Economic Order and Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Economic Order and Democracy - Essay Example For this reason especially, experiments with various kinds f worker ownership have increased sharply in the United States in the past two decades as a response to the problems f capital flight, runaway shops, bureaucratic waste in the managerial sector, and industrial decline. In the Progressive era, when theologians such as Rauschenbusch and Temple made the case for economic democracy, there were few examples f cooperative ownership or decentralized social ownership to which they could point. But today there are thousands f worker-owned firms in the United States and, though they have been characteristically slow in rising to the challenge, many American unions have begun to bargain for worker ownership, worker control over pension funds, and worker management rights. These developments are not yet, but have the potential to become, the building blocks f a genuine movement for economic democracy. (Krimerman 1-4) The Mondragon cooperatives in the Basque region f Spain offer one instructive example f economic democracy at work. In the 1950s a Catholic priest, Jose Maria Arizmendi, inspired a group f students to launch a cooperative stove factory (Ulgor) that quickly grew into a network f foundries incorporated as agricultural cooperatives. Mondragon has since grown into a highly successful and diversified network f worker-owned enterprises that are democratically managed on the basis f cooperative membership. Between 1966 and 1975, sales rose from $47 million to $336 million, and in the 1980s Mondragon became Spain's largest exporter f durable goods. In over forty years, it has witnessed only two closings. The Mondragon cooperatives employ over 100,000 workers in an integrated network f more than 125 financial, industrial, and service companies in virtually every economic sector, including robots and mass transit. Mondragon contains over 75 industrial firms, an agricultural cooperative, five schools, a technical college, and a central bank -- the Caja Laboral Popular -- which is half-owned by its own employees and half-owned by other cooperatives. Founded in a church basement in 1958, the Caja Laboral Popular has become a bank with $2 billion in assets that specializes in making loans to cooperative firms and providing industry-specific consulting assistance. Each Mondragon worker/owner holds one share f voting stock, and profits are distributed in the form f additions to a capital account on which 6 percent interest is paid annually. Seventy percent f annual profits are distributed to worker/owners on the basis f salary scale and seniority, 10 percent are donated to charity, and the remaining 20 percent are reinvested. Because the network's worker/owners cannot withdraw money from their capital accounts until they retire, Mondragon is able to make long-term investments in expansion, diversification, research and development, and reinvestment from its accumulated capita l stock. [TM] The Mondragon network consistently outperforms comparable capitalist enterprises throughout Europe, and thus demonstrates that worker empowerment and cooperation can be turned into economic advantages. Without question, the cultural variables are daunting; it is difficult to imagine how a similarly integrated network f pure-form cooperatives could be established in individualistic

The Iconography in the Work The Clinic of Dr. Gross by Thomas Eakins Term Paper

The Iconography in the Work The Clinic of Dr. Gross by Thomas Eakins - Term Paper Example This social divide may have been typical of many societies throughout history that it is sometimes ironic that the products of this opposite side are â€Å"honored†, collected, or soon appreciated by the prevailing side (politically and economically well-off). With this premise, this paper will try to determine the representation of The Clinic of Dr. Gross. But prior to a full understanding of any artist’s work, it is important to comprehend the artist: or at least an overview of his life, his art work themes, passion, and others that may shed light to any perceived mystery or message that might be conveyed in a certain work. This is applicable to Thomas Eakins’ The Clinic of Dr. Gross. Thomas Eakins Eakins is one of the more important American realist painters who was also an avid photographer and innovator in the field of photography. In addition, he was also a passionate educator who rose from being a volunteer in 1876 to director by 1882 in Pennsylvania Acade my (Foster, 102). In his paintings, Eakins used Philadelphia personalities as his subjects and he has focused on the human figure moving, the anatomy of human and animal body as depicted in his commissioned work with William Rudolf O’Donovan in 1893 to 1894 that created the Lincoln and Grant bronze sculptures in Brooklyn, New York (Goodrich, 282). Eakins is known to have finished hundreds of paintings and his subjects depicted his friends, family, and people known to him. He has been described by Goodrich as the most profound and strongest realist in his time and maybe, beyond (Goodrich, 283). In the words of Kimmelman (P 5), Eakins’ work: is bound up with our national identity as much as any other American artists’, to the point that it remains nearly impossible to see America, or at least to look back on the country in the 19th-century, without some refraction through his art (1). Eakins painted nude men swimming, rowers, sailors, baseball players, his student s, himself, professors, sitters, models