In today’s aggressively competitive business scenario, many companies are implementing SAP solutions in order to meet projected commitments made to the clients.
ASP.Net is a feature-rich framework from Microsoft which is largely used for versatile web application developments. At Exforsys, we have a team of dedicated .Net Developers who are experts in ASP.NET platform and can develop excellent websites and web portals. .Net developers at Exforsys have years of experience and have also worked on ASP platform. By combining the technological competence of ASP and .NET, Exforsys team carries out large scale web application developments to meet varied business goals of its clients. .Net development services provided by Exforsys include websites, software applications, ecommerce solutions and other tools and products. Using .NET…
Important Features of Java – Multithreading, AWT In this tutorial you will learn about Important Features of Java – Multithreading, AWT and Event Handling, Networking, Socket and Database Connection There are many features of Java. Some of them namely are explained below. Multithreading A fundamental concept of computer programming is the idea of handling more than one task at a time. Within a program these separately running pieces are called threads and the general concept is called multithreading. The Java Virtual Machine allows an application to have multiple threads of execution running concurrently. Each thread has a priority. Threads with…
Ajax, Web Services & XML Part II Last time we created an Ajax application that wrapped an XML request in a SOAP envelope and called a web service. The web service returned another SOAP stream with a listing of theaters, movies and show times. We settled for showing the data in a textarea. In this installment we’ll go the final yard and parse the XML into tabular data to be displayed in the browser. If you look at file ajax2b.html you’ll see that the “updateMe()” method has been updated to call the ActiveXObject “Microsoft.XMLDOM”. Obviously, this method works only for…
Last time we looked at Ajax and how to create a remote call to a service. We passed no parameters and received a simple text string. In this installment, we look at calling a web service using the SOAP protocol and XML. The response will come back to us in an XML document which we will display in a textarea. As explained in the article “Introduction to Web Services” , a web service is basically a web site that receives a request and processes it and returns XML instead of HTML. The XML must have a format that can be…
XML – Elements, Attributes, Entities In this tutorial you will learn about Elements, Anatomy of tags, Tag naming rules, Invalid tags, Valid tags, Root and child elements, Attributes, When Do I use Attributes? Entities, Character data sections, Comments and Processing instructions. {mos_ri} Elements Elements are the basic building blocks of XML It may contain – Other elements – Character data – Character references – Entity references – Comments – These are collectively known as element content Ex: < student > Mason Hill < /student > An Element consists of three parts 1. Opening Tag < student > 2. Description Mason…
CSS Units, Colors and References In this tutorial you will learn about Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Units and Colors, Percentage, Values, Colors, References – Font and Text, Color and Background, Layout, Classification, Positioning and Pseudo-classes. Units and Colors Percentage Percentage values have to be followed by “%”. Values The absolute values represent a measurement, there are many measurements in CSS, so the measurement unit has to be stated. CSS measurement units are: • cm: centimeter. • em: font size. • ex: half of the font size. • in: inch. • mm: millimeter. • pc: pica. • pt: point. • px:…
Applications, Resumes and Interviews — Why They Go Together It is time to apply for jobs again. You might be fed up with your current job, unemployed, recently graduated, or in any number of situations, however you have decided it is time to start looking for employment and you are just beginning to realize that it takes hard work and dedication to find a good job. You will almost always need to submit an application for the particular position, a current resume, other information like transcripts, and then you simply wait for the interview. However, does your job application and…
You Have Your Psychology Degree, Now What? Psychology can be an intimidating field to go into because it’s very competitive, you may have to think about insurance, dealing with sick people, and it costs a lot to get such a degree! Obtaining a psychology degree is probably your biggest achievement to date, so you should be excited about putting your education to good use with a job of your choice. There are many different directions you can take with a psychology degree under your belt; you just have to go the direction that best uses your interests, specialties, and capabilities….
