Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Software Essay

Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Software - Essay Example Some of these advantages include; It is quite interesting in the manner the company has recognized the behavior of most technology-savvy people of the present age. As the world continues to face new realities in the wake of technological advancement, young people tend to develop the urge to dress casually. Most organizations however have failed to realize this growing need and have not thereby relaxed the dress code. This is not so for SAS. Here, employees are free to dress casually and are therefore made to feel as part of the organization. The modern employee needs to grow and advance in their career. However, the opportunities for growth are normally very limited due to financial implications and time input. As such, most organizations do not provide these opportunities for their employees. At SAS, such opportunities are certainly abundant. Employees are greatly encouraged to enroll for further training courses at the institute or elsewhere in a bid to enable their advancement and organizational growth. The company has greatly invested in bettering the working conditions for its employees. The availability of plenty of recreational facilities and the well-tended and serene environment provide a very wonderful working environment that encourages creativity and innovation. Moreover, the employees are encouraged to work 35 hours per week. Above all, the company recognizes a good pay as one of the greatest employee motivators. The employees are therefore rewarded with very competitive salaries that greatly encourage them to give their maximum output. Moreover, a good salary scale ensures that the company attracts some of the best brains in the industry so that its mission and vision are better enhanced. In a world troubled by healthcare challenges, SAS recognizes the need to ensure that its employees are least worried by healthcare issues. As such, it has developed a very comprehensive healthcare

My Neighbor Has Guns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Neighbor Has Guns - Essay Example Based on these statistics, there has been an intention of reducing violence by restricting guns. However, the issue generates immense controversy in the country. For example, some opines that there should be control on guns as they lead to increased rate of violence. On the other hand, others believe that the increased rate of violence calls for increased gun ownership in the society as it will help give protection. In United States, most of the private citizens own handguns. For example, statistics shows that, in 1990, there were over 200 million guns in private hands of which a third were handguns (Kleck 1). Various reasons resulted to increased gun ownership in the 1960s to 80s. First, there was increased gun ownership in the country was the formation of new households and growing wealth enabling gun owners to get more guns (Kleck 1). Second, there was increased rate of crime among people who previously had no title for guns. Ownership of guns in the neighborhood and homes should be regulated as it leads to unintended accident, intimidation, increased rate of violence, and abuse by weak in society. Guns promote weaker adversaries to attack stronger ones (Kleck 1). Therefore, there should be tight restriction on gun ownership and operation. This occurs as the weak and vulnerable finds it easier to commit a crime that would have been dangerous difficult to carry out, or physically or emotionally difficult (Kleck 1). In fact, guns make the individuals involved having impression that they wield considerable influence that cannot be matched by anyone else. The attacker feels having greater power as compared to the victim. Moreover, gun might make it possible for the aggressor to feel that the planned attack will be advantageous to the points that the victim would not be able to counteract its effect (Kleck 1). Furthermore, the aggressor may have a feel that the victims accumulate enough fear that would make it impossible for them to strike back even if they have physically capability (Kleck 1). Therefore, this relates to the statistics that show that women attack men mainly by use guns (Kleck 1). Moreover, there is more likely that an individual will attack a group rather than a group attacking an individual. Likewise, the immense courage to attack is gained from the fact that one attack from a distance. Moreover, guns lead to unintentional accidents in both homes and neighborhood. Some of the accidents may lead to death or injury of an individual with disastrous consequences. For example, a gun may go off and shoot a family member, and this may lead to guilt and emotional breakdown. A survey carried out from 3003 to 2007 showed that over 500 Americans were killed per year unintentionally with firearms (Hemenway 2). In fact, more of the deaths occurred in homes. Moreover, most of the victims were below 25 years and family or friends accidentally shot the victims (Miller, Hemenway and Barber 1). Consequently, most of the accidental shootings deaths in the homes are due to guns kept in the home. There appears that accidental gun deaths are more vulnerable in areas with more guns (Miller, Hemenway and Barber 1). The result correlates with the statistics that show that accidental firearms deaths are high in states with a high level of guns ownership (Hemenway 2). Moreover, increased access to guns by children leads to

Business Life Cycle Characteristics And Strategies

Business Life Cycle Characteristics And Strategies Every business has its life cycle starting with conception of the idea for a business, then the start up, implementation, growth, maturity and decline. There are a lot of different terms being used for business life cycles parallel, which is also in parallel to the product life cycle. Some of ideas involve only four stages which are the start-up, growth, maturity and decline. Others involve seven stages from start-up, growth, maturity, saturation, decline, renewal and withdrawal. In general, they are practically the same. One is just a more detailed outlook of a business cycle. With time, a business will definitely pass through different stages of development. The 7 Stages of the Business Life Cycle 7 Stages of Business Life Cycle SEED How do you develop your idea into something that may turn into a business? 1: The idea: Whats your idea? What will your product or service that youll offer? Will your business be built from scratch, or do you plan on buying an existing business? 2: Is it feasible? Do you have the skills or experience to be successful at this business? Do you know how much money it will take to start? What are your plans for financing the business? What are your own strengths and weaknesses? Be honest with yourself. 