Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Why Judge People Based On Their Skin Color - 968 Words

Why Judge People Based On Their Skin Color? You can never really know what ethnicity someone is based on physical appearance or his or her name. The article â€Å"Why Race Isn’t As â€Å"Black† and â€Å"White† As We Think† by Brent Staples, does a good job explaining that physical appearance is not always what it seems. The majority of people do not even realize they are a certain race. They do not take the time to get to know their ancestors. All people ever believe is what family members tell them about their ethnicity. People get judged based on how their name sounds, for example if an African American has a name that is typically a â€Å"white† person name. African Americans also did not have any rights in the 1950’s and 60’s. But later, African Americans were granted equal rights and people start to overcome racism. Physical features do not always explain the person’s descent. They could have many different cultures and n ot even know they have one of them. People believe everything they hear without doing any research on the matter. People ignorantly say that they are strictly one race. They do not understand they can have multiple descents. In the article â€Å"Why Race Isn’t As â€Å"Black† and â€Å"White† As We Think† by Brent Staples, he explains â€Å"The result that knocked me off my chair showed that one-fifth of my ancestry is Asian.† (Staples 325) This shows how little people know about themselves. Most people go based off their skin color; this is why people do not do any research on theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Kwame Anthony Appiah Racial Identities932 Words   |  4 Pagesidentification. He describes how and why it’s hard not to identify someone based on their race. Today in the United States, racial identification is quite relevant. People judge and stereotype others based on race. Classifying people based on their looks isn’t bad, i t’s the negative attitudes and labels that come with it. Racial identification is hard for most people to avoid, is detrimental due to the bad attitudes people have, negatively affects people’s lifestyles, and divide people. Racial identificationRead MoreThe Color Of Skin, Past Ancestry, And Place Of Living996 Words   |  4 PagesNo matter how alike people may be, segregation is a way of living. As humans we typically find ourselves separated into groups that we can identify with; from being athletic, to being artistic and even a person’s religion. Another path to separation taken by many is by a person’s race. One’s race can be described in a variety of ways; color of the skin, past ancestry, and place of origin. Discrimination is normally placed with race; this can either be a privilege or a disadvantage. A race canRead MoreArgumentive Essay On Racism870 Words   |  4 Pageschoice this topic was because racism it affects all people. Racism is the act of judging , prejudice, discrimation , or antagonism directed against someone of a different trace based on the belief that’s one own race is superior according to the defenition. There are many examples are what racism can cause such as slavery, individuals to feel superior or inferior of another over their skin color and police brutality. I do not agree with people being racist to another. I want racism to stop. ThereRead MoreRacism Today in the United States1549 Words   |  7 Pagessomething people learn from what they see or what they were raised around, may not be as noticeable in Bend but its still everywhere. It’s something that once it’s learned it’s hard to move on from. Racism is carried from one person to another. The harshness of it doesn’t matter; it’s a big role in this thing called life. Racism hasn’t just been stereotyped as not liking someone because of their skin color, but also because of what they could possibly be capable of and that they are truly bad people. ForRead MoreEssay on Racial Profiling by Law Enforcement is Not Justified1063 Words   |  5 PagesWhen we are children we are taught not to judge a book by its cover, for most of us this is easier said than done. Racial profiling is something that affects millions of people in the United States alone. Seemingly innocent people are being targeted solely by the color of the ir skin and their nationality. Whether racial profiling somebody is appropriate or not is a topic widely discussed by individuals everywhere. The question is however, is it right to judge somebody just because they look differentRead MoreCan A Blind Person Be Racist?903 Words   |  4 Pages Racism is not based on the appearance of skin color but on what physical features represent ,such as hair,nose,lips and much more. In the excerpt from Obasogie’s book â€Å"Can a blind person be racist?†, Obasogie explains how this is possible. Osagie K. Obasogie is a professor of law at the University of California in San Francisco and is P.H. D. and a J.D. In this excerpt he shows how a blind person can be racist. Obasogie’s testing on hundreds of blind people,gives him credibility. It is hard toRead More Affirmative Action Essay561 Words   |  3 PagesBut it has strayed from its original intent and has become largely a program to achieve not equal opportunity but equal results. It is a system of quotas forced upon American businesses and working class by the federal government. A law which forces people to look at race before looking at the individual cannot promote equal opportunity. Affirmative action continues the judgement of minorities by race; it caus es reverse discrimination, and contradicts its purpose. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;AffirmativeRead MoreWho Is Irish? By Gish Irish761 Words   |  4 PagesSakna vour ENG 125 Prof: Sept 27, 2017 Negative Attitudes Culture shock is a normal problem for every immigrant. When you move to live in the other country, you will have to learn about new people, new culture, new language, and environment. Some immigrants are adopted after they live in that culture for a while, but some are not because they preserve the own culture. So, they will have to face an issue of culture interacting. The story â€Å" Who is Irish?† by Gish Jen is a story that demonstratesRead MoreThe True Diary Of A Part Time Indian1572 Words   |  7 Pages People always say don’t judge a book by its cover, yet constantly, we all do it. We pick up a book and immediately, by instinct, we judge it by what we see. It is the same for all things in life. It is only human nature to judge things based on appearance. We look at how someone or something appears, and without even trying, we make assumptions or judge that thing, person, or situation. Throughout my semester in English 10A, I have come across many situations in which appearance affectsRead MoreComing Of Age Throughout Mississippi By Anne Moody Essay1368 Words   |  6 Pageslater became in the novel and the person she turned into. It helped shape her beliefs and thoughts on society that she never realized as a child, but as the years went by and different events happened, her questions and answers about society and why people act the way they do changed. She wrote her novel as a way to try and help the civil rights movement instead of relying upon nonviolent demonst rations and rallies because she believed that they were ineffective and did not help the cause they were

Monday, December 16, 2019

Differences in Programming Language Free Essays

Answer: The significance of the programming knowledge for the company is very great since the correct choice will ensure proper connectivity, accessibility, ease of maintenance and the complexity of the software (Vine, 2005). Certain broad requirements can be obtained from the transcript of the conversation between Hugh McBride of McBride Financial Services and Abram LaBelle of Smith Systems Consulting who discussed the computer network needed for McBride’s planned offices. By programming language, we mean the set of instructions that are written and called a program and the computer processor carries out the instructions. We will write a custom essay sample on Differences in Programming Language or any similar topic only for you Order Now The significance of the programming is felt on the development and maintenance cost, ease of use, easy availability of the application from different points, speed of access, features that can be provided in the application. A programming language such as Visual Basic is quite easy to learn and implement but the language does not allows for complex computations such as forecasting, gathering information, creating reports, etc. To perform complex operations, algorithms would have to be used and programming languages such as C++, C#, and others are very much suited. But the cost of development and maintenance would be significantly higher. These languages are called as OOPS – Object Oriented Programming Languages and they write the code around the data that has to be processed. In a majority of the cases, OOPS applications run on dedicated Intranets or WANs. The other set of programming languages are the web based languages such as Java, .NET, HTML, PHP, etc. These languages allow the application to be web based and the software used is usually freely downloadable. Another set of programming languages are centred around Unix and Linux operating systems. These are usually open source but very complex and requires a dedicated teams of developers and maintenance personnel (O’Brien, et all, 2005). 2. Differences in Web Based and WAN’s programming languages. Answer: There are two broad requirements, one is the website that customers, sales staff and brokers would be using and the other is the backend application that the staff would be using to complete their accounting and other tasks. The first possibilities is having a WAN that will have dedicated terminals, which can be placed in all the required areas. The terminal will be directly connected to a central server and since it is dedicated, only the Intranet of McBride Financial Services can be accessed. This kind of a system can be seen in ATMs’ and would require the application to be written in C++, have the user interface written in Delphi or other front end languages. The system would be connected to a powerful database that would be able to handle hundreds of connection requests. Systems written in C++ are very stable, crashing of the system is very rare, system response is very fast and most important since it is a dedicated Intranet, hacking is not possible and can be immediately detected. But the development cost of such systems is huge, it becomes very complex, in house software programmers are required and software programming is not a core business area of McBride Financial Services. Another alternative is to have a web based system that is written in Java or .NET. These systems also requires expensive programming but after the software is implemented, it can be easily maintained by lesser expensive teams who are not skilled enough for programming but can set right small bugs and maintain the database. The case also requires a powerful database into which information can be uploaded and downloaded as required. In both possibilities, the database would remain same and only the call procedures would be different. Since security is a major concern, very strict authentication should be forced. For each connection request, the IP number of the computer should be verified and this can be done through web-based languages. Cookies should not be stored in the client computer and this prevents the possibility of another person getting information from public computers (Turban, et all, 2002). Â  3. Recommendation for the application Answer: A web-based system is recommended since such a system can be accessed from anywhere in the world. A system written in Java or .NET can be implemented. Such programming languages can be easily maintained and less expensive and the work of maintenance can be outsourced as per the standard industry practice where back office operations are outsourced to reliable parties at lower costs. The database can be either Oracle or IBM WebSphere since both have connectivity to the Internet and are web servers. Such servers have the optimum speed and there are lesser instances of slow speeds. Customers can access the application from cyber cafes, K Mart and other department stores and view the choices for financial plans. An online calculator can be provided that will calculate the amount, premium, interest rates, etc. and customers can also provide their personal information. By using 128 bit encryption for authentication as used by PayPal, the chances of hackers getting into the system are very remote and this system can be stored in a central server. Employees will log into another server which will fetch data from the customers server and carry out their tasks. A robust gateway can be provided between the two servers and this further reduces hacking possibilities. To prevent the chances of crashes and data loss, it is recommended that day to day records be cached in mirror servers and this data can be written either dynamically or once in 12 hours. In the case of system crashes, data can be recovered from the mirror servers. To further prevent data loss, tape backups can be taken periodically and stored in Storage Area Networks. By providing such a system, customers and even staff can access the system from anywhere and use secure login and authentication. If there is an unusually high suspicious activity in the network, then this can be seen as a hacking attempt and the system can be stopped either manually or through programs. Web based application will ensure that all the requirements are met (Olson, 2006). Â   How to cite Differences in Programming Language, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Disadvantages Of Converge Us Gaap And Irfs Accounting Essay Example For Students