Regular Expressions and C#, .NET This Article explores the concept of Regular Expressions in the context of C#, .NET support for Regular Expressions, Meta-characters and their Description, Character Escapes, Substitutions, Character Classes, Regular Expression Options and Atomic Zero-Width Assertions. What are regular expressions? Regular expressions are Patterns that can be used to match strings. You can call it a formula for matching strings that follow some pattern. Regular expression(s) can be considered as a Language, which is designed to manipulate text. You can then ask questions such as “Does the given string match the pattern?”, or “Does the given string…
Test Cases, Test Director and Test Scenarios Interview Questions This article provides Software Testing Interview Questions covering Test Cases, Test Scenarious and Test Director questions. For more Interview Questions / Answers related to testing, click on links provided at the end of each question set… Test Cases 1. How will you prepare test cases? 2. Write the testcases on ATM Transactions? 3. What is meant by Hot Keys? 4. How is test case written? 5. How can we write a good test case? 6. How will you check that your test cases covered all the requirements 7. For a triangle…
Instantiating – Invoking Web Services, Creating Proxy Classes with WSDL In this tutorial you will learn about Discovering Web Services, Instantiating and Invoking Web Services, Creating Proxy Classes with the Web Services Description Language Tool (wsdl.exe) VB.NET 2005 Tutorials: Instantiating – Invoking Web Services, and Creating Proxy Classes with WSDL Using the Web Services Discovery Tool (disco.exe) Now that we have created a web service, we will use the disco.exe tool to discover it. To direct the tool to locate the service the syntax to be used is as under. This command has to be entered in the .NET framework…
Web Services – SOAP, WSDL, Disco and UDDI In this tutorial you will learn about Web Services – Understanding Web Services, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), The Web Service Discovery Tool (DISCO), Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI), Web Service Discovery Language (WSDL). Web Services – SOAP, WSDL, Disco and UDDI Understanding Web Services Interconnectedness engendered by the World Wide Web has created a pressure to create applications that are interoperable and distributable over the network. The direction of effort is towards creating applications that connect to each other regardless of the language or platform in which the application was…
This article start with brief Introduction to Automated Testing, Different methods in Automated Testing, Benefits of Automated Testing and the guidelines that Automated testers must follow to get the benefits of automation.Advantages of Automated Testing Introduction: "Automated Testing" is automating the manual testing process currently in use. This requires that a formalized "manual testing process", currently exists in the company or organization. Automation is the use of strategies, tools and artifacts that augment or reduce the need of manual or human involvement or interaction in unskilled, repetitive or redundant tasks. Minimally, such a process includes: Detailed test cases, including predictable…
In this tutorial of Week 6 we will be learning about Overview of List-Bound Controls, Creating a Repeater Control, Creating a DataList Control, Introduction to the DataGrid, Setting Up the DataGrid , Using Advanced DataGrid Features and Adding Advanced Features. Overview of List-Bound Controls As we have seen in the previous tutorials that Asp.net ships with many controls. We already discussed different types of buttons, validation controls and the calendar controls. But the most power of Asp.net comes with the Databound controls. Databound controls are those controls which can be binded to any data source. They are also known as…
Before we actually start with the lessons, we need to install and setup Oracle on your pc to be able to practice. I would recommend all of you to install Oracle before you start with any of our lessons in the following weeks. Please use discussion board for any questions you might have in this Learning Series. That helps other users answering the same questions. Next week we will be starting with our first lesson. In the mean time please setup your pc with Oracle Software. Follow the link to download the appropriate version according to your operating system. Download…
We are excited to let you know that we are launching shortly The New Technology Learning Series. We will be starting with Oracle 9i: SQL, PLSQL, and SQL *Plus. Below is the course schedule by week. Please let us know if you have suggestions. Oracle 9i: SQL, PL SQL, and SQL *Plus Course Description: This course introduces students to data server technology, and explores the concepts of relational databases and the powerful SQL and PL/SQL programming languages. Students will learn and practice how to create and maintain database objects. You will also learn to store, retrieve, and manipulate data. Finally,…
Managing a project can be extremely challenging. Projects often require dedicated planning, and this could range from planning a wedding to constructing a house. Regardless of what project you are involved in, you will want to make use of project management techniques in order to assist you in reaching your objectives. While there are many project development techniques that you can use, the following basic techniques are extremely powerful and versatile enough to be useful for successfully managing your project. The first of these techniques is to take the time to define both the objectives of the project, as well…
Companies place high emphasis on development of products which are not only faster and superior, but also more affordable as well. A number of fresh business strategies and organizational approaches are being used by numerous companies so that they can continue to enhance their methods for product development. Efficient Product Development If a company wants to succeed in the competitive market, they must be capable of keeping up with optimal methods. Management must be able to figure out how their company stacks up with the other firms in the industry. The first step in being able to develop best practices…
While data is important, this is only true if that data is high in quality. Decisions made on the basis of data, if wrong, can have detrimental consequences for the organization. Your data must always remain clean, but the big problem that organizations face is that they may not have the tools to ensure clean data. It is imperative to balance data quality, time and budget which compete against each other, while ensuring the quality of the data within a time span which is limited, and on a reasonable budget. A number of methods have been developed for this purpose,…
Organizations need robust quality program in order to succeed and stay at the top. Many Quality Assurance firms have developed a variety of different programs, and they range from those that have simple step-by-step processes, to programs which are highly complex, with software and advanced charts. Some quality programs have become wildly popular in recent years, but they all function in basically the same manner. No matter what name you use for your quality assurance program, or the methodology which is associated with it, it is important to create a solid implementation plan prior to the initiation of program development….
