Mass Communications Essay

Communication has developed and still continues to develop. Over the centuries, many forms of communication have developed that have made the transmission of messages among people faster and more efficient. These include the radio, television, the print media as well as telephones. With technology and globalization improving at a fast rate, certain factors have influenced the way these different channels of communication operate in ensuring their audiences are satisfied with the services they offer and also the media houses make profits. Some of the trends affecting the delivery of content are: convergence, increasing audience control, and media mobility. The focus of this essay is to analyze the impact and relevance of convergence, increasing audience control and media convergence on Radio. Radio is a means of communicating by using electromagnetic waves or frequencies to detect signals and transform them to sound and its history of radio can be dated back in the late 19th century. Back then, the radio was a simple device whose usefulness was seen during the wars and battles as it was used to send telegraphic messages to people fighting in far places. Since then, radio has developed and is used for other purposes such as educating, advertising, relying information and entertaining people. In addition, it has created a livelihood for many people who depend on it. ? Convergence Convergence refers to the way in which various communication systems are linked so as to foster faster and better ways or relaying information. Basically, it is the merging of technologies. In media, convergence is the linking of technology with media content as well as the communication networks. As technological improvements continue to advance as each day passes, people in the radio business have embraced the changes and have become better. Radios initially used to be big equipments; but they have been modified and transformed such that they can be small as the size if a pen. Convergence nowadays is seen by how the internet has linked up with radio such that people from any corner of the world can listen to different radio stations in other countries. Before the internet came to use in 1969, people could only listen to radio stations within their regions. â€Å"The arrival of new digital communication technologies have facilitated the delivery of digital signals through various platforms and improved audio visual quality (Chan-Olmsted, 2006). † With the advancements in digital technology and the internet, people can now choose on what they would like to listen and from anywhere. Internet has enabled people to listen to music online, download and upload whatever they like. Moreover, it has generated new experiences both socially and business wise such that people from different regions meet and interact and businesses can advertise their products to more people thus expanding their markets. Convergence is also being enhanced in radio in through pod casting such that individuals can download their favorite programs on MP3 players. The disadvantages that come with convergence is that mobiles such as the iphone and the internet are taking over the functions of the radio networks are slowly being eroded away. For radio stations to be able to tap on the convergence advantages , they need to have experts working for them that is the employees, employers as well as the private consultants who advice them. This will be good because they will always be keen and updated on what is happening so that they know whish areas need to be improved on or the ways in which technology will be incorporated into the system. Moreover, professional consultants will advice them on what competitors are doing so that the can also try similar strategies. ? Increasing audience control Nowadays, the audience especially the younger generation that is technologically more advanced and conversant with how things work influences the activities of radio stations. This is because what they listen to, read or watch determines there preferences. â€Å"Although they have a variety of things to choose from, they are influencing time, prices and the portability of media use (Chan-Olmsted, 2006). † These preferences make them request or demand for programs they like and even suggest for what things they would like to see. Since the audience is means everything to the radio owners, they are forced to give in to their customers requests. This has enabled radio stations to benefit from the customers ideas as they always work on improving their services and retain their audiences. The shortcomings of audience control is that media houses need to change the way they operate so as to meet the demands of customers and at the same time offer quality services. In doing so, they will have to invest on the latest machinery and technologies and sometimes they have to overstretch their budgets to do away with the pressure or sometimes they do not have the funds hence they risk losing their audience. ’ Media houses have to contemplate on how to internalize new technology and be responsive to the new media audience. Another disadvantage is that the audience once they do not get what they want, they will opt to down load things on the internet or shift to their competitors. ? Media Mobility Media mobility refers to the ease with which the technologies in communication can be accommodated and enhanced so as to diversify the uses of the radio. The radio while being serving as a communication channel also links technologies with customers, markets and technology. â€Å"The globalization of mobility directly involves the way in which service integration and network integration relate to one another (Hardy, Malleus & Mereur, 2002). †Mobility can be seen in the way the radio is incorporated with various devices making it more portable and more flexible thus increasing the rate of acceptance. Most mobile phones nowadays have evolved and have radios. This was mainly a marketing strategy used by the mobile companies to attract the younger generation and we can say that it has helped in expanding the usage of telephone. Furthermore, some DVDs especially home theaters and televisions have been modified to perform many functions and the radio is one of them. The usage of radio has expanded to accommodate many things and people are always eager to know what will come next. All these coupled by various enhancements such as the ear pieces have made radio more attractive. The disadvantages that come with incorporating all these new things is that the focus shifts from the radio to the other devices as it is being used to complement the other functions of the device. In addition, the costs of certain software and hardware is high therefore this limits research at times especially now when the global economy and markets are not doing well. To tap on the advantages, radio companies will need to be regularly updated on new technologies as well as invest in training and educating their staff so that they become better at what they do as well as find better marketing strategies. In addition, radio companies need to budget properly so that they have enough funds to run their businesses as well as accommodate new strategies that are beneficial to the business. Conclusion These factors have greatly impacted the things we purchase and what we listen to. Moreover, they influenced and enabled businesses to develop and grow as they do their advertisements, promotions and marketing strategies using it. I as well as other Americans have been exposed to a variety of products thus making it easier to purchase commodities especially those manufactured in far off areas. We therefore need to support the work done by researchers as well as radio stations so as to benefit through things like media mobility which link the old and new systems. References Chan-Olmsted, S. M. (2006), Competitive Strategy for Media Firms: Strategic and Brand Management in Changing Media Markets. Routledge, p. 204 Hardy, D. , Malleus, G. & Mereur. J. N. (2002). Networks: Internet, Telephony, Multimedia: Convergences and Complementarities. Translated by Michael Byrne,De Boeck Universite

