessment Centers in various firms. ABSTRACT : An Assessment Center is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. The assessment center method, in its modern form, came into existence as a result of the ATT Management Progress Study In this study, which began in the late 1950s, individuals entering management positions in Bell Telephone operating companies were assessed and, from then on, their careers were followed. The chief reason the assessment center method is valid in so many different countries is that it is an easily adaptable evaluation system. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY : The Research will consist of Secondary Data (Reference Books, Websites, Business Journals and Articles) and Primary Data (Questionnaire, Interviews from Industry Experts) GUIDE : Prof. Arvind Rajashekar, visiting faculty, IIPM. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Research is something that always has a question or a problem on the other side of it. The purpose behind ay research is to question through the application of Sciences or otherwise. It is a systematic and an in-depth study with the use of Primary and Secondary Instruments to gain more or complete knowledge of the subject under study. Research consists of Secondary and Primary Instruments 1. PRIMARY RESEARCH The Primary research consists of conducting a Questionnaire Survey with HR Professionals, business persons and Consultants. For this purpose, I have kept a Sample Size of 20 Respondents. The aim behind this survey is to get knowledge about Assessment Centers and its application and use by the Industry expert themselves and also Consultants who have applied Assessment Centers as a tool of Evaluation. 2. SECONDARY RESEARCH v The Secondary research consists of : a. Books on Assessment Centers b. Articles on the Internet c. Articles published in Business Journals d. HR Websites e. Research Papers by Industry experts Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT CENTERS 1.1 Assessment Centers A Gist An Assessment Center (AC) is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. Traditionally an assessment centre consisted of a suite of exercises designed to assess a set of personal characteristics, it was seen as a rather formal process where the individuals being assessed had the results fed back to them in the context of a simple yes/no selection decision. However, recently definite shift is seen in thinking away from this traditional view of an assessment centre to one which stresses the developmental aspect of assessment. A consequence of this is that today it is very rare to come across an assessment centre which does not have at least some developmental aspect to it, increasingly assessment centres are stressing a collaborative approach which involves the individual actively participating in the process rather than being a passive recipient of it. In some cases we can even find assessment centres that are so developmental in their approach that most of the assessment work done is carried out by the participants themselves and the major function of the centre is to provide the participants with feedback that is as much developmental as judgmental in nature. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. To align the strategic intent in line with the market requirements. 1.2 Definitions of an Assessment Center given by Consultants, Academicians Practitioners * Assessment Centres are often described as the variety of testing techniques that allow the candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most essential for success in a given job. Dennis A. Joiner, ‘Assessment centre in public sector: A practical approach, Public Personnel Management Journal. * An assessment center is a comprehensive standardized procedure in which multiple assessment techniques such as situational exercises and job simulation (business games, discussions, reports presentations) are used to evaluate individual employee for variety of manpower decisions. * An Assessment Centre consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple inputs. Several trained observers and techniques are used. Judgements about behavior are made, in major part, from specifically developed assessment simulations. These judgements are pooled in a meeting among the assessors or by statistical integration process. In an integration discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior, and often ratting of it, are pooled. The discussion results in evaluation of performance of the assessees on the dimensions/competencies or other variables that the assessment centre is designed to measure. Statistical combination methods should be validated in accordance with professionally accepted standards. ‘Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment centre operations. 28th International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods * The main feature of assessment centres is that they are a multiple assessment process. There are five main ways in which that is so. A group of participants takes part in a variety of exercises observed by a team of trained assessors who evaluate each participant against a number of predetermined, job related behaviors. Decisions are then made by pooling shared data. Iain Ballantyne and Nigel Povah * An assessment centre is a process in which individuals participate in a series of exercises, most of which approximate what they would be called upon to do in the future job. Assessors usually selected from higher management levels in the firm, are trained to observe the participants and evaluate their performance as fairly and impartially as possible. -‘Can assessment centres be used to improve the salesperson selection process, E. James Randall, Ernest E. Cooke, Richard J. Jefferies, Journal of personal selling and sales management * An assessment centre is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approach designed to provide reliable and valid information about a range of competencies of an individual considered to be necessary for successful performance at a target level in a specific job. ‘360 degree feedback, competency mapping and assessment centres, Radha R. Sharma * Tata Management Training Centres definition of AC: AC is an integrated standardized process in which a series of exercises are used to assess people on pre-defined parameters. These pre-definedparameters define job success in a given organizationalcontext. Most of the exercises are simulation of job activities/work challenges that the candidate is expected to perform in the next level role/job. 1.3 History of Assessment Centers Assessment Centre process was first used sometime between the two world wars. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War, prevented Germany from rearming and thus the traditional approach to the selection of officers, which was of observing their performance in war or in exercises was denied to them. German psychologists then devised this method which involved a combination of tests, simulations and exercises to identify the potential of officer candidates. The British Army used this methodology in the early days of Second World War when they established the War Office Selection Boards (WOSBs), again for the selection of officer candidates. However, it was brought into the private sector only in 1956 after ATT (American Telephone Telegraph Company) used it for selection of high potentials for managerial positions. This was the first industrial application of the assessment centre methodology. Both individual characteristics of young managers as well as organizational settings in which they worked were studied and evaluation at the assessment centre was used to predict whether the participant would make it to the middle management in the next ten years or less. The sample included both recent college graduates and non-management personnel who had risen to the managerial positions relatively early in their career. The dimensions assessed included managerial functions like organizing, planning, decision making, general ability such as intellectual ability, personal impression, sensitivity, and values and attitudes, both work related and social. The success of the earlier work of ATT was followed by Standard Oil which was the second to a start assessment centres. This was followed by IBM, Sears Roebuck, General Electric, and Caterpillar tractors. By 1981 more than 2500 organizations applied this methodology to select potential managers 1.4 Assessment Centers in Asia The first assessment centre in Asia was for selecting project leaders for the entrepreneurship development programme in Gujarat. Subsequently, efforts were made to introduce it in Larsen and Toubro . LT did a lot of work on job profiling but never got to the stage of developing an assessment centre for potential appraisal. Crompton Greaves attempted to use an assessment centre approach for selecting their general managers from within. It is only in the 1990s that interest in assessment centres was renewed. This was a natural response to the need to ensure competent people manning strategic positions. A large number of Asian companies have established assessment centres and many others are exploring. The companies that are trying out include : RPG Group, Escorts, TISCO, Aditya Birla Group, Eicher, Cadburys, Castrol (India), Glaxo, Grindwell Norton, ONGC, Mahindra and Mahindra, SAIL, Siemens, Wipro, Wockhardt, and Johnson Johnson. Different organizations initiated assessment centres for recruitment, selection, placement, promotion, career development, performance appraisal, and succession planning and development purposes such as identification of training needs, identification high potential managers, create a pool of managerial talent and multifunctional managers that would be available across the business group, employee recognition and fast growth. Philips, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Global Trust Bank are organizations that have been using assessment centres. Some of these organizations are, in the process of developing Indian managerial talent and measure it periodically. Generally the competencies that are to be measured are determined by each organization by using methods such as job analysis, managerial aptitude profile surveys, identifying competencies in star performers, etc. A variety of assessment techniques are used in Asian organizations like in-baskets, business simulations, questionnaires, group discussions, role plays, interviews, case study, individual presentations, etc. While the need is felt by all organizations to test reliability and validity of the tools used, many of them are not testing them. Both internal and external assessors are used for evaluation. Assessor training is done either through in-house training programmes or with the aid of external institutions like Academy of HRD (Hyderabad), SHL (UK), etc. Some Asian organizations have also sought assistance from organizations abroad that are using assessment centres such as GE, and Motorola. 1.5 Training and Developmental Needs Analysis The assessment centre methodology can be used to measure the abilities of individuals against certain critical criteria and identify their training and developmental needs. Such assessment centres are more diagnostic than evaluative and can be termed as development centres. In the case of use of assessment centre methodology for early identification, promotion, and selection, a final yes-no decision is critical. But in diagnostic assessment centres or development centres, final overall decision is insignificant. Each dimension must be measured with a high degree of reliability and validity because decisions are being made on each dimension. Therefore, the dimensions to be studied should be made as specific as possible. Quick, easy training methods dont change peoples skill levels. Skill acquisition requires intensive, time-consuming classroom training and must be coupled with opportunities for on-the-job practice and feedback so new behaviors are â€Å"set† in the individuals repertoire. Because skill development takes a lot of time and effort, everyone cannot be trained in every skill. The assessment center method provides an effective means to determine training or developmental needs. Individuals then can be placed in the most appropriate program. The assessment center method is an excellent diagnostic tool because it separates an individuals abilities into specific areas (dimensions) and then seeks specific examples of good and poor behavior within each dimension. This helps the assessee and his/her boss determine more precisely what training and developmental activities are required. Almost all organizations using assessment centers for selection or promotion also use the information obtained to diagnose training needs. However, a major shift in focus is the large number of firms now using assessment centers solely to diagnose training needs. 1.6 Relationship between an Assessment Center and Development Center The type of centre can vary between the traditional assessment centre used purely for selection to the more modern development centre which involves self-assessment and whose primary purpose is development. One might ask the question Why group assessment and development centres together if they have different purposes? The answer to that question is threefold. Firstly, they both involve assessment and it is only the end use of the information obtained which is different i.e. one for selection and one for development; secondly, it is impossible to draw a line between assessment and development centres because all centres, be they for assessment or development naturally lie somewhere on a continuum somewhere between the two extremes; thirdly most assessment centres involve at least some development and most development centres involve at least some assessment. This means that it is very rare to find a centre devoted to pure assessment or pure development.. Also, it purely depends upon the Organizations requirements, its policies and procedures whether it wants to conduct an AC or a DC. It is easier to think about assessment centres as being equally to do with selection and development because a degree of