Category: Training

Industrial training report.
I am Ruhaiza binti Jauzi, with matrix number 026013, student from Business Study and Accounting department, University Sultan Zainal Abidin, has done practical industrial within 24 weeks. In order to fulfill credit hour I am required to undergo industrial training before graduation and the requirement to achieve degree in Accountancy and the requirement of institution. My industrial training program was started from 1st July until 18 December 2012.
Industrial Training is one of the requirements for all degree students of University Sultan Zainal Abidin and it is also required for Bachelor of Accounting students. The industrial training supplies the student academic education in accounting courses by exposing them to practical experience in the actual working environment, opening avenues for them to develop their skills and capabilities.
All Bachelor of Accounting students at UniSZA need to do practical training in audit firm who is a recognized member of Malaysian Institute of Accountants. The students are compulsory to complete a practical training for duration of six months before completing their courses. During practical training, we are able to use knowledge that we learned in the lectures before, and apply it during the practical training period.

For the selection of places of Industrial Training, the university has provided some appropriate firm name for students pursuing courses taken either the government or private firms. Apart from that, students are encouraged to choose a place for Industrial Training for the courses taken and be able to apply what they have learned.
I need to do more practice and research to get the solution for the task. Besides that, this practical training is to build self-confidence among students and let students know the technical knowledge and professionalism. I was placed in auditing and taxation department during my practical training. This practical training helps me to understand about the responsibility in completing the assignment given by the firm. Specifically it measures the creativity in conducting the task to fulfill the firm and clients wants and needs. This training gives me good experience on my knowledge of accounting aspects.
CORPORATE PROFILE
AZHAR NORIZA ZAINUDDIN is an innovative and reputable audit firm was established in Kuala Lumpur. It is located at No. 2-3, Jalan AU1A/4C, Keramat Permai Business Centre, Taman Keramat Permai, 54200 Kuala Lumpur.
AZHAR NORIZA ZAINUDDIN was established and has started the operation in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. This company exists from combination of two companies, Azhar & Co and Noriza Zainuddin & Co. Before the formation, Encik Muhamad Azhar Ismail is one of the partners AFTAAS and Puan Noriza Zainuddin is a manager from AFTAAS.
With the combination of the knowledge, experience and resources of the personals in the firm, ANZ provides integrated and highly effective and timely professional services to the clients from various areas of industry and from small to large and multinational companies.
Azhar Noriza Zainuddin (ANZ) integrity and professional competence are the cornerstones of our organization. We work hard to earn and maintain our clients’ trust and confidence. To ensure that we provide quality professional services in an independent, objective, and ethical manner we have implemented a number of professional development initiatives and quality and compliance safeguards.
In order to maintain the quality of their services and the technical competency of their staff, AZHAR NORIZA ZAINUDDIN has identified the core skills that should be acquired by everyone in the company. The skills would be developed through formal training sessions and on the job training. They provide high quality financial advice and support at every stage of their client. The purpose is to turn knowledge into value for the benefit of our clients, our people, and the capital markets. Our firms aim to provide clients with a consistent set of multidisciplinary financial and accounting services, based on deep industry knowledge. Our values determine how we behave with clients and each other.
AZHAR NORIZA ZAINUDDIN offers a complete range of professional services and management consultation to a wide selection of clients both in private and public sectors. AZHAR NORIZA ZAINUDDIN provide a full range of accounting, tax and advisory services including Corporate finance, Business Advisory and Assurance, Tax Services, Financial Management, Information Technology and Other Corporate Services.
It is our attention on enhancing client relationship at all appropriate levels for understanding of our client’s business needs in order to provide excellent service to them. ANZ has a commitment to provide not only limited in auditing, tax compliance and advisory, secretarial and consultancy work but also cover the selection and recruitment of professional management services and counselors and advisors to new entrepreneurs, e.g. in the business of decision making. Also read narrative report for OJT business administration
As a professional service firm, ANZ looks forward, constantly investigating new areas where we believe we can service our clients. In advising our clients, we are alert to the legislative, policies and economic changes which may affect our client’s activities. They are keeping informed of the matters. With the integrated planning and business management advisory service, we ensure that our clients will receive the maximum benefits and assistance from us in achieving the competitive position in the market-place.

Industrial training report

Development of Training and Mentoring Program.
The merger between InterClean and Envirotech indicates the new strategic directions of both the companies. With these new strategic aims, the need for employee training and development has also been felt. Based on the job analysis of different employees, a training programs has to be developed in order to service their training and developmental needs. This paper aims to draw the basic outline necessary for planning and implementing the training program.
New Training and Mentoring Needs
First of all it is necessary to identify which people are possible incumbents for the training. According to the to the job analysis conducted by officials of InterClean, the sales force is required to have much more polished skills so as to be an effective part of the sales team. Since, these people will be facing an increased burden of customers because of the merger; they will need increased sales efficiency, greater confidence and high morale. They must produce high quality, cost effective and consumer responsive procurement services.