GIS Based Load Flow Study for Distribution Network at Sihora Township

This undertaking work pertains to ; â€Å"GIS based load flow survey for Distribution Network at Sihora township† . com/aaimagestore/essays/1644095.001.png"> Chapter 1: Introduction In India, Power sector reforms are afoot chiefly to reconstruct efficiency and fiscal wellness in the sector and assorted SEBs have followed common form of reforms based on â€Å"World Bank Supported Orissa† theoretical account of ninetiess. Main nonsubjective covered under reforms are ; Unbundling of SEBs in to three separate sectors of Generation, Transmission & A ; Distribution and Corporatization of sectors. Added fiscal encouragement to the reforms procedure came in the signifier of â€Å"Accelerated Power Development and Reform Program† ( APDRP )and States willing to set about Distribution Reforms are eligible to pull financess in this strategy. Distribution and Use of Power are 3rd and 4th sections of Integrated Power Systems and are unluckily weakest links as compared to Generation and UHV/EHV Transmission of Power because of high proficient and commercial losingss, overloading of Transformers and Feeders/Distributors and mass scale pilferage of power. Power Distribution nevertheless, assumes function of a gross gaining section of power system. Therefore, the existent challenge of reforms in Power Sector lies in efficient direction of Distribution and Utilization sections so that consumers get good power quality. Power Sector Reforms initiated by Govt. of India, peculiarly in Distribution sector, are viewed as strong steps to better commercial and fiscal viability of this sector and the APDRP launched in the twelvemonth 2001 was launched chiefly to beef up Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Distribution Networks and decrease ofAverage Technical and Commercial Losses ( AT & A ; C Losses ) .Main aims of this plan screenConstitution of baseline informations.Renovation and modernisation of 33/11 & A ; 11/0.4 KV Sub-Stations.Decrease of AT & A ; C losingssCommercial viability.Decrease of outages & A ; breaks.Increase consumer satisfaction through beef uping & As ; up-gradation of Sub-Transmission & A ; Distribution web and by supplying good power quality.1.1 Application of Geographic Information System ( GIS ) in Distribution Systems. GIS is a computer- based system to assistance in the aggregation, care, storage, analysis, end product, and distribution of spacial informations and information. Geographic information Systems ( GIS ) and Network Analysis are quickly progressing Fieldss in recent old ages and remain most important application countries. G- Stands for geographic and it has something to make with geographics. I – Stands for information i. vitamin E, geographic information. S- Stands for system. GIS is an incorporate system of geographics and information tied together. 1.2ROLE OF GIS IN DISTRIBUTION REFORMS. Distribution is a job country in any Electric Power Supply Utility in India chiefly because the Technical plus Commercial losingss are extortionately high, ( 50 – 55 % ) . GIS can assist cut down losingss and better energy efficiency through its part in the undermentioned countries of Distribution reforms: 1. 100 % consumer metering and Automatic Meter Reading. 2. Feeder & A ; Distribution Transformer metering: Installation of inactive ( electronic ) metres on all 11 KV surpassing feeders and distribution transformers. 3. Effective Myocardial infarction: Both feeder and DT inactive metres record active energy, power factor and burden information which can be downloaded to a computing machine web to construct effectual MIS for speedy decision-making. 4. Energy accounting: Energy received in each 11 kV sub-station and 11 KV out-going feeders, energy billed and T & A ; D losingss at each feeder and DT can be decently accounted for. 5. Installation of capacitance Bankss & A ; web reconfiguration: Installation of capacitances at 11 & A ; 400 Volt degrees, reconfiguration of feeder/ Distributors & A ; DTs in such a manner as to cut down the length feeders/distributors thereby cut downing Technical losingss. 6. High Voltage Distribution System ( HVDS ) : Installation of little energy efficient DTs providing power to 10 to 15 families merely, re-conductoring of overladen subdivisions, digital function of the full distribution system and burden flow surveies to beef up the distribution system. 1.3 GIS aid in accomplishing the above aims through assorted applications: 1. Creation of consumer database and consumer indexing: Indexing of all LT & A ; HT consumers, so as to segregate consumers feeder-wise and DT-wise. The consumers are mapped utilizing GIS engineering and identified based on their alone electrical reference, called Consumer Index Number ( CIN ) . 2. Function of Sub-transmission and Electrical Distribution Network: It is every bit of import to hold all the 33 KV substations, 11 KV feeders, DTs and LT feeders digitally mapped and geo-referenced. 3. Load Flow Studies: Having completed the aforesaid undertakings, burden and consumer profiles can be studied and illations drawn for rectifying instabilities in the web. 4. Load Prediction: GIS has proved itself an effectual tool in placing ideal location for proposed Sub-Stations, demand-side direction, Load prediction. 1.4 CASE STUDY GIS has been used as a tool to transport out Consumer indexing and Load Flow Studies for Primary and Secondary distribution Network at Sihora township, near Jabalpur, under the Poorv Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company ( MPPKVVCL ) and I was associated with this survey. Both these surveies were conducted at the same time. Basic aim was to update consumer informations and program betterment in the Network and to make away with over-loading of transformers and feeders so as to accomplish an acceptable electromotive force profile i.e, to supply all L.T. & A ; H.T. Consumers electromotive force in the scope 6 % . Following stairss are covered in the instance survey ;Field work for placing assets or GPS Survey.Transportation of GPS Co-ordinates to Lat-Lon Co-ordinates utilizing iilwis package.Downloading of orbiter images utilizing Google Earth pro.Alliance of spacial informations.Forming Database.Conducting Load Flow Study.Decision summarises the result of this survey. Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Review 1 â€Å" Application of Geographic Information Systems and Global Positioning Systems in Human-centered Emergencies: Lessons Learned, Programme Implications and Future Research†by Reinhard Kaiser Centers for Disease Control CDC and Prevention ( CDC ) , Paul B. Spiegel CDC, Alden K. Henderson CDC, Michael L. Gerber CDC ( Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA ) . This paper discusses application of GIS & A ; GPS in human exigencies. 2.2 Review 2 International diary onNetwork Analysis in Geographic Information Science: Review, Assessment, and Projections ( Cartography and Geographic Information Science, Vol. 34, No. 2, 2007, pp. 103-111 ) byKevin M. Curtin. This documents informs thatNetwork informations constructions were one of the earliest representations in geographic information systems ( GIS ) , and web analysis remains one of the most important and relentless research and application countries in geographic information scientific discipline. 2.3 Review 3 GIS AND NETWORK ANALYSIS ( By Manfred M. Fischer Department of Economic Geography & A ; Geoinformatics Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration Rossauer Lande 23/1 A-1090 Vienna, Austria ) . Writer has described that the information theoretical accounts and design issues which are specifically oriented to GIS-T, and identified several betterments of the traditional web informations theoretical account that are needed to back up advanced web analysis in a land transit context. 2.4 Review 4 Electrical Network Mapping and Consumer Indexing utilizing GIS ( By S P S Raghav Chairman and Managing Director UPCL, Dehradun and Jayant K Sinha Dy General Manager ( IT ) UPCL, Dehradun ) . This paper analyzes the present power scenario and the function of GIS in spearheading the Distribution reforms processes to better the power industry’s viability. 2.5 Review 5 GIS Based Power Distribution System: A Case Study For The Bhopal City( Dr. Tripta Thakur, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, MANIT, Bhopal ) . Asset function utilizing GPS and high declaration remote feeling images has been reported in this paper utilizing Arc GIS 9.1software. Problem Definition The East DISCOM, at Jabalpur identified few townships as pilot undertakings for system betterment where the bing distribution web were- haphazard, shabbily constructed and expanded in an unplanned mode. AT & A ; C losingss were extortionately high runing between 50-60 % . With this in position, the GPS based information was opted to make reliable informations base and transport out the burden flow survey for the web at 11kv degree to obtain electromotive force profile within the prescribed bound of  ± 6 % and besides to place low electromotive force pockets. Aims of Thesis.Constitution of baseline informations.Renovation and modernisation of 33/11 & A ; 11/0.4 KV Sub-Stations.Decrease of AT & A ; C losingss.Improvement of Voltage Profiles.Commercial viability.Improved care – Decrease of outages & A ; breaks.Increase consumer satisfaction by supplying good quality power supply.Chapter 3:GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONING SYSTEM ( GPS ) GPS FactsDeveloped by Department of Defence as a military navigational tool.Systems birth was in the early 1970’s24 Satellites revolving at high heights ( 11,000 stat mis ) First Satellite launched in 1978Became to the full operational in April 1995Useful dark & A ; twenty-four hours – rain or radianceUse of wireless moving ridgesAccuracy depends on unit, some are accurate to a centimeter.There are 3 orbits – LEO ( long Earth orbit ) , MEO ( average Earth orbit ) and GEO ( geostationary Earth orbit ) . The GPS system is located in GEO orbit.3.1 Geographic placement system ( GPS ) GPS is a world-wide radio-navigation system formed from a configuration of 24 orbiters and their land Stationss. It uses these â€Å" semisynthetic stars † as mention points to cipher places accurate to a affair of metres. These orbiters have really accurate redstem storksbills on board. The orbiters continuously send wireless signals towards Earth. These wireless signals are picked up by GPS receiving systems Figure – 1 GPS receiving systems have become really economical, doing the engineering accessible to virtually everyone. GPS provides uninterrupted 3-dimensional positioning 24 hours a twenty-four hours to the military and civilian users throughout the universe. These yearss GPS is happening its manner into autos, boats, planes, building equipment, farm machinery, even laptop computing machines. It has a enormous sum of applications in GIS informations aggregation, surveying, and function. GPS is progressively used for precise placement of geospatial informations and the aggregation of informations in the field. Figure – 2 Figure – 3 3.2 GPS Control Stations There are five control Stationss that monitor the orbiters. †¢ Control stations enable information on Earth to be transmitted to the orbiters ( updates and all right turning ) . †¢ Control Stationss continuously track orbiters, and update the places of each orbiter. †¢ Without control Stationss, the truth of the system would degrade in a affair of yearss. 3.3 GPS Receivers †¢ GPS units are referred to as â€Å"receivers† . †¢ They receive information ( wireless signals ) from orbiters. †¢ The GPS receiving system is made of three parts ; I ) Satellites revolving the Earth two ) control and monitoring Stationss on Earth and three ) GPS receiving systems owned by users. GPS satellites send signals from infinite which are picked up and identified by GPS receiving systems. Each GPS receiving system so provides three dimensional location ( latitude, longitude, and height ) along with clip taken. 3.4 Three sections of GPS The Space section:The infinite section consists of 20 four orbiters circling the Earth at an height of 12,000 stat mis. High height allows the signals to cover a big country. The orbiters are arranged in their orbits such that a GPS receiving system on Earth can ever have a signal from at least four orbiters at any given clip. Each orbiter transmits low wireless signals with a alone codification on different frequences. The GPS receiving system identifies the signals. The chief intent of these coded signals is to let for appraisal of travel clip from the orbiter to the GPS receiving system. The travel clip multiplied by the velocity of light peers the distance from the orbiter to the GPS receiving system. Since these are low power signals and won’t travel through solid objects, it is of import to hold a clear position of the sky. The Control section: The control section tracks the orbiters and so provides them with corrected orbital and clip information. The control section consists of four remote-controlled control Stationss and one maestro control station. The four remote-controlled Stationss receive informations from the orbiters and so direct that information to the maestro control station where it is corrected and sent back to the GPS orbiters. The User section:The user section consists of the users and their Global positioning system receiving systems. Number of users can hold entree at any minute of clip. 3.5 Working of GPS When a GPS receiving system is turned on, it foremost downloads orbit information of all the orbiters. This processes, the first clip, can take every bit long as 12.5 proceedingss, but one time this information is downloaded, it is stored in the receiving systems memory for future usage. Even though the GPS receiving system knows the precise location of the orbiters in infinite, it still needs to cognize the distance from each orbiter it is having a signal from. That distance is calculated, by the receiving system, by multiplying the speed of the familial signal by the clip it takes the signal to make the receiving system. The receiving system already knows the speed, which is the velocity of a wireless moving ridge or 186,000 stat mis per second ( the velocity of visible radiation ) . To find the clip portion of the expression, the receiving system matches the orbiters transmitted codification to its ain codification, and by comparing them find how much it needs to detain its codifi cation to fit the orbiters code. This delayed clip is multiplied by the velocity of visible radiation to acquire the distance. The GPS receiving systems clock is less accurate than the atomic clock in the orbiter, hence, each distance measuring must be corrected to account for the GPS receiving systems internal clock mistake. Figure – 3 3.6 GPS Terminology 2D Positioning: In footings of a GPS receiving system, this means that the receiving system is merely able to lock on to three orbiters which merely allows for a two dimensional place hole. Without an height, there may be a significant mistake in the horizontal co-ordinate. 3D Placement:Position computations in three dimensions. The GPS receiving system has locked on to 4 orbiters. This provides an height in a add-on to a horizontal co-ordinate, which means a much more accurate place hole. Real Time Differential GPS: Real-time DGPS employs a 2nd, stationary GPS receiving system at a exactly measured topographic point ( normally established through traditional study methods ) . This receiving system corrects any mistakes found in the GPS signals, including atmospheric deformation, orbital anomalousnesss, Selective Availability ( when it existed ) , and other mistakes. A DGPS station is able to make this because its computing machine already knows its precise location, and can easy find the sum of mistake provided by the GPS signals. DGPS corrects or reduces the effects of:Orbital mistakesAtmospheric deformationSelective HandinessSatellite clock mistakesReceiver clock mistakesDGPS can non rectify for GPS receiving system noise in the user’s receiving system, multipath intervention, and user errors. In order for DGPS to work decently, both the user’s receiving system and the DGPS station receiving system must be accessing the same orbiter signals at the same clip. Figure – 4

