Human Resources Training :: Human Resources Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bottom line for any company is how efficient the workforce is at producing a quality product. Any company which desires to stay ahead of its competition will engage in training and team building efforts for their employees. However, is it really effective? What if the employees do not perceive the training in a positive manner? In their case study, Employee perceptions and their influence on training effectiveness, Amalia Santos and Mark Stuart examine these questions and more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic research question at hand was: Overall, what are the employee’s attitudes and perceptions toward the training they were being asked to obtain? Secondly, are the workers able to take the training which they have received and utilize that knowledge in the workplace?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Santos and Stuart state that most of the human resource literature seems to point at the fact that training is the most significant factor in obtaining behavioral and cultural change. They cite Keep, E. (1989). 'Corporate training: the vital component?' in New Perspectives on Human Resource Management as showing that training was able to bring about a deeper commitment by workers toward a project as well as bring out certain talents or abilities that may not have been utilized or noticed before(Santos, Stuart, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The researcher’s; hypothesis was that the evaluation methods would make a difference in matching the type of training to the employee’s needs and that when this was done the employee’s attitude toward the training would be a positive one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of the research participants were employees who worked in the core financial services business. Upper management were included as well as those in the branches, on the line, and the head office. Names were selected randomly from a computer’s system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the larger variables in this case study was the motivation of the employee himself. One of the larger complaints that Santos and Stuart point out, is that companies are spending large amounts of money on training but have no way to determine whether a certain type of training is being effective or not. The dependent variables were those employees whose interest level was known to be high. These people wanted the training and were highly motivated to attend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This case study took place in 1999 for the span of four months in a financial services organization called FinanceCo(Santos, Stuart, 2003). This company had a good reputation for implementing good people management processes and they had the reputation for being quite invested in the idea of ongoing and regular training for all of their employees.

John Steinbeck Essay

John Steinbeck is simply one of America’s finest storytellers. He is an accomplished author and a Nobel Laureate in Literature. However, his road to success was not easy. His earlier novels failed to attract attention, and it took many years before he got the recognition he deserved. Like most writers, his experiences and his hometown were crucial in the creation of his stories. Thus, Steinbeck’s works were greatly influenced by his life and the environment in which he lived. John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California (National Steinbeck Center [NSC], n. d. ). His parents were John Steinbeck, Sr., and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck. His father was a County Treasurer and his mother was a school teacher (NSC, n. d. ). It was his mother who was responsible for his love of reading and writing (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). His favorite books included Le Morte d’ Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Paradise Lost by John Milton (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). He usually spent his summer vacations working on ranches and farms (NSC, n. d. ). It is from this experience where he derived his knowledge of the countryside and its people, which he later used in his stories (NSC, n.d. ). Steinbeck graduated from Salinas High School in 1919 (NSC, n. d. ), and proceeded to study marine biology in Stanford University (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). To pay for his education, he took many jobs, which led him to miss several quarters of school (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). He was already a writer in college, with several poems and short stories included in university publications as proof (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1925, Steinbeck left Stanford University and proceeded to New York to start his writing career (NSC, n. d. ). He began his writing career in New York as a reporter for American (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). Despite this brief writing stint, Steinbeck was still unsuccessful in terms of fiction. He failed to publish any of his written works, forcing him to return to California (NSC, n. d. ). He was still a writer, but he also had other jobs as well. His jobs included fruit picking, painting, surveying, being an estate caretaker and a house watchman (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1929, Cup of Gold was written when Steinbeck was a house watchman (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). It failed to return the publisher’s investment (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). His