and artists, boxers, wrestlers, and more (Simpsons, 28). While most of his active life as an artist showed a difficult appreciation by the public, Eakins was recognized starting in 1902 when he was made National Academician. His wife Susan Macdowell Eakins, also an artist, had been cooperative and provided much of Eakins’ paintings to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Goodrich, 283). The Clinic of Dr. Gross For a modern viewer and un-initiated, the painting, a large 96 inches by seventy eight inches, depicts a theater, probably spherical because behind was the audience, and yet, the painter’s perspective was at the front. There in the middle was the main subject in his coat; much the same like the others. His erect body posture exudes confidence and power, while all about him, the men of the same dark colored outfits attend to their business, except for one who has a fro ck and dress but also of the same dark garment, whose face was turned, her hand and fingers clawed as if to defy pain. The audiences on the background were either attentive or sleepy, but there was one who seems to be busy taking down notes. With the bloodied hands, the exposed flesh, and the medical instruments on the foreground, one will conclude

Making decisions Essay Example for Free

Making decisions Essay Written by Bernard Malamud, â€Å"The Natural† title does place a key meaning to the term, â€Å"the natural† as it is an inspiring baseball story that places a good read. The author discusses several character traits as well as interesting characters that are found in real life. Therefore, â€Å"The Natural† represents its meaning in such a way that it portrays the natural real life characters of America. Furthermore, â€Å"The Natural† by Bernard Malamud is a work different from the rest of the literature he has written. â€Å"The Natural† is a title that portrays â€Å"the natural† baseball craze of Americans; this is something that is very â€Å"natural† in this literature because the game of baseball places a â€Å"natural† exciting feeling within the American public. The craze of the game is absolutely â€Å"natural† and therefore, the author reflects many characteristics and story plots throughout the novel. Therefore, this can be one of the reasons why the title term, â€Å"The Natural† would place the same meaning as, â€Å"the natural. † After reading through Bernard Malamud’s novel, â€Å"The Natural,† I also felt that there were mixed natural feelings of loss and victory associated with the natural life pattern. Malamud highlights on natural traits of man’s emotions throughout the novel where we experience heightened love, sense of victory as well as loss. The beginning of the novel is strange but the story slowly picks up after a span of 15 years where we see the coaches desperately trying to win the baseball game slot. At this particular stance, we sense the â€Å"naturalness† displayed in the story by the author when Roy takes a straight hit at his first ball throw that makes Roy seem very â€Å"natural† at his game. By â€Å"natural† here, we mean Roy’s fluent attempt at his game that makes him the hero of the novel. Though the psychiatrist tries to messes with his mind, a â€Å"natural† instinct is always followed by a sense that shows familiarity as well as fluency with the task that Roy is trying to accomplish. Roy is not a trained baseball player and that is the reason why we would state that Roy’s â€Å"naturalness† in his game is an attribute he has from within. The title, â€Å"The Natural† can also be related to love or infatuation that Roy develops for Memo Paris since his arrival at Knights. Love or infatuation is truly a â€Å"natural† feeling and again, the author maintains the theme of his title that precisely corresponds to the story he is narrating to his audience. Apart from the natural skill of Roy that Bernard Malamud displays in his character, we also come across the natural feeling of love in the story. â€Å"The Natural† truly places an emphasis on its title and the Bernard Malamud knows his choice of the title. â€Å"The Natural† not only displays the realistic aspects of feelings but also skills that the character in the novel is fluent in. â€Å"The Natural† as stated earlier, also displays several characters that show a natural resemblance to real life characters. It is evident to come across beautiful and wicked women in real life and thus, what we read in â€Å"The Natural† too relates to the natural life. Bernard Malamud discusses the several factors that are associated with the natural aspects of one’s life by narrating Roy’s story. Bernard has been extremely entertaining in providing a perfect baseball story that is of â€Å"natural† interest for its readers and the readers comprise of millions of American baseball fans due to the fact that American baseball is the national sport of the country. We further witness how Bernard Malamud tackles the several issues of Roy’s life naturally where victory is definitely a part of one picture and another picture that Malamud represents at the end of the story is the loss. â€Å"Nature† or â€Å"Natural† has different meanings, of which Bernard Malamud has attempted to cover most of the meanings that have been portrayed in the story. Mostly, it is the realism stance of the story that counts in the Bernard Malamud’s narration. The stance of growth and advancement, as in real life, is another sign of â€Å"naturalness† in Bernard Malamud’s text, â€Å"The Natural. † The real â€Å"natural† life also accounts for the good and the bad. We witnessed