assessment goes on in both. Development centres grew out a liberalisation of thinking about assessment centres and it is a historical quirk that while assessment centres were once used purely for selection and have evolved to have a more developmental flavour the language used to describe them has not. Another problem with using the assessment development dichotomy is that at the very least it causes us to infer that little or no assessment goes in development centres. While you will hear centres being called assessment or development centres remember that assessment goes on in both and so to some extent at least they are both assessment centres. The end result of this is that it is not possible to talk about assessment or development centres in any but the most general terms. It is more useful to talk about the constituent parts and general processes involved in each. In these terms we can identify a number of differences between assessment and development centres that one might typically find: Assessment centres usually * have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards filing a job vacancy * address an immediate organisational need * have fewer assessors and more participants * involve line managers as assessors * have less emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on what the candidate can do now * are geared to meet the needs of the organisation * assign the role of judge to assessors * place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up * give feedback at a later date * involve the organisation having control over the information obtained * have very little pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with external candidates Development centres usually * do not have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards developing the individual * address a longer term need * have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant * do not have line managers as assessors * have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on potential * are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organisation * assign the role of facilitator to assessors * place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function * give feedback immediately * involve the individual having control over the information obtained * have a substantial pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with internal candidates Chapter 2 ASSESSMENT CENTERS INSIDE OUT 2.1 Stages in a typical Assessment Center A typical Assessment Center consists of the following stages. They are : Pre AC Stage During AC Stage Post AC Stage a. PRE AC STAGE * Defining the objective of AC . * Get approval for AC from the concerned officials. * Conduct job analysis. * Define the competencies required for the target position. * Identify the potential position holder and send them invitations. * Identify the observers. * Train the observers. * Design the AC exercises * Decide the rating methodology. * Make infrastructural arrangements. * Schedule the AC. * Informing the concerned people of the schedule. b. DURING AC STAGE * Explain participants the purpose of the AC, the procedure it would follow and its outcome. * Give instructions to the participants, before every exercise. * Distribute the competency-exercise matrix sheets among observers. * Conduct all exercises. * Conduct a discussion of all observers on every participants ratings, at the end of the session. * Make a report of the strengths and improvement areas of every participant. * Give feedback to participants. * Get feedback from participants and observers about the conduction of AC. c. POST AC STAGE * Compile reports of all participants and submit the list of selected participants to the concerned authorities. * Make improvements in the design according to the recommendations. * Evaluate the validity of results after a definite period. 2.2 Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center ( Source ‘Assessment Center for Identifying potential project managers , a Paper for the 6th European Conference on Software Quality 1999 in Vienna ) 2.3 Factors for Evaluating Assessment Center Design Five Factors for evaluating the Center Design The COLAT Model (Source Research Paper ‘Assessment of Assessment Centers by Dr. P. Sethu Madhavan) Center Design The following factors related to the centre design can be used to evaluate and compare the Assessment Centers s in the backdrop of best practices and benchmarks. * Use of qualified resource persons, assessors and support staff * Content validity of the centre and the competency profiles * Use of triangulation and corroboration of assessment results Organizational Preparedness Organizational preparedness refers to following macro level factors, that need to be addressed adequately and established in order to make an assessment or development centre to work effectively. * Policies and procedures * Structure * Clarity of organisational objectives * Buy in, commitment and change management * Communication Linkages, integration and alignment It has been observed that organizations vary considerably in ensuring the linkages, integration and alignment of ACs with the other organisational level factors and the individual level factors. ACs, therefore can be evaluated based on the following best practice anchors falling under these dimensions. * Alignment with core values, vision, mission and strategy * Alignment and linkages with other key HR systems and processes * Alignment with external professional bodies ADCs should be â€Å"purposively† aligned with and derived from the strategy, vision, mission, values and culture of the organisation or the unit. The centre should be designed in such way as to ensure that it helps to meet the strategic objectives of the organisation Quality of Assessment tools and methods In many countries, professional associations and legal requirements dictate that ACs follow some standard practices in the selection, use and administration of assessment methods, especially the psychometric tests. India perhaps has been lagging behind in imposing national level professional standards and certifications to ensure competent and ethical use of psychometric tests. In the absence of any national level qualifications regarding the use of psychometric tests in India, many institutions have been doing a great service to fill this gap by offering, professional training and consultancy services. However, observations and experiences reveal that ACs still vary considerably on their eagerness to ensure quality of tools and methods. * Quality of administration * Reliability * Validity * Utility * Reactivity * Relevance * Test fairness(Statistical) * Technology and use of computers Treatment of Participants and Data Treatment of participants and data in assessment centers is very important from ethical point of view. Some variables and indicators related to this dimension are listed below. * Psychological fairness as perceived by the participants and stakeholders * Right to information, informed consent and informed decisions * Confidentiality and data protection * Feedback policy * Post