Starbucks Hrm Paper

An Analysis of Actual Personnel Policies for the Starbucks Coffee Contents Environmental Challenges †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Mission Statement †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Organizational Structure †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 External Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Internal Environment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Personnel Needs †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Job Descriptions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 Recruitment and Selection †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 Employee Training †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 0 Tuition Reimbursement †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Total Compensation System †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Union vs. Nonunion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 Work Life †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 14 Benefits †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 Performance Appraisal †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 Personnel and HRM Policies †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 16 HR Improvements †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 18 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19 Appendix †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 25An Analysis of Actual Personnel Policies for the Starbucks Coffee Starbucks is one of the renowned coffee companies in the world today. Starbucks is known for its great customer service, inviting atmospheres, and excellent coffee. It all began in1971 in Seattle Washington when they opened their first store located in Pikes Place Market. Starbucks progressed through the many years and now Starbucks is one of the lead coffee stores in the world. They do not only offer coffee but the stores offer a place to work, study, think and even meet new people, which is widely known as Starbucks experience.Starbucks is more than just coffee. The aim of this paper is to examine and evaluate the most important aspects and policies regarding the human resources management of Starbucks by addressing key issues and influencing factors. Environmental Challenges Mission Statement As part of the strategy, CEO Howard Shultz has taken steps to invigorate the staff and ensure the best customer experience. These measures include retraining the staff and holding conferences called leadership labs to inspire its managers who he considers as the â€Å"ambassadors of brand, merchants of romance, and disciples of delight† (Kessler, 2012).Starbucks has also changed its mission statement. Starbuck’s first mission was drafted in 1990 and reflected its goal of being the number one provider of the best coffee you can find in the world (Stanley, 2002). Their new mission statement, as stated on their website is â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. † Starbucks has announced plans to change its leadership structure in order to accelerate global growth. The company will be divided into 3 regions, The Americas, Europe, and Asia.Each region will be led by a president that reports to the CEO. The company is also expanding into the tea market as part of its goal to become a $1 billion dollar business (Starbucks Newsroom, 2011). Organizational Structure Since its establishment in 1971, Starbucks has seen many changes to its external & internal environment. As a result, Starbucks has made changes to its human resource management policies with regard to its mission, strategy, and organizational structure. Since Starbucks opened 42 years ago, coffee consumption in the US has steadily increased.Th e 2012 National Coffee Association's National Coffee Drinking Trend Survey that coffee consumption has increased in all categories since 2010. The largest increase has been observed in gourmet coffee beverages which increased by 8% since 2010. This upward trend is in line with the center’s other surveys that show a continual increase for coffee, which is the leading non-alcoholic beverage in the U. S. over soft drink consumption and other beverages (National Coffee, 2012). Starbucks is a massive company with numerous departments. All of the operations are managed from the headquarters in Seattle.District managers oversee the regional clusters of Starbucks stores and they report to the headquarters. Regional managers report to district managers. Store managers oversee the store operations and report to regional managers. Within the store organization one can descend to lower levels of position from store manager to assistant store manager to shift supervisor to barista. (Starb ucks Career Advancement, 2013) One can say that Starbucks has a divided and diversified organizational structure. The structure can be examined in two places.First part is the retail stores, where the physical contact is made with the customers. Since this part of the company solely works on satisfying the customer needs, contains high involvement of employees, and has relatively lesser layers of management, the organizational process resembles a flat organizational structure. (Gomez-Meija, 2012, p. 54). When moving to the corporate sector, one could say that this part resembles a bureaucratic organizational structure as employees are more specialized and there is a top-to-down approach among the ladders. Gomez-Meija, 2012, p. 54). External Environment These demographic changes for coffee has prompted new entrants into the consumer coffee market. The quick-service restaurant sector, including McDonalds, Wendy’s, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Jamba Juice have started lines of pre mium coffee. In addition, Starbucks faces new competitors in the grocery aisles since technology has made single serve coffee makers more popular for home use (National Coffee, 2012). In the global environment, the coffee industry is also seeing an expansion.Coffee is already the world’s most popular beverage, and has consistently ranked in the top five most traded commodities since the 1990s (Pendergrast, 2009). Internal Environment The internal environment is based around Starbucks’ mission to create a third place between home and work. As Starbucks has grown and expanded it has attempted to control quality by not franchising. As Starbuck’s environment has changed, the company has made several adjustments to Starbucks’ Human Resource policies. CEO Howard Shultz retook the helm of the company in 2008 with a goal of returning to the core values of producing the best cup of offee (Wertheimer, 2011). Personnel Needs The personnel that comprise the retail de partment are the Baristas and Shift Supervisors. Baristas prepare coffee and serve customers. Shift Supervisors assist the store manager with store operations. The Shift Supervisor is also a team leader responsible for delegating tasks and assisting with staff member training. Starbucks has about 18,000 stores worldwide, with 72% of them in North America (Loeb, 2013). Although the coffee giant has over 200,000 employees, each stores retail staff averages less than 9 members (Naydenov, 2013).The company recently demonstrated its procedure for handling personnel needs relative to demand. Between 2009 and the end of 2012, 39,000 employees were laid off as the global giant closed more than 600 stores. This downsizing was a result of a restructuring effort during the recession which brought economic uncertainty. Now that the company is experiencing recovery, CEO Gary Shultz has announced plans to hire 3,500 baristas by the end of 2013 (Allison, 2013). The expansion is a result of increas ed demand due to Starbucks new product launches which include a new line of coffee and the venture into the tea market.The company’s growth is also aided by continuous high sales in China. Job Description Starbucks as a big entity with over 200000 employees (Simon, 2008) is a massive global company employing people within a wide variety of positions. They have baristas who are the public face of the company, both interacting with the customers and preparing their coffee and lattes. They have shift supervisors who are veteran baristas overseeing the overall Starbucks store experience for customers. Starbucks hires a big number of people, mostly for their retail stores.These retail jobs have a more general description. When looking at the job description at the Starbucks career page, one can see that this position might not be a technical one but is explained in great details. Because this position requires focus on multiple tasks with light focus, one could define it as a gene ral position. In the upper levels of the careers, there are many kinds of management positions from store managers to district managers to regional managers. Job descriptions at Starbucks tend o get more specific towards the upper ladders as the company starts to resemble a bureaucratic organizational structure. For example, Critical positions such as managers are described in much greater detail when compared to retail store positions. A product manager has many tasks and duties but the responsibilities stay focused. The job description for the product manager is comprised of (1) a title, (2) a location, (3) a job summary (4) key responsibilities, (5) qualifications (6) required knowledge, skills ; abilities and (7) core competencies (Starbucks | Careers, 2013).This job description matches and even exceed the content of the ones described in the textbook as the textbook suggests that a job description should include a summary, duties and responsibilities, requirements and qualifica tions. One can say that Starbucks has executed creating of job descriptions very professionally in accordance with today’s standards. Two job descriptions, one for a barista and one for a product manager, are provided in the Appendix section, where one can picture the differences between a general job description and a specific job description.The barista has many duties in a great variety. They should provide customer service, be in constant communication with their supervisors and maintenance the cleanliness of the place. A product manager has greater responsibilities such as marketing, management and product innovation but the duties and tasks are are described with a greater precision when compared to the barista’s job description. One reason for this difference might be the fact that the baristas are focused and that’s a dynamic task subject to change at all times. Recruiting ; SelectionRecruitment is the gathering of capable people who might be a fit to th e position and selection is a process where the decision makers use specific tools and methods to choose the better candidates within that pool. (Bratton ; Gold, 2007, p. 239) Recruiting and selection of employees are important milestones in hiring a candidate for a position. It is usually conducted by a member of HR or a manager. Starbucks obviously utilizes job design and job analysis methods for positions from all levels because their job descriptions at the career web-site are very well structured.Starbucks HR uses both internal and external recruitment. In the case of internal recruitment, there are a few ways to lead this process. Candidates can be selected in the intranet on the website where only the staff and the employees have access. Additionally candidates can be selected through staff meetings or recommendations from other employees (usually the ones in higher positions in the ladder). In the case of external recruitments, Starbucks utilizes conventional recruitment met hods and accepts only online applications: To attract candidates Starbucks uses ads, word of mouth and internet to reach out to people.Even though Starbucks uses methods besides the internet to reach out to potential candidates, they select candidates from the pool that receives applications from the career web-site. First they eliminate the ones who do not have the qualifications. After that they do phone interviews to select the ones who are interested in the position. The ones who the pass phone interviews undergo a face to face interview with district and regional managers. (Starbucks Interview Questions, 2013) Their sources of recruitment process provide all the aspects of traditional and non-traditional methods described in the textbook (Gomez-Meija, 2012, p. 74). Starbucks had some out of the box thinking and has incorporated social media very nicely into its recruiting and selection process. Positions and applications can be reached out through the Twitter and LinkedIn. (Soc ial Recruiting, 2010) This way Starbucks increases the chances of interactive conversations and encourages more potential candidates to apply for positions to increase the size of the recruitment pool. Employee Training Starbucks has a unique and successful approach to the training the company offer to employees, new and tenured.The training regimen of a Starbucks Employee consists of a multitude of strategies including but not limited to Customer service training, Cross-functional training, team training, and On-the-job training (OJT) (Reese, 1996). Training/lessons are creatively named so as to keep with Corporate Cultures i. e. â€Å"Brewing the perfect cup†, â€Å"coffee knowledge†. These different methods of training are systematically set in place and usually take about 24 hours, of which the majority is to be completed within the first two weeks of employment.Once an employee has â€Å"cleared† all different levels of training, the employee should be well rounded, educated, and skilled to service customers/clientele (Reese, 1996). Tuition Reimbursement Starbucks offers tuition reimbursement based on the employees eligibility, position, and length of continuous service from the beginning of each calendar year. Taking into consideration that 85% of Starbucks â€Å"Partners† have education beyond high school and the average age is approx. 