3: Whos your market? Who will be your market? Who will your competition be and what are their strengths and weaknesses? If you dont think you have competition, are you sure? If thats true, is the product or service really wanted? Whats unique about your business that will make people want to buy from you instead of this competition? http://aksbdc.org/small-business-life-cycle/think/ **The seed stage of your business life cycle is when your business is just a thought or an idea. This is the very conception or birth of a new business. Challenge: Most seed stage companies will have to overcome the challenge of market acceptance and pursue one niche opportunity. Do not spread money and time resources too thin. Focus: At this stage of the business the focus is on matching the business opportunity with your skills, experience and passions. Other focal points include: deciding on a business ownership structure, finding professional advisors, and business planning. Money Sources: Early in the business life cycle with no proven market or customers the business will rely on cash from owners, friends and family. Other potential sources include suppliers, customers, government grants and banks. http://www.winonanationalbank.com/BusinessBanking/BusinessLifeCycle.aspx START-UP Initially, a small business owner think about the kind of business he/she wants to make. Then he does a feasibility study about the risks involved, the costs, the demand for the product or services, the potential clients, the marketability of the offering all these things are considered at the seed phase. He also thinks about where to get funding, what other products and services to offer, the pricing and how people would react or require the product or service or both. During this seed phase, he also thinks about probable resources where to find finding such as family, friends and financiers, venture capitalist or even the bank. Once he finally realised that there might be a need for it, then he moves to the start-up phase. Once it has been decided that there is a huge potential for the business, then he start implementing the ideas of the business. These could finding a suitable location for the business, sourcing suppliers, finding business partners, making the business plan and marketing plan, have focused on the products and service to initially offer, and also to register the business into a legal entity, whether a sole proprietorship, partnership or a corporation or a limited liability company. The small business owner would have also determined the location to best open shop, with the target clients also in mind. Most small business owner opening a business, opt for a home business start-up SOHO small office home office set-up. This is often the choice because it is more cost efficient, facing the challenge of limited financial resources. This would enable them to maintain the least overhead possible, where normally, the lease or office rent eats up a huge percentage of operational costs. It is another challenge for a start-up company to be aware of its spending/budget. The challenge lies in making sure not to over-estimate or overshoot the budget/funds, at worse prematurely. The small business owner should also determine if he can start the business on his/her own, a one woman/man-show, or should it be better to employ a minimal number of employees and what skills would they need to posses. One option is to look into operating as a family business, especially if the business owner has adult children, a spouse or other family members that are trustworthy and reliable. Otherwise, hiring employees would be limited to two or three, everyone must be multi-skilled and able to multi-task. At start up, focus will be on having the business fully operations which involves identifying and building clientele and developing the products and services being offered based on what the clients require. This is also where you establish partnership and nurture relationships with suppliers. Money source would be family, friends, sometimes it could involve borrowing from ones personal savings or getting a loan from the bank. Grants are also something to look into. It is also wise to make arrangements with suppliers regarding terms of payment, determining how many days is required to pay whether it is a 30 day to 90 day payment arrangement (i.e.) . This is also where he small business owner needs to strategise on how to enter and compete in the market, being aware of competitors and their standing in the market place or industry. Knowing this will determine the course of attack or entry. There are also other legalities that need to be taken care of such as insurances, liabilities, adhering to rules and regulations of the locality where you are operating, Taxes where to register a s GST company or not. Evaluating the reasons for going into business is also crucial. If the small business owner has proof (feasibility study) that the offering is in demand and can be successful, then this could be good enough. However some would also need to ask themselves if this is more than just money, if the business can give a sense of fulfilment or its success could be left as a legacy to the children/family. A small business owner need to know his motivation behind the business, this will give him a clear focus for success. Launching the business is part of the start-up which needs to focus on effective marketing strategies. This is to make sure that people know what the business offers, or stands for, its location and contact details, and who to deal with. This also needs to cover areas of competitive the pricing and encouraging terms for doing business. Starting the implementation of the marketing plans and strategies is like a test run during the start-up phase. Listed below are some tasks that should be completed in the start-up phase. Evaluate your personal reasons for going into business Decide what type of business you want to start Set up the legal structure of the business Obtain necessary licenses Conduct market research Research and obtain financing Research and obtain necessary business insurance Create a business plan Plan the strategy for growing the business Find an accountant and lawyer Open a bank account for the business http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpsm/osb/start_up.htm **Your business is born and now exists legally. Products or services are in production and you have your first customers. Challenge: If your business is in the start-up life cycle stage, it is likely you have overestimated money needs and the time to market. The main challenge is not to burn through what little cash you have. You need to learn what profitable needs your clients have and do a reality check to see if your business is on the right track. Focus: Start-ups requires establishing a customer base and market presence along with tracking and conserving cash flow. Money Sources: Owner, friends, family, suppliers, customers, or grants. http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/marketing/a/a040603.htm GROWTH After a successful start-up comes the growth of the business. During growth the business needs to maintain good relationships with everyone, both internal and external, such as: clients, suppliers, and government and private agencies it deals with. Also, by this time, the business is expected to be earning and not just covering the overhead. The business, at this stage is starting to win and build its market share. The challenges here would still be the usual issues of time and money. Time and money is crucial especially of the business is focused on finding and providing a better way of service delivery, and consistently strives to improve its offering. Clients will know the quality of work provided and word goes around. Clients recommend and there will be more clients coming as a consequence. The business then starts to build its reputation for excellence and reliability. Relationships not only with clients but also with suppliers must be nurtured. Prompt payment, for materials