Books on French History

This page indexes onsite bibliographic information about French history. General Histories The best one-volume books, plus a bonus for people wanting one book on recent events. A Concise History of France by Roger Price: Part of the Cambridge Concise Histories series, (and so linked to another book on this list), this text is a middle length run through of a fascinating but at times complicated history. The third edition has an extra chapter on very modern France.The Cambridge Illustrated History of France by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie and Colin Jones: This is a great one-book summary of France’s history, with a broad range and plenty of visual stimuli.The History of Modern France: From The Revolution to the Present Day by Jonathan Fenby: French history in the post-Napoleonic era is no less interesting than the time before. It is good for the European Union and precursors as well as France. The Best Books Want to start reading about French history, but aren’t sure where to start? We’ve broken down the best books we’ve run on French history and divided them into three lists; we’ve also paid attention to covering as much ground as possible. Pre-Revolutionary France: Top 10France evolved around the turn of the first millennium, but this list goes back to the decline of the Romans to fill in all the eras. Wars against England, wars over religion, and the (possible) apogee of absolutism. The French Revolution: Top 10Probably the turning point around which modern European history revolved, The French Revolution began in 1789, changing both France, the continent and then the world. These ten books include one of my favorite ever history books. Post-Revolutionary France: Top 10French history didn’t end with the defeat of Napoleon, and there’s plenty to look for in the last two hundred years if you want fascinating events and interesting characters. Reviews and Summaries Check out this list of product summaries, that highlight the pros and cons of some stand-out books on French history. The list provides a brief review and lists supplementary detail; many entries also link to full reviews, including the below.​ Citizens by Simon SchamaThis book is a standout among all history books, not just those about French history. This history of the revolution from the early days to the start of the Directory is no less than fascinating but perhaps too baroque for the younger student.​The French Revolutionary Wars by Gregory Fremont-BarnesThe French Revolutionary Wars often get folded into the Napoleonic Wars, so this book that tackles them alone. is well-appreciated.The Oxford History of the French Revolution by William DoyleIf you want to know what happened in the French Revolution, and why, read this excellent work from Doyle. It’s been through several editions, and this is the best student textbook.

How does Hosseini tell the story of the kite runner in...

How does Hosseini tell the story of the Kite Runner in chapter 1? Khaled Hosseini uses a veritable smorgasbord of literary and narrative techniques to tell the story of ‘The Kite Runner’. From engaging in the use of foreshadowing and symbolism, to characterisation and the way he styles his prose. Below is an analysis of how he does so. As mentioned, Hosseini’s use of foreshadowing almost encapsulates the chapter. Baba states that â€Å"God [should] help us all†, anticipating the Talibans takeover of the country decades later. Hosseini’s use of foreshadowing connects him to the genre of magical realism. Even though there are no supernatural events in the novel, there is an underlying sense that every action has significance and must come†¦show more content†¦Lastly, we are told about the narrator himself. We know that Amir is a very regretful character as he is told he can be â€Å"good again,† insinuating that he knows he is bad. We also know that he is a slightly broken individual, as his life, and by extension, he was defined by this moment in the winter of 1975, and this moment was not an enjoyable one. Finally, even by the way the story is told. As it is told in a first person narrative, we as the reader are placed in the mindset of the narrator, meaning that we feel more emotionally connected and to an extent, more empathetic to the narrator. This is extremely effective as by the end of the novel, we come out with the same moral questions as the narrator, with the same answers. However, the narration in chapter one is also very retrospective. Meaning the narrator knows what will happen, so even from chapter one we as the reader question the motive of the narrator, and are weary as to whether his version of events is biased or not. Hosseini also changes his style of narrative twice within chapter on. It begins with telling the reader what the narrator is thinking, otherwise known as introspective narration. However, he then begins to tell us what happened in the winter of 1975. This retrospective narration is very effective as it allows the operation of hindsight about that the eve nts that transpired within the winter of 1975. As I have shown, multipleShow MoreRelatedThe Issues of Sin and Redemption in the Kite Runner Essay995 Words   |  4 PagesParker 05 October 2009 *The Issues* of Sin and Redemption in The Kite Runner Redemption is defined as the act, process, or instance of redeeming--:to free from what distresses or harms: as 1) to help overcome something detrimental; 2)to release from blame or debt; 3) to free from the consequences of sin, or 4) to change for the better. It cannot be accomplished in a single day. Redemption is a process that can take days, weeks, and months—sometimes even years to achieve. As the definitionRead MoreEssay on Journal Entries on the Kite Runner1306 Words   |  6 PagesQHSS Vikas Peddu Journal entry #1 In the first ten chapters of The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini focuses on the theme â€Å"Friendships take years to build, but only moments to destroy†. For example, Amir and Hassan have been friends since they were born, they built their friendship until the day of the kit fighting tournament. When Hassan