Recruitment Techniques in HRM

Executive Summary Recruitment techniques enable organizations to find the right employees based on their human resources requirements and policies. The use of the right recruitment technique enables an organization to reduce recruitment costs, find the best talent and reduce the time needed to hire new employees (El-Kot 2008, vol. 1, pp. 200-212). Thus it aims at improving the competitiveness of the organization by enabling its owners to hire the best talent in the labor market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Recruitment Techniques in HRM specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, the main recruitment techniques used by organizations include referrals, adverts in both print and electronic media and career fairs (Piostrowski Terry 2006, vol. 26, pp. 210-217). Other techniques include recruitment through databases, internal recruitment and contracting employment agencies. Since organizations have varying human r esource needs and financial resources, the following factors inform the choice of a recruitment technique. First, the technique should be efficient as well as cost effective (El-Kot 2008, vol. 1, pp. 200-212). Second, it should be effective by enabling the employer to find the right talent. Finally, it should be fair and legal in order to achieve the desired outcomes. Introduction Recruitment techniques refer to the methods used by organizations to source and hire employees. It is an important human resources management process that helps in creating competitive advantages by enhancing improved quality and productivity among employees (Piostrowski Terry 2006, vol. 26, pp. 210-217). This means that hiring the right workers leads to cost reduction, low turnover and less time used to recruit employees. Adopting an effective recruitment technique can enable a firm to access a large number of resumes. This increases the chances of recruiting the right employee. This paper gives an overv iew of the various recruitment techniques used by different organizations. The merits and demerits of each technique will be illuminated. There are various techniques used by different organizations to hire their staff. The common factor among the various recruitment techniques is that they all involve assessments relating to the ability and behavior of the applicant (Abuzeid 2008, vol. 32, pp. 401-403). The various techniques are as follows. Techniques Advertisements This involves placing adverts concerning the vacant positions in either print or electronic media (Schulz, Camp Waltman 2008, vol. 36, pp. 501-513). In the early nineteenth century, this technique involved placing the ‘help wanted’ adverts in the classified sections of newspapers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus jobseekers could find the details about the vacancies with ease. Currently, most job adverts are done online through websites. Such websites can be owned by the recruiting firm or they can be specialized websites that deal with vacancies only. Vacancies that target specific talent are usually advertised on â€Å"industry special job boards† (Abuzeid 2008, vol. 32, pp. 401-403). The main advantage of this technique is that it enables the employer to reach â€Å"potential employees from a wide geographical area† (Schulz, Camp Waltman 2008, vol. 36, pp. 501-513). For example, adverts placed on a website can be accessed from any part of the world. This increases the chances of recruiting the right talent. The online adverts are also cheap as compared to other recruitment methods. The employers also benefit from the fact that the applicants using online job databases are already qualified in using computers and the internet. Recruitment through the employer’s website helps in reducing the time spent in recruiting. This is because some of the tes ts can be done directly through the website at the convenience of the applicant. The disadvantage of using this technique is that placing adverts in print media is sometimes expensive. Besides, many jobseekers fail to read the adverts due to their inability to purchase newspapers or magazines with such adverts (Schulz, Camp Waltman 2008, vol. 36, pp. 501-513). The online adverts will not be effective if the used website is not popular. Their use is also limited by the availability, cost and ease of using the internet among the targeted applicants. Career Fairs These are â€Å"expos that bring together employers, potential jobseekers and schools† (Lam 2007, vol. 44, pp. 993-1016). The firms participating in the expo usually provide a table or a booth for collecting resumes. The jobseekers are usually given an opportunity to discuss the details of available positions with the potential employers. Besides, they get an opportunity to take their first interviews in regard to the recruitment exercise. Career fairs are usually organized by schools in conjunction with employers and are mainly used to hire staff for entry level positions. The advantage of this technique is that it provides a convenient â€Å"way to collect resumes that can be used for future vacancies† (Lam 2007, vol. 44, pp. 993-1016). It is also cheap due to the fact that the costs or organizing the fairs are shared between the employers and the schools.