Friday, May 29, 2020
Psychoanalysis to the story of sea oak - 2750 Words
Psychoanalysis to the story of sea oak (Essay Sample) Content: Interpretive EssayIntroductionThe story to be interpreted in this case is Sea oak. This story was written by George Saunders. Sea oak is a story about the family of the narrator and their Aunt Bernie. The narrator has a sister by the name Min and a Cousin named Jade, who both have babies. Their Aunt is not married and lives with them in sea oak, while their father is dead and mother is a live but lives with her boy friend Bernie. The story is all about the devastating state of poverty in which this family lives in. The narratorà ¢Ã¢â ¬s sister and cousin have babies and are not employed. Similarly, the aunt is also not employed, meaning that the only bread winner of this family is the narrator. He works at Joystick but still cannot get enough to meet the needs of the family as it is seen in the story where he sneaks toilet papers for use at home. The mother on the other side does not offer any help to this kids nor does her boyfriend. It concentrates more on the li fe of Aunt Bernie and her eventual death and resurrection.The three basic theories used in the interpretation of this story are Existentialism, Eros and Thanatos and Oedipal conflict. Existentialism comes from the word à ¢Ã¢â ¬ÃÅ"existà ¢Ã¢â ¬ which means to à ¢Ã¢â ¬ÃÅ"beà ¢Ã¢â ¬. Existence means what is here and now. Existentialists advocates that things exist in the present moment and therefore we must actively acknowledge things as they are, here and now. Hence existentialism relates to making a choice here and now, in which with this choice comes freedom and responsibilities.Thanatos is a figurative word used by post Freudians to refer to the "Death of meaning" and not the literal death of our bodies. Eros means something almost literally like à ¢Ã¢â ¬ÃÅ"loveà ¢Ã¢â ¬.The figurative meaning of "eros" is the opposite of the figurative meaning behind "thanatoà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã . It represents the possibility of hope, the goal of meaning.Oedipal conflict is a concep t coined from Oedipus story that relates to potential aggression towards a father (but not murder) and attachment towards a mother (but not sex). Oedipal conflict centers on the child, mother and father figures in a social set up. It relates to identifying the parent figure(s) and child figure(s) and trying to see if there is any rebellion on the side of the child figure.This paper tries to analyze characters and relating them to the above concepts while at the same time analyzing the parts(scenes) in the story to build up a meaningful correlation to the above concepts and how they apply to us today in our diverse social groups such as in the family, work place as well as the general life of a person.InterpretationThe narrator displays the concept of existentialism in the first scene where Mr. Frendt comes on the P.A at Joysticks. The narrator had an option to choose on whether to act as Maggieà ¢Ã¢â ¬s pilot and thereafter deciding to cover up as Thomas, who was initially desig nated for the job. The pilot job at joystick is not a moral job per se as it involves various weird actions such as showing a penis simulation and undressing in order to get the favors in terms of voting from the women who are the major customers to keep you in the job for the coming day(s).The narrator decides to close up for Thomas as well as pilot other six tables to earn forty dollars. The narrator had no father figure who could guide him on the jobs to undertake and which not to undertake. This gave him the freedom to choose the jobs at offer in joystick. As per existentialism, every freedom comes with its own responsibilities and with responsibilities, stress follows. The narrator decides immediately to be the pilot of Maggie when he ask and answers himself, "Do I do It? Yes I do.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã Existentialism involves an immediate choice.In the same context, oedipal conflict relation arises; Mr. Frendt acts a figurative father to the employees at joysticks. The narrator and Ll oyd are his figurative children. Frendt has harsh rules for dismissal of his employees that makes them nervous. That staying in job depends on your cute rating by the guests, regardless of your efforts. He does not care about oneà ¢Ã¢â ¬s next move nor does he give warnings. This relates to our employers in the world today. You might be trying your best to deliver but sometimes, your efforts are not recognized or worse still, you are forced to retire upon attaining a given age despite your input in the company.Similarly, existentialism concept also comes up in this scene at Joystick. The employees count on the work they do that day because they do not know what will unfold tomorrow. They may end up being fired if by tomorrow their cute rating drops. You can never completely commit to the unknown future. Things exist in the present moment, and we must actively acknowledge things as they are, here and now, not as they ought to be or might be or will one day be. Furthermore, people change, and feelings and lives change as well. This can be related to our daily lives either in business or employment situations; the fact that you made profits today does not mean you will make profit tomorrow. Each comes with its uniqueness.Within the same scene at Joystick, the concept of thanatos reveals. Lloyd is shown the door from Joystick by Frendt as he shouts desperately to his colleagues that it had been a pleasure working with them. To Lloyd, life seems meaningless as he does not have any source of income that can enable him fend for his wife and his two kids. Besides, he lives in a duplex on a self-storage parkway.At the sea oak where the narratorà ¢Ã¢â ¬s sister and cousin are watching How My Child Died Violently. The Oedipal conflict concept arises. The parents of the ten year old who strangled the five year old had failed to bring up the child in a Proper way. It might be that the mother figure used to pamper him so much while on the other side the father figure used to be extremely strict to him leading him to be rebellious hence joining a gang. This is evidenced by the fact that his parents agrees to take him to a FunTimeZone where he confessed of doing the act. Similarly, the refusal of the five year old shows that he was eros-minded. Not all boys of that age can refuse to join such gangs considering the age difference of the two. This means that the five year old had focus in life (saw some meaning in life) and did not want to join groups that might lead him to lose focus.Within the same scene, thanatos concept arises. Jade and Min appears to have lost focus in life. To them life has become meaningless as they indulge in smoking at their tender age without even caring about the effects of cigarette smoking to their own health and to that of their babies. They think they are doomed because they are not educated as the narrator as seen when Min says, "Youà ¢Ã¢â ¬re lucky, man!" "You did high school. You got your frigging diploma. We do nà ¢Ã¢â ¬t. Thatà ¢Ã¢â ¬s why we have to do this GED shit. If we had our diplomas we could just watch TV and not be all distracted.Similarly the concept of existentialism and oedipal conflict arise in analyzing the life of Min and Jade. The two have no parental figures, possibly the narrator may also be a child figure as much as he goes to work and fends for the family. Their Aunt Bernie, who could play the parental figure, is also seen as not executing the roles as required. Lack of the figurative parents leads to the figurative child having a lot of independence hence she or he is at liberty to do whatever deems fit to her or him and perhaps that is why they have babies while they are still school goers. In life independence should be about creating more meaningful options and opportunities for yourself and not about doing any sort of things you feel like doing. The existentialism concept arises in this context in that they need to make choices on their own concerning any l ife issue as a result of the freedom that they have. Choice is a key concept in existentialism theory and with every choice come the responsibility. The two ladies may have been at a fix on whether to indulge in unprotected sex or not, coupled with the fact that they had no figurative parents. Since every choice comes with its own responsibilities, they are now burdened with taking care of their babies.In the same scene Min lets her child crawl off into the kitchen and gets his finger caught in the heat vent. This shows carelessness of Min and qualifies her to be thanatos-minded person. She actually concentrates on the TV so much than on the important aspect of her own child.From the story of sea oak oedipal conflict arise within the family of the narrator. The biological mother of the narrator and Min, who actually should be the motherly figure for Min, Jade and the narrator fails to execute her roles as a motherly figure. Similarly, Freddie who should the fatherly figure of the fa mily also does not execute her role as a fatherly figure. This may be the cause as to why Min and Jade got babies at tender age. In this case we can refer them to as "babies with babiesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬.The marital status of Aunt Bernie can be related to the concept of eros and thanatos. The narrator says that her aunt never got married since a guy stepped over her foot at Foodking. In our culture as a whole, those individuals who exhibits eros related mental traits(never gives up in searching) succeeds in live including being married, promoted and even hired. Perhaps, Aunt Bernie had become ambivalent (thanatos) just because a guy stepped over her foot or alternatively she never felt love for men.Aunt Bernie displays the concept of oedipal conflict. She is the motherly figure to Min, Jade and their babies. She takes care of both while the narrator is away. The two child figures are seen as people who are not contented with whatever little they have as they complain about the s t...
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Tips on How to Buy a Research Paper Writing Service
<h1>Tips on How to Buy a Research Paper Writing Service</h1><p>If you are searching for a simple method to bring in cash online you should consider purchasing an exploration paper composing administration. They won't cost you a great deal of cash however they can acquire a decent money for you. You have to discover an organization that has practical experience recorded as a hard copy work for a company.</p><p></p><p>You might be thinking about how one can tell if an examination paper composing administration merits the cost. There are a few things that you can search for so as to decide whether this sort of administration merits your time and cash. In this way, immediately how about we investigate a few hints to assist you with finding a decent company.</p><p></p><p>The first thing that you should check is that the organization is respectable. This doesn't imply that they have won all the honors on the planet. It impli es that their customers rave about them and would prescribe them to others. This can be practiced by doing a little research on the company.</p><p></p><p>You need to make a few inquiries and see what others think about the organization. You can look at their site to check whether there are any surveys of the organization. Recollect that not every person that composes an audit is objective. Actually you have to maintain a strategic distance from organizations that have a few surveys that appear as though they are a smear campaign.</p><p></p><p>Next you have to perceive what they are eager to pay for their administrations. Do they charge per word or per page? What amount would they say they will pay for each examination paper that they compose? Paying for each page of work can get over the top expensive quick so make certain to discover before you recruit them. Ensure that you are not paying the organization for every single word that yo u send them.</p><p></p><p>Finally, search for an examination paper composing administration that offers extraordinary limits and impetuses. Commonly you can get a rebate in the event that you have a particular objective that you are attempting to accomplish with your examination paper composing administration. On the off chance that you have a site that you need to begin or a blog webpage that you need to make, at that point you may have the option to get a markdown in light of the fact that you need to develop to your website.</p><p></p><p>In end, you can without much of a stretch discover an examination paper composing administration that you can trust to create excellent research papers for you. Ensure that you are looking at the organization before you focus on paying them. This will help guarantee that you are getting the best item for your money.</p>
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Psychological Assessment And Ethics Of Forensic Psychology
Psychological Assessment and Ethics Debra Deering FO611 Ethics and Professional Issues in Forensic Psychology Professor Cathy Donnell February 8, 2015 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III. Information to be included in this paper will detail why this psychological assessment is used, how it is administered ethically, how it is scored, why it is unique, what precautions need to be taken to assure its ethical use, and any ethical concerns there are with this specific assessment tool. MILLION CLINICAL MULTIAXIAL INVENTORY III Identify the Assessment Tool and describe what it is used for The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III is a 175 question test based on true or false answers. It is administered in clinical settings to clients with coping and or suspected mental health issues. The purpose of this assessment tool is to assist clinicians in diagnosing mental illness and in developing appropriate treatment plans. The MCMI III will also help with treatment decisions made by clinical staff based on patterns found in personality. This test was created to discover specific Axis I (schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety disorders, etc.) and Axis II disorders (borderline, narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders). With the help of the clinician interview, the MCMI III is a highly regarded tool for discovering some 24 personality disorders and clinicalShow MoreRelatedForensic Psychology And The Human Mind And Its Functions1627 Words à |à 7 PagesPsychology and law at first glance are not two terms that seem to correspond with each other. One might even question why they would be mentioned in the same context. Crime has become a major issue within todayââ¬â¢s society. It seems as though the only way to prevent most of them is to enforce the repercussions of the act and punish those that partake in it. Criminals often have motives or attributes that lead them into a life of crime. Forensic psychology is the cynosure that brings the associationRead More Conflict Between Therapeutic and Forensic Roles of Psychologists1407 Words à |à 6 PagesAbstract The Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct, published by the American Psychological Association are the standard guidelines for all Psychologists. Forensic Psychologists are also informed by Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologist. Psychologists practicing forensic psychology can use these two documents to help clarify ethical questions. 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The recommendation of a Hispanic psychologist will only assist in allowingRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma of Playing Both a Therapeutic and a Forensic Role: the Difference3154 Words à |à 13 PagesThe Ethical Dilemma of Playing both a Therapeutic and a Forensic Role: The difference Amal Long-Labaar Argosy University Professional amp; Ethical Issues in Forensic Psych FP6500 Dr. Andria Hernandez April 20, 2013 Abstract There are specific differences between forensic psychologists and counseling psychologists/therapists. Not just the obvious differences such as the forensic psychologist being retained by the courts, prosecution, or defense, and the counseling psychologist performingRead MoreThe Ethical Principles Of Psychologists And Code Of Conduct999 Words à |à 4 Pagesprovide appropriate education in their curriculum (e.g. practicum or internship) in forensic psychology. Therefore, as they obtain a career in this area they lack competency regarding the Code of Ethics, as well as other guidelines which can create ethical dilemmas in the future (Knapp VadeCreek, 2001). Additionally, these individuals lack competency regarding the roles of the forensic psychologist. The role of a forensic psychologist is to function as an expert witness by the means of conducting evaluationsRead MorePsychology : Psychology And Psychology1630 Words à |à 7 PagesPsychology is a very broad field of study and r equires a lot of research when choosing a career. The education that is required for pursuing a career in the field of psychology depends on the type of psychologist you want to be. Most psychology programs require at least a master s degree to pursue a psychologist career, but some may require a doctoral degree. It is important to know the educational requirements as well as state requirements when entering the field of psychology. Southwestern hasRead MorePsychology : The Best Practice For A Forensic Psychologist1797 Words à |à 8 Pagesare many different aspects of psychology, all mental health specialists have the same goal in mind and that is to provide assistance to those suffering from mental illness through service, advocacy, and education. Therefore, forensic psychologists are no longer the only mental health professional acting as an expert witness in court. Therapeutic psychologists are being called to testify, although most therapeutic psychologist try to stay out of t he courtroom due to ethics and not wanting to engage inRead MoreLegal Issues Associated With Clinical Psychology842 Words à |à 3 Pages1. What are at least two legal issues associated with clinical psychology? What impact do these issues have on the field of clinical psychology? Psychological testing in the workplace is a legal issue that is associated with clinical psychology. The information gathered from psychological testing can be used against the candidate. Confidentiality issues are in conflict when the legal requirements of a court contradict the Ethics Code of the APA (Plante, 2005). As a result, the candidate can sueRead MoreThe Ethics Code And New York State Professional Standards1580 Words à |à 7 PagesAbstract A professional psychologist enters into the field of Psychology to help others improve their mental health circumstances. As a licensed professional psychologist, it will be easy to know who the client will be because the client will request a service, pay and consent form signed. Client cannot be easily defined as just a paying customer because a client encompasses so many other things. WHO IS THE CLIENT? Who is the Client? There should be an obvious answer, which will be the payingRead MoreEthics Code And New York State Professional Standards1471 Words à |à 6 PagesA professional psychologist enters into the field of Psychology to help others improve their mental health circumstances. As a licensed professional psychologist, it will be easy to know who the client will because the client will request a service, pay and consent form signed. Client cannot be easily defined as just a paying customer because a client encompasses so many other things. WHO IS THE CLIENT? Who is the Client? There will be an obvious answer, which will be the paying client. This
Friday, May 8, 2020
Lists of Persuasive Essay Topics
Lists of Persuasive Essay TopicsIf you want to write a persuasive essay, you will need to find lists of persuasive essay topics. To do this, you need to become familiar with the basics of persuasion and how to use the words correctly in order to create a better argument.To start with, any effective argument must begin with the introduction. This is also known as the message. Many people think that they should not use titles in an argument because it will confuse the reader, but this is not the case.In fact, titles can be very important. It is not good for the reader to be confused when he or she is reading a book, magazine or newspaper article. As a result, if you want to make sure that the reader gets the idea that you are writing a persuasive essay, you will need to include the titles so that he or she understands what the argument is about.For this reason, you need to make sure that the title of your article does not just appear as a title. Instead, make sure that it is a clear ti tle that leaves the reader with a strong connection to your message. This will then allow him or her to go on and learn more about your argument. As a result, you have gotten the message across.Writing a persuasive essay is not something that you can do in just a few minutes. In fact, it takes time and a lot of practice to build up the skills needed to write a persuasive essay. However, you do not have to be a professional writer to learn how to write persuasive articles. All you need to do is find lists of persuasive essay topics so that you can get some ideas and you can then start writing articles that will have a powerful effect on the reader.In order to create a powerful persuasive essay, you will need to study the examples that are included in the lists of persuasive essay topics. You will need to become familiar with the writing styles used by famous and successful writers. This will help you know the way that you can create a powerful argument for your reader.In order to cre ate a persuasive essay, you need to understand the fact that you need to first convince the reader that you have what it takes to write an article. After you have convinced the reader that you are the right person to write the article, you need to give the reader reasons to want to read your article. Once you have created a strong message for the reader, you can then build on it and use the techniques that have been described in the lists of persuasive essay topics.Therefore, you will need to use persuasive techniques if you want to write a persuasive essay. With lists of persuasive essay topics, you will be able to become familiar with the writing techniques used by successful writers and you will be able to apply them to the subject of your article. This will then allow you to write a powerful argument that will persuade the reader to take action.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
William Shakespeare Greatest Playwright of All - 1554 Words
William Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a British poet and playwright, he was well known as the greatest writer of all time, he was often called the Bard of Avon.Although many facts of his life remain unknown, his poems and plays are unique and have timeless theme that touch everyoneââ¬â¢s heart, and are still widely studied and performed in todayââ¬â¢s society. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England enjoyed a time of prosperity and stability that led to a new era for England. Shakespeareââ¬â¢s works epitomize arts of the Elizabethan Epoch; through his uses of beautiful and poetic language, iambic pentameter is nearly always used in his style of poetry. Shakespeare wrote about timeless themesâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Likewise, the cultural stories of the people were once again being told in public, and playwrights, including Shakespeare, were widely performed. An good example would be Midsummer Nights Dream, Shakespeare used ancient Celtic and Greek mythological fig ures such as Puck, Oberon, Theseus and placed them in a different time and place, but with their original characteristics. Other plays, such as Romeo and Juliet make references to popular mythological figures like Queen Mab to make the story fit better into their world. Since people of all classes attended plays, playwrights needed to use stories, characters and words that would appeal to everyone. England in the time before the reign of Elizabeth I was under a state of religious turmoil. When Elizabeth I ascended to the throne, she banned the performances all religious plays and stories (except in Church) to help stop the violence over religion. Popular plays were not longer be performed, and playwrights were now free to concentrate on secular stories. They still contained some elements of religion, as did everyday life in Elizabethan England, but it was not the primary focus, nor did it play a particularly important part of the story. Conventions from Medieval religious theatre found its way into Elizabethan Theatre, however, and Shakespeare made good use of them during their performances, such as using the trap doorShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All1568 Words à |à 7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a British poet and playwright, he was well known as the greatest writer of all time, he was often called the Bard of Avon.Although many facts of his life remain unknown, his poems and plays are unique and have timeless theme that touch everyoneââ¬â¢s heart, and are still widely studied and performed in todayââ¬â¢s society. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England enjoyed a time of prosperity and stability that ledRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare : The Greatest Playwright Of All Times1845 Words à |à 8 PagesWilliam Shakespeare is considered the greatest playwright of all times but one of the most famous English writers. Not only was he a talented playwright but he lived a very pivotal life; some say it s due to his 37 plays and 154 sonnets credited to him. His remarkable talent with the English language has inspired many writers and playwrights. However, over the years there has been much speculation about Shakespeare s life regarding his religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sources of collaborationRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet, King Lear, And A Midsummer s Night Dream1037 Words à |à 5 Pagesof Avon, commonly known as William Shakespeare is one of the best known playwrights in the (Video). A few of his most famous plays include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and A Midsummerââ¬â¢s Night Dream (McArthur). Although he was popular during his time, Shakespeareââ¬â¢s influence continued to grow after his death and today he well known around the world. He added 2,000 words to the English dictionary and he is the 2nd most quoted after the Bible (Video). Shakespeare is one of the most influentialRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare : The Greatest Writer Of All Time1008 Words à |à 5 Pages William Shakespeare is considered the most influential and greatest writers of all time because he writes great stories, he has the ability to turn phrases, and has very a compelling use of characters. I w ill be including in my research countless facts about Shakespeare and educated information on why William Shakespeare is considered the greatest writer of all time. Shakespeare s feats and accomplishments have all been established and based on his early life and childhood. William ShakespeareRead MoreThe Greatest Pieces Of English Literature972 Words à |à 4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare has written some of the greatest pieces of English literature but some doubt he is the one responsible for it. There are some scholars who believe the conspiracy that Shakespeare did not write the work attributed to him and the true author is someone else, due to the anti-stratfordians who propose theories of who could be the real author, this once small talk has turn into a well- known conspiracy theory, although little to none evidence is all we have on a man named William ShakespeareRead MoreEssay on The Life of William Shakespeare1042 Words à |à 5 PagesLife of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is one of the most identifiable icons of England. Shakespeare was one of the greatest and most influential playwright and poet during his lifetime. He is known as the greatest dramatist of all time due to his many poems and plays, such as ââ¬Å"Shall I Compare Thee To A Summers Day?â⬠and Romeo and Juliet. However, despite being so well known in the world of literature, there is not much known about the childhood of William Shakespeare. William ShakespeareRead MoreEssay On William Shakespeare1127 Words à |à 5 PagesThis is an informational essay about Poet, Actor, and Playwright,William Shakespeare. In this essay you can find much information ranging from fun facts to his death. This essay tells much about his life and includes some details of family members. The key purpose of this essay is to inform curious people about William Shakespeare. ââ¬Å"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a humanRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare as the Greatest Genius in British Literature1014 Words à |à 5 PagesWilliam Shakespeare as the Greatest Genius in British Literature Even after four centuries, the literary world remains to uphold Shakespeare as the greatest genius in British literature. While best known as a dramatist, Shakespeare was also a distinguished poet. Shakespeares extraordinary gifts for complex poetic imagery, mixed metaphor, and intelligent puns, along with insight into human nature are the characteristics that created the legend he is today. The following essay will address howRead MoreUncovering the Real Shakespeare710 Words à |à 3 Pagesthe worldââ¬â¢s greatest playwrights, William Shakespeare, is accused of being some kind of fraud (Or at least not who we think he is). If Shakespeare was a fraud, he certainly succeeded, making himself one of the most known names in the history of literature. Across the globe, there is a heated debate whether or not Shakespeare was even the true or original author of all of the work he is claimed for. The Oxfordians, represented by Keir Cutler in Just Exactly Who Was The REAL Shakespeare?, believeRead MoreThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice Essay1142 Words à |à 5 PagesA talented poet and playwright writer, William Shakespeare came during the golden age of England. His writings are the greatest in the English language. No one really know Shakespeare real birthday. The closet date the scholars can come up is on his baptism on April 24th, 1564. It has been over 400 year s since his death; Shakespeareââ¬â¢s writing is not just limited to English scholars, but also appears on modern historical events and newspaper as well. Playwright and poetry are an art that appeals
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Case Study on Hr Planning free essay sample
It is the countryâ⬠s best recognised energy brand. Centrica is a multinational company, with businesses in many countries. Centrica was formed in 1997 and consists of eight separate energy-related businesses, ranging from the supply of gas and electricity to consumers and organisations in the UK and Europe, to storage of gas for other providers, and drain and pipe work maintenance. The UK energy market is highly dynamic. Customers look for the best deals and are increasingly prepared to switch suppliers. In 2007, 900,000 customers switched energy providers. An energy company needs to show it is not just competitive on price, but that it can also provide the right levels of customer service to attract and retain customers. British Gas does not only supply gas but also deals with the installation and maintenance of domestic central heating and appliances. It provides a maintenance and breakdown service for electrical white goods and home wiring. Through the Dyno brand, British Gas also offers drain clearing services, plumbing and home security services. To deliver these services, British Gas needs high calibre staff. It employs more than 9,000 trained gas engineers to install and maintain central heating and gas appliances. This case study explores how British Gas manages the recruitment and selection of new employees. Page 2:à The role of human resource management Managing a successful large business involves acquiring, developing and maintaining a wide range of resources. These resources include materials, buildings, land, equipment, technology and, crucially, people. Any organisation needs good employees who have the right skills to achieve the companyâ⬠s aims and objectives. Human resource management (HRM) is the business function that focuses on the people aspects of an organisation. It ensures the efficient management of people in the business. It is responsible for ensuring that an organisation has the right people to deliver its overall business plan. Meeting customer needs Centrica, the parent corporation of British Gas, has to deliver long term profitability. Its shareholders expect the business to show a return on their investment by making profits, now and in the future. British Gas needs to contribute to these profits. This means consistently meeting the needs of its customers with competitively priced products and services that give good returns to the company. Residential consumers across the country are the core customer base of British Gas. These customers expect top-class service at keen prices. If British Gas does not meet this standard, the company may lose business to competitors. To ensure customer satisfaction, British Gas engineers must have the technical skills to undertake work to the required standard and the people skills to deliver good customer service. Through its engineer recruitment team, the British Gas Academy must therefore ensure that the company attracts and retains the best engineers. This involves several complementary tasks. It requires planning to assess the future needs for skilled employees at British Gas. It requires a recruitment and selection programme to bring new people into the business. It requires a training operation to equip new recruits and existing employees with the right skills. Retaining people Importantly, British Gas must also ensure that it retains its best people. It is much more cost effective to retain trained and highly skilled staff than recruit and train up new people. British Gas seeks to retain people by offering a mix of financial and non-financial benefits. As well as good pay and a pension scheme, the company provides employees with the opportunity to buy shares in Centrica and it offers a great place to work and high-class training. Page 3:à Training As an expanding business, British Gas needed to increase its workforce to meet customer demand. At the end of 2002, British Gas established the British Gas Academy. The Academy has helped to develop and refocus training facilities to handle the extra training requirement in recruiting an additional 5,000 employees into the engineering workforce. * British Gas runs an intensive apprenticeship programme. This is delivered in training centres. Trainees should expect to qualify by year five. All domestic gas engineers become fully acquainted with the latest computer-aided diagnostic technology. There are also traineeships, which provide a way for new recruits to learn about the gas industry and gain relevant skills and qualifications. British Gas provides technical training for all its engineers throughout their careers. This ensures that its employees are kept up-to-date with new information and technologies to enable them to provide the best service possible. Training does not simply focus on technical skills and knowledge. Most employees have direct contact with customers, so it is important that they have good people skills. Awareness training is provided for employees across British Gas through an online learning package. Another programme is improving staffâ⬠s cultural awareness, particularly to support the growing international operations at British Gas. Page 4:à Workforce planning Workforce planning is the process of assessing a companyâ⬠s current and future labour needs. The British Gas Academies must consider not just overall employee numbers but also the skills that will be required within the business. Workforce planning also involves managing any training and recruitment process to ensure the organisation has the right staff in place. Managers at British Gas conduct a programme of forecasting to predict how much the UK market for domestic gas engineering services will grow. This helps the company decide how many additional engineers it will need in the future. British Gas makes detailed forecasts of its demand for engineering personnel for one year in advance and makes more general estimates for a further two years into the future. Factors affecting workforce planning At British Gas, workforce requirements are driven by two different demands. First, there are contract customers that have service agreements with the company. Second, there are customers who call for one-off assistance if they have a specific problem. Demand for both these services has grown. In the last three or four years, the need for engineers has expanded accordingly. This has meant that it has had to recruit more staff. There are several other factors that influence workforce planning for British Gas. Engineering skills need to be constantly updated. Health and safety issues are also critically important in the gas industry. Health and safety regulations are changing all the time and EU regulations must also be considered. Apart from regular formal training to close skills gaps to ensure engineers stay up to date with technical matters, British Gas can alert engineers about technical changes via field radio or text messaging. Engineers can work all their careers in the field until they retire. Qualified engineers may spend up to 10 years gaining their skills, qualifications and experience. They have valued practical skills that are needed to deal with equipment and customers. However, British Gas also needs suitable people for promotion to higher roles, such as management jobs. It needs managers to plan, organise and co-ordinate the teams of engineers. It therefore needs to attract and recruit a wide range of people into the organisation. Page 5:à Recruitment As part of its workforce planning, British Gas implements a diversity and inclusion strategy using tailored action plans. This means it actively seeks new recruits from a wide range of backgrounds. The need to recruit a diverse engineering workforce is seen as critical by British Gas. It plans recruitment to ensure it has a socially inclusive workforce. This is important as it will enable British Gas to reflect the diversity of its customer base. For example, it is useful to have employees from different nationalities and backgrounds to communicate with customers that do not speak English as a first language. Recruiting more women engineers may help to attract female customers. British Gas has won a national award from the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) for its efforts to encourage and attract women into the engineering workforce and into plumbing and associated trades. To dispel the myth that only men can be good engineers, British Gas runs a Georgina and the Dragon campaign for children. What British Gas recruitment programmesà have achievedà is demonstrated by various awards during 2009: * British Gasà won awards from the Local Employment Partnership in the East Midlands. The awards for ââ¬Å"Unlocking Talentâ⬠à and theà ââ¬Å"Outstanding LEP Achievement Awardâ⬠à recogniseà the companys recruitment work with the LEP and Jobcentre Plus in the region. * British Gas has been named in the 2009à Sunday Timess 20 Best Big Companies to Work For. * The British Gas Academy won an award from Women into Science and Engineering (WISE). The award Investor in WISEà rewarded the efforts British Gas makesà to promote science,à engineering and constructionà to girls and young women. Advertising British Gas tries to appeal to a varied and diverse audience when promoting its apprenticeships. To advertise opportunities widely, British Gas uses specialist Sky channels like Parliamentary Projects TV, which focuses on careers, and Passion TV, which is aimed at the black community. In print media, it uses womens magazines, publications targeted at ethnic minorities such as The Muslim Weekly as well as other careers directories for the same reason. Other channels include radio, newspapers,à British Gas websiteà (www. britishgasacademy. co. uk) and a DVD for schools. Recruiting gas engineers of the right level is important. Candidates for a British Gas apprenticeship must be at least 16 years old, and have a minimum of four GCSEs at grade C or above or equivalent (e. g. NVQs). However, they need more than academic qualifications, they must be able to show some aptitude for customer service, such as being able to listen to customers and understand their requirements. Application British Gas uses an online application form. To help British Gas decide an applicants suitability, this includes a value-based questionnaire. This requires responses to a series of statements about attitudes to work. There are 90 statements in all, and an applicants overall responses are rated green, amber or red. The colour reflects the attitudes the applicant has about work and people. This helps to show which roles a person is best suited to. British Gas does not take applicants with red ratings further as they may not show a fit with the company requirements. However after an initial screening, green and amber applicants are invited to an interview and assessment centre for the final selection process. Here, candidates must show evidence of qualifications, ID and driving licence. Page 6:à Selection At the British Gas assessment centre the emphasis is very much upon core competencies and life skills. Life skills are personal skills that are likely to affect the customer experience when someone is working in the field. British Gas engineers needs to show courtesy and politeness, for example. These are personal qualities that have a direct impact upon customer perception. Core competencies involve team working, interpersonal skills (such as dealing with people), motivation and responding to change. These are crucial skills that can affect the way an individual fits in and works within an organisation. Candidates attend the centre for a half-day assessment. This has three elements. The total scores from the three-part assessment help British Gas to decide who receives a job offer. Candidates are notified of the outcome within 14 days. All candidates can receive feedback. For those candidates offered a job, British Gas provides the usual job benefits including a van from the outset and a competitive starting salary. The new recruits then go on to benefit from the comprehensive programme of training through its Academy. This ensures that they are given the best start in their new careers. It also builds employee motivation and commitment to the company. Recruiting and selecting staff is an expensive process. By following a robust selection programme in this way, British Gas is able to ensure it gets the right people with the right skills. It also means it maximises the benefit from its investment. Page 7:à Conclusion Recruitment and selection at British Gas is driven by the need to maintain the competitive position of the company within the energy market. Domestic gas customers demand the very highest standards of service. They can be assured that British Gas engineers have high-level skills and expertise through its careful specification of entry qualifications followed by top quality training. British Gas also assesses the personal attributes of staff through role play and questionnaires as these influence customers perceptions of the service and the company. Great care is taken in determining the organisations future staffing needs. This drives the recruitment and selection process to ensure British Gas is seen as offering dynamic and exciting career paths for people of all backgrounds. By developing and nurturing its people, British Gas ensures that new recruits have the right qualities to help the business to compete.
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