ran the runner ups kite he ran into Assef, who was seeking revenge for being insulted by Hassan earlier in the year. Assef deemed that rape wouldRead MoreKite Runner Discussion Questions4262 Words   |  18 PagesKITE RUNNER Discussion Questions 1. The novel begins with Amirs memory of peering down an alley, looking for Hassan who is kite running for him. As Amir peers into the alley, he witnesses a tragedy. The novel ends with Amir kite running for Hassans son, Sohrab, as he begins a new life with Amir in America. Why do you think the author chooses to frame the novel with these scenes? Refer to the following passage: Afghans like to say: Life goes on, unmindful of beginning, end...crisis or catharsisRead MoreKite Runner Discussion Questions4272 Words   |  18 PagesKITE RUNNER Discussion Questions 1. The novel begins with Amirs memory of peering down an alley, looking for Hassan who is kite running for him. As Amir peers into the alley, he witnesses a tragedy. The novel ends with Amir kite running for Hassans son, Sohrab, as he begins a new life with Amir in America. Why do you think the author chooses to frame the novel with these scenes? Refer to the following passage: Afghans like to say: Life goes on, unmindful of beginning, end...crisis or catharsisRead More The Kite Runner Essay1632 Words   |  7 PagesHosseinis novel, The Kite Runner. This is the story of a mans struggle to find redemption. The author illustrates with the story of Amir that it is not possible to make wrongs completely right again because its too late to change past. In this novel Hosseini is telling us that redemption is obtainable, and by allowing us to see Amirs thought process throughout the novel, Hosseini shows us that it guilt is the primary motivation for someone who seeks redemption. Hossei ni also uses not only theRead MoreThe Kite Runner Essay2862 Words   |  12 PagesThe Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Chapters 1-5 (PP. 1-47) Reading Questions 1. The novel begins with a flashback. What do you think is its purpose? What do you learn about the narrator? The purpose of the book in my opinion is to set up the setting of the main idea of the book and to give the readers Amir’s opinion on his fellow characters, so they can see the main idea. You learn about Amir’s life and how this event has affected him. 2. Who is Hassan? Describe him physically. WhatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book And The Mountains Echoed By Khaled Hosseini2562 Words   |  11 Pagesto review the book ‘And the mountains echoed’ by Khaled Hosseini. This thesis will deal with the characters and the emotions they portray throughout the book. The book was published in 2013 and received a favourable response overall. It later on became a bestseller like the author’s other two books: ‘The kite runner’ and ‘A thousand splendid suns’. Within a short span of 5 months, it sold over 3 million copies. Being his pattern, Hosseini drew on his early experiences in Afghanistan to create the

Quiroga Free Essays

string(101) " su padre a muy temprana edad, pero no por el hecho de ir de caceria sino por la muerte de su padre\." rOscar Castorena Linda Saborio FLSP 322 15 de Noviembre de 2010 Horacio Quiroga y su vida en sus cuentos. Horacio Quiroga nacio en Salto, Uruguay en 1878 pero vivio gran parte de su vida en Argentina. Durante su vida fue cuentista, poeta, periodista, dramaturgo y novelista. We will write a custom essay sample on Quiroga or any similar topic only for you Order Now Murio de cancer en una region tropical cerca de Buenos Aires, Argentina en 1937. Este lugar lo atraia por la vida primitiva que llevaba. Durante su vida sufrio enormemente por una serie de tragedias que se reflejan demasiado en sus obras literarias.La temprana muerte de su padre, el suicidio de su padrastro, mato accidentalmente a un amigo y el suicidio de su primera esposa. Estos acontecimientos reflejan en demasia la relacion de la muerte en sus cuentos, refleja el lenguaje cruel que utiliza en algunos de sus cuentos y probablemente asistieron de manera directa en su suicidio. Las obras de Quiroga llevan en si muchos temas repetitivos como la muerte, la locura la alucinacion, la tragedia y la naturaleza. Su lenguaje es muy directo y a veces muy ofensivo al referirse de sus personajes. En el cuento â€Å"El Hijo† Quiroga sigue su estilo al escribir acerca de la muerte, locura y la alucinacion. Quiroga menciona en varios de sus cuentos a grandes escritores como Edgar Allan Poe y Rudyard Kipling. En varios cuentos tomo varias caracteristicas de estos escritores como relatar terror con algunos motivos recurrentes como el amor, la muerte, lo anormal y hasta lo morbido. Incorpora tambien la admiracion de la selva, temas y personajes animales relacionados con la naturaleza. Durante su vida tambien destaco como periodista, poeta, escritor de teatro y novela, pero su fama literaria es como cuentista.Quiroga tiene varios temas recurrentes en sus obras literarias. La locura y la muerte son dos temas presentes en â€Å"El Hijo†. En este cuento se destaca el lenguaje seco y cruel de Quiroga al narrar los cuentos. El hijo es un cuento donde el tema principal es la muerte y la alucinacion. En este cuento, como casi en todos los de Quiroga, los personajes estan marcados por la tragedia y la muerte violenta. En el cuento se caracterizan algunos temas recurrentes en los cuentos de Quiroga asi como la relacion que tiene entre la similitud con otros grandes escritores.El centro de la historia es el hombre y la naturaleza donde se realiza la tragedia, la muerte y la soledad. El cuento se basa en el padre y el hijo que estan en un monte y el hijo sale de caceria con una escopeta y varios cartuchos pensando que volvera a tiempo para el almuerzo. El padre esta confiado en que su hijo regresa a tiempo pero se percata que el hijo ya tiene tiempo fuera y no regresa. Tiempo despues el padre escucha un disparo pero no piensa nada al respecto. Transcurre mas tiempo cuando el padre decide ir en busca de su hijo.Al llegar al lugar donde esta su hijo se percata que su hijo estaba ahi, solo. Despues el padre habla con su hijo y deciden