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Recruitment Techniques in HRM specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Career fairs give employers a chance to meet a large number of well-trained professionals and this increases the chances of finding the best employees. They also enable employers to develop relationships with school authorities. Thus the school authorities can customize their degree programs to suit the needs of the employers. The disadvantage of this technique is that it can not be used to fill vacancies in the event of an emergency (Lam 2007, vol. 44, pp. 993-1016). This is attributed to the fact that career fairs are usually held once or twice a year. They also inconvenience employers due to the logistics involved in travelling to the schools to meet the potential employees. The fairs are usually characterized by competition due to the large number of firms participating in them. Consequently, a firm can miss the opportunity to get the best talent. Database This involves creating a resume database. Thus a firm using this technique will develop a filing system to store resumes or details of the applicants. The resumes stored in the database are usually collected through various methods such as career fairs, websites or direct deliveries by the applicants. The employers normally review the database in order to find resumes of potential employees whenever they want to fill a vacancy (Dave, Patricia Linda 2000, vol.15, pp. 162-178). The candidates w ho meet the desired qualifications are then contacted and interviewed for the vacant position. This technique enables the employer to save time during recruiting (Dave, Patricia Linda 2000, vol. 15, pp. 162-178). This is because the resumes are readily available thus saving the time spent in advertising. The availability of a large number of resumes also helps employers to eliminate the costs associated with advertising job vacancies. The disadvantages associated with this technique are as follows. First, establishing and maintaining the database is expensive. This is attributed to the high cost of acquiring and using the right database technology. Second, the information maintained in the database is sometimes not useful due to the time lag between the application date and the time of contacting the applicant (Dave, Patricia Linda 2000, vol. 15, pp. 162-178). In most cases the potential employees find jobs in other organizations by the time they are contacted by the firm maintain ing their resumes in a database. When this happens, the firm will be forced to start the recruitment process afresh and this leads to time wastage.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Employment Agency An employment agency is a firm that specializes in sourcing and testing the abilities of potential employees on behalf of other firms. Thus a company using this technique will provide the employment agency with the details of the needed skills or competencies (Underhill 2010, vol. 48, pp. 338-355). The information is then used by the agency to help their client (employer) to find the right employees. In some cases, the employer is also involved in the recruitment process especially at the last stages of the interviews and discussion of the terms of employment. The employment agencies are usually engaged on contractual basis. This means that they are only contracted whenever there is a vacancy to be filled. This technique is suitable for positions that require technical skills or expertise (Underhill 2010, vol. 48, pp. 338-355). Thus a firm using this technique will benefit from the specialized skills of the agency to find the right talent. It also helps in saving t ime since the employment agencies normally maintain databases for resumes that match a wide variety of jobs. Apart from helping in the recruitment process, the agencies usually assist their clients to train the employees prior to their employment. The demerit associated with this technique is that it involves high costs in the short-term. The agencies usually charge high fees for their services and this makes it difficult for firms to contract them (Underhill 2010, vol. 48, pp. 338-355). It can also be ineffective if the agency fails to understand the needs of the employer. This is because such misunderstandings can lead to recruitment of ineffective employees. Internal Recruitment Internal recruitment refers to the process of giving the existing employees a chance to fill the existing vacancies (Callaghan Thompson 2002, vol. 39, pp. 233-254). This is done through promotions or interdepartmental transfers. In most cases the record of an employee’s past performance is used to judge his or her suitability for a particular position (Underhill 2010, vol. 48, pp. 338-355). However, some organizations subject their employees to psychometric tests and interviews before promoting them. The promotions are normally accompanied with specialized training to help the employee to adjust to his or her new position. The benefits of this technique are as follows. First, making use of existing employees help in saving the time used to source and hire external workers. Second, internal recruitment gives employees advancement opportunities (Freyens 2010, vol. 48, pp. 262-286). This translates into high morale and low turnover. Third, it is easy to match the skills of existing employees to the requirements of the vacancies due to their experience within the firm (Freyens 2010, vol. 48, pp. 262-286). Finally, promoted workers are less likely to ask for high compensation as compared to external workers. Thus it can help in reducing the fixed costs associated with hiring empl oyees. Internal recruitment will not be beneficial if the existing employees do not have the needed skills. In such cases, the employer must recruit external workers. It also demands high level of transparency and professionalism to ensure that decisions are made on merit. Lack of transparency can lead to corruption or nepotism during promotions and this can lead to dissatisfaction among employees. Limiting recruitment to existing employees denies the employer the opportunity to access â€Å"a wide spectrum of talent† (Freyens 2010, vol. 48, pp. 262-286). Referrals In this case, the employers obtain the information about potential employees from key informants (Dainty 2011, vol. 49, pp. 55-70). The key informants are people with information about the existing talent within an industry. Such informants can be existing employees, business partners or retired employees. Most employees do not look for jobs