or services, based on term arranged, is crucial. This way, the business comes as a reputable and trustworthy company to deal with. This will help the business in finding and establishing business relationships with new suppliers and partners. As a growing business, standardisation or standard operational procedure which is crucial in the delivery of consistent excellent service should have been established and running smoothly, albeit still open for tweaking and modifications as the need arises. . This is also the time to consider adding a staff for sales and marketing, or business development. This person is supposed to duplicate the process already in place and bring his own skills and experience to contribute to the growth of the business. S hiring a highly skilled and experiences staff is crucial. Background checks are also necessary to make sure employee has integrity and is professional. Having a highly skilled employee can help maximise time and value for money for the company, as there will be no need for training or re-training in the short term. The business also has to make sure that at this stage of growth, finances are running smoothly. Financial resource would be coming from new partnerships, through the profits, by having a higher credit line from the bank. It is still a good idea to check availability of grants. The business could still be home based or if moving a better or bigger place is considered, leasing/renting would be wise. Remember during the growth stage, market share are being defined, the brand is getting recognised, a very good track record in reliability and excellence is being put in place, there is growth in business partnerships and the business network is expanding. Perhaps the small business is even getting into a position where it can influence the market place better business practices and innovative. During the growth stage, sales/business forecasts are being achieved. Very capable and reliable accountant and lawyer are also very much needed by a growing company making sure that finances are healthy and that rules and regulations by the government and the industry are always followed. . It is best for the business to be on its toes, keep assessing the marketing plans, and changing it when necessary, in order to keep up with the changing market. Once the infrastructure of the company is established, the focus is to develop the business. There will probably be some sales, but there is still much to do. The hard work is just starting. This may include many of the following: Refine market niche Branding the company Establish a track record Identify business partners Networking to expand customer/client base Match staff to volatile needs Increase operational financing Forecast sales Automate payroll processing Review insurance requirements Revisit your business plan Recruiting the right employees Find an accountant and lawyer http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpsm/osb/growth.htm Your business has made it through the toddler years and is now a child. Revenues and customers are increasing with many new opportunities and issues. Profits are strong, but competition is surfacing. Challenge: The biggest challenge growth companies face is dealing with the constant range of issues bidding for more time and money. Effective management is required and a possible new business plan. Learn how to train and delegate to conquer this stage of development. Focus: Growth life cycle businesses are focused on running the business in a more formal fashion to deal with the increased sales and customers. Better accounting and management systems will have to be set-up. New employees will have to be hired to deal with the influx of business. Money Sources: Banks, profits, partnerships, grants and leasing options. http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/marketing/a/a040603.htm Helpful questions to ask during the growth period 1: Increasing Market Awareness What is the market potential for growth? What is your promotional strategy to reach your target market? Have you defined a marketing budget? Do you have a marketing plan? 2: Your Operational Plan Do you have the capacity to meet current and future sales levels? Do you need new equipment, more personnel and/or additional working capital to increase capacity? Do you need to increase efficiencies and effectiveness through better production processes, less waste and increased quality? Do you need more space and bigger facilities to meet capacity needs? 3: Your team Do you have the right people on board? Do you have a plan for attracting future personnel? Do you have defined duties, responsibilities, skill and experience needed for each position? 4: Your Financial Plan How much capital (cash) will you need for business expansion? How will you raise this capital (cash)? Do you have a business plan for investors/lenders to review? What are your anticipated sales, profits and cash flow based your expansion plan? 5: Plan to Grow Have you revisited your plan to address opportunity for growth? http://aksbdc.org/small-business-life-cycle/grow/ MATURITY After the growth stage come the maturity of the business, where everything has been founded solidly, you have established clientele, partners, a bigger business entwork and may be eying expansion. Opening another office branch locally or another city or get into partnership in another city, depending on what area of focus the expansion would aim to achieve. However, upon growth some companies fall into the trap of sitting on theri laurels and stagnate. Companies need to be in theri toes, to be abreast of the changes in teh industry and their competitors, and the changing customer needs or requirements. All of these need to be considered. Aotumation is also another avenue to consider in terms of growth, outsourcing could also be considered to improve profit and productivity. After maturity, there are different phases that csmall busness fall into. Some companies reach the point of saturation. When this happens other consider to expand, sell of close shop. The saturation phase can trigger the next step for the small business. Which can be renewal, expansion, or decline and eventually withdrawal (closing shop). The challenge for established companies is to keep on their toes and deliver the same kind of service. As a company grows, customer satisfaction can sometimes get affected as personalised service has to give way to automation or standardisation. Companies also have the challenge of expansion in the ssense that the new products and services must be complementary or related to the existing offerings. It is risky to delve into a totally different product/service line. Unless a company has very good financial background, a new partner, a solid plan, then it can still be an avenue for expansion for the company. SATURATION How do we manage saturation point? Reinvention, innovation is a very good strategy, you change the marketing plan, improve the services and products, analyse the current market base and position. You also analyse the changing requirements of the clients and address them. SO the products and services are offered based on the clients needs. Decline Renewal / Innovation If after the saturation period a business owner finds himself with no intention to continue, then he has a choice between selling the business and closing shop. Selling the business would be more profitable, as the clientele, suppliers and partners