volver de regreso para almorzar. Lo que el padre no se percata es de que el hijo estaba muerto ya hace varias horas y el padre solo estaba alucinando con su hijo. El cuento nos muestra la relacion que hay entre el padre y el hijo donde claramente se ve carino y afecto entre ambos. La preocupacion del padre cuando el hijo sale de caceria nos da a entender que el amor del padre hacia el hijo era mas que una relacion familiar. Nos indica que la relacion era profunda y nos da a entender que el viaje al monte no era el primero. El relato del padre hacia el sentimiento que tiene hacia el hijo es unico porque un padre soltero tiene como a su unico hijo como guia y motivacion en la vida. Quiroga hace referencia al padre soltero dando relacion a sus fracasos matrimoniales tanto por divorcio o por el suicidio de su primera esposa. Quiroga relata que el hijo sabia el camino muy bien. Tambien relata que el hijo no era impuntual y siempre llegaba a tiempo para el almuerzo.El hijo nos da referencia del afecto que le tiene a su padre al decirle que no se preocupe por el y le da signos de confianza al tomar este riesgo de ir de caceria a pesar de su corta edad. En la historia hay varios simbolos que reflejan la vida tragica de Quiroga. El hijo lleva un arma y para acabar con la vida de un animal para que el y su padre pudieran alimentarse. Ironicamente el arma es la que acaba con su vida tras un descuido al tropezar con un alambre que estaba escondido entre la hierba del monte. Segun la critica de Acedera, la naturaleza selvatica casi siempre sale vendedora siguiendo la tragedia (p. ). El hijo, al cargar los cartuchos en su bolsillo, esta inconscientemente preparandose para la lucha con la muerte. La preocupacion por esta lucha no se manifiesta en el hijo si no en el padre. La soledad que entorna a los dos personajes despues de la partida del hijo es tambien una caracteristica del autor. El padre queda solo a la partida del hijo y se dispone de hacer cosas cotidianas y preparar lo necesario para el almuerzo. Esto refleja la soledad que entorna a Quiroga a lo largo de su vida con las tragedias vividas.El padre tiene plena confianza en su hijo que cuando escucha el disparo piensa en nada mas que en lo normal. Su oido reconoce el arma que sigue con sus tareas. La soledad que entorna al hijo refleja la vida de Quiroga en una forma muy sutil. El hijo se encuentra solo en el monte, un lugar muy parecido al que Quiroga muere, y esta solo contra la naturaleza. El hijo es muy joven y esta separado de su padre. Quiroga tambien estaba separado de su padre a muy temprana edad, pero no por el hecho de ir de caceria sino por la muerte de su padre. You read "Quiroga" in category "Papers"El joven lleva un arma de fuego en sus manos y sufre un fatal accidente al tropezar con un alambre de puas. Segun Espinosa; â€Å"el alambre de puas es muy recurrente en sus cuentos† (p. 3). Tambien se puede tomar en cuenta que el arma de fuego se relaciona con la muerte de su padre y la muerte de su amigo que Quiroga causo tras un accidente. Quiroga relaciona estos dos tragicos momentos en su vida con la travesia del hijo y su viaje al monte. Aunque el padre e hijo son dos personajes con destinos muy distintos, las similitudes que los relacionan son muchas. Los dos personajes sufren mucho con la soledad. El padre sufre aun mas porque el ya ha sufrido la soledad con la muerte de su esposa. El padre ahora va a tener que sufrir con la soledad aun mas porque la muerte de su hijo lo toma de sorpresa y expresa su dolor con alucinaciones. Parece que el padre no toma la situacion muy bien e inconscientemente lo toma como un sueno y se hace de la idea que su hijo vive y juntos regresan a casa. El padre tiene que luchar contra estos obstaculos que la vida le da.Tal vez por su debilidad o por no querer aceptar sus problemas, la salida de los problemas del padre esta en su mente y sus alucinaciones. Por otro lado, el hijo tambien tiene que combatir con la soledad. El a temprana edad tiene que confrontar la soledad en medio de la naturaleza. Tambien sufre de la soledad por no tener una madre que lo apoye y le de el amor materno que cualquier joven de su edad necesita. El hijo tambien tiene que luchar contra la vida de otra forma porque el se encuentra solo en medio del monte y tiene que luchar con la vida natural y los peligros que esta ofrece.El hijo tambien tiene una lucha personal consigo mismo al enfrentarse con su falta de experiencia al ir de caceria. Aunque parece que los dos estan muy unidos por el carino y afecto que se muestran en sus palabras, los dos estan muy distanciados a la hora de enfrentarse a la vida porque los dos tienen diferentes obstaculos que enfrentar, pero las situaciones o la idea de los obstaculos son muy similares. La alucinacion es lo que entorna el climax del cuento en una direccion opuesta a lo que el lector tenia en mente.El padre ya preocupado por su hijo sale a buscarlo y despues de un rato de buscarlo y ya m uerto de cansancio y empapado de sudor encuentra a su hijo. El padre le empieza a hablar con palabras en diminutivo, enfatizando una vez mas el carino y amor que tiene por su hijo. Cuando encuentra a su hijo el padre habla con el hijo y le reclama acerca de la hora. El hijo responde que se fijo en la hora pero fue en busca de unas garzas y las siguio pero no las mato. El padre, aunque muy cansado, sonrie de felicidad por haber encontrado a su hijo.Lo controversial es que el hijo esta muerto ya hace varias horas y el padre piensa que lo lleva en su hombro de regreso a casa. Lo que Quiroga quiere reflejar en esto es que la muerte ya no es una noticia tragica para el. Quiroga ve la muerte como un evento natural que no se puede controlar. Tal vez, la alucinacion del padre al ver a su hijo lleno de vida refleja la debilidad de Quiroga al enfrentar hechos muy tragicos alrededor de su vida y la a alucinacion es una forma muy inmadura y danina para lidiar con los problemas. El ambiente en el que â€Å"El Hijo† toma lugar es el ambiente preferido de Quiroga.En muchas de sus obras usa la naturaleza y animales para reflejar el tipo de vida que a Quiroga le gustaba, una vida primitiva. El