Not only this, they must have the capability of working in a team, since some tasks are not the business of an individual and a group is required to achieve the targets.  While training may not provide the employees to have one-on-one interactions and detailed information about some serious issues, mentoring fills in this gap. In a nut shell, the training provided now, may help the sales force in their career development and for future work related needs.
Objectives of the Training Program
The training program will have the following objectives:
To increase the annual productivity of the sales force for the product line of the firm
To improve the withered morale of the sales force because of any incapability and to improve their confidence level.
To reduce the turnover rate of the sales force.
To improve the customer relations and finally
To manage time and territory for the entire sales force of the organization.
Performance standards
The standards of assessment are already set by the organization. Employees will be evaluated on the basis of their expertise and knowledge which they will acquire. They will be judged on soft skills and hard skills, where soft skills refer to the abilities of the employees towards communication, interaction, multitasking, motivation, and their skills of persuading, listening and paying attention to their work. On the other hand, hard skills refer to the abilities of the employees in recovering funds, managing and processing data.
Apart from these skills employees will also be judged on their ability of achieving sales targets, having the courage to bear risk-taking and on their experience. They will need a positive attitude, must be disciplined ethically, and the thing which counts the most is trustworthiness. They will also be evaluated on their ability to work under strict deadlines simultaneously being sales driven professional assiduous in providing customer service (Basuroy, 2000)
Training Methods
Since it is not possible for a single manager to provide on job training to all the potential trainees separately, therefore, other training methods including class room trainings, role playing, and electronic training methods should also be used.
Training methods such as situational training or training by simulations will also be of great help (William, n.d.).
Training Content
The training content must include the overall objectives of the training program and the needs of the participants and the information which is provided during the training program must be directly correlated with the needs of the participants. Thus information should be designed in a manner that it matches with the present knowledge base of the participants. In addition to this, an effective orientation before the training program will help the participants to have a quick grasp on what they are going to learn in the training session. Training methods may include presentations, provisions of applicable material and handouts of resources, group discussions etc.
Time frame
Training and mentoring programs should be conducted in a manner that they deliver maximum efficiency and effectiveness while remaining inside the resources and the time available. Training programs do require that the information is transferred remaining within a balanced amount of time and resources (Spiro, n.d).
Training budgets should be properly allocated. Employees from within the organizations usually are already committed to their own work and find it difficult to invest time in such training program, so, it is necessary to design the training program in a manner that these employees can give their time to it while remaining committed to their own work and providing ample amount of time to it as well.
Evaluation Methods
Evaluation is necessary to identify the effectiveness and of the training programs and to redesign any disfigurations in future training programs. There are generally four ways to evaluate the training program which includes:
Reactions: The best way to dig out whether the participants thought of the training as something worthwhile or lame.
Learning: Giving the trainees some kind of tests to check whether the information provided was fully absorbed or not.
Behavior: The behavior of trainees identify whether the training has left an impact on his/her personality or not.
Results: This is the aftermath, if the results of the trainees remain the same even after the training program then, it would be clear that the training was of no use. (Sharon, 2005)
Feedback
After the training program the executives must provide their feedback to the trainees on their performance. They can either ask from the trainees if they find the training program useful or not. Positive feedback always reinforces behavior, so employers and employees must provide each other with sincere comments and suggestions in the form of feedback.
Alternate avenues for those who need further development
For those employees who are still lacking behind in something they should be provided further training on their areas of weaknesses, tying them up with result oriented rewards will have a positive impact on their morale and confidence level. Shortly, employees should be made responsible for smaller things at first and should be encouraged no matter if they achieve the target or not.
References
Basuroy S. (2000), “Sales Force Management.” Tata McGraw-Hill.
Sharon G. (2005), “Training is the Key to the Success of Mentoring Programs.” Retrieved, August 24, 2010 from, http://www.mentoring-association.org/membersonly/AllProgr/GivensTrg.html
Spiro, (n.d), “Management of a Sales Force,” Retrieved, August 24, 2010 from,
http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=nQikg3nqN9EC&pg=PA196&lpg=PA196&dq=training+needs+for+sales+force&source=bl&ots=bdY5gxteDA&sig=IVK0EJf0TIschZMY3clYht6S9dg&hl=en&ei=4udzTLKXNoGIvgPN6_mxCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=feedback&f=false
William P. (n.d), “Marketing,” Retrieved, August 24, 2010 from, http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=-R1zRakeLJgC&pg=PA532&lpg=PA532&dq=performance+standards+for+sales+force&source=bl&ots=de44b6Pr2B&sig=7wjzGfWNRA3ANGA-QSnUnMtM5m4&hl=en&ei=dfxzTOi3F4m8vgPQmpHECA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CCcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=performance%20standards%20for%20sales%20force&f=false

Development of Training and Mentoring Program

Hrm- Training Need Analysis.
Training Needs Analysis Purpose A Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is used to assess an organization’s training needs. The root of the TNA is the gap analysis. This is an assessment of the gap between the knowledge, skills and attitudes that the people in the organization currently possess and the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they require to meet the organization’s objectives. The training needs assessment is best conducted up front, before training solutions are budgeted, designed and delivered. The output of the needs analysis will be a document that specifies why, what, who, when, where and how.
More specifically, the document will need to answer these questions: why do people need the training? what skills need imparting? who needs the training? when will they need the new skills? where may the training be conducted? and how may the new skills be imparted? There are so many ways for conducting a Training Needs Analysis, depending on your situation. One size does not fit all. Is the purpose of the needs assessment to: lead in to a design of a specific purpose improvement initiative (e. g. customer complaint reduction) enable the design of the organization’s training calendar identify training and development needs of individual staff during the performance appraisal cycle … and so on and so on. In clarifying the purpose of the TNA, consider the scope of the TNA. Is it to determine training needs: at the organization level? at the project level for a specific project? or at the department level for specific employees? Your answer to these questions will dictate: who will conduct the TNA how the TNA will be conducted, and what data sources will be used
Training Needs Analysis Method Below are three scenarios in which you may find yourself wanting to conduct a Training Needs Analysis. This is not an exhaustive treatment, however, it will give you some tips on what to do. Employee Performance Appraisal In many organizations, each employee’s manager discusses training and development needs during the final part of the performance appraisal discussion. This method suits where training needs are highly varied amongst individual employees. Typically, the manager constructs an employee Performance Development Plan in collaboration with the employee being appraised.