Quality Assurance Should Never be Taken for Granted To enhance quality assurance for your project, there are a number of strategies that you can use. First off, every department must take the time to orient itself in a manner which allows for self study, and one which showcases a culture which is quality oriented. The organization must be capable of creating a variety of different mechanisms, and this includes both those which are internal and external. This must be done for improving quality, and some of the things that organizations will want to pay attention to include external peer reviews,…
While both quality control and quality assurance are extremely important, they differ vastly from one another and often many are not familiar with the difference between Quality Control and Quality Assurance. Quality control involves activities which are related to quality, and which are connected to the creation of deliverables. Quality control is used when a verification needs to be made that the deliverables are of a very high quality, and that they are totally complete. Some examples of quality control include things like peer reviews which are deliverable, as well as the testing process. Quality Assurance involves the process which…
The ability to figure out the needs of your stakeholders will play a crucial role in project management. In recent years, engaging the stakeholders during social reporting has become extremely important for corporations and business organizations. At the same time, organizations must be capable of taking the time to measure the actual engagement process to properly verify and use the process result. Not only is it necessary for you to measure the needs of Stakeholders process through the usage of the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard series, which encompasses principles-based standards to help organizations become more accountable, responsible and sustainable and…
Having a Quality Management Plan is an important foundation for any Project. Successfully implementing a quality management plan for a project is a task which requires a lot of organization. However, the benefits are well worth it, as the creation of the quality management plan and its application to any given project will give you the ability to ensure that proper quality management is being utilized. Quality management plan can be thought of as a type of document which is responsible for detailing the effectiveness of activities and practices which are available for any given product or service. It forms…
By taking a post-seminar evaluation, you could significantly improve the skills and abilities needed to be an excellent seminar facilitator. You get insight on how to improve your craft, avoid potential problems, be more prepared and ready for the next event, and become even more motivated to perform well every time you conduct a seminar. The Importance of an Evaluation Conducting an evaluation of your performance when facilitating the seminar is like making a quality assessment. In order for a product to become a great product, it has to be carefully molded, developed, and tested several times to ensure that…
At the onset of the seminar, you had aimed to provide the audience with valuable learning and information, you have presented the topics and facilitated fun and learning activities for the participants; but the challenge now is to be able to inculcate all these to everyone who attended the seminar. Such events should not be merely about presenting your topics to the audience and ensuring they understood; but it should also be geared towards motivating them to apply what they have learned during the seminar. After all the preparation and the efforts you had put in, your seminar is coming…
Coaching has a crucial role in bringing out the best in your audience, which is why as much as possible, it should be included in the seminar agenda. In small seminars, facilitators can allot time for coaching. Seminar Coaching is the process of helping the audience develop the capacity to ponder on seminar keynotes, guide them in making realizations, and motivate them to accomplish what they want or need to accomplish. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and the size of the audience, not every event provides coaching and the giving of feedback to the participants. It can be difficult to…
An effective seminar is one that gives both the facilitator and the audience the opportunity to ask questions. Asking the right questions paves the way for better communication and exchange of information. Having said that, seminar facilitators could benefit largely from the use of questioning techniques and these will be further discussed in this section. What Questions Can Do for You? Questions are very powerful. Questions provide great benefits to the one asking them. These are as follows: It puts you in control. When you ask the right questions at the right time, it puts you in control of the…
One of the challenges that a seminar facilitator is faced with is in keeping the audience interested. It can be a nightmare to present in front of dozens of people, only to realize that someone is snoring in the group. How can you keep the audience from getting bored? What techniques can be utilized in order to ensure that they keep their eyes and ears glued to you? These questions will be answered in this article. Reasons Why the Audience Becomes Bored Before you learn the various ways to keep the audience interested, you must first know what causes them…
During seminar, it is common for participants to join group activities. These activities are specifically designed to create a powerful and long-lasting impact on the knowledge that you are trying to instill in their minds. Thus, grouping your audience should make use of group dynamics so that you, as the seminar facilitator, will be able to increase your chances of achieving your overall purpose for the seminar. Group Dynamics This term would refer to the series of processes, interactions, and combined performances that occur within a group. Because people differ from each other in terms of personalities, beliefs, values, level…
Objections from seminar audience could keep seminar facilitators on their toes. Hence, it is important for seminar facilitators to know how to handle such objections from the audience. This article will provide information on several tips and techniques to deal with different types of objections raised during seminars. What is an Objection? In a seminar, an objection is anything an individual or a group of people in your audience would say or do that would imply a concern, question, skepticism, or a negative reaction. Despite it being seemingly intimidating and even scary for some, objections should be acknowledged, discussed, and…
A seminar facilitator needs to be very adept at reading people’s personality traits and be able to handle seminar participants properly. If you do not know how to manage the participants, it would be difficult to get your audience to listen to you, and even harder to keep them interested. You should be able to determine the approach to use in motivating the seminar audience and encourage them to actively participate in the seminar. People have different personalities and while no person is exactly the same as the other, there are major classifications of personalities that will be discussed in…
To a large extent, the methods, materials used, and the participants facilitating a seminar will determine the event’s success. However, it is also important to focus on the environment where the participants will be in for the entire duration of the seminar. The Importance of a Conducive Environment The choice of venue, as well as the facilities used during the seminar, is very important to enhance learning and comprehension. By giving the seminar participants a very smooth and impressive learning experience, you can maximize the positive outcomes and properly utilize the time allotted for the event. Your audience will be…
Talking to a person you do not know can be tough. Many people feel nervous with these encounters. However, speaking in front of an audience can be especially overwhelming that perhaps everyone who has tried holding a seminar for the first time has felt very anxious about it. Yet similar to learning how to ride a bike, it may seem impossible at first and you may even find yourself extremely scared at this prospect but eventually, you will learn to get used to it and you will be able to deal with the audience with much ease. Conquering Your Fear…
Visual aids have long been regarded as a staple in most public speaking endeavors. When making a presentation during a business meeting, giving a speech, or even when holding seminars, the use of visual aids is commonly employed. There are two main functions of a visual aid: it helps the audience understand your message better. it keeps them interested. Learners can be visual, auditory, or even kinesthetic learners, which is why effective seminars always take into consideration these three aspects. By making use of visual aids during your seminar, you will be able to address the three channels of learning….