Disadvantages Of Converge Us Gaap And Irfs Accounting Essay In September 2002, the International Accounting Standards Board and the equivalent of the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board have agreed to work together, in audience with other states and parts, accounting organic structures, in order to accomplish convergence of International Financial Reporting Standards and U.S. GAAP by and large accepted accounting rules ( GAAP ) . A group of high-quality planetary criterions remains a precedence of the International Accounting Standards Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board ( FASB ) . Decision reflects a memoranda of apprehension ( MOU ) between the IASB and the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board ( FASB ) call Norwalk Agreement. Outline1 Disadvantages of Converge US GAAP and IRFs2 Advantages of converge US GAAP and IRFS3 Disadvantages of Converge US GAAP and IRFs Each state has adopted Financial Reporting Standards, it creates an inconsistent fiscal studies. This will go a job, investors when they are seeking to calculate out the differences of accounting studies, when they watch / see conformity with accounting criterions and fiscal coverage states to seek support in the capital of the concern they run. International Accounting Standards Board ( IASB ) to seek a better solution to relieve the bing cultural differences, different readings, to make a simplified accounting criterions incompatibilities and deficiency of fiscal coverage complexness, struggle and pandemonium. Differences between U.S. GAAP and IRFS each standard U.S. by and large accepted accounting rules, rule-based, IRFS principle-based attack. GAAP by a complex set of guidelines, seek to print the regulations and criterions of any exigency, and the end of the International Financial Reporting Standards Report, and so how specific aims related to the instance to supply counsel. The execution of the International Financial Reporting Standards is a important alteration processs and information systems related to the clip and cost, there may be no corresponding benefit. When altering the processs and information systems, organisations need to re-install processs and systems, which will pass a really big sum. The organisation besides need to direct their ain staff preparation, workshops and their workers can make their occupation more expeditiously. For illustration: organisations to upgrade and alter the manner you report to keep the cost to follow with the new criterion. Arguments for and against the convergence of international accounting criterions. When convergence is once more clear, simplified every bit much as possible, crystalline and comparing between the accounting and fiscal coverage in different states. This will ensue in capital flows and international investing, lower involvement rates, and taking to an addition of a peculiar state and the state to companies making concern on economic growing. All stakeholders seasonably and unvarying handiness of information will besides be on the construct of smooth and time-efficient procedure. In add-on, the new precautions to forestall other states or international economic and fiscal crisis. Previously, the International Accounting Standards Board, the International Accounting Standards Committee ( IASC ) is responsible for publishing and execution of international accounting criterions. Of replacing IASC Inter-Agency Standing Committee s work in 2001, the International Accounting Standards Board, and attempts to accomplish the ain intents harmoniz around the universe, accounting criterions, fiscal coverage planetary fiscal markets. Globalization in today s society that allows organisations to incorporate operations in markets around the universe. Satellite has been set up around the universe to let and spread out international exchanges ; companies such as Toyota, McDonald s, Nokia, Nike, UPS and infinite people in many states in the ordinary class of concern and foreign companies, such as Daimler Benz and Chrysler, the beginning of their merged. Advantages of converge US GAAP and IRFS Presently, companies runing in other states must be prepared fiscal statements comply with accounting criterions in which state. Nipponese accounting rules, in Turkey and in France are different from those in Brazil. This forced the company has a planetary concern transmutation and readying of fiscal statements to run into each single national norms. With more and more endeavors to open an office in a foreign state, and increased planetary minutess it seems obvious that the usage and apprehension of international accounting criterions. Not merely a individual set of rules for load lifted prepare the multiple international rider and the company s fiscal statements, but it will besides supply extra benefits to concerns and investors comparison. Fiscal statements from around the universe will be better able to compare and measure the problem with others. This will profit U.S. investors and business communities, as they will hold sufficient resources to efficaciously analyse and compare investing chances and do informed determinations. At this clip, there are 85 states and many others are in the procedure of transition requires the usage of International Financial Reporting Standards ( IFRS ) . Although there are advantages and disadvantages, similarities and differences are converted to U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards will profit a batch. Title Argumentative Essaya-? Cox, Christopher. U.S. Moves Toward International Accounting Rules. DealBook. 27 Aug 2008. The New York Times, Web. 11 July 2009. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/us-moves-toward-internationalaccounting-rules/ ? scp=10 A ; sq=IFRS % 20US % 20GAAP A ; st=Search gt ; . a-? CPAJ, . The CPA Journal. Business Week. Nov 2008. BX, Web. 16 July 2009. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //bx.businessweek.com/ifrs/view? url=http % 3A % 2F % 2Fviewer.zmags.com % 2Fsho wmag.php % 3Fmid % 3Dwwsqsp % 26pageid % 3D51 % 23 % 2Fpage50 % 2F gt ; .

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Who is the inspector, why did he call and what did the characters learn from his visit Essay Example For Students

Who is the inspector, why did he call and what did the characters learn from his visit Essay J. B. Priestly wrote the play An Inspector Calls in 1945, it was set in a small town in north England called Bromley in 1912. The main characters are Arthur Birling, Sheila Birling, Gerald Croft, Sybil Birling and Eric Birling. Arthur and Sybil Birling are married, Eric and Sheila are their children and Gerald Croft is Sheila Birlings fianci e. The significance of the above dates are that J. B. Priestly tried to show how hypocritical the upper class people were towards the working class people and it is before the war and the sinking of the Titanic. In my opinion the Inspector is a time traveller because he knows everything that has happened in the future and in the past. Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future and time future contained in time past. T. S. Eliot wrote this quote in 1935. J. B. Priestly is influenced by T. S. Eliot who says that what you do today will affect you in the future. The Inspector uses his knowledge of the future and past to make the Birlings feel partly to blame for Eva Smiths Death. We will write a custom essay on Who is the inspector, why did he call and what did the characters learn from his visit specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now I think his main purpose of his call to the Birlings house was to make each of the Birlings feel guilty and to try and change the way they feel about lower class people. Arthur Birlings part in Evas death was unfairly sacking her just because she asked for a pay rise. And this girl, Eva Smith was one of them. Shed had a lot to say far too much so she had to go. The quote shows why Eva was sacked for just asking for a pay rise. Now Eva would have to live without any money, which means very little food and she, was also left living on the streets thanks to Arthur Birling sacking her. When Arthur found out the Inspector wasnt really an Inspector he was overjoyed that now he may not be connected to Evas death but he was also disgusted with the fake Inspector for coming into his home and accusing him of possible murder. Sheila Birlings part in the life of Eva Smith was, when Sheila got Eva sacked from her job of a shop assistant after Shelia thought Eva was laughing at her. Shelia demanded the girl (Eva) sacked, and so she was. Now Eva again had no money, no food and nowhere to live. When Shelia found out that the inspector wasnt a real inspector, she was still feeling very guilty about the way she had treated Eva and the other lower class people. After finding out about the inspector Shelia was upset but she had suspected the inspector was a fake. The discovery that the inspector may have been talking about more than one girl, really shocked Shelia and made her feel really guilty and upset. Yes the same photograph. The quote is taken from the conversation between Gerald and Shelia. Gerald asks Shelia if she has seen a photo of a girl and Shelia is certain that it is the same photo that Gerald had seen. It shows how certain Shelia was about seeing the same photo but was then totally shocked when she found out there might be more than one girl that they are talking about. Shelia was happy but frightened when she found out no girl had died in this way. She was angry with the rest of her family for the way they had begun to learn something and then now just because a girl had not died, they would carry on being horrible and unfair to lower class people. I tell you-whoever the inspector was, it was anything but a joke. You knew it then. You began to learn something. .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 , .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .postImageUrl , .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 , .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762:hover , .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762:visited , .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762:active { border:0!important; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762:active , .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762 .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1e485f76edca24223c5b1f9ec9dd2762:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How does Shakespeare encourage the audience to feel sympathy for Juliet throughout 'Romeo and Juliet' EssayAnd now youve stopped. Youre ready to go on in the same old way. The quote shows the anguish and disgust that Shelia is feeling towards her family and shows how she is trying to teach her family a lesson. Gearald Croft met Eva in the Palace Bar, he then took her for a drink and for something to eat. Eva had told Gerald her name was Daisy Renton. Daisy was told to stay at Geralds friends house, which they only visit a few times, so she did and then soon became Geralds mistress. Eventually Gerald ended the relationship. Daisy had expected this but was still very upset. Gerald was the first person to find out the Inspector was not a real inspector, when he went out for a walk and met a local policeman. Gerald had asked the local police officer about Inspector Goole and described him carefully. The police officer told Gerald that he was 100% sure there was no inspector Goole in this area. Gerald was shocked but very anxious to tell the rest of his family. Gerald went home and told his family about his findings, he was now getting really excited that he had not played a part in the death of Eva Smith but he was also starting to realise how unfair he had been treating the lower class people. Yet again Gerald was the first person to realise they may have been talking about more than one girl. He came up with the idea after discussing with his family that the inspector may of shown each of them a different photo, his reasons for thinking this where because the inspector did not let anyone else see the photo accept the person he was talking to. Gerald was confused A man comes here pretending to be a police officer. Hes a hoax of some kind. The quote shows how sure Gerald was, that the inspector was not real or it could also be Gerald saying what he wants to hear and hopes that its true. The discovery that no girl had died after all made Gerald really happy and he wanted a drink. In my opinion the drink was to help get rid of his guilty conscience. In think that Gerald did actually think that there was a lesson to be learned but didnt actually learn it. The play is a traditional detective play with all the strange happenings, murder, suspicion and suspense. J. B. Priestly has used all these actions to create an effective play which keeps the audience guessing throughout.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Story Structure 3 Main Templates for Structuring an Unforgettable Story