The Plan takes into consideration: the organization’s strategies and plans agreed employee goals and targets the employee’s performance results the employee’s role description feedback from internal/external customers and stakeholders, and the employee’s stated career aspirations The employee’s completed Performance Development Plan should document the area that requires improvement, the actual development activity, resource requirements, expected outcomes and an agreed time frame in which the development outcome will be achieved.
Check out our Training Management Template Pack for a customizable Performance Development Plan and instructions for use. You may find some commonality amongst individual training and development needs identified in the various performance appraisals. In this case, it may pay the organization to review and classify each of the needs and convert them into appropriate training courses (or other interventions). The next step is to prioritize their importance and aggregate the results so that you end up with a list of courses and participant numbers against each.
Then negotiate a delivery schedule that fits in with managers/supervisors and employees whilst keeping an eye on your budget. Improvement Project Most, if not all, improvement projects have some employee training associated with them. Examples of improvement projects include planned and structured attempts to reduce the incidence of product defects, increase sales volume and decrease the number of customer complaints. Here, the Training Needs Analysis begins by clarifying the measurable organizational improvement targets and the employee behaviors required to meet these targets.
For example, the organization might set a target of a 50 percent reduction in customer complaints by the end of the year. Employee behaviors required to achieve this target might be: empathetic listening to customer complaints regular follow up of complaint resolution … and so on. To get to this point, though, the cause of the underperformance needs to be determined through a series of structured questions. If there is no one else to perform this initial diagnosis, you as the training professional may be called upon to do this job.
A performance consulting approach can help you here. With this approach, the person doing the diagnosis first asks managers to identify their problems in concrete terms. Next, possible causes and solutions are discussed and training solutions identified, where appropriate. To do this successfully, the performance consultant needs to be well-versed in process improvement methods and employee motivation theory and practice. For small projects, you can use a simple employee performance flow chart in working with managers to help identify the cause of performance deficiencies.
Where training is identified as an appropriate solution or as part of the solution, we then recommend that you work through a training needs analysis questionnaire with the appropriate stakeholders. This will give you the information you need to move to the training program design phase. An effective training needs analysis questionnaire worksheet will cover at least the following areas: The results from these structured interviews are then written up in a formal document, along with the answers to the other questions raised above.
Check out our Training Projects Template Pack for an example of a customizable training needs analysis template that you can download today. The results of the TNA are then fed into the next phase of the instructional systems design life cycle; the high-level design of the training program. Following all of the above is of course more time consuming than getting a simple wish-list from managers and delivering a smorgasbord of training courses. However, by using a structured approach, you will avoid the 80 percent wastage of resources that any companies experience in delivering programs that don’t truly fit their needs. Constructing a Training Calendar When constructing an annual training calendar, be wary of simply asking managers what training they want delivered. Assessing training needs this way, you will most probably get a wish list with little connection to the real needs of the organization. When the time comes and they and their workers are pressed for time, you may find it difficult to fill seats. Training is expensive, and there is no better method for wasting your scare training dollars. Why is this so?
We find that many managers are not skilled in identifying which of their problems can be solved by training and which cannot. For a training calendar to be effective, it needs to be tailored for your specific organization’s real needs. Ask your managers what training they need. However, make sure you engage them in constructive dialog about what their real problems are and which of them can realistically be addressed through training. If the performance shortfall is a one-off problem, such as an increasing number of customer complaints, it may be more effective and cost efficient to address the issue on an improvement project basis.
Training calendars are best suited to repeatable and regular demand, such as refresher skills training for infrequently performed technical tasks and for new recruits joining the organization. In these cases, review what training is required on a regular basis and look at what new recruits need to be proficient at soon after they join your organization. Generally speaking, consult with your management team by checking off which of the following areas require inclusion in your training calendar: management, leadership and supervision skills oft skills, such as communication and conflict resolution environment, health and safety human resource processes, such as performance management business skills, such as strategy, planning and process improvement technical line and staff skills such as telephone etiquette and inventory management In constructing your training calendar, we suggest you also consider looking at one or more of the data sources listed in the next section.
Once you have composed your list of courses, assess demand for each course and the required frequency, all the while, keeping an eye on your budget. With a limited budget, we suggest you get your management team to help you assess priorities. Data Sources In conducting your training needs analysis, you may have a variety of data sources available to you. Which data sources you use will depend on a number of factors. These factors include: the amount of time you have available the human resources you have available he level of accuracy you require the reliability of each data source the accessibility of each data source The data sources that you have available may include: interviews/surveys with supervisors/managers interviews/surveys with employees employee performance appraisal documents organization’s strategic planning documents organization/department operational plans organization/department key performance indicators customer complaints critical incidents product/service quality data
For example, if you are considering providing training in project management to project managers, you may want to interview the prospective participants, the project managers, and their managers on what problems they are facing. It may also pay to review planning and procedural documents to ascertain what project management methodology and tools your organization is using, or is planning on using. Data sources that may show light on where the training needs to focus the most are project performance data and post-implementation reviews.
Which sources you will actually use and how much time and effort you expend on each will depend on your particular circumstances. Needless to say, there is no magic formula and you will need to exercise a fair amount of judgment in most cases. Although there are no hard and fast rules in conducting a Training Needs Analysis, we have outlined above some general guidelines and helpful hints. We can also help you with some practical TNA tools, such as a training needs analysis questionnaire and training needs analysis spreadsheet, in our customizable template packs.

Hrm- Training Need Analysis

Sales Force Training At Emaar.
The world, which we live in, is often called the ‘knowledge economy’. In such a society where knowledge is becoming the source of competitive advantage, no one can deny the importance of preserving organizational knowledge, being its strategic asset. Therefore, in order to make any of the long term strategy of any organization successful, it is important to make the HR strategy align to it, so the ‘people factor’ becomes the competitive edge of the organization. This paper is therefore intended to discuss one of such initiatives that is the aspect of training and development for the salespersons at Emaar.
Emaar is one of the largest real estate companies in the world. The company, since its inception in 1997, is in the process of developing real estates in Emirates. Their projects are not only homes; rather Emaar has been developing communities that encompass whole range of the needs of its customers since a decade. This has made Emaar a pioneer in developing the innovative community-living concepts. Emaar envisages to be transformed into world’s most valuable lifestyle developer, a concept far beyond real estate, by the year 2010.
In order to make this vision true, the strategy of Emaar is to go global and provide customized solutions to its various segments by utilizing its core competencies and replicating its successful models in Dubai particularly and Emirates generally to other parts of the world. In order to achieve these goals and make these strategies successful, no one can deny the role of sales force. After all, these are the people who make deals with clients. Over the period, the top management at Emaar has realized that so far the sales force is not adopting modern means of technologies to enhance their productivity.

Moreover, the sales force needs to be more proactive, intelligence, capable of making wise decisions for matters empowered to them, and being versatile. Only then, Emaar can think of its global success and providing customized solutions. Keeping these considerations in view, Emaar has developed a comprehensive training program for its sales force. The sales force training program of Emaar is based upon several modules. Most important of them is that of personal selling. Besides, modules like communications skills and decision making skills with special emphasis on developing customized solutions and payment plans is also included.
One full day session is allocated for the ‘demo sales call’. The sales force will also be oriented with various scenario analysis tools. This entire training spreads over 40 hours and is given at corporate head office. All in all, this training would enhance the skills of the sales force of Emaar, which would help in achieving its vision 2010.
References
Mission, Vision, Strategy & Values – Emaar. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://www. emaar. com/index. aspx? page=about-mission.

Sales Force Training At Emaar

The Role of Diversity Training in Businesses.
Diversity training has become a necessity in businesses today. Diversity training is necessary because of people”s differences in our work force. Some of these differences are race, gender, culture, age, and disabilities. Because our organization is so diverse, this program will help educate, sensitize and prepare people to get along in our workplace.
If done right, I feel that the training programs will bring our company promising results. One study by Katrina Jordan on diversity training in the workplace from the perspective of organization/human resources diversity practitioners and diversity consultants showed positive results. Some of the outcomes found in this study were changes in staff behavior, increases staff sensitivity, increased executive commitment, recognition that diversity training is not just a H.R function, etc. For some diversity training “empowers people by helping them to understand others and develop a world view beyond their own. As a result they know how to respond to and resolve differences that might otherwise interfere with their work”(Jordan).
Programs are made up to cover a wide range of topics. These topics include defining, developing and managing diversity, harassment prevention, cross cultural communication, and creating an affirming environment. Workers will be able to bring up their own specific topics as well.