actively. This means that the information about their abilities and skills is not available to other organizations that might be interested in hiring them (Dainty 2011, vol. 49, pp. 55-70). Thus referrals enable employers to reach potential employees who are not actively looking for jobs. The main advantage of this technique is that it helps in reducing recruitment costs since the referrals are not paid for in most cases. This technique is suitable for positions that need specific behavior patterns such as determination (Callaghan Thompson 2002, vol. 39, pp. 233-254). Such attributes can not be easily verified during interviews. Thus referrals enable employers to reach potential employees whose skills and behavior have already been verified. Referrals can be misleading since they are based on the knowledge of the informant (Dainty 2011, vol. 49, pp. 55-70). This means that the employer can hire ineffective employees if the informant had insufficient information about the potential employee. Conclusion Recruitment techniques refer to the various methods u sed by organizations to source and hire employees (Piostrowski Terry 2006, vol. 26, pp. 210-217). The benefits associated with choosing the right recruitment techniques include cost reduction, hiring the right employee and reducing the time needed to fill existing vacancies (Lam 2007, vol. 44, pp. 993-1016). The above discussion indicates that each technique is associated with various merits and demerits. Besides, some techniques are only suitable under particular situations. For example, internal recruitment can only be used if the existing employees have the desired skills. Thus the factors that determine the choice of a recruitment technique include the following. First, the technique must be efficient and affordable by saving both time and costs (Lam 2007, vol. 44, pp. 993-1016). Second, it should be effective by enabling the employer to find the right employee. Finally, it should be fair and legal so that decisions can be made based on merit. References Abuzeid, A 2008, Ã¢â‚¬Ë œRecruitment and selection into specialty training’, Psychiatry, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 401-403. Callaghan, G Thompson, P 2002, ‘We recruit attitude: the selection and shaping of routine call centre labor’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 39, no. 2, 233-254. Dainty, P 2011, ‘The strategic HR role: do Australian HR professionals have the required skills?’, Asian Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 55-70. Dave, B, Patricia, L Linda, M 2000, ‘The recruitment and selection of young people by small businesses’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 162-178. El-Kot, G 2008, ‘A survey of recruitment and selection practices in Egypt’, Education, Business and Society, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 200-212. Freyens, B 2010, ‘Managing skill shortages in the Australian public sector: issues and perspectives’, Asian Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 262-2 86. Lam, A 2007, ‘Knowledge networks and careers: academic sciences in industry-university link’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 44. No. 6, pp. 993-1016. Piostrowski, C Terry, A 2006, ‘Current recruitment and selection practices: a natural survey of fortune 1000 firms’, North American Journal of Psychology, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 210-217. Schulzs, E, Camp, R Waltman, R 2008, ‘Incremental effectiveness of two key IT recruitment methods’, Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 501-513. Underhill, E 2010, ‘Should host employers have greater responsibility for temporary agency workers’ employment rights?’, Asian Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 338-355. This essay on Recruitment Techniques in HRM was written and submitted by user Amare Sanders to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Ways to improve your college paper writing

Ways to improve your college paper writing Improving Your College Paper Writing – 15 Tips Most college students will not choose writing as a career. In fact, most college students dislike writing paper and essay assignments. To them, it is a terrible activity, maybe even worse than getting a root canal. But write you must, and for most courses you take. So settle yourself in and accept the fact that writing will be a part of your life right now. Because it will also figure greatly into your course grades, and thus your GPA, here are some tips to improve that writing and get those â€Å"A’s† and â€Å"B’s.† Try to start on a major essay or research paper as early as possible. Yes, it may seem impossible at this moment, with all of your other course work, but if you are in a last minute rush to get a paper done, it will never be as good as it could have been. Every course has a syllabus, and every syllabus contains essay and paper assignments, along with due dates. You know the â€Å"drill.† Develop a calendar of all due dates and then go back three weeks and put in a notation to begin on that essay or paper. Will it be a perfect system and will you always abide by those dates? No, but at least you have a road map that you can try to follow. Study the details of every essay or paper assignment carefully. If there are prompts or questions from which you are to choose, select the one that interests you most. If it says evaluate, do not summarize; if it says analyze, do not summarize; if it says to demonstrate how an author developed a particular character, do not re-hash the plot. Do exactly what you are told, no more, no less. Nothing frustrates a professor more than having to read through a bunch of irrelevant content to get to the â€Å"meat† of what you were supposed to include. If you don’t fully understand a paper writing assignment, get in touch with your professor early on. S/he will be flattered that you sought guidance and it will look like you are planning well in advance – great PR! Have a thesis. What’s your point? If you don’t have one, then do the research first – it will help you to think about why the topic is important or what your viewpoint is. These are the things of which good thesis statements are made. Organize your research into clear sub-topics. This is hard to do, because you are trying to â€Å"mesh and meld† material from several sources. One way to determine sub-topics is during your research. If there is a piece you have read that has really divided the topic well, use that as a guide as you develop your outline. Each sub-topic becomes a section of your paper. Use headings to separate sections of a longer essay or a paper. It keeps the reader on track and makes him/her feel â€Å"comfortable.