Personal Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Reflection Paper - Essay Example Life is more valuable than mountain climbing expedition. Therefore, leaving sadhu to die for the sake of accomplishing corporate goals is against the moral standards of the society. Moreover, human beings ought to learn to promote feelings for each other to be able to offer a helping hand in similar circumstances instead of letting our ambitions make us selfish. The parable of sadhu has revealed a lot about the character of the corporate. Firstly, the parable reveals how corporate members of society are self-centered, irresponsible and selfish. They refute the qualities that constitute a person who ought to share life with the rest as stated in your lecture. Secondly, it also shows how corporate members are ungrateful to the society that defines their existence. The mountain climbers such as McCoy have had great time learning about the cultural practices of the native people. When they find one of the natives on the verge of death on higher, frozen slopes of Himalayas, they pass responsibility, leaving the old sadhu to fight for his own life1. The parable also reveals irresponsibility of the corporate members to the society. Each corporate member views such individuals as sadhu as burden and cannot take initiative to care for them. The corporate values material things in place of moral values. The climbers emphasized that they indeed helped the sadhu with clothes and food and, therefore, did enough as far as helping a stranger is concerned2. They argued that Sadhu was a stranger and according to them, they did enough that they could. Firstly, I would revive the role of corporate to the society. The corporate has evaded their duties owed to the society in which they thrive. They exploit the society yet they do very little at sustaining it for the future. I would restore the responsibility that the corporate owe to the society. I would, according to the

Analysis of Direct Costs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of Direct Costs - Research Paper Example The other type of costs that is associated with direct material cost analysis, is the material related costs. These are costs incurred when a firm purchases excess materials to ensure there are adequate materials for production (Drury, 2007). These are costs that come about due to scrap, overruns, spoilage, and defective parts. Materials not used due to overruns, scrap or spoilage still have residual value or salvage value. A company might decide to sell the excess materials or use them for further production, either way adjustments have to be made to include the residual value (Drury, 2007). Where a residual value of the excess materials has been established, a firm might adjust direct material cost by subtracting the estimated residual value (Drury, 2007). To avoid problems that arise when analyzing direct materials and direct costs, one should do a further analysis so as to identify ineffective and uneconomical practices (Drury, 2007). This should be done before any direct cost analysis is carried out so that one could be able

Quantitative models for project planning

Quantitative models for project planning Introduction Project management consists of diverse processes linked to each other. In IT project management, strategic vision and planning are important elements of any project which determine the project outcomes. Historically, project success has been defined as bringing a project to conclusion on time, within budget and according to specifications. For successful performance, IT organizations need effective project management system which consists of control activities and effective resource allocation in order to achieve overall objectives of the company/organization. Project Management Defined Project management aims to achieve specified performance within an agreed time scale and budget. Every aspect of the project is defined, e.g. quality, reliability etc. In general, project management is defined as the process of managing, allocating, and timing resources to achieve a given goal in an efficient and expedient manner (Badiru,1993, p.1). The goals of the project give a sense of direction for the activities of an organization. They give broad guiding principles towards which detailed and specific plans are directed. The important point of the project management is that the elements are expected to work synergistically together to generate a joined output that is greater than the sum of the individual outputs of the components (Badiru, 1993, p.1). Different authors identify different elements of the project management such as planning, scheduling and control or resource scheduling, budgeting and cost control, teamwork and effective leadership, conflict management and knowledge management. The book A Guide to the Project Management underlines that the main characteristics of projects are: performed by people, constrained by limited resources and planned, executed and controlled (Burkun, 2005. p. 4). All of them underline importance of successful planning and control operations to achieve specific goals of the project. Effective projects are based on unlimited model of project management. It describes the impact of resource scheduling, budgeting, teamwork, conflict management and knowledge management on the outcomes of the project. Projects are carried out in organizations, which are collectives of individuals and sometimes in a group, sometimes at cross-purposes. Resource Scheduling In IT project management, resource scheduling in the initial planning stage varies depending on the type of