What best explains peoples willingness to work hard Essay

What best explains peoples willingness to work hard - Essay Example Motivation is something abstract and the difficulties arise when one tries to explain its meaning and application. A wide variety of assumptions have been made on motivation by observing the resultant behaviour of motivation. Based on these assumptions and research findings, motivation has been defined in a number of ways. Vroom defines motivation as a process, which governs choices made by persons or lower organisms among alternative forms of voluntary activity. (Vroom, 1964 as cited in Putti) Motivations are the act of inducing an individual to follow a desired course of action. The desired course of action may be for the good of the individual or for the one who is inducing the individual towards a desired course of action or both. Zedeck and blood contend that motivation is a predisposition to act in a specific goal-directed way. (Sedeck & Blood, 1974 as cited in Putti) Atchison further defines Motivation as the immediate influence on the direction, vigor, and persistence of beha viour. (Atchison, 1964 as cited in Putti) on the other hand Gellerman defines motivation as steering one’s actions towards certain goals and committing a certain part of one’s energies to reach them. (Gellerman, 1963 as cited in Putti) In the view of Shartle, motivation is â€Å"a reported urge or tension to move in a given direction or to achieve a certain goal. (Shartle, 1956 as cited in Putti) Hence, Motivation can make the employees get all the targets settled by the Organisations. There are several ways by which employees can be motivated the most important is to address the needs of the employees. Just as the definition of basic human needs is a highly complex task, it naturally follows that there are no easy assumptions concerning what employees really want from the organisation. In various surveys, the following are some of the more typically specified wants. The first and the

Changing Demographics Essay Example for Free

Changing Demographics Essay New demographic changes, economic globalization, high levels of workforce automation, and pressing health and security issues are intertwined instruments that seem to be changing the global polity. A high level of immigration into countries with a relatively stable economy has tremendous impacts on every facet of the host community. America has thus gradually become much more diverse and multiethnic than it was in past decades. The impacts of changing demographics also affect the education sector. In most American elementary schools, there have been tremendous changes from what was the usual status quo many decades ago. Changing demographics in elementary schools can have both many positive and many negative effects. The positive effects are desired, cherished and encouraged while the negative ones are regrettably unfortunate and measures should be put in place to reduce their severity. With the increasingly multi ethnic nature of elementary schools, the students are able to mingle with students from entirely different backgrounds and ethnic affiliations. This has the advantage of allowing intercultural interactions among students of various ethnic backgrounds. Difficult actions like the acquisition of foreign languages and cuisine are easily achieved. There are also many reasons to redesign our elementary schools so that they are more international in character. Part of the redesign process is focused on making it easier for foreign students to be fully integrated into the communities surrounding the schools. Since elementary schools currently have services that reaching far beyond their immediate geographical locality, many types of support services are being put together to help international students. The management and the faculty of many elementary schools are being forced to revise their curriculums with the aims of internationalizing them. This include the introduction of new foreign languages into the curriculum. It is now becoming very popular to see elementary schools teach Chinese and Arabic along with the more traditional French and Spanish. The curriculums that are inspired by changing demographics are set to make the students become more successful global citizens with adequate information about the world, its people and their traditions. The elementary school teaching profession should become more adept at teaching students of different backgrounds. This will involve professionalism and updated skills on the part of the teachers. Thus, teachers are being forced to go for re-training to be able to meet up with the millennial challenge of teaching elementary students. This is a good omen for the teachers and the schools in general because it could be totally absurd to use ancient teaching methods meant for Alaska born and based students in a class with mixed ethnicity. Due to the NCLB Act, the local educational bodies are now compelled to raise the standards of education in the various elementary schools to meet up with expectations of the parents that are bringing their children to the school. Some ethnic groups are considered to be protected minorities, and a school could face sanctions if it fails to achieve adequate performance among these groups. Studies have shown that quest for quality education is one of the driving forces in global migration. Most of the schools are now raising their standards to complete for the enrollment of students in the schools. The improved standard of education is also making it possible for investments in elementary education