Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Environmental Impact Statement
Introduction In the recent past, the environmental studies have ranked industries as the leading causes of environmental pollution (Syrakov, Batchvarova, Wiman 1998, p. 118). The current challenges of global warming facing major industries across the globe have necessitated the need for coming up with tools that measure environmental risk.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Environmental Impact Statement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A number of studies affirm that industries pose potentially fatal risks to the environment in the events that they emit gasses that are hazardous to the environment (Harrop Nixon 1999, p.78). Additionally, the radiation exposure emanating from these industries have a high probability of increasing the rate of cancer to population living within the surrounding areas. This paper will review a professionally prepared environmental report and critically assess its authenticity, as an environmental impact statement. Site location San Pedro Bay, California, is a place characterised by diverse industries, with ports and incinerator facility dominating the place (The Port of Los Angeles n.d). An incinerator facility has been operational for a couple of years, and plans for setting up another one in the same locality are underway, according to its environmental report. However, this facility emits gases from its day-to-day operations, which include burnings of waste products, use of diesel equipment, ship engines, and harbor crafts, among others. Given the fact that this area has a high population, setting up another facility aimed at burning waste products may not yield substantial results due to the communityââ¬â¢s knowledge on the impact of gas emissions on their health, as well as the knowledge of global warming. The community has a right to question the move, given that the federal, state, as well as international regulations governing environment, must be a dhered to. Thus, the move must be approved by the city council before it is put in place. It is my responsibility, as a government environmental regulator, to assess the environmental risk assessment and management tools put in place in this facility in order to provide an environmental impact statement that will be used to establish the authenticity of the facilityââ¬â¢s risk assessment and management strategy.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Activity under investigation The effects of gases emitted by diesel engines, spent oil, and smoke from the burning process of waste material forms center stage of investigation of environmental impact assessment of this incinerator facility. This is paramount because it will assess whether there is controlled burning or recycling process, which is normally done thorough destruction of the organic constituents, since lack of prope r burning of waste can lead to environmental hazards resulting from increased concentration of particulate matter in the environment (Rao 2007, p. 374). Assessing the report will necessitate the use of the Effect Screening Level (ESL) for environmental assessment, which will be based on data related to adverse effects of toxic gases on vegetation, water, and oxygen. If an airborne level of a certain chemical emitted from the burning process does not exceed its level of screening, then I will consider the probability of a hazardous environment as minimal. Nevertheless, if the levels of the air contaminated by the facility exceed the screening level, this will not mean that environmental condition is harmful; instead, this will call for an environmental assessment of the report (Mendicino 2001, p. 80). The assessment report will subsequently be used to determine whether the facility will be given an opportunity of setting up another facility within the same locality. Thus, ESL will re present a conservative tool essential in evaluating the probability of adverse environmental condition in the California State. In this regard, the assessment aimed at determining the extent of exposure of gases to the environment will be carried out regularly. These will include risk identification, risk evaluation, selecting risk reduction measures, and developing risk reduction methods. The risk identification step is important as it identifies the risks that pose threat to the firmââ¬â¢s safety. In this case, risk identification entails identifying potential exposure pathways of the dieselââ¬â¢s particulate matter, estimating exposure concentration of the dieselââ¬â¢s particulate matter, and estimating chemical intakes by the individuals on a long-term basis (Calow 2009, p. 503).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Environmental Impact Statement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Calow (2009, p.507) cont ends that risk evaluation step is normally divided into three categories: predictability, probability, and severity. Probability could be termed as a high possibility of an event. Toxic gas exposure within the environment is an example of highly probable event. One can only predict the outcome when he is able to foresee the possibility of an unforeseen risk at before the actual incident occurs, taking into account the outcome of the menace. The other step involves selecting risk reduction measures, which entails risk avoidance, and it can be achieved by eliminating risk-causing factors (Calow 2009, p. 509). In risk acceptance, the risk cannot be effectively eliminated, or it would not be cost-effective to do so. For case in point, a little leaking could be allowed if its outcome would not cause severe effects on the environment that calls for highly costly measures. Calow (2009, p. 512) points out the last step as developing risk reduction methods strategy by taking into considerati on of the time required, the cost of developing the strategy, as well as the material necessary to implement viable the risk elimination plans. The last three steps involve the implementation, evaluation, and reassessment of risk mitigation measures. All the above steps are crucial while putting the environmental impact statement in place. This stems from the fact that they are in a position of helping the government environmental regulator understand the problem at hand and determine relevant and effective solutions. As United States Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.) points out, a governing authority cannot authenticate a firmââ¬â¢s risk management process unless the firm comes up with a viable risk management