assessment follow-up and support 2.4 Types of Assessment Exercises Some of the widely used Assessment Center Exercises are as follows : Assement Center Exercise An in-tray or in-basket exercise asks to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through the correspondence in your in-tray. This exercise is designed to measure candidates ability to organize and prioritize work. In a presentation exercise, candidate is given a topic or possibly a choice of topics and asked to make a presentation of around ten minutes with five minutes at the end for questions. This is designed to measure his presentation skills including the ability to organise and structure the information and to communicate his points clearly and concisely. Group discussion exercises involve working with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills. Panel interviews are regarded as a more objective means of assessing the candidates suitability as he will be interviewed by between three and five people and therefore the decision is not reliant on just one persons opinion. In addition, they are usually more structured than a one-to-one interview as the panel need to assess all of the candidates against the same criteria. 2.5 How Assessment Center Exercises are Conducted ? The assessment centre method is utilized in a variety of settings including industry and business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. One recent trend is in the development of mass testing. This is done by video-taping candidates as they perform various exercises and by using objectively scored exercises. This permits the assessment of a much larger number of candidates per day as the scoring is done later and requires far less observation and administration. Assesment Centre Procedure Assessment centres are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process, because of the large amount of time and expense in conducting them, and usually follow the initial job interview. Other measurements such as psychological tests may complement the selection process.: They are commonly held either on employers premises or in a hotel and are considered by many organizations to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because a number of different selectors get to see you over a longer period of time and have the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations. Assessment Centres may be conducted by HR personnel within the employer company or by outside consultants. They are highly structured in their design, application, and assessment procedure and are specifically adapted to assess factors such as your level of skills, aptitude and compatibility with the organizations culture. Each test measures a range of indicators within these factors. During each test, a group of observers will rate the candidate on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale. Results are then cross compared against the same indicators, which are measured in other tests. Following test completion, observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about the ratings. At the beginning of the assessment, participant should receive an initial briefing about the timetable of tests, location of rooms etc. Prior to each test, he will be given instructions describing the exercise, his role, timeframes, equipment etc. He will not be told in detail about the individual indicators which will be measured. In addition, he is unlikely to receive feedback on the results, unless he have been successfully selected. Assessment centers typically involve the participants completing a range of exercises which simulate the activities carried out in the target job. Various combinations of these exercises and sometimes other assessment methods like psychometric testing and interviews are used to assess particular competencies in individuals. The theory behind this is that if one wishes to predict future job performance then the best way of doing this is to get the individual to carry out a set of tasks which accurately sample those required in the job and are as similar to them as possible. The particular competencies used will depend upon the target job but one will often find competencies such as relating to people; resistance to stress; planning and organising; motivation; adaptability and flexibility; problem solving; leadership; communication; decision making and initiative. There are numerous possible competencies and the ones which are relevant to a particular job are determined through job ana lysis. The fact that a set of exercises is used demonstrates one crucial characteristic of an assessment centre namely that it is behaviour that is being observed and measured. This represents a significant departure from many traditional selection approaches which rely on the observer or selector attempting to infer personal characteristics from behaviour based upon subjective judgement and usually precious little evidence. This approach is rendered unfair and inaccurate by the subjective whims and biases of the selector and in many cases produces a selection decision based on a freewheeling social interaction after which a decision is made whether the individual is face fit with the organisation. 2.6 Essential Elements of an Assessment Center Assessment Centers must have the following criteria to be called so : 1. Job Analysis To understand job challenges and the competencies required for successful execution of the job. 2. Predefined competencies Modeling the competencies, which will be tested during the process. 3. Behavioral classification Behaviors displayed by participants must be classified into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics, aptitudes, qualities, skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge. 4. Assessment techniques These include a number of exercises to test the assessees of their potentials. Each competency is tested through atleast 2 exercises for gathering adequate evidence for the presence of particular competence. 5. Simulations The exercises should simulate the job responsibilities as closely as possible to eliminate potential errors in selection. 6. Observations Accurate and unbiased observation is the most critical aspect of an AC. 7. Observers Multiple observers are used to eliminate subjectivity and biases from the process. They are given thorough training in the process prior to participating in the AC. 8. Recording Behavior A systematic procedure of recording must be used by the assessors for future reference. The recording could be in the form of hand written note, behavioral checklist, audio-video recording etc. 9. Reports Each observer must make a detailed report of his observation before going for the discussion of integration of scores. 10. Data Integration The pooling of information from different assessors is done through statistical techniques. 