Selection and Induction free essay sample

Inadequate recruitment can lead to labour shortages, or problems in management decision making. Recruitment is however not just a simple selection process but also requires management decision making and extensive planning to employ the most suitable manpower. Competition among business organisations for recruiting the best potential has increased focus on innovation, and management decision making and the selectors aim to recruit only the best candidates who would suit the corporate culture, ethics and climate specific to the organisation. The process of recruitment does not however end with application and selection of the right people but involves maintaining and retaining the employees chosen. (State Government of Victoria State Services Authority, 2008) The housekeeping department is the most important department in hospitality world. Housekeeping is responsible for cleaning the hotel’s guestrooms and public areas. This department has the largest amount staff, and its operations are the most influential from both external and internal factors. We will write a custom essay sample on Selection and Induction or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Thus they have an ever chancing requirement for staff. RECRUITMENT French and Rees (2010) Defines recruitment as, â€Å"a process to discover the sources of man power to meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting that manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient workforce. † Edwin B. Flippo defined recruitment as â€Å"the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization. † In simple words recruitment can be defined as a ‘linking function’-joining together those with jobs to fill and those seeking jobs. The general purpose of recruitment is to provide a pool of potentially qualified job candidates. For a more detailed specification: (see Attachment 1) The process 1. A need is created through any number of factors within an establishment. From the change in seasonal occupancy, personal factors of staff or managerial requirements. As in the case of the ABS Hotel, a member of the housekeeping department has been granted a transfer due to personal issues. Now a position has been created that needs to be filled. The HOD of the department will now access the vacancy and if need be, he will file a request for the recruitment of a new staff member. (See Attachment 2) 2. The request will be filled and accessed by the Hotel’s Human resources Manager, and he will then have a meeting with the HOD from the Housekeeping department to discuss the need for a new staff member. If the HR manager finds the request valid he will then go about discussing the positions measurable standard with the HOD. This will result in the Job analysis of the required room attendant by which applicants will be measured. See Attachment 3) 3. The HR manager must then apply to the Hotels Chief Financial Officer if there are funds available for both the recruitment process and the annual salary of the new staff member. As is the case with the current position at the ABC Hotel, the annual salary can be paid as it would have been paid to the previous room attendant. 4. Once the CFO has validated the financial aspect of t he request, the HR manager and the HOD of the housekeeping department must apply to the General Manager for his approval of the recruitment. . If the GM denies their request, the process will stop. If the GM accepts the request the HOD’s part of recruitment has been completed, and the HR manager starts the formal process of recruitment. 6. The HR manager does research into the Labour market, Economy and the Expansion of the company. The Labour market’s geographical and demographical information will assist the HR manager in calculating the environment were the best suitable candidates can be found and through use of which measure can they best be reached. The studying of the economical present and future will assist the manager in accessing if it would be affordable to hire the new employee and what the market rate for the positions salary is. The growth of the company has the biggest impact on the recruitment process, for if the company has to decline or plans to â€Å"float† through the following year then the appointment of a new staff member will result in a profit expenditure, which renders the recruitment process a loss. As is the current state of the ABC Hotel the three factors are all positive and thus the HR manager will continue with the recruitment process. . The HR manager must utilise the company resources to decide whether to advertise the vacancy internally, externally and by which technique to best reach the required labour market. [ For an explanation of internal-, and external advertising, (see Attachment 1) ] 8. The HR manager must now utilise the information gathered from the previous two steps to thoroughly plan the advertisement. All relevant information regarding the position needs to be within the method of advertising and must create a positive image for the organisation. (see Attachment 4) 9. If the HR Manager has done his job correctly, persons will apply for the position. SELECTION The size of the labour market, the image of the company, the place of posting, the nature of job, the compensation package and a host of other factors influence the manner of aspirants are likely to respond to the recruiting efforts of the company. Through the process of recruitment the company tries to locate prospective employees and encourages them to apply for vacancies at various levels. Recruiting, thus, provides a pool of applicants for selection. Selection is defined by French (2012, p. 76) as the process of picking individuals who have relevant qualifications to fill jobs in an organisation. The basic purpose is to choose the individual who can most successfully perform the job from the pool of qualified candidates. The purpose of selection is to pick up the most suitable candidate who would meet the requirements of the job in an organisation best, to find out which job applicant wil l be