A large part of your success as a seminar facilitator lies in your presentation skills. Because presentation is crucial in every seminar, you should therefore endeavor to learn these skills and never step up that podium without even bothering to understand the things you need to do in order to become an effective facilitator. Seminar Presentation requires proper planning and extensive preparation. How well are you able to communicate with the audience? Are you able to effectively deliver your thoughts and ideas towards them? Are you able to keep them interested that they do not even want to move or…
For a seasoned seminar facilitator, conducting a seminar is not a big deal. After all, they probably conduct seminars at least once a month that they are no longer intimidated by the thought of speaking in front of a big audience. However, for a neophyte, facilitating a seminar can be so terrifying that the thought of it would even trigger anxiety attacks. This article will provide you with the most helpful tips to make you feel more confident and at ease when handling a seminar. Whether you are an executive tasked to conduct a seminar for your company’s employees or…
Planning a seminar is similar to organizing a company event—you need to do it way ahead of time and make good use of organizational skills so that the event will be a success. Usually, a team or a committee is in charge of organizing a seminar; however, if you happen to take the role of the speaker as well as the organizer, then you need to know certain techniques that will eliminate problems and prevent things from going wrong during the scheduled event. One way to ensure that everything will be in order and go according to plan is to…
Preparation is key to a successful seminar. Even a seasoned seminar speaker would still take the time to sit down and plan things out before the event. As someone who will conduct a seminar in front of 10, 100, or even more participants, you cannot afford to be in front of the audience unprepared. If this is the first seminar you will handle, then it is all the more necessary to plan weeks and even months before the big day. A large chunk of the preparation phase is making the outline. This will serve as your guide in knowing what…
When conducting a seminar, one of the first things that your participants will ask is: “Why should I listen to you?” Whether you are going to hold a one-hour seminar or a 3-day seminar, it is necessary that you are able to convince the participants to sit down, listen, try to understand what you will share with them, and keep an open mind. If you cannot do that, then every attempt you make to impart knowledge and insights to them would fail. This section focuses on the most basic and essential requirement that every seminar presenter must acknowledge and use:…
The concept of organizational change management applies to organization changes such as mission change, restructuring operations, application of new technologies, major collaborations, and mergers. This kind of change in the organization requires a fundamental and radical reorientation of how the organization functions and operates. This happens when there is a provocation of external driving force such as economic crisis, fund cuts, new markets, and major increase in demand. The occurrence of organizational change has not slowed down over the last decade and will continue to increase as more and more innovations in technology have been used to drive change within…
It is common for organizations to realize later on that the design they have created does not seem to provide a positive impact to their purpose, or is not able to keep up with the changes. Either way, they need to make certain adjustments in their current design framework in order to thrive. This process is known as organization redesign. Importance of Organization Redesign The restructuring of an organization has become a necessity and at the same time, a powerful business strategy. It is critical to the success of a business because of how dynamic the environment is. With so…
The life cycle of an organization proposes that over a certain period of time, for-profit companies move through a predictable sequence of development. Life cycles have been the subject of extensive study over the years and these are linked to organizational growth and development studies. It has been found that organizations are similar to living beings because they have a pattern of developmental stages and are impacted largely by the circumstances of the internal and external environments. There are many frameworks used to determine the life cycle of an organization. However, the most basic, which others have based their framework…
An organizational chart, otherwise referred to as org chart, is a diagram that illustrates the structure of an organization. It clearly shows the rank and relationships of the employees, and help keep the work operations organized. Depending on the size of the company, a chart may comprise of numerous lines, arrows, and boxes, or it may consist of only a few. Because relationships within a company often change, charts should be flexible and simple, so that they can be changed easily. Importance of Organizational Chart Organizational charts are considered important and vital in allowing the members of the company to…
Organizing Staff is an organization is a more complex type of administrative organization that puts the power of command to the line executives (or line managers) however it does have its share of benefits that will help any organization to fully utilize their people’s potentials. To organize staff, appointing supervisors and specialists attached to the line authority is required. Features of Staff Organization There are two types of staff: staff assistants and staff supervisors. Staff assistants include personal assistants and secretaries, while staff supervisors include quality controllers and operation control managers, among others. When organizing staff, there needs to be…
Over the years, there have been several definitions of organizational learning. One such definition is that it is the process of being able to detect and correct errors, with people in the organization acting as the agents who learn through various activities. Another definition states that there are four aspects associated with organizational learning, and these are: knowledge acquisition, distribution of information, interpretation of information, and the use of organizational memory. Lastly, organizational learning has also been defined as similar to that of having one stimulus and getting several effects, a pattern of many “means and ends” relationships. But fundamentally,…
Culture is both a dynamic phenomenon and the norms that guide and restrict behavior. It creates a powerful driving force in organizational situations, and is considered influential to its success. In any scenario wherein there needs to be a group effort, teamwork, and collaboration between individuals and groups of individuals, such as that evident in business operations, there are always different types of people with different culture, and when the organization cannot find means by which to make them understand and accept the differences, and be able to create common grounds, that is, create an organizational culture, it will be…
Every organization exists for a purpose, and while it is the top managers who will decide how the organization can achieve its mission and vision, the operative goals are the key to its success. Therefore, there should be strategies that focus on giving employees a sense of direction and motivation, and there should be standards of performance. Strategies include a number of techniques and the organization design should specifically suit the organization’s competitive approach in order for it to contribute significantly to effectiveness. Hierarchical Systems Majority of today’s organizations are designed bureaucratically, which means that there is hierarchy between authority…
The basic systems model used in organizations is one that takes input, creates a transformation through a series of internal processes, and produces an output. However, whilst the different models being used today are still built around this fundamental concept, there have already been variations made to meet the needs of the organizations in the 21st century. This article discusses the four most commonly used models in organizations. Galbraith’s Star Model of Organizational Design The Star Model serves as the basis from which an organization creates design choices. It has five categories of design policies that can be controlled by…
An organization design is an ongoing challenge for every manager because it constantly struggles to protect the organization and keep it competitive, despite the unstable economy and the ever-changing nature of any business. However, a remarkable facet of an effectual design is that its process is, in the simplest sense, a set of cascading tasks that allows managers to go through step-by-step methods in a clear and straightforward manner. It begins with the corporate level and goes down to departmental levels. Basically, a design is an ongoing challenge yet because of how it is created, the process is not as…