to be lucrative. With more foreign students admitted, more funds are being generated. This however, is a disadvantage on the side of the students both local residents and foreign that involved often have to pay exorbitant fees for the education. Like the wind, changing demographics blow students about. Sometimes exceptionally brilliant students are coughed in the wind. If blown to the right school, the skills, talents and abilities of such students could be discovered, polished and utilized to the fullest potential. Some skills are priceless in terms of the prestige that is bestowed on the students, the school and the society. A lot has been said in the positive ways that demographic changes have affected and are currently affecting elementary schools. It would be worthy be also note the problems that changing demographics can bring to the elementary schools. According to recent studies, a high influx of foreign students into elementary schools has caused an increase in the rate of ethnic intolerance. This is also evident in middle and high schools. More children are having divided feelings about belonging to the school over time. It is common to see students in their own ethnic groups rather than as a class. They tend to associate only with students for same background while these that are not are liberated and ostracized. The usual tradition of referring to the schools as a community may seem to have been long lost. The variable changes in the education system have greatly increased the worries of some students about their academic performance. Average students may be seen struggling to be in tune with the rhythm. This may be occurring because of the limitations of language barrier and totally different education methods that may lead to problems for them in class. An intense cloud of insecurity also seems to have enveloped the schools. Students of a particular background may feel threatened by students of other backgrounds. Children from Arabic backgrounds may be seen as potential terrorists. There is also a fear students being infected by an unknown disease that was carried by foreign students. In some countries of the world, most citizens are carriers of some types of parasites and possibly strange diseases or diseases such as tuberculosis. When children from that type of background mix with students with whom they don’t share close ties with, there is the possibility of them spreading communicable diseases. Competition for the limited available space in the elementary schools which are near by s is also creating problems when more students apply to schools, and various measures are employed to cut down the size. These can include exorbitant fees and overstressing the available academic resources. Being social with other people is the desire of must individuals. While having people thought of as strangers in one’s territory may bring suspicions, alienation should never be an option. Children at a delicate stage in their life deserve to be brought up in a loving and severe community and the elementary schools should not be expected to be failing in the provision of these. When the influx of immigrants seems to be going at a rate of is alarming, adjustment may be very difficult. The education system is expected to maintain standardized curriculums and it is expected to create a proper community that could facilitate qualitative education. Students in elementary schools deserve to be well educated and their satisfaction should not be taken for granted at the expense of anybody; everybody should be satisfied. Proper legislation should be put in place to check migration and adequate protection should be given so that elementary schools will not be caught unaware when bad wind blows!

Scarlet Ibis :: essays research papers

In the short story The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, has various themes. A theme is a subject, topic or ideas that happen throughout a short story, essay, or a composition. The three themes in The Scarlet Ibis are Doodle never gives up, his older brother loves him and unforeseen things happen. One theme is that Doodle never gave up on the challenges of life. When he was born everybody thought that he would die, but several months after he was born they finally decided to name him. The doctor and his parents said that Doodle would never be able to get out of bed. To everyone's surprise when they put him on the floor he began to learn how to crawl, but he learned how to talk before he learned how to crawl. They also thought that he could never walk because he was so small and fragile. Doodle learned how to walk. It took while for him to learn, but he did it and never gave up. Another theme is that his older brother loves him. Despite the fact that he embarrasses his older brother he still takes the time to teaching him how to walk. He also takes Doodle every where with him. His older brother shows him love by talking about the future and giving Doodle hope. His brother never gave up on Doodle, he kept pushing him and teaching him to walk. When Doodle died his older brother was a great loss because even though Doodle embarrassed him, he still had spent all his spear time with him. Lastly, a theme in the story is that unforeseen things happen. The fact that Doodle lived as long has he did was very unexpected. When he was born the parents bought him a small coffin. Then they waited three months to name him. They did not even think he would live a couple of days, never mind years. Once they realized he was going to live they did not expect him to get out of bed. Once again they were wrong.