project. When planning a simple project its team may simply consider the type of resources necessary for each activity, equipment or skill groups. However, if planning a project with fewer resources, the project team may consider not just the skill types necessary but particular individuals, especially if the project has a short duration. The effective resource planning is essential, because the initial stage determine the development and outcomes of a project in general. On some projects, collocation may not be an option; where it is not viable, an alternative may be scheduling frequent face-to- face meetings to encourage interaction (A Guide to the Project Management, 2000). The people who created the PERT scheduling technique realized that any estimate of the duration of a proposed task is subject to uncertainty (Frame, 2002, p. 74). Unproductive long-range planning for purchasing does not allow the project to achieve its goals. It can lead to waste of time and poor outcomes. It is important that the project be finished on time and close to budget. By adding resources it can easily be seen whether any project resources are expected to be working on a huge number of activities, to such an extent that they will not be able to complete all the work by the scheduled completion date. Ineffective resource scheduling can lead to low profits and useless unprofitable outcomes (A Guide to the Project Management, 2000). Budgeting and Cost Control On the majority of IT projects where there is very limited equipment being used, the main cost will be that associated with the people in the internal project team, appointed contractors and subcontractors. It is important to note that for different organizations, cost of the staff plays a different role. For instance, organizations running in-house projects do not estimate the cost of their internal staff working on the project, but do esti ­mate the cost of contractors and suppliers. Knack finds that The more hours staff members spend on a project, the more expensive it becomes (Frame, 2002, p. 20). This is often the case not only for small organiza ­tions, but also many multinational companies which do not have systems in place to allow them to accurately track and record the time people spend on individual projects. For these organizations, effective cost management is crucial for the project outcomes and its profitability. Cost budgeting involves allocating the overall cost estimates to individual activities or work packages to establish a cost baseline (A Guide to the Project Management, 2000, p. 89). Human Resource Management Management of conflicts is an essential part of project Management. It has assumed a vital strategic role in recent years as organizational attempt to compete through people. Today, projects can create a competitive advantage when they possess or develop human resources that are psychologically strong and organized. To avoid low motivation and confidence of employees, conflict is now treated seriously as an important aspect in the proper understanding of behavior. Modern management prac ­tice emphasizes the need for free expression and encourages open com ­munications, especially between superiors and subordinates, and methods of continuing consultation and negotiation (Frame, 2002, p. 98). Conflict resolution takes time and efforts of employees, reducing success of the project in general. Also, conflicts have a negative influence on productivity because of low motivation or frustration of the staff. Knowledge Management Without effective knowledge management the IT project will fail. Proper flow of knowledge and training of employees ensures success and fixed outcomes of the project. Knowledge management is viewed as a means of communication and as a means of storing knowledge. Knowledge manage ­ment is more about people than technology. Organizational networks can be particularly important in ensuring that knowledge is shared. Risk Management A major source of risk on IT projects is tied to difficulties in managing needs and requirements. If requirements have not been identified correctly and if the corresponding requirements do not capture real needs properly, then a project is doom to failure because it will produce deliverables that do not correspond to customers needs and wants. Proper management of needs and requirements is a necessary condition for project success. Problems begin with attempts to identify needs. One common difficulty is determining who the customers are. Managers who aspire to enable their organizations to be good at managing risk must recognize the road to effective risk management. In projects, there are techniques that may help to reduce uncertainty of the future and hence are valuable. In the area of investment decisions, probability forecasts are very important, e.g. variable estimates of future sales costs and prices will affect the estimated rates of return on capital invested in projects. Risk management is an important area of project management because it helps the project manager to locate and plan resources taking into account probability analysis and possible risks. Ineffective risk analysis leads to failure of the project and threatens its outcomes. To understand why these may be threatening to some people, consider what risk management processes do: they force people in organizations to approach their efforts in a deliberative fashion and to be aware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows (Badiru, 1993). In order to survive in highly competitive world, IT organizations have to improve their flexibility and be ready to meet change from external