Story Structure 3 Main Templates for Structuring an Unforgettable Story Story Structure: 3 Main Templates for Structuring an Unforgettable Story Your story structure does matter.Not only was Rome not built in a day, but it also wasn’t built without a plan. London was built without a plan.Hit some Google maps and look at an aerial view of both cities. You will see the difference.And your readers will definitely see the difference if your book doesnt have a cohesive structureand they will not be back for more.The three main types of story structure well cover are:3 Act StructureHeros JourneyThe 5 MilestonesNOTE: If you want a coach to help you plan out your story structure, check out our VIP Fiction Self-Publishing Program for that, and so much more. Learn more about it hereWhat is story structure?There are a few main types of story structure but overall, the structure of your story is how the events are laid out with an emphasis on using each part to further the story in an intriguing and cohesive structure.Structure, suffice it to say, is important. The structure makes all the difference in creating a narrative that is poignant and satisfying. More importantly, structure helps you, as the writer, keep track of all the events so that characters and story elements don’t fall through the cracks.Keeping track of story elements makes writing a lot easier. Like following a recipe, it keeps you from leaving out important bits or putting in too much of others. Even simple stories contain numerous smaller nuances that, when forgotten, lead to disaster.Watch any B movie from the 80s and you can see places where the editor, the script, and the director all lost the plotdont allow that when writing a novel yourself.Furthermore, readers expect certain structures within story. They have an emotional attachment to certain pacing. They start to feel anxious if an element they are expecting hasn’t yet occurred, or never occurs.Depending on the book genre, manipulating these expectations is a part of the style.If you want to keep track of all of this, weve put together all three of these methods into story structure templates for you.To gain access to all three, fill out the form below: Why focus on the structure of a story?Much like the streets of Rome, you want your story to get somewhere.You might enjoy meandering through London’s sprawling game trails turned roadways, but you want to get somewhere eventually.That is why a story structure serves as a map to guide you, the characters, and the reader to an eventual, and hopefully rewarding, destination. Some of the most famous stories out there have a very specific, replicable story structure that has served them well.Thats why we always recommend outlining your book using these methods for planning your novel. Story Structure: 3 Templates for Getting it RightNow that we’ve stressed the need for a story structure its time to learn about your options. Story structures don’t have to be confining, rigid, things.They work best when used as signposts and tentpoles, holding up the scaffolding and guiding you on your way. Note that a story structure is somewhat different than a story shape. The shape is more about the feel and thrust of a story over its arrangement.Story Structure #1 The 3 Act PlayThe most basic of story structures, very popular in Hollywood style films, is the 3 Act Play.Many world-famous novels use this structure, including:Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirTwilight by Stephenie MeyerThe Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsThis structure relies on a total of five elements which includes the acts themselves, composed of various scenes, and two key transitions, referred to as pinches here.Here is the three-act structure broken down:Act 1: Setup Were introduced to the main players as well as the main conflict. We understand the voice, tone, and direction of the story.Pinch 1 This is when the initial conflict arises (sometimes known as the inciting incident).Act 2: Confrontation Were in the thick of the main conflict here, along with some secondary conflicts. Were faced with difficult (seemingly impossible) odds to overcome.Pinch 2 The conflicts addressed in Act 2 come to a head, and decisions need to be made. This is often the moment where all hope is lost for your protagonist.Act 3: Resolution Everything boils down to this act. All of the conflict, subplots, and challenges arise and the climax kicks off, shortly followed by the resolution of the story.In the past, plays were structured with five acts, with two of the acts serving as long-form versions of the modern transitional elements of Pinch 1 and 2. These have faded, partially because audiences have adapted to storytelling tropes and don’t need them spelled out. Also, stage tech, at least in plays, has advanced, requiring less busy work on the fringes to enact scenery changes for the more crucial acts.Act 1 The SetupThe first act introduces the characters with some mild character development and sets up the conflict. Take Romeo and Juliet (a fine example because we can discuss both the play’s 5 act structure and the films 3 act version).The major players are all introdu ced in the first act and then attend a party. This gives us further information about each character in how they rep and participate in the party. We also see their conflicting social dynamics.We set up an additional set of character dynamics between Romeo vs Paris as parties interested in Juliet and Mercutio and Tybalt as loyal but antagonistic figures.Pinch 1 occurs at the end of the first act, introducing the conflict of the young couples’ love for each other. Act 2 The ConfrontationIn the play this is developed through the second act as the stakes for the lovers is spelled out. They marry in secret and that forms the end of the major plot point, the star-crossed lovers are not just passingly at odds with their society.Within the 3 act structure, this is a single plot point. We get that they love each other, and that love means marriage.Then, the middle act is the apprehension of their actions bringing about unintended, but not unforeseeable consequences.The second act is often the longest as it is the place where elements move and forces muster. Everyone has to get into further trouble, further develop their roles, and gain power toward a resolution.Act 2 ends shortly after a complication that brings the elements to a head. No longer able to maintain the secret, Romeo is confronted with a duel and his actions result in the death of his friend which then results in his banishment once he kills Tybalt.Act 3 The ResolutionAct 3 then begins with the fallout of these actions.With Romeo headed to banishment, Juliet seeks a drastic plan to keep him around. She fakes her death to bring out the true feelings of the interested parties.Since it is a tragedy, Romeo to get the clever reveal of the ruse and kills himself rather than being alone, though your story structure doesnt have to follow this specific tragic ending.Juliet then has to kill herself in turn and we end up with a high body count to bring the story to a close.Story Structure #2 Hero’s JourneyWhile the 3 Act structure works well for simple, straightforward stories, it doesn’t have the necessary oomph to underpin more nuanced tales.When the good guys and bad guys are less black and white, you need to reach for the ancient wheel that is the Hero’s Journey.The journey typically consists of 12 steps. It is the backbone of traditional storytelling, except it works and is a joy to take part in.Older versions of the structure had more steps, the Tarot stemmed from an early understanding of this story structure starting with the fool (our hero) and ending with the world (resolution or complete understanding).Here are the 12 steps of the heros journey:The Ordinary WorldCall to AdventureRefusing the CallMeeting a MentorCrossing the ThresholdTests, Allies, and EnemiesApproach the Innermost CircleThe OrdealSeizing the TalismanThe Road AheadResurrectionReturn with the ElixirThese steps explain, in detail, the trajectory of the story while leaving room to put in differing characters and pursuits of different ideals. While many contemporary stories still follow this structure, it is easiest to see it in the light of an epic.We’ll use Lord of the Rings as an example of this story structure. While the entire story follows the structure multiple times, we’ll stick to Frodo’s arc.Step 1 The Ordinary WorldThe Lord of the Rings story begins, rather appropriately, in the most banal land in Middle Earth. The Shire is a pure ordinary world where nothing too much happens, and everyone lives without any idea that better or worse things exist outside its borders. (Well, they have some idea, but go the cognitive dissonance route to ignore it.)Step 2 The Call to AdventureThe Call to Adventure comes when Gandalf shows up in search of the One Ring.He tells Frodo a quest needs to be taken up but doesn’t give the full details. T his bleeds into Refusing the Call as Frodo accepts part of the responsibility, without understanding the rest.Step 3 Refusing the CallRefusing the Call is about seeing what has to be done and deciding there has to be someone else.A good hero, like a proper Platonic philosopher-king, needs to reject the call first to be more worthy of it. Frodo will finish Refusing the Call later in Rivendell as he tries to bargain that others are more capable.Step 4 Meeting a MentorThough Gandalf served as a Mentor in The Hobbit, Aragorn (as Strider) is the Mentor here.Meeting him gets the four hobbits along the correct path and out of the shying away into the real journey. The Mentor often brings insight, training, or purpose to a hero.Step 5 Crossing the ThresholdCrossing the Threshold reflects the hero facing a challenge and realizing they can make a difference.For Frodo, this occurs twice, the first time as he faces the barrow wraiths and rescues his friends, the second is surviving the orc a ttack in Moria. Both thresholds show the power of gifts he received from Biblo but also hint at how friendship will play a role in his other tests.Step 6 Tests, Allies, and EnemiesTests, Allies, and Enemies is a larger middle section of the Hero’s Journey which winds through other elements.The gathering of the fellowship is a gaining of allies, their journey is a test, the fellowship mirrors the numbers of the enemy Ring Wraiths.This step might not necessarily be a solid, definable moment, but rather something that has been happening throughout the story until this point.Step 7 Approach the Innermost CircleApproach the Innermost Circle is a great danger, if not the greatest danger, a hero faces.Within Frodo’s journey, this is when he attempts to leave the rest of the group behind, going alone on the river because he fears what will happen if he keeps with the group.This moment in your story should be high tension, with consequences that impact the overall plot.Step 8 The OrdealThe Ordeal is what takes place inside the Innermost Circle.In the wastes of Mordor, Frodo must hold out against the weight of the One Ring. It is a prolonged Ordeal but well within the idea of the step.This is another step that can fall within a previous step.Step 9 Seizing the TalismanSeizing the Talisman is about gaining an object of power that will turn the tide for the hero.Tolkien has many of these for other characters, usually in the form of legendary or magical weapons they acquire. For Frodo, the specifics of the talisman are in his pity on Gollum.Step 10 The Road AheadThe Road Ahead takes the hero from the talisman to a final conflict.In this case, Frodo is betrayed by Gollum and nearly killed by Shelob, saved only by the friendship with Samwise.The consequences of Seizing the Talisman are usually a downward turn, comparable with Pinch 2 from the 3 Act structure.Step 11 ResurrectionResurrection often involves a person, or entity returning after being thought dead.Gandalf becomes the white, Luke comes back with a mechanical hand, Frodo fails to discard the ring and has to be attacked by Gollum.Frodo’s resurrection is being saved at the last moment by his previous good decisions, often a resurrection succeeds because of past decisions by a hero and rarely the actions they take in that moment.Step 12 Return with the ElixirFinally, the hero must Return with the Elixir, taking everything they have learned and accomplished back to the Ordinary World they once inhabited.Frodo and Sam arrive to take on Saruman, showing their knowledge and skill acquired through the Journey to return the land to peace.This is often the last chapter, showing your character/s returning to their life or beginning to create their new life.Story Structure #3 The 5 MilestonesIf the previous two structures seemed restrictive or overly elaborate (the Hero’s Journey is 12 freaken steps, after all) then the 5 Milestones structure is for you.This structure keeps it simple by focusing on five plot points, usually one or two scenes each, that create the scaffold of the story. These Milestones have to go in order, but the space between them can be adjusted quite a lot.Here are the 5 Milestones for this story structure:SetupInciting Incident1st Slap2nd SlapClimaxWe’ll use the Hunger Games to rundown this structure.Milestone 1 The SetupThe first Milestone works just like the 3 Act and the Ordinary World. It shouldn’t be surprising as beginnings all need to do the same thing.Collins sets her premise up by explaining the reason there are districts, why the Games exist, and introducing Katniss as the protagonist.We know, rather quickly, that the world is dystopian and unfair, and we know the main character has the skills to make an impact.Milestone 2 The Inciting IncidentThis leads to the Inciting Incident, the kickoff to the main plot and conflict in your novel.In this case, Katniss’ own sister is chosen to take part in the Games. A task she is not ready for and will likely not survive. Not only that, it will spell disaster for the rest of the District if or when she fails.That spec ific moment is the inciting incident because it leads to Katnisss next decision, which kicks off the entire point of the book: Katniss volunteers to be the tribute.This sets the rest of the plot in motion while also anchoring the reader to the motives of the hero.Milestone 3 The 1st SlapThe 1st Slap, much like Pinch 1, sets the stakes and introduces the larger plot.The Inciting Incident is often character motivating and motivated. The 1st Slap is usually external, a factor within the world that must be overcome. The opening of the Games sets the stakes and shows the danger Katniss will face. This parallels Crossing the Threshold in the Heros Journey story structure, where first blood is drawn and the hero, as well as the reader, see the reality of the dangers.Rather than simply being told â€Å"there be dragons†, they see one firsthand.The 1st Slap also makes good on the promise of adventure by putting the hero into the middle of a peril that they must escape. There is no tu rning back, only moving forward.Milestone 4 The 2nd SlapThis takes us into the 2nd Slap. Here, we see things get worse like a Pinch 2, but we see the hope on the horizon.We know the Talisman, as seen in the Heros Journey story structure, is out there to be seized.In The Hunger Games, this is seen by Katniss working out a plan to fake a relationship with Peta to get support from the outside; a means of survival. She needs to keep him alive for his sake, and for hers. He is dying from an infection and she is told there will be an item she needs at the feast.The feast is a huge risk, but it offers hope. She must take the chance. Things go badly, of course, and the hope teeters her on ruin.Milestone 5 The ClimaxAll of this creates the landscape for the final Milestone: The Climax.With the Games coming down to just Peta or Katniss, we go back to the events of the Inciting Incident and loop that motivation into how the hero wins.Frodo helped Gollum, who saves him in return (not out of g ood intent, but it gets us there). Katniss has a need to protect others, all her actions follow that desire.She sees a way to save Peta by threatening herself. This kind of character-driven resolution makes for a rewarding story and makes it easy to weave the details of your final victory throughout.Your readers stay looped into the triumph because they root for the character because they like them, not because the plot says that they win.The secret to making a story kickass is to make it come from within. A good reader can smell a set up a mile away. A good reader also loves to see a Milestone achieved.There you have it, three ways to get a story from ‘In the Beginning’ to ‘The End’ that will keep you focused and organized. The reader will know what you’re doing, following along through the peaks and valleys, the twists and turns, confident that your roadmap will lead somewhere promising.Start Your Story Off Right TODAYIf you have a writing prompt o r story idea and youre ready to write your book, dont do it alone.Check out this free training to help you go from idea, to outline, to finished book.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Writing a Research Proposal