characters that came from good backgrounds as well as bad backgrounds. Therefore, the realistic â€Å"naturalism† in the novel plays a vital role in giving an insight into the title; that is â€Å"The Natural. † Overall, the themes that can be found in â€Å"The Natural† placed a natural feeling in the heart of the readers. We saw how victory takes place and how the character in the story, Roy faces defeat as well. We also come across the sense of greed that leads Roy to accepting the bribe that made his team lose. The story serves as a valuable lesson for the readers to take the actions and consequences act into account as for every action, there is a consequence. If the action is good, the consequence is good and if the action is bad, the consequence will also be the same. With regards to the title of the novel, â€Å"The Natural†, I agree with it due to its coinciding incidences with the realism of life. The author successfully draws a sense of naturalness in the entire novel thereby making the title, the perfect match for it. Including the themes of love and infatuation, Bernard Malamud completes his story by highlighting on every aspect of human emotions. Bernard Malamud’s style of presenting the story in a realistic manner pertaining to the game of baseball as well as several characters draws a tremendous interest for the readers to look into the realistic factual characters presented by him in the novel. â€Å"The Natural† is a perfect title that applauds victory and sheds light on failure; love and infatuation; the good and the bad as well as choices. This characteristic feature of the novel makes it distinct and unique, the themes of which are truly â€Å"natural† in every sense†¦ LESSON 2: TROY AND ROY COMPARISON Troy and Roy are characters that are similar as well as differ from each other in many ways. Roy had clearly been an achiever in his life, till the â€Å"almost† end. In case of Troy, we don’t see that coming in his life except before he was jailed. Instead, Troy’s life revolves much around his own family and his own past and his own emotional drama. Roy had his love and his piece of infatuation, victory, failure as well as growth throughout the story. We see the same happening in Troy’s case but with a much different note. The only similarity I found through both the characters was their aim to become a baseball player of which, Roy had achieved a permanent status of a â€Å"natural† baseball player while Troy had given up on baseball based on his age. However, in Troy’s case, we didn’t see this aim in his life. Yes- he wanted to become a baseball player, he became the best baseball player but never returned back. He lost the opportunity when he was provided with one. Roy, however, is wise while making his decisions though at the end of the story, he too loses himself towards greed. That is another part of the story. I agree that both the characters have faced setbacks and triumphs in their own way in their respective stories but they cannot be stated as the â€Å"black and white† versions of the same kind of American male. Troy is more of a confused personality who loses opportunities while Roy is an achiever and the only moment he failed was when he was presented a lofty sum by Judge to lose the game or else, it was clear that Roy would have had led Knights to the path of victory. Troy revolves much around his personal life where he is involved with his sons, Cory and Lyons with his wife Rose and his girlfriend, Alberta. His brother Gabriel has a small role to play but Troy’s feelings towards his brother Gabriel where he holds himself responsible for his misfortunes shows Troy’s naive attitude towards understanding issues. Unlike Roy (whose game and success came naturally to him), Troy has an abusive childhood who was abused by his father. Eventually, the same influence and history was repeated by Troy on his other two sons. There is no change of heart throughout the story. We also sense that though there is a considerable time lapse between the lives of Troy and Roy, age didn’t deter Roy from playing baseball again while Troy easily gave up his game. The other similarity that I can state in both the characters is the sense of moral weakness. Troy and Roy are morally weak. Troy cheated on his wife by involving himself with another woman while Roy gives himself in to the bribe by the Judge. Roy’s character is exhibited less emotionally except when he involved himself in love and infatuation. Troy’s character is more on an emotional stance where he has his life and feelings in dilemma since the beginning. Though, both the characters face their actions and their consequences in their own manner, both the stories end with a sad note; Roy with his failure and Troy with his death. However, Troy’s daughter, Raynell does seem like an angel in the story. Troy had imaginarily built fences around his relationships wanting to keep death away from those he loved and those he hated as well. He had built his own boundaries and thus, was an unsuccessful father and even an unsuccessful husband (as he cheats on his wife). Roy’s weakness lies mainly with money and love as he too had a poor childhood and therefore aimed to become a baseball star. Troy is a fifty-three year old man who has built imaginary fences around himself from everyone in his life, including his own wife and therefore cheated on her. Roy, on the other hand, didn’t cheat on him and thus, Troy and Roy cannot be regarded as the black and white versions of the same American protagonist displayed by the two authors. Troy and Roy