strategy that is well understood. Thus, the flow diagram below facilitates a deep understanding of how the incinerator facility uses the environmental impact assessmentAdvertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Regulation/ legislation In order to create a positive opinion about a proper risk assessment of the expansion of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach located in the San Pedro Bay, the assessment must be assessed in line with the zonal legislation through the agencies. These agencies have regulations that aim at reducing the risk associated with expansion of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach located in the San Pedro Bay, California. The California Environmental protection Agency (Cal/EPA) serves as one of the agencies that represent the efforts of the basic components of the state from exposure of particulate matter to environmental protection. Specifically, this body is mandated to guarantee a clear judgment about the uncertainties of the environmental exposure using stipulated guidelines. It ensures that the environmental impact assessment is based on scientific and mathematical model (The Port of Los Angeles n.d). As such, the body determines the legality of an environme ntal report of a given firm by assessing statistical data, which quantifies the risks involved through probability ranges and risk exposure. Background As a government environmental regulator, I took the approach of recording environmental condition of the area on a unique dimension, since diesel engine, ship engines, and harbor crafts are not the only source of particulate matter and air pollutants around the port and around the area of California. Thus, I estimated the exposure concentration by measuring and ranking them according to the level of adverse effects on the environment on both short and long-term basis. This was successfully achieved by breaking down every emission in the facility, which includes the emissions from the diesel engine/ ship engines, spent fuel, and smoke, and I subsequently identified the potential exposure pathways of the each one of them. Moreover, it was paramount to consult on activities within the community that have a direct impact on the environme nt in an effort to distinguish between the environmental pollution emanating from the facility and the environmental pollution emanating from activities carried out by the members of the community, including smoking tobacco, diesel engines, and spent fuel. In my investigation I found out that despite the awareness of the negative side effects of smoking in relation to the environment, a considerable number of members of the community engage in smoking behavior, thereby increasing the level of environmental pollution. More so, vehicles that consume large amount of diesel escalate the environmental pollution within the community, as the table below demonstrates: Category Smoke (Risk Exposure) Diesel Engine ( Risk Exposure) Spent Fuel (Risk Exposure) Facility 3.5 1.9 4.5 Community 1.8 0.3 0.4 Assessment protocol This stage hold the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that the risk management and assessment are carried out in a viable manner that takes into account a number of functions. This includes identifying the critical applications prone to environmental risk, quantifying the potential impact of environmental risk, detailing the escalation process of environmental risk and implementing them in time to avert environmental disaster(Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 78). The table below is a clear indication of general aspects of risks that need to be accurately identified at the onset of operations to guide in assessing whether the firm has taken the required risk mitigation strategy. The table gives categorisations that are explained in detail in the section that follows: Possible Risk Probability Impact Risk exposure Impact time frame Mitigation strategy These include toxicity of spent fuel, malfunction in the facility, particulate matter from diesel engines ship engines, crafts Probability ranges are: 0.01-0.1 0.11-0.40 0.41-0.60 0.61-0.90 0.91-0.99 1.0 The impact categories are: 5-Critical4-serious3Moderate2-Minor1-Negligible It is the product of p robability and impact. 1 ââ¬âLow risk1.0-3.0-Moderate risk3.01-4.99 high risks. Highlights two dates: this entails the earliest and latest dates in which the impact is expected to materialise The mitigation strategy is established and implemented with regard to the nature of the identified problem. Risks This section involves a careful analysis of the problem at hand. It clearly defines what environmental risk entails. It came to my knowledge that the incinerator facility has the potential of causing environmental risk in diverse stages. It is apparent that the smoke emanating from the diesel engine causes environmental pollution as it forms into particulate manner within the atmosphere. High levels of particulate matter within the environment may expose the environment to global warming (Liao 2008. p. 103) More so, the environmental risk may emanate from malfunctioning of the incinerator facility, and this can create a disastrous situation characterised by widespread effects . Checks for malfunction, therefore, necessitate coming up with high levels of expertise from a wide range of knowledge, who would ensure an adequate eradication of the predicament of toxic gasses (Sullivan Wyndham 2001, p. 15). The spent fuel in the incinerator facility can cause environmental pollution if measures are not put in place to control the exposure pathways. Additionally, spent fuel has a link to the environment degradation since fuel assemblies are stored underwater, and they continue to produce emissions, which may have negative impact on the environment (Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 79). Probability This refers to a circumstance that could not happen by chance; the ranges in the matrix are interpreted as follows: Probability Interpretation 0.01-1.0 very unlikely to occur 0.11-0.40 unlikely to occur 0.41-0.60 may occur about half of the time 0.61-0.90 likely to occur 0.91-0.99 very likely to occur 1.00 Will certainly occur The probability rating is determi ned by considering a wide range of factors using scientific methods. Risk Impact Risk impact can best be defined using the table below: Impact definition 5-critcal Has a possibility of causing widespread environmental pollution and into long-term menace. 4- serious Has a possibility of causing less fatal pollution, but in some cases, it can result into long-term menace. 