There are numerous frameworks that allows to structure an organization. However, to design an organization is quiet different because there is no such thing as a design blueprint that anyone can simply follow without taking necessary steps to ensure that the design structure will work for a particular organization. Blueprint Designs even makes it more complicated knowing that the design is ineffective, this will lead the organization to serious consequences which may ultimately result in business failure. Fortunately, there are four guiding principles that will assist employers in making an organization design. These principles, if followed correctly, will bring a…
Organization design is the process of constructing and arranging an organization’s structure, processes, systems, practices, and rewards programs as a means to achieve its purpose and goals. To design an organization requires wide knowledge on a diverse range of concepts, research, and approaches on economics, information technology, logistics, management, and psychology. It also involves analysis of available designs and frameworks derived from existing organizations, and redesigning these to effectually meet the prerequisites of the organization. An organization design is created on the belief that employees have the genuine desire to contribute to the overall objectives of the organization that they…
Project management has been defined as the process involved to successfully attain the goals and objectives of a given project. There are several types of project managers such as construction project manager, software project manager, architectural project manager and research project manager. Every project management endeavor has a manager. The project manager has a long list of roles that needs to be filled so that the project can be completed in the best means possible. These roles are categorized into: planning, organizing, managing, executing and closing. Roles of a Project Manager A project manager has the following responsibilities: Develops the…
The design and development of a competency framework is the initial step to improving the level of performance of employees in a company. The next steps are implementation and execution. Gaining a good understanding of the “why,” the “what” and the “how” signals the need to proceed with the use of these frameworks as guidelines in achieving optimum performance at work. The Why, the What, and the How To gain acceptance and trust from employees, it is necessary to uncover the answers to the “why,” “what,” and “how” first. Why, as in “Why do we need to do this?” This…
During hiring process, companies focus on an individual’s competencies, and this is more evident today than ever. Their understanding of the value of people to help them communicate their core competencies to their market and the rest of the world has paved the way for the integration of competency-based hiring practices. The kind of people hired by any company will impact the business, and such impact can go either way – good or bad. The employees are the heart of the company; if they are highly competent individuals then they will contribute greatly to the company’s success. Conversely, if ineffectual…
Training is a very significant aspect in helping employees become more efficient and effective in their job. Thus, it is very important that this department must be equipped with the necessary competencies that will allow them to impart and transfer knowledge and understanding to the trainees through various methods, strategies, and activities. Areas of Competence and Competencies of a Trainer The areas of competence of a trainer, and their corresponding competencies are: Training Delivery: Presentation of learning objectives must be set clearly; audio-visual aids must encourage learning. The trainer should understand that the physical environment can greatly affect the learning…
Finding employment in this competitive world is difficult, and keeping one’s job is also tricky. Ineffective performance from previous work experiences can be evident especially if the prospective employer is keen on using structured interviews; who would want to hire an ineffective person? Moreover, if you do not perform well, you stand the chance of being laid off because there will always be other more competent and deserving individuals willing to take your place. To go up in the echelons of success, a person needs to be competent. Now the question is, how can one become competent? Develop a Competency…
To stay competitive, one must adapt to the changing times. Today, there are already many competencies that were unheard of 50 years ago. This is particularly true for functional competencies which are job-specific competencies; in the past, there were no web developers and designers, which mean that before, people were not required to know programming languages and stylesheets. The advent of technology has paved the way for these competencies to exist; thus, people who want to be able to move up in their career have to evolve too, especially when it comes to developing new competencies. There are three phases…
Competencies can be produced and learned by one or many individuals by adhering to a framework. Competencies must also be updated and made adaptable to hold relevance to those they were designed for. However, in order to get commitment from employees, there are guiding principles to be followed. These will be discussed in detail in this article. Principle 1: Collaboration Management creates policies for everyone to follow; they create plans and programs designed for all. But when it comes to designing a competency framework for the organization, the task should not only be limited to management, but also to those…
Competency is a person’s knowledge, skills, and attitude that will allow him to perform his job functions in a superior and effectual manner. A person with the required competencies can handle a job much better than a person who does not have them. For this reason, companies are always spending their resources to ensure that they employ highly competent individuals. To achieve this goal, they provide competency-focused interviews to be able to screen those who have the competencies the company is looking for. Moreover, they also conduct regular performance evaluations to be able to assess competency and sponsor competency trainings,…
Leadership role in any organization is vital to its success. Managers can be leaders but not every manager is a leader. A leader must be able to create a vision, influence others, and bring out the best in their people. With leadership, one can initiate action among his people. He can motivate everyone to keep going, with or without the help of rewards. Additionally, leadership enables a person to provide guidance to others so that work can be done effectively and efficiently, and such guidance is given through coaching and mentoring. Lastly, with leadership, a person can make others confident…
For an individual to know his strengths and weaknesses, it is imperative to conduct a self-assessment. The process involves answering a set of questions specifically designed to help individuals discover what characteristics and abilities they possess that can help them succeed in their endeavors. On the other hand, managers should assess their employees’ level of competency in order to appraise their performance as well as to help them develop and excel in their career. More often than not, competency assessments are done only to check whether a particular individual has met certain standards but fail to develop ways on how…
A competency framework is a method by which an organization can accurately assess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) of their employees. In addition, it also helps maintain and keep track of these competencies; a tool to measure competency levels to ensure that everyone makes significant contributions to the organization by performing in a superior manner. With a competency framework, recruitment officers will be able to effectively hire the ideal candidate they need for their company; managers will be able to make sound decisions in managing their employees; and employees will be able to develop their skill sets because they…
Competency and competence have often been used interchangeably. Moreover, people often think that competency and competence are one and the same however this is a misconception. What a lot of people fail to realize is that these are two different concepts and cannot be used to take the other’s place. To understand this better, definitions of each are given below. Competency (pl. competencies) refers to the characteristics of a person; these may be observable or non-observable. Such characteristics are behavior-based, and are instrumental to helping a person perform his tasks at a higher level. On the other hand, competence (pl….