Writing a Research Proposal Writing a Research Proposal Writing a Research Proposal: How to Write It Correctly? When the person is asked to write this or that written task the first thing to do is to think about the concluding result and about the impact of this task on future process of study. That is why it is quite necessary not only to think about the results beforehand, but also to consider the present field of investigation to be correctly acknowledged with the process of writing and with the chosen topic. Writing a Research Proposal: Essential Steps For the proper implementation of the process of writing a research proposal, it is necessary to take into account the necessary structure and to follow the necessary steps.Find the necessary information and literature for writing a research proposal; use as many sources as possible in the process of writing the research. Compare different points of view and opinions of different scientists, as this can be quite helpful for the future research and for the proper implementation o f the material collected. Some people may be interested where to find the necessary information and facts? It is advisable to search the Internet and also in different libraries, though some people forgot nowadays such institutions and are satisfied with online books and articles. The next step is to collect all the information together and the people in this or that sphere should be professionals and should be quite confident with the process of writing a research proposal. The person should think about such necessary steps in this process as the introduction and conclusion, as this is quite important and form these two sections the reader got to know about the problem of the present research and about the results. Writing a Research Proposal: Professional Support The role of professional support in the present work is quite high and the person should be sure and confident that in case of some problems the student can get the support they need. As for the persons w ho can provide this or that support, here we can enumerate professional tutors, masters or teachers on this subject. It is quite necessary to have some professional person, as you can address to and ask everything you need and what is not understandable to you. The role of this or that professional support is quite high and the person should be quite confident with this process, as this is quite important for the future dissertation. Professional Support With A Research Proposal Writing The process of writing a research proposal is quite time and effort consuming and in this case the person should not only take into account the difficulty of the topic, but also the professional support.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Follow the instruction in the details, i will attach the article that Assignment