Training sessions will be of two types. First we will have a series of speaker”s come in at least once every other week and talk to large groups no larger than 75 people. Also during the week between smaller groups of no more that 20 people will meet for discussions. All sessions will be held at times convenient to all employees. To try to create an informal environment we will serve coffee and donuts.
For the training programs to make a positive impact it is important for all levels of employees to take part. Training must begin from the top down. H.R participants say that it is essential for top executives to take part in these training sessions. Middle management will be stressed to attend, since they are doing a lot of interaction with people.
Following a substantial period of time the company should be able to notice a difference in job performance and hopefully increase profits. Since we can utilize our conference room and auditorium the price for the training program is very inexpensive. The lectures will be brought in from the outside for a standard lecture fee. A small amount will be spent for refreshments to help create a relaxed environment. In the end the program should basically pay for itself.

The Role of Diversity Training in Businesses

Athletic Training and Writing Studies.
Genre Analysis
This paper will take an in depth look at two articles that are representative of two different discourse communities. It will also analyze features that are different amongst the two discourse communities so that people have a better understanding of the different characteristics that discourse communities possess. It will explore the different styles that each discourse community utilizes, including but not limited to writing, citation styles and organizational styles.
Keywords: Discourse Community, characteristics, organizational style, citation style writing style

Many people do not understand that to be considered a discourse community, a group must have certain attributes. These attributes represent the way that the discourse community read, write, or communicate with one another. It is important that these attributes are done on a level that will be understood by those within the discourse community they are a member of.
Although each genre typically has their own way of communication, whether it is via writing, email, or another form of communicating, some utilize the same ways and other genres utilize different ways. Regardless of the choice of communication, the goal is the same throughout discourse communities and that is to have effective communication. The differences and similarities are apparent when analyzing two articles from two different discourse communities, Athletic Training and Writing Studies.
The first peered reviewed article accessed from the Athletic Training Education Journal titled “Redefining Professional Knowledge in Athletic Training: Whose Knowledge Is It Anyway?” examines the way that Athletic Training has defined it body of knowledge and how to secure that body of knowledge in the Athletic Training discourse community. The second peered reviewed article titled “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning” not only discusses reading and writing at a college level, however also discusses the role of rhetorical reading while writing and reading.
Identification
Identifying the differences and similarities between the two peered reviewed articles, “Redefining Professional Knowledge in Athletic Training: Whose Knowledge Is It Anyway?” by Patrick O. McKeon, PhD; Jennifer M. Medina McKeon, PhD; Paul R. Geisler, EdD and “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning” by Christina Haas and Linda Flower gave more clarity on the different and similar writing styles of the two different discourse communities.
The first difference that was apparent was the formatting of the two articles. The first article by McKeon et al. appears to use an APA format for their article. APA format typically includes an abstract as well as a reference page that list the sources that were utilized throughout the paper, this paper included both. The APA citations are also different than the MLA citations. The Haas and Flower article is done in an MLA format, it does not include an abstract, title page and the source page is referenced as a “work cited” page which is typical of MLA formatting.
The citations in MLA formatting are presented differently on the “works cited” page than a reference page of the APA format. What was observed in both articles that was similar, although using the different formats, was that both articles were 1-inch margins and 12-point font which is adhering to both the MLA and APA formats.
To attract a reader typically organization of an article is important. These two articles differed in how they were organized, for instance the article “Redefining Professional Knowledge in Athletic Training: Whose Knowledge Is It Anyway?” is organized by headings that clearly represent the facet of the information that is to follow the heading. Haas and Flowers article “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning” does not include headings to present information, the information is sporadically placed within the article, including data represented by the study itself.
A prominent similarity between the two articles was that they were both evidence-based articles. The article “Redefining Professional Knowledge in Athletic Training: Whose Knowledge Is It Anyway?” the study shows that by clearly relating the Professional body of knowledge and the evidence that is utilized in the evidence-based practice helps to secure that there is, in fact, authority and legitimacy to the Athletic Training Profession body of Knowledge. (McKeon, el.at.)
The article “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning” was based on studies done with college students. These studies represented primarily the different ways that college students read and write. These studies were performed in hopes that undeniable proof would indeed help to strengthen the abilities of college students in the aspects of reading and writing.
There were similarities to the stylistic form of writing of both the articles. The Haas and Flower article was more of an active voice rather that a passive voice. This was noted mainly because of wording and sentence structure. An active voice basically describes what the subject is doing or going to do, which in this article could be clearly defined throughout. The article by McKeon el. at. also used an active voice throughout the article.
Suggesting what could be done as well as what is being done to secure their Professional Body of Knowledge in the Athletic Training field. Using an active voice in both articles helped to validate the strength of the articles which is important to the reader.
Regarding the convention of the two articles they differed in how information was conveyed through visual illustration. It was clear that the authors Haas and Flower utilized multiple illustrations to identify the results and convey important information a manner that was visually understood.