successful, if hired. To meet this goal, the company obtains and assesses information about the applicants in terms of age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. the needs of the job are matched with the profile of candidates. The most suitable person is then picked up after eliminating the unsuitable applicants through successive stages of selection process. How well an employee is matched to a job is very important because it is directly affects the amount and quality of employee’s work. Any mismatch in this regard can cost an organisation a great deal of money, time and trouble, especially, in terms of training and operating costs. In course of time, the employee may find the job distasteful and leave in frustration. He may even circulate negative information about the company, causing incalculable harm to the company in the long run. Effective election, therefore, demands constant monitoring of the ‘fit’ between people the job. (French and Rees, 2012, p. 176) The Process 1. The Curriculum Vitae’ of applicants are received. 2. The applications will now be scrutinised according to the measurable standard. 3. A database is created wherein all the information of applicants are entered and stored. This database is a very essential and useful tool. It has all the information applicants included on their CV’s, this information can be used as a record of how applicants were chosen or declined. It holds the record to prove that the selection process was neither biased nor discriminative and has complied with both the Labour Relations and the Employment Equity Acts. It is also a useful reference base which can be used for future manpower forecasting or a base of possible employees for future positions. Thus saving on recruitment costs. 4. The applications are now sorted by the HR manager into three â€Å"piles†. Successful-, For Review- and Unsuccessful applicants. 5. The unsuccessful applicants must be sent a letter of their unsuccessful attempt. The letter will contain the reason the establishment declined their application and will wish them well for future applications. 6. From the Successful applicants a short list will now be drawn up, by both the HR Manager and the Housekeeping HOD, to show the best possible candidates for the position. This can sometimes be a difficult and time consuming process. To ease the process follow these guidelines. (see Attachment 5) 7. Once the best possible candidates have been chosen from the shortlist, they will be telephonically contacted and informed that they are a possible candidate for the position. During the phone call a short pre-interview will be conducted to confirm the critical information with the candidate and to inform them of their formal interview. 8. Application forms are sent via email or post to the candidates for them to formally apply for the position. These need to be sent back to the establishment as they will be used to gather information on candidates to better structure the interviews. 9. Using the candidates I. D. numbers a background check will be done on applicants for criminal record or blacklisting. According to JHON BOTHA, director of the Production Management Institute, this has become a necessary step due to the Labour laws in South Africa. Business Day October 11th, 2012. see Attachment 6 ] 10. The HR manager and HOD of the Housekeeping department must setup the formal interview structure and question the candidates. 11. After the interview the candidates will write a short aptitude test to see if their norms, values and attitudes align with the est ablishments. 12. The HR manager and The HOD will now decide on the best candidate for the position. If none of the candidates are suitable for the position, they may refer back to the candidates which didn’t make the short list or the applicants for review and repeat steps 8-11. If no candidate or applicant meets the requirements, then the recruitment and selection process must be reviewed and restarted. 13. If a candidate has been chosen for the position, they will be informed of their success telephonically and given further instructions regarding their first day of employment and induction. If the chosen candidate declines the offer then the HR manager must choose another and repeat step 12 and 13. 4. The unsuccessful candidates will receive a phone call informing them of their unsuccessful attempt but will assure them that they will be considered for future positions. INDUCTION Induction can be defined as the first step towards gaining an employees commitment, it is aimed at introducing the job and organization to the recruit and him or her to the organization. It involv es orientation and training of the employee in the organizational culture, and showing how he or she is interconnected to (and interdependent on) everyone else in the organization. See also orientation. (Target Selection 1986) The Induction process has several important objectives (Grobler et al. 2002) : †¢Acquainting new employees with job procedures. †¢Establishing relationships with co-workers. †¢Creating a sense of belonging among employees. †¢Acquainting new employees with the goals of the organisation. †¢Indicating to the employees the preferred means by which these goals should be achieved. †¢Identifying the basic responsibilities of the job. †¢Indicating the required behaviour patterns for effective job performance. (Grobler et al. 2002) The Process Day 1: Introduction to the establishment and work area Person Responsible: HR Manager †¢Mission, Vision, Objectives of work area †¢How the work area fits in to the wider establishment †¢All key operational and social areas to be visited. Introduction to other members of staff Person Responsible: HR Manager †¢Go through organisation chart †¢Discuss roles and responsibilities of staff in general terms. †¢May also want to extend time to allow visits to key contacts out with work area. Introduction to the other teams within the Work area Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢Purpose/Activities of the other teams/work areas †¢How the team fits in to the work area †¢How the work area fits into the University Day 2: Terms and Conditions Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢Ensure new start has viewed and understood information contained in the Information for New Employees this contains important information on terms and conditions. Performance Standards Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢Outline specifics of job role – (job description) †¢Define goals, objectives, and expectations †¢Review probation and performance and development review/ ADR/ appraisal process. Culture of the Work area Person Responsible – Line Manager/Nominee †¢Make new start aware of local arrangements regarding hours of work, holiday requests, sickness procedure, after hours working, dress code, lunch arrangements, etc. †¢Other University procedures e. g. internet and e-mail usage, transportation and parking, etc. Office Systems Person Responsible – Line Manager/Nominee †¢Review processes for using office equipment such as: computer, telephone, voicemail, fax, printer, photocopier, etc. †¢Review processes for using other university equipment/systems such as: libraries, laboratories, open access computers, etc. Review computer security, and software usage. †¢Consider environmental efficiencies (waste, recycling, energy) Health and Safety Person Responsible – Health Safety Co-ordinator/ Line Manager †¢Physical – fire exits, fire alarms, fire evacuation procedure, fire-training arrangements, manual handling, firs t-aid arrangements, VDU usage, and other arrangements as required. Day 3 and 4 Job Specific Training and Development -Person Responsible – Line Manager/Nominee †¢Role specific development needs should be reviewed and a suitable programme of training should be planned that aligns the individual’s skills to their core duties. Staff with line management responsibilities should be clear as to their duties and attend any relevant training. †¢Outline the use of annual performance and development reviews/ ADR as one method for determining on-going role specific development needs. †¢Introduce University wide training and development opportunities available to staff. †¢Review use of personal development planning tools (i. e. PDP) Week 1 4: The new employee should be partnered with a buddy / mentor and work with and alongside them to learn the operations, in’s-and-out’s and daily routines of the position. Week 5 – 6: The new employee should now be able to function independently, but will still require supervision. Week 7: Monitoring and Evaluation Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢It is important that the Induction programme is monitored and reviewed. †¢Throughout the period regular review meetings should be held and any adjustments made. †¢The new employee should be informally interviewed to access his progress and experience of the working environment. Week 8 12: Probation -Person Responsible – Line Manager For new staff the Probation Policy will apply, at the end of three months the new employee will now be a permanent employee. This will have ensured continued efficiency and productivity. CONCLUSION At the end of what could be a short or long process the ABC Hotel will now have the new room attendant which would have fit in perfectly into the organisation to ensure continued productivity and efficiency. If each of the steps of all three processes of Recruitment, Selection and Induction have been followed and done according to the Hotel’s policies and procedures and the standards set by management then the present and future manpower planning will be a success. An awareness of issues and concepts within this area is an important tool for all those involved with leading, managing and developing people – even if they are not human resource managers per se. A recognition of the importance of this aspect of people management is not new, and ‘success’ in this field has often been linked with the avoidance of critical failure factors including undesirable levels of staff turnover and claims of discrimination from unsuccessful job applicants. It has been argued here that it is also possible to identify aspects of recruitment and selection which link with critical success factors in the 21st century context, differentiating organisational performance and going some way to delivering employees who can act as ‘thinking performers’. It is proposed, for example, that a competencies approach focusing on abilities needed to perform a job well may be preferable to the use of a more traditional matching of job and person. (French 2010)

Free Essays on Comparison

Living with my fiancà © for the last three years has been quite an adventure. I have always been the type of person who likes things done a certain way. I have my routine and I like to stick to it. Anal, as he would put it. He is more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person that doesn’t mind when things get a little out of order. A slob, as I would say. However, even with some of our obvious differences, we manage to keep it together and primarily try to focus on what makes us compatible. For me, living with someone was a big adjustment. I wasn’t used to sharing closet space, my bed, and especially not my bathroom. I liked things the way I liked things and I was used to not having to worry about someone else being around and messing up my space. I now find myself picking up socks and underwear on a daily basis. The countless times I yell about this doesn’t seem to sink in. Making the bed first thing in the morning was a normal ritual for me but how can you make your bed on a Saturday morning when your significant other decides that he wants to sleep in? You yell at the top of your lungs about how lazy is he and that he needs to get out of bed or you just don’t make it at all. Straightening up the house is another thing that I feel the need to do in order to be able to fully relax. No matter how long of a day I’ve had, when I come home, if my place seems a little disorganized, I feel the need to take the time and straighten it up. He, on th e other hand doesn’t seem notice and thinks that I’m strange