There are many competencies that have been identified over the years, and these are divided into six types. Below are the basic definitions and examples of each Competency. The Six Types of Competencies Individual Competency– This type refers to a person’s own knowledge, skills, and attitudes (behavior) that contribute to effectiveness in performance, as well as in dealings with other people. Business Competency– This refers to the knowledge and skills required in a particular business or industry. Management Competency– This refers to a set of competencies that are applicable only to supervisory and managerial positions or roles, that are more…
In order to perform well in any job, an individual needs possess all necessary skill set and knowledge, as well as the personal attributes. Today’s Individuals have become fiercely competitive to succeed in their chosen fields, and are equipping themselves with the right attitude, knowledge, and skills. Understanding this reality will create awareness that to stay competitive you must have an edge over the others. For this reason, you need to develop certain competencies. Many often confuse competence and competency. Although used interchangeably, they are nonetheless different from each other. Competence is defined as the requirements and standards that have…
Corporate social responsibility (CSR), as an increasing business practice, is understood to be a sense of obligation or responsibility from corporations not just on the economic aspect of business goals, but also to the social and environmental approaches. So, corporate social responsibility fulfills the “triple bottom line” of a business activity which consists of the economic, social, and environmental aspects. Since CSR deals with people in the society as well as individuals within the organization, human rights play an important role in the many CSR activities. The Relevance of Human Rights to CSR Human rights have a significant relevance in…
Corporate social responsibility, otherwise known as CSR, is no longer just a popular concept and business practice in the business world but has also developed in the aspect of career opportunities. CSR defines the way companies behave and operate in social, environmental, and ethical frameworks. The development of substantial career opportunities for value-based professionals reflects the diversity of the field of CSR existing in both private and public sectors. However, unlike any typical job, CSR roles may not have specific designations or titles but the job description reflects CSR programs and activities. Landing a CSR job depends on which area…
When companies uphold corporate social responsibility (CSR), they are accountable to various internal and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders may include the shareholders, employees, and management while external stakeholders are the consumers or the buying public, suppliers, creditors, competitors, and the local community or the society at large. Let us focus on how companies practice social responsibility towards its supplier and creditors since these players in the business aspect project important roles to the businesses. Who are the Suppliers and Creditors? It is uncommon to consider suppliers and creditors to be part of the company’s stakeholders. But then again, they play…
We often hear the old belief that when it comes to dealing with business, we must be strictly business-like and no other things should get in the way. This means that profitability is the governing language in business. Although true, this perspective is no longer entirely applicable to all businesses because corporations have come to embrace the very essence of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Companies have learned to perform business in the interests of the larger community and in an ethical manner. Furthermore, observing corporate social responsibility also means being able to balance the interests of the shareholders and investors…
Through business activities, companies interact with the society and create an impact on the said society where business is conducted. A company starts out employing people, or manpower, and begins the production of goods and services. The latter involves transaction with the local suppliers as well as the customers. Basically, this is the nature of interaction between businesses and the buying public. However, apart from this basic perspective, there are other various ways in which a company interacts with the society that may not directly relate to the mere buy and sell aspect. Understanding the Perspectives of a Local Community…
Businesses operate in communities that either directly or indirectly affect their transactions. Companies interact with the various sectors in the larger community and part of this is the government. So, in the perspective of corporate social responsibility or CSR, many people feel that the government sector must also play a role in the business activities. Since the government is responsible for regulating the laws and upholding the security of a state, it is just right to engage them in the aspect of social responsibility. The government is considered an external stakeholder that indirectly affects the CSR practices of a corporation….