This allowed for information to be conveyed faster and accurately with different visuals, i.e. graphs, figures. In the article “Redefining Professional Knowledge in Athletic Training: Whose Knowledge Is It Anyway?” the authors chose to not utilize many visuals, instead they utilized the grammar convention, which made deciphering the article slightly more time consuming that when visuals are incorporated.
In short, the common goal of both articles was to communicate information to help advance their specific discourse community. In the Writing Studies community the information relayed, no matter how, was to improve the reading and writing skills of college students. In the community of Athletic Trainers, it was to facilitate a better understanding of the Professional Body of Knowledge and the relation to their stature in the healthcare field. The common goal simply stated was to advance each discourse community with the studies that were performed.
Analysis
Reading both articles, it was clear the active voice was representative of both the Writing Studies and Athletic Training discourse communities. Using the active voice defines a characteristic of both communities and the way they communicate, making sure that information is conveyed, clearly, concisely and straight to the point. This is an important attribute to these discourse communities simply because to advance it is important to understand and communicating efficiently is important. Utilizing the active voice also relays the strength and validation to the article which is important to the reader also.
These two articles are clearly written as evidence-based articles, this is another important characteristic of the discourse communities of which the authors belong. It shows that both discourse communities rely on data that has scientifically evident and data that proves the facts. This information is made available in both articles through concise experiments that resulted in a conclusion that was beneficial to both discourse communities.
This is an important attribute in the discourse communities because the reputable proof that is determined through these experiments reflects that the discourse communities require information that is only factual and based by scientific evidence.
Organizational manner of both articles as stated was different. The article by McKeon, el. at. chose to structure the paper with an introduction, method, result, analysis and discussion format. This type of structure can be a representative characteristic of the discourse community Athletic Training by suggesting the discourse community relies mainly on scientific evidence and factual data. Utilizing headings helps the reader follow and have a clearer understanding of the material that is being discussed.
The article by Haas and Flower chose to take a more laxed approach to the structure of their article. The authors used very little headings and left the article with points that could be further discussed. Even know results were apparent this article was left more open-ended, maybe to leave the reader no choice but to ask questions? This type of structure demonstrates the discourse communities will to speak freely and offer any elaboration that is needed.
The different formatting of the articles APA and MLA represent the different characteristics that both discourse communities possess. The Athletic Training discourse community utilized an APA format in this article, this is representative of the concise, reliability and validity that is expected when writing in this discourse community. The authors of the Writing Studies article utilized the MLA format for the structure of their paper which is typical of the discourse community.
This type of format demonstrates the discourse community’s openness to further discuss and elaborate on the subject at hand. The difference in the formatting of the citations on both the reference and works cited pages represent the discourse communities’ differences of what they stress importance on when using multiple sources. MLA citations always begin with the title name and APA citations usually begin with author first. The Athletic Training discourse community, using the APA format prefers to emphasize the importance of the author (writer) contrary to the discourse community of Writing Studies who choose to emphasize the importance of the subject in their citation.
The conventions that were apparent in the articles displayed the discourse communities’ differences in respect to conveying information. The Haas and Flower article had multiple visual illustrations that conveyed precise information in a quick manner. This is standard of the Writing Studies discourse communities will to open minded for elaboration. Presenting a graph or figure can reflect the need for more discussion.
The McKeon el. at. article used only one display of visual illustration to convey information which is contrary to the discourse community who is usually under time constraints. The authors chose to use more grammar conventions such as mechanics, usage, and sentence structure to convey their message. This is also typical of the discourse community of Athletic Training and their continued effort to communicate in a fashion that is easily understood, straight to the point, concise and efficient.
The last noted similarity in both articles was the fact that the articles were written in a manner that provided information to improve their discourse communities. Knowledge is power, and this was reflective in both articles with the information that was conveyed. This makes sense as both discourse communities have common goals and that is to better the community to which they belong by further research and continued communication.
Reflection
This Genre Analysis has given me the opportunity to explore and examine the different writing styles of the discourse communities of Writing Studies and Athletic Training. Despite that the discourse communities are from completely different realms, I analyzed both articles which later proved to achieve one common goal and that was communication through writing. After analyzing the two articles it was clear that the discourse communities had different as well as similar writing styles that they utilized to convey their messages. I was able to gain an understanding that the overall goal of conveying information effectively and concisely. Of which, ironically, was a common goal among both discourse communities.
This analysis has also given me a better understanding of how writing, or the type of writing used can identify the characteristics of a discourse community. For example, the Athletic Training discourse community writes in a fashion that is straight forward and to the point to communicate the outcome. The Writing Studies discourse community tends to leave some information open ended, up for discussion they are a little laxer in their approach.
No matter the approach in writing among the discourse community the bottom line will always be the same, to write in a manner that is concise and effective. Another very important aspect that was observed was the importance of adapting to the writing styles of the discourse community you belong to. Adapting will ensure that you can communicate effectively within the discourse community and most importantly be respected by fellow members.
References