next two novels, The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown, were also unsuccessful (NSC, n. d. ). In 1930, Steinbeck married his first wife Carol Henning. The 30s also marked an improvement in his writing career, as his first literary success Tortilla Flat was published in 1935 (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). Tortilla Flat was later adapted into a movie. Steinbeck’s success continued, with the release Of Mice and Men in 1937, and The Grapes of Wrath in 1939. Soon after, he won a Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath. During the Second World War, he went back to his journalistic roots, as a correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune (NSC, n. d. ). In 1942, Steinbeck’s relationship with Henning ended (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). He then married Gwyndolyn Conger, but the marriage did not last (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1950, he married again, this time to Elaine Scott (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). It was also in the 50s when he published another great book of his, East of Eden in 1952 (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). In 1962, Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature (NSC, n. d. ). Four years after, he passed away, in the 20th of December (NSC, n.d. ). Steinbeck’s literary pieces are filled with references to his own life. The most prominent reference was the setting. Most of his stories, if not all, feature his hometown of Salinas. This is only proof that his hometown was very significant for him, that he refused to exclude it in his works. The Pastures of Heaven is a great example. There is a valley in California, which is located between Salinas and Monterey (Paik, 2006). The name of the valley is Corral de Tierra, but Steinbeck referred to this valley as â€Å"pastures of heaven,† hence the title of his book (Paik, 2006). Moreover, it was also found that since The Pastures of Heaven consists of short stories, Steinbeck’s intention to unify them may bear a similarity to Milton’s Paradise Lost (Meyer, 2007). This is no surprise, since it was one of his favorite books. Tortilla Flat is another Steinbeck novel which referenced his hometown. Tortilla Flat is another town in California, near Monterey. The theme of the story was based on King Arthur and the Round Table (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). Steinbeck might have derived this idea from another favorite book of his, Le Morte d’ Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. In addition, he included the plight of farmers within the story (Pollock, 2006), the inspiration of which was probably taken from his summers as a farmhand. The Log from the Sea of Cortez is another Steinbeck text that, despite having no connection with California, was still a result of his life experiences. When Steinbeck was married to Carol, they lived in Pacific Grove (NSC, n. d. ). It was in Pacific Grove were he met Edward Ricketts, a marine biologist (â€Å"John Steinbeck,† 2003). They quickly became friends, probably because they shared the same interest in biology, which Steinbeck took in college. In 1940, Ricketts and Steinbeck boarded The Western Flyer, a fishing boat they hired for the expedition (Weiss, 1999). Both men explored the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez (Weiss, 1999). Steinbeck published the book Sea of Cortez, which was re-released as The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Weiss, 1999). Steinbeck’s maturity as a writer is difficult to trace, simply because he started out as a journalist and later became a fiction writer. News writing and fiction writing are two different fields, both of which are essential parts of Steinbeck’s career. Nonetheless, regardless of genre, Steinbeck’s talent is undeniable. Only he could write with a balance of â€Å"realistic naturalism† and â€Å"moral optimism† within his stories (Phillips, 2006). Consequently, Steinbeck’s writing strength lies on his social commentary, the focus of which was the economic struggles of laborers in the rural areas (Nobel Foundation 1962). His love for the California landscape is also another Steinbeck trademark, which is not always compatible with his straightforward sociological kind of writing (Nobel Foundation, 1962). Despite this, John Steinbeck remains a remarkable author whose legacy will stay for generations. He was one of the many who created literary masterpieces that was extremely influenced by his own life and the surroundings in which he lived. References John Steinbeck (1902-1968). Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. kirjasto. sci. fi/johnstei. htm Meyer, M. J. (2007). The Pastures of Heaven. The Literary Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. litencyc. com/php/sworks. php? rec=true&UID=7353 National Steinbeck Center (n. d. ). Biography. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. steinbeck. org/Bio. html Nobel Foundation (1962). Biography. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio. html Paik, F. (2006). Pastures of heaven. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. forbes. com/2001/11/09/1109how. html Phillips, B. (2006). SparkNote on East of Eden. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/eastofeden/context. html Pollock, F. J. (2006). SparkNote on Tortilla Flat. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/tortillaflat/context. html Weiss, D. (1999). The log of the sea of Cortez. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www. ecotopia. org/about/cortez. html.

The Human Condition

The human condition is the experiences in life which makes us who we are. Aspects of the human condition are conveyed to the audience through Les Murray's, The Widower in the Country, Anna Maria Dell'oso's Homeland, and the 2002 film directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days later. Such ideas include loneliness and isolation and how we respond to the subsequences encompasses all the experience of being human. Isolation plays a profound effect on humans, and our capacity to cope with this notion is what makes us mortal entities. In les Murray's The Widower in the Country the poem discusses the mundane life of a man suffering from the death of his wife. The choice setting of the poem-the countryside-clearly reflects the widower's isolation; the vastness and emptiness of the setting conveys to the responder the experience of the man himself. Furthermore, Polysyndeton with the listing of his normal everyday routine such as â€Å"I'll get up soon,† â€Å"I'll stand out on a hill† represents the mundane circumstance and how the protagonist cannot escape from his monotonous life due to the isolation resulting from his heavy loss. Along with first person narration, the repetition of his everyday normal activities also causes cumulative effects highlighting the widower's loneliness and need for companionship. The use of irony in â€Å"Christmas paddocks† also shows the Widower's situation. Christmas is a time for unity and celebration while the persona is alone emphasizing the fact that one joy in life has been lost. In addition, the personified words, in the lines â€Å"paddocks ACHING in the heat†, â€Å"the windless trees†, â€Å"visions smeared†, â€Å"the screaming of claws† acts as metaphors of the widower himself describing his situation. Thus we can see solitude has caused change and how we react to this is what makes us human. Change emanating from isolation is a human condition defining who we are. Captured in Les Murray's The Widower in the Country Isolation is also conceptualized but transposed into a different context in Anna Maria Dell oso's Homeland. This short story recounts the life of Anna, a migrant and her growing concerns about losing her heritage since her parents moved back to Italy. Isolation has caused change and Anna transfigures; her heightened awareness of the possibility of the severing of ties is suggestive by the repetition of â€Å"36 years† This continual referral accentuates Anna's longing to belong and her worry that, â€Å"if my parents go, the old country inside me vanishes with them†, that is she will lose her unique identity. The use of rhetorical questions also makes Anna more reflective, â€Å"how could they leave to sit in the sun of sepia photographs and light candles in the church of memory? the rhetoric device also expresses her confusion and mounting dissatisfaction due to her isolative state. Anna also yearns for her past and a happy future, shown by the allusion to Snow white and the â€Å"apple of time†. She too wishes that she could stereotypically in fairytale stories, â€Å"live happily ever after†. Evidently, we can see Isolation conjure up a mixed array of emotions and how we react to them is what makes us humans. Isolation is a common thematic idea and how we respond to this conviction is a fundamental of the Human Condition. Just as Isolation has caused changed in Les Murray's The Widower in the Country and Anna Maria Dell oso's Homeland, sequestration is also a factor in human alteration in the 2002 film directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later. This post-apocalyptic horror film depicts the breakdown of society after the release of a highly contagious virus and focuses upon the struggle of four survivors to cope with the subsequent isolation and ruination of life they once knew. The eerie and baneful feel to this movie is created by the use of a Barren London City, devoid of all life including its 7million citizens as the main setting of the film. One of the best shots which show Jim's isolation and reaction is the mis en scene of him standing in disbelief on Westminster Bridge at the quiet and lonesome surroundings, amidst a shadow cast by Big Ben. The shadow gradually falls on Jim, symbolizing the demise and departure of society. Further emphasis is placed on the theme of isolation by the filming of scenes in secluded and gothic environments such as abandoned mansions and a dilapidated mental asylum. Use of cool colours shown by the dark grey clouds and always overcast and rainy skies, coupled with the use of staccato orchestral music with heavy beats rapidly articulates Jim's feelings of despair from his isolation. One of the best shots which incorporates and encapsulates Jim's reaction, is a close up shot of Jim's appalled face as he reads the transcripts of those dead on a notice board at Piccadilly Circus, showing his incredulous shock. Inevitably, his mounting frustration from his isolative state is his downfall. In the latter stages of the film, Jim goes on a rampage distinguishing neither friend nor foe, obliterating all in his way. We are given a final medium shot of Jim, dripping wet, standing amidst a storm, caked in blood and mud with a baseball bat in his hand; a rather graphical change from the innocent young man he was portrayed to be in the beginning of the film. Thus we can see, solitariness can drive people to the point of aberration, causing horrendous change, and our reaction to this is what makes us human. Isolation is a key aspect and how we respond to this notion is a critical idea of the human condition. As shown in Les Murray's The Widower in the Country, Anna Maria Dell oso's Homeland and the 2002 Danny Boyle film, 28 Days Later, Isolation plays an astounding effect in our lives, shaping and defining who we are.