Shel Silverstein Biography Essay Example

Shel Silverstein: Biography Paper Shel Silverstein Shel Silverstein has been recognized as one of the most talented and successful authors for poetry of his time. Shel grew up learning more talents than most of the other children. His career was full of success; many believe he was born with the natural ability to write. He had a strong sense of humor that greatly influenced his writing. Sheldon Allan Silverstein, usually known as Shel, was born in Chicago on September 25, 1930. Shel was not like the other children. â€Å"When I was a kid,† he told publishers Weekly in 1975, â€Å"I would much rather have been a good baseball player or a hit with the girls. But I couldn’t play ball. I couldn’t dance. So I started to draw and to write. I was lucky that I didn’t have anyone to copy, be impressed by. I had developed my own style. † Shel grew up learning many talents such as playing the guitar, drawing cartoons and writing songs. He spent his childhood in Chicago where his relatives resided. When Shel was 21, he became an aspiring cartoonist and joined the newspaper staff for Stars and Stripes. He was drafted in 1952 and served until 1955. When he began working there, it became very apparent that he had never had a job like this; it gave him excellent experience. We will write a custom essay sample on Shel Silverstein: Biography specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Shel Silverstein: Biography specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Shel Silverstein: Biography specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This job was supposed to be very serious, but knowing Silverstein, he had to add his own witty humor. Later on his life, he became a songwriter and his music was put in a country album. One could often find Silverstein in Greenwich Village, Key West, Martha’s Vineyard, and Sausalito, California. He continued to create plays, songs, poems, stories, and drawings up until his death in May of 1999. Shel Silverstein had many famous books in his career. He was known for his amazing ability to make words rhyme. His first collection of poems was published in 1974. In 1964, he published The Giving Tree, which is still a classic today. In 1981, A Light in the Attic was published, following Falling Up in 1996. They both hit the best sellers list and stayed on The New York Times Best Sellers List for many months. A Light in the Attic shattered all previous records with its 182-week time span. Shel’s stories are classics in the poetry world. Many children are exposed to his books for their introduction to poetry. Even after Shel’s death, his books continued to sell. He is also known for having a successful career in song writing. He was able to take the credit for the Unicorn Song and I’m Checking Out, which were nominated for an academy award in 1991. In 1984, Shel won a Grammy for the Best Children’s Album for Where the Sidewalk Ends. Shel than became part of the staff at Playboy. He was hired by Hugh Hefner to draw cartoons and write poems for the magazine. Shel won a lot of awards when he was alive, more than most authors. In 1974, he won the New York Times Outstanding Book Award for Where the Sidewalk Ends. In 1981, he won the Michigan Young Readers Award, also for Where the Sidewalk Ends. The Missing Piece Meets the Big O won the International Reading Associations Children’s Choice Award in 1982. In 1983, Light in the Attic won the Buckeye award. Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends won the George G. Stone award in 1984. Overall, Sheldon Silverstein’s life was very successful. His family was very supportive of what he wanted to do, even starting with his childhood. He won many awards and accomplished great things in the poetry world. His ideas were witty and brilliant. He will always be known in history for the way he presented his life. Shel Silverstein lived by the motto, â€Å"have a good time. †