† Always write more than the minimum page assignment. If the range is 6-8 pages, try to get to 8. If a professor didn’t think students could write 8 pages on a topic, question, or prompt, then s/he wouldn’t have given that number. When you go toward the maximum, you impress them! â€Å"Sell† your topic and thesis with a stunning introduction. It is always good to have some shocking statistic or a relevant anecdote to grab reader attention from the very beginning. Use spell- and grammar-checkers. Hopefully, you are using a program like Word. It will catch most of your errors but do not rely on these apps completely, for they are sometimes wrong. For example, you may using the word â€Å"your† to show possession, which is correct. Word grammar checker may â€Å"flag† it and want you to use â€Å"you’re† instead. Don’t do it! And double-check any numerals you use – if they are wrong, they won’t be caught. Use vocabulary that is appropriate for you and your peers, not your professor. And be certain to explain terminology that is complex and/or unique. Better to over-explain than not at all. This lets your professor know that you really understand what you are writing about. Put a â€Å"quota on your quotes.† Your professor does not want to read what everyone else has said. S/he wants to know that you understand what everyone else has said and that you can discuss it. Use quotes to reinforce big points you are making or when an author has stated something so superbly, it should remain intact. Format is important. If it were not, you would not be required to use the one that is specified. You should have a style guide – if not go online and get one for the format style you must use. It makes no sense to lose points because citations and bibliographies are not done correctly. And remember, different styles have different title page formats, pagination, and margins – yes, the â€Å"devil is sometimes in the details.† Write a good conclusion. You have a point to make in writing a paper, so make sure that you refer back to that thesis in your conclusion, stating it in another way of course. Get a good style check tool. These are great, because they will â€Å"flag† awkward or verbose phrases and sentences. Many of them will also pick up agreement and verb tense issues. A good one on the market right now is â€Å"Style-check.rb,† but you can find many with a simple search. If all else fails – if you are out of time, if you have too many papers due at once, if you hate the topic and cannot get motivated – find a good custom paper writing service and let a pro get this one done for you! But make sure you choose a professional essay writing service and your paper will be performed on the highest level.

Check Some Catchy Hooks for an Essay

Check Some Catchy Hooks for an Essay First, what is an essay hook? It is the first words or sentences of your essay. This helps quickly grab attention of the reader, and serves as an introduction to your text. After reading the first words, your reader will decide whether they want to read further or not. If you ask yourself Who could write my essay for me?, you can be sure that our writers will give you a hand. Also our experts have compiled a list of simple tips to help you write perfect college essay hooks. Start with a Quote Literary quotes are good hooks for essay about a book, a story or a particular author. Thanks to quotes, your essay looks fresher, and your words gain more confidence. Also you can use quotes from famous personalities. The main thing is to make sure that your quote matches the subject and style of your text. So you can reinforce your point of view with an additional argument. Use Anecdotes This type of essay hooks is used less often, as many are afraid to start with a funny story. However, a good joke doesn’t mean that all your text should be fun. A little bit of humor will surely grab the attention of the readers, so you can quickly interest them. Start with a Question The correct question will immediately generate the interest. Therefore, this is one of the best hooks for an essay. The curious reader will want to read on to find out the answer. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple, unambiguous answer (yes or no). Your goal is to encourage the reader to reflect, providing him with arguments that will help find an answer. Expose a Misconception This is one of the best essay writing hooks. People like to learn something new and to be surprised. Start with an assertion that is a commonly recognized fact, and then disprove it. Now all the attention of your reader will be directed to your arguments. Conclusion Choose essay hooks depending on the topic of your essay and its style. If you prefer an emotional and imaginative style, jokes and live scenes will suit you. If you are dealing with a serious issue, start with a misconception revealing or an important question. If you write about literature, start with a quote of the particular author. A good hook is just the beginning. If you find it difficult to write an essay on your own, asking yourself Who could write my essay for me?, our qualified team are always ready to help.