Follow the instruction in the details, i will attach the article that you are discussing - Assignment Example The reference chosen was: Doriott, C. (2000). Genetic Codes Unraveled: New Clues to Human History. Ancestry, 18(1), 15 – 21(Stix, 2008). The information presented in the article is very contradicting. The reason for this is because; the various biological concepts written on human ancestry discuss the process of evolution from a common ancestor. They do not mention any the point on â€Å"Mitochondrial Eve,† (Stix, 2008). This article increased knowledge about DNA in the mentioning of genetic prospecting which involves researching deeper into the human DNA to find more about their origin. The processes involved including gene slicing. It also aided in understanding of single neucliotide polymorphsisms. The article stated that they help in evaluating the identities of individual populations (Stix, 2008). The most interesting thing in the article was on the dueling theories that states humans migrated from Africa 50 to 60,000 years ago. This beats the understanding of civilization, the age of the universe and theories that try to explain the origin of man, such as that of evolution by Charles Darwin (Stix,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Third World Country Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Third World Country - Research Paper Example This paper will focus on the developments that have occurred in India in society, politics as well as economics since the year 2000. Body During the period of 2000, the total population of India exceeded 1 billion, and during this year both the US and India’s foreign relations strengthened when the President of US visited India (Hardgrave, 2008, p.17). Later in 2001, the Presidents of two conflicting countries, India and Pakistan, met, but this meeting ended up without any positive outcomes. Later, the ruling party in India experienced setbacks due to the political scandals associated with them and their intelligence failures during the Kargil War with Pakistan. After September 11 attacks on the US, the ties between India and the US further strengthened as the US removed its sanctions due to the support India was providing to help them fight the war on terrorism (Hardgrave, 2008, p.180). By 2002, the political scenario of India had worsened due to events such as killing of Hin du pilgrims in the region of Ayodhya (Hardgrave, 2008, p.80). Later, during the year 2003, India started experiencing ample amount of political stability as its connections with it conflicting nation, Pakistan, started to move towards a positive path. During 2004, elections were held, and the alliance that was led by the Congress Party entered the government with Manmohan Singh becoming the Prime Minister, who continued to privatize India (Hardgrave, 2008, p.117). The privatization process came to a standstill as the communist and the socialist parties stood against this move. During the same year, the ties between India and Pakistan further strengthened with the introduction of Srinagar Muzaffarabad Bus Service; later, these ties experienced a setback due to the killings of Hindus in Kashmir, which is under the control of India (Gaur, 2009, p.348). In 2006, the nation made progress in the field of nuclear power, with the US removing the ban of sale of nuclear technology to India (H ardgrave, 2008, p.196). By 2007, the first female president of India came to power, and later in 2008 the ties between India and Pakistan again experienced damage due to the Samjhota Express Bombings (Hardgrave, 2008, p.71). India started experiencing economic liberalization during the 20th and the 21st century, and this led to humungous changes in the nation’s economic area. During the year 2000, the nation experienced a rise in GDP from the figure of 11,571,882 in 1995 to 20,791,898 in the session of 2000 (World Bank, 2011, p.157 & 192). One of the major developments in the economy of India was the expansion of the steel industry into the European regions during the 21st century. During 2006, Mittal Steel purchased Arcelor and became the world’s largest steel producer accounting for the 10% of the world total steel production, and similarly, Tata Steel made an offer of purchasing Corus Group steel manufacturing organization in the year 2007 (DePamphilis, 2010, p.120) . The GDP experienced by India during the year 2007 was around 7 to 8%. Great economic developments occurred during the period of 1998 to 2004 during the rule of the National Democratic Alliance, and during this time period the nation had two different finance ministers, namely, Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh (Gaur, 2009, p.255). One of the major achievements in the sector of economy of the nation was the universal license, which allowed the CDMA license holders to establish as well as provide

Saturday, November 16, 2019

tradition and modernity Essay Example for Free

tradition and modernity Essay We are used to thinking of traditions as something old and stable, whereas the creative forces of people are directed towards the making of â€Å"new† forms of art and music. Nevertheless in our view, and according to our experience, new forms should not be sought in a cultural vacuum, without any connection to the past experiences of people and societies. Similarly, the â€Å"old† musics should not be approached with the attitude of preserving or mimicking other people’s practices. We believe that the past is important because in the great musics that were created we can sense a reBlection of the creators’ spiritual insights and wider understandings of the nature of man and his place in the world. The passing on of this intuitive knowledge, through the practice of music, the sharing of experiences, the process of studying and teaching not as something that happens only within the school walls, but as part of everyday life, is what animates Neda not only to create, but also to teach their music and perform it in live concerts. Neda is a river in Peloponnese and one of the few rivers in Greece with a female name. In the Greek mythology Neda was the nymph who took care of Zeus when he was taken away from his father, who wanted to slaughter him. The water and the river are ancient symbols, signifying strength and endurance, but also adaptability and continuous Blow. Hence the signiBicance of Neda for the musicians, which carries the power of the female element of water to embrace difference; as it connects and naturally renews all things, it links past and future times into the present moment – where all sounds exist and all music is created.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay --

San Jose State University Intro Sociology – M/W 9:00AM Paper #1 – Gun Control & Regulation 1. In your own words, please describe the problem or social issue that you have chosen to write about. What is the extent of the problem or issue as you see it or understand it? The gun control debate had been going on for a long time in America. What I seem to know about the debate is that whether Americans should own guns. In the United States Constitution there is a law that says the right to bear arms. Back then the people of the Untied States just wanted to protect themselves. However, today guns are killing many Americans. There had been many similar dangerous situations where people had been killed by guns. One of the situations can be a school shooting that endangered students. I believe that because of these kinds of situations are happening Americans should keep or be allowed to have guns. They believe that having guns keeps the citizens safe and protected. The people might say that if a bugler came to the house they would have some way of defending themselves. Others might say t...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Diversity in the workplace Essay