have been establish and the eventual owner will be going away with everything set in place. It will save the new owner years of establishing the business. All he/she needs to do is maintain and improve what exists. Normally small business owners decide to sell when they feel that they do not have the energy or ability to continue with the business anymore or they are actually having some financial difficulties and are unable to find funding from different source, Withdrawal Instead of losing money and closing shop, selling the business is still a better alternative. However, for some businesses the situation might really be worse and there will be no other alternative but to close shop and try to cut loses. Another exit options is to franchise the business and just administer and transfer the technology or process to the franchisee. Franchising is exiting through expansion. The successful process is sold including the processes and partnerships. The Franchisee can then just focus on building their own clientele. The original owner still earns from royalties or percentages of sales and from supplying materials, ingredients or whatever is required depending on the nature of the business. http://aksbdc.org/small-business-life-cycle/exit/ http://www.dws.net.au/tools/the-prosperity-cycle.html http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/biz-life-cycle/ http://www.legacee.com/FastGrowth/OrgLifeCycle.html http://www.enotes.com/small-business-encyclopedia/industry-life-cycle http://smallbusiness.chron.com/brands-product-life-cycle-785.html characteristics and strategies of each life cycle Exit Strategy http://www.japaninc.com/mgz_sep-oct_2007_issue_exit-strategy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_life_cycle_management_%28marketing%29 http://university-essays.tripod.com/product_life_cycle.html http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/cuttingedge/lifeCycle/11.htm http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Oli-Per/Organizational-Life-Cycle.html short- and long-range plans to implement strategies http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Bo-Co/Business-Planning.html http://www.arnoldit.com/articles/PDF_Web/article1988/chap6_MarPlan.pdf http://managementhelp.org/fp_progs/sp_mod/str_plan.htm http://nett.com.au/finance/business-credit/small-business-lifecycle-reaping-the-rewards/11181.html http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/marketing/a/a040603.htm http://www.winonanationalbank.com/BusinessBanking/BusinessLifeCycle.aspx http://www.dws.net.au/tools/the-prosperity-cycle.html http://www.ajfoligno.co.uk/business_cycle.php http://www.manyworlds.com/logContent.aspx?to=coViewURLLinkcoid=CO1290216533092

Plato and Aristotle: Their Contributions to the Development of Western

The philosophies of Plato and Aristotle and their contributions to the development of western philosophy. Plato was a classical Greek philosopher and one of the top 5 contributors to Western philosophy, educator after his mentor, Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. His sophistication as a writer started while under the tutelage of Socrates, continued through his establishing of his own academy, (The Academy of Athens which has been labeled as the first institution of higher learning in the Western World) and throughout his many years as an open minded author. Many of his works in early adulthood displayed his willingness to ask questions of any type, no preference to scope, difficulty withstanding, political and intellectual current issues. Plato had such an authentic feature to his writings that made him so much more distinctive among any other of the great philosophers and that literary way stands alone but has been referred to many of his contemporaries and close followers through the centuries. That specific style is the â€Å"dialogue† form, not as many of the other brilliant ...

BTEC Unit

Complete all columns In the table below. Functions/skills of management Functions/skills of leadership Differences between management and leadership Planning Identifying workloads, responsibilities, collective goals. Delegating tasks and responsibility and ensuring employees work together to meet personal and workforce goals. Planning Staffing requirements and Rota's Recruitment, selection & placement. Training & development. Performance appraisal. Supervision Leadership Communication Ensuring employees are performing their roles too high standard.Taking capillary action if and when required Ensuring legal obligations are met Setting objectives for the team and the individual Planning SMART objectives and making sure the team are aware of them and motivated to meet them. Communicating and ensuring open channels of communication. Team Building supporting team members to achieve the goal as a collective Evaluating performance and using training to support team members to build on weakn esses. Motivating members of the team through smaller goals, praise, and reinforcement. Organizing and ensuring that strengths and weaknesses of the team re accounted for.Showing commitment and enthusiasm and working within the team to support its members to reach their objective. Being a leader is a skill of a good manager however you can be a manager without being a leader. Some managers can identify workloads, delegate and supervise but they do not inspire, motivate and lead effectively. In some cases the lack of leadership can be negated by a strong and motivated team however in other cases It can cause a team to fracture and not succeed to meet their objective. Outcome 2, AC 1- written question Describe the methods of allocating work to others?Why is planning and agreement of these important? In order to allocate work to teams and individuals, you need to decide with your team how to distribute tasks and responsibilities. You need to make sure this allocation makes best use of their strengths, and provides opportunities for employees to learn and develop in their roles. You need to make it clear what is expected of team members and check their commitment to their work. By planning this with team members both as a group and individually you will promote ownership of roles and increase each members dedication to meeting their individual and group objectives.Team members can request training to develop their knowledge and aspire towards more responsibility and greater tasks. Outcome 2, AC 2 – table Complete all columns within the table below. Types of conflict Ways of managing conflict Outcomes to managing conflict in this way 1 . Interdependence Conflicts. For example key worker / case holder, both employees rely on the other to complete their tasks so they can effectively complete theirs. If one person in this relationship does not do their work the other cannot complete theirs. 2. Differences in Style.Employees may have different priorities or idea s around what s important when completing a task. They may be goal or person orientated. Neither may be wrong however lack of understanding of working styles can cause conflict. 3. Differences in Background/Gender. Conflicts can arise between people because of differences in educational backgrounds, personal experiences, ethnic heritage, gender and political preferences. 