cuento es narrado por una voz neutral que simplifica la historia en demasia porque tiene un tono pasivo hacia los hechos. Tambien la voz del narrador nos da una pista que la muerte del hijo no le fue de mucho impacto emocional, como si supiera la historia y no fuese la primera vez que haya contado la historia. Los personajes son muy similares y tienen muchas cosas en comun. Tanto el padre como el hijo son muy descuidados y no ponen atencion al detalle. Los dos se quieren mutuamente como familia y llevan una buena relacion familiar, pero al transcurso del cuento, ironicamente no se pueden ayudar uno al otro porque uno esta muerto y el otro esta alucinando. Los dos quedan solos al transcurso del cuento sin saber la reaccion del otro al saber que los dos necesitan ayuda. Una ironia del cuento es que el padre se preocupa mucho por el bienestar del hijo y no se da cuenta del peligro que es mandar a un nino de trece anos de edad de caceria. Quiroga menciona que el hijo, aunque es muy alto para su edad, aun parece de menor edad por la pureza de sus ojos; frescos de sorpresa infantil.Quiroga relata que la mayor angustia de un padre viudo, una vez mas refleja su vida personal, es el cuidado y proteccion del hijo porque el hijo carece de fuerzas propias y hay inmensidad de ciertos peligros. Al no darse cuenta de sus propias palabras, el padre manda al hijo a cazar y despues viene la alucinacion al encontrar vivo a su hijo. Segun Victoria Eug enia Angel, Quiroga maneja sus cuentos en una forma lineal haciendolos caracteristicos de los cuentos cortos. Tambien emplea a sus personajes para dar muestra de un heroe de carne y hueso que enfrenta su destino y a las inclemencias que no puede controlar por sus propios medios.Lamentablemente, todos los heroes terminan con una muerte tragica por culpa de las adversidades que tiene, pero lo indudablemente los personajes luchan hasta el final. En el cuento â€Å"El hijo† el heroe que asumimos es el hijo, no lucha hasta el final contra la adversidad que encuentra. No se sabe si se desangra lentamente pasando por una larga y angustiosa muerte o muere en el instante al recibir el disparo. Angel hace buena referencia que los personajes llegan a su fin de una manera tragica luchando contra adversidades. Tanto el padre como el hijo tuvieron que luchar contra la naturaleza para poder sobrevivir.El padre tuvo que luchar contra el monte y a machetazos llegar hasta su hijo. El hijo por su parte lucho con un simple alambre de puas que estaba escondido entre la hierba. Angel tambien hace referencia que los cuentos de Quiroga tienen una clara conclusion y tienden a tener un final cerrado. Quiroga no da oportunidad al lector de interpretar e imaginar lo que pasa despues del cuento porque cierra el fin con una conclusion muy clara de los hechos. Segun Salvador Bueno, el final de â€Å"El hijo† le quita la explicacion final al cuento mismo.Las historias de Quiroga tienen un final cerrado para el lector dando poca o nada de imaginacion para el lector, pero una caracteristica mas de Quiroga es el elemento de sorpresa que se desarrolla al final de los cuentos en todos sus cuentos. Durante el cuento nos damos cuenta que la alucinacion del padre al encontrar a su hijo es muy caracteristica de Quiroga. Tambien podemos esperar la muerte tragica de uno de los personajes. Las alucinaciones del padre que se relatan durante el cuento nos da una idea y hace que el lector se incline por la muerte del adre porque el es el que parece enfermo o con un desequilibrio mental. El hijo es descrito como un muchacho que le falta edad para poder ser mejor aceptado como un buen cazador porque sus rastros fisicos le dilatan su corta edad y le dan una apariencia de un nino. El hijo tambien es descrito con buena apariencia fisica, una gran madurez y gran conocimiento en la caceria. Al analizar estas caracteristicas el lector piensa que la logica de la muerte tragica sea para el padre dejando al hijo en una situacion tragica.El elemento de sorpresa aparece en el cuento y nos brinda una muerte tragica pero poco comun. El hijo se tropieza con un alambre en una zona donde conocia muy bien y la escopeta le dispara matandolo. El elemento de sorpresa crea una reaccion al lector causandole angustia y preguntandose por que el hijo tuvo que morir. Muchos criticos llaman a Horacio Quiroga como el perfecto cuentista. Los acontecimientos tragicos en su vida personal llevan a este escritor a crear obras de temas muy recurrentes, pero cada uno de sus cuentos son muy distintos que hace que el lector se encierre en sus cuentos.Quiroga usa la muerte y la lucha del ser humano contra la naturaleza como tema principal en muchas de sus obras. Tambien se caracteriza por usar la tragedia, la soledad y el sufrimiento en los personajes. Quiroga refleja sus tragedias, su sufrimiento y su tristeza en los personajes de sus obras. Mucho cuentos reflejan en una forma u otra la vida muy tragica que este cuentista tuvo. Si tan solo Quiroga hubiera tenido una vida mas alegre y sin tragedias, el estilo de Quiroga hubiera sido muy diferente y los cuentos hubieran sido muy interesantes. El hijo† refleja muchas caracteristicas de las obras de Quiroga asi como tambien un poco de su vida personal.Bibliografia Acereda, Alberto. â€Å"Del criollismo a la urgencia existencial. Fatalidad y angustia en tres cuentos de Horacio Quiroga. † Castilla: Estudios de Literatura 26. (2001): 7-17. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Angel, Victoria Eugenia. â€Å"La muerte alucinada como mito personal en la cuentistica de Horacio Quiroga. † Especulo: Revista de Estudios Literarios 40. (2008): MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Espinosa Consejo, Elena. ‘El hijo’ de Horacio Quiroga. † Especulo: Revista de Estudios Literarios 44. (2010): MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Paoli, Roberto. â€Å"El perfecto cuentista: Comentario a tres textos de Horacio Quiroga. † Revista Iberoamericana 58. 160-161 (1992): 953-974. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Salgado, Maria A. â€Å"Quiroga’s ‘El Hijo’: Prototype of His Art. † South Atlantic Bulletin: A Quarterly Journal Devoted to Research and Teaching in the Modern Languages and Literatures 36. 2 (1971): 24-31. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. How to cite Quiroga, Papers