Case study furniture bank Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case study furniture bank - Term Paper Example Though the company is going to incur expenses which have to be given from the cash in hand or go for bank loans. But furniture bank being a charitable organization will also get some rebate in the interest levied on the loan. Once the furniture banking starts building up on the cash, they will also be in a position to spread an awareness regarding their cause for which they are working in the country. Moreover, a further cash of $127000 can be earned from which the expenses of the truck drivers can be borne. Thus, the truck which gets utilized for five days for 90 hours can give more output. Capital Campaign The problem faced by the charitable institution like furniture banking may be that of many other organizations which non profit making institutions are. Being a charitable institution the land acquired by furniture bank was given for free; which is now being taken away forcefully with the intention of building houses at affordable rates. The institution also wants to move to a pl ace which is easily accessible to their entire volunteers who live in Greater Toronto Area. But getting a property there even at a subsidised rate accounts to $1.5million to 3.5million which is almost beyond the limit of furniture bank. Though the institution is having a favourable cash balance yet the rate proposed is beyond their limits because if they go for a property at exorbitant price then the cash required for rendering services will get reduced hampering the cause which is their main motive behind starting of the organization. So in order to get rid of the relocation problem some steps need to be taken like the create more volunteers for the organization, improving fund raising skills and confidence and train the existing staff for making a strong team towards the achievement of the goals. But until a suitable place to set up the institution is found it would not be advisable to shift from the present location under any circumstances (Kihlstedt, 2010, p. 2). Information Tec hnology The information technology is an essential element to run any business effectively, be it profit making or non profit making organization. To track the caller of the furniture bank a proper information system should be built up so that the company can expand more. The cause of the company though a good one is not yet marketed properly so the number of volunteers is a mere 30 members. For a non profit making organization to grow it is very important to spread the cause near and far. This will require more volunteers than presently existing, so marketing through the information technology will not only spread the cause of furniture bank but also do the needful at an affordable cost. Even the records of the institution related to its policies and procedures will be well maintained unlike now. Answering calls will be much prompt than that of now. Customer relationship will also get enhanced. Though the initial cost will come to around $90000 approximately with a monthly payment of $1500 for system maintenance and direct technical support, yet it is advisable to bear with the

The Differences and Similarities Between Voluntary and Reflex Nerve Assignment

The Differences and Similarities Between Voluntary and Reflex Nerve Actions - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that endocrine organs are those organs which have specialized glands that produce and secrete chemical substances called hormones that regulate the growth, metabolism, development,  and function of the body. The major endocrine glands are pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid, adrenals, parathyroids, reproductive organs and pineal body. The pineal body is located in the middle portion of the brain and secretes melatonin which regulated the wake-sleep cycle of the body. The hypothalamus releases several hormones that control the stimulation and suppression of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. The paper tells that one of the important hormone released by hypothalamus is somatostatin which stops the release of secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is secreted in the lower central part of the brain. The pituitary gland is located beneath the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. It is attached to the base of the b rain by a stalk. It secretes several hormones which control the functions of other endocrine glands. The gland is divided into 2 parts, the anterior lobe, and the posterior lobe. Most of the anterior pituitary hormones have a diurnal rhythm. The hormones of the anterior lobe are regulated by the hypothalamus. They are growth hormone which stimulates the growth of tissue and bone, thyroid stimulating hormone which stimulates the thyroid to produce and secrete thyroid hormones, adrenocorticotropin hormone which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce steroid hormones, prolactin which stimulates the production of milk in women and follicular stimulating and luteinizing hormones which control the functioning of sexual organs and production of sex hormones. Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is an anabolic hormone. It stimulates the growth of various types of tissues of the body especially the bone and the skeletal muscle. Growth hormone stimulates synthesis of protei ns, causes mobilization of fat and inhibits the uptake and metabolism of glucose. Increased secretion of this hormone causes gigantism and decreased secretion causes dwarfism. The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland produces vasopressin which controls water loss through kidneys and oxytocin which stimulates milk production and contracts uterus during childbirth. The thyroid gland is located... Describe the differences and similarities between voluntary and reflex nerve actions. Our body carries out mainly 2 types of actions and they are voluntary actions, involuntary actions or reflex actions. Both the actions involve stimuli, impulse, neurons and effector organs. Voluntary action is nothing but an anticipated, may or may not be conscious, goal-oriented movement. It is initiated in the cerebral cortex of the brain and the impulse passes into the motor area of the cerebral cortex and then to the spinal cord. From here, an impulse is passed to motor neuron and then to the muscle mak ing it contract. Example of voluntary action is waving the hand at a friend. The brain sends the impulse to the muscles of the hand and makes the hand wave at the friend. Thus, voluntary action is under the control of the will of the individual. Reflex action is involuntary. It is initiated by the stimulation of the receptor and the impulse passes through the dendrite and then the axon of the neuron through the synapse. It then relays on the neuron of the grey matter in the spinal cord and the impulse is passed to the motor neuron which then sends the impulse to the muscle. The muscle then contracts and produces action. Example of reflex action is running away from seeing a snake. The action occurs without the conscious of the individual. The control of actions is mainly at the spinal cord level. It is an instantaneous movement. Voluntary impulse passes over to the opposite side of the body, whereas reflex impulse does not. Voluntary reflex is slow because of a longer pathway. Refle x impulse is quicker because it involves only 2 synapses. The pineal body is located in the middle portion of the brain and secretes melatonin which regulated the wake-sleep cycle of the body. The hypothalamus releases several hormones that control the stimulation and suppression of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. One of the important hormone released by hypothalamus is somatostatin which stops the release of secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is secreted in the lower central part of the brain. The pituitary gland is located beneath the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. It is attached to the base of the brain by a stalk. It secretes several hormones which control the functions of other endocrine glands. The gland is divided into 2 parts, the anterior lobe, and the posterior lobe. Most of the anterior pituitary hormones have a diurnal rhythm. The hormones of the anterior lobe are regulated by the hypothalamus. They are growth hormone which stimulates the growth of tissue and bone, thyroid stimulating hormone which stimulates the thyroid to produce and secrete thyroid hormones, adrenocorticotropin hormone which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce steroid hormones, prolactin which stimulates the production of milk in women and follicular stimulating and luteinizing hormones which control the functioning of sexual organs and production of sex hormones. Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is an anabolic hormone. It stimulates the growth of various types of tissues of the body especially the bone and the skeletal muscle. Growth hormone stimulates synthesis of proteins, causes mobilization of fat and inhibits the uptake and metabolism of glucose. Increased secretion of this hormone causes gigantism and decreased secretion causes dwarfism. The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland produces vasopressin which controls water loss through kidneys and oxytocin which stimulates milk production and contracts uterus during childbirth. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and produces thyroid hormones. They are critical for the metabolism in the body. They have a major role to play in the growth and development of various tissues in the body including the nervous tissue. The follicles of the thyroid store thyroglobin from which thyroid hormone is derived. Hypersecretion of thyroid hormone causes Grave's disease and hyposecretion leads to hypothyroidism, an extreme form of which is known as cretinism. The hormones also help maintain normal blood pressure and heart rate in the body. On the surface of the thyroid gland are 2 pairs of parathyroid glands which release parathormone. This hormone regulates the calcium metabolism in the bone and blood. The pancreas is located in the abdomen behind the stomach. It has both endocrine and exocrine parts. The endocrine part secretes glucagon and insulin that control glucose levels in the blood. There are 2 adrenal glands, each of wh ich is located on the top of each kidney. They are triangular shaped and have outer cortex and inner medulla. The outer part reduces corticosteroids which regulate metabolism and control salt and water in the body. The medulla secretes catecholamines which maintain heart and blood pressure and cope with emotional and physical stress. The reproductive glands secrete sex hormones. The male testicles, which are located in the scrotum, secrete androgens like testosterone. These hormones are responsible for the growth and development of sexual characteristics in males. In females, the female hormones are secreted by ovaries which are located on either side of the uterus. They produce estrogens and progesterone which are responsible for female characteristics and are also involved in reproductive functions.  