2.7 Assessment Centers Usage Various Organizations use the data provided Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy SYNOPSIS TOPIC : â€Å"Assessment Centers Its Pertinence, Functionality and Application† OBJECTIVE : Primary Objective The theme permeating this research is to know about the Assessment Centers inside out, its relevance in todays businesses, functions and objectives. Secondary Objective To apprehend the application of Assessment Centers in various firms. ABSTRACT : An Assessment Center is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. The assessment center method, in its modern form, came into existence as a result of the ATT Management Progress Study In this study, which began in the late 1950s, individuals entering management positions in Bell Telephone operating companies were assessed and, from then on, their careers were followed. The chief reason the assessment center method is valid in so many different countries is that it is an easily adaptable evaluation system. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY : The Research will consist of Secondary Data (Reference Books, Websites, Business Journals and Articles) and Primary Data (Questionnaire, Interviews from Industry Experts) GUIDE : Prof. Arvind Rajashekar, visiting faculty, IIPM. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Research is something that always has a question or a problem on the other side of it. The purpose behind ay research is to question through the application of Sciences or otherwise. It is a systematic and an in-depth study with the use of Primary and Secondary Instruments to gain more or complete knowledge of the subject under study. Research consists of Secondary and Primary Instruments 1. PRIMARY RESEARCH The Primary research consists of conducting a Questionnaire Survey with HR Professionals, business persons and Consultants. For this purpose, I have kept a Sample Size of 20 Respondents. The aim behind this survey is to get knowledge about Assessment Centers and its application and use by the Industry expert themselves and also Consultants who have applied Assessment Centers as a tool of Evaluation. 2. SECONDARY RESEARCH v The Secondary research consists of : a. Books on Assessment Centers b. Articles on the Internet c. Articles published in Business Journals d. HR Websites e. Research Papers by Industry experts Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT CENTERS 1.1 Assessment Centers A Gist An Assessment Center (AC) is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. Traditionally an assessment centre consisted of a suite of exercises designed to assess a set of personal characteristics, it was seen as a rather formal process where the individuals being assessed had the results fed back to them in the context of a simple yes/no selection decision. However, recently definite shift is seen in thinking away from this traditional view of an assessment centre to one which stresses the developmental aspect of assessment. A consequence of this is that today it is very rare to come across an assessment centre which does not have at least some developmental aspect to it, increasingly assessment centres are stressing a collaborative approach which involves the individual actively participating in the process rather than being a passive recipient of it. In some cases we can even find assessment centres that are so developmental in their approach that most of the assessment work done is carried out by the participants themselves and the major function of the centre is to provide the participants with feedback that is as much developmental as judgmental in nature. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. To align the strategic intent in line with the market requirements. 1.2 Definitions of an Assessment Center given by Consultants, Academicians Practitioners * Assessment Centres are often described as the variety of testing techniques that allow the candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most essential for success in a given job. Dennis A. Joiner, ‘Assessment centre in public sector: A practical approach, Public Personnel Management Journal. * An assessment center is a comprehensive standardized procedure in which multiple assessment techniques such as situational exercises and job simulation (business games, discussions, reports presentations) are used to evaluate individual employee for variety of manpower decisions. * An Assessment Centre consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple inputs. Several trained observers and techniques are used. Judgements about behavior are made, in major part, from specifically developed assessment simulations. These judgements are pooled in a meeting among the assessors or by statistical integration process. In an integration discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior, and often ratting of it, are pooled. The discussion results in evaluation of performance of the assessees on the dimensions/competencies or other variables that the assessment centre is designed to measure. Statistical combination methods should be validated in accordance with professionally accepted standards. ‘Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment centre operations. 28th International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods * The main feature of assessment centres is that they are a multiple assessment process. There are five main ways in which that is so. A group of participants takes part in a variety of exercises observed by a team of trained assessors who evaluate each participant against a number of predetermined, job related behaviors. Decisions are then made by pooling shared data. Iain Ballantyne and Nigel Povah * An assessment centre is a process in which individuals participate in a series of exercises, most of which approximate what they would be called upon to do in the future job. Assessors usually selected from higher management levels in the firm, are trained to observe the participants and evaluate their performance as fairly and impartially as possible. -‘Can assessment centres be used to improve the salesperson selection process, E. James Randall, Ernest E. Cooke, Richard J. Jefferies, Journal of personal selling and sales management * An assessment centre is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approach designed to provide reliable and valid information about a range of competencies of an individual considered to be necessary for successful performance at a target level in a specific job. ‘360 degree feedback, competency mapping and assessment centres, Radha R. Sharma * Tata Management Training Centres definition of AC: AC is an integrated standardized process in which a series of exercises are used to assess people on pre-defined parameters. These pre-definedparameters define job success in a given organizationalcontext. Most of the exercises are simulation of job activities/work challenges that the candidate is expected to perform in the next level role/job. 1.3 History of Assessment Centers Assessment Centre process was first used sometime between the two world wars. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War, prevented Germany from rearming and thus the traditional approach to the selection of officers, which was of observing their performance in war or in exercises was denied to them. German psychologists then devised this method which involved a combination of tests, simulations and exercises to identify the potential of officer candidates. The British Army used this methodology in the early days of Second World War when they established the War Office Selection Boards (WOSBs), again for the selection of officer candidates. However, it was brought into the private sector only in 1956 after ATT (American Telephone Telegraph Company) used it for selection of high potentials for managerial positions. This was the first industrial application of the assessment centre methodology. Both individual characteristics of young managers as well as organizational settings in which they worked were studied and evaluation at the assessment centre was used to predict whether the participant would make it to the middle management in the next ten years or less. The sample included both recent college graduates and non-management personnel who had risen to the managerial positions relatively early in their career. The dimensions assessed included managerial functions like organizing, planning, decision making, general ability such as intellectual ability, personal impression, sensitivity, and values and attitudes, both work related and social. The success of the earlier work of ATT was followed by Standard Oil which was the second to a start assessment centres. This was followed by IBM, Sears Roebuck, General Electric, and Caterpillar tractors. By 1981 more than 2500 organizations applied this methodology to select potential managers 1.4 Assessment Centers in Asia The first assessment centre in Asia was for selecting project leaders for the entrepreneurship development programme in Gujarat. Subsequently, efforts were made to introduce it in Larsen and Toubro . LT did a lot of work on job profiling but never got to the stage of developing an assessment centre for potential appraisal. Crompton Greaves attempted to use an assessment centre approach for selecting their general managers from within. It is only in the 1990s that interest in assessment centres was renewed. This was a natural response to the need to ensure competent people manning strategic positions. A large number of Asian companies have established assessment centres and many others are exploring. The companies that are trying out include : RPG Group, Escorts, TISCO, Aditya Birla Group, Eicher, Cadburys, Castrol (India), Glaxo, Grindwell Norton, ONGC, Mahindra and Mahindra, SAIL, Siemens, Wipro, Wockhardt, and Johnson Johnson. Different organizations initiated assessment centres for recruitment, selection, placement, promotion, career development, performance appraisal, and succession planning and development purposes such as identification of training needs, identification high potential managers, create a pool of managerial talent and multifunctional managers that would be available across the business group, employee recognition and fast growth. Philips, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Global Trust Bank are organizations that have been using assessment centres. Some of these organizations are, in the process of developing Indian managerial talent and measure it periodically. Generally the competencies that are to be measured are determined by each organization by using methods such as job analysis, managerial aptitude profile surveys, identifying competencies in star performers, etc. A variety of assessment techniques are used in Asian organizations like in-baskets, business simulations, questionnaires, group discussions, role plays, interviews, case study, individual presentations, etc. While the need is felt by all organizations to test reliability and validity of the tools used, many of them are not testing them. Both internal and external assessors are used for evaluation. Assessor training is done either through in-house training programmes or with the aid of external institutions like Academy of HRD (Hyderabad), SHL (UK), etc. Some Asian organizations have also sought assistance from organizations abroad that are using assessment centres such as GE, and Motorola. 1.5 Training and Developmental Needs Analysis The assessment centre methodology can be used to measure the abilities of individuals against certain critical criteria and identify their training and developmental needs. Such assessment centres are more diagnostic than evaluative and can be termed as development centres. In the case of use of assessment centre methodology for early identification, promotion, and selection, a final yes-no decision is critical. But in diagnostic assessment centres or development centres, final overall decision is insignificant. Each dimension must be measured with a high degree of reliability and validity because decisions are being made on each dimension. Therefore, the dimensions to be studied should be made as specific as possible. Quick, easy training methods dont change peoples skill levels. Skill acquisition requires intensive, time-consuming classroom training and must be coupled with opportunities for on-the-job practice and feedback so new behaviors are â€Å"set† in the individuals repertoire. Because skill development takes a lot of time and effort, everyone cannot be trained in every skill. The assessment center method provides an effective means to determine training or developmental needs. Individuals then can be placed in the most appropriate program. The assessment center method is an excellent diagnostic tool because it separates an individuals abilities into specific areas (dimensions) and then seeks specific examples of good and poor behavior within each dimension. This helps the assessee and his/her boss determine more precisely what training and developmental activities are required. Almost all organizations using assessment centers for selection or promotion also use the information obtained to diagnose training needs. However, a major shift in focus is the large number of firms now using assessment centers solely to diagnose training needs. 1.6 Relationship between an Assessment Center and Development Center The type of centre can vary between the traditional assessment centre used purely for selection to the more modern development centre which involves self-assessment and whose primary purpose is development. One might ask the question Why group assessment and development centres together if they have different purposes? The answer to that question is threefold. Firstly, they both involve assessment and it is only the end use of the information obtained which is different i.e. one for selection and one for development; secondly, it is impossible to draw a line between assessment and development centres because all centres, be they for assessment or development naturally lie somewhere on a continuum somewhere between the two extremes; thirdly most assessment centres involve at least some development and most development centres involve at least some assessment. This means that it is very rare to find a centre devoted to pure assessment or pure development.. Also, it purely depends upon the Organizations requirements, its