Finding People Who Are Passionate About What They Do free essay sample

There is no dress code and employees make their own working hours; Responsibility is heavy and comes early, with a â€Å"just do it now†attitude that dispenses with long apprenticeships; Information is delivered as if with â€Å"a fire house,† and new employees are expected to commit their expertise and vitality to everything they do. New recruits are given a few weeks of intensive training, known as Trilogy University and described by participants as â€Å"more than business school. The company believe that, ‘People are everything ’ and the rapid growth they seek depends on having a staff of the best people they can find, quickly trained and given broad responsibility and freedom as soon as possible. Trilogy makes finding the right people (it calls them â€Å"great people†)as a companywide mission. Recruiters actively pursue the freshest, if least experienced, people in the job market, scouring college career fairs and computer science departments for talented overachievers with ambition and entrepreneurial instincts. Employees take top recruits and their significant others out on the town when they fly into Austin for the standard, three-day preliminary visit. One year, Trilogy reviewed 15,000 resumes, conducted 4,000 on-campus interviews, flew 850 prospects in for interview, and hired 262 college graduates (The cost per hire was $13,000). Although the working criteria’s seem different from the other companies, it’s an environment where people who are passionate about what they do can thrive. 1. Identify some of the established recruiting techniques that underlie Trilogy’s unconventional approach to attracting talent. Answer: Trilogy makes finding the right (great) people as a companywide mission. Its recruitment techniques are as follows: 1) Recruiters actively pursue the freshest, if least experienced, people in the job market. 2) Scouring college career fairs and computer science departments for talented overachievers with ambition and entrepreneurial instincts. Top managers conduct the first rounds of interview, letting prospects know they will be pushed to achieve but will be well rewarded. Employees take top recruits and their significant others out on the town when they fly into Austin for the standard, three-day preliminary visit. A typical day might begin with grueling interviews but end with mountain biking, Roller Balding, or laser tag. 2. What particular elements of Trilogy’s culture most likely appeal to the kind of employees it seeks? How does it convey those elements to job prospects? Answer: Trilogy Software, Inc. applies some unique approaches to conduct with the employees, such as: There is no dress code and employees make their own working hours; Responsibility is heavy and comes early, with a â€Å"just do it now†attitude that dispenses with long apprenticeships; Information is delivered as if with â€Å"a fire house,† and new employees are expected to commit their expertise and vitality to everything they do. As a result, all employees feel total freedom and bound to work efficiently, to supply with better software services within reasonable time. 3. Would Trilogy be an appealing employer for you? Why or why not? If not, what would it take for you to accept a job offer from Trilogy? Answer: Everyone wants to act as an employee in any leading company, to achieve a successive career and honor, as well as to ensure sufficient income for the purpose of meet up all necessary demands of one’s life. From this perspective, Trilogy Software, Inc. seems an appealing employment opportunity. Moreover, the facilities and working criteria’s of this company is also attractive. So, I will definitely prefer to Work as an employee at Trilogy Software, Inc. 4. What suggestions would you make Trilogy for improving its recruiting processes? Answer: The present recruiting processes of Trilogy Software, Inc. is quite different from the other existing software companies, but it seems so effective in its working environment. In general, we can appreciate the overall recruitment techniques, but it may be even more standardized. Some suggestions about improving these techniques may be like the followings: a) To generate more experience in the workplace, it can recruit more professional persons compared to the fresher’s candidate. ) It can appoint proper personnel to work at proper work position, or division of work may be more standardized to ensure increasing work efficiency. Chapter 03 Case No. 02 Case Incident: â€Å"Where’s My Czar? † Executive Summary In this case, we give the job descriptions which are closely related to this problem also we give the ideal of job specification for the person in this position. To perform this position candidate must be experiences more than ten years in manufacturing sector. There are many selection tools that we use in this problem such as Requesting for an application, Carrying out an interview and giving references. In this case, we think that the HR department of white house hired wrong person for the job. The primary problem in this case is that the management decision to give this position (the administration’s assistant commerce secretary for manufacturing) to a very irresponsible person who is not perfect for this job. And the lake of information about the market screening for this particular position, because we are not clear that wither they screened the market appropriately for the right candidate or not. Therefore their decision to hire Mr. Raimondo is not right for this position. The secondary problem is found in this case is that the Mr. Raimondo created job opportunities in china by outsourcing the portion of this business and running this business in Nebraska, which went against the strategies White house was implementing to create manufacturing jobs in US. Therefore if we see the major problem in this case from HR perspective, we found that the HRM department in white house lake the selection and recruiting tools for hiring a right person for this position. The solution for this problem is to develop a proper HRM system and then after properly screening the environment they must chose an appropriate candidates group for the position, by using the proper HR tools, e. g. the process of recruitment in which includes job description and job specification. And the headings must be the related to the position. 