Performance Evaluation Procedures and Tools

Performance Evaluation Procedures and Tools Introduction This paper aims to describe and evaluate performance appraisal techniques, used in the United States Army. We are grateful to Lieutenant John Carlyn who agreed to spend time on this interview and share his expertise with us.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Evaluation Procedures and Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, in this paper we are going to make recommendations which can improve performance procedures and tools in this organizations. Despite the fact that a great number of scholarly works have been dedicated to the study of performance appraisal, there is no universal pattern that would guarantee an objective evaluation of performance. Literature Review In recent years, performance appraisal has become one of the most crucial tasks for many HR managers as it is instrumental for good employee retention and organizational performance. A well-developed remuneration system i s crucial for the reduction of staff turnover because a person, who feels that he/she is valued by the management, is rather unlikely to search for a different job (Whiting et al 2008). More importantly, an effective performance appraisal system helps to work out training programs for the employees. If the manager carefully monitors and evaluates a person’s performance throughout a certain period of time, for example, three or four months, he/she will be able to see which skills he should acquire or elaborate. During the last decade, many leading companies decided to take a new approach to performance appraisal. It became evident that the evaluation of performance, which relies only on numerical data, leads to job dissatisfaction and high turnover rates. The thing is that the volume of employee’s output often depends upon many out-of-control factors such the functioning of supply chain, the structure of organization, the efficiency of the managers and so forth. Thus, q uantitative assessment of performance does not fully reflect the skills of the employee and his contribution to the company’s successes. For this reason, both scholars and managers tried to map out more efficient performance appraisal methods.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the whole, job performance is measured according to such parameters as quantity, quality, time and cost. One of the most important parts of performance assessment is job analysis. At this stage, the manager has to identify the skills, abilities and knowledge, required from a person (Goel, 2008, p 153). During job analysis it is vital to single out those quantitative and qualitative characteristics which can be measured. At present, there are a great number of performance evaluation methods. In recent years, 360-degree feedback has become increasingly popular. It can be explained by the fact th at many organizations attach much importance to quality management. The essence of this technique lies in the following: the performance appraisal of an employee is based on the feedback, provided by his/her colleagues, customers, subordinates and the executive officers (Schneier et al, 1995, 208). In their article Steven Whiting and his colleagues (2008) maintain that a manager should focus not only on a task performance of an employee, but also on his interactions with other coworkers. For example, if he/she helps other employees, who cannot cope with tasks, the manager ought to include this information in the assessment report. Furthermore, the scholars argue that such criterion as organizational loyalty should also be taken into consideration by people, who conduct performance appraisal (Whiting et al, 2008). Overall, the framework, proposed by the authors, is supposed to enhance employee’s satisfaction with their job and motivate them. This method aims to evaluate variou s qualitative characteristics of person’s performance such as teamwork, leadership, customer satisfaction. There are other strategies for assessing the quality of employee’s job performance; yet this one is the most accurate and objective. The greatest challenge, faced by both managers and employees is subjectivity and bias. There is no performance appraisal technique that completely eliminates them. 360-degree assessment seems to us as the most useful tool for performance assessment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Evaluation Procedures and Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, we have analyzed theoretical approaches to performance appraisal. At this point, it is vital for us to show how it is done in practice. For this purpose, we have interviewed Lieutenant John Carlyn of the United States Army, who explained the principles of performance appraisal in this organization. The text o f the interview During this interview, we have asked Lieutenant John Carlyn about performance appraisal strategies, applied in the United States Army. In particular, we inquired about various stages of performance of appraisal and the dimensions according to which job performance is measured. The transcript of the interview How many individuals work for the organization? At the moment, the personnel of the US Army number more than half a million people. It is one of the largest organizations in the world. I assess the performance of fifty people, who are under my command. How often are appraisals conducted? The appraisals are performed on an annual basis. Are appraisals formal, informal, or a combination of both? Well, I try to combine both formal and informal assessment. There is a standard evaluation form that helps measure task performance. Each member of the personnel receives my performance appraisal report at the end of October. However, I also try to discuss the results with each of my subordinates. You know, the person needs to know exactly which areas of his performance need improvement and in some cases, a standardized report is not sufficient.