Logic, Perception, and Enculturation Essay -- The Nature of Logic

Think about it. How important is thinking? Americans spend all of their day thinking and misthinking of multiple decisions and ideas. Thinking is a very important process of how our thoughts, when transferred verbally or written on paper, can produce a clearer understanding of our views. The nature of logic as it relates to critical thinking, and my perceptual process have been influenced through sources of enculturation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nature of logic as understood is when you have a situation, belief, tradition, etc. that is examined and reviewed in great detail to discover the reasoning behind a behavior. Critical thinking as I understand it is when you view a situation in multiple ways to get a accurate answer or results. The nature of logic relates to critical thinking by examining the situation and thoughts to get a clearer decision of possible outcomes, or reasoning. For instance, before heading to work you watch the news and their morning traffic update for possible accidents and road closures because you have an hour commute. On this particular morning you hear the traffic reporter mention that your daily route to work has been closed due to a huge tractor-trailer accident. Logically, and using critical thinking you are able to come up with two alternate routes for getting to work on time. Using further logic and critical thinking you watch the news for further traffic details to mak e a final decision on one of two alternate choices. You hear that one of your choic...

Mathematics essay

In Wikipedia (2007), Mathematics is defined as â€Å"the body of knowledge centered on concepts such as quantity, structure, space, and change, and also the academic discipline that studies them.† In general, mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, science, computers, abstracts, etc. Often comparing mathematics to music and poetry, it is an interesting fact that many mathematicians find aesthetic beauty in studying math, even describing it as an â€Å"art form.† Quoting the famous philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell, â€Å"mathematics possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty†¦.†Mathematics is all around the world we live in. The day we came into this world, we were born into a world of numbers — from our birthday to our APGAR scores, the exact time we were born to the number of our toes. Growing up, we were introduced to math when we started counting the ten little Indians with our fingers, eventually leading u s to its more complex nature by solving logarithms with the command of our scientific calculators. Studying math and living with it day in and out oftentimes makes this subject taken for granted. But come to think of it, math makes one think in a way no other field can stimulate one’s intellect.Because of math, we have acquired, if not mastered, the application of logical thinking in all things practical. Mathematics in our century has a very minute, if at all, margin for error. What’s ten is ten, and an apple plus an apple equals two apples. It’s this or that, no grey areas in between. Although contrary to the opinion that math is not a closed intellectual system, in which everything has already been worked out, the mere existence of math compels us to have a black and white perspective of the world. The notion of grey areas is an area that to this day the learned are constantly exploring.Looking at history, the British mathematician Charles Babbage who origina ted the idea of a programmable computer was said to have spent his family fortune in search of the answer to mechanize computation. He was quoted as â€Å"obsessed† with the pursuit of eliminating the inaccuracy of human calculation. The discontent that he had with the probability of human error to a large extent shows that great thinkers predominately believe that the exact explanation of things we want to understand in this world is within math’s reach. Great intellects like Babbage and other legendary mathematicians of our time prove that there is a possibility of defining all empirical things in mathematical terms.Even symbols used in math can be described as a language unique in itself. Mathematical notation in the modern world consists of strict syntax and encoded information that will otherwise be difficult to write in another way. These are only few of many examples illustrating the black and white perspective that math gives us. As with science, math makes you think logically, seeking out precise explanations for possibly everything calculable. What makes it remarkably unique though is that the rationale behind the accuracy of findings in math is not as easy to disprove as those in other fields.The myriad of disciplines that have stemmed from mathematics such as applied mathematics, statistics, and mathematical economics, among others, serve as the different venues for utilizing math as a means of solving real-world problems. But I believe that I need not be a brilliant mathematician to know that one-half of four is two, nor would I need software to count the exact number of days left before Christmas. Needless to say, the basic use of mathematics is an integral part of our life. It enables us to calculate not only the definite answers to complicated mathematical problems, but it also teaches us that in every problem, there is a right and wrong answer.There are no maybes. Unlike essays, there are no half-point systems in your math test a nswers, it’s either your answer is correct or it is wrong. That’s why in approaching things in real life, we do not content ourselves dealing with half-baked questions and half-hearted answers, nor are we satisfied with â€Å"what-could-have-beens.† In our efforts to strike a balance in our existence, we hardly accommodate room for unanswered questions. Just as a toddler naturally asks us with the never ending why, so is our infinite obsession for seeking the right answers to our questions inherent in our nature as humans. After all, despite the clichà © that it is, we don’t want to leave room for grey areas.REFERENCE:Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics (25 Feb. 2007).