a.) Diversity in the workplace is recognized positively in many different ways, and can make up a strong workforce of all aspects inside different organizations. These include a variety of age, gender, their background, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and personality or even the style of how somebody works. All these factors create a diverse work force. By embracing these factors into the daily running of an organization it can be beneficial for both employer and employee, working pleasantly where everybody feels valued and respected. New talents are discovered and people are treated as individuals and are not stereotyped due to popular beliefs. see more:explain the principle of informed choice Employers must abide by, practice and integrate all aspects of the Equality Act 2010 as a legal requirement. Employees of the organization can help to create and carry out these policies and have the responsibility of ensuring a positive outcome in workforce tasks. Having a wider area of skills and talents to choose from will help generate new ideas helping the organization to run smoothly and exceed success on new levels. The workplace becomes host to diversity’s benefits recognizing the different terms of knowledge and differences in all work related areas. In feeling valued and respected as an individual this reflects on that persons work persona in a positive way, sympathizing with customers and working better in general to achieve the organizations crucial targets and goals. The Equality Act 2010 was introduced on 1st October 2010 and is a key piece of legislation. This Act provides the overall legal guidelines that protect the individual’s rights in the workplace and provides the correct legislation that promotes opportunity amongst all diverse platforms. The key acts that comprise the act as a whole are: * Equal Pay Act 1970 * Sex Discrimination Act 1975 * Race Relations Act 1976 * Disability Discrimination Act 1995 * Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 * Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 * Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 * Equality Act 2006, Part 2 * Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 Within the workplace there are policies/procedures and legislation materials that employers and employees can have easy access to on a day to day basis by using the organizations in house systems such as intranet or company website which will have sections specifically targeted to that area of the business. These sources of information can be readily available at the click of a button. By having access to the human resources department this also can offer a wealth of information in regards to company policies, company legislations, handbooks and information with regards to the courses and training that can further background knowledge on this information and can then allow both parties to put what they have learnt into practice. b.) It is of the highest importance to make sure we are all working in a healthy and safe environment and it is the responsibility of all staff to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and of others. It is important to follow instructions and cooperate with the health and safety department on regulatory matters that will arise and to attend relevant health and safety training where necessary. We must also familiarize with the health & safety at work manuals these can be found on the DRI intranet or the Human Resources department. We must report any injuries, strains or illnesses as a result of your job role or potential hazards and defects observed in the workplace to the health & safety department, so they can be resolved before it can lead to potential escalation. In recognition of these problems it is important that you utilize the company facilities for example this could be in the form of using of VDU’s (visual display unit) which could potentially cause eye strain as a result of prolonged use. The company can reimburse the cost of spectacles and lenses. If in specific departments you require personal protective equipment (PPE) or adequate welfare facilities, these are used free of charge and it is important you notify health & safety department, should you need to order more. This is a fundamental rule when working with abrasive products. It is also vitally important to us you that you have the correct amount of rest breaks during the working day. Security of all employees is crucial, so we must make sure to fob in and out of the building when arriving or leaving the building so as to safely access the building and have a record of when and what times you leave during the day. If you happen to leave the fob at home or lose it you must contact reception to be provided with a temporary or a replacement from payroll. If you are expecting a visitor you must request they sign in and out of the building at all costs this ensures we have a record of who has been in and out of the building should an incident occur. By working in a healthy and safe environment we can remain motivated and enthused in order to prevent incidents occurring. We can be confident in our workplace surroundings striving for a much better working atmosphere. The two types of decision making made at DRI (Diamond Resorts International) are those of operational decisions which are carried out on the everyday running of the business, and decisions derived from other departments (strategically) which factors in senior management staff to make long term decisions for the business and to pin point the direction the business is going to take with more beneficial effects. Operational decisions are made up of key stages that we strategically follow; firstly we identify the decision and analyze all factors. Grid Analysis is one stage in the process that helps you to decide between several options, where you need to take many different factors into account. An alternative way is also writing out the pros and cons of that area presenting it to you in balance. An example of using grid analysis; in the key stages of making decisions. By consulting a team leader and organizing a group meeting you will be able to obtain ideas and advice from all knowledgeable bodies and consult with senior staff before a decision is made. This can give you wider pool of avenues to consider whilst going through the key stages. If the decision to be made is predominantly made by two people from separate parties they must have the knowledge to negotiate with each other to implement the decision and be satisfied in all areas. The use of feedback is important in these key stages as it allows us to gain feedback from people who hold down different job roles and responsibilities; therefore are given a variation of information that may assist in the final decision. Most operational decisions are being made day to day by team leaders and departmental managers which factor in team member’s assistance and views. Departments that deal with more executive decisions will have a larger span of control; when a manager oversees the day to da y smooth running of his/her department of staff. When training on the job role we are trained to identify what decision would need to be referred through for approval. An example of this would be the procedure that Human resources department at Diamond Resorts follow which is known as a Recruitment Authorisation form (SRAF), this is used for the recruitment of any new member of staff. If the Resort Manager at Pine Lake wanted to recruit a new housekeeper she would fill this form in and send it to the HR department. Human Resources review this by checking we are paying the correct wage or the number of hours worked is reasonable. It is then sent to the Regional Director (Carmina Saiz) for approval. Once returned to us with approval we ask Vice President of European Resort Operations (Suzana Gomercic) for approval. Once approved HR then send the form, to Executive Vice-President Steve Bell, for final approval only when these processes happen can the recruitment process begin. At each of these levels the approver has the potential to decline the request or to make a change, for example, to suggest the hours worked should be 40 hours instead of 37 hours. This would implicate the span of control going through the different processes identifying who would approve each decision before a permanent decision is made. Task 2 a.) The Importance of planning & prioritizing work at DRI – Notes for guidance To help support you and achieve to the highest standard here at Diamond Resorts International it is important you are able to plan and be organized in order to meet the set deadlines for the daily running of all the departments. It is important that you are able to use your time correctly to ensure that all deadlines are met and so that you can achieve the required goals and objectives’ in daily set tasks to help other people in their responsibilities to others. We have a number of facilities at DRI and it is important we use them in order to be timely and efficient, and allow all outcomes of the day be less stressful for you and your team members. * The online mailing system is a key part of the organization and is vitally important for the outside communications and communicating inside all departments around the building. Diary systems are very useful for booking/referring back to appointments and can be used to schedule any tasks or work you may need to prioritize before the end of the day. * You may have access to different calendars’ for meeting rooms around the building. By gaining this access it allows you to see who and what time a room is booked out for, enabling you to book in and around it for yourself or upon a request via another team member. This could include any visitors meeting with you or senior management. The calendar sends you reminder so you can make the necessary arrangements for their arrival. * To do lists can be simple and easy to do on paper or electronically. If for any reason IT department is having issues via the computer software and you become unable to access your computer and cannot use the software to input your data. You can do a simple to do list on paper this will be a temporary measure to remind you and help your day run more smoothly whilst the repairs are underway. Under some circumstances we take under consideration the reasons deadlines could be late, interrupted and may not potentially be met due to certain contributing fa ctors inside the office. * Communication is important throughout working hours, between team members, and is important to have the right level at all times to ensure work is communicated effectively around the office. Too much communication can cause distractions if certain topics are not work related and can be discussed out of office times. This can be avoided by talking about unrelated work topics out of office hours, on lunch breaks or short breaks throughout the day. * It is possible you may be interrupted frequently throughout the day. This could simply be to help another team member, due to technical difficulties or answering the telephone to a customer which could unfortunately take you off task. Make sure you log where you are in order to resume where you left off. The technical difficulties can have a knock on effect for everyone in your department and it is important to try and do as much paper based work as possible to get you up to speed and prepared for the deadline so you are ready to carry on once the issues have been resolved. * There may be times when there is lack of resources around the office if you feel this will have a significant effect on areas of your work then you need to notify a member of the senior management team so they can replenish stock or locate resources from an alternative means. If the department you are working in is short staffed, senior management may want to hire temporary staff to complete clerical/admin tasks. If there are unforeseen circumstances for example you are unable to get to work on time due to problems with public transport, family emergencies or problems etc. In this case some issues cannot always be helped; you must notify your department of issues and if possible explain what work may need to be completed in order to help contribute with the work that is being delayed. b.) After three months of working for Diamond Resorts International it is company procedure to have an appraisal after three months service. I first received a letter from my head of department a week before my appraisal was due. Stating where the meeting was to be held, what time and who it would be with. It was held on the 23rd of October at 3.00 pm with the Human Resources manager. Before I was to attend the meeting I did a small self assessment on paper to remind me what needed to be outlined during the discussion. Once we sat down to commence the meeting I was asked if I was enjoying the new job role also if there was any ongoing problems that needed to be resolved. I explained that I had been enjoying the job role very much and found the prospects for working for DRI very exciting. I was told during my appraisal that all my hard work had been satisfactory and what I had been achieving was more than up to standard. As the job role was new to the company I felt proud to say that I had built the reception area up by myself and enjoyed co-coordinating the maintenance of the building. Making the area more organized and flow with the filed systems I had created. Whilst in the meeting I thought that it would be a good idea to discuss what I had planned for the future, as although I like the job role I require something more challenging and something that can test and push my abilities to what I am more capable of. This meeting was vital for the communication between manager and employee as is important to see where can be improved and problems can be raised and dealt with properly to the discretion of the employee. c.) My career goals illustrated via the SMART technique Complete Level 3 Diploma in Business & Administration course with all distinctions aiming for the highest mark possible and pass the functional skills math’s exam, after attending all after hours classes and get back up to speed with mathematic skills. Consider moving job roles/departments after completion of the six month probationary period. All technical certificates will be prepared, passed and achieved in order to start the NVQ level units. Keep practicing for the functional skills math’s test, continuing the drop in math’s sessions allowing learning and improvement on the subject. I will be looking at different job role summaries and familiarizing with them. All the technical certificates have been prepared for and have the correct resources and information to achieve each unit. Each certificate will have a specific time to achieve handouts and activities to complete in order to gather all the information required to achieve set target scores. By completing and concentrating on each unit at once I can put 100% into each unit, also enabling me the flexibility of fulfilling my own job role. There will be points in the day where I will have to break of and do my duties that are required of me as an employee of DRI. I will also be completing functional skills out of office hours. Each unit I have set myself minimum of 2 weeks to complete. This is ample time to have completed each individual unit and have the feedback comments sent over to me via email from my assessor. Each 2 weeks my assessor will come and visit and discuss my progress. Section B 1. a) The key points that are included in a contract of employment could be any of the following; the contract will have the name of your employer and the employee also the date the employment commenced. The number of working hours you will be required to work during the week. The contract will inform you of how much holiday entitlement you are allocated annually, also how they will calculate them yearly. The details of sick pay and statutory pay will be enclosed in a contract of employment also the pension details. The contract will describe the job title and the brief job description of the work, and the location of where work has to be carried out. b.) A contract of employment is an agreement between employer and employee which determines the relationship between both parties. A written contract can include one short handwritten page or a lengthy document containing detailed components. Each business should take the time to carefully prepare a contract of employment for each employee. All businesses have different needs and outlooks, the style and content of each contract of employment will be different. 2. There are a number of representative resources that can assist employees with information and support them where necessary; The Equal Opportunities commission (EOC) is a regulatory body that promotes statutory rights within the employment sector and monitors human rights; offers on hand legislation and legal frameworks to the members of the public informing them of their rights. ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) is a regulatory body available online and is available for employees/employers that aim to improve organisations through better employment relationships. They also help by updating their website with the most current forms of legislation, and offering free independent advice. 3. a.) There are many factors that can lead to being under pressure in a workplace environment, where a professional manner can become difficult to maintain. If you are running by a tight deadline it could become increasingly difficult to reach, due to lack of resources or due to your organizations department being understaffed. The nature of your work could become strained as a result of more elements being added to a task than originally identified. There could be fundamental changes in your job role with new standards that need to be met in order to meet company deadlines pressuring the work environment further. b.) It is important in any departments of organizations that we declare our work progress; this is so we can keep up to date with targets and deadlines also so that team members can utilize the use of support they may need in the work processes, where necessary in order to complete tasks. It is also important to log our progress of work so we can anticipate any problems that we could encounter, and identify them before them before they happen. To identify our progress we are not impacting on others workloads in a negative way, we are working alongside them resulting in a positive outcome. 4. By continuously seeking to improve our performances at work we are able to assess and consider the possible options going forward in the work place, you are exceeding your own limitations/performance, learning new skills and producing quality work that meets the high standards of your organization. By achieving targets and goals are of a higher standard because you are putting more effort into your work. This not only gives the employer a good impression but can give you more chance of increasing your income or getting a promotion, it also gives you the motivation needed to proceed with your work. The efficiency and effectiveness in producing work can give you a sense of satisfaction, as well as receiving positive feedback from the people around you. By using certain analytical procedures we can assess our progress and see where would be the need for improvement. By using SWOT analysis or SMART techniques we can identify our skills, threats, our strengths which can be used to our advantages helping us to focus on our career pathways. Feedback (whether formal or informal) is a key way of enabling us to improve our own performances in the workplace whether it be positive or negative feedback we can take pointers away and work on them to improve work place performances inside of office hours. 5. There could potentially be problems in the workplace which cannot be solved without the interjection of another member of staff. This could be caused by lack of resources for example being short staffed, which is the responsibility of senior management who overlook the Rota’s to make sure there is significant cover ensuring the team can operate as a whole. If the department you are working in has frequent interaction with customers; there may be customer complaints that are not being dealt with correctly. Customers may wish to speak to senior members of staff who can investigate further taking the customer down a different route to solve their query, which only they will have the authorization to do. You may need to refer a problem if the solution involves reimbursement of company funds, or the problem may have a serious impact on an overall company targets. If there is a serious risk to a person’s life or the problem is in breach of a Health and Safety procedure, you must ensure that the information is passed on and dealt with by a member of the correct department as they will be familiar with all the policies and be able to devise a solution.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Leading Change in an Organization Essay