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Is a standard evaluation form that is used? If so, is it used consistently? Yes, I’ve said before, we do use performance evaluation form; it is a tool, used to monitor and document performance of each personnel member. What dimensions of performance are evaluated? Why? There are several dimensions which ought to be measured: task or mission performance, interpersonal skills, leadership qualities, technical efficiency, and the behavior, which is not directly related to a person’s duties. While evaluating the performance of each subordinate, do you employee a 360 degree assessment? Well, yes, I’m aware of this technique, I do take into consideration the feedback, provided by a person’s peers. This helps to better evaluate his teamwork and interpersonal skills. However, the use of 360 degree assessment is not mandatory; it is optional. You have mentioned the behavior, which is not associated with immediate duties. What exactly do you mean? You know, a soldie r of the US Army must be perfect not only in terms of professionalism but in terms of ethics. Every incident that can affect the public image of this organization is documented and taken in account by the performance assessor. You have mentioned interpersonal skills. What kind of skills do you refer to? Well, I mean person’s willingness to help those people, who lag behind, or leadership skills such as ability to motivate others. What do you like and dislike about conducting performance appraisals? You know, I don’t like the fact that performance appraisal has to be based on someone’s subjective opinion. Although, appraisal methods are standardized, there is still a room for bias. In fact, there are many cases, when people disagree with the results of assessment, and in the long term it can give rise to many workplace conflicts. This is why I combine both formal and informal assessment. It’s important to discuss the results of performance appraisal with t he subordinates. What components of the evaluation process need improvement? It seems to me that performance appraisals should be conducted more than once a year. Annual assessments can overlook many important details. Some of person’s achievements can go unregistered and this often leads to job dissatisfaction. Besides, I think that mission-based performance assessment does not reflect personal progress. Could you please speak more about this mission-based assessment As you know, the performance is evaluated according to a certain grading scale that includes such points as Excellent, Adequate, Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory. When you evaluate the soldier’s performance from a mission-based point of view, there are basically only two grades, excellent and unsatisfactory. The thing is that the results of any task or mission usually depend on many out-of-control factors. This is why it is sometimes quite difficult to conduct performance appraisals. Critical analysis This interview indicates that such an organization as the United States Army has a very complicated system of performance appraisal. It includes both quantitative and numerical data, which helps to measure a person’s reflection throughout a certain period of time, namely a year. Yet, as John Carlyn pointed out the performance appraisal, conducted on an annual basis, does not fully reflect the achievements that an employee has made during this time. Probably, this is the reason why so many companies carry out performance appraisals at least twice or thrice a year (Goel, 2008). The second aspect, which requires in-depth examination, is the so-called mission-based assessment. Overall, this approach is based on the premise that an individual performance can be measured according to the outcomes of a certain task or mission. This method is more suitable for evaluation of team performance, rather than that one of an individual. As John has outlined in his interview, the outcomes of a m ission or operation are influenced by many external factors, such as the reliability of intelligence data, meticulousness of planning, or time available for this mission. Those people, who work in the army, are usually dependent on someone else. Therefore, we can say that mission-based performance appraisal is not the most effective tool. Recommendations On the basis of this discussion, we can make the following recommendations. First, it might be prudent to conduct performance appraisal two or three times a year. It has to be admitted that this change would entail a great deal of paperwork but in this way a person will be better able to see which areas of his skills need improvement. Besides, an annual assessment can be too superficial, it does not register the development of employee’s skills or his/her minor achievements. As a result, it forces a person to a belief that he/she is not valued according to his merits and this is one of the problems, which any organization sho uld avoid. Secondly, one has to find an alternative to a mission-based performance appraisal. Although this technique is not used very often, it may influence a person’s attitude toward the organization, itself. Such approach to performance evaluation can be regarded as unfair and biased because it aims to evaluate the outcomes of a mission or a task, but it cannot measure individual contribution of each member of the staff. Finally, we can argue that the US Army should make a more efficient use of 360 degree appraisal. This strategy is registering and evaluating qualitative aspects of an employee’s work. It appears that this method will be quite applicable for the needs of a military institution. Conclusion Thus, in this paper we have discussed strategies of performance evaluation, used by modern organizations. Much more attention is now being paid to the qualitative dimensions of performance but in fact, there are only very few methods, which enable to measure these qualitative characteristics. This is one of the key difficulties, faced by HR managers. This research focuses on a very specific type of organization: the United States Army. This is one of those cases, when a performance appraisal has to be based mostly on qualitative characteristics. The interview, which we have conducted, shows that evaluation of performance is one of the most challenging tasks, faced by the commanding officers. The problem is that an annual performance appraisal does not always include the progress that a person made during this time. In this paper, we have proposed a framework, which relies on 360-degree assessment. This model can improve the organizational performance and enhance job satisfaction. Reference List Goel V. (2008). Performance Appraisal and Compensation Management: A Modern  Approach. NY: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Muchinsky, P. M. (2009) Psychology applied to work: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology. Summerfield, NC.: Hyper graphic Press Schneier. C. E. Shaw. D. Beatty. R. Baird L. 1995 Performance measurement,  management, and appraisal sourcebook. Ney Jersey: Human Resource Development. Whiting, S. W., Podsakoff, P. M., Pierce, J. R. (2008). Effects of task performance,  helping, voice, and organizational loyalty on performance appraisal ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 9(1), 125-139.