Haas, C., ; Flower, L. (1988). Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning. College Composition and Communication, 39(2), 167-183. doi:10.2307/358026
Patrick O. McKeon, Jennifer M. Medina McKeon, and Paul R. Geisler (2017) Redefining Professional Knowledge in Athletic Training: Whose Knowledge Is It Anyway?. Athletic Training Education Journal: April-June 2017, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 95-105. https://doi.org/10.4085/120295

Athletic Training and Writing Studies

Companion Animal Behavior and Training Module.
In the case study, a young adult male cat, neutered and aged between four and five years old, undergoes extreme modifications in behavior in response to the birth of a newborn child to the owner-couple. The domestic short-hair lives in a single-cat household and prior to the birth of the first baby and the baby’s subsequently learning to crawl, the cat made appropriate use of 24-hour outside access, toileting outside in an acceptable fashion.

Since the baby in the household learnt to crawl, the cat has started unrinating in the upstairs area of the house and squatting in various different locations.

The cat also began grooming excessively. Based on this case study information, several determinations can be made about the causal factors relating to the behavioral issues displayed by the cat. For obvious reasons relating to the general health of the household, the cat’s behavior poses several hazards. One principle explanation for the behavior change, however, is the presence of the first child and the cat’s perception of the child, now mobile and a perceived presence from the cat’s perspective, as a treat to the cat’s perceived territory in the house.
The explanation for the behavioral issues rests upon the fact that cats sometimes undertake urine spraying or urine marking because of territorial disputes, during aggressive conflicts, and even during sexual encounters. The spray produced is pungent and designed to ward off potential predators or competitors. In the case study, the cat clearly fields that the child, crawling and thereby presenting what must be a visible threat to the cat, is a predator or a threat of some general kind to the cat’s domination of the household, his territory.
The objective of marking the territory is to establish its boundaries and ward off the child. It is classic cat behavior to advertise their presence in a territory by spraying visually conspicuous sites. Since cats naturally look to “time share” territories, marks enable the cats to space themselves out and prevent unwanted encounters. Cats can identify the urine marks so track can be kept of their neighbours (Hart, 1980a). Spraying serves to bring the male and female together during the breeding season. It is often done at a height convenient for sniffing (Beaver, 1992).
Cats that spray urine inside their homes are classically prevented from doing so by neutering. Since the cat in the case study is already neutered, other measures must be undertake to curb the behavior. Most often, spraying is undertaken by reproductively intact males. Females spray as well, but less rarely. In one study conducted by the ASPCA, 77 percent of cats stopped or significantly reduced spraying within six months. Ten percent of male cats neutered before 10 months of age will still spray as adults. In households with numerous cats, at least one cat will likely spray, even if all the cats are neutered (ASPCA, 2007).
Cats can become jealous upon the arrival of a new baby and this is particularly since the presence of a new child leaves the parents, the cat’s owners, exhausted and turmoil of a new baby, the cat is often neglected. This creates and exacerbates resentment about the presence of the child. Of course, it should not be ruled out that medical problems could be the cause of the cat’s unusual behavior. At the very least, this must be investigated as a potential cause. Medical problems such as diarrhea, urinary bladder inflammation, and the condition polydipsia or polyuria may promote unusual behavior from the cat.
The signs of these problems include soft to watery diarrhea, which may indicate a problem in the small intestine, or mucus visible in the stool, along with blood, which suggests an inflamed colon or colitis. Urinary bladder infections may include FUS, bacterial infection, calculi or bladder stones, and tumors. Diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, liver disease, adrenal gland disease, pyometra, and hypercalcemia are all possible medical causes for spraying and urinating in the house (ASPCA, 2007).
If the baby were not present in the house it would be viable to note that females in heat, male spraying, other cats outdoors, over-crowding indoors, and the possible presence of testicular tissue remaining and producing low level hormones. Overcrowding, unchained litter, interrupted access to liter boxes, a change in litter type, and the presence of objectionable chemicals may be causing the problem. Psychological stress factors such as moving to a new environment or undergoing a change in routine can leave cats of any age bewildered and under considerable psychological stress.
Overall, cats are loners and avoid interactions with other cats, except when with a mate, with young, or if several cats belong to the one household. The area traveled during normal activities is known the home range (Beaver, 1992; Bradshaw, 1992; Thorne, 1992). It is much larger for males than for females (Bradshaw, 1992) and the range may overlap other animals’ ranges (Thorne, 1992). Studies on free-ranging cats (Fox, 1975), showed that cats have a home territory and a home range that consists of places for resting, sunbathing and watching. A network of paths connects places and people may visit them regularly.
Cats have an order of dominance in a neighborhood, which depends on time and place. If a low-ranking cat has already entered a narrow passageway and a high-ranking cat enters, the less dominant animal will sit and wait until the way is clear. Cats go to great lengths to avoid meeting another cat on a pathway, and chance face-to-face encounters lead to fighting and chasing and the development of a dominant–subordinate relationship. Subordinate males are pushed around in a dominant male’s home range. They essentially become nomads (Liberg, 1981, cited in Thorne, 1992).
If a group of cats is maintained in colony pens, they need to be provided with shelves so they can ‘own’ one and retreat there from other cats (Hart, 1980). The cats work out an arrangement where certain ones use the floor at different times to others. Rubbing may help reinforce social positions, with subordinate individuals generally rubbing more dominant conspecifics (Macdonald, Apps, Carr and Kerby, 1987). The socialization period is the time when all primary social bonds are formed and is the most important period during the cat’s life (Beaver, 1992).
Active social con tact with more than one adult cat at some crucial development stage is necessary for an adult cat to adapt later to social living conditions (Bradshaw, 1992). Given this, the lack of socialization with a new infant introduced to a household is going to cause problems and, after official confirmation that there are no medical explanations for the cat’s unusual behavior, the likely best response will involve heavy bonding efforts to help the cat overcome feelings of displacement, in addition to efforts to help the cat to perceive the baby as a non-threat to its territory.
SECTION B: To modify the behavior of the cat in the case study, several steps need to be undertaken to ensure that the cause of the problem is properly assessed and to assure that the problem does become resolved as quickly and as efficiently as possible. The first step in the behavioral modification process will be to identify the reasons that they cat is spraying. Presumably, the new baby is the issue, however, it is necessary as a precautionary measure at least to have the cat subjected to a physical examination by a qualified vet.
Physical problems can lead to inappropriate urination and spraying and should at least be ruled out before any psychological issues are investigated. To assess the psychological state of the cats it is quite important to begin by discouraging other cats from hanging around outside the home, if there are any signs that cats are doing this. Ideally, one of the various types of commercially available motion-activated devices, such as the Critter Gitter™, the Scarecrow™, or the Scraminal™, serve the function to frighten outdoor cats away.
The Scat Mat™ and the Sofa Saver™ can be used to keep outdoor cats away from doors and windows if there is evidence that other cats are coming this close to the house (ASPCA, 2007). Although it is not likely that this type of territorial issue is in play in the case study, the cat’s owners would to well to investigate and rule out the possibility. Multiple factors could easily be in play since the cat’s behavior is altered so drastically and since there is evidence that it is only since the new baby began crawling that the cat’s urination and spraying have been a problem.
If the cat is spraying in several locations, areas should be made less appealing. Commercially available are such deterrent systems as Ssscat™ may be used and the cat’s owners might also try establishing a different behavioral pattern in the sprayed locations by placing items that stimulate behaviors incompatible with spraying, such as the food dish or toys in the appropriate locations. A litter box may also be placed in each location to try to establish the same change in behavioral pattern. The ultimate treatment objective is to revolve the cat’s sense of insecurity in their home environment.
Any form of direct punishment is to be avoided. Punishment simply makes the cat feel more insecure. If the cat has singled out one new person to be the target of marking, as in this case, the baby, it is helpful to have the child present and seeming to participate in the feeding of the cat as a means of establishing trust for the cat. In general cases, it can also be helpful to have family members use the same soaps, shampoos so as to homogenise the group in terms of smells. This stops the cat from singling out one human being for attention.
A behavioral modification campaign along these lines can be supported with the use of anxiolytics, tranquilisers, and pheromonatherapy if little or no progress is seen over time. However, these drugs should be given only in combination with behaviour modification and essentially as a last resort, on advisement of a vet. In the case study example, it is highly likely not only that the threat is correctly identified as the new baby and that extra attention given to the cat combined with certain modified methods of feeding, for example, involving the young child, the issues surrounding the urination and spraying should quickly be resolved.
REFERENCES. American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [ASPCA]. 2007. Animal Behavior Center: Cat Behavior. http://www. aspca. org/site/PageServer. Beaver, B. V. 1992. Feline Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians. W. B. Saunders Company, Sydney. Bradshaw, J. W. S. 1992. The Behavior of the Domestic Cat. C. A. B International UK. Fox, M. W. 1974. Understanding Your Cat. N. Y. : Coward McCann (London). Fox, M. W. 1975. The behaviour of cats. In: The Behaviour of Domestic Animals.
Ed. E. S. E. Hafez. Bailliere Tindall. Hart, B. L. 1980a. Feline behaviour: A practitioner monograph. Vet. Practice Publishing Co. , California. Liberg, O. 1981. Predation and social behaviour in a population of domestic cats: an evolutionary perspective. Ph. D thesis, University of Lund, Sweden. Macdonald, P. W. , Apps, P. J. , Carr, G. M. and Kerby, C. , 1987. Social dynamics, nursing coalitions and infanticide among farm cats, Felis catus Advances in Ethology 24, 1–66Thorne, 1992