The practice of corporate social responsibility, or CSR, does not only mean an obligation to the society in terms of social and environmental aspects but also to the employees of a business or corporation. A company has an obligation towards its working individuals in keeping their desire and interest for the job alive. Good practice of social responsibility by the management to the employees will serve as an example to them. In turn, the employees themselves will realize the essence of being socially responsible to the society. Current Business Trends: Corporate Citizenship and Employee Retention The employees are considered a…
The concept of corporate social responsibility or CSR is based on three dimensions which serve as its three pillars. These are the economic, social, and environmental responsibility. For a company to successfully practice CSR, all the three pillars have to be balanced and should be based on obligation and accountability. Social responsibility is the most current dimension of CSR in which corporations take active participation in social issues and community affairs. The target of responsibility is the stakeholders which includes the customers or the buying public. The perception of offering respect and satisfaction to customers is nothing new to businesses…
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly practiced by most companies worldwide. This is because it gives a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction when firms are able to develop socially with the community apart from its economic aspect. However, there are certain false claims about CSR. Let us identify these allegories and understand why they are not completely true about the CSR concept. Doane’s Four Key Myths of CSR Deborah Doane has identified four key myths revolving around the concept of corporate social responsibility. The first myth says that “the market can deliver both short-term financial returns and long-term social benefits.”…
The general claim about corporate social responsibility mainly revolves around the accountability of giving back the investment returns of the shareholders, being socially responsible towards the environment, and being responsible to the other groups that may be within or outside the corporation. This assertion often arouses debates among business people since the scope of the said “responsibilities” and “returns” and how they will be obtained are not clearly defined. The degree of responsibility towards the shareholders and the stakeholders is also a crucial issue in CSR arguments. As a general characteristic, responsible business always starts out by complying with the…
Corporate social responsibility gives a sense of obligation for companies on the various programs not just within the organization but the society as well. Part of carrying out these obligations is to actively participate in community programs and affairs. This is what we call corporate volunteering. Many companies engage in philanthropic activities and aid people in the community while providing the employees an opportunity to benefit from the company in various ways. An organization contributes to building and making better societies by encouraging the employees to participate in the various community programs through volunteerism. Moreover, it gives the working professionals…
In Wood’s model of corporate social performance, the second phase in the representation is corporate social responsiveness which is explained as the ability of an organization to respond to social pressures. It is also the means through which the identified principles of corporate social responsibility are implemented. It is the action performed to the principled approach of corporate social responsibility. This concept demonstrates three major processes or mechanisms: environmental assessment, stakeholder management, and issues management. Processes of Social Responsiveness Environmental assessment is the process that allows the organization to observe and scrutinize its environment in order to aptly respond or…
The concept of corporate social performance has been around for several decades now, but the idea is still closely misinterpreted for corporate social responsibility, corporate social responsiveness, or any other approach relating to business and society. Although these concepts are closely related to each other, they each have unique connotations. These approaches also represent the various phases in our understanding of the relationship between a firm, or organization, and the environment, or the society, where the firm functions. Corporate Social Performance Defined As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, corporate social performance is confusingly equated with concepts connoting to business and…
Before we begin to understand what corporate or business ethics is, let us refresh our memory with the concept of ethics. By this we mean the proper way of performing any act or deed. It includes knowing what is right and wrong, and then doing what is acceptable according to standards and social norms. Ethics is associated with proper code of conduct, proper decorum, or the rules that govern our lives. We also refer to it as values and moral principles. Every organization must be guided by a set of ground rules that would serve as the basis of harmony…
No business can succeeds without the aid of contributing factors involved in its operations. Employees, consumers, suppliers, and the community are directly involved and affected by the business and what it does. The products and the way the products are introduced have an impact to the society. Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR then becomes a significant strategy in business because consumers would opt for companies that can be trusted; suppliers would prefer conducting business transactions with reliable companies; and employees would like it better working for employers with good business ethics and principles. In the same way, NGOs are bound…
Corporate Social Responsibility, also known as CSR, pertains to the responsibilities of companies towards society with which they function and operate. Corporate Social Responsibility ensures that the business organizations align its corporate values and behaviors with that of stakeholders’ needs and expectations. Corporate Social Responsibility approach incorporates social, economic, and environmental aspects of the business as part of increasing profit or revenues and minimizing the problems or shortcomings. It is not only geared towards the customers and investors, but also towards its employees, suppliers, and the society as a whole. As part of business ethics, organizations go beyond seeking profits…
A train of negative thoughts may lead the person to view the world in a different way, one that lacks acknowledgement of the good things that are happening to the community and to the world. This is referred to as pessimism, wherein your mind is clouded with so much negativity that for every situation and circumstance, your only prediction is the worst-case scenarios. Pessimists are characterized by a lack of appreciation to the good outcomes of a situation, having the attitude of a quitter to posed challenges, not seeing the efforts of other people, and a constant feeling of dissatisfaction…
Negative thinkers have this tendency to infect and affect the people they deal with. It can be as contagious as a communicable disease because it triggers the people to react and respond differently to the negative thoughts of the person. It is no wonder that a pessimist or a negative thinker is not getting attention and appreciation, given the fact that they can also disturb other people’s minds. Positivity, on the other hand, is just as contagious as negativity. In your society or the kind of environment you belong to, you would rather want to spread positive vibes in order…