policies and procedures whether it wants to conduct an AC or a DC. It is easier to think about assessment centres as being equally to do with selection and development because a degree of assessment goes on in both. Development centres grew out a liberalisation of thinking about assessment centres and it is a historical quirk that while assessment centres were once used purely for selection and have evolved to have a more developmental flavour the language used to describe them has not. Another problem with using the assessment development dichotomy is that at the very least it causes us to infer that little or no assessment goes in development centres. While you will hear centres being called assessment or development centres remember that assessment goes on in both and so to some extent at least they are both assessment centres. The end result of this is that it is not possible to talk about assessment or development centres in any but the most general terms. It is more useful to talk about the constituent parts and general processes involved in each. In these terms we can identify a number of differences between assessment and development centres that one might typically find: Assessment centres usually * have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards filing a job vacancy * address an immediate organisational need * have fewer assessors and more participants * involve line managers as assessors * have less emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on what the candidate can do now * are geared to meet the needs of the organisation * assign the role of judge to assessors * place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up * give feedback at a later date * involve the organisation having control over the information obtained * have very little pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with external candidates Development centres usually * do not have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards developing the individual * address a longer term need * have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant * do not have line managers as assessors * have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on potential * are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organisation * assign the role of facilitator to assessors * place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function * give feedback immediately * involve the individual having control over the information obtained * have a substantial pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with internal candidates Chapter 2 ASSESSMENT CENTERS INSIDE OUT 2.1 Stages in a typical Assessment Center A typical Assessment Center consists of the following stages. They are : Pre AC Stage During AC Stage Post AC Stage a. PRE AC STAGE * Defining the objective of AC . * Get approval for AC from the concerned officials. * Conduct job analysis. * Define the competencies required for the target position. * Identify the potential position holder and send them invitations. * Identify the observers. * Train the observers. * Design the AC exercises * Decide the rating methodology. * Make infrastructural arrangements. * Schedule the AC. * Informing the concerned people of the schedule. b. DURING AC STAGE * Explain participants the purpose of the AC, the procedure it would follow and its outcome. * Give instructions to the participants, before every exercise. * Distribute the competency-exercise matrix sheets among observers. * Conduct all exercises. * Conduct a discussion of all observers on every participants ratings, at the end of the session. * Make a report of the strengths and improvement areas of every participant. * Give feedback to participants. * Get feedback from participants and observers about the conduction of AC. c. POST AC STAGE * Compile reports of all participants and submit the list of selected participants to the concerned authorities. * Make improvements in the design according to the recommendations. * Evaluate the validity of results after a definite period. 2.2 Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center ( Source ‘Assessment Center for Identifying potential project managers , a Paper for the 6th European Conference on Software Quality 1999 in Vienna ) 2.3 Factors for Evaluating Assessment Center Design Five Factors for evaluating the Center Design The COLAT Model (Source Research Paper ‘Assessment of Assessment Centers by Dr. P. Sethu Madhavan) Center Design The following factors related to the centre design can be used to evaluate and compare the Assessment Centers s in the backdrop of best practices and benchmarks. * Use of qualified resource persons, assessors and support staff * Content validity of the centre and the competency profiles * Use of triangulation and corroboration of assessment results Organizational Preparedness Organizational preparedness refers to following macro level factors, that need to be addressed adequately and established in order to make an assessment or development centre to work effectively. * Policies and procedures * Structure * Clarity of organisational objectives * Buy in, commitment and change management * Communication Linkages, integration and alignment It has been observed that organizations vary considerably in ensuring the linkages, integration and alignment of ACs with the other organisational level factors and the individual level factors. ACs, therefore can be evaluated based on the following best practice anchors falling under these dimensions. * Alignment with core values, vision, mission and strategy * Alignment and linkages with other key HR systems and processes * Alignment with external professional bodies ADCs should be â€Å"purposively† aligned with and derived from the strategy, vision, mission, values and culture of the organisation or the unit. The centre should be designed in such way as to ensure that it helps to meet the strategic objectives of the organisation Quality of Assessment tools and methods In many countries, professional associations and legal requirements dictate that ACs follow some standard practices in the selection, use and administration of assessment methods, especially the psychometric tests. India perhaps has been lagging behind in imposing national level professional standards and certifications to ensure competent and ethical use of psychometric tests. In the absence of any national level qualifications regarding the use of psychometric tests in India, many institutions have been doing a great service to fill this gap by offering, professional training and consultancy services. However, observations and experiences reveal that ACs still vary considerably on their eagerness to ensure quality of tools and methods. * Quality of administration * Reliability * Validity * Utility * Reactivity * Relevance * Test fairness(Statistical) * Technology and use of computers Treatment of Participants and Data Treatment of participants and data in assessment centers is very important from ethical point of view. Some variables and indicators related to this dimension are listed below. * Psychological