26, the benefit of tuition reimbursement is as lucrative as the wages themselves.The idea of getting a degree and having your â€Å"employer† pay for it fits as a strategic benefit/lure for the principle demographics of Starbucks employees. (Life at Starbucks, 2006) The eligible expenses consist of tuition fees, books, class requires supplies and required fees. Another eligibility criterion is that the education the employee wishes to get must aid the employee in his/her career path in Starbucks. Many degrees are supported in the program such as Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Mas ters, Doctoral, and Certificate degrees. Employees can apply through internet, fax or e-mail. There is also a limit to this tuition reimbursement amount.In the Appendix, a tuition reimbursement application sample form is attached. Total Compensation Starbucks hires around 200 people per day and has one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry. Starbucks aims to imbed its values in the company culture. Starbucks use these values to give employees a sense of meaning to their work even if it is just pouring a cup of coffee. The firm belief has been that if you take care of your employees, employees will take care of customers and be engaged in their work. They offer a comprehensive benefits package including healthcare coverage, stock options and discounted stock purchase programs.Their benefits package is branded â€Å"Your Special Blend† and is available to employees in its full capacity after only ninety days of employment. To go a step further, Starbucks implemented a pl an called Partner Connection to help the workforce with health and fitness and to link employees with shared interests and hobbies. This program is funded by sales of logo merchandise to partners. They also have a program called the CUP Fund that helps employees with financial assistance during times of crisis or hardship and a Total Pay package that offers discretionary bonuses.Finally, Starbucks offers its employees a program called Mission Review which allows the employees to communicate thoughts and feelings to management and receive answers to their questions. The formal rewards are certainly not very attractive. Most of the so-called partners are paid less than what primary school private tutors get per hour. Starbucks is a challenge for its employees, learning something new, and a good way of earning some extra money. The partners make work fun, and employees like to mess around with coffee. One could say that informal rewards would play a larger part than in these intrinsica lly driven motivations.Employees are free to take any drink from Starbuck sand they do it very openly. When a former employee turned up to visit everybody,  they were given a warm welcome, and not to mention helped to a free drink. It does seem that working in Starbucks made the employees and former employees feel good as they were able to drink free coffee which other consumers pay. Starbucks, as a popular culture icon, also made it cool and hip to work in. A certain amount of social status is conferred thus, and this is another hidden reward. It makes sense why these people were so intensely motivated in their work behavior.A 20% discount would be available for any employee when he visits another branch, even when he or she is off duty. All that the employee has to do is to key in his or her Identification Card Number. The interesting thing is that this attractive discount also applies if the employee orders on behalf of accompanying friends. The privileges of working for Starbu cks Coffee extend beyond normal working times. Only the employees are able to understand the benefits and such small benefits add up to actually becoming quite substantial. Union vs. NonunionThe employee-employer relationship is complicated at Starbucks. Starbucks was unionized in the 80s and provided health-care even to the baristas besides a share of the profit. In 1992 Starbucks became union-free with the worker’s own will because The CEO Howard Schultz claimed that he really cared about the workers, calling them â€Å"partners† and he would listen to their problems. (Fellner, 2008, p. 144) There are contradictory comments about the issue. Even though baristas still receive health benefits as much as higher-level management employees, they are not happy about the payrolls.For example, the baristas in New York City complain that the wage they get is not enough to make a living. (Maher-Adamy, 2006)There have been disputes between managers and baristas in public (Inter national Labor, 2008). There are also neutral commentators who believe that the truth lies in between as some think that Starbucks is treating their employees still better than many other restaurants (Fellner, 2008, p. 70). Starbucks is already unionized since 2006, founded by a previously fired employee, Daniel Gross (Simon, 2008). Facts point out that Starbucks should stay unionized.Even though when research indicates that Starbucks treats its employees with more dignity than many other restaurants by calling them partners (Fellner, 2008, p. 142), it does not necessarily prove that they are treating their employees fairly. The management claims that they have been treating the employees fairly and providing them with benefits, good wages, and stock options but the company has been accused of union bashing and a National Labor Relations Board Judge ruled that Starbucks violated federal labor law by trying to stop union activities at four Manhattan locations in New York. James, 2009 ). Wagner Act states that management should not interfere with, restrain or coerce employees from exercising their their rights to form unions. (Gomez-Meija, 2011, p. 506) The Taft-Hartley Act, and the Landrum-Griffin Act were amended in order to balance the power distribution but one can say that Starbucks unions are not overpowered at all. Work Life The quality of work life for Starbucks employees actually is really good for them. Starbucks has a great outlook on employee relationships, and they offer such benefits that it does keep the employees happy.The benefits offered help relieve normal every day stresses so you can focus more on working at your best. Starbucks creates a happy environment with the help of having happy employees. The Quality of work life is related to high job satisfaction it is known to have less â€Å"absenteeism and turnover† (Gomez-Mejia, 2012, p. 20). Employees feel satisfied in a job when a few different needs are met. There is the environment in which they work the other employees around them, and the benefits that come from the company that all help employees to want to feel as they are a part of the company and are appreciated. BenefitsStarbucks offers the usual benefits most company’s give out and then some. They have competitive pay, Insurances for Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and disabilities. Starbucks also offers the employees Bonuses, paid time off, and a retirement savings, which is very valuable because everyone is worried about getting older and to have a retirement plan, helps you look to the future with less worries. The list continues with equity in the form of Starbucks stock and discounted stock purchase plan, and employees like to be a part of the company they are working for especially if they do feel happy with the company.Another -not so much heard- benefit is the Adoption assistance which is an amazing gift for the families who are helping the homeless children in the world. Domestic partner benefits are also a large helper because then it helps secure families more. Emergency financial aid can take a stress off your back, and a referral and support resources for child and eldercare is another help with the stress reliever. On top of all the benefits, you even get a free pound of coffee each week (Huang, 2011). One method they use to have productivity enhancing techniques is they offer â€Å"Perks for Partners†.An example is that while on work breaks any tea, or coffees are free of charge. Being an employee and having free beverages on the break is a nice incentive, and would help enhance productivity because happy employees produce good work productivity (Starbucks. com, 2013). Performance Appraisal Policies The performance management system at the Starbucks revolves around each employee; it puts the individual as the focus where every person who is in direct interaction with him will evaluate him. All his peers, subordinates, supervisors and ev en externally interacting parties such as the customers, and suppliers belong in this group of people.This is related to the 360 degree concept where employees provide their own evaluation along with their evaluation by those surrounding them. At Starbucks each employee’s evaluation influences the employee’s future on whether he should be rewarded, promoted or even fired. But at the same time there is a controversy attached with the 360 degree evaluation system as it has a great tendency to be biased towards an individual, the evaluation can be easily manipulated with a simple understanding between the employees.But Starbucks believes in the goodness of the human beings it is believed that the employees will be honest and evaluate themselves and others with utmost integrity. The number of orders fulfilled by the employee in a given amount of time, the number of orders that had errors and were given back, employee’s behavior around customer and others, the feedba ck from customers this management system is an all-round technique. Personnel ; Human Resource Policies Overall Starbucks human resources have focused on overall wanting to be the most known brand there is in the coffee industry.They have Cultural Diversity by respecting the surrounding local cultures, and they utilize globalization principles at the same time. Starbucks has expanded so much since they first opened in 1971, in Seattle Washington’s Pike Place Market. Choosing this location for their first store was a tiny piece of the success, Pikes Place is already known to be famous because of Starbucks’ reputation. Starbucks used the help of another brand name to get their name out there. Since Starbucks is expanding its growth at all times, it is very important to keep in mind the diversity in order to globalize (Allison, 2012).Starbucks would have no success in growing if they did not properly accept the ways of local culture. Customers only keep coming back if you make them feel comfortable and that needs considering and taking all cultures into account at all times. Starbucks has a very important recruitment process when hiring new candidates and this is one of the most effective policies that the human resources put into action. The Development process helps them hire good employees so it is very important probably the most important to the company, and creates good customer service.They have great targeted training, certification programs and performance evaluations. The management team gets evaluated by the district managers annually. The baristas have regular evaluations every 6 months after they are hired and they have three outcomes to label these employees; needs improvement, meets expectations, exceeds expectations (Huang, 2011. ) Customers First Motto is very important, this helps keep customer loyalty and keeps the door open for new customers from good word of mouth. This is one of the most effective policies there is because with no customers there is no growth, no revenue and could demolish the brand name.Starbucks has a competitive advantage and offers the partners many things to keep them enthusiastic towards the Starbucks Company. One of the least effective policies would be the Starbucks rewards program for the customers; where you can get a free coffee for your birthday  (Huang, 2011). Even though the benefits from these rewards are small and only exciting for some customers, others just want to feel comfortable where they go or fast pace with good customer service. Starbucks tries to position itself higher than other companies with all the perks and benefits and how the whole company is run.Starbucks creates a good image of the company, and this image will only help them grow and continue to be a great company in the industry. HR Improvements If Starbucks could improve anywhere in their human resource policies, it would have to be in the training area and the performance evaluations they perform. T hese evaluations can help ensure the employees are staying positive and being an a part of the company. Too many evaluations would be a waste of money, but they should perform the Barista evaluations at every 3 months until an employee has been with them for one year.This would help Starbucks make sure they hire the proper employees and can weed through the ones who are not proper for the job. Also with Starbucks becoming so worldwide and opening stores in places such as United Kingdom and Russia they need to make sure people are properly trained in the cultures around them as to where the Starbucks is located. All the different states and countries Starbucks has offered special products to please the surrounding customers in their own geographic areas. In United Kingdom they added an extra shot of espresso to their 12 ounce drink (Allison, 2012).Human resource policies should be the same throughout the company no matter what continent they are on but they do need to make sure prope r training happens in each culture so that the company can keep expanding. Conclusion Starbucks overall has a great company that still to this day is growing and will continue to grow worldwide. The company has their human resources policies planned and organized in a very helpful and successful way. Starbucks understands the important aspects that make a company whole, and the needs of what to accomplish in order to have a growing successful Company.Starbucks strategy has proven year after year they are on the right track that a company should be on to generate revenues and a pleasant environment for the employees, employers and consumers. There are some issues with the employees in terms of wages, benefits and unions and Starbucks should keep the promises that has been given personally by the CEO, because it has been observed many times that happier employees means a better service and this results in happier customers. References Allison, M. (2013). Starbucks cranks up its own jo bs plan. The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://seattletimes. om/html/businesstechnology/2016665838_starbucks02. html Allison, Mellissa. (2012, August 13). Starbucks has Eye on Worldwide Growth. Seattle Times, C. 3 page1. Retrieved from  http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. fau. edu/docview /1033248131/13C590CCC0E3E2F274D/1? accountid=10902 Barbash, J. U. S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management. (n. d. ). Unions and rights in the space age  . Retrieved from website: http://www. dol. gov/oasam/programs/history/chapter6. htm Bratton, J. , ; Gold, J. (2007). Human resource managment: Theory and practice. (Fourth ed. ).New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Company Information. Starbucks web-site. Retrieved from  http://www. starbucks. com/about-us/company-information Effective Brands. (2008). Starbucks: Abuzz about local growth. Retrieved from http://www. effectivebrands. com/downloads/bulletin_starbucks . pdf Fellner, K. (2008). Wrestling With Starbucks. New Brunswick: Rutgers Press University. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. fau. edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/nlebk_243103_AN? [email  protected];vid=1;format=EB Gomez-Mejia, L. R. , Balkin, D. B. ; Cardy, R. L. (2012). Managing human resources. (7th ed. ). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Global actions target starbucks union-busters (2007). Industrial Worker. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. fau. edu/login? url=http://search. proquest. com/docview/195446184? accountid=10902 Huang, Connie. (2011, November 21). Starbucks: A Premium Blend of Human Resource Policies. Prezi. com. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://prezi. com/c8gqvfpfno6k/starbucks-a-premium-blend-of-human-resource-policies/ Not a creditable source James, A. (2009), Starbucks spars over union. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. starbucksunion. rg/news/starbucks-spars-over-union-seattle-pi? language=fr Kessler, S. (2012). Inside St arbucks's $35 Million Mission To Make Brand Evangelists Of Its Front-Line Workers. Fast Company. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. fastcompany. com/ 3002023/inside-starbuckss-35-million-mission-make-brand-evangelists-its-front-line-workers Larson, R. (2009). Marketing Strategy and Alliances Analysis of Starbucks Corporation. Liberty University. Retrieved April 14 2013 from: http://digitalcommons. liberty. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article =1005&context=busi_fac_pubs Life at Starbukcs (2103). Tuition Reimbursement.Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://lifeat. sbux. com/NR/rdonlyres/FB31ADAF-D465-468C-A81A-18C0AC290517/0/TuitionReimbursementPoliciesandProceduresPlanDescriptionAug12006. pdf Loeb, W. (2013). Starbucks: Global Coffee Giant Has New Growth Plans. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. forbes. com/sites/walterloeb/2013/01/31/starbucks-global-coffee-giant-has-new-growth-plans/ Maher-Adamy (2006) Do Hot Coffee And â€Å"Wobblies† Go Together? Th e Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 14 from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB114290666494303693-email. html Morrison, M. (2011). Starbucks Forges ‘Moments of Connection' By OfferingExperience. Retrieved April 14 2013 from  http://adage. com/article/special-report-marketer-alist/marketer-a-list-starbucks/230837/ National Coffee Association. (n. d. ). National Coffee Drinking Trends 2012. Retrieved April 14 2013 from: http://www. ncausa. org/i4a/pages/Index. cfm? pageID=731 Naydenov, D. (2013). Will the Economy and Employee Costs Put Pressure on Starbucks? The Motley Fool. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://beta. fool. com/didiooodotcom/2013/03/04/evaluating-potential-economic-and-employee-cost-pr/25586/ Obloja,  Elena. (2011, December 15). Starbucks HR policies and practices. scribd. com. Retrieved from  http://www. cribd. com/doc/75800799/Starbucks-HR-Policies-and-Practices. Not a creditable source Pendergrast, M. (2009). Coffee second only to oil? Is coffee really the second largest commodity? Mark Pendergrast investigates and finds some startling results. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. thefreelibrary. com/Coffee+second+only+to+oil%3F+Is+coffee+really +the+second+largest†¦ -a0198849799 Reese Jennifer. (1996, Decemeber 9). Starbucks, inside the coffee cult. Cnn. Money. com. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1996/12/09/219373/ Seaford, Bryan C. , Robert C. Culp, and Bradley W.Brooks. (2012) Starbucks: maintaining a clear position. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies; 2012, Vol. 18 Issue 3, p39 Simon, B. (2008). Consuming lattes and labor, or working at Starbucks. International Labor and Working Class History, 74(1), 193-211. Social Recruiting the Starbucks Way. (2010, March 23). Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://blog. sironaconsulting. com/sironasays/2010/03/social-recruiting-the-starbucks-way-. html Stanley, A. (2002). Starbucks Coffee Company. Starbucks Cof fee Company. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Retrieved from http://mba. tuck. dartmouth. edu/pdf/2002-1-0023. df Starbucks Career Advancement (2013). Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. starbucks. com/career-center/starbucks-career-advancement â€Å"Starbucks Corporation. † International Directory of Company Histories. Ed. Jay P. Pederson. Vol. 77. Detroit: St. James Press, 2006. Business Insights: Essentials. Retrieved from URL Here Starbucks Interview Questions (2008). Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. glassdoor. com/Interview/Starbucks-Interview-Questions-E2202. htm Starbucks Newsroom. (2011). Starbucks Announces New Leadership Structure to Accelerate Global Growth. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://news. starbucks. com/article_display. fm? article_ id=547 Static Brain. com. (2012, September 9). Starbucks Company Statistics. Retrieved April 14 2013from http://www. statisticbrain. com/starbucks-company-statistics/ Wertheimer, L. (2011). Starbucks CEO: Ca n You ‘Get Big And Stay Small'? NPR. Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. npr. org/templates/transcript/transcript. php? storyId=134738487 Why are starbucks workers joining a union? (n. d. ). Retrieved April 14 2013 from http://www. starbucksunion . org/about-starbucks-union/why-are-starbucks-workers-joining-union Appendix I. Job Description of a barista Barista (US) Location:  Boca Raton, FL (5250 Towne Center Circle)Location Details Starbucks 5250 Towne Center Circle Boca Raton,  FL  Ã‚  33486 P: 561-347-9710  »Ã‚  See all jobs at this location Job Description As a Starbucks Barista, you will create the Starbucks Experience for our customers by providing legendary customer service with prompt service, quality beverages and products, and maintaining a clean and comfortable store environment. You will be responsible for modeling and acting in accordance with Starbucks guiding principles and best of all, you’ll be part of a company that is consistently rated as a great place to work and the people here love what they do.Summary of Key Responsibilities Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following: * Acts with integrity, honesty and knowledge that promote the culture, values and mission of Starbucks. * Maintains a calm demeanor during periods of high volume or unusual events to keep store operating to standard and to set a positive example for the shift team. * Anticipates customer and store needs by constantly evaluating environment and customers for cues. * Communicates information to manager so that the team can respond as necessary to create the Third Place environment during each shift. Assists with new partner training by positively reinforcing successful performance and giving respectful and encouraging coaching as needed. * Contributes to positive team environment by recognizing alarms or changes in partner morale and performance and communicating them to the store manager. * Delivers l egendary customer service to all customers by acting with a customer comes first attitude and connecting with the customer. Discovers and responds to customer needs. * Follows Starbucks operational policies and procedures, including those for cash handling and safety and security, to ensure the safety of all partners during each shift.Maintains a clean and organized workspace so that partners can locate resources and product as needed. * Maintains regular and consistent attendance and punctuality. * Provides quality beverages, whole bean, and food products consistently for all customers by adhering to all recipe and presentation standards. Follows health, safety and sanitation guidelines for all products. * Recognizes and reinforces individual and team accomplishments by using existing organizational methods. Summary of Experience * No previous experience requiredRequired Knowledge, Skills & Abilities * Ability to learn quickly * Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions and request clarification when needed * Strong interpersonal skills * Ability to work as part of a team * Ability to build relationships Physical Requirements * Constant standing/walking * Occasional stooping, kneeling or crawling * Occasional pushing, pulling, lifting or carrying up to 40 lbs * Occasional ascending or descending ladders, stairs, ramps * Constant computer/POS Register and bar equipment usage Frequent, continual, intermittent flexing or rotation of the wrist(s) and spine * Constant reaching, turning, and performing precision work around bar area * Constant receiving detailed information through oral communication * Constant talking, expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word * Occasional Distinguishing, with a degree of accuracy, differences or similarities in intensity or quality of flavors and/or odors   * Constant clarity of vision at near and/or far distances Link to the page: https://wfa. ronostm. com/index. jsp? LOCATION_ID=289517 9514&locale=en_US&applicationName=StarbucksNonReqExt&SEQ=postingLocationDetails&POSTING_ID=667441924 II. Job Description of a Product Manager Description Job Summary & Mission This job contributes to Starbucks success by supporting the transformation of Starbucks food, a critical strategic initiative for our company and an area of tremendous change and opportunity. Role is a unique combination of category work + strategic support of high impact special projects.Description:  drives the successful rollout of our new La Boulange platform across the United States by ensuring the engagement of store Partners. Works with cross functional teams to create new engagement plans and protocols, design special events and otherwise ensure the sustained success of our food program within stores. Proactively identifies and resolves potential challenges, facilitates cross-functional communication, and manages the product performance against operating plans and budgets to achieve Starbucks financi al and business objectives. Models and acts in accordance with Starbucks guiding principles.Summary of Key Responsibilities Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following: Business Management: – Manages the product line business against operating plans and budgets. Tracks, analyzes and communicates product and program performance vs. expectations. Provides meaningful insight and recommends action plans to address variances in performance against annual plan. – Manages cross functional team to deliver integrated launch programs for products, including product direction, marketing plans and store operations and supply chain requirements.Communicates product direction to internal and external partners. – Develops and manages product line business plans. Creates and presents the business case for new programs to support growth strategies and profitability targets. Makes recommendations regarding product objectives and strat egy, positioning, pricing, packaging, and product lifecycle. May provide information and direction for planning, forecasting and managing inventories. – Supports qualitative and quantitative research to develop key findings and recommended actions (e. . develops proforma models and runs sensitivities). – Merges trends and other primary and secondary forms of research with fact based business insights to arrive at sound strategic recommendations. Uses data to tell a logical story. – Manages project teams and timelines to deliver products and programs. May work with cross-functional partners to ensure the best available costs, terms and quality. – Provides input into the strategic plan for product(s) they manage. Marketing & Promotions: Develops and manages multi-channel, integrated marketing plans for promotions, brand initiatives, or product. Creates and presents the business case for new programs to support growth strategies and profitability targets. Cr eates and/or provides input to recommendations regarding marketing plan objectives, strategy, messaging, marketing mix, and tactics. – Develops, manages, and tracks marketing budgets, timelines, and processes from kickoff to execution. Establishes and maintains processes to ensure effective and timely development and execution of programs within defined