3-moderate Has no any possibility of causing environmental pollution, and the main mitigation measure revolves around cost and, if implemented, It should be based on short- term basis. 2-minor Has no possibility of causing fatal pollution, but if any discrepancy occurs, it only has adverse effects to the facility, not the environment. 1-negligible Has no possibility of resulting to adverse environmental pollution if it occurs Risk exposure In this matrix, the risk exposure is calculated by getting the product of probability and occurrence impact. The definitions of the categories are as follows: Low risk: In this case, the environmental exposure to risk is at minimal, and therefore not alarming to environmental pollution. Moderate risk: In this case, the environmentalist should adopt a strategy of ensuring that the risk does not escalate to higher levels. High risk: this is an indication that there is adverse environmental pollution within the vicinity, which requires immediate attention. This level necessitates high environmental pollution control strategies (Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 80). Impact Time Frame Two dates should be put on notice while assessing the impact time frame: one is the date that the risk effects could be experienced, while the second one is the latest date that the risk effects could be experienced (Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 80). The two dates are of paramount importance in determining when the mitigation efforts should be put in place and the time in which they should be withdrawn, that is, when the expected risk is passed by events. Findings Compliance issues The Resource Conservative and recovery Act (RCRA), section 3005 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish permitting requirements applicable to hazardous waste, treatment, storage as well as disposal facilities. The respondents have a responsibility of submitting the information that has a sole purpose of either first permit application or for a revised permit application. The owners of the incinerator facility are subject to permits for new facilities that are not yet constructed as well as permits for facilities that have newly regulated units and interim status facilities. EPA uses the information contained in the permit to identify the persons who are legally responsible for hazardous waste activities within the community, and they use this to determine the facilities that require permits under more than one program. EPA also assesses whether there is any possibility of polluting the nearby ground and su rface waters, since some chemical are drained under the sea. More so, it determines the specific waste that a firm is legally allowed to handle, and it ensures that risk management program is implemented by the facility (United States Environmental Protection Agency n.d.). With this in mind, I found out that the incinerator facility environmental report complies with the legislature because, despite the fact that it already has a running facility that has a license, it endeavors to assess the environmental impact of establishing another facility within the same locality. More so, compliance with environmental issue is evidenced by the fact that it engages all the stakeholders and its risk management strategy is congruent with the expectations of the community. Assumptions Made The environmental assessment of incinerator facility is aimed at identifying potential exposure pathways of the diesel particulate matter, spent fuel, and smoke from the facility. However, this cannot be achie ved without making an assumption. One of the assumptions is derived from the fact that diesel engines are not the only source of particulate matter and air pollutant around the port and around the area of California. Therefore, it becomes a challenge while measuring the exposure that distinguishes the potential environmental risk caused by facility from other air pollutants emanating from the community members within the environs of California. This has created an avenue for making some assumption with regard to particulate matter emanating from diesel engine, spent fuel and smoke. This stems from the fact that, even though the environmentalists are able to identify the exposure pathways, some of the particulate matters from the facility have a tendency of mixing with other gases within the environment and thus leaving the environmentalists with no option. Effectiveness of the Environmental Impact Assessment Even though the environmental impact assessment is able to give substantial results, the process is compounded with complexities, since it is vulnerable to some errors. For case in point, in the process of measuring the level of toxic gases emanating from the incinerator facility, the particulate matter might occasionally mix with types other gases, yielding to harmless gases within the environment. More so, the meter might be subjected to measuring gases emanating from motor vehicles instead of toxic gases emanating from the incinerator facility, resulting in unsupported inference (Schwartz 2001, p. 4). Nevertheless, errors emanating from such incidences can be contained by using a systematic approach that involves taking environmental measures at different time intervals for a longer period. Such an approach will ensure that the errors are minimised and that the measurements taken give room for a small margin of allowance for statistical error (Uyeda 2009, p. 41). Consistency with industry Best Practice The environmental impact statement of incinerator f acility is consistent with the industryââ¬â¢s best practice because, through the assessment, it addresses environmental issues by helping the workers realise how the industry interacts with the ecosystem. The industryââ¬â¢s mission is to eradicate waste in order to eradicate toxic gases emanating from the waste; therefore, carrying an assessment helps to ensure that it upholds its mission in a credible manner that does not end of escalating environmental pollution. More so, involving the stakeholders and the community in the assessment is a clear indication that the assessment is within the industryââ¬â¢s best practice, as this shows that it is closely associated with the activities of the community. Conclusion The environmental risk assessment presented in this report provides an analysis of how environmental risk is managed at San Pedro Bay, California, and gives recommendation on how risk assessment and management can be handled effectively. This report provides an asses sment of the incinerator facility, with