and some sort of a â€Å"clean freak†. Paying the bills and handling the money in my house is definitely a task that I have taken on. I am one of those people that call the bank and check my balances on a daily basis. Spending large amounts of money is not something I enjoy doing. I am a very frugal person, very tight with my money. My fiancà © on the other hand doesn’t like to let money factor into things as much as I do. Heï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Comparison Free Essays on Comparison Living with my fiancà © for the last three years has been quite an adventure. I have always been the type of person who likes things done a certain way. I have my routine and I like to stick to it. Anal, as he would put it. He is more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person that doesn’t mind when things get a little out of order. A slob, as I would say. However, even with some of our obvious differences, we manage to keep it together and primarily try to focus on what makes us compatible. For me, living with someone was a big adjustment. I wasn’t used to sharing closet space, my bed, and especially not my bathroom. I liked things the way I liked things and I was used to not having to worry about someone else being around and messing up my space. I now find myself picking up socks and underwear on a daily basis. The countless times I yell about this doesn’t seem to sink in. Making the bed first thing in the morning was a normal ritual for me but how can you make your bed on a Saturday morning when your significant other decides that he wants to sleep in? You yell at the top of your lungs about how lazy is he and that he needs to get out of bed or you just don’t make it at all. Straightening up the house is another thing that I feel the need to do in order to be able to fully relax. No matter how long of a day I’ve had, when I come home, if my place seems a little disorganized, I feel the need to take the time and straighten it up. He, on th e other hand doesn’t seem notice and thinks that I’m strange and some sort of a â€Å"clean freak†. Paying the bills and handling the money in my house is definitely a task that I have taken on. I am one of those people that call the bank and check my balances on a daily basis. Spending large amounts of money is not something I enjoy doing. I am a very frugal person, very tight with my money. My fiancà © on the other hand doesn’t like to let money factor into things as much as I do. Heï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Comparison Although it may not seem obvious to all readers, the stories of Robert Frost’s â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Wallpaper† share the same storyline. During certain literary periods, authors often treat similar topics. First, both stories share the same era: the beginning of the twentieth century. Gilman published in 1892 while Frost published in 1923. Moreover, both stories begin with the narrator describing the house, its location and the nature around it. Jane, in Gilman’s story spends three quiet months locked up in a yellow room. Similarly, Frost’s narrator spends a quiet night in dark woods with white snow. Both characters also feel isolated from the outside world, impressed by their surroundings and bothered by someone close to them. Furthermore, women’s condition seems like an important subject for both authors, raised by single mothers. In Gilman’s story, for example, J ohn controls Jane: he tells her what to do, where to be and what to think. Frost’s opinion seems less obvious but â€Å"he gives his harness bells a shake† (850)# resembles John’s actions when Jane locks herself in her room. The harness also represents the man’s control over the woman. Finally, both stories end with the authors’ admission of the characters’ problems: they cannot sleep, need to keep a promise and go crazy. In conclusion, Frost’s poem could be considered as being a summary of Gilman’s story because they resemble each other in so many ways. With this notion in mind, students might now be able to read stories and poems, link them together and impress their teachers.... Free Essays on Comparison Comparative Studies between Two Essays â€Å"The Brown Wasps† by Loren C. Eiseley and â€Å"The Spider and the Wasp† by Alexander Petrunkevitch are two essays from the same book, â€Å"Decker Patterns of Exposition†, by Randall E. Pecker and Robert A. Schwegler, published by Scott, Foresman & Co., Greenview, Illinois, London, England. It is obvious that the two essays use the same object, wasp, which is not a kind of insect easily seen or found. Both authors try to make this little creature his main character in the essay, for different purposes of course. In "The Brown Wasps", Loren gives wasp some symbolic meanings, and compare human beings including himself with the wasp. â€Å"Like the brown wasp, he will have his wish to die in the great droning center of the hive rather than in some lonely room.† (P. 130) â€Å"Prematurely I am one of the brown wasps and I often sit with them in the great droning hive of the station, dreaming sometimes of a certain tree.† (P. 135) Wasp has become a symbol in Loren’s essay, which is very much different from it is in Alexander’s "The Spider and the Wasp" . This time, wasp is the â€Å"archenemy† of the tarantula, a kind of spider. The author tries to tell the readers something about instinctive actions such as the battle between the tarantula and Pepsis, a kind of wasp. â€Å"The case I propose to describe here is that of the tarantula spiders and their archenemy, the digger wasps of the genus Pepsis.† (P. 165) Here wasp is nothing but only a natural enemy of tarantula, or we may say, a natural partner of the spider in the long evolvement in the history. Different purposes lead to the different position and usage of the same hairy creature, wasp. As we have mentioned above, two authors are doing the different things out of different themes. Loren , who is admired for his sensitive philosophical approach to all living things, is watching the world changing nearby all the time. He is searching a...