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Forum 5 and providing with suggestions for their papers to your peers - Assignment Example The Capitol, who steered the game, thought that Katniss is a poor child just like the rest. The poverty of Katniss proves to be strength and a weakness to her. Due to lack of privilege, she learned various skills that were important in the arena. Some of the outright skills were gathering and hunting capabilities. She also commented on how to manage hunger compared to those that lived in luxurious suburbs. Based on the thesis statement, I would say that money do not give power, rather it gives the power idea. This is because the author has stated this fact in the entire book and offered the reader to think. Katniss started rebelling against the capitol when she said, â€Å"â€Å"`Trust me, ` I whisper. He holds my gaze for a long moment then lets me go. I loosen the top of the pouch and pour a few spoonful of berries into his palm. Then I fill my own. `On the count of three? `† (Collins,

The US media and the middleeast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The US media and the middleeast - Essay Example The period of enlightenment in Europe involved the ranking of society by evolutionary scale from civilization to barbarism, which contributed to a negativity surrounding the Middle East. The spread of colonization in the 19th century brought with it a further distinction of â€Å"others†, with the Middle East considered as such. A similar ideology evolved through the 20th century, with the US being increasingly involved in the Middle East expanse, and Israel in the post-1945 period. As Israel’s staunchest supporter, to preeminence in a region of competitive interests is difficult for Americans. The media took a leading role in redefining the political and cultural agenda of the US toward the region. This paper is a discussion of the United States media and the Middle East. Representation of the Middle East by the US Media Most media experts argue that the coverage of the Middle East by the US media is in the context of a primarily Western audience. Unless there is a red efinition of cultural discrepancies between the Middle East and the US, then a negative, stereotypical image will continue to be depicted in the media (Kamalipour 33). Diplomatic historians will approach the US foreign policy toward the region from a perspective privileging the interests of the US in the region. In this context, culture is left to play a subordinate role. News media can be viewed as the driving force behind both domestic and international political mobilization. Media creates a stereotypical representation of the region’s people and culture, slowly engendering a misunderstanding and intolerance in mainstream American culture (Kamalipour 34). This representation was exacerbated in the aftermath of 9/ 11 and the American invasion of Iraq. Media tends to construct the stereotypical Middle Easterner, rather than, illuminate the relationships between culture and the political process. Despite having contributed to the American economy for over two centuries, the n egative reputations preceding them, have delegated to second-rate citizens who cannot embrace the American dream and its secular nature. American media have picked up this and packaged it for American consumption. In this respect, the Middle East is represented within a binary oppositional framework where the region is classified as a tyrannical space (Kamalipour 34). Stuart Hall, who is a cultural critic, contends that these binary oppositions are crucial for the establishment of a difference for the facilitation of organizing perceptive systems. This classification system is further elaborated in order to maintain an oppositional relationship between the uncivilized and the uncivilized. Misrepresentation, in this context, then becomes an instrument for the advancement of political agenda. Throughout Western history, negative and stereotypical portrayals have been utilized to service imperial projects. Presently, there is evidence that the media tends to create a link between Weste rn ideologies in the Middle East and the domestic imagination. Representation is a phenomenon when dealing with differences in culture. In this context, it engages reactions, emotions and attitudes while seeking to influence the viewer’s opinion and questions. It also promotes the synthesis of a set of cultural values that respond to the viewer’s anxieties (Kamalipour 35). In this context, a Middle Easterner is defined

Interview Experience and Making Presentations Research Paper

Interview Experience and Making Presentations - Research Paper Example The process of doing a job interview is regarded as one of the most critical processes in job search. People engage in interviews with ultimate caution, and this translates into a nervous breakdown at times. Interview processes are also done for other issues but job interviews top the list in my most memorable engagements. My first encounter with such a practice was successful due to certain aspects. I went for the job interview with high hopes but I was also extremely cautious not to end up unsuccessful. My application targeted the post of a data entry clerk in a research firm. It was my first part-time job search, and it was extremely significant to me. Basically, the interview embodied a strategic conversation that stemmed out of purpose. My goals included proving to the prospective employer that I certainly had the skills, background, and the relevant ability required for the job. These qualities help an individual in assuring the employer that she/he can fully fit into the compa ny and its core culture (Allen, 2011). My experience was quite challenging, but the results were impressive since I was accepted into the company. I answered the questions comfortably and portrayed other personality attributes that were instrumental. Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills were evident, as well as confidence and enthusiasm among others. The interview was successful due to the fact that I was able to answer the questions in the best way. This can be attributed to the issue of merit, but it was also influenced by extensive research about the company. I carried out some research about the company prior to the interview; thus, I had relevant knowledge on the interviewer’s expectations. I may comfortably state that this was the biggest reason as to why I got employed. However, it is pertinent to note that other issues also contributed towards the achievement. This can be exemplified by my ability to volunteer crucial personal information about my strength s and weaknesses also enhanced my quest. B. Describe an interview you have had (or know about) that did not go well. Speculate as to what went wrong. Explain how the interview could have been successful. My second experience was also a job interview and it characterized most aspects that relate to such practices. In this case, I was also targeting a part time job in a manufacturing company during the holidays. I was confident that I would be successful since I had already participated in a similar exercise in the past. The professional part of the conversation was evident, and I managed to convince the interviewer that I had great interest in a supervisor’s job. I proved to the interviewer that I was the right person for the job through my intense knowledge of the company. This knowledge resulted from research about the company and general knowledge obtained from previous stints in school. My dress code depicted the image of a successful and ambitious person, and it unequivoc ally propelled my chances to greater heights. I answered the questions in the best way possible and maintained my composure throughout the interview. However, there are aspects that I failed to consider during the interview, and they specifically led to complications and disqualification in the long run. There was no doubt that I did merit for the job, but these smaller aspects that I failed to observe changed the entire scene. Apparently, a successful interviewee should not mention the weaknesses of his/her previous employer (Donald, 2002). After my first part time job I had problems with my former employer concerning salary issues. During my second interview, I raised these issues hoping that my prospective employer would consider my

I can't believe that this was once a syllabus Essay

I can't believe that this was once a syllabus - Essay Example This system was firmly rooted on the belief that, for a successful learning and teaching to be aptly upheld, scientific study methods must be put into consideration. Through the application of these scientific methods by Tyler on students in various primary, college and tertiary levels, he singled out the critical evaluation of these students’ behaviours. The principles of the curriculum and instruction was later portrayed as the most appropriate and effective way of educational achievement and failure within students. This was brought into existence by this great qualitative and quantitative researcher after as well into appraisals and records of the students’ performance. This research paper explains the basic principles of curriculum and instruction by Ralph W. Tyler. It also illustrates the new knowledge, validity of his research as well as the application of the recommendations of this syllabus in the contemporary American social settings. The settings are in relat ion to the macro-society based on the educational institutions new knowledge in regard to Ralph syllabus. The new knowledge in the contemporary world, while considering Tyler’s principles and instructions provides a valid evidenced based research by students. It as well enhances effectiveness regarding the progress of students towards educational objectives appropriately and in a well organised manner. The American history of curriculum though started from a primitive syllabus has over the years developed into a more complex one. The curriculum in the contemporary America has developed various considerations into the education system where all the students express their views in terms of what they feel is good for them career wise. This is one of the education techniques Tyler advocates for in his principles of curriculum and instructions. He believes every student is entitled to the profession of his/her choice, therefore, argues that the selection of an evaluation technique should be made in relation to the suitability and not inappropriateness of the technique or the kind of behaviour in the appraisal system. The learning techniques major determinant in the new knowledge generation in the United States is majorly students’ behaviour and attitude towards a subject or even the entire system of education. This was the initial belief of Tyler while putting down his research work on the basic principles of curriculum and instructions for the primary, secondary and tertiary education systems in the United States. In the contemporary American society, the education system is objective based. This is where the students are given freedom by the curriculum based on the selection of their subjects’ career wise. This is one of the greatest milestones covered towards the implementations of Ralph’s curriculum and instructions in the American education system. The new knowledge in America, in continuation, is of the following basic principles b rought into existence by Ralph: the principle of establishment of a useful learning experience and the principle of defining effective and appropriate learning objectives. The other principle includes the evaluation of the curriculum and revising the aspects of the syllabus that have not been effective throughout the whole academic year. Lastly the principle of the organisation of the learning skills to be in line with at least a maximum cumulative effectiveness is among