environment. He says that changes in organization are often facilitated by such factors as uncertain economic conditions, globalization and fierce competition, the level of government intervention, political interests, scarcity of natural resources, and rapid developments in technology. As well as increasing demand for high-quality goods, services and customers satisfaction, flexibility in organizational structure determines the changing nature of workforce and conflict within the organization. Therefore, in todays fast changing business environment, change turns to be an unavoidable part of social and organizational life (Blanchard and Johnson, 2002). Hence, organizational change can appear in different shapes, sizes and forms; it can be reflected in various change programs such as total quality management, business process re-engineering, per formance management, lean production are all being enforced in organizations all over the world. Moreover, each organization has to find its own approach on how to implement change, reduce conflict and achieve higher productivity. It is important to have a detailed management plan, create an appropriate organizational environment to deliver change, follow carefully the steps of change models and focus on human resources (Badiru, 1993). Quality Management Quality management can be described as a collection of principles, techniques, processes and best practices. These are put into practice during the time of companys existence. In general, the whole process is based on a number of effective technologies. Traditionally, the technologies are based on the use total quality management elements (Badiru, 1993). The use of these elements is projected to improve the quality management method model that has been developed by the company. The main objective of the given model is to describe the primary quality management methods that are currently practiced by the company. The combination of these methods is used with the aim to assess an organizations present strengths and weaknesses. Traditionally, the analysis is done with the regard to the use of quality management methods. Recent times have brought many approaches to management. Just-in-time (JIT) management principles have become the main principles that are used in modern managerial prac tices. The main specifics of JIT program is that it is directed towards ensuring that the right quantities of the people. Many people perceive this program as a material-control system (Frame, 2002). In IT projects, a great emphasis is put on training people in tools and techniques knowledge. So, knowledge of safety rules for workers would eliminate accidents at work, thus making process more effective and productive. With the help of quality control process chart, a safety officer is able to analyze his actions directed onto training people in safety issues. The cause of any issue can be steaming either from people, or process, or equipment. If equipment is not working properly, the incidents at working station could be also an effect. The scheme is divided into cause and effect parts, where cause can contain such categories as people, methods, machines, materials, environment, measurements, etc. Usually there would be found a relation between causes and effects in the projects Other issues that could be considered as principles of performance, besides profitability, include market share, degree of compliance with rules, rate of innovation and extent of society involvement. In addition to an overall judgment of consumer value, the input process of value creation must also be tracked and changes made as needed. In the issue of value, minor errors could later cause problems and require the type of essential change that a plan of endlessly improving value seeks to avoid. A suitable frame of indicators for the process of leadership is provided by the other issues themselves. The leadership, Integration, Involvement, and Ingraining achieved by the organization are reliable factors of how effectively the organization is pursuing its stated eventual end (Frame, 2002). Conclusion The outcomes of the IT project depend upon all elements of the project and effective implementation of all parts of the plan. In project management, resource scheduling and resource location are the main keys of effective project management based on control of project and its security. All elements are interdependent and cannot be considered in isolation. For instance, better customer relations lead higher morale of staff, lower program costs result in higher profit margins. Individuals have a lot of freedom, but when they join a project their freedom is restricted and their effort must be joined with those of others to achieve organizational goals. For this reason, the project manager should take a special attention to all areas of the project and resources involved to achieve desirable and predetermined outcomes. Effective project management depends upon location of resources and management skills of its leader. IT project management links such categories as people, methods, machin es, materials, environment, and measurements. List of References Badiru, A.B. 1993. Quantitative Models for Project Planning, Scheduling and Control. Quorum Books. Burkun, S. 2005. The Art of Project Management. OReilly Media; 1 ed. Blanchard, K., Johnson, S. 2002. The One Minute Manager. Berkley Trade. A Guide to the Project Management: Body of knowledge PMBOK Guide 2000 edition. Project management Institute. Frame, J.D. 2002. The New Project Management: Tools for an Age of Rapid Change,Complexity, and Other Business Realities. Jossey-Bass.