1. What should this position’s job description look like? Answer: The job description in this position look like, creating more manufacturing jobs in us by developing the strategies to promote manufacturing business and enhance their capacity. In short this job refers to a think tank sort of job, to achieve certain goals. 2. What are the ideal job specifications for the person in this position? Answer: The idea of job specifications for the person in this position is market experienced for more than ten years in manufacturing sector. The Person should be Master in HR or economic innovative or social relation. Also the Person should be intellectual and business executive to under economic cycle and its requirement with an influential status. 3. How should we have gone about recruiting and screening for this position? What selection tools, specifically, would you use? Answer: For this position we must have gone in a proper way according to the HRMS, we should have recruited the person by taking the right decision for the right person for this position. Therefore for this we must run the recruiting process, which includes: attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people and it must be done purely. The selection tools I would use for this position are: ? Requesting for an application Carrying out an interview. ? Giving references 4. Where do you think we went wrong? Answer: We think that the HR department of white house hired wrong person for the job, because conflicts occurred when the bush administration realized that they suppose to create manufacturing jobs in US not in China or in other countries, because MR. Raimondo was responsible for losing the job opportunities in US, which he shifted in China, by outsourcing p ortion of business. Chapter 04 Case No. 03 Case Incident: â€Å"The Out-Of-Control Interview† Executive Summary Maria Fernandez is a bright, popular and well-informed mechanical engineer. It is fairly clear that the panel interview was a stress interview designed to see how well she could handle difficult situations. Maria needs additional information. What she does know is the nature of the job and the clear fit with her training and skills. The additional information that she should seek involves the number of women who work at Apex. Many of the questions were clearly discriminatory and could be used against them in a gender-based discrimination suit. The fact that the entire interview panel was composed of men and their choice of questions leaves us with reservations about how she would be treated once hired. 1. How do you explain the nature of the panel interview Maria had to endure? Specifically, do you think it reflected a well-thought-out interviewing strategy on the part of the firm, or carelessness on the part of the firms management? If it was carelessness, what would you do to improve the interview process at Apex Environmental? Answer: It is fairly clear that the panel interview was a stress interview designed o see how well she could handle difficult situations. In this respect, it seems to have been a well-thought-out interviewing strategy, but there was a very clear element of carelessness on the part of the firms management. The panel was obviously not well-trained and was careless in the choice of questions that they used. Many of the questions were clearly discriminatory and could be used against them in a gender-b ased discrimination suit. 2. Would you take the job offer if you were Maria? If youre not sure, is there any additional information that would help you makes your decision, and if so, what is it? Answer: Maria needs additional information. What she does know is the nature of the job and the clear fit with her training and skills. The additional information that she should seek involves the number of women who work at Apex, the levels of management which they have attained, and the satisfaction of those women with their treatment by the Apex management. The fact that the entire interview panel was composed of men and their choice of questions leaves us with reservations about how she would be treated once hired. 3. The job of applications engineer for which Maria was applying requires: (a) excellent technical skills with respect to mechanical engineering; (b) a commitment to working in the area of pollution control; (c) the ability to deal well and confidently with customers who have engineering problems; (d) a willingness to travel worldwide; and (e) a very intelligent and well-balanced personality. List 10 questions that you would ask when interviewing applicants for the job. Answer: There are a wide variety of specific questions that could be posed to address these issues. Questions need to be job-related, specifically to the requirements listed above. They also need to clearly avoid any discriminatory areas. 