4. Differences in Leadership. Employees who change from one leader to another can become confused and irritated by the different leadership styles.They may be use to a directive leader and find it difficult to manage a more nurturing approach Having a quiet word Investigating the problem informally Using internal procedures – for example, company procedures for dealing with grievances Improving the way you communicate and consult with employees Team Meetings This can sometimes resolve a conflict without the need for escalation This may be a supervisor or manager investigating the cause of conflict and taking action without the need for official procedures.This is a more formal route and will involve the manager and any HER or union representatives. A formal outcome will be reached up to and including dismissal. The company's overall goals. Allows staff to air their grievances in a positive and constructive manner. Why is it important that you recognize causes of conflict within a team? Motivation drops: fewer people volunteer to take on new tasks and there is little employee input at staff meetings or handovers. Behavior changes: people start to make derogatory remarks towards each other and a culture of gossip, and back stabbing is created.Productivity falls: there are likely to be more queries and complaints if people are not cooperating with each other. Sickness absence increases: unhappiness may lead to depression, or avoidable sickness. Unit 1 Outcome 2, AC 3 – written question Analyses the link between leadership skills and motivation? Motivation is goal-oriented behavior, and leaders influence behavior to and therefore whether or not employees achieve goals. To promote and uphold motivation on the part of employees, leaders carefully manage individual and organizational performance to reach goals that are clearly achievable.Motivation requires employees to believe that they can accomplish the task. Individuals are less likely to work toward a goal if it has little or no probability of success. Effective leaders communicate with employees to assess levels of maturity, kill and self-esteem. They promote the training, support and coaching necessary to build confidence and develop mission-essential skills. Ineffective leaders have the opposite effect; they belittle employees and their work and don't train or nurture employees so the likely hood of them buying into and ultimately achieving the goal is significantly reduced.Outcome 3, AC 1 – written question Delegation is a way of getting a Job done by someone else. This does not mean allowing anybo dy to do your Job as you don't want to but identifying the appropriate person to complete a task effectively, allowing you to strategically manage. To ensure delegation is effective the following criteria must be met: Staff know what is wanted of them They have the authority to achieve it they know how to do it. They can make decisions and complete the task whilst meeting the aims of the company.Unit 1 Outcome 3, AC 2 – written question Describe ways of coordinating delegated work? After delegating work it is important to stay in control and coordinate the work whilst refraining from stifling staff and dictating what they do. Ask for regular feedback, weather daily weekly or monthly and be prepared to teach and guide staff as well as old them accountable for their actions and work. Good communication skills are imperative as when coordinating delegated work this may mean coordinating the work of multiple staff members across several teams.Arrange and chair meetings between al l parties and ensure that communication if fluid between individuals as well as with management. If any of your staff falls short of your expectations, by being irresponsible or not completing a task, replace that person. On the other hand, if any of them does a good Job, praise, motivate, and increase the self confidence of that person. Outcome 3, AC 3 – written question Analyses possible psychological barriers to delegation? Feeling of superiority: Managers may feel that they should be seen to have the more ‘important' or ‘managerial' tasks as this will Justify their position.Fear of exposure: Senior staff may feel that if they delegate their workload and it is easily achieved by staff members then they will be seen as unimportant or at risk of employees trying to take their Job as it is achievable. Feeling of indispensability: If their Job can be done by someone else they may become dispensable and less needed or important to the companies objectives. Unit 1 Ou tcome 4, AC 1 – written question Describe the value of setting agreed work objectives with team members?Setting objectives in consultation with the supervisor allows staff the opportunity to express the way the Job gets done, raise concerns or ideas about what is to be accomplished. ‘Sharing the load' increases the staff member's commitment and motivation to achieve the agreed objectives. Ensures that the staff member understand what the allocate their time and resources effectively. Provides a clear understanding of how the work will be measured and evaluated, enabling the staff member to assess their win performance, and make any improvements where required.Outcome 4, AC 2 – table Ways of providing support to meet work objectives with team members Benefits to each type of support Induction Training Supervision Appraisal If every new starter completes a clear and comprehensive training programmer then they will be supported to fully understand the company's aims and how their role meets these aims. They will know what is expected of them and how to fulfill each task. Training develops knowledge and also provides refreshers to employees throughout their career. It reminds them not only of what to do but how to do it.Supervision takes place regularly and gives supervisor and supervise the opportunity to reflect on the supervises work practices, identify any areas which the supervise needs additional support or training. Allows the employee to reflect and develop a personal development plan which will outline objectives for the following year. It also enables the employer to make the Outcome 5, AC 1 – written question Outline ways of developing a quality culture in the workplace? Lead by example: Employees take the lead from their manager. By showing a positive practical and problem solving approach it is likely that employees will follow this example.Training: This supports employees to understand the company's objectives, how their r ole meets these objectives and supports them to have the knowledge and ability to meet their own criteria. Involve staff: The more staff are involved and consulted the more ownership they will take of a project. This goes on to increase their drive dedication and commitment to meeting the goals of the company. Try different approaches: If something isn't working don't be afraid to change it. This promotes problem solving and creativity. Outcome 5, AC 2 – written question Describe possible barriers to promoting quality in the workplace?People not knowing hat is expected: If people do not receive proper training and induction processes they may not fully understand their role, the companies aim and therefore how to provide it. Managers focusing on a quick fix: Being under pressure to fix problems may lead to a ‘band aid' approach rather than long term solutions. This may provide immediate results but will not lead to quality and consistency. Not knowing who's responsible: Without clear accountability and responsibility projects may not be managed and staff may not fully commit for fear of being held accountable for something they are not sure if they are responsible for.