Lust, Loss, and Immorality in the Little Mermaid Essay -- Fairy Tale C

The Little Mermaid: Of Lust, Loss, and Immortality Under the sea, in an idyllic and beautiful garden, stands a statue of a young man cut out of cold stone – for the Little Mermaid who knows nothing but the sea, the statue stands as an emblem of the mysterious over-world, a stimulus for imagination and sexual desire, an incentive for expansion of experience, and most predominately, an indication that something great and all-encompassing is missing from her existence. Traces of curiosity and a vague indication of the complexities of adult desires mark the child mermaid; in such a stage of development, the statue will suffice. However, as the Little Mermaid reaches puberty, the statue must allegorically come alive in order to parallel the manifestation of her new-found adult desires – the statue must become a prince in his world of adulthood above the sea. Thus, powered by an insistent and ambiguous longing for self-completion, the Little Mermaid embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and, to her ultimate misfortune, prematurely abandons her child-like self as sexual lust and the lust for an adult life takes hold of her. The paradisiacal kingdom under the sea is symbolic of childhood. At the onset of the story, the sea kingdom is described: â€Å"where the waters are as blue as the petals of the cornflower and as clear as glass, there, where no anchor can reach the bottom,† and where â€Å"[one] would have to pile many church towers on top of each other† in order to reach the surface (Andersen 217). The sea describes the deep consciousness of the Little Mermaid as a young child, which is characterized by emotion, beauty, imagination, purity and innocence - representative successively of the water, flowers, the imaginative sim... ...rom an agonizing mistake offers hope. Works Cited: Anderson, Hans Christian. â€Å"The Little Mermaid.† Folk and Fairy Tales. 3rd ed. Eds. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. Toronto: Broadview, 2002. Cashdan, Sheldon. The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales. New York: Basic Books, 1999. Collins, Emily. â€Å"Nabokov’s Lolita and Anderson’s The Little Mermaid.† Nabokov Studies 9 (2005): 77-100. 10 Oct. 2006. http://muse.jhu.edu.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/journals/nabokov_studies/toc/nab9.1.html Easterlin, Nancy. â€Å"Hans Christian Andersen’s Fish out of Water." Philosophy and Literature 25 (2001): 251-77. 6 Oct. 2006. http://muse.jhu.edu.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/journals/philosophy_and_literature/v025/25.2easterlin.html Pil, Dahlerup. â€Å"Splash! Six Views of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Scandinavian Studies 62 (1990): 403-429.

Existentialism in the Stranger by Albert Camus Essay

As humans mature they start to realize that their life has almost always followed a basic routine from childhood till death. This is to go to pre-school, then middle school, then high school, then college, then get a job and get married. A critical tell-tale sign of maturity is when a person starts to take responsibility for their own actions and stops making excuses. Existentialism is a modern philosophical movement largely based on the theory that human existence is unexplainable, that the universe is indifferent and our free choice has a cause and effect to our consequences and that we our responsible for it. Albert Camus brilliantly demonstrates these existentialist themes in the short story â€Å"The Guest† and the novel The Stranger. Three key themes that are displayed in both these literature pieces are freedom, responsibility, and indifference of the world. Freedom is the basic principle on what democracy & the country of America is based upon. It also happens to be the root basis on existentialism and how all humans are capable of free choice, regardless of the circumstance. In The Guest the school teacher Daru is ordered to transfer a prisoner to police headquarters. In this situation it is presumed that Daru has no choice but to follow orders and take the prisoner, yet he states â€Å"every bit of this disgusts me, and first of all your fellow here. But I won’t hand him over. Fight, yes, if I have to. But not that. † (Camus) Disobeying orders, he firmly puts his foot on the ground and confidently states that he will not in fact deliver the prisoner. As he starts to walk with the prisoner he directs him, â€Å"Now look,† the schoolmaster said as he pointed in the direction of the east, ‘†there’s the way to Tinguit. You have a two hour walk. At Tinguit you’ll find the administration and the police. They are expecting you. â€Å"’†¦ Daru took his elbow and turned him rather roughly toward the south†¦ ‘†That’s the trail across the plateau. In a day’s walk from here you’ll find pasturelands and the first nomads. They’ll take you in and shelter you according to their law. â€Å"’ (Camus) This free choice is what separates us humans from animals and is the basis of our government. In The Stranger Meursalt gets involved in a conflict between Raymond and a man only known as â€Å"The Arab†. Meursalt restrains Raymond from killing the Arab only to return and avenge his friend by shooting, and killing the Arab. Meursalt did not have any serious reason to kill the Arab, but he had the mindset that life was pointless and he was living for no reason so he decided to do his friends dirty work. Before he kills the Arab â€Å"It struck me that all I had to do was to turn, walk away, and think no more about it. † ( Camus 38) This quote represents the idea of free choice. That he could have just walked away and nothing would have happened but he chose to continue with the murder. These two examples perfectly display how free will largely impacts our lives. One