Learning To be a Team Player

1) Can you suggest on how to develop the skills of becoming a team player?To develop the skills of becoming a team player, instead of working separately from your team mates it is more effective to work as a team. Team working can bring benefits to other colleagues. By tapping into the software which can help you share your research, your findings on the reports or the proposed first draft of that vital memorandum with other people as well as the pooled results of other colleagues’ feedback may be a great advantage to you or your other colleagues. By working as a team you can gain more ideas from other co-members. It does not matter if you are team leader or a member of a team, what is important is the way you work together as a team. Each individual has an important part to play in team working.2) How would you relate your personal experiences on learning to become a team player?Based on my personal experiences, I believe that a good team player must possess qualities in orde r to succeed on the job. A good team player must be patient and he must be respectful of other team members’ voice and also he must understand that to be a team player they have to be open minded to the point of view of his team mates. Team players must not hoard information and they should share it with other team mates. They should make sure that exact information is transferred to the right person.They must cooperate and not compete with other staff or the department. Good team players must be optimistic and in addition to that he must be happy to attract other members and encourage recognition of achievements. They should focus on the positive and not on the negative side in order not to let them down. They must understand that complaining and making excuses can cause frustrations on the other members and it fosters negativity. In addition to that, they must be adaptable to change and they must be a good negotiator, which means that in every situation they must know how t o compromise and dissect common points of view of the members instead of emphasizing their differences. Without these qualities that the team players must possess the team will not succeed.3) How do you define job success?In my own point of view job success is gained when you have achieved something important in your job, for instance, you were able to do the task given to you or you were able to find the solutions on the problems that were given to you. Success is achieved when you have attained the goal of the job and you are satisfied and happy with the results. You can say that you have succeeded on a job when there is a sense of fulfillment.4) How to have a successful team?You must have a shared culture in order to have a successful team. Team culture must largely be built on fitness, intensity in training, individual respect as well as respect for the group. In order to have a successful team it is important that: a) Mission must be clearly defined and articulated. Moreover it must be clearly understood. These includes understanding of the purpose of the project, the strategy for getting the work accomplished, the ultimate goal, the benefits that the people will get when the goal is achieved, the measurement system that will be used, as well as how differences of opinion or other conflicts are going to be handled; b) All team members must be positive thinkers.There must be no excuses and saying that they cannot do the task because if that happens, the team will not function well; c) Members must not be selfish; d) Each team member must have enough self confidence and self respect   to respect other members of the team; e) Team members must be ready to take actions if ever there are distractions, abrupt change of course and unproductive or ancillary issues that would greatly affect the project; f) The motives of the other members must be trusted by each member; and g) As much as possible, the team has to be small because if the number people are more th an necessary in a team, the members will then start functioning like a committee.5) What are the tips you can give or impart in order to obtain success on the job?In order to succeed on a job the following tips must be done: a) Team players must exhibit a can-do attitude meaning they should take on any assigned task whether it is small or a big task. They must take the initiative to acquire the new skills and accept all criticism graciously and do not take it personally. Think that every criticism that they will get will be good for improving the job given to them; b) Team players must learn the unwritten rules. They should get to know their co-workers early, ask questions as well as pay attention to how they interact with each other;c) The team members should take their task seriously, be dependable, be diligent and accurate in their work; d) They should meet the deadlines, do the assignment before it is too late and if in cases that they believe they wont bit the deadline, it is i mportant to inform the supervisor right away and explain why they could not meet the deadline, and provide an outline steps that will be taken in order to complete the entire assignment as well as when do they expect to finish it; e) Team players can set realistic goals and expectations. In addition to that, to assess performance in order to improve, they should seek regular reviews from the supervisor.f) When one is new on the job, he must assume that there are people who knows more than he does, but do not be afraid to present ideas that will be useful and may save time, money or solve the problems in a respectful way. Know the proper way to address the individuals, as well as the customers; g) Team players should be flexible and accept wide variety of tasks that will be given to them, even those that may not be directly related to their assignments. By showing their willingness to do this, especially during those busy times, it will help them build theirr reputation as a team pla yer; h) Be a team player, get along and interact with others. Moreover, they must be willing to share and consider the effects of your actions on the entire group;i) They should get a mentor, someone who is willing to take an interest in developing your career and success; j) They should get to know their co-workers; and k) They must be friendly, participate in social function in their work and become an active member in your work community. Do not hesitate to accept invitations from their co-workers to have lunch because with this they can get to know each other well and they will be comfortable with each other in doing your work.I would like to thank you for spending your time in allowing me to conduct an interview. I am very grateful that you have shared some insights and helped me on my research by suggesting about how to be a team player at work. Your suggestions, such as working as a team instead of working separately from your team mates as more effective way in achieving suc cess on a job, your insights on how to have a successful team as well as your tips on how to succeed on a job would be of great help in my everyday undertakings. From now on I am going to do what you have suggested.Moreover, I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing me your experiences and imparting your knowledge on how I can be successful in my job.The researcher has chosen a written report format for the project core. To present a written report format, all the project core questions were answered in complete sentences. All the questions given were answered in at least one paragraph.Project CoreSkill: Learning to be a team playerGoal: To Learn on how to be a team player and to know the skills needed in order to succeed at work.  