are similar, but in a smaller sense with each other. They come across misfortunes and in the end, have a sad ending to their lives. Their emotional stance on the events they faced in their lives is different. In both the novel stories, we come across a time lapse that had passed between the characters. Roy, as I believe, is sincere in his motives and is only confused about certain issues in his life. Troy, on the other hand, does not understand the essence of life at all and proceeds with life as it is, without willing to make any changes. Roy, a personality mostly not guided and mistaken, is underestimated though he has had a few bad hits in the baseball game, based on the story. Troy has faced a long hurdle of hardships throughout, especially when he quit his career as a baseball player after going to the prison. We also witness discrimination, apartheid in August Wilson’s play, â€Å"Fences† where Troy is Black and is not promoted for a long time to the position of the driver based on his skin color. We come across no such issue of discrimination in Roy’s case but further, Roy’s foolishness to achieve the woman he wants. Roy is willing to do anything for her and therefore, blindly accepts what Judge offers and thus, lands in a situation where he is a loser. He could have been victorious only if he had used his senses in a stronger way while making decisions (and by not letting his emotional part overtake him). Troy, on the other hand, has his life in a completely irreversible state where Troy’s confidence is completely shattered by the term he spent in prison. Therefore, he couldn’t change what already happened in his life and therefore, didn’t have sufficient confidence to go back to his previous life. Troy and Roy both differ in a great respect but share only some similarities.

The EPA and Anti-tobacco Zealots Essay -- Smoking cigarettes Tobacco

The EPA and Anti-tobacco Zealots Tobacco smoking has been one of the hot controversies of our time. Many people find tobacco smoke annoying, smelly and just plain dirty and unpleasant. Some smokers themselves agree with that sentiment. Today's smoking restrictions, not to mention the attack on smokers and extortion of tobacco companies, could not have been engineered simply on the grounds that tobacco smoke is unpleasant. We needed another reason. So the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) literally manufactured, using bogus science, the finding that second-hand smoke is a class A carcinogen causing death and illness for tens of thousands of people who are simply around tobacco smoke. The major news media, along with anti-tobacco zealots, convinced us of the wisdom of the EPA report. They downplayed or ignored findings showing EPA science to be bogus and outright fraud. (1) The EPA and anti-tobacco zealots "proved" that tobacco smokers harmed other people. Stopping and preventing harm to others, especially to the nation's children, is something most Americans can wholeheartedly support. Thus, all manner of smoking regulations descended upon the nation from bans on smoking on airplanes, in airports and restaurants to bars, workplaces and even outdoor open air stadiums. Let's pretend that the EPA's bogus science about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke is legitimate and examine this business about harming others. The first thing we should acknowledge is that we live in a world of harms. The secondhand smoke from my cigarette might harm you. However, your being able to prevent me from smoking harms me; I have less enjoyment. We cannot say which person's harm is more important and should take precedence. The reason why is t... .... District Court Judge William L. Osteen found reason to nullify the EPA's 1992 report that claimed second-hand smoke to be a class A human carcinogen and cause of lung cancer. He found that the EPA knowingly, willfully and aggressively put out false and misleading information. 2. Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says about large food servings, "It's high time the [restaurant] industry begins to bear some responsibility for its contribution to obesity, heart disease and cancer." Dr. Ronald Griffiths, at Johns Hopkins University, concerned about coffee addiction says, "If health risks are well-documented, caffeine could be catapulted in public perception from a pleasant habit to a possibly harmful drug of abuse." Along with Michael Jacobson, he wants the FDA to regulate caffeine content in soda, coffee, tea and chocolate.

Wedding Speech - Best Woman or Maid of Honor :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech – Best Woman or Maid of Honor I just want to tell Paula how honoured I am today to stand by your side on this special day.. On behalf of the bridesmaids and myself I just want to say how beautiful and radiant your look today, it truly has been a special day for all of us. Paula and I have been friends for a number of years now. Over the years, she has taught me the valuable lesson that friendship is the most important thing next to family. We have supported each other through good times and bad. I have many memories of wonderful times spent with Paula, as we all have. And will cherish them forever. The fondest memory I will now have is watching Paula marry her best friend, the love of her life and companion. I love you both very much, you are two very dear friends to me. In the past year I have seen you both grow as individuals and flourish as a couple. Separately you both are very special, remarkable people, but together you are complete.

American Express Company Essay

American Express Company, sometimes known as AmEx, is a diversified global financial services company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. At present, there are 58,300 employees worldwide working in American Express earning annual revenue of $24. 5 billion. Its assets are valued at $124 billion, with $620 billion in annual purchase volume on American Express Cards and $87. 9 million cards-in-force. Each day, American Express makes it easier, safer and more rewarding for consumers and businesses to purchase the things they need and for merchants to sell their goods and services. An engine of commerce, American Express provides innovative payment, travel and expense management solutions for individuals and businesses of all sizes. Most of all, it helps the customers realize their dreams and aspirations through industry-leading benefits, access to unique experiences, business-building insights, and global customer care. It enables its customers to do more and achieve more. The vision of American Express is to work hard every day to make American Express the world’s most respected service brand. â€Å"Living up to our values is our first priority. † They believe in three operating principles they are: Offer superior value propositions to all of the customers Operate with best-in-class economics Support the American Express brand American Express is the world’s largest card issuer by purchase volume. They process millions of transactions daily as the premium network for high-spending card-members. The American Express is also known for helping mall business owners succeed by delivering purchasing power, flexibility and financial control. Adding on to its roles American Express also provides commercial payment tools and expertise that help companies control their spending and save billions of dollars, offer marketing and information management insights that help merchants build their businesses. The American Express employees are customer loyal experts with industry-leading rewards programs and platforms. They operate the world’s largest travel network serving consumers and businesses and are recognized as the most innovative company in our industries. They are dedicated to serving their customers, 24/7, around the world. The Values which they operate on reflect who the company is and what it stands for as a company. They believe in Customer Commitment, Quality, Integrity, Teamwork, Respect for People, Good Citizenship, Will to Win Personal and Accountability. Human Resource Practices at American Express Being a service industry firm, the employees form the base of all its operations and so the company gives a lot of importance to its HR practices which starts from assessing the need for new employees or new recruits. At American Express it starts with Projecting head counts, Assigning requisition number, identifying relevant profiles and estimating the number of candidates. The recruitment process starts with projecting the head counts i. e. by assessing how many candidates are required at a particular point in time in various departments. As per the requirements identified for different departments the company assigns a Requisition Number which differentiates various job requirements from one other. The Requisition Number is a unique code assigned by the company to different jobs which consists of the job description, minimum requirement for the job and the selection criteria. American Express then identifies the profiles that are relevant as per the requirements given by the Requisition Number and then estimates as to how many candidates will actually appear for the selection process. The company uses different sourcing channels for identifying relevant profiles as per its requirements. American Express uses both internal as well as external sources of recruitment. The Internal sources of the company consist of Employee Referral and Internal Sourcing Team under which the HR department asks its employees to refer the suitable candidates as per the job requirement. A candidate selected via an Employee Referral leads to the Employees getting a specific amount as a form of reward for contributing a resource to the Organization. As a part of the External sources the company contacts with External Vendors and Consultants and also goes to colleges for hiring. Beside this the company uses Job Postings also by advertising in job portals like www. Naukri. com, www. monsterindia. com etc. American Express also uses Social Networking Sites for inviting application by posting on www. facebook. com and www. linkedin. com . Beside the electronic media the company also advertise in newspapers like Times of India and Hindustan Times. American Express, for certain type of jobs, also invites walk-ins. After deciding when to hire and selecting different profiles as per the job advertisement given, the company goes for recruitment. For the recruitment process American Express generally prefers face to face interview. Face to face interview is given preference because of the fact that American Express being a service firm needs to test a candidate’s personality , his/her body language as how the person carries himself/ herself and his attitude towards work and also how he/she interacts with people. Face to face interview besides acting as a platform for assessing an applicant on the above mentioned parameters also allows the company to check the data provided by the candidate. The decisions regarding entry level staffing depends upon the attrition level of the company at a particular period of time. The entry level staffing is done in the form of bulk hiring and contacts from employment agencies are also utilized for the same. Wherein the company sends the required qualifications along with the Requisition Numbers for the vacant positions and then these requirements are matched up with the available candidates’ profiles. American Express hires students from across Campuses of local colleges if they are invited for the same by that particular college for recruitment else they don’t go for hiring in campuses by their own judgement. The interviews are usually held on Fridays, but as the need may be, sometimes they are conducted on Saturdays and Sundays as well. The turn ups on weekend drive ranges from 300-350 for Non Voice Requirements and 150-200 for Voice Requirements. For executive hiring American Express has tie ups with employment agencies wherein experienced people are searched for the Organization. Along with executive hiring American Express is into head hunting as one of its processes for executive hiring to have talented pool of people for the organization. American Express also prefers people from IITs & IIMs for filling up their executive positions. In case of executive hiring American Express generally sells its profile to have good resources for the organization. Once the selection mode is finalized then the series of face to face interviews gets started as the further steps of selection process. Executive hiring is process which requires time duration of 3-4 months at least. American Express is into Bulk Hiring for Voice Process as well as Non-Voice Process. Apart from Bulk Hiring it is also into Executive Hiring. American Express follows a set process for conducting these various levels of interview. Since the number of turn ups for the Voice & Non-Voice Processes are largely high they avoid taking an initial HR Screening Process; the reason behind this is lack of time. The Requisition Numbers that they get have a deadline that need to be met hence a HR Screening Process becomes too time consuming so it is avoided in the cases of Bulk Hiring. American Express is very staunch when it comes to hiring any candidate per se. Hence they believe that a Face to Face Interview & interaction would be an ideal way to judge the candidate. The American Express has four Levels of Interview. First, Personal Introduction Round, where the candidate is required to give an elaborate insight into his Educational Background, his past Work Experience, a glimpse into his personality & the Attitudes and abilities he possesses. Next step is the Voice Assessment Test for Voice Process and the Written Test for the Non-Voice Process. Wherein the candidates are judged upon various parameters like, their Communication, Accent, Voice Modulation, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Spelling, Grammer etc. The reason behind doing these tests is to find the right candidate for the right role i. e. f one would suit for a Voice or a Non-Voice Process. The third step is the Operational or the Technical Round. In this the candidate is assessed on the skills that they possess and that are crucial to meet that particular job requirements. The candidate is interviewed on his Technical competencies & abilities. Finally, they have something called the Offer Round. It is also called the Salary Negotiation Round. This round is all about the Compensation Discussion, a discussion between the HR Manager & the Candidate over the expected compensation & the industry set Compensation Level. Once this discussion comes to a pause a final compensation is decided and an offer is rolled out to the candidate. The Levels of Interview slightly differ in the case of Executive Hiring. The First step in Executive Hiring is matching the profile according to the Requisition Number. Here the one thing that we need to make a note of is the fact that, a stringent HR Screening Process is followed, where the HR Manager strictly follows an HR Screening Checklist, to check whether the candidate matches the requirement as has been mentioned in and by the Requisition Number and the Job Description. All the other levels and steps being the same the only difference lies in the fact that they do not take any Written Test or Voice Assessment Test. This Step is eliminated from the process of Executive Hiring. The reason being that, this level generally constitutes of Top Level Management Employees & Officials and their mode of operation differs from the base or Ground level Employees. Rest they go through the same levels and steps of the Interview Selection Process. American Express believes in On the Spot job offer for Bulk Hiring wherein once the interview process is completed the candidate is given an offer letter. Executive Hiring or Non Bulk Hiring Offer is rolled out in 2days. (Within which the Candidate’s Confirmation is required). When the company hires the candidates in bulk then the entire process of interviewing to offer takes around 2 days and after the completion all the selected candidates are offered a job-letter. To close each Requisition an Average of 2 months is required starting from the process of selecting the forms, short-listing the candidates then conducting group discussion and PI and finally closing up of interview takes around 2 months. Niche Skills and Top Level Security Profiles take approximately an average of 3-4months. The technical skills which are niche, uncommon and difficult in nature to find takes approximately around 3 months because in this the company looks for a specific quality which can be used for further growth and development of the organization. Profiles of Vanilla Skills take 2 months to close. The American Express conducts a thorough Criminal Background Check, education verification and work experience. All portions of the check are completed before the Employee can begin his/her employment with the Organization. These checks are often used by American Express as a means of objectively evaluating a job candidate’s qualifications, character, fitness, and to identify potential hiring risks for safety and security reasons. The Background check at American Express is also used to thoroughly investigate the Employees Background and past information in order to get a security clearance. So this background check is extremely crucial in American Express recruitment process. They give huge importance in the same. If any of the above mentioned criteria doesn’t match in this process or a failure to adhere to the background check norms could eventually lead to the cancellation of the Candidates offer and Blacklisting of the candidate. Wherein the company cancels the application of the candidate or the candidate’s selection is being closed. Information’s which are being written in the resume has to be genuine and should be according to the actual background, experience of the candidate and basically those perfect information reflects the personality & the ability of the candidate. It is very easy for the candidate to prove or perform the same on the spot and simultaneously differentiate himself as the able candidate for the respective post. The American Express out sources its Background Check process to various firms. These are Syndicate firms which does the background check for its new hires in return for a fee amount. The On-Boarding Process begins when Candidate joins them for an informative first–day orientation where they learn the ins and outs of American Express history and culture. On-Boarding involves integrating and acculturating new employees into the organisation and providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to become successful and productive. It is a 2 day process. On boarding includes orientation collection of documents such as the Experience Certificate or Letter, Reference Letter, Educational Documents, Identification Proof etc. Orientation at American Express is a social function which serves as a familiarization programme provided to new employees. It stands as a ‘getting to know us’ programme. So they give information about their policies and working culture means how to work with American Express. In this on boarding process the new joiners are also made to fill various forms such as the provident fund and gratuity. A Separate Training Department with group or individual training in specified areas focused on carrying out assignments connected with related field they are working in which helps in improving the skills and knowledge of the employees. Special training is given to all the candidates from Campus Recruits to Bulk Hires to Executives who are recruited. This training focuses mainly on the rules and regulations the company follows and what all are the objectives the company has to achieve. The Training Methods or Forms of Training that American Express uses are vast. It comprises of Formal Training, for all employees whether they are new hires of existing employees. All and one have to undergo a formal training session in American Express. Another form of Training that American Express follows is Lectures and Classroom Trainings where in the Employees obtain training in a traditional classroom environment as per their convenience and time. It provides the employees with an environment that includes a lab, an instructor, and a structured approach to teaching. Another mode of Training that it follows is Online Training. This method is generally used in case of training the Top Level Officials and Managers. American Express Values every second of its Employees time especially when it is related to the Top management because they are involved with the major operations of the organization. So instead of disrespecting their time by calling them for a classroom session it looks for their convenience. They take up their training programs online which is quicker, simpler and convenient for them. The next form of Training method that they apply is Questionnaire. Where in the HR Manager floats a Questionnaire to it Employees / Trainees and they collect their responses and give them the feedback. â€Å"An unusual method of training its employees but it tends to be more effective than classroom sessions† says Saumyajit K. Pal, HR Manager (MIS & Analytics), American Express.

Exercise to Practice Using the Correct Forms of Be

Exercise to Practice Using the Correct Forms of 'Be' This exercise will give you practice in applying the principles discussed in What Are the Present and Past Forms of the Verb Be? Instructions and Exercise Complete each of the following sentences with the correct form of the verb be. Use the tense (present or past) shown in parenthesis at the end of each sentence. The Hoovers (be) driving to California in an old VW bus. (present)The Hoovers (be) driving to California in an old VW bus. (past)Dwayne (be) writing another note to his grandfather. (present)George Bailey (be) visited by an angel named Clarence. (past)The Hoovers (be) planning another road trip. (present)I (be) happy to be here. (present)You (be) talking in your sleep last night. (past)Uncle Frank (be) reading a novel when the tornado struck. (past)The Hoovers (be) disqualified. (past)The game of hopscotch (be) invented by the Romans. (past)The elephant (be) the only animal with four knees in each leg. (present)The side door (be) broken. (present)King William IVs nickname (be) Silly Billy. (past)There (be) 206 bones in the human body. (present)Richard (be) once a motivational speaker. (past) Answers The Hoovers  are  driving to California in an old VW bus.The Hoovers  were  driving to California in an old VW bus.Dwayne  is  writing another note to his grandfather.George Bailey  was  visited by an angel named Clarence.The Hoovers  are  planning another road trip.I  am  happy to be here.You  were  talking in your sleep last night.Uncle Frank  was  reading a novel when the tornado struck.The Hoovers  were  disqualified.The game of hopscotch  was  invented by the Romans.The elephant  is  the only animal with four knees in each leg.The side door  is  broken.King William IVs nickname  was  Silly Billy.There  are  206 bones in the human body.Richard  was  once a motivational speaker.