When you catch yourself entertaining negative thoughts lately, do not let yourself fall into the trap of negative thinking. Do not let your negative thoughts manipulate and take control over you. Rather, learn how to direct these intrusive thoughts and transform them into positive ones. The habit of negative thinking can still be changed and overcome if you take a conscious effort to gradually get rid of it. Just as there many ways to develop negative thinking, there are also numerous ways to conquer it. You cannot just settle for being a person having a reputation as a negative thinker…
Very few people would probably want to hang around a negative thinker. Negativity is just too contagious and once it starts to creep in to your system, you might end up becoming a changed person, the kind of change you have always dreaded. People tend to create negative thinking patterns for thoughts that are intrusive and disturbing yet being affirmed in one’s wholeness. Dwelling in negativity can cause utter destruction in your life in the various aspects of it. Apart from personal outlook or your view of the world and situations, your interpersonal relationships with the people you deal with…
The impact of negative thinking on an individual can transform his life in a way he would not ideally want it to be. Thoughts are very random and varied. If the mind is dominated by intrusive thoughts, it affects your totality as a person. It impacts the entire well-being be it physically, mentally, or emotionally. It also adversely transforms your individual perceptions in life and turns you into a pessimist. The way you develop or damage your personal outlook solely depends on how you deal with it. One essential element to consider is your manner of thinking. Filling your mind…
What the mind perceives, the body achieves. It is simply denoting that at any level of thought, there is always a corresponding effect on the body whether on the mental, physical, and emotional aspect. The brain feeds the mind with different thoughts at various levels. These thoughts are being processed in the mind and are expressed in various means of manifestations. Thoughts also create an impact on the brain, depending on the manner of thinking there is. Happy thoughts exude a positive aura and feeling while bad and disturbing thoughts lead to a negative vibe. Since thought patterns affect emotions,…
Human thoughts shape the disposition and mood of individuals. When one demonstrates negative thinking, it simply means filling the thoughts with negativities that affect an individual’s frame of mind and reduce energy level. Your train of thoughts and personal beliefs create a sense of impact to your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. This is because your thoughts, feelings, and actions are interconnected and one affects the other. So, if you keep on thinking negative, it may trigger negative emotions, particularly anxiety and depression. Not everyone is aware that having a negative mental attitude can make a negative difference on their…
Do you tend to see things on a negative light? Do you negatively react when things go wrong? Do you allow feelings of negativity and hopelessness to creep in your emotional state? If you are noticing such symptoms, you may be running the risk of experiencing depression. Individuals who tend to think more of the negative things about themselves, their perceptions, and about the world are more prone to going through mood disorders at some point in their lives. Developing the habit of negative thinking impacts your feelings and behavior, and can trigger a pattern or a cycle leading to…
You may experience feeling low or worried lately and notice that this has been an ongoing pattern running for quite a while now. It could be an alarming symptom of depression or it could be depression itself. One notable manifestation of a depressed individual is experiencing worry and anxiety for a prolonged period of time. Many factors cause depression on a person. The condition is generally demonstrated through a person’s disturbed manner of thinking, change in attitude or behavior, decline in social relationships, and problems in physical well-being. This article will focus on the relation between depression and negative thinking…
The manner of thinking is spontaneous in most cases. You do not force yourself to think because it is something that the mind does all of the time, automatically. Thoughts are so varied that they seem uncontrollable sometimes. Thoughts can just pop up out of blue in the mind, may seem weird, can be intrusive in the middle of a busy day, and may even disrupt sleep. It can generate varied images in the head that may either induce happiness or unpleasantness. Negative Thinking Patterns in the Mind During instances of depression and anxiety, thoughts can tend to resort to…
A major contribution to failure and a destructor of self-confidence is the manner of negative thinking. When you think negatively, you are only affirming the worst that could happen to yourself or others in a situation. If negative thinking becomes a habit, you gradually reduce the level of confidence in your thinking patterns and even in actions. It also minimizes your ability to assert your needs and opinions. Such mental attitude makes you question or underrate the value of your own thoughts, emotions, and needs. That is why it is important to monitor negative thoughts and the effects it can…
The manner of negative thinking comes in different styles. Not all people think alike in both positive and negative aspects, and neither are the thoughts similar. Negative thinking may be categorized into mediocre thinking (positive, neutral, or negative) and extraordinarily negative thinking. These two styles, which are governed by negative thoughts, will be further elaborated in this article. Mediocre Thinking Mediocre thinking pertains to the style of thinking in average or middle levels. Mediocre thinkers produce thoughts in moderate style, not so bad and not so impressive as well. The same goes true for their actions and behaviors. Their usual…
Thoughts feed the mind with what to do, how to act, what to say, and how to react. Thoughts do not enter the mind one at a time. They seem to randomly pop up in your mind from nowhere. Thus, monitoring these thoughts is just but necessary in order to keep it within control. In the process of understanding thoughts, two types of mental attitudes are also demonstrated: positive and negative thinking. Both of these mental processes are rooted from various reasons and causes. Since negative thoughts seem to come effortlessly at an individual’s mind, this article will focus on…
The human mind performs a never-ending process of generating thoughts, whether it is conscious or unconscious. Just like a heavy traffic of cars on the highway, the human mind is capable of producing hundreds of thoughts even in a short span of time. It has been proven that the pattern of thinking affects emotions. Anything that occupies the mind also dictates the current state of emotion of an individual. Happy thoughts generate a blissful feeling; bad thoughts cause a negative feeling. Yet, it seems that for most individuals, a negative manner of thinking is an effortless thing. It is said…
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