a view of evaluating its authenticity with regard to environmental risk assessment and management. The fact that this report has assessed and established the authenticity of the report makes it stand a chance of setting up another facility within the area. The viability of the report is evidenced by the fact that it provides risks assessment and management strategy through problem identification, as well as the factors that are correlated with it. The tools then proceed to identify workable solutions associated with factors like the probability, impact, exposure level and timeline of the risk. Despite the challenges in the measurements, this environmental impact statement ensures that the environmental risks are effectively managed within the incinerator facility. List of references Calow, P 2009, Handbook of environmental risk assessment and management, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Harrop, D Nixon, J 1999, Environmental assessment in pr actice, Routledge, London. Liao, K-J 2008, Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of impacts of climate change on regional air quality, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga. Mendicino, L 2001, Environmental issues with materials and processes for the electronics and semiconductor industries: Proceedings of the fourth international symposium, Electrochemical Society, Pennington, NJ. Rao, C 2007, Environmental pollution control engineering, New Age International, New York. Schwartz, S 2001, Quality assurance of exposure models for environmental risk assessment of substances. GRIN Verlag publishers, Mà ¼nchen. Sullivan, R Wyndham, H 2001, Effective environmental management: Principles and case studies, Allen Unwin, St. Leonards, N.S.W. Syrakov, D, Batchvarova, E, Wiman, B 1998, Long-range air pollution: From models to policies: proceedings from the Swedish-Bulgarian Workshop, 19-23 October 1997, Sozopol, Bulgaria, Pensoft, Sofia. The Port of Los Angeles n.d., Draft EIR ââ¬â Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) Project. Web. United States Environmental Protection Agency n.d., Air Polution. Web. Uyeda, C 2009, Australian master environment guide, CCH Australia, North Ryde, N.S.W. This report on Environmental Impact Statement was written and submitted by user Amber F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Remember Me essays
Remember Me essays Every different genre of novel has different characteristics. With a mystery novel these characteristics included are a victim, suspects, witness, and investigation, secluded area, new found illness or even a character having many flashbacks of some horrible past event. In the novel, Remember Me by author Mary Higgins Clark, through use of setting, character and structure creates an extremely intense element of suspense. The details provided for the setting help to create a suspenseful atmosphere. This novel takes place at a newly entered home by the Nichol's family; one which contains a lot of history and many rumours and speculations. Throughout the story, Menley, the lead character is researching history about Remember House. her new home, in order to write her next short story. Menley, through her research, finds out about Mehitabol the past owner of the house who has a lot in common with Menley. For example Her tone of voice was so urgent. She said that Mehitabol was innocent. p.g 225? This leaves the reader constantly wondering why these two are so alike. Another quote which helps add suspense to the atmosphere is spoken by the Nichol's neighbours. Inside the house? she managed to mumble. Is something inside the house, dear Tobias Knight.? she mumbled. p.g. 268? This makes the reader question if maybe there is something haunting Remember House. Discussing the characters leads to a suspenseful tone or a mysterious mood. There are two different people that add to the suspense due to an odd illness and/or problem. This problem is something that continuously creeps up in the storyline. The character of Menley Nichol's continually proves this to be true through her actions. Many times others that care for Menley show a real concern for her mental health and well being. For example I see, I think we?d better increase your medication. I reduced it last week and I think that it might have b ...
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Illegal Immigration and the Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Illegal Immigration and the Family - Essay Example The separation of family members results in negatively impacting the overall family and especially children. Therefore, illegal immigration has even negatively impacted the family aspect of bringing up and rearing children. Illegal immigration separates children from their parents and as a result of this children experience difficulty in the psychological as well as social development. Many of the illegal immigrant children who have been separated from their family are brought up in foster families. According to Wessler, during the period of 2011 more than 5100 children had to be adopted by foster parents as their blood related parents were deported back to their home nation. Due to this, children experience issues in adjusting to the values, norms and culture of their foster family. Furthermore, some children are not even able to ever gain proper family environment that is necessary for their development. Deportation of illegal immigrants even causes another family related issue whi ch is single parent households. These households are those where either the father or the mother of a child is present and looks after the child. According to Landale et al. more than 22% of Hispanic children were living with a single parent during the period of 2011 (Landale et al.,
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
The Egyptian War of 1882 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