fairness as perceived by the participants and stakeholders * Right to information, informed consent and informed decisions * Confidentiality and data protection * Feedback policy * Post assessment follow-up and support 2.4 Types of Assessment Exercises Some of the widely used Assessment Center Exercises are as follows : Assement Center Exercise An in-tray or in-basket exercise asks to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through the correspondence in your in-tray. This exercise is designed to measure candidates ability to organize and prioritize work. In a presentation exercise, candidate is given a topic or possibly a choice of topics and asked to make a presentation of around ten minutes with five minutes at the end for questions. This is designed to measure his presentation skills including the ability to organise and structure the information and to communicate his points clearly and concisely. Group discussion exercises involve working with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills. Panel interviews are regarded as a more objective means of assessing the candidates suitability as he will be interviewed by between three and five people and therefore the decision is not reliant on just one persons opinion. In addition, they are usually more structured than a one-to-one interview as the panel need to assess all of the candidates against the same criteria. 2.5 How Assessment Center Exercises are Conducted ? The assessment centre method is utilized in a variety of settings including industry and business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. One recent trend is in the development of mass testing. This is done by video-taping candidates as they perform various exercises and by using objectively scored exercises. This permits the assessment of a much larger number of candidates per day as the scoring is done later and requires far less observation and administration. Assesment Centre Procedure Assessment centres are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process, because of the large amount of time and expense in conducting them, and usually follow the initial job interview. Other measurements such as psychological tests may complement the selection process.: They are commonly held either on employers premises or in a hotel and are considered by many organizations to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because a number of different selectors get to see you over a longer period of time and have the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations. Assessment Centres may be conducted by HR personnel within the employer company or by outside consultants. They are highly structured in their design, application, and assessment procedure and are specifically adapted to assess factors such as your level of skills, aptitude and compatibility with the organizations culture. Each test measures a range of indicators within these factors. During each test, a group of observers will rate the candidate on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale. Results are then cross compared against the same indicators, which are measured in other tests. Following test completion, observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about the ratings. At the beginning of the assessment, participant should receive an initial briefing about the timetable of tests, location of rooms etc. Prior to each test, he will be given instructions describing the exercise, his role, timeframes, equipment etc. He will not be told in detail about the individual indicators which will be measured. In addition, he is unlikely to receive feedback on the results, unless he have been successfully selected. Assessment centers typically involve the participants completing a range of exercises which simulate the activities carried out in the target job. Various combinations of these exercises and sometimes other assessment methods like psychometric testing and interviews are used to assess particular competencies in individuals. The theory behind this is that if one wishes to predict future job performance then the best way of doing this is to get the individual to carry out a set of tasks which accurately sample those required in the job and are as similar to them as possible. The particular competencies used will depend upon the target job but one will often find competencies such as relating to people; resistance to stress; planning and organising; motivation; adaptability and flexibility; problem solving; leadership; communication; decision making and initiative. There are numerous possible competencies and the ones which are relevant to a particular job are determined through job ana lysis. The fact that a set of exercises is used demonstrates one crucial characteristic of an assessment centre namely that it is behaviour that is being observed and measured. This represents a significant departure from many traditional selection approaches which rely on the observer or selector attempting to infer personal characteristics from behaviour based upon subjective judgement and usually precious little evidence. This approach is rendered unfair and inaccurate by the subjective whims and biases of the selector and in many cases produces a selection decision based on a freewheeling social interaction after which a decision is made whether the individual is face fit with the organisation. 2.6 Essential Elements of an Assessment Center Assessment Centers must have the following criteria to be called so : 1. Job Analysis To understand job challenges and the competencies required for successful execution of the job. 2. Predefined competencies Modeling the competencies, which will be tested during the process. 3. Behavioral classification Behaviors displayed by participants must be classified into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics, aptitudes, qualities, skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge. 4. Assessment techniques These include a number of exercises to test the assessees of their potentials. Each competency is tested through atleast 2 exercises for gathering adequate evidence for the presence of particular competence. 5. Simulations The exercises should simulate the job responsibilities as closely as possible to eliminate potential errors in selection. 6. Observations Accurate and unbiased observation is the most critical aspect of an AC. 7. Observers Multiple observers are used to eliminate subjectivity and biases from the process. They are given thorough training in the process prior to participating in the AC. 8. Recording Behavior A systematic procedure of recording must be used by the assessors for future reference. The recording could be in the form of hand written note, behavioral checklist, audio-video recording etc. 9. Reports Each observer must make a detailed report of his observation before going for the discussion of integration of scores. 10. Data Integration The pooling of information from different assessors is done through statistical techniques. 2.7 Assessment Centers Usage Various Organizations use the data provided