choice gave a man his freedom, while the other took away a man’s freedom. â€Å"With great power, comes great responsibility†. Although this quote comes from the famous comic book adaptation movie Spiderman, it is still regarded as a very important quote which is true in all aspects. As we grow up we start from having no power to slowly gaining power as we grow older. A key idea in Existentialism is that we are all responsible for our own actions, which is shown in everyday life. For example if a person commits armed robbery his punishment will be prison, as that is the result of the action he chose to perform. This is perfectly shown in both The Guest and The Stranger. In the guest Daru set’s his prisoner free and directs him towards both freedom and capture. The Arab however chooses to take responsibility for his actions â€Å"And in that slight haze Daru with heavy heart made out the Arab walking slowly on the road to prison. † (Camus) In The Stranger, Meursalt makes the conscious decision to kill the Arab and is willing to pay the consequences. He starts shooting the Arab and realizes that â€Å"each successive shot was another loud, fateful rap on the door of my undoing. † (Camus 39) This quote is textual evidence that Meursalt did know he was going to suffer from the aftermath and as he fires the shot each shot symbolically represents fate knocking on his door. He ends up paying for this by going to trial resulting in his eventual death; which he welcomes. These two people from their respective stories both commit murder and take responsibility for their decisions instead of fleeing from reality. The #1 cause in mid-life crisis’ are the realization that life is a routine and some people then choose to go out and do something wild or try to change their life, yet it all comes back to routine. As mentioned before, everyone in the universe usually follows the same process of school, job, wife, kids etc. Meursalt comes to terms with this and knows that the â€Å"the benign indifference of the universe† (Camus 154) will make everything always return to normal. After his mother dies and he talks to his boss about leaving he realizes that nothing will change, he will come back to work after his leave, and continue with regularly life as if nothing had changed. There might be some small changes but everything would be the same. He talks about death and he knows â€Å"I’d been right, I was still right, I was always right. I’d passed my life in a certain way, and I might have passed it in a different way, if I’d felt like it. †¦ What difference could they make to me, the deaths of others, or a mother’s love, or his God; or the way a man decides to live, the fate he thinks he chooses, since one and the same fate was bound to â€Å"choose† not only me but thousands of millions of privileged people who, like him, called themselves my brothers,† (Camus 151-152) This quote perfectly represents the existential idea of indifference as it Meursalt lives his life in a way that he could he have changed if he wanted to but it would have still been the same old song and dance. Death although it temporarily affects people does not linger, and people eventually move on. Although Meursalt had a strained relationship with his mother and seemed to be apathetic he not only concludes that this applies to him, but to everyone in the world. This epiphany is what largely convinces Meursalt to go live his life as he forms a relationship with Marie and starts to gain some experiences. He still seems to be apathetic as when Marie asks him if he loves her he says no and this relapse is the thought process in which he killed the Arab. These example define the theme of indifference of the universe and how it plays a large factor on how people decide to live their life. Existentialism ideas pop in and out of our lives very often and control the way people think. Albert Camus played upon these themes and put them into text to help us read and truly comprehend them. Free choice, responsibility, and indifference are all around us, and although some may be more important than others they still help keep our id in balance (Sigmund Freud). Free choice is our conscious mind and what is the most important thing to us, especially as Americans. Free choice is our input to society, whether be good. Responsibility helps keep free choice in check, as all actions have a cause and effect. Indifference of the world has a subliminal input in our lives that may not be shown in everyday life but at certain parts of life. These three ideas are large parts of our lives and how we choose to live it every single day.

Psychometrics Validty and elaiability

Contents Introduction The selection of employees is one of the most significant tasks a human resources practitioner Is faced with. This affects the flow of employees entering and exiting the firm. Many Issues may arise If the recruiting process Is not In accordance with the South African Legislation, namely the Employment equity act and the labor relations act, which governs the reliability validity, bias and fairness of psychometric assessment measures.These legislations have been brought about to protect employees against discrimination and unfair practices which were experienced urine the previous dispensations. In accordance to the terms of the provisions of Section 8 of the Employment Equity Act (55 of 1998) â€Å"Psychological testing and other similar assessments of an employee are prohibited unless the test or assessment being used (a) has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable; (b) can be applied fairly to all employees; and (c) is not biased against any emplo yee or group†.The psychological measuring instrument we have chosen in accordance with HAPS is the PAIL B. The Ability Processing of Information and Learning Battery (PAIL-B) will