The Brutal Realities of War Expressed in Poetry Essay Example for Free

The Brutal Realities of War Expressed in Poetry Essay The poet’s confronts a very poetic perception of life and death by which he incorporated a very distinct mood in his poetry. He particularly engrosses himself to make a point of comparison between the life of those free animals and the soldiers. The speaker is English soldier, perhaps Isaac Rosenberg himself. The poetry has a touch of humor from the speaker’s observation towards the rat and the poppy in the first half of the poem. A rat in the trenches has caught the poet’s eye. He was amused with the fact that this animal is equally at home and comfortable to leap in both German and British trenches. ‘Now you have touched this English hand/ You will do the same to a German’ (Line 9-10) that says that the rat can freely pass between the English and German lines and is more likely to survive than those strong soldiers. In war, the soldiers’ life is of little value compared to the insects and animals roaming around. The speaker assumed that the rat as it passes both the German and English trenches wonders of what is happening to human beings specially of those soldiers who have ‘Strong eyes, fine limbs†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and those ‘haughty athletes,’ (Line 14). The Rear-Guard by Siegfried Sassoon The Rear Guard gives a realistic approach of the experience of being in war through a soldier’s perspective. The poem is a piece of description that concentrates towards the horror of war. It aims to give information regarding the realities of war from a soldier who descends from Hell. The poet in this masterpiece uses figurative language to convey war’s horror, complexities and confusion. In the fourth and fifth line ‘Tins, boxes, bottles, shapes to vague to know/ A mirror smashed, the mattress from a bed’, the writer provides many figurative objects to illustrate the busy and confused nature of war. The following lines illustrate the painful agony of the soldiers. The ‘Unloading hell behind him step by step’, mentioned in the last line says that on earth through war there is also hell, that even after war the ending point is still hell in eternity. Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen The narrator of this poem is a soldier found himself in hell. Throughout the poetry, he is conversing with another soldier who distinguished himself as the narrator’s enemy, ‘I am the enemy you killed, my friend. / I knew you in this dark: for you frowned/ Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed’ (Line 36-39). The narrator refers to the other soldier as a ‘Strange friend†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Line 14) which means both were from opposing parties and therefore were strangers to each other. But in hell, they were able to call themselves friends by which they can freely reveal their emotions and thoughts without fear. What common theme is present in all three of these poems and what common message do the poems convey? War is often associated with the physical imagery of violence and political conflict. History itself says that the intentions of war trail into the purpose of acquiring a greater power in terms of position, territory, resources, rights and rewards. Conflict of interest in any form if it will not be settled diplomatically may result to violence and hostility. There is always a participation of military and soldiers to show and define who the stronger party is. Soldiers as land forces play an important role in providing honor and success in one political party. Soldiers with their capability, bravery, sense of commitment and the things they carry defines a group’s strength. Since there is always an involvement of armed conflict between military forces, non participant of warfare which means those who are not engage in the actual combat simply perceive war as brutal and fierce, a battle of life and death that ends either in victory or lost. When the war ends, they perceive that everything is over. However for those who experience it, there is a greater battle that not everybody understands. To truly define war, it is significant to acquire the perspective of those who are mostly affected and those who are mostly involve. The three poems apparently illustrate the brutal realities of war especially for those participants. The writers of the poems were literally participants of war or combat. They show war ugly truths which are often in contrast to the ideas of glory, courage and heroism associated with war. War is ambiguous and illogical because it forces human beings into extreme situations that give no choice in the process. Both the narrator of the â€Å"Strange Meeting† and â€Å"The Rear-Guard† poetry found themselves in Hell which suggests that war not only destroys physical life and property nor ruin the psychological aspects of those participants, but war steals one’s opportunity to possibly experience eternal life in heaven. The fact that both narrators indulge Hell in their poetry demonstrates their belief in religion. In war, there is always a distorted line about religious concept of humanity and duty. The concept of right and wrong, guilt and emotions does not matter in the middle of combat because what matters most is personal survival. The brutalities of war are not so much about the glory and victory of the political party the soldiers’ represent but it is more on personal survival. How does the text of each manifest that message and what significance does this message hold about war in general? The three poetry used powerful language and figures of speech to make a point of comparison. For example, the used of Hell as the main setting of the poem ‘Strange Meeting’ and ‘The Rear-Guard’ suggest that war is man’s product of wickedness. ‘Break of Day in the Trenches’ on the other hand used animals as a powerful imagery to illustrate that man’s life in the middle of combat is of little value compared to any other living animals or insects that enjoy freedom. War in this poetry suggests that those participants in combat have no choice but to fight for their survival. They are prison literally. The poets also used powerful language to evoke the reader’s emotions. The used of ambiguity, irony, wits and symbolism leave the poems the possibility of multiple interpretation. The emotions however are almost common which makes the poems more realistic. In these poems, it can be realized that to really know the real concept of war, one must relate and accumulate the truths from experience of those soldiers. They are the one who can completely and truly define the irrationality and irony of war. Reference: Rosenberg, Isaac (1916). Break of Day in the Trenches. Harrison and Stuart Clark (Ed. ) Peace and War (p. 102). Berlin. (Reprinted from New York, 1989, Oxford University Press) Sasoon, Siegfried (1918). The Rear Guard. Parini (Ed. ). The Wadsworth Anthology of Poetry (p. 1126). Canada. (Reprinted from Canada, 2005, Thomson Wadsworth). Owen, Wilfred (1920). Strange Meeting. Parini (Ed. ). The Wadsworth Anthology of Poetry (p. 776). Canada. (Reprinted from Canada, 2005, Thomson Wadsworth).

Management of Childhood Psoriasis with Acitretin

Management of Childhood Psoriasis with Acitretin Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin which can occur at any age-group. Psoriasis in childhood is not uncommon and has genetic susceptibility but usually an environmental trigger such as infection is thought to initiate the disease process. Childhood psoriasis has profound effects on both physical and psychosocial health of the patient. Treatment of mild psoriasis can be done with topical therapies but those which do not respond to topical therapies can be treated with phototherapy and systemic therapies. The use of systemic therapies in childhood is mainly based on the published data, case series, expert opinion and the experience as there is lack of controlled trials in the age group. Based on the experience retinoid are probably the second line drugs for the treatment of childhood psoriasis which do not respond to topical therapies and phototherapy. Using acitretin in a low dose and with proper physical examinations and laboratory investigations will reduce the h azard of potential serious adverse events. This article gives the review of use of acitretin in the childhood psoriasis. INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is the chronic inflammatory disease of the skin having the world wide prevalence of 1-3% and is clinically characterized by erythematous papules and plaques covered with silvery scales(1, 2). Psoriasis can occur at any age. Psoriasis in pediatric population is not uncommon and exerts a major impact on physical and psycho-social health of a child. In about one-third of the psoriatic population, the onset of disease is seen during the pediatric age(3). In a study of 419 patients from Northern India, the age of onset of psoriasis ranged from 4 days to 14 years(4). The presence of positive family history was found to be 23% and 34.3% in two different studies(5, 6). Pediatric psoriasis has the genetic susceptibility but the environmental factors often trigger the initiation of the disease process. The most common triggering factors include respiratory infection, sore throat, stress and trauma. There are different variants of psoriasis in children like plaque, guttate, napkin, er ythrodermic, pustular and nail psoriasis(2). Plaque psoriasis is the most common subtype and the pustular psoriasis is the least common subtype(7). Psoriasis in childhood and adolescence require proper management. Both the patient and the parents must be given the knowledge about the disease and its nature. Psoriasis in childhood affects the health-related quality of life. It is found that, the risk of mental illness like depression and anxiety is increased in children with psoriasis than those without psoriasis(8). Due to the presence of visible skin lesions the children with psoriasis suffer from the low self-esteem(9). Fortunately, childhood psoriasis is usually mild and can be treated with topical therapies. Systemic treatment is required only if the disease do-not respond to topical therapies, phototherapy and if the disease is significantly impairing the psychosocial aspect of the child health. Systemic therapies for psoriasis in children are not approved by FDA. Due to the lack of controlled trials use of systemic therapies are based on case reports, published data and expert opinion. On the basis of published data and experience retinoids appear to be the second-line drug of choice for children(10). ACITRETIN: Retinoids encompasses all the compounds either natural or synthetic, which possess the biological activity like vitamin A(11). Synthetic Retinoids are classified into three generations. Acitretin and etretinate are the second generation synthetic retinoids and are also known as aromatic retinoids(12, 13). Acitretin is the free and active metabolite of etretinate. Etretinate is strongly lipophilic and tends to accumulate more in the adipose tissue and thus has a longer elimination half-life, in contrast acitretin is less lipophilic and thus clears rapidly from the body and has the shorter elimination half-life(14).Intake with food increases the absorption of acitretin so, the bioavailability of acitretin is more when taken with food than on the empty stomach(15). Due to the longer elimination half-life of etretinate it has been largely replaced by acitretin. However, it is found that re-esterification of acitretin to etretinate can take place with the concomitant intake of alcohol. So , the female patient especially of childbearing age should be strictly instructed to not take alcohol during the period of treatment with and 2 months after the completion of treatment (16). USE IN PEDIATRIC PSORIASIS: Pediatric psoriasis is usually mild and topical therapies are the first choice of treatment. Systemic therapy is not the first choice in childhood psoriasis. It is used in the treatment of recalcitrant psoriasis which do not respond to topical therapy, phototherapy and if it is significantly impairing the psychosocial aspects of the child health. Due to the lack of controlled trials, the use of acitretin is based on the published data, case reports and the expert opinion. However, the significant risk benefit of the treatment should always be weighed with the risk of disease without treatment. Long term use of acitretin in children with inherited disorder of keratinization supports the safety of acitretin in children, but the monitoring is always required(17). Acitretin is used effectively in the treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis, palmoplantar psoriasis and severe recalcitrant plaque psoriasis but acitretin is not effective in psoriatic arthropathy( 12, 18). Acitretin is used as either monotherapy or in combination with topical agents and narrowband ultraviolet phototherapy. In a multicenter cohort study by Ergun et al. 61 patients among 289 patients were treated with acitretin at a dose of 0.3-0.5 mg/kg/day with the mean duration of treatment being 9.16+-9.06 months. 47.5% of the patient achieved at least PASI- 75 response. 70.7% of the patient well tolerated the treatment with no side effects. 25.9% experienced the mucocutaneous side-effects, 1.7% had hyperlipidemia and 1.7% had nausea(19). In a multicenter retrospective analysis by Lernia et al. including 18 children with plaque psoriasis ,8(44.4%) patient achieved a PASI-response 75 at 16 weeks. The starting dose of acitretin was 0.2-0.5mg/kg/day but the dose was increased to 0.6mg/kg/day in two patients after 8 weeks. Three out of eight patients achieving PASI-75 response stopped therapy for the interval of 2-6 months but had to restart the treatment after relapse and the treatment was effective even after re-introduction. 9 patient discontinued treatment due to lack of efficacy and 1 patient discontinued treatment due to arthralgia. All patients had the mucocutaneous side-effects like chelitis, dry lips, dry mouth and pruritus. The laboratory values of the patients were within the baseline during the treatment(20). Ergin et al. reported a case of infantile pustular psoriasis treated with acitretin with the initial dose of 0.5mg/kg/day which was later increased to 0.7mg/kg/day. The skin lesion was cleared in the end of 4 months and then the acitretin was tapered to 0.3mg/kg/day for three months and then discontinued. Oral prednisolone was used initially then it was tapered and discontinued. Slight increase in serum triglyceride was observed but it returned to normal after the dose was tapered. No other adverse events were observed(21). Salleras et al. reported a case of 4-year-old girl with congenital erythrodermic psoriasis treated with acitretin at a dose of 0.5mg/kg/day and the complete remission achieved in three months. The discontinuation of the drug led to relapse so the patient was maintained in 0.5-0.75mg/kg/day of acitretin during the aggravation of the disease. The patient was followed till 7 years of age and no other secondary effects were observed(22). A case of annular pustular psoriasis in a 14-month old girl reported by Haug et al. was treated with acitretin in the dose of 0.9mg/kg/day and the patient achieved complete remission after 4 months. The dose of acitretin was reduced and tapered at 0.1mg/kg/day and discontinued after 10 months with no relapse in the following three years. The patient experienced mild side effects like chelitis, reversible hypercholesterinemia and elevation of alkaline phosphatase(23). Acitretin is aa excellent option in a child with palmo-plantar psoriasis. A 14-year-old boy with palmo-plantar psoriasis treated with acitretin at a dose of 10mg/day had a good response with improvement within 6 weeks. At 3-month follow-up the patient had almost lesion free. The patient had experienced adverse events like mild chelitis and xerosis but the laboratory values remain unchanged. Later the patient was maintained on acitretin 10mg every other day together with the topical combination of 15% liquor carbonis detergens compounded in triamcinolone 0.1% ointment applied every night(24). Combination with other therapies: Acitretin has been used in combination with NB-UVB phototherapy, methotrexate and cyclosporine A(24, 25). The effect of acitretin together with NB-UVB is found to be synergistic. A case of 3.5-year-old boy with severe pustular psoriasis (von Zumbusch type) reported by kopp et al. was started on acitretin 1mg/kg/day with the short-term use of systemic methylprednisolone for controlling the acute stage. However, any attempt to reduce or discontinue the steroid led to exacerbation of the disease. Then the patient was given NB-UVB phototherapy three times per week. Later, after five exposures the corticosteroid was tapered and discontinued. The patient was then maintained on NB-UVB phototherapy two times weekly together with acitretin 0.3mg/kg/day. Disease was well controlled with this combination regimen. The laboratory values remained unchanged during the acitretin treatment(26). A 9-year-old boy with generalized pustular psoriasis was treated with acitretin 10mg/day and was maintained at 10mg three times week for a year. Later he developed skin pain and localized area of pustules which led to increase in the dose of acitretin 20mg/day during the flare but later tapered to 10mg/day for the next year. But the patient eventually required the addition of NB-UVB phototherapy to maintain the remission. The patient is well maintained by this combination(24). Adverse events of acitretin: Acitretin in known to exert a number of adverse events. Most of the adverse events are dose dependent and reverse back to normal after decreasing the dose or after discontinuation of therapy. However, it is usual to have the minor side-effects on the long term treatment with acitretin. The most common adverse events of acitretin is the muco-cutaneous adverse events. Dry lips being the most common one and be treated with the use of emollients. Others include dry dry mouth, cheilitis, stomatitis and gingivitis and taste disturbances. Acitretin causes dryness with inflammation of mucous membrane and transitional epithelia which occasionally leads to epistaxis, rhinitis, photophobia, conjunctivitis and xeropthalmia. Alopecia, nail-fragility and paronychia have also been observed(27). Rarely patients may have the photosensitivity reactions. Retinoid dermatitis which resembles unstable psoriasis can develop 25% of the patients receiving high dose of acitretin therapy(28). Muco cutaneous side effects can be treated symptomatically, and if severe effects occur the dose reduction can be tried before the discontinuation of the drug. Acitretin causes transient elevation of liver enzymes. The elevation is dose dependent and usually reverse back to normal after reducing the dose or after discontinuation of the therapy. Severe hepatotoxic reactions resulting from retinoids are rare. In a data of 1877 patients receiving oral acitretin only 0.26% of the patients showed overt chemical hepatitis(29). However, the hepato-toxic reactions in children are rare because the cofactors like diabetes, alcoholism, and obesity are less likely in children(12). Acitretin also exerts the effects on lipid profile which is reverse back to normal within 8 weeks after the discontinuation of the drug(30). Retinoids are seen to cause the elevation of triglyceride and cholesterol and decrease in the high density lipoprotein. In a study it is seen that 35% of the patients had the elevation in serum triglyceride above 300mg/dl and about 15% of the patients had the elevation of cholesterol level(31). The decrease in the high density lipoprotein is also observed(29). Retinoids have been known to cause the skeletal abnormalities especially in children. The long term treatment with etretinate is also associated with the extraspinal tendon and the calcification of ligament. However, the study including 19 children and young adults, treated with etretinate for continuous 5 years do not show any skeletal abnormality(32). No cases of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis was seen in a retrospective study on long term use of acitretin in a low dose(33). No significant radiologic abnormalities associated with retinoids was detected in a patient of severe pustular psoriasis treated with low dose of acitretin for 9 years(34). It is usually not recommended to use oral retinoids for the treatment of psoriasis in children due to the report of occasional bone changes like premature epiphyseal closure, skeletal hyperostosis and extra-osseous calcification observed in the children on the long term treatment with etretinate(35, 36). If acitretin is to be used in a child, the child should be observed carefully for any abnormalities of growth and bone development. Routine radiography is not recommended because of the radiation hazards, but the atypical musculoskeletal pain must be investigated with x-rays. Growth chart of the child on acitretin should be maintained (27). Arthralgia, arthritis, myalgia may also occur during the treatment with acitretin. A few case of vasculitis, Wegener granulomatosis and erythema nodosum are also observed. Retinoids are teratogenic drugs. The defect due to retinoids is termed as retinoic acid embryopathy. The malformations seen in the fetus include microtia/anotia, micrognathia, cleft-palate, conotruncal heart disease and aortic arch abnormalities, thymic defects, retinal or optic nerve abnormalities and central nervous system malformations(37). Even though only one report of human teratogenicity due to acitretin has been published(27), acitretin should be cautiously used as acitretin is converted to etretinate which has a longer elimination half-life. The female patient of child-bearing should strictly be instructed for the use of two effective contraceptive method stating 1-month prior of treatment, during the period of treatment and 3 years after the discontinuation of treatment(38). However, the risk of teratogenicity by use of acitretin in children is less because of the least chance of a child to get pregnant. The concomitant use of retinoid with tetracycline and minocycline has led to pseudo-tumour cerebri(29). Pseudo-tumor cerebri was reported in a case of 14-year-old boy treated with isotretinoin and tetracycline(39). Retinoids also causes blurring of vision, headache and reduced night vision. Patient with severe headache, vomiting and visual disturbances should stop acitretin immediately and consult the doctor(27). The concomitant use of vitamin A with acitretin must be restricted. MONITORING GUDELINES: Before starting the treatment with acitretin, proper history taking and careful physical examination should be performed. Laboratory investigations including complete blood count, lipid profile, liver enzymes and blood sugar in diabetics should be done. Monitoring of the liver enzymes and fasting serum cholesterol and triglyceride must be done every 2-4 weeks of therapy for the first two months and then every three months(27). Children on acitretin therapy must have their growth charted. Female of child bearing age and their parents should be counselled about the teratogenic effect of the drug and use of contraception during and after the treatment. The pregnancy should be ruled out before the initiation of acitretin therapy with two negative pregnancy tests. CONCLUSION: Acitretin is a non-immunosuppressive drug that can be effective in the treatment of childhood psoriasis. It is seen that acitretin is more effective in pustular and erythrodermic psoriasis and moderately effective in the plaque type psoriasis in children. Acitretin is used both as monotherapy and as combination therapy. As the use of acitretin in children lack sufficient data and evidence, its use in children should always be weighed with risk benefit of treatment and risk if the disease is left untreated. The side effects are mostly dose dependent so it can be minimized by using the lowest possible dose. The dose of 0.5-1mg/kg/day was seen to be effective. It should be used cautiously in the female patient. Long term treatment with acitretin require proper clinical and laboratory evaluation. REFERENCES 1.Griffiths CE, Barker JN. Pathogenesis and clinical features of psoriasis. Lancet (London, England). 2007;370(9583):263-71. 2.Al-Mutairi N. Childhood Psoriasis: Springer International Publishing; 2016. 3.Raychaudhuri SP, Gross J. A comparative study of pediatric onset psoriasis with adult onset psoriasis. Pediatric Dermatology. 2000;17(3):174. 4.Kumar B, Jain R, Sandhu K, Kaur I, Handa S. Epidemiology of childhood psoriasis: a study of 419 patients from northern India. Digest of the World Core Medical Journals. 2004;43(9):654-8. 5.Seyhan M, CoÃ…Å ¸kun BK, SaÄÅ ¸lam H, Ozcan H, KarincaoÄÅ ¸lu Y. Psoriasis in childhood and adolescence: evaluation of demographic and clinical features. Pediatrics International Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society. 2006;48(6):525-30. 6.Fan X, Xiao FL, Yang S, Liu JB, Yan KL, Liang YH, et al. Childhood psoriasis: a study of 277 patients from China. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology Venereology. 2007;21(6):762. 7.de Moll EH, Chang MW, Strober B. Psoriasis in adults and children: Kids are not just little people. Clinics in Dermatology. 2016;34(6):717. 8.Kimball AB, Wu EQ, Guerin A, Yu AP, Tsaneva M, Gupta SR, et al. Risks of developing psychiatric disorders in pediatric patients with psoriasis. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2012;67(4):651-7.e1-2. 9.Fox FE, Rumsey N, Morris M. 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