Research Paper, Finance and Accounting Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

, Finance and Accounting - Research Paper Example Research Paper, Finance and Accounting Hence having an accounting background opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities. Accounting has always been considered as the language and basic tool of business and it is concerned with determining how a business is doing and what the bottom line of the business is. The demand for accountant has been growing and it is outstripping supply. There are a lot of field where accounting can be done like tax, managerial, audit, forensic, governmental, consulting etc. This paper will discuss about the pros and cons of each of the above field of accounting and arrive at the most important one among them which is more relevant today. Managerial accounting is referred to as management accounting and is defined as the internal business building role of finance and accounting professionals who designs, implement and manage internal systems that supports effective decisions and support, plan and control, the value creation operation of an organization. In other words, managerial accounting supports the decision making process through planning and controlling operations. Managerial accounting emphasizes on future event of a company and hence is often considered to be forward looking and uses past result as the basis for estimating future results. It increases the efficiency of a company as everything is done in management accounting in a scientific way of evaluation and compares the performance of the company.

Healthcare Business & Financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthcare Business & Financing - Essay Example Various empirical studies that have done over the past by the researchers to prove that there is a relationship between social, economic status and heath results. For example, a group of researchers of Internal medicine carried out research to determine whether there is a correlation between socioeconomic status and results for patients with a heart attack. The research discovered that poor patients who have been with a heart attack perform worse as compared to patients from the rich families. The argument may be by the fact that the poorest patient tend to undergo via extreme stress because they cannot meet their medical expenses as compared to the rich patients. Further, the study discovered those poor patients diagnosed with a heart attack were found to die early as compared to the rich. The reason for early death is due to the social, economic status. It was observed that patients from power social and economic background could not afford quality health care due to their low inco mes. In addition, patients from the poor background are unable to adapt/change their lifestyle as compared to the rich. The discussion indicates that there is a relationship between socioeconomic status and health outcomes (Alter et al., 2006). In America, health care is a privilege but not a right. Americans believe in conservatism; every individual should be able to cater for their needs including health care. The federal government has a role of empowering its citizens so that they can take care of their needs. The US constitution does not provide health care as a right. The Americans have been paying their medical bills without relying for the government to pay their medical bills. It is imperative to note that there is various reimbursement methods in healthcare system used to pay medical bills and include; billed, historical, specific service charge, bundle charge and capitulated reimbursement