Viking History - Guide to the Ancient Norse

Viking History - Guide to the Ancient Norse Viking history traditionally begins in northern Europe with the first Scandinavian raid on England, in AD 793, and ends with the death of Harald Hardrada in 1066, in a failed attempt to attain the English throne. During those 250 years, the political and religious structure of northern Europe was changed irrevocably. Some of that change can be directly attributed to the actions of the Vikings, and/or the response to Viking imperialism, and some of it cannot. Viking Age Beginnings Beginning in the 8th century AD, the Vikings began expanding out of Scandinavia, first as raids and then as imperialistic settlements into a wide swath of places from Russia to the North American continent. The reasons for the Viking expansion outside of Scandinavia are debated among scholars. Reasons suggested include population pressure, political pressure, and personal enrichment. The Vikings could never have begun raiding or indeed settling beyond Scandinavia if they had not developed highly effective boat building and navigation skills; skills that were in evidence by the 4th century AD. At the time of the expansion, the Scandinavian countries were each experiencing a centralization of power, with fierce competition. Settling Down Fifty years after the first raids on the monastery at Lindisfarne, England, the Scandinavians ominously shifted their tactics: they began to spend the winters at various locations. In Ireland, the ships themselves became part of the over-wintering, when the Norse built an earthen bank on the landward side of their docked ships. These types of sites, called longphorts, are found prominently on the Irish coasts and inland rivers. Viking Economics The Viking economic pattern was a combination of pastoralism, long-distance trade, and piracy. The type of pastoralism used by the Vikings was called landnm, and although it was a successful strategy in the Faroe Islands, it failed miserably in Greenland and Ireland, where the thin soils and climate change led to desperate circumstances. The Viking trade system, supplemented by piracy, on the other hand, was extremely successful. While conducting raids on various peoples throughout Europe and western Asia, the Vikings obtained untold amounts of silver ingots, personal items, and ​other booty, and buried them in hoards. Legitimate trade in items such as cod, coins, ceramics, glass, walrus ivory, polar bear skins and, of course, slaves were conducted by the Vikings as early as the mid 9th century, in what must have been uneasy relationships between the Abbasid dynasty in Persia, and Charlemagnes empire in Europe. Westward with the Viking Age The Vikings arrived in Iceland in 873, and in Greenland in 985. In both cases, the importation of the landnam style of pastoralism led to dismal failure. In addition to a sharp decline in sea temperature, which led to deeper winters, the Norse found themselves in direct competition with the people they called the Skraelings, who we now understand are the ancestors of the Inuits of North America. Forays westward from Greenland were undertaken in the very last years of the tenth century AD, and Leif Erickson finally made landfall on the Canadian shores in 1000 AD, at a site called Lanse Aux Meadows. The settlement there was doomed to failure, however.