10 questions that you would ask when interviewing applicants for the job i) What did you enjoy most about your last job? ii) What did you like least about your last job? iii) Why did you leave your last job? iv) Why should we be hiring you? v) What do you expect from this company? vi) What are your major strengths? vii) What are your major weaknesses? viii) What are your career goals for the next 3 to 5 years? ix) What do you prefer, working alone or in a group? ) Do you have any questions about the duties of this job you are applying? Chapter 05 Case No. 04 Case Incident: â€Å"Reinventing the Wheel at Apex Door Company† Executive Summary Jim Delaney, president of Apex Door, has a problem. Employees are been used to working the way they wish to work and according to their working styles it is due to organizational structure and culture. On e example is the door-design department, where the designers are expected to work with architects to design doors that meet the specifications. The order processing department is another example. The Apex Training Process is very haphazard. It says the company doesn’t have a training manual as well as out of date job descriptions for the employees who are supposed to be trained. The training for new people is all one the job. Job descriptions set the boundaries of jobs in terms of required knowledge and skills. It is a description of the task in adjusting the limits of work in terms with the necessary knowledge and skills. By understanding the job description, a trainer can define the learning requirements or the material requirements for new or transitioning employees. . What do you think of Apex’s training process? Could it help to explain why employees â€Å"do things their way† and if so, how? Answer: After reading the case study, the Apex Training Process is very haphazard. As from the case we can know the facts. It says the company doesn’t have a training manual as well as out of date job descriptions for the employees who are supposed to be trained. Employees are been used to working the way they wish to work and according to their working styles it is due to organizational structure and culture. It consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims. Organizational structure affects organizational action in two big ways. First, it provides the foundation on which standard operating procedures and routines rest. Second, it determines which individuals get to participate in which decision-making processes, and thus to what extent their views shape the organization’s actions and is made up of all of the life experiences each employee brings to the organization. Culture is especially influenced by the organization’s founder, executives, and other managerial staff because of their role in decision making and strategic direction. Describing all this it shows that how the culture affects in the organizational working style. 2. What role do job descriptions play in training at Apex? Answer: Job descriptions set the boundaries of jobs in terms of required knowledge and skills. It is a description of the task in adjusting the limits of work in terms with the necessary knowledge and skills. By nderstanding the job description, a trainer can define the learning requirements or the material requirements for new or transitioning employees. The central problem is that Jim Delaney, president of the Apex Door Company, cannot get his employees to do specific tasks without messing up. The causes of the central problem are that when employees dont understand something. These problems come in front us clearly when it says about employers that â€Å"d ecide to do it their own way†. Here we clearly explore the lacking of Apex Door Company not to having a through guide line or job description about the job they are doing. Apex Door Company surely has a job description but it is surely out of date or not updated regularly. If so then the employees should remain ware of minimize the use of steel in mega constructions size as it will not only minimize the amount of steel but also increase the net profit for Apex Door Company. The role of job description of Apex Door Company should be clear, univocal and regularly cheeked to meet the latest market demand in quickest time with minimum expense. Alternative solutions are that each job has a training manual, and that new up to date job descriptions be written. . Explain in detail what you would do to improve the training process at Apex. Make sure to provide specific suggestions, please. Answer: We should start our training effort by carefully thinking about the organization’s strategic goals and objectives, our units goals and objectives, what work is to be performed, and the strengths and weaknesses of our staff by thinking carefully about the knowle dge and skills needed to do the job. Knowing what a job requires and how well we want it done will give us data to make training decisions. We should also look at broad performance issues and opportunities needed to change or improve the organization and the individual employees strength and growth opportunities. An individual needs assessment focuses on the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities required of each employee. Individual needs should be viewed within the context of strategic goals of the organization in order to ensure professional growth and development of employees within established career paths. Chapter 06 Case No. 05 Case Incident: â€Å"Appraising the Secretaries at Sweetwater U† Executive Summary Rob Winchester, newly appointed vice president for administrative affairs at Sweetwater State University, faced a tough problem shortly after his university career began. The recommendations would, in fact, encourage administrators to fill the forms out correctly. Using the more detailed form not tying the performance ratings to salary increases would allow the managers to feel free about rating the secretaries accurately. The major advantages of ranking method is, it is very simple very effective when there are relatively few jobs to be evaluated (less than 30). Although there are some problems in ranking method like; Difficult to administer as the number of jobs increases, Rank judgments are very subjective since there is no standard used for comparison, new jobs would have to be compared with the existing jobs to determine its appropriate rank. In essence, the ranking process would have to be repeated each time a new job is added to the organization. Rob Winchester if the development costs are not too great I must apply develop Behavioral Anchors Rating System (BARS) for secretaries. Behavioral Anchors Rating System (BARS) will permit researchers measuring the effectiveness of school administrators to utilize sound, ethnographic methods instead of relying on traditional, theory-based rating system. 