Why do you want to develop this skill? What does it mean to you in terms of job success?To develop this skill is essential, because being a team player is highly valued today and it is important in achieving job success. It takes s kills to be good at learning to be a team player. Being a team player is a matter of attitude, which means you must be a positive influence on your other team members. It helps them increase their morale by helping to look at the benefits and the positive effects of change which happens within the department and keeping a level head in heated situations. With these skills one will know how to deal with co-workers, and he will be able to encourage them to work with the projects and assignments.Team players would learn to respect and value other members’ opinions and ideas. The skills that the team player will gain and develop can be of great help and be used in finding and solving the problems or situations given to the team. Therefore with these developed skills and with the team effort solutions on the projects can be found, the shortest time possible, thus success in doing the job will be achieved.4) What strategy will help you obtain your goal?In order to obtain the goal t he team members should work hand in hand. They should make decisions using consensus method to create marketing strategy based on their work situation. They should review, analyze and identify successful methods or solutions that will help them in finding the solutions to problems or assignments on their job. Opinion and ideas of other members are important contribution in solving the problem. Each member plays an important part in achieving success on the job. Therefore, team work is important for the team players in order to succeed.5) What first step will you take towards obtaining your goal?Goals and mission must be clearly defined and articulated. Moreover it must be clearly understood. These includes understanding of the purpose of the project, strategy for getting the work accomplished, ultimate goal, benefits that the people will get when the goal is achieved, measurement system that will be used, as well as how differences of opinion or other conflicts are going to be handl ed6) Take the first step and describe your actions and thoughts.After identifying the mission, purpose of the project and goals, the strengths and weakness of each member must be identified. Encourage each member to think positively, motivate and inspire each other in a team. Think about the team’s future needs and discuss thoughts with other team members and encourage them to work together in order to meet those needs. Get their personal opinions and exchange ideas. Review, analyze and identify successful methods and or solutions on the problem or situation that they are trying to solve. Team players must be open with suggestions being offered by each member and they should discuss the problems as a group to be successful on the job. We should take into considerations that each member plays an important part in the team.ConclusionTo develop the skills of becoming a team player, instead of working separately from your team mates it is more effective to work as a team. Team wo rking can bring benefits to other colleagues. You can gain more ideas from each member by working as a team.Team player must possess qualities in order to be a good one and succeed. A good team player must be patient and respectful of other team members’ voice. He must understand that to be a team player they have to be open-minded to the point of view of his team mates. They must not hoard information and they should share it with other team mates. They should make sure that exact information is transferred to the right person. They must cooperate and not compete with other staff or the department.They must be optimistic and happy to attract other members and encourage recognition of achievements. They should focus on the positive and not on the negative side in order not to let them down. Complaining and making excuses can cause frustrations on the other members and it fosters negativity. In addition to that, they must be adaptable to change and be a good negotiator, they m ust know how to compromise and dissect common points of view of the members instead of emphasizing their differences. Without these qualities that the team players must possess the team will not succeed.Moreover, success is achieved when you have attained the goal of the job and you are satisfied and happy with the results. You can say that you have succeeded on a job when there is a sense of fulfillment.  You must have a shared culture in order to have a successful team. In order to have a successful team it is important that mission must be clearly defined and articulated; all team members must be positive thinkers and there must be no excuses and saying that they can do the task because if that happens, the team will not function well; members must not be selfish; each team member must have enough self confidence and self respect   to respect other members of the team; team members must be ready to take actions if ever there are distractions, abrupt change of course and unpro ductive or ancillary issues that would greatly affect the project; the motives of others members must be trusted by each member; and as much as possible, the team has to be small because if the number people are more than necessary in a team, the members wi num num num num num num num num committee.To become a team player and succeed on the job a team must set specific goals. Each member should focus on the goal of the team and they should be held accountable in meeting them. Other members should be allowed to participate in setting the goals. They should work as a team. Different experiences and opinions of each member should be valued. Ideas of each member should be valued. If someone do something well, do not hesitate to compliment a team member. Learn to acknowledge the contributions of others, and never take credits for works or ideas that are not yours. Share your ideas and opinions to contribute to the team.Flexibility must be developed. There are greater chance of surviving and thriving in a workplace for workers who can adapt to changes in a workplace.It is important to become friendly and respectful with other team members. The opinions and ideas of other members must be accepted and respected. Each member must be willing to learn new skills. Teach and share the knowledge you have to other members. Work hard and encourage team members to do the same.When mistakes are committed, admit it and avoid taking the blame on someone else or make excuses about what had happened.Volunteer to help other team members when they needed it. Think about the future needs of the team discuss it with other team members and encourage them to work together as a team in order to meet those needs.Do not just complain about something that bothers you but instead do something to make it better and offer solution and be prepared to carry it out. Learn to compromise with others. Being part of the group, you will not always get it your own way. Learn to accept it when the team d ecided to go with the ideas of other members. Do not hesitate to ask questions for clarification on things you do not understand.