Abstract The reality of change is that it is likely to occur in personal life and business. In order for an organization to confront the realities of change, effective leadership is essential. Leadership is critical to the success of any change initiative. There are many forms of leadership that each come with a variety of personality traits, this paper will discuss leadership characteristics believed to be necessary to successfully manage change in organizations for the next decade and how to use Kotter’s change model to implement successful change management. Change in simply defined as â€Å"to make something different†, according to Mr. Neryl East, the author of â€Å"Change –What it is and what it isn’t† (East, 2007). Change management is the process that an organization uses to respond and adapt to change in order to improve its effectiveness and ensure continued success (Leban & Saban, 2008). Leadership is critical to the success of any change initiative in an organization. Quality leadership characteristics are equally important to the success of an organization. When good leadership is in place in an organization, it can be felt throughout the entire organization. When good leadership exists, positive corporate culture is not forced, it is developed (Mills, 2005). Leadership is defined as a process by which one person influences the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of others (Leban & Stone, 2008). Leaders set a direction for everyone else and they help the people around them see what lies ahead; they help their followers to visualize what might be achieved and they encourage and inspire. Without leadership it is likely that a group of individuals would quickly collapse into argument and conflict. Leadership helps to point people in the same direction and works towards joint efforts.  Leadership is the ability to get other people to do something significant that they might not otherwise do. It’s energizing people toward a goal (Mills, 2005). In order for a leader to affect change in others he/she should possess many positive characteristics such as the ability to be a good communicator, be proactive versus being reactive and be flexible and adaptable among many possible characteristics to name a few (Group, 2009). As a leader, it is equally important to deliver clear, concise and consistent messages as it is to listen. Leaders should demonstrate a willingness to work to understand the needs of others. Leaders who are able to be successful at listening are able to ask meaningful questions, consider all options and provide leadership in the right direction. Secondly, is the ability to always think ahead, being proactive instead of reactive. Leaders who possess this characteristic are able to master their work environment with the goal of avoiding potential problems before they occur. And lastly, an effective leader will adapt to new surroundings and situations, doing their best to adjust in unexpected or uncomfortable situations (Val & Kemp, 2012). Change strategies that are believed to generally be effective for leading fundamental change are first the need for close and constant communication, it is also important to communicate regularly on the important, significant issues and topics. Also, it is important that all members of the company think and act purposefully and then communicate the assignment and required parts to each member of the department, positioning the foundation for a good fit with the company’s mission and plan. The leadership style of a manager during the change process can be either cooperative and consultative or commanding and coercive (Leban & Stone, 2008). According to Neryl East, the author of â€Å"Implementing an Effective Change Management Strategy†, when staff members are working jointly with management in a cooperative style, it can be expected that there will be both long and short term success to the company since the team will address issues and concerns and makes decisions in the general best interest of the organization. In the same way, when the decision is made by management to force the change, the staff may not be allowed to participate in the decision making process. (East, 2007). Following this further, the Kotter’s process of leading change model has good framework to allow the manager to work in a collaborative style with staff. Kotter’s model was established after studying more than one hundred organizations (Leban & Stone, 2008). Mr. Kotter was perplexed about the fact that the majority of change efforts were unsuccessful, and he sought out to identify the common error made in the change process. Kotters’s eight stage model offers a process to successfully manage change and avoid the common mistakes that occur during change in an organization (Leban &Stone, 2008). Furthermore, the Kotter’s model for change is effective because it provided two lessons, first that the change process goes through a series of phases, each could last a considerable period of time and second that critical mistakes in any phase can have a devastating impact on the momentum of the change process. Kotter’s process of change focuses on the strategic, not tactical level of the change management process (Leban & Stone, 2008). In retrospect, the use of the Kotter’s change model during the implementation of electronic health records at my current employer, Clayton Eye Center could have yielded a better transition and fostered a more positive work environment. In the Kotter’s change model, the first four stages deal with â€Å"unfreezing† the organization. These steps involve reducing those forces that are allowing the organization to continue its current behavior. The next three stages introduce new practices, â€Å"changing/moving†. This step shifts the behavior of the organization to a new level. The last stage is required to ground the changes in the corporate culture â€Å"refreezing† and make them stick. This step steadies the organization at a new state of balance (Leban & Stone, 2008). The first step in the Kotter’s model of change is to establish a great sense of urgency, identify crisis, potential crises and major opportunities (Leban & Stone, 2008). The passing of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) in 2009 by President Obama was the driver of change for The Eye Center (CEC) (Secretary, 2013). The system had to be in place by deadlines set forth by the government, therefore the  urgency for change was created. The second step in the Kotter’s model of change is creating the guiding coalition, by putting together a group of people with enough power to lead the change (Leban & Stone, 2008). The Eye Center was successful in organizing a core team, composed of managers from each department to provide various perspectives to the change process. The appointed core team had previously worked together on various change issues and working as a cohesive unit was of no concern. The third step of the Kotter’s model of change is developing a transformational vision and strategy. Create a vision that will help direct the change and develop strategies for achieving that vision ( Leban & Stone, 2008). During this step, The Eye Center missed the opportunity to develop a positive need for the change. The vision for implementing a new EHR system was often stated as, â€Å"because we have too†. This was an opportunity for upper management to frame the view of the change before anyone formed a negative opinion about the change. The fourth step of Kotter’s model of change is communicating the change vision, using all possible avenues to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies (Leban & Stone, 2008). In this step, The Eye Center was reluctant to communicate the change because they held hope that ultimately the change would not be needed. Once it was clear that the bill signed into law by the President would be upheld, there was very little time to effectively communicate the change vision and receive positive buy in from the staff. The fifth step of Kotter’s model of change is empowering a broad base of people to take action, getting rid of blockers, changing systems or structures that did not line up with the change vision (Leban & Stone, 2008). Empowering the staff, whether real or perceived could have been a very important step to achieving staff support towards the change. However, in the case of The Eye Center, only the managers appointed for the core team were empowered as they were the only members of the staff who had knowledge  about the upcoming change. Keeping the majority of the staff members in the dark about the change and not providing a platform for them to feel a part of the change was instrumental in the outcome for the possibility of successful change. The sixth step of Kotter’s model of change is generating short term wins, visibly recognizing and rewarding people who made the wins possible (Leban & Stone, 2008). Generating short-term wins is necessary to prevent the loss of momentum and keep the organization engaged. The Eye Center was not as successful as it could have been in this step. Approximately 2 months after implementation, upper management decided to reward the front desk staff for what had been considered reasonably successful implementation of the system thus far. However, the other 4 departments that were largely affected by EHR implementation and played a role in its success, although only 2 months in were not offered rewards for their efforts. This flaw in judgment created negative vibes between departments that needed to work together for continued success of the change implementation. The seventh step of Kotter’s model of change is consolidating gains and producing even more change by hiring, promoting and developing people who can implement the change vision (Leban & Stone, 2008). In this step, The Eye Center could make strides to correct past change errors by focusing on the continued development of staff with the new EHR system. The company should also consider utilizing previously purchased unused project management hours to aid them in this step to ensure that moving forward the change vision process is revitalized. And finally in this step, the company could build on polices and structures that have worked during the change process and remove all polices and structures that don’t fit the change vision. The eighth and final step of the Kotter’s model of change is institutionalizing new approaches in the culture by articulating the connections between new behaviors and company success while developing means to ensure leadership development and succession (Leban & Stone, 2008). This step again creates an opportunity for The Eye Center to build a foundation for successful change moving forward. The company could use this step to  make successful change a part of its culture by communicating to the staff how current behaviors do or do not line up with the change vision of the organization. The implementation of continued leadership development through ongoing training would also fulfill this step while preparing the company for successful change behavior in the future. A clear description of the characteristics of a healthy organization prepared to address the issues of change in the 21st century is upper management support and involvement, considering the needs of employees and an effective project manager. Change is almost impossible without the support and involvement of top leaders. Leadership must set the direction, pace and tone while providing a clear vision that brings everyone together (Leban & Stone, 2008). In order for any change initiative to be successful, the company must create a positive culture and motivate the staff, this allows them to visualize and buy in to the change project (Leban & Stone, 2008). Effective project management involves planning and coordinating all aspects of the change program, this allows the organization to place necessary focus on the values, attitudes and behavior of everyone involved to guarantee an effective outcome ( Leban & Stone, 2008). Without these characteristics, change programs risk failure. In final consideration, there are many change models available to organizations; the Kotter’s eight-stage model dictates that each stage be worked through in order to obtain successful change. Skipping even one step or moving too far ahead with a concrete foundation can create problems according to Mr. Kotter (Leban & Stone, 2008). In the case of The Eye Center, we see this to be the case; as complete follow through of each step could have yielded better results for the organization. The need for change is almost guaranteed for every organization if they want to remain relevant. Organizations that will succeed in the 21st century and beyond are those who are aware of what is changing in their perspective industries and are willing to take into account how those changes are most likely to affect its current success. References East, N. (2007). Change-What it is and what it isn’t. Retrieved from Implementing an Effective Change Management Strategy: http://www.ark-group.com/downloads/Change-Management-Chap.pdf Group, H. L. (2009). Holden Leadership Center. Retrieved from Leadership Characteristics: Leadership Styles. Pathways: The Ontario Journal Of Outdoor Education, 24(3), 28-31. Leban, B., Stone, R. (2008). Managing Organizational Change 2nd ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Mills, D. Q. (2005). Leadership: How to Lead, How to Live. Retrieved from The Importance of Leadership: http://www.cafanet.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=qwswE8roe74%3D&tabid=96 Secretary, O. (2013, June 13). FACT SHEET: White House Task Force on High-Tech Patent Issues. Retrieved from The White House: www.whitehouse.gov Val, C., Kemp, J. (2012). Leadership Styles. The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education, v24 n3 p28-31 Spring 2012 4pp.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Project Management Professional Practice Test