Part Two Chapter IX

IX ‘And where are you going?' asked Simon, planting himself squarely in the middle of the tiny hall. The front door was open, and the glass porch behind him, full of shoes and coats, was blinding in the bright Saturday morning sun, turning Simon into a silhouette. His shadow rippled up the stairs, just touching the one on which Andrew stood. ‘Into town with Fats.' ‘Homework all finished, is it?' ‘Yeah.' It was a lie; but Simon would not bother to check. ‘Ruth? Ruth!' She appeared at the kitchen door, wearing an apron, flushed, with her hands covered in flour. ‘What?' ‘Do we need anything from town?' ‘What? No, I don't think so.' ‘Taking my bike, are you?' demanded Simon of Andrew. ‘Yeah, I was going to – ‘ ‘Leaving it at Fats' house?' ‘Yeah.' ‘What time do we want him back?' Simon asked, turning to Ruth again. ‘Oh, I don't know, Si,' said Ruth impatiently. The furthest she ever went in irritation with her husband was on occasions when Simon, though basically in a good mood, started laying down the law for the fun of it. Andrew and Fats often went into town together, on the vague understanding that Andrew would return before it became dark. ‘Five o'clock, then,' said Simon arbitrarily. ‘Any later and you're grounded.' ‘Fine,' Andrew replied. He kept his right hand in his jacket pocket, clenched over a tightly folded wad of paper, intensely aware of it, like a ticking grenade. The fear of losing this piece of paper, on which was inscribed a line of meticulously written code, and a number of crossed-out, reworked and heavily edited sentences, had been plaguing him for a week. He had been keeping it on him at all times, and sleeping with it inside his pillowcase. Simon barely moved aside, so that Andrew had to edge past him into the porch, his fingers clamped over the paper. He was terrified that Simon would demand that he turn out his pockets, ostensibly looking for cigarettes. ‘Bye, then.' Simon did not answer. Andrew proceeded into the garage, where he took out the note, unfolded it and read it. He knew that he was being irrational, that mere proximity to Simon could not have magically switched the papers, but still he made sure. Satisfied that all was safe, he refolded it, tucked it deeper into his pocket, which fastened with a stud, then wheeled the racing bike out of the garage and down through the gate into the lane. He could tell that his father was watching him through the glass door of the porch, hoping, Andrew was sure, to see him fall off or mistreat the bicycle in some way. Pagford lay below Andrew, slightly hazy in the cool spring sun, the air fresh and tangy. Andrew sensed the point at which Simon's eyes could no longer follow him; it felt as though pressure had been removed from his back. Down the hill into Pagford he streaked, not touching the brakes; then he turned into Church Row. Approximately halfway along the street he slowed down and cycled decorously into the drive of the Walls' house, taking care to avoid Cubby's car. ‘Hello, Andy,' said Tessa, opening the front door to him. ‘Hi, Mrs Wall.' Andrew accepted the convention that Fats' parents were laughable. Tessa was plump and plain, her hairstyle was odd and her dress sense embarrassing, while Cubby was comically uptight; yet Andrew could not help but suspect that if the Walls had been his parents, he might have been tempted to like them. They were so civilized, so courteous. You never had the feeling, in their house, that the floor might suddenly give way and plunge you into chaos. Fats was sitting on the bottom stair, putting on his trainers. A packet of loose tobacco was clearly visible, peeking out of the breast pocket of his jacket. ‘Arf.' ‘Fats.' ‘D'you want to leave your father's bicycle in the garage, Andy?' ‘Yeah, thanks, Mrs Wall.' (She always, he reflected, said ‘your father', never ‘your dad'. Andrew knew that Tessa detested Simon; it was one of the things that made him pleased to overlook the horrible shapeless clothes she wore, and the unflattering blunt-cut fringe. Her antipathy dated from that horrific epoch-making occasion, years and years before, when a six-year-old Fats had come to spend Saturday afternoon at Hilltop House for the first time. Balancing precariously on top of a box in the garage, trying to retrieve a couple of old badminton racquets, the two boys had accidentally knocked down the contents of a rickety shelf. Andrew remembered the tin of creosote falling, smashing onto the roof of the car and bursting open, and the terror that had engulfed him, and his inability to communicate to his giggling friend what they had brought upon themselves. Simon had heard the crash. He ran out to the garage and advanced on them with his jaw jutting, making his low, moaning animal noise, before starting to roar threats of dire physical punishment, his fists clenched inches from their small, upturned faces. Fats had wet himself. A stream of urine had spattered down the inside of his shorts onto the garage floor. Ruth, who had heard the yelling from the kitchen, had run from the house to intervene: ‘No, Si – Si, no – it was an accident.' Fats was white and shaking; he wanted to go home straight away; he wanted his mum. Tessa had arrived, and Fats had run to her in his soaking shorts, sobbing. It was the only time in his life that Andrew had seen his father at a loss, backing down. Somehow Tessa had conveyed white-hot fury without raising her voice, without threatening, without hitting. She had written out a cheque and forced it into Simon's hand, while Ruth said, ‘No, no, there's no need, there's no need.' Simon had followed her to her car, trying to laugh it all off; but Tessa had given him a look of contempt while loading the still-sobbing Fats into the passenger seat, and slammed the driver's door in Simon's smiling face. Andrew