e critically evaluated within this essay. This psychometric assessments battery can therefore assist recruiters who use these measures to identify employees who have the potential to grow and learn with In organizations.Furthermore It should be noted that the PAIL B Is a cognitive measure and Is not only used for recruitment and selection in organizations, but can also be used for selection into schools, universities and other areas. Hence, this essay will report the PAIL B through the following headings namely evaluating the PAIL B, Composition of the PAIL B, Validity, Reliability, Bias and Limitations.Evaluating the PAIL B According to Foxtrot and Rood (201 3), It Is an assessment practitioner's duty to evaluate the Information offered about a measure and determine whether it Is valid and reliable for its intended purpose. Foxtrot and Rood (2013), further state that for evaluating a measure, some of the things that an assessment practitioner should consider are: how long ago it was developed; quality of manual contents; clarity of instructions and cultural appropriateness.First conceptualized in 1994 by T. R Taylor, the PAIL B – Ability, Processing of Information and Learning Battery- (Taylor, n. . ), was designed as a set of tests with the purpose of assessing ones vital cognitive capableness. In order for the assessment to be most effective It should be administered on individuals with individuals with a minimum of twelve years educational background (Taylor, n. D. ).The PAIL B is ideal for identifying those who are likely to master new cognitively challenging content in a training context and establishing levels in order to place people in the correct positions. Taylor (n. D. ), has identified three norms that the PAIL B makes use of, namely: stained (scale of 1 â⠂¬â€œ 9) ; tens are used in the Flexibility-Accuracy-speed Tests (FAST), stained are used in the concept formation test; the memory test and Knowledge transfer test while percentiles are used in the curve of learning test.According to Taylor (n. D. ), the PAIL B is divided into five test booklets and two ancillary booklets which make up eight scores namely: Abstract thinking; Speed of information processing; accuracy of information processing; cognitive flexibility; Performance gain in a learning task; final level of proficiency; Memory and understanding and Transfer of knowledge, which ill take approximately three hours and forty five minutes to administer.Composition PAIL Battery Concept formation test This test was designed to assess one's ability to â€Å"think abstractly and conceptually: to form abstract concepts, reason hypothetically, theories, build scenarios (and) trace causes† (Taylor, p. 4, n. D. ). The test is comprised of thirty questions; each consisting of six depictions of similar nature the test taker must identify the depiction that does not share a characteristic that the rest of the depictions share (Taylor, n. D. ). Flexibility-Accuracy-speed Tests (FAST) Taylor (n. D. Suggests that â€Å"this battery within a battery measures speed (quickness) and accuracy of information processing, and cognitive flexibility'. The FAST test is made up of four individual assessments namely: Series; Mirror image; Transformations and combined tests. All four assessments are time sensitive and have been designed in such a way that it is very rare for a test taker to actually complete the entire assessment. It uses shapes of different sizes which may contain either a dot or line in the center. The basic idea of the tests is to identify a pattern and find the omitted depiction.Curve of learning According to Taylor (n. D. ), this test focuses on a learning potential, it aims to assess ones capacity at which they are able to master new skills. It looks a t future achievement potential rather than the abilities that the person already has. The test is split into four timed sessions which requires the test taker to decode a series of paired images into another set of images and once again decode these images to a set of words. Images are decoded with the aid of the first ancillary booklet, the dictionary.Memory test Directly after the test taker has completed the curve of learning test, the memory test s administered. It follows the same concept as the curve of learning where the test takers are required to decode images to words; however the dictionary is now taken away. The performance of the test taker on this test reflects the extent to which the test taker has understood the logical relation between the symbols and words. Knowledge transfer test According to Ferguson (1956, as cited in Taylor, n. D. ), transferring knowledge and skills to similar areas or situations is a vital process of cognitive development.The knowledge transf er test, as the name suggests, measures this ability. The test insists of a series of connected depictions referred to as â€Å"pieces of equipment† (Taylor, p. 19, n. D. ), which have a specific feature in addition to a basic shape. The test taker is required to categorize them under symbols. Test takers are also given the second ancillary booklet. Validity established to ensure that the test is valid for the purpose it is to be used for. Foxtrot and Rood (2013) state that the â€Å"the validity of a measure concerns what the test measures and how well it does so†.In the studies consulted it has been evident that construct and criterion validity were shown to be present in the PAIL B assessment. The construct validity of a measure is the extent to which it measures the theoretical construct or trait that it is supposed to measure (Foxtrot & Rood 2013). The second validation measure of criterion validity was defined by Paella and Wren (2005) who stated that â€Å"Crit erion-Related Validity is used to predict future or current performance†. The method that used to determine criterion related validity is predictive validity.Murphy and Adversaries (2005) define predictive validity as a method of determining criterion validity. It also used to determine the correlation of test takers test score and there criterion related scores. Taylor (1995) investigated the validity on the SOFT, where he gave the measure to 33 first-year university students who had been accepted into the university on merits other than their grade twelve results. Taylor correlated the marks from their SOFT assessments and the marks of the course they took; which were to improve their logical thinking and reasoning skills. Therefore the correlation was 0. 