Viking History - Guide to the Ancient Norse

Viking History - Guide to the Ancient Norse Viking history traditionally begins in northern Europe with the first Scandinavian raid on England, in AD 793, and ends with the death of Harald Hardrada in 1066, in a failed attempt to attain the English throne. During those 250 years, the political and religious structure of northern Europe was changed irrevocably. Some of that change can be directly attributed to the actions of the Vikings, and/or the response to Viking imperialism, and some of it cannot. Viking Age Beginnings Beginning in the 8th century AD, the Vikings began expanding out of Scandinavia, first as raids and then as imperialistic settlements into a wide swath of places from Russia to the North American continent. The reasons for the Viking expansion outside of Scandinavia are debated among scholars. Reasons suggested include population pressure, political pressure, and personal enrichment. The Vikings could never have begun raiding or indeed settling beyond Scandinavia if they had not developed highly effective boat building and navigation skills; skills that were in evidence by the 4th century AD. At the time of the expansion, the Scandinavian countries were each experiencing a centralization of power, with fierce competition. Settling Down Fifty years after the first raids on the monastery at Lindisfarne, England, the Scandinavians ominously shifted their tactics: they began to spend the winters at various locations. In Ireland, the ships themselves became part of the over-wintering, when the Norse built an earthen bank on the landward side of their docked ships. These types of sites, called longphorts, are found prominently on the Irish coasts and inland rivers. Viking Economics The Viking economic pattern was a combination of pastoralism, long-distance trade, and piracy. The type of pastoralism used by the Vikings was called landnm, and although it was a successful strategy in the Faroe Islands, it failed miserably in Greenland and Ireland, where the thin soils and climate change led to desperate circumstances. The Viking trade system, supplemented by piracy, on the other hand, was extremely successful. While conducting raids on various peoples throughout Europe and western Asia, the Vikings obtained untold amounts of silver ingots, personal items, and ​other booty, and buried them in hoards. Legitimate trade in items such as cod, coins, ceramics, glass, walrus ivory, polar bear skins and, of course, slaves were conducted by the Vikings as early as the mid 9th century, in what must have been uneasy relationships between the Abbasid dynasty in Persia, and Charlemagnes empire in Europe. Westward with the Viking Age The Vikings arrived in Iceland in 873, and in Greenland in 985. In both cases, the importation of the landnam style of pastoralism led to dismal failure. In addition to a sharp decline in sea temperature, which led to deeper winters, the Norse found themselves in direct competition with the people they called the Skraelings, who we now understand are the ancestors of the Inuits of North America. Forays westward from Greenland were undertaken in the very last years of the tenth century AD, and Leif Erickson finally made landfall on the Canadian shores in 1000 AD, at a site called Lanse Aux Meadows. The settlement there was doomed to failure, however.

Viking History - Guide to the Ancient Norse

Viking History - Guide to the Ancient Norse Viking history traditionally begins in northern Europe with the first Scandinavian raid on England, in AD 793, and ends with the death of Harald Hardrada in 1066, in a failed attempt to attain the English throne. During those 250 years, the political and religious structure of northern Europe was changed irrevocably. Some of that change can be directly attributed to the actions of the Vikings, and/or the response to Viking imperialism, and some of it cannot. Viking Age Beginnings Beginning in the 8th century AD, the Vikings began expanding out of Scandinavia, first as raids and then as imperialistic settlements into a wide swath of places from Russia to the North American continent. The reasons for the Viking expansion outside of Scandinavia are debated among scholars. Reasons suggested include population pressure, political pressure, and personal enrichment. The Vikings could never have begun raiding or indeed settling beyond Scandinavia if they had not developed highly effective boat building and navigation skills; skills that were in evidence by the 4th century AD. At the time of the expansion, the Scandinavian countries were each experiencing a centralization of power, with fierce competition. Settling Down Fifty years after the first raids on the monastery at Lindisfarne, England, the Scandinavians ominously shifted their tactics: they began to spend the winters at various locations. In Ireland, the ships themselves became part of the over-wintering, when the Norse built an earthen bank on the landward side of their docked ships. These types of sites, called longphorts, are found prominently on the Irish coasts and inland rivers. Viking Economics The Viking economic pattern was a combination of pastoralism, long-distance trade, and piracy. The type of pastoralism used by the Vikings was called landnm, and although it was a successful strategy in the Faroe Islands, it failed miserably in Greenland and Ireland, where the thin soils and climate change led to desperate circumstances. The Viking trade system, supplemented by piracy, on the other hand, was extremely successful. While conducting raids on various peoples throughout Europe and western Asia, the Vikings obtained untold amounts of silver ingots, personal items, and ​other booty, and buried them in hoards. Legitimate trade in items such as cod, coins, ceramics, glass, walrus ivory, polar bear skins and, of course, slaves were conducted by the Vikings as early as the mid 9th century, in what must have been uneasy relationships between the Abbasid dynasty in Persia, and Charlemagnes empire in Europe. Westward with the Viking Age The Vikings arrived in Iceland in 873, and in Greenland in 985. In both cases, the importation of the landnam style of pastoralism led to dismal failure. In addition to a sharp decline in sea temperature, which led to deeper winters, the Norse found themselves in direct competition with the people they called the Skraelings, who we now understand are the ancestors of the Inuits of North America. Forays westward from Greenland were undertaken in the very last years of the tenth century AD, and Leif Erickson finally made landfall on the Canadian shores in 1000 AD, at a site called Lanse Aux Meadows. The settlement there was doomed to failure, however.