had seen his parents' expressions: Tessa was taking away with her, down the hill into the town, something that usually remained hidden in the house on top of the hill.) Fats courted Simon these days. Whenever he came up to Hilltop House, he went out of his way to make Simon laugh; and in return, Simon welcomed Fats' visits, enjoyed his crudest jokes, liked hearing about his antics. Still, when alone with Andrew, Fats concurred wholeheartedly that Simon was a Grade A, 24-carat cunt. ‘I reckon she's a lezzer,' said Fats, as they walked past the Old Vicarage, dark in the shadow of the Scots pine, with ivy covering its front. ‘Your mum?' asked Andrew, barely listening, lost in his own thoughts. ‘What?' yelped Fats, and Andrew saw that he was genuinely outraged. ‘Fuck off! Sukhvinder Jawanda.' ‘Oh, yeah. Right.' Andrew laughed, and so, a beat later, did Fats. The bus into Yarvil was crowded; Andrew and Fats had to sit next to each other, rather than in two double seats, as they preferred. As they passed the end of Hope Street, Andrew glanced along it, but it was deserted. He had not run into Gaia outside school since the afternoon when they had both secured Saturday jobs at the Copper Kettle. The cafe would open the following weekend; he experienced waves of euphoria every time he thought of it. ‘Si-Pie's election campaign on track, is it?' asked Fats, busy making roll-ups. One long leg was stuck out at an angle into the aisle of the bus; people were stepping over it rather than asking him to move. ‘Cubby's cacking it already, and he's only making his pamphlet.' ‘Yeah, he's busy,' said Andrew, and he bore without flinching a silent eruption of panic in the pit of his stomach. He thought of his parents at the kitchen table, as they had been, nightly, for the past week; of a box of stupid pamphlets Simon had had printed at work; of the list of talking points Ruth had helped Simon compile, which he used as he made telephone calls, every evening, to every person he knew within the electoral boundary. Simon did all of it with an air of immense effort. He was tightly wound at home, displaying heightened aggression towards his sons; he might have been shouldering a burden that they had shirked. The only topic of conversation at meals was the election, with Simon and Ruth speculating about the forces ranged against Simon. They took it very personally that other candidates were standing for Barry Fairbrother's old seat, and seemed to assume that Colin Wall and Miles Mollison spent most of their time plotting together, staring up at Hilltop House, focused entirely on defeating the man who lived there. Andrew checked his pocket again for the folded paper. He had not told Fats what he intended to do. He was afraid that Fats might broadcast it; Andrew was not sure how to impress upon his friend the necessity for absolute secrecy, how to remind Fats that the maniac who had made little boys piss themselves was still alive and well, and living in Andrew's house. ‘Cubby's not too worried about Si-Pie,' said Fats. ‘He thinks the big competition is Miles Mollison.' ‘Yeah,' said Andrew. He had heard his parents discussing it. Both of them seemed to think that Shirley had betrayed them; that she ought to have forbidden her son from challenging Simon. ‘This is a holy fucking crusade for Cubby, y'know,' said Fats, rolling a cigarette between forefinger and thumb. ‘He's picking up the regimental flag for his fallen comrade. Ole Barry Fairbrother.' He poked strands of tobacco into the end of the roll-up with a match. ‘Miles Mollison's wife's got gigantic tits,' said Fats. An elderly woman sitting in front of them turned her head to glare at Fats. Andrew began to laugh again. ‘Humungous bouncing jubblies,' Fats said loudly, into the scowling, crumpled face. ‘Great big juicy double-F mams.' She turned her red face slowly to face the front of the bus again. Andrew could barely breathe. They got off the bus in the middle of Yarvil, near the precinct and main pedestrian-only shopping street, and wove their way through the shoppers, smoking Fats' roll-ups. Andrew had virtually no money left: Howard Mollison's wages would be very welcome. The bright-orange sign of the internet cafe seemed to blaze at Andrew from a distance, beckoning him on. He could not concentrate on what Fats was saying. Are you going to? he kept asking himself. Are you going to? He did not know. His feet kept moving, and the sign was growing larger and larger, luring him, leering at him. If I find out you've breathed a word about what's said in this house, I'll skin you alive. But the alternative †¦ the humiliation of having Simon show what he was to the world; the toll it would take on the family when, after weeks of anticipation and idiocy, he was defeated, as he must be. Then would come rage and spite, and a determination to make everybody else pay for his own lunatic decisions. Only the previous evening Ruth had said brightly, ‘The boys will go through Pagford and post your pamphlets for you.' Andrew had seen, in his peripheral vision, Paul's look of horror and his attempt to make eye contact with his brother. ‘I wanna go in here,' mumbled Andrew, turning right. They bought tickets with codes on them, and sat down at different computers, two occupied seats apart. The middle-aged man on Andrew's right stank of body odour and old fags, and kept sniffing. Andrew logged onto the internet, and typed in the name of the website: Pagford †¦ Parish †¦ Council †¦ dot †¦ co †¦ dot †¦ uk †¦ The homepage bore the council arms in blue and white, and a picture of Pagford that had been taken from a point close to Hilltop House, with Pargetter Abbey silhouetted against the sky. The site, as Andrew already knew, from looking at it on a school computer, looked dated and amateurish. He had not dared go