Functional Areas of Business

Depending on the size of organization, functional areas may be directed by specific departments with upper management, mid-level and front line managers. In comparison, a small business is often managed by one leader only, who's responsibilities overlap. Management The management role includes more than simply being in charge of employees. Instead, this position coordinates and oversees the work of others, ensures organization goals are accomplished, and ensures the business success.Furthermore, managers monitor the efficiency and effective use of employees because workers are the most important resource f an organization (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Managers also oversee and control functions that are not obvious, but play a crucial role in the company's success. Law is the legal aspect of business that effect business and small firms. Managers use business law to ensure operations are legally sound, noncompliance with all state, federal and international requirements, and regulations to help solve problems.Human resources or short HER address concepts of personal development throughout employee's lifestyle. During the hiring and training process human resources have a high importance. For proper compensation and if disciplinary actions are taken (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). A large role for managers plays the aspect of leadership which covers different ways to influence employees to achieve organization goal, inspire and motivate, handle conflicts, as well as power struggle and organizational change.Accounting maintains and audits financial aspects of a business that is separated into financial and managerial accounting. Financial accounting studies the creation of financial statement, for example, income statements and balance sheets. Managerial accounting looks at statements and helps make decisions, including budgeting for upcoming projects and control cost within the firm (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Finance addresses the process of setting up and maintaining t he fiscal success of the firm including revenue. Finance is useful for managers in many ways, especially when needing fund for new business venture.The study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services within countries and individual firms are a part of economics. It is used to maximize profits and to Andre market conditions, for example, recessions (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Leaders collect data and use methods as well as static to interpret them to find out important information about their business as part of research and statistics. This fiction will help make decisions on what business practices to continue to use and which ones to modify in the future. Operations management is devoted to increasing the value of the firms supply chain.This function is used to ensure that the process f getting goods and service is smooth and error free (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Marketing interests the end consumer in a product or service and to keep this client happy. Such technique is used to determine which product or service to offer, the type of advertising and creation of a good image of their brand. Strategic planning is applied to ensure origination's goals are met. Marketing helps bring all aspects of the firm together and ensures the company's success (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).The Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy addresses why small business, with between five to went employees, Often fail to grow. Most times, the difficulty directly relates to the little or no knowledge of growth requirement and organizations barriers. A SOOT analysis, which included strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, allows leaders to develop a company goal as well as an action plan on how to reach it. According to Perks, â€Å"Small businesses that grow during their flirts four years of establishment more than double their chance of survival (Perks, p. 21, 2010). Omnipotent view of management states that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success as well as failure. Actions and decisions of leaders are directly related to an organization's success. Well performing leaders adjust and maximize chances, improve bad performances, as well as manage the company. Therefore, managers are compensated for the business' success with stock options, incentives, ores. On the other side, upper management is believed to be responsible when profits are down and then fired or replaced by new managers (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).Symbolic view of management describes the failure and success of companies impacted by external influences that are outside of leader's ability to control. This view is arguing that managers have little control over external factors for example customers, economy, competitors, decisions of previous leaders and others. Managers have only symbolized influence and control by creating action plans, and limited influence of failure and success according to this view. Co nclusion Whether in a small or large company, managers oversee a wide range of functions to ensure the success and high performance of all areas. Functional Areas of Business Depending on the size of organization, functional areas may be directed by specific departments with upper management, mid-level and front line managers. In comparison, a small business is often managed by one leader only, who's responsibilities overlap. Management The management role includes more than simply being in charge of employees. Instead, this position coordinates and oversees the work of others, ensures organization goals are accomplished, and ensures the business success.Furthermore, managers monitor the efficiency and effective use of employees because workers