The Egyptian War of 1882 - Essay Example According to the essay "The Egyptian War of 1882" findings, on January 8th, 1882, the French and the British signed a treaty known as the "Joint Anglo-French note" that initiated dual control of both France and England that was sent to the Egyptian government, declaring their recognition of Khedive Twefikââ¬â¢s authority. However, the nationalist opposition to Khedive (Lord) Twefik who was the current Ottoman ruler of Egypt was greatly increased when the European diplomats supported the agreement. Khedive Twefik, due to the opposition, was forced to appoint the nationalists as the prime minister and war minister on February 25th, 1882 (Cromer 359). Urbi Pasha organized a militia in protest against the wage difference between the Egyptian and the European army, which was exposed on April 12th, 1882, consequently on April 12th, and May 20th, 1882, France and Britain deployed small naval squadrons to the Egyptian coast, which resulted in the arrest of some of the militia members. Urb i Pasha, however, had not given up and he marched a troop of his militia to Alexandria on Sunday, June 11th, 1882 where they caused a riot against the Christian and the Muslim in the town resulting to the death of approximately 50 Europeans (Cromer 715). The British reacted to the attack and bombarded Alexandria, which resulted in the evacuation of the port. By this time, Urbi had begun taking control of the government and the British military initiated and intervention backed by Tewfikââ¬â¢s approval.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Racial Identity Development Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Racial Identity Development Models - Essay Example It is during this stage that individuals ascertain themselves with the majority crowd. They have a habit of downplaying and having negative feelings towards their own ethnic society with little salience in their individuality (Sue et al., 1982). Dissonance is evident in experiences or encounters that are not consistent with a cultureââ¬â¢s attitudes, values in addition to beliefs from the initial stage i.e. conformity. Take the case of an individual from a minority group who is not proud of their cultural heritage encountering another person from a different ethnicity that is proud of their ethnic background. During this stage, denial commences and there is a lot of doubt of oneââ¬â¢s attitudes and beliefs once held in the first stage. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. brought about the rapid movement from passive conformity to dissonance stage by a large group of African Americans. As for the immersion and defiance juncture, a minority in society probably has feeling of anger, shame and guilt due to the oppression or racism that they previously had to withstand or tolerate. Ratification of the thoughts of the minority plus the rejection of societyââ¬â¢s domineering values marks this stage (Sue et al., 1982). Individuals tend to focus more vivacity towards having a better understanding of them as minorities and the deeper meaning of this in the introspection phase. As opposed to the intense reaction against prevailing cultures in the previous point, the introspection leg appears to be more pro-active in the definition and discovery of the sense of self. The last period that is the integrative awareness stage is a time of development of the knack to be grateful for both the constructive aspects of the influential culture and theirs. It also involves the adeptness to feel secure. At this point, individuals tend to have already
Friday, November 15, 2019
Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay
Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay Introduction In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, technology surrounds us all. This essay identifies and evaluates the use of technology in the HR department in general and in the recruitment selection process in particular. Technology, E-Human Resources and E-HR systems will de be defined first. Then, the recruitment and selection process will be described along with the different recruitment tools. The different methods of online recruitment will be evaluated along with e-selection methods. The pros and cons of the uses of technology in the recruitment selection processes will be discussed in depth. Finally, a conclusion will be made. Human Resources Technology Technology according to ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANICA (2010) isà the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment. The past decade has seen the introduction, application, and merging of technology in the workforce or as some may label it the information revolution. The information revolution has changed the whole work environment. Most of the tasks are computerized and companies rely heavily on their computer systems. The Human resource department was not immune to such a revolution, the adaptation of technology in HR lead to the birth of E-Human Resources. E- Human Resources ENTREPRENEUR (2010) defines Human Resources as The department or support systems responsible for personnel sourcing and hiring, applicant tracking, skills development and tracking, benefits administration and compliance with associated government regulations. The Human Resources department is the hub of the company. It acts like an advocate for both the company and the employees and is responsible for the employees well-being, benefits, payroll, hiring, team building, coaching, recruitment and selectionetc. E-Human Resources on the other hand refers to the application of technology like the internet in the transactions of the human resources department. (Lengnick-Hall and Moritz, 2003). E-HR aims at running the operations of the HR department smoothly and efficiently, by keeping all necessary information readily available to all managers and employees when needed. E- Human Resources Systems The mixture of the vast growing information technology and the need for continual improvement of work efficiency was among the major drivers for the development of the E-Human Resources systems. (Stanton and Coovert, 2004; Fletcher, 2005). In other words E-HR systems are a merger between HR activities and information technology. Human Resources systems are created by vendors like Oracle and Ascentis, they usually include four modules: Payroll module, Time and Labor Management module, Benefits Administration module, and finally the HR management module. The Payroll module manages and controls all employees salaries and payrolls, while the Time and Labor management modules control attendance, absences issues. Benefit Administration model deals with employees benefits and entitlements. While the HR management module helps in the selection and recruitment process, more on this module will be explained later. Moreover, E-HR systems also include enterprise resource planning system (ERP), HR service centres, interactive voice response, manager and employee portals and web applications. (Panayotopoulou,Vakola and Galanaki 2007). Enterprise resource planning system is used to manage financial, materials and human resources both internally and externally. Overall, HR systems cater for the different needs of the HR department and helps automate many aspects of human