Companion Animal Behavior and Training Module

The Training And Development At Sainsbury’s.
The training and development at Sainsbury’s plays a big part in the contribution to the activities that are conducted at Sainsbury’s. The training and development at Sainsbury’s provides the staff at Sainsbury’s with the opportunity to work efficiently and effectively so that they can stay on the job. It also provides the staff, who complete the programmes, with the opportunity to work with the higher levels of staff at Sainsbury’s. The finance training and development programme trains people so that they can work with Sainsbury’s finance department, and to help them meet one of Sainsbury’s objectives, which is to provide shareholders with good financial returns.
The marketing training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury’s marketing team and produce marketing plans and promoting products to customers and the public. The buying training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury’s Trade Divisions and also work together with suppliers to deliver good quality products to Sainsbury’s customers.
The supply chain training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury’s and so that they have the ability to forecast and know about the logistics of operations ordering and distribution and development. The trainees will then know the system in which Sainsbury’s operate their supply chain, and they will then be able to help Sainsbury’s by managing the supply chain. The quality and innovation training and development programme trains people so that they are helping Sainsbury’s deliver the innovation and quality of goods and service that their customers expect.

The human resources training and development programme trains people so that they are able to deliver Sainsbury’s business strategy through people. They will be taught how to manage people, therefore they will have the ability to manage Sainsbury’s staff. The formats training and development programme trains people so that they can offer Sainsbury’s customers exactly what they expect. And changing to suit the changes in lifestyles. The retail training and development programme trains people so that they can reach management positions at Sainsbury’s and make decisions and plans that help Sainsbury’s in meeting its objectives.
The pharmacy training and development programme trains people so that they are able to work with Sainsbury’s pharmacy department. So that they can meet Sainsbury’s customers’ needs not only by providing them with medicine, but also by providing them with advice if they have any problems. The property training and development programme trains people so that they are able to aid in planning the sites of Sainsbury’s stores and to help build them. The training and development provided by Sainsbury’s provides a variety of knowledge that allow people to work in any area of Sainsbury’s just by completing the training and development programmes and by receiving the required qualifications.
EVALUATION POTENTIAL AREAS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE H.R. DEPARTMENT AT SAINSBURY’S
A major conflict that the Human Resources Department faces is the conflict between the training and development at Sainsbury’s and the Finance Department at Sainsbury’s. For Sainsbury’s to provide effective and efficient training and development to their employees Sainsbury’s must also be able to provide the money to finance the training and development. As training and development can be very expensive depending on the types of training and development that is provided. Sainsbury’s provide a wide range of training and development for each different area of the Sainsbury’s business. Sainsbury’s finance department may not be able to fund the training and development completely; therefore this causes a conflict between the two departments. The finance department believe that the money could be spent on other areas of the Sainsbury’s business rather than on so much training and development.
When appraisal meetings are conducted, targets are identified and set in these meetings, also budgets and long and short-term needs are identified. When performance management is carried out, Sainsbury’s H.R. department uses appraisal systems. As a reward to employees for good performance, Sainsbury’s reward them with performance-related pay. The Finance Department has to arrange the performance-related pay; this is another conflict, as the Finance Department may not have the budget to finance the performance-related pay.
There also is a conflict between the Human Resources Department and Sainsbury’s management. As Sainsbury’s management may not agree with decisions made by the Human Resources Department. When the H.R. Department employ new staff, Sainsbury’s management may not agree with the decision to employ those certain staff. The management will disagree, they may have found some fault or reason why that employee may not be suitable for working with Sainsbury’s.
Another conflict is between the Internal Labour Market and the Finance Department at Sainsbury’s. This is because in West London there are many jobs available, as West London is quite large. The jobs that are available offer highly competitive notes of pay. Therefore the Finance Department at Sainsbury’s need to compete with these notes of pay, forming a conflict between the Internal Labour Market, which is part of the Human Resources Department, and the Finance Department.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE H.R. DEPARTMENT AT SAINSBURY’S
The Human Resources Department at Sainsbury’s can resolve the conflicts that they face in many ways, using a range of methods. Sainsbury’s already use quality assurance systems. Like nearly every organisation Sainsbury’s also feels that quality should be at the top of the list when it comes to aims and missions. Sainsbury’s also abides by the four Total Quality Management principles. Sainsbury’s have a high commitment in making sure that their customers’ needs are fulfilled to the most that they possibly can.
In every store they have a customer service department, that deals with customer complaints and problems. Also Sainsbury’s staff are fully trained to treat customers in the right way, and to look after them. They are also trained to listen and respond to any complaints or views the customers share with the staff. Sainsbury’s staff are continuously making improvements on their products and the services they offer. Sainsbury’s are improving their brand name by improving their packaging, and the quality of their product. Sainsbury’s are also continuously offering new services to existing and new customers. This is an overview of how Sainsbury’s works, this was identified using TQM, Total Quality Management.

The Training And Development At Sainsbury’s

On-the-Job Training for Successful Development.

On-the-job training (OJT) is one of the best training methods because it is planned, organized, and conducted at the employee’s worksite. OJT will generally help the students to increase their productivity and skills. It also helps the students to become a young professional. This is one of the method by which students are able to apply the theories and computations that they have learned from school. It also helps the students to acquire relevant knowledge and skills by performing in actual work setting.