1. Do you think that the experts recommendations will be sufficient to get most of the administrators to fill out the rating forms properly? Why or Why not? What additional actions (if any) do you think will be necessary? Answer: While controversial, the recommendations would, in fact, encourage administrators to fill the forms out correctly. Using the more detailed form not tying the performance ratings to salary increases would allow the managers to feel free about rating the secretaries accurately. There would, however, need to be some strong training sessions (both for administrators secretaries) to help them understand the new system. Since all secretaries have traditionally received the same salary increases, have been pleased with that, it would be advisable to consider lowering the maximum increase to an amount that could be given to all secretaries while staying within budget. Then all secretaries with a satisfactory rating or better would receive that increase. 2. Do you think that Vice President Winchester would be better off dropping graphic rating forms, substituting instead one of the other techniques we discussed in this chapter such as a ranking method? Answer: Off course, other methods should be used. He has already had a taste of what would result if he went to a forced distribution or other ranking method. A Behavioral Anchors Rating System (BARS) might be best, but it could be costly to develop if the clerical staffs have positions that are significantly different. Jobs are compared to each other based on the overall worth of the job to the organization. The worth of a job is usually based on judgments of skill, efforts (physical mental), responsibility (supervisory fiscal), and working conditions. The major advantages of ranking method is, it is very simple very effective when there are relatively few jobs to be evaluated (less than 30). Although there are some problems in ranking method like; Difficult to administer as the number of jobs increases, Rank judgments are very subjective since there is no standard used for comparison, new jobs ould have to be compared with the existing jobs to determine its appropriate rank. In essence, the ranking process would have to be repeated each time a new job is added to the organization. Jobs are compared to each other based on the overall worth of the job to the organization. The worth of a job is usually based on judgments of skill, efforts (physical mental), responsibility (supervisory fiscal), and working conditions. 3. What performance appraisal system would you develop for the secretaries if you were Rob Winchester? Defend your answer. Answer: By considering me as Rob Winchester; if the development costs are not too great, I must apply develop Behavioral Anchors Rating System (BARS) for secretaries. Because this system able to provide the strongest solution at the current situation. The Behavioral Anchors Rating System would make it more difficult to just rate everyone at the top. It would also help to eliminate the different interpretations of what the rating scales mean. Behavioral Anchors Rating System (BARS) will permit researchers measuring the effectiveness of school administrators to utilize sound, ethnographic methods instead of relying on traditional, theory-based rating system. Chapter 07 Case No. 06 Case Incident: â€Å"Boss, I Think We Have a Problem† Executive Summary Central Steel Door Corporation has been in business for about 20 years, successfully selling a line of steel industrial grade doors, as well as the hardware and fittings required for them. Mr. Fisher has some mistake in your organization. Fisher, I would have wanted a large pool of potential applicants, but given Fisher’s inexperience, he may have benefited from the use of an outside agency. Finally, Fisher’s stereotypes of European managers may have clouded his judgment with his existing pool of applicants. In which case, he will need to reinstate the employees and apologize. He will in all likelihood need to start over and find an appropriate sales manager with knowledge of the local culture and business practices. 1. Based on the chapter and case incident, compile a list of 10 international HR mistakes Mr. Fisher has made so far. Answer: Among his mistakes: i. Fisher has not properly identified candidates ii. Cultural sensitivity, interpersonal skills and flexibility have not been included as required job skills iii. There is no system in place to assess candidates for proper skills iv. The company does not have realistic cost projects for cross-border operations v. The company has not determined whether it would be cost effect to have an expatriate manager vi. There are no assignment letters documenting the scope of the job vii. There is no international compensation system in place viii. The company has not taken into account differences in foreign expenses ix. The company has not taken into account foreign taxes x. There is no formal relocation assistance program in place xi. The company has not considered the importance of family support xii. There is no cultural orientation program in place for expatriate mangers or their family members . How would you have gone about hiring a European sales manager? Why? Answer: I would have investigated the market to determine the appropriate level of compensation and benefits. Expropriate compensation packages should consider tax equalization clauses or other measures for dealing with differing costs of living. The company should also have retained consul on European labor laws or practices. The location of the office should be carefully selected for favorable labor and tax laws. Like Fisher, I woul d ave wanted a large pool of potential applicants, but given Fisher’s inexperience, he may have benefited from the use of an outside agency. Finally, Fisher’s stereotypes of European managers may have clouded his judgment with his existing pool of applicants. 3. What would you do now if you were Mr. Fisher? Answer: Fisher needs to seek legal consul in regard to his labor situation. He is likely in the wrong. In which case, he will need to reinstate the employees and apologize. He will in all likelihood need to start over and find an appropriate sales manager with knowledge of the local culture and business practices.