resourcing. Recruitment and Selection Every business, enterprise and organization goes through the recruitment and selection process. It is the most important aspect of the human resource management department, as it provides the organization with the essential resources needed for its operations the human capital (Barber, 1998). Recruitment is defined as the activities an organization undertakes in order to identify and attract potential employees (Breaugh and Starke, 2000). Selection is what comes after recruitment of choosing the best candidate for the job out of all the applicants. The recruitment and selection process Getting the recruitment and selection process wrong is not an option for recruiters, the wrong person for the job will not only affect the companys productivity but it will also result in business losses (book reference). That is why most companies follow a somewhat standardized recruitment and selection process, shown in the figure below. Recruitment Organizations mold their recruitment processes or strategies according to the job they want to occupy. In order to attract the right candidates, HR professionals advertise in a certain way, seek professionals or graduates, contact agencies or use the Internet. Recruitment tools In a study by Bernthal and Development Dimensions International, data was collected from members of the Electronic Recruiting Exchange. Among the survey questions was a question about the recruitment strategy and its effectiveness. The findings of the study show that the internet is the most popular and most effective recruitment method while employee referrals came second. This shows that although the internet is new and more effective, it did not replace the traditional recruitment methods. Figure showing Berthals results: Taken from Recruitment Selection paper by Barthal and Development Dimensions International Online Recruitment The internet was not acknowledged as a recruitment tool until the mid 1990s. With the benefits it brought to recruiters, the media described it as the driver behind a recruiting revolution (Boydell, 2002). Many companies now have a new position in the HR department; Online recruiter. Online recruitment is growing rapidly; both recruiters and job seekers around the world use it. It can be defined as the use of the internet to match job seekers with appropriate jobs. In other terms, using the internet to attract potential employees. Studies were carried out to understand and quantify how much recruitment exactly is done online. These studies include: a study by total jobs 2004 that shows that two thirds of the organizations in the UK use job boards. While HR focus (2001) indicated that more than 75% of HR professionals use job boards in addition to the traditional recruitment methods. In the USA, Cober and Brown (2006) found out that 50% of the recruitments were carried online and this figure is expected to increase. Moreover, a study by Capelli (2001) stated that 90% of the Fortune 500 use online recruiting. A poll carried out by The Recruiters Network (website) showed that 45% of the companies filled 20% or more of their positions through online recruitment (Charles 2000). The most effective and popular online recruitment methods are: Talent Management Systems The HR management module mentioned previously pursues talent management. Talent management is the process of attracting and hiring skilled employees, or retaining current employees while helping them work on their own talents. Talent Management systems perform the following tasks: analyze the use of personnel within the company, post job vacancies online, review applicants credentials, track demographic data of candidates, store information, automatically communicate and provide information to applicants and many more, depending on the company. Thus talent management systems are used in the recruitment process. Advertising on the companys site The first, cheapest step a company can take to recruit people is to advertise about the job offer on its on website. In a study by Bartam (2000) figures showed 88% of companies recruiting 50 or more graduates per year advertise on their own website. Advertising on the companys website slashes advertisement costs in newspapers, magazines, and recruitment agenciesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦etc. the internet is global medium, thus making it very much easier to spread the word, while being much more cost effective. The company can also use Google ads as a way to advertise for job vacancies within the organization. Job Boards Job boards are recruitment websites that match recruiters with the most appropriate applicants (also called job hunters) through advertisements and job postings. There are plenty of job boards on the world wide web; the most popular include Monster, CareerBuilder and HotJobs.com. Since these websites are similar and offer the same service, monster.com will be used as an example in order to evaluate and understand job boards. Monster.com Monster.com is a global online recruitment website. Its network consists of 22 local content and language sites. The traffic on the website is estimated to be over 25 million job seeking users and over 100,000 member companies. Its rà ©sumà © database contains more than 17 million rà ©sumà ©s. Two separate studies by Gutmacher (2000) and Leonard (2000) both confirmed that the emergence of monster.com and rà ©sumà © as frequent search words indicates the influence of job boards (monster.com) on web job searching or in other words online recruitment. According to monster.coms employment index, the month of September 2010 showed a 131 employment index the highest so far. More interestingly, Wales showed the highest employment in the UK region. From the figures and information above, it is safe to conclude that job boards are doing well and play a vital role in online recruitment. However, a significant number of job seekers continue to search in general search engines (reference) while other studies highlighted the role of social media websites play in job recruitment. Social media websites The past decade has seen the rise of social media websites. It is now not enough to post your resume on a job board. Social recruitment is now beginning to over shadow the use of job boards and other traditional recruitment methods at some companies (Levinson 2010). Moreover, recruiters are spammed with hundreds of applications of unqualified personnel when posting on big job boards which forces them to look for qualified applicants elsewhere. Findings from a survey conducted by Jobvite (a recruitment software maker) showed that 73.3% of the companies use social networks for recruitment, while 9.3% are planning to begin next year. Another finding shows that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular social media networks used by companies for recruitment. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a professional network, which includes contacts and relationships developed over the years.. LinkedIn provides its users with the means of establishing an authoritative resource on their experience and capabilities, thus making users more attractive to recruiters. Currently LinkedIn consists of more than 80 million members from over 200 countries. LinkedIn from recruiters perspective is a place that provides access to different kinds of reliable qualified talents. The main reason that companies are using LinkedIn is to find passive job candidates. Another reason why companies are using LinkedIn, is because referrals from their employees are highly valued because they typically have a higher success rate (hence the popular employee referral bonuses). LinkedIn helps companies leverage the networks of their employees. Kay Luo, Director of corporate communication at LinkedIn. Hundred of companies use LinkedIn and LinkedIn corporate solutions to post jobs and source candidates for recruitment. The question is: How does LinkedIn work? For example, person x creates a profile, uploads a picture and writes down his skills, capabilities and experiences. A company searching for an employee or a recruitment agency working for that company searches the databases available at LinkedIn, finds person x who has the skills required for the job. The company then looks at his information and if person x is the right person for the job, they contact him. LinkedIn is growing rapidly to the extent to which it is almost unprofessional not to have a LinkedIn profile. Considering that executives and employees from the all the fortune 500 companies have LinkedIn profiles. Facebook Facebook is ranked 2nd among social media sites used for recruitment purposes. It is a social networking site that connects people with their friends, co-workers, family members, and others. Chris Russel, founder of jobsinpods.com thinks that: Facebook is a talent goldmine. Its filled with millions of passive candidates that employers covet. Looking at Facebooks demographics, it has more than 200 million active users. Success recruitment stories, like the Ernest Young Facebook group means: if Facebook is utilized correctly, recruiters can access and select from a wide spread of talented candidates. They key to Facebook recruitment is to create relationships with potential employees in order to make yourself their employer of choice (Facebook Recruitment Tips, 2008) The figure below illustrates how facebook can be used: Selection The selection process is not easy. An executive interviewed by Forrester explained the selection process: We have to sift through lots of resumes, like kissing frogs before you find the prince (Lawrence 1999) Hundreds of applicants apply for the job, companies then have to filter out the suitable ones and filter them even more to find the right person for the job. Technology has made the selection process easier, nowadays there are numerous methods used by companies in order to test applicants. Some of these methods are: Applications Database Applications Database also known as resume database are computer softwares used to keep track of applications. Applications are sent to the database where they are stored, a query containing any keyword the company desires is run to find applicants with the required specifications. This helps in narrowing down the applicants to the most suitable ones. These programs also enable companies to send template emails and set up interviews without the need to manually do it, thus proving to be cost and time efficient. Online testing and assessment Psychometric tests are used to measure the applicants capabilities. It gives the employer an insight into whether the applicant can work well with a group and his ability to handle stress and meet intellectual demands of the job. These tests are usually divided into: Aptitude tests There are several types of aptitude tests as shown in the figure below. The type of test the applicant has to sit through depends on the job he/she is applying for. Taken from psychometric-success.com Aptitude tests measure the abilities of applicants in the area the job requires the most. Personality tests Personality tests include questions about behavior, feelings and thoughts. They are used to analyze the applicants characteristics in order to find out if the applicant has the right characteristics to help him fit into the organization, whether its motivation, discipline, enthusiasmà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦etc. Psychometrics tests are usually presented in multiple-choice formats. The applicant answers directly into the computer or an electronic device. The results are calculated straight away and compared with the results of a control group. Internet Interviews Interviews are an essential part of the selection process. It gives both the employer and the employee a chance to get to know each other and have a face to face conversation. Based on the interview the employer can decide whether the applicant is suitable or not. There are different types of interviews: screening, selection, group, stress, panel, and most recently internet or online interviews. Online interviews are conducted over the internet using video conferencing, it is like a normal interview, except the interviewee is not in the same place as the interviewer geographically. Online interviews give the employer the chance of conducting the interview without baring the cost of the applicants transportation and the time spent traveling; this is very effective in interviewing people from overseas. Reference checks When selecting a potential employee, companies check the employees background for criminal, medical, credit records and job references (subjected to the presence of the search and access permission). Reference checks are commonly done over the telephone and by email. There are also websites offering to conduct employment reference checks for employment like credit-check-services.co.uk. It claims to verify the employees identity; address; criminal record history; employment history; qualifications and more. Automated reference checks make accessing background information quick and easy. The problem with reference checks is permission and privacy issue; applicants