Rite of Passage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Rite of Passage - Essay Example It is irrefutable that the way rites of passages are being conducted had evolved over time. As cultures recognized the changing needs of their member, they have devised new formal procedures to celebrate the transitions in their lives. However, rites of passage have already changed in context and meaning. For example, an individual's coming of age which was celebrated by a ritual which required jungle survival to test the survival ability and responsibility of an adolescent is now replaced with formal arties to celebrate the freedom from families especially parents. The current problematic situation of adolescents nowadays requires a modern rite of passage to signal their coming of age and transition to adulthood. This modern rite of passage should not only serve as an indication of the adolescents' newfound freedom to do what they want and the end of their parents' authority over them but also address the numerous issues which are currently faced by adolescents. This paper will present a modern rite of passage which will mark the transition between adolescence and adulthood. This will try to incorporate the issues which confront the modern youth in order to equip them with the much needed knowledge and skill to face adulthood responsibly. This report will be divided into three parts according to the distinct phases of rites of passage-separation, transition, and incorporation. This rite of passage will be conducted to teenagers aged 15-17 years of age. SEPARATION: LOSS OF IDENTITY The first part of rite of passage is called separation which is a process to end the current identity of the adolescent. This part is very important as the creation of a new identity is not possible without ending the old one. Thus, this modern rite of passage will begin with the physical separation of the adolescents from the significant people in their lives especially their families and friends. Adolescents aged 15-17 will need to prepare for the rite of passage by packing their clothing and other personal belongings to stay for a Transition Camp. It is extremely important that adolescents will only be restricted to bring what they will need. These are those basic things that individuals can't leave without like clothing, slippers, and things for personal hygiene. It should be noted that things like iPods, cellular phones, PCs, notebooks, and laptops shouldn't be brought to the Transition Camp. This will ensure that the adolescents will be fully separated from the outside world and will let them concentrate on the activities in the camp. Communication with people from outside the camp will not be tolerated. Also, no drugs, alcohol, and non-participants will be allowed inside the camp. Specific rules will also be observed inside the Transition Camp which will govern all the participants. The camp site will cater to both boys and girls. The boys will share a communal bedroom will all the boys while the girls will also be sleeping together. The adolescents will be doing on all the household chores in the camp. In order to organize the housekeeping, they will be grouped and assigned specific tasks for each week. The groups will consist of both boys and girls. Each of the household tasks will be rotated so that each group will have the chance to learn every household chore. Separation from the important persons in the adolescents is symbolic for this modern rite of passage. As the rite of passa

How effective managers might integrate biblical notions of service Essay

How effective managers might integrate biblical notions of service into managerial work - Essay Example There are reasons as to why business is carried on and also why management is important and how managers should approach business management in the biblical notion of service and be effective and efficient. According to Cyril and Cross (415), there are several salient basic influences or assumptions that are related to the business discipline. The managers should understand that God is compassionate, just, and loving (Matthew 5:1-7:29). They should also recognize that God is the creator of everything and that all people and materials; all the ability to create, discovering, and using information, and all the capability of creating wealth. The managers must also consider the fact that people receive gifts from God in various ways, and people are gifted with different skills. Due to the sinful nature of people, the managers must understand that people are greedy, prideful, and selfish, and that they have similar set of basic needs for justice, grace, and love provided by God and the ot her people. This implies that the people may as well be motivated in different ways in their actions to satisfy the needs. Again, people are familiar with two fundamental purposes, that is, the short-term view and the long-term view (Nell 17-18). In the short-term view, there is no other purpose for people other than procreation, selfish pursuit of their self-interest, and survival. For the long-term view, the people are creations in the image of God, meant to love, please, and serve both God and the other people. The managers should understand that people have the desire of living and working in relationships of other people (West 81). Because of the natural state of God and the work He did, and due to the nature of people and their actions, the Christian business managers take part in the redemptive activity of God by encouraging and