are the most important resource f an organization (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Managers also oversee and control functions that are not obvious, but play a crucial role in the company's success. Law is the legal aspect of business that effect business and small firms. Managers use business law to ensure operations are legally sound, noncompliance with all state, federal and international requirements, and regulations to help solve problems.Human resources or short HER address concepts of personal development throughout employee's lifestyle. During the hiring and training process human resources have a high importance. For proper compensation and if disciplinary actions are taken (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). A large role for managers plays the aspect of leadership which covers different ways to influence employees to achieve organization goal, inspire and motivate, handle conflicts, as well as power struggle and organizational change.Accounting maintains and audits financial aspects of a business that is separated into financial and managerial accounting. Financial accounting studies the creation of financial statement, for example, income statements and balance sheets. Managerial accounting looks at statements and helps make decisions, including budgeting for upcoming projects and control cost within the firm (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Finance addresses the process of setting up and maintaining t he fiscal success of the firm including revenue. Finance is useful for managers in many ways, especially when needing fund for new business venture.The study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services within countries and individual firms are a part of economics. It is used to maximize profits and to Andre market conditions, for example, recessions (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Leaders collect data and use methods as well as static to interpret them to find out important information about their business as part of research and statistics. This fiction will help make decisions on what business practices to continue to use and which ones to modify in the future. Operations management is devoted to increasing the value of the firms supply chain.This function is used to ensure that the process f getting goods and service is smooth and error free (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Marketing interests the end consumer in a product or service and to keep this client happy. Such technique is used to determine which product or service to offer, the type of advertising and creation of a good image of their brand. Strategic planning is applied to ensure origination's goals are met. Marketing helps bring all aspects of the firm together and ensures the company's success (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).The Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy addresses why small business, with between five to went employees, Often fail to grow. Most times, the difficulty directly relates to the little or no knowledge of growth requirement and organizations barriers. A SOOT analysis, which included strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, allows leaders to develop a company goal as well as an action plan on how to reach it. According to Perks, â€Å"Small businesses that grow during their flirts four years of establishment more than double their chance of survival (Perks, p. 21, 2010). Omnipotent view of management states that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success as well as failure. Actions and decisions of leaders are directly related to an organization's success. Well performing leaders adjust and maximize chances, improve bad performances, as well as manage the company. Therefore, managers are compensated for the business' success with stock options, incentives, ores. On the other side, upper management is believed to be responsible when profits are down and then fired or replaced by new managers (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).Symbolic view of management describes the failure and success of companies impacted by external influences that are outside of leader's ability to control. This view is arguing that managers have little control over external factors for example customers, economy, competitors, decisions of previous leaders and others. Managers have only symbolized influence and control by creating action plans, and limited influence of failure and success according to this view. Co nclusion Whether in a small or large company, managers oversee a wide range of functions to ensure the success and high performance of all areas.

Cost Estimates For European Tour Essays - Meals, World Cuisine

Cost Estimates For European Tour Essays - Meals, World Cuisine Cost Estimates For European Tour March 15-Day One the group will be leaving Orlando International Airport by plane on Flight 212 leaving for Madrid, Spain. Price = $418.00 March 18-Day four the group will be leaving Madrid by plane on flight 86 for Paris, France. Price = $288.00 March 21- Day seven the group will be leaving Paris International by plane on flight 124 for Geneva, Switzerland. Price = $130.00 March 24- Day ten the group will leave Geneva by plane on flight 584 for Vienna, Austria. Price = $150.00 March 27- Day thirteen the group will be leaving for its final destination from Vienna by plane on flight 56 for Berlin, Germany. Price = $200.00 Cost Estimates For Logging Madrid, Spain March 16-17 Hotel Serrano Suite $500.00, $60.00 for each additional person per night. Breakfast and dinner included. Breakfast includes assorted breads, Dinner menu will be soup and chicken for the first night, the second night, dinner will include the traditional Spanish plate tapass a 7 course meal. Cost in pesetas = 159700.80P - $1.00=142.59P Paris, France March 19-20 Hotel la Tour Maubourg double bed $200.00, $50.00 for each additional person per night. Breakfast included. Breakfast will include croissants and sweet breads. For one of the nights there the group will go to a Cabaret featuring live entertainment this is a present from the establishment. The other night they will be given $50.00 to go to a cafe or restaurant were they will be able to have soups rare meats and fantastic deserts. Price in Francs = 3080.00F - $1.00=5.60F Bern, Switzerland March 22-23 Hotel Bern suite $550.00, $70 for each additional person per night. Breakfast and Dinner included. Breakfast will include sweet breads and cereal. Dinner for the first night will include a 4 course meal starting with soup, after soup assorted vegetables and meat, next there will be a salad and finishing off there will be dessert. The next night will be left up to the group $50.00 will be given for dinner expenses. Because this is in the German part of Switzerland the German mark will be a means of money. Price in Marks = 2180.10DM - $1.00=1.69DM Vienna, Austria March 25-26 Hotel Aclon suite $400.00, $50.00 for each additional person per night. Breakfast and dinner included, the Vienna cafe is directly below the hotel. The dishes are varied from soups and sandwiches meats and desserts. Price in AS = 10692.00AS - $1.00=11.88AS Berlin, Germany March 28-29 Hotel Alexander suite is $600.00, $50.00 for each additional person per night. Breakfast $15.00 dinner will be a little step for each night $53.85. Breakfast will include sweet breads, pies, cinnamon rolls, and eggs and sausage will be available if desired. Dinner will be served at a nice restaurant, dinner will most likely include pasta dishes meats and vegetables. After the main courses dessert will be served, the first night will have Apfelstrudel paper thin layers of pastry filled with apple slices, nuts, raisins and jam. The second night Gugelhupf a mounded cake with a hole in the center, usually filled with raisons and almonds. Dinner will most likely be the same or a little different. Price in Deutsch Marks = 2429.71DM - $1.00=1.69DM Total Cost Estimate For European Trip In US dollars =$6633.70 Bibliography For Page Berlitz. German Dictionary, Berlitz 1996.

How to choose the right employee benefits for you

How to choose the right employee benefits for you When you’re thinking about changing jobs or careers, salary is likely a huge component of your decision. After all, aside from the job itself, what you will earn is one of the most important factors for your personal bottom line. Yet it’s not the end-all-be-all of your employment package. Your job offer package will also include information about benefits, and your workplace will likely also come with perks and programs that are specifically open to you as an employee. Essentially, â€Å"benefits† are your total compensation package for your job. That includes salary, yes, but it also includes things like insurance coverage, time off, retirement plans, and work-life balance tools and programs. These are less tangible forms of compensation that can vary by company, and are often responsible for a lot of your job/company satisfaction. The paycheck is great, but it takes more than that to make a job feel like a good investment on your own part.Let’s look at s ome of the most common benefits. They often vary by company and your employment status (for example, part time jobs often offer fewer benefits than full-time jobs), but here are some of the benefits package highlights you may be considering as part of a job offer.InsuranceHealth Insurance is a big topic these days, to say the least- and that focus on employer-provided healthcare catapults it to the top of the list of important benefits to understand and consider as part of a new job. Health insurance is common for full-time jobs- less so for internships, contract gigs, or part-time jobs, but not unheard of. Employers typically have a contract with a specific insurance provider and offer employees a choice of plans within that insurance company’s options. The employer subsidizes some of the cost of the employee’s health insurance plan, with the employee typically paying a set amount per pay period to cover the plan costs. You may not be able to negotiate much on the hea lth insurance front because employers are required to provide certain options to all employees, but you can certainly ask about what kind of coverage and plans a company offers during the negotiation phase.Medical healthcare insurance is not the only type you may encounter: some employers also offer dental insurance, disability insurance, mental health insurance, vision insurance, or life insurance. Disability and life insurance can be especially important if there are risks associated with your job, so it’s important not to forget those when considering a benefits package.Vacation and Personal DaysAlong with insurance, vacation is the other crown jewel in the benefits crown. Employees need a break, and companies know that it’s in their interest to offer a certain number of paid vacation days per year. This can vary widely by industry and company, but vacation days are often a negotiation point if the company is unwilling to negotiate much on salary or insurance.When t hinking about vacation days, it’s essential to ask about how each company handles them:Do vacation days accrue throughout the year, or do you have your full number of vacation days on your start date/the first day of the year?Can you roll vacation days over if you don’t use them all in one year, or does the company have a â€Å"use it or lose it† policy stating that unused vacation time goes â€Å"poof† after a certain date?Does the company compensate the employee for unused vacation days if the employee leaves before the vacation days are used for the year?Additionally, the company may offer â€Å"personal† days off that aren’t necessarily vacation or sick days, but can be used for employees to attend to personal issues, like appointments or personal obligations.Flexible Work ArrangementsSome companies may offer alternatives to the 9-to-5-at-your-desk grind. For example, it might be possible to work remotely or to adjust hours to create a s horter work week to accommodate childcare, personal time, or other needs. (For example, working 10-hour days Monday through Thursday in order to have Fridays off.) This kind of benefit really depends on how the company is structured and the demands of your job. If you’re expected to be in the office for client meetings or to provide a particular service, this may be a non-starter. But if your job is heavily email-based or you can do it be teleconferencing in for meetings, it could be a good option.Flexible work arrangements are a good negotiating piece if the employer isn’t willing to budge very far on salary.Family BenefitsMany companies offer benefits geared toward employees with family obligations (children, taking care of relatives, etc.). This may mean on-site childcare or opportunities to work from home to spend more time with children. Many companies also have a relationship with specific daycare providers and can offer employees discounts or incentives.Itâ€⠄¢s important to note that companies cannot discriminate against employees based on family status, so it’s in your interest to take advantage of family-friendly benefits as necessary. And even if it’s not really a factor for you at the time you take a job, you never know if it will be something you need in the future, so it’s best to get a sense up front about your new company’s family policies.Some companies will also help pay adoption or foster care expenses for parents who choose this option for their families.Paid LeaveBy law (specifically, the Family and Medical Leave Act), companies that have more than 50 employees are required to provide up to three months of unpaid leave for a personal or family medical issue, and parental leave for the birth of a child. Additionally, some states have requirements about paid leave, so definitely check your state’s requirements.Beyond that, many companies have policies where they offer certain types of paid leave for personal reasons, going beyond the current laws. There may be paid leave for personal or family issues, as well as a certain number of weeks of parental leave when a child is born. And although many companies are now broadening paternal leave policies to match maternal leave, it’s important to see how- or whether- your company differentiates between the two when it comes to parental leave.Sick days often fall under this heading- some companies offer a certain number of paid sick days per year, while others don’t necessarily track the number of paid sick days until you hit a certain number.Retirement PlansLike health insurance, retirement investment plans are among the most common types of employment benefits you’ll see. In these plans (including 401(K)s, Roth IRAs, 403(B)s, and similar investment plans), employees can set aside a certain amount of their pre-tax salary toward retirement funds. Some companies also have a â€Å"matching† program, w here they’ll match an employee’s own contributions and contribute that same amount to the employee’s retirement account (usually capped at a set amount each year). This matching is not a given, however, so definitely ask as part of your initial benefits conversation with your company.These retirement plans often have strict rules, like penalties for withdrawing funds before the employee is a certain age or limits on how much can be contributed/withdrawn in a single year.Relocation ExpensesIf your new job is in your current town, great- you likely won’t need to uproot your life to take it. If you’re moving to a new place for this job, or changing locales in general, it’s important to ask about whether the company provides any relocation expenses. This can include covering moving costs like transportation, temporary housing, or other incidental costs that can come up in the course of moving from one place to another.If a company offers relocat ion expenses, it may offer a percentage of your initial salary, a flat amount marked for moving expenditures, or the entire cost of the move.Professional DevelopmentOnce a company has invested in you as an employee, it makes sense that they would also have an interest in making sure you grow and improve professionally. To that end, many companies offer built-in benefits geared toward helping you learn more about your field or picking up skills that will help you advance. This could be a yearly budget for attending seminars or conferences (including travel) or money earmarked for classes or other professional development programs. For example, it’s unlikely that your job will pay you to learn German if you won’t be visiting the Berlin office, but that management seminar might be an easy sell.Tuition ReimbursementIf you’re in school while also working, your company may offer a program that reimburses you for full or partial education expenses. This could be a stan dalone course or workshop, or full-time enrollment at a college or university. It’s more common to see official tuition reimbursement programs at big companies, but even small ones might be willing to negotiate flexible work time or reimbursement plans on a smaller level.If tuition reimbursement is relevant to you, it’s crucial to understand what the company’s policies are- for example, does the coursework need to be related to your specific job/field, or will they reimburse a broader range of classes?As you can see, benefits can help turn your job from â€Å"new job† into â€Å"established part of my life.† There are ways for a company to compensate beyond the bottom-line salary number, and the more you know about the different kinds of compensation, the more ammo you’ll have for negotiating for more and better benefits.