My Personal Experience With OJT Training Method

May 28, 2013 was my first day of internship at Ayala Multi-Purpose Cooperative located at 8th floor, 111 Paseo De Roxas Building; Paseo De Roxas corner Legaspi street Makati City.
During the first day of my training, I and my classmate whom also may co-trainee were first introduced to the head officers and also to the other employees of the company then we’re given some brief information on how the company runs and what are the services they offer. After that, we’ve been oriented on the system used by the company and how they utilize it, and the accounting procedures that they use to treat for the accounts. On the proceeding time I was first tasked to do some clerical works like filing and sorting of stock certificates of a different person from the different companies.
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Who Are the Mentors on the Job Training Me?
On my training days, I was first taught by Sir Mackey which is the accounting head of Ayala Coop; he taught me how to check the total shares of the members and how to separate the terminated and active members. I was also taught on how to check and encode the new balmori codes of the members of the coop and other transactions under Sir Jennifer Luyun. Although I am only an OJT Trainee I was also entrusted by Ms. Emily Montino which is the IT head supervisor, to check the amortization schedule of the members where the types of loans are included and how much their loan is.
Since I am a OJT trainee, I was supposed to undergo other business job which was I have to train at the Customer Service for me to learned on how to deal with the customers as well as to be able to apply of what I’ve learned from my customer relation subject. At the Customer Service I am under the supervision of Ms. Frances Joy De Asis and Sir Arnel Balmes whom they taught me about the loans at AMPC as well as the loan process, answering telephone calls same as answering the emails and how to check for the vouchers of the clients and most especially on how to deal with the customers.
I was also entrusted by Ms. Joy in checking and encoding of the Cheque of the members whom it is for their monthly payment in their loan and also I learned how to find the and check the Official Receipt of the customers.As time went by, I learned to value intimacy and close-knit relationship with my co-trainees and superiors. I learned principles of archiving. I learned to handle my responsibilities and I also observed proper time management and act with speed and urgency.
I will not forget this internship mostly the last day, August 30, 2013. Yes, it was the day I end my internship at Ayala Multi-Purpose Cooperative, But my success couldn’t turn into reality without the help of these following persons; my superiors, co-trainees, to my loving parents for their moral and financial supports and despite of many efforts, trials and hardships exerted during my training, I would like to dedicate all my accomplishments and success to our Almighty God for his unending blessings showered upon me.
This example of my success is a great chance that I will step the victory of my life.

On-the-Job Training for Successful Development

Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines.
Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines Summary Continental Airlines is the fifth largest airline based on passenger volume in United States. It provides over 1,100 daily flight services to five continents. Effective manpower planning is a key component for the success of Continental Airlines. It is essential for Airline Company to adjust its need for pilots constantly in different position in response to new market opportunities, changing passenger demand, acquisition and retirement of aircraft and training resources and evolving economic conditions.
Therefore, the company collected information from several separate database systems and built the training plans by using spreadsheet. However, this development method was time consuming and complicated and the database used was not capable for training plan as it was used for more 10 years. In order for solving the complicated, large-scale pilot planning and training program and increasing the competitive advantage in air transportation market, Continental Airlines replaced the old database system and spreadsheets by the Crew Resource-Solver integrated decision-support system.
It includes four main modules to handle staffing, vacation, planning and training. The staff-administration module and vacation-administration module maintain crew records including all current and past assignments, absences and training while the planning-optimization module and training optimization module provides information of pilot-planning and training functions (Yu, Pachon, Thengvall, Chandler and Wilson 2004). Generally, Continental Airlines uses system bid award to determine the needs of staff changing to different positions and handle the pilots’ requests to change positions.

It mainly uses seniority-based rules for decision making. In an average system bid award, 15 to 20 percent of the airline’s pilots receive new positions. As long with system bid award, the Crew Resource-Solver system can build the training program that establishes the timing of training, advancements, releases, and new pilot hires. The Crew Resource-Solver system includes two phase to solve the pilot training problem. The pilot-transitioning phase determines the timing of pilot transitions by using limited information about training capacities to restrict the number of pilots assigned to training.
The training-class-scheduling phase produces the detailed training schedule taking as input the solution from the pilot transitioning phase. As a result, the training program contains a set of detailed training schedules including all training events for each student and each training resource. The training program must satisfy all the constraints set by Continental Airlines such as pilots training will not be assigned during their vacations and other scheduled absences. Planners are able to use system to customize the training plans by changing the objectives and options (Verbeek 1991).
Analysis The main objectives of the Crew Resource-Solver system are: 1. The improvement of the efficiency of the training programs 2. The forecast of future airline pilots’ needs 3. The maximization of the cost savings There are a number of advantages in using the Crew-Resource Solver system. First, the system improves the airline’s processes by enhancing information sharing within the organization and by simplifying system maintenance. Second, the system enhances data integrity by eliminating duplicate data storage and automating processes.
Third, the system saves time compared to the old manual approach as it can produce a complete, optimized training plan that includes both the pilot transitions and the training class schedules within an hour (Yu et al 2004). Moreover, the system increases the flexibility of the training program as it is able to customize by adjusting objectives and setting options. The Crew-Resource Solver system provides an optimal set of components that can satisfy all training program requirements. However, there are several limitations to the Crew-Resource Solver system.
First, the training program constraint is based on the traditional training plan which highlights the inherent weakness of any optimization model as it relies upon sound data for accurate outputs (Sarker 2008, p. 5). Second, the potential sources of savings vary depending on different system bids. It is the fact that a bid will have no cost components associated with those activities when it is no required on new hires and pilot releases. Third, even using the system, there is a trade-off between block-hour shortages and other costs on the training plans.
Therefore, when block-hour shortages cost increases, the training cost will decrease, vice versa. It is unable to decrease both block-hour shortages cost and training costs together. Finally, the final decision of the training program is not automated and requires management to select the best option for each training program. Result The Crew Resource-Solver system is an important investment of Continental Airlines to upgrade the management of manpower-planning needs by resource optimization and operation and financial performance improvement.
Based on the evidence given in the article, the Crew-Resource Solver integrated decision-support system is a successful program for Continental Airlines to achieve its above objectives. First, there are three ways for the cost savings. Training classes’ schedules become more efficiently and the number of pilots sending to training decrease. Second, there is reduction in pay-protection costs as promoting pilots in new positions in seniority order.
Third, it reduces payroll costs because the system can provide the optimized training plans which can use exiting pilots more efficiently and reduce the chances to hire new pilots. In fact, many recommendations derived from the Crew Resource-Solver integrated decision-support system have already been applied and have helped Continental Airlines to save approximately $10 million each year. Second, the integrated system have focused process improvement and improved data integrity, and it is easier to maintain than the numerous legacy systems and spreadsheet application it replaced (Yu et al 2004).
References Sarker, R & Newton, C 2008, Optimization Modelling: A Practical Approach, CRC Press, Florida. Verbeek, P. (1991) Decision support systems – An Application in strategic manpower planning of airline pilots. Eur. J. Oper. Res. (55)3, 368-381 Yu, G. , Pachon, J. , Thengvall, B. , Chandler, D. & Wilson, A. (2004) Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines. Interfaces, Vol. 34, No. 4, July-August, p. 253-264

Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines