Economics Indicators :: essays papers

Economics Indicators Investments The Stock-Trak investment simulation program began on August 30th, which marked the first day that trading was allowed. A total available amount of $300,000 was used for investing. The objective of this assignment is to maximize the value of the portfolio through November 19th, which was the last day of the trading period. I began the process of choosing specific investments for my portfolio by taking an asset allocation questionnaire (appendix I). Since the objective was to maximize portfolio value, I made sure for each question asked that I chose the answer with the most risk. My reasoning being that having my money in risky investments will on average lead to a greater return than investments with lower risk. The objective did not mention risk tolerance, and I wanted a portfolio composition with a good chance of earning exceptional returns. After completing the survey, I ended up with an aggressive asset allocation plan (appendix II). This stated that 85% of my money should b e invested in stocks, while the remaining 15% of my money should be invested in bonds. I had several basic strategies that I felt would lead to my portfolio having high returns. First I felt that it was important to invest early on in the trading period so that I would not miss any positive returns the market might yield (I was fully invested by September 10th). Secondly I wanted to buy all my investments and hold them because I believe that this strategy will best maximize returns. Timing the market I felt was lucky and too complicated. Finally I wanted to make sure that I bought at least 25 separate assets, so that I could be properly diversified. I used the Wall Street Journal to pick my individual stocks. My personal strategy was to pick stocks that were at or near their 52 week low in price. I felt that corporations, especially those that were well known, at or near their 52 week low in price would gain momentum. Furthermore I made sure that I was choosing companies that were i n diverse industries. I also included some international companies as well as some relatively smaller firms to add to my portfolio. My strategy on buying bonds was to buy four bonds that had different maturity dates, and came from different issuers such as corporate and government bonds.

Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resources Practitioner Essay

Introduction This report will be divided in 2 activities, first, a brief description of the CIPD Professional Map, which will help us have a better understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be an effective practitioner. The second activity will specify how an HR practitioner can ensure the services they provide are timely and effective. Activity 1 – Brief summary of CIPD Human Resources Professional Map The CPID Professional Map it’s a tool developed to help HR professionals understand what they need to know and do in each level of their careers. The Map is presented to us divided in 4 main sections: It begins with the Core professional Areas – These 2 areas are the center of the map and relevant for all no matter what level or position you work in HR, and they are: Insights, Strategy and Solutions – This professional area underpins the direction of the profession as an applied business discipline. This area also allows HR Professionals, to develop actionable insights and deliver situational HR solutions. Leading HR – This professional area focuses on HR Professionals that are active and insight-led and are actively leading others who own, shape and driving the organization. They develop the organization across 3 main areas of leadership: Personal leadership, leading others and leading issues. Then it describes the Specialist Professional Areas – the 8 specialist professional areas identify what you need to Know and to do, in each of the 4 bands. These are Organisational design, Organisational development, Resourcing and talent planning, Learning and development, Performance and reward, Employee engagement, Employee relations and finally Service delivery and Information, one of the areas I’m most interested, here we have to ensure that Hr services and information are delivered effectively, efficiently and timely and data is manage in a professional manner. To become effective there are 8 behaviours, these behaviours describe how an HR professional should carry out for their successful accomplishment and they are: 1. Curious – interested, willingness to learn and to develop, growing within an organization 2. Decisive thinker – uses information to make defendable decisions 3. Skilled influencer – ability to persuade in order to gain the necessary support 4. Personally credible – builds a reputation of professionalism at all times adding value to the organisation 5. Collaborative – team work, able to work with people of all levels 6. Driven to deliver – determination to get the job done using all resources to deliver the best result 7. Courage to challenge – confident to speak up, challenging others even in unfamiliar circumstances 8. Role model – impartial, straightforward, leads by example. There are also 4 bands that defines what professionals need to do to progress through the bands in order to develop their careers. Going from band 1 which reflect the people carrying out administrative and support activities up to the requirements needed in people in leading roles who make decisions and are responsible for the development of HR strategy. My role in HR Unfortunately for the time being I’m not working in HR but having a background of HR Administrator I would have to chose Service delivery and information as the professional area that best reflects my experience. I have placed myself at Band 1(or even before that), despite my short experience working in HR I developed interest in that particular area and would like to proceed my career in that direction. Considering Band 1 the activities and knowledge specified within this role would be: Activities Provide the relevant information and advice to managers and employees Keep accurate records of case history Delivery service excellence, customer care even through times of change Knowledge Be able to handle, escalate and resolve problems and complaints Manage employees lifecycle and other needs Know how to use HRIS and produce data reports Activity 2 – With reference to your own (or other identified) HR role, outline how an HR practitioner should ensure the services they provide are timely and effective Customer needs and their requirements of HR Understanding customers needs is essential for an HR professional if we what to deliver an effective service. Some of HR customers can be Managers requiring absence reports, company policies or support with employee relations. Employees who might request information regarding their holidays, salary or the terms of their contracts. Even Job candidates are HR customers, needing assistance with an application for an open vacancy. Not always is easy for HR practitioners to ensure that the services they provide will be timely and effective. Different customers can have different needs at the same time and if it conflicts with our workload we need to prioritize the tasks that have to be dealt with. Payroll normally is something that comes as a priority for customers. This kind of issues will be prioritized and handled in a timely manner in order to guarantee an efficient service and customer satisfaction. Who requested? When was requested? Are questions that need to be taken into account when you are planning your daily schedule. Communication methods When we talk about communication one of the most important things we always want to insure is that the message that is being sent is received and understood. Here are 3 examples of communications methods: Email – with email we can communicate with everyone in the company. It’s an easy tool to use, quickly and you can reach a lot of people at the same time, and you can always keep evidence of what was discussed. However it has some disadvantages can be sent by mistake to the wrong person (breaching dpa) and the receiver might understand something that was not supposed to be  the message sent. Telephone – It’s the most direct and quick method from where we can get immediate answers. The disadvantage is that if the conversations are not recorded there will be no evidence of the communication. Intranet – The intranet is increasingly becoming a privileged method of communication. It contains important information available to all staff. Normally is updated on a regular basis with the latest news, relevant information, organizational changes etc. The advantage is that not all employees reed what is posted. Effective service delivery To deliver effective service it’s crucial that you build and maintain relationships with all of your customers (managers, employees, finance). Keep your promises, expectations have to be met, if you compromise yourself with something your customers will be expecting that from you. This will build a trusty relationship and will build up their confidence in your service. When handling problems, complaints or difficulties make sure the issue is addressed to the right person or that it is your place to solve it. I believe the best way to approach these situations, is to first of all, identify the problem and the point of view of all parties, be sympathetic and come up with options to solve these problems. If it can’t be solved immediately give them a time frame and keep them updated of further developments. Customers need to know that something is being done with the complaint they presented. One of the factors in providing effective service that needs to be taken into account is company budget, every outlay has to be considered in your budget since stationary, Hr systems, training etc. If the company is thinking of acquire a new HR system the budget will be taken into consideration. As HR practitioners we need to provide the best on budget option. Where can money be saved? Can we economize time with this new tool? We have to try to find a new system that could allows us to incorporate multiple tools in one, for instance a new HR System that also enables us to have payroll and appraisal system. This could help the  company save resources such as time and money, making easier for HR to deliver an Effective service. To conclude we can say that throughout this report we were able to identify the 8 specialist professional areas in which we can develop our HR career and the necessary behaviours to be successful in it. Reflecting on my own experience or what I believe it’s effective we went through the different methods of communication available to you as an HR practitioner and how to handle your customer’s complaints and difficulties, always guarantying an effective service delivery. References: www.cipd.com.uk http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/ http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/professional-areas/service-delivery-information.aspx http://www.cipd.co.uk/community/freesummaries/whatismeantbycustomerservice.htm http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/employee-communication.aspx

Langston Hughes, Prolific Writer Of Black Pride During...

During a time where racism was at its height in America, Jim Crow laws separated blacks from mainstream white society. Where the notion of â€Å"separate but equal† was widely accepted in America, blacks were faced with adversity that they had to overcome in a race intolerant society. They were forced to face a system that compromised their freedom and rights. Blacks knew that equal was never equal and separate was definitely separate (George 8-9). Blacks had to fight for their rights because it wasn’t handed to them. Racism manifested itself on many levels and had to be fought on many levels. This gave rise to influential black leaders in the fight for civil rights. Langston Hughes was one of those black leaders who arose during the Harlem†¦show more content†¦Hughes lived during this time of black segregation from 1902-1967, though he faced the racism brought himself and his people he still anticipated a brighter future. In what way did Hughes express hope an d pride in the black community during the time of segregation? Did Hughes ever think a change would come in America? Hughes wrote a manifesto called â€Å"The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain†, which was published in 1926, in the Nation. Here Hughes describes his views for a new direction in black literature and arts. He urges black intellectuals and artists to break away from the standards that the white society set for them. Hughes emphasized the theme that black is beautiful and that we should not be afraid to be ourselves. The first paragraph within â€Å"The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain† grabs the readers attention and reveals Hughes stand of keeping and taking pride of the black culture and uniqueness. One of the most promising of the young Negro poets said to me once, I want to be a poet--not a Negro poet, meaning, I believe, I want to write like a white poet; meaning subconsciously, I would like to be a white poet; meaning behind that, I would like to be white. And I was sorry the young man said that, for no great poet has ever been afraid of being himself. And I doubted then that, with his desire to run awayShow MoreRelatedLangston Hughes, Prolific Writer of Black Pride During the Harlem Renaissance1694 Words   |  7 PagesDuring a time where racism was at its height in America through Jim Crow laws in the South, laws that separated blacks from mainstream white society. Where the notion of â€Å"separate but equal† was widely accepted in America, blacks were faced with adversity that they had to overcome in a race intolerant society. They were forced to face a system that compromised their freedom and rights. Blacks knew that equal was never equal and separate was definitely separate (George 8-9). Blacks had to fight forRead MoreThe Influences for Langston Hughes Successful Writing Career979 Words   |  4 Pagesour history. Langston Hughes was able to recognize that, â€Å"Man had the inability to bridge cultures † (Bloom 16). In one of his writings, Luani of the Jungles, Langston writes about the interactions in a relationship between a white man and a black woman, â€Å"that is not ruined by outside disapproval, but the man’s own obsession and oversimplification of their racial differences† (16). Hughes’s ability to speak openly about his ideas earned him the title of â€Å"the Poet of Laureate of Harlem† (Bailey 748)Read MoreLangston Hughes : Jazz Poetry And Harlem Renaissance1212 Words   |  5 PagesLangston Hughes Jazz Poetry and Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes was an African American poet who was born on 01 February 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents separated and later divorced during his childhood. Subsequently he was raised predominantly by his maternal grandmother. His grandparents were politically active and supporters of the abolition of slavery. They were activists in the movement for voting rights for African Americans. Through their active involvement in his upbringingRead MoreEssay on James Langston Hughes891 Words   |  4 Pages (February 1, 1902 - May 22, 1967) Born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes was born into an abolitionist family. He was the grandson of grandson of Charles Henry Langston, the brother of John Mercer Langston, who was the the first Black American to be elected to public office in 1855. Hughes attended Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, but began writing poetry in the eighth grade, and was selected as Class Poet. His father didnt think he would be able to make a living as at writingRead MoreClaude Mckay s Harlem Dancer And Ended Around 1929 Essay1535 Words   |  7 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance began in 1918 with the publication of Claude McKay’s â€Å"Harlem Dancer† and ended around 1929. During this period, there was a wave of literary works by, and about, Blacks. The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great intellectual expression as well as introspection (Bodenner). There were several key moments and individuals that made this era of time historical. African American artists rejected imita ting the ideals of white Americans and championed black artistic expression onRead MoreLangston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance1909 Words   |  8 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was a social and cultural movement aimed to alter the conventional notion of â€Å"The Negro† and to expound on African American’s adversities through literature, music, and visual arts. After World War I, Harlem, New York became a central location for African Americans for greener pastures and racial equality. Large quantities of black writers, artists, and intellectuals emerged within the urban scene and played a pivotal role of defining the movement in their respective fieldsRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance850 Words   |  4 Pages Giselle Villanueva History IB Mr. Flores February 7, 2016 Period 4 Word Count: 693 Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was the first period in the history of the United States in which a group of black poets, authors, and essayist seized the opportunity to express themselves. The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans from the rural South to the cities of the North during 1916 to 1970. Driven from their homes by unsatisfactory economic opportunities and harsh segregationistRead MoreHistory5499 Words   |  22 PagesHARLEM RENAISSANCE by William R. Nash ^ The term ‘‘Harlem Renaissance’’ refers to the efï ¬â€šorescence of African-American cultural production that occurred in New York City in the 1920s and early 1930s. One sometimes sees Harlem Renaissance used interchangeably with ‘‘New Negro Renaissance,’’ a term that includes all African Americans, regardless of their location, who participated in this cultural revolution. Followers of the New Negro dicta, which emphasized blacks’ inclusion in and empowermentRead MoreEssay Art Life of Langston Hughes5893 Words   |  24 Pagesthe fight against racism. One man used his art and the power of words to bring forth the issues of injustice suffered in America, he was Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was a Negro Writer, born at the turn of the century in 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His ancestry included three major race groups, however, he lived and was identified as a Negro or Colored (Hughes referred to himself as colored or Neg ro, because those were the terms used to refer to African-Americans in this era). He spent mostRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance By Langston Hughes1703 Words   |  7 Pagesis a quote from a well-known poet by the name of Langston Hughes who served as a prominent figure in African American history and is known for maintaining a significant role in one of the most culturally influential periods for African Americans -The Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance describes a significant era in time where hundreds or artists, writers and musicians living in Harlem came together to form a vibrant, creative community. Hughes along with many other talented and innovative African