Analyze the Art Exhibit by Ken Ellis, Gathering Essay

Analyze the Art Exhibit by Ken Ellis, Gathering - Essay Example This goes a long way to help them define themselves. Arts also add depth to people’s cultural backgrounds. This essay seeks to analyze Ken Ellis â€Å"Gathering† and some of his other art works as portrayed in the Chicago cultural center exhibition. The event is to take place at Chicago and this suggests that it would be a successful one. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, with a population of nearly three million people. It is a cultural city as most cultural events take place and this is proven by the number of facilities that promote the cultural scheme. The facilities range from dozens of cultural institutions, historical sites, and museums, more than 200 theaters, and nearly 200 art galleries. There are also some few factors which suggest and prove as to the fact where nearly 40 million people visit Chicago annually. Some of these factors are Chicago being the first and largest municipalities to require public art in various strategies and this led to passage of the Percentage-for-Arts Ordinance in 1978, and the Art Institute of Chicago which has one of the largest and most extensive collections of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings in the world. The building and street where the exhibition is to be held is accessible and convenient. The Chicago cultural center, 78 E. Washington St. ... According to Galvin, the programme can be experimental, intellectual, or innovative. An analysis of the event’s programme reveals that it is intellectual in nature. The event is meant to be a talk about Ken Ellis exhibition of â€Å"Gathering.† Ideas are exchanged between different people as they try to justify their opinions on their understanding of the painting. This allows for most of the people to think extensively and base their perspectives about the painting on a broader point of view. The content of the exhibition is shallow as it is based on the single painting of Ken Ellis and this narrows down the whole event content-wise. Therefore, most of the people at the exhibit are narrowed to a particular content of the exhibition and this discourages them to think from a wider perspective about the whole exhibition (Surin, 2009). Also the exhibition is held in the Chicago cultural center and thus the programme relates to the definition of the center as the Ken Ellis â€Å"Gathering â€Å" points out on a cultural perspective as lots of people are seen to have gathered either for a function that involves the whole society. This also proves that the exhibition is based on a simple platform as the title is quite simple, understandable and relevant to the artistic painting. This eliminates the seriousness except for the fact that most people might come up with many questions regarding the painting as one has the freedom to think on a broader perspective about the painting. The exhibition also gives room for an international platform as the painting may be associated with most cultures all around the world since gatherings are the only ways to reach masses on any matters concerning the society

The oddyssey in popular culture Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many forms of popular culture today are inspired by themes, characters, and other references in various types of classical literature. John Denver’s song â€Å"Calypso† parallels with a number of the themes in Homer’s the Odyssey. The Odyssey’s themes involving Odysseus’ journey back home and the aid of gods and goddesses directly influence â€Å"Calypso.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first stanza in Calypso is influenced by Odysseus’ journey to back to his homeland. The first couple of lines compare a dream to sailing on the ocean where at times it is crystal clear and calm while other times like riding on the â€Å"crest of a wild raging storm†. Denver uses the dream metaphor as a means to show that a dream can be like a nightmare or a fantasy. This metaphor is influenced by Odysseus’ good and bad times on the sea. There are many instances where Odysseus faces struggles on the ocean. Whether Odysseus has to fight a huge storm like the one that washes him up on Kalypso’s island or he has to elude dangerous monsters such as Skylla and the whirlpool Kharybdis on the sea, the ocean can be a very dangerous place. Odysseus also encounters times where the sea is very forgiving to him. The storm that washes him up to the land of Phaecia, a fairy-tale fantasyland, results in a safe and smooth passage home along with num erous treasures. The next couple of lines refer to working in the service of life and living trying to find the answers of the unknown. Odysseus ...