4 (p = 0. 012). Taylor (1995, as cited in Astrakhan, 1998) found in another study which investigated the validity on the Curve of Learning and Memory and Understanding tests was inducted using a sample of 110 workers from a beverage manufacturing firm. The criteria for evaluating workers included facets such as their capacity to learn new procedures and concepts, to understand why things happen in the firm as a whole, and their capacity to plan and organism. These results averaged correlations of 0. 35. The low correlation can be attributed to the fact that a diverse sample was not used.A further study by Taylor (1995) found criterion scores which was given to 43 employees who were enrolled in a course designed to prepare them for a promotion in Junior management positions. The correlations here were reported to be 0. 67 and 0. 79 respectively, which can be interrupted to prove to be an recreate predictor of performance. In an additional study conducted by Lopes, Rood and Maier (2001) on the predictive validity of the PAIL-B in a financial institution; the purpose was to assess the predictive validity of the PAIL test battery, in order to identify learning potential.A sample of 235 successful Job appl icants were used to complete the test battery and found the predictive validity of the test battery was assessed using a canonical discriminate analysis procedure. The procedure was adopted in view of the nominal strength of the manager's ratings, and due to the limited sample size the 5 point rating scale was eventually collapsed too 2 point classification. Reliability It should be noted that an assessment is reliable if it measures the same construct in a consistent and precise manner over time.Foxtrot and Rood (2009) define reliability of a measure as â€Å"the consistency to which it measures whatever it measures†. Split – half reliability was a major psychometric property of reliability used among majority of the literature we consulted. In the PAIL B, (Taylor 1995) elucidates that split half reliability was used to investigate whether or not the PAIL-B is reliable. Foxtrot and Rood (2013, p. 47) define split-half reliability as â€Å"obtained by splitting the me asure into two equivalents (after a single administration of the test) and computing the correlation coefficient between these two sets of scores†.During Taylor' investigations into the reliability of the PAIL B, he used a sample of six groups to test reliability coefficient of the flexibility, accuracy and speed test and the knowledge transfer test. These have reliability coefficients room a low of 0. 70 – too high of 0. 86 and 0. 71 – 0. 84 respectively Taylor (1995). In a study done by the defense force which lasted over a period of three years with new recruits. The purpose was to determine whether the psychometric evaluation processes can reliably predict the learning potential of first year recruits at the academy.The FAST considered the following; firstly, the PAIL B investigated whether the FAST has a positive effect on how quickly recruits learn new abilities. It was found that a significant relationship with a reliability coefficient of (r=O,491) exists between legibility of information processing and steepness of the learning curve. This therefore is below the accepted reliability coefficient of Secondly, it was found that a strong relationship with a reliability coefficient of is apparent between speed of information processing and the total amount of work completed by the recruits.Lastly, it was determined that the small relationship with a reliability coefficient of exists between accuracy of information processing and steepness of the learning curve. This therefore is below the accepted reliability coefficient of However, the results concluded that three components of the FAST, are accurate in predicting how quickly new recruits in the defense force will develop new competencies. The findings also further indicated that the accuracy with which information is processed has a minimal influence on the rate a recruit will develop new competencies (Preterits 2010).In terms of the knowledge transfer test which investigated if there was a transfer of knowledge to crystallized abilities. Meaning it investigated if there was a transfer of what the recruits learnt and how they apply it in combat situations. Preterits (2010) defines crystallized abilities as â€Å"are peccadillo insight or understanding and knowledge that emerge via transfer from existing knowledge and that is subsequently, successfully stored in memory'. The Memory and Understanding sub-test of the PAIL-B was used to measure crystallized ability of recruits.It was found that a positive relationship exists between the transferring of knowledge in what the recruit learnt and crystallized abilities. The reliability coefficient was reported as a positive directional relationship between transfer of knowledge and crystallized abilities. A substantial relationship with a liability coefficient of 5) exists between memory and understanding and crystallized abilities. This therefore suggests that a moderate correlation exists.In terms of the curve of lea rning, it was found that prior learning has a positive directional effect on learning performance thus the results indicate a substantial relationship and moderate correlation with a reliability coefficient of In concluding with this study, it can be said that the defense force's use of the PAIL B (Preterits 2010). A De Geode and Thereon (2010) study concurred with Preterits (2010) where a non- arability sample of 434 new recruits from the South African Police Service Training College in Philipp, Cape Town was used.Even though the size of the selected sample is quite acceptable, making use of a non-probability sampling of the target population, caution should be taken when making generalizations. De Geode and Thereon (2010), found that a score of reliability score of (r= 0. 