Project Management Professional Practice Test The  Project Management Institute  is a global project management organization. The group offers Project Management Professional  certification  that shows competency in a variety of project management and other business-related areas. The PMP certification process includes an exam based on the groups  Project Management Body of Knowledge  guide. Below are sample questions and answers that you might find on the PMP exam. Questions The following 20 questions are from  Whiz Labs, which provides information and sample tests for a fee for the PMP and other examinations. Question 1 Which of the following is a tool used to secure expert judgment? B.. Delphi techniqueC. Expected value techniqueD.  Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Question 2 Based on the information provided below, which project would you recommend pursuing? Project I, with BCR (Benefit Cost ratio) of 1:1.6;Project II, with NPV of US $ 500,000;Project III, with IRR (Internal rate of return) of 15%Project IV, with opportunity cost of US $ 500,000. A. Project IB. Project IIIC. Either project II or IVD. Can not say from the data provided Question 3 What should be done by the project manager to ensure that all work in the project is included? A. Create a contingency planB. Create a risk management planC. Create a WBSD. Create a scope statement Question 4 What kind of a relationship is implied when completion of a successor is dependent on initiation of its predecessor? Choices:A. FSB. FFC. SSD. SF Question 5 What should a project manager do or follow to ensure clear boundaries for project completion? A. Scope verificationB. Complete a scope statementC. Scope definitionD. Risk management plan Question 6 An organization is certified to a stringent environmental standard and uses that as the key differentiator with its competitors. Alternative identification during scope planning for a particular project has thrown up an expeditious approach to achieve a project need, but this involves a risk of environmental contamination. The team evaluates that the likelihood of the risk is very low. What should the project team do? A. Drop the alternative approachB. Work out a mitigation planC. Procure an insurance against the riskD. Plan all precautions to avoid the risk Question 7 The following three tasks  form  the entire critical path of the project network. The three estimates of each of these tasks are tabulated below. How long would the project take to complete expressed with an accuracy of one standard deviation? Task  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Optimistic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most likely  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PessimisticA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  47B  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  22  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  35C  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  16  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  27  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  32 A. 75.5B. 75.5 /- 7.09C. 75.5 /- 8.5D. 75.5 /- 2.83 Question 8 After a study of the work processes on a project, a quality audit team reports to the project manager that irrelevant quality standards were being used by the project, which might lead to rework. What was the objective of the project manager in initiating this study? A. Quality controlB. Quality planningC. Checking adherence to processesD. Quality assurance Question 9 Which of the following provides the foundation for team development? A. MotivationB. Organizational developmentC. Conflict ManagementD. Individual Development Question 10 Which of the following is NOT an input to project plan execution? A. Work authorization systemB. Project planC. Corrective actionD. Preventive action Question 11 A project manager would find team development the most difficult in which form of organization? A. Weak Matrix organizationB. Balanced Matrix organizationC. Projectized organizationD. Tight Matrix organization Question 12 The project manager of a large multi-location software project team has 24 members, out of which 5 are assigned to testing. Due to recent recommendations by an organizational quality audit team, the project manager is convinced to add a quality professional to lead the test team at additional cost, to the project. The project manager is aware of the importance of communication, for the success of the project and takes this step of introducing additional communication channels, making it more complex, in order to assure quality levels of the project. How many additional communication channels are introduced as a result of this organizational change in the project? A. 25B. 24C. 1D. 5 Question 13 Once the project is complete, the complete set of project records should be put in which of the following? A. Project ArchivesB. DatabaseC. Storage roomD. Project Report Question 14 Which of the following is a common format for performance reporting? A. Pareto DiagramsB. Bar chartsC. Responsibility Assignment MatricesD. Control Charts Question 15 If the cost variance is positive and the schedule variance is also positive, this indicates the: A. Project is  under  budget and behind scheduleB. Project is over budget and behind scheduleC. Project is under budget and ahead of scheduleD. Project is over budget and ahead of schedule Question 16 During execution of a project, an identified risk event occurs that results in additional cost and time. The project had provisions for contingency and management reserves. How should these be accounted for? A. Contingency reservesB. Residual risksC. Management reservesD. Secondary risks Question 17 Which one of the following is the last step of project closing? A. Client has accepted the productB. Archives are completeC. Client appreciates your productD. Lessons  learned are documented Question 18 Who should be involved in the creation of lessons learned, at the  closure  of a project? A. StakeholdersB. Project teamC. Management of the performing organizationD. Project office Question 19 An organization has recently started outsourcing work to a low cost, high value, engineering center located in a different country. Which of the following should the project manager provide for the team as a proactive measure? A. A training course on the laws of the countryB. A course on linguistic differencesC. An exposure to the cultural differencesD.A communication management plan Question 20 While reviewing the progress, the project manager assesses that an activity has been missed out from the implementation plan. A milestone, scheduled to be achieved within another week, would be missed with the current implementation plan. Which of the following is the next best action for the project manager in this situation? A. Report the error and the expected delayB. Omit the status update on the milestoneC. Report the error and the planned recovery actionsD. Assess alternatives to meet the milestone Answers The answers to the PMP sample questions are from  Scribd, a fee-based information website. Answer 1 B - Explanation: The Delphi technique is a commonly used tool to secure expert judgment while initiating a project. Answer 2 B - Explanation: Project III has an IRR of 15 percent, which means the revenues from the project equal the cost expended at an interest rate of 15 percent. This is a definitive and a favorable parameter, and hence can be recommended for selection. Answer 3 C - Explanation: A WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of project components that organizes and defines the total scope of the project. Answer 4 D - Explanation: A start-to-finish (SF) relationship between two activities implies that the completion of a  successor is dependent on the initiation of its predecessor. Answer 5 B - Explanation: The project team must complete a scope statement for developing a common understanding of the project scope among stakeholders. This lists project deliverables summary level sub-products, whose full and satisfactory delivery marks the completion of the project. Answer 6 A - Explanation:  The organization’s reputation being at stake, the threshold for such a risk would be very low Answer 7 B - Explanation: The critical path is the longest duration path through a network and determines the shortest time to complete the project. The PERT estimates of the tasks listed are 27, 22.5 26. Therefore, the length of the critical path of the project is 2722.526 75.5. Answer 8 D - Explanation:  Determining the  validity of quality standards, followed by the project is a quality assurance activity. Answer 9 D - Explanation: Individual development (managerial and technical) is the foundation of a team. Answer 10 A - Explanation: A Project plan is the basis of project plan execution and is a primary input. Answer 11 A - Explanation: In a functional organization, the project team members have dual reporting to two bosses the project manager and the functional manager. In a weak matrix organization, the power rests with the functional manager. Answer 12 A - Explanation: Number of communication channels with â€Å"n† members n*(n-1)/2. Originally the project has 25 members (including the project manager), which makes the total communication channels as 25*24/2 300. With the addition of the quality professional as a member of the project team, the communication channels increase to 26*25/2 325. Therefore, the additional channels as a result of the change, that is, 325-300 25. Answer 13 A - Explanation: Project records should be prepared for archiving by the appropriate parties. Answer 14 B - Explanation: Common formats for Performance Reports are, bar charts (also called Gantt Charts), S-curves, histograms, and tables. Answer 15 C -  Explanation: Positive Schedule Variance means the project is ahead of schedule; Negative Cost Variance means the project is over-budget. Answer 16 A - Explanation: The question is about correct accounting for risk events that occur and updating the reserves. Reserves are meant for making provisions in cost and schedule, to accommodate for consequences of risk events. Risk events are classified as unknown unknowns or known unknown, where â€Å"unknown unknowns† are risks that were are not identified and accounted for, while known unknowns are risks that were identified and provisions were made for them. Answer 17 B - Explanation: Archiving is the last step in the project closing. Answer 18 A - Explanation: Stakeholders include everyone who is actively involved in the project or whose interests may be affected as a result of the project execution or completion. The project team creates the lessons learned on the project.   Answer 19 C - Explanation: Understanding cultural differences is the first step towards an effective communication amongst the project team involving outsourced work from a different country. So, what is needed in this case is an exposure to the cultural differences, which is being mentioned as choice C. Answer 20 D - Explanation: Choice D, that is, assess alternatives to meet the milestone indicates confronting the issue with an attempt to resolve the issue. Hence this would be the best approach.