Health Administrator Essay

Terminology[edit]Health systems management or health care systems management describes the leadership and general management of hospitals, hospital networks, and/or health care systems. In international use, the term refers to management at all levels.[1] In the United States, management of a single institution (e.g. a hospital) is also referred to as â€Å"Medical and health services management†[2] â€Å"Healthcare management† or Health Administration. It ensures that specific outcomes are attained, that departments within a health facility are running smoothly, that the right people are in the right jobs, that people know what is expected of them, that resources are used efficiently and that all departments are working towards a common goal. Hospital administrators[edit]These are individuals who act as the central point of control within hospitals. These individuals may be previous or current clinicians, or individuals with other backgrounds. There are two types of administrators, generalists and specialists. Generalists are individuals who are responsible for managing or helping to manage an entire  facility. Specialists are individuals who are responsible for the efficient operations of a specific department such as policy analysis, finance, accounting, budgeting, human resources, or marketing. [3] Whether better administrators come from within or outside of the health profession is a matter of current debate.[citation needed] Training and Organisations[edit]Associated Qualifications[edit]Health care management is usually studied through healthcare administration[4] or healthcare management[5] programs in a business school or, in some institutions, in a school of public health. Although many colleges and universities are offering a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration,[6] a master’s degree is considered the â€Å"standard credential†[7] for most health administrators in the United States. Research and academic-based doctorate level degrees, such as the PhD in Health Administration and the Doctor of Health Administration, prepare health care professionals to turn their clinical or administrative experiences into opportunities to develop new knowledge and practice, teach, shape public policy and/or lead complex organizations. There are multiple recognized degree types that are considered equivalent from the perspective of professional preparation. The Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) is the accrediting body overseeing master’s-level programs in the United States and Canada on behalf of the United States Department of Education. It accredits several degree program types, including Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA), Master of Business Administration in Hospital Management (MBA-HM), Master of Health Administration (MHA), Master of Public Health (MPH, MSPH, MSHPM), Master of Science (MS-HSM, MS-HA), and Master of Public Administration (MPA). Professional Organizations[edit]There are numerous professional associations related to health systems management, which can be subcategorized as either personal or institutional membership groups. Personal membership groups are  joined by individuals, and typically have individual skill and career development as their focus. Larger personal membership groups include the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Institutional membership groups are joined by organizations; they typically focus on organizational effectiveness, and may also include data-sharing agreements and other best-practice sharing vehicles for member organizations. Prominent examples include the American Hospital Association and the University Healthsystems Consortium. History[edit]In the United States, the first modern health systems management program was established in 1934 at the University of Chicago.[8] At the time, programs were completed in two years – one year of formal graduate study and one year of internship. In 1958, the Sloan program at Cornell University began offering a program requiring two years of formal study,[9] which remains the dominant structure in the United States and Canada today (see also â€Å"Academic Preparation†). Health systems management has been described as a â€Å"hidden† health profession [10] because of the relatively low-profile role managers take in health systems, in comparison to direct-care professions such as nursing and medicine. However the visibility of the management profession within healthcare has been rising in recent years, due largely to the widespread problems developed countries are having in balancing cost, access, and quality in their hospitals and health systems.[11] See also[edit]Master of Health Administration Upsilon Phi Delta American College of Healthcare Executives Nosokinetics References[edit]1.Jump up ^ â€Å"World Health Organization – Management†. 2.Jump up ^ â€Å"Bureau of Labor Statistics†. 3.Jump up ^ â€Å"Health Care Administrator†. Retrieved 11 September 2012. 4.Jump up ^ â€Å"healthcare administration† 5.Jump up ^ â€Å"healthcare management† 6.Jump up ^ â€Å"Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Healthcare Administration†. 7.Jump up ^ â€Å"Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook entry†. 8.Jump up ^ â€Å"University of Chicago – Graduate Program in Health Administration and Policy†. 9.Jump up ^ Stevens, R. (1999). â€Å"In sickness and in wealth: American hospitals in the twentieth century.† Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 10.Jump up ^ Haddock, C. C., & McLean, R. D. (2002). â€Å"Careers in Healthcare Management: How to Find your Path and Follow It.† Chicago: Health Administration Press. 11.Jump up ^ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2006). â€Å"Rising health costs put pressure on public finances, finds OECD.† Retrieved January 20, 2009 from the OECD Web site: http://www.oecd.org/document/37/0,3343,en_2649_201185_36986213_1_1_1_1,00.html External links[edit]American College of Healthcare Executives Association of University Programs in Health Administration Healthcare Financial Management Association Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Healthcare Leadership Alliance Home Economics Archive: Tradition, Research, History (HEARTH) An e-book collection of over 1,000 books spanning 1850 to 1950, created by Cornell University’s Mann Library. Includes several hundred works on hospital administration—particularly hospital nutrition—in this period, itemized in a specific bibliography. Journal of Health Administration Education MHA Guide – Directory of Health Administration Programs Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – Reviews of health systems World Health Organization – ‘Making Health Systems Work’ series