must allow the company to do these checks. Assessment centers With the help of computers and the internet, it is possible to create multi user exercises like business simulations. The users of this exercise dont need to be in the same place to take part. The exercise can be customized in order to include the tasks the employer wants to evaluate the applicants in. The exercise is closely monitored and from it the employer can tell which user is doing a better job and who is having a tough time coping. It is to be noted, that one selection method doesnt replace the other. Different methods have to be applied in order to filter the hundred of applicants to the suitable one. Advantage Disadvantages of E- Recruitment Selection There are two sides to everything. The introduction of technology to recruitment selection might be the best thing that happened to HR, but it also has its setbacks. On one hand, the introduction of technology: Enabled companies to identify a virtually unlimited number of job seekers. Reached people at a global level while traditional methods can only grasp the local job market. (Chaskelson, 2000), (Ganalaki, 2002) Reduced Advertising costs, posting a job vacancy on a companys website or a job board costs less than posting it on newspapers. Reduced the time taken in recruitment; it reduced the time taken to post the job vacancy and resumes can be received on the same day. Technology also speeded up the recruitment process by automating some HR tasks. Provided a wider talent market for companies to choose from. iLogos research 1998 shows that the Internet provides better quality applicants as they tend to be better-educated and more computer literate than non-users. Provides 24/7 access to resumes and applicants can send their resumes at any time. Facilitated the use of databases, internet testing, assessment centers which help in the selection process. On the other hand, the advantages of technology are also its dangers. Due to the ease of looking for job posts and applying online, millions of rà ©sumà ©s are sent which makes the screening process hard and time consuming. The presence of internet testing makes it easy for anyone to create a test and post. Loss of human interaction. A study by Arkin and Crabb (1999) shows that executive job applicants still prefer personal contact to internet contact. It cant replace the traditional recruitment and selection methods. Seminerio (2001) stated many companies might still continue to use traditional recruitment services for hiring executive staff employees. The use of internet could discriminate against non internet users or those who are not good with computers. There are also some legal issues with e-recruitment and selection. For example, manipulation could occur in the use of internet tests the person applying may be different from the person taking the test. Overall, the advantages of e-recruitment outweigh its disadvantages. Conclusion To sum it all up, this essay has discussed and evaluated the use of technology in recruitment selection. Online recruitment has been identified as the most efficient recruitment method, it branches into: Talent Management Systems, Advertising on the companys website, job boards and social media network. There are some privacy and discrimination issues with online recruitment, but it does more good than harm. The use of technology in selection helped automate and make easy the different selection methods. It also introduced new ways of doing the methods like: online interviews, keeping an application database, online assessment centers and internet tests. I will end this essay by stating E-recruitment selection is here to stay and evolve the world into a much more advanced place of recruiting, which can potentially curb down global unemployment rates.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Thoughts on Whats It Mean To be Human Essay -- Human Nature Essays
Thoughts on What's It Mean To be Human Last year I had a lot of headaches. Two months passed, and I still did not go to the doctor. However, one morning I woke up, and I just could not open my eyes because the pain that I had in my head would not let me. Also I felt dizzy every time that I tried to stand up. I decided to go to the doctor and present my concerns. The doctor recommeded an MRI test. The test indicated that I have a tumor in my pituitary. Thanks to the great development of technology and good equipment such as the computer system that doctor used to test and figure out my disease, I am being treated successfully with the help of doctors and artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence may be described and evaluated by learning about the Turing test, the Loebners contest and discussing basic human nature contrasted with computers. According to www.encarta.com the definition for Artificial Intelligence is a system that makes it possible for a machine to perform functions similar to these performed by human intelligence such as learning, reasoning, self - correcting and adaptive. In other words, machines are able to do what a human does such as learning, reasoning, etc. Then does it mean that computers are intelligent. The most widely spread definition of Artificial Intelligence is called the Turing test. According to Platts article the Turing test has it origin in 1950, when Alan Turing a British mathematician proposed: If a computer successfully impersonate a human during a free- form exchange of the test messages, then for all practical purposes the computer should be considered intelligent(12). Then the Turing test is quite simple. If a computer is found to give answers to questions that cannot be distin... ...owever, computers are never going to replace human intelligence. Even though an MRI can give you a highly enhanced view of your brain, it will always be necessary for a doctor to look at the results and make a diagnosis that a computer is still unable to do. This is, because humans are spontaneous, they are able to do whatever they want to do without another person telling them what to do. Instead, Computers always have to do what somebody else tells them to do and do not think by their own. Works Cited Artificial Intelligence. 2000 www.encarta.com. ( April 10, 2001.) Laucius, Joanne. Otttawa Citizen. Newsweek magazine. December 2000. Platt, Charles. Whats It Mean ToBe Human, Anyway? Composing Cyberspace Identity, Comunnity, and Knowledge in the Electronic Age. Ed. Richard Holeton. US: MC Grow Hill, 1998. 12-20. News. 2000 www.msn.com. (April 10, 2001. )
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