45). This suggests that a question mark hangs over the success with which at least some of the concealed variables comprising the results of the learning potential police recruits. Standard Error of Measurement F oxtrot and Rood (2013, p. 49), â€Å"explain that the standard error of measurement indicates the band of error around each obtained score, and examiners should aware of the standard error of measurement for each subtest before interpreting the test – takers score†. Therefore, assessors must be cognizant of the test takers history and current circumstances. Factors such as culture, transient conditions, prior learning and test wishes can have an impact on the variance between the true score (obtained under perfect conditions) and the obtained score.Preterits (2010) outlines hat prior learning of an individual and their familiarity with taking assessment has a significant impact on their ability to perform in test conditions. While Dodos (2000) was of the view that a testes culture as well as environmental factors will also affect the scores of the historically disadvantaged people of South Africa. Bias Prior (2011) explains that bias â€Å"implies that test scores obt ained for various subgroups of a given population cannot be interpreted in the same way across the groups†.Taylor (1995) suggests PAIL-B was designed as a learning potential test and therefore emits any biased based on cultural differences. This is a result of the test being a non-verbal test, except for the instructions, and the test comprises of mainly geometric depictions thus language does not become an issue of concern. Astrakhan (2008) concurs with Taylor (1995) in a study conducted with a sample of 400 individuals, 66 testes had African surnames while the large majority can be classified as white.The data analysis for both race groups were highly correlated indicating that there is no potential for bias. However, it should be kept in mind that his was not a representative sample. Further studies were consulted to investigate the potential bias in the PAIL B. A sample of 20 psychological professionals from various fields, were asked to investigate the cultural bias of th e PAIL-B; found that 6 out of the 20 felt that the test was bias (Dodos 2000). Thus, it can be stated that there is a potential for bias based on one's culture.Similarly, Preterits (2010) concurs with Dodos as he found that the PAIL B was accused of being biased and under representing the cognitive capacity of individuals from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. Thus, in order to bring recruitment practices in line with legislation in the Employment Equity act, these tests was subsequently replaced with a selection battery thought to be less susceptible to culture, race and gender bias. This resulted in the measure being removed from use in the context of the defense force.Limitations of the PAIL B diverse enough for the representative target population. This is further verified by Astrakhan (2008), who also did not make use of a diverse sample. Therefore based on the literature from these authors, it is evident that accurate conclusions cannot be ran indicating that there are l imitations in the above studies. Conclusion In the end the results show that, the PAIL-B is able to predict the performance of individuals not only in certain institutions but for any selection at an accurate level and therefore makes the battery a vital instrument to use.It is evident that the PAIL- B is a somewhat outdated measure but still proves to be valid and reliable in measuring cognitive abilities today. However, caution could be taken when administering the PAIL-B, as some authors have found that bias is present in historically disadvantaged groups. This essay therefore reported on the PAIL B through evaluation of the PAIL B, Composition of the PAIL B, Validity, Reliability, Bias and Limitations. Recommendations Firstly, it should be noted that the PAIL B is an outdated selection battery.In order for organizations to make fair decisions in line with the Employment Equity Act, a more relevant battery needs to be considered. Secondly, it should also not be used in its indivi dual capacity within the recruitment and selection process and is it advisable to be used in harmony with other valid information such as candidates' curriculum it's and other test results. Thirdly, the use of the PAIL can be considered bias in instances where people from different cultures and race groups are affected.In addition, Astrakhan (2008), De Geode and Thereon (2010), should make use of a more representative sample in order to draw conclusions about the reliability of their studies. Lastly, we also propose that measures within the battery not require such strict prior learning criteria as these have been shown to bias the historically disadvantaged individuals who have not had exposure to prior learning. Reference List psychometric test administrators toward the PAIL B as a culture fair assessment with special reference to the employment equity act.