near it on his own laptop; his father might be immensely ignorant about the internet, but Andrew did not rule out the possibility that Simon might find somebody at work who could help him investigate, once the thing was done †¦ Even in this bustling anonymous place, there was no avoiding the fact that today's date would be on the posting, or of pretending that he had not been in Yarvil when it happened; but Simon had never visited an internet cafe in his life, and might not be aware that they existed. The rapid contraction of Andrew's heart was painful. Swiftly, he scrolled down the message board, which did not seem to enjoy a lot of traffic. There were threads entitled: refuse collection – a Query and school catchment areas in Crampton and Little manning? Every tenth entry or so was a posting from the Administrator, attaching Minutes of the Last Council Meeting. Right at the bottom of the page was a thread entitled: Death of Cllr Barry Fairbrother. This had received 152 views and forty-three responses. Then, on the second page of the message board, he found what he hoped to find: a post from the dead man. A couple of months previously, Andrew's computing set had been supervised by a young supply teacher. He had been trying to look cool, trying to get the class onside. He shouldn't have mentioned SQL injections at all, and Andrew was quite sure that he had not been the only one who went straight home and looked them up. He pulled out the piece of paper on which he had written the code he had researched in odd moments at school, and brought up the log-in page on the council website. Everything hinged on the premise that the site had been set up by an amateur a long time ago; that it had never been protected from the simplest of classical hacks. Carefully, using only his index finger, he input the magic line of characters. He read them through twice, making sure that every apostrophe was where it should be, hesitated for a second on the brink, his breathing shallow, then pressed return. He gasped, as gleeful as a small child, and had to fight the urge to shout out or punch the air. He had penetrated the tin-pot site at his first attempt. There, on the screen in front of him, were Barry Fairbrother's user details: his name, his password, his entire profile. Andrew smoothed out the magic paper he had kept under his pillow all week, and set to work. Typing up his next paragraph, with its many crossings out and reworkings, was a much more laborious process. He had been trying for a style that was as impersonal and impenetrable as possible; for the dispassionate tone of a broadsheet journalist. Aspiring Parish Councillor Simon Price hopes to stand on a platform of cutting wasteful council spending. Mr Price is certainly no stranger to keeping down costs, and should be able to give the council the benefit of his many useful contacts. He saves money at home by furnishing it with stolen goods – most recently a PC – and he is the go-to man for any cut-price printing jobs that may need doing for cash, once senior management has gone home, at the Harcourt-Walsh Printworks. Andrew read the message through twice. He had been over it time and again in his mind. There were many accusations he could have levelled at Simon, but the court did not exist in which Andrew could have laid the real charges against his father, in which he would have presented as evidence memories of physical terror and ritual humiliation. All he had were the many petty infractions of the law of which he had heard Simon boast, and he had selected these two specific examples – the stolen computer and the out-of-hours printing jobs done on the sly – because both were firmly connected to Simon's workplace. People at the printer's knew that Simon did these things, and they could have talked to anybody: their friends, their families. His guts were juddering, the way they did when Simon truly lost control and laid about anyone within reach. Seeing his betrayal in black and white on the screen was terrifying. ‘What the fuck are you doing?' asked Fats' quiet voice in his ear. The stinking, middle-aged man had gone; Fats had moved up; he was reading what Andrew had written. ‘Fucking hell,' said Fats. Andrew's mouth was dry. His hand lay quiescent on the mouse. ‘How'd you get in?' Fats whispered. ‘SQL injection,' said Andrew. ‘It's all on the net. Their security's shit.' Fats looked exhilarated; wildly impressed. Andrew was half pleased, half scared, by the reaction. ‘You've gotta keep this to – ‘ ‘Lemme do one about Cubby!' ‘No!' Andrew's hand on the mouse skidded away from Fats' reaching fingers. This ugly act of filial disloyalty had sprung from the primordial soup of anger, frustration and fear that had slopped inside him all his rational life, but he knew no better way to convey this to Fats than by saying, ‘I'm not just having a laugh.' He read the message through a third time, then added a title to the message. He could feel Fats' excitement beside him, as if they were having another porn session. Andrew was seized by a desire to impress further. ‘Look,' he said, and he changed Barry's username to The_Ghost_ of_Barry_Fairbrother. Fats laughed loudly. Andrew's fingers twitched on the mouse. He rolled it sideways. Whether he would have gone through with it if Fats had not been watching, he would never know. With a single click, a new thread appeared at the top of the Pagford Parish Council message board: Simon Price Unfit to Stand for Council. Outside on the pavement, they faced each other, breathless with laughter, slightly overawed by what had happened. Then Andrew borrowed Fats' matches, set fire to the piece of paper on which he had drafted the message, and watched it disintegrate into fragile black flakes, which drifted onto the dirty pavement and vanished under passing feet.