Critial Investigation of the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis Free Essays

Introduction Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is an umbrella term which includes all forms of arthritis that begin before the age of sixteen, of over six week’s duration, and of unknown cause. (Petty el al 2004) With various contributing environmental and genetic factors, arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Ongoing research, into the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, has identified the most common risk factor as infection in combination with genetic susceptibility. We will write a custom essay sample on Critial Investigation of the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis or any similar topic only for you Order Now An autoimmune reaction occurs as a result of an infection or trauma, this causes synovial hypertrophy and chronic joint inflammation in genetically susceptible individuals. (Rabinovich 2010). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a genetically complicated characteristic in which many genes are important as indications at the onset of the disease. Both the IL2RA/CD25 and the VTCN1 genes have recently been identified as juvenile idiopathic arthritis susceptibility loci (Hinks et al 2009) .Pathogenesis has many other contributing factors such as stress and maternal smoking. (Prince et al 2010) The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (2004) classification of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, JIA, includes seven subtypes: Systemic onset JIA, oligoarticular, polyarticular RF-positive and RF-negative, Enthesitis-related arthritis, Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, and ‘‘other.’’ The most common type of JIA is Oligoarticular.60% of children, mainly girls under 5, with JIA have this type. During the first 6 months Oligoarticular affects between one and four joints. The knees, ankles and wrists are the most affected. After 6 months it can spread to more than four joints and is known as ‘Extended oligoarthritis’ affecting 2 in 5 children. Affected children are moody and difficult as a result of their symptoms, which include joint stiffness in the morning and joint pain. Walking may be delayed in very young children. 1 in 5 children also have inflammation of the eye, Uveitis. Children who carry antinuclear antibodies in their blood are most at risk of uveitis. (Arthristis Research UK, 2010) Polyarticular arthritis, which again is more common in girls, affects 20% of children with JIA. (Arthristis Research UK, 2010) Polyarthritis mainly affects the joints of the hands and feet, which become painful, swollen and stiff. This type can often affect more than one joint, usually over 4, at a time. The child can often become unwell and pain may be accompanied by a fever. About 10% of children will have the rheumatoid factor (RF), meaning that their blood contains an antibody similar to that often found in adult rheumatoid arthritis. Most RF-positive children are girls, typically aged 10 or over. RF-positive children can have a more severe form of the disease which, without early intervention, can result in long-term joint damage. It is unlikely that RF-positive children will be free from Polyarthritis with symptoms continuing into adult life. Permanent remission is more often seen in children who are RF-negative. (David and Lloyd 1999, pg 207) About 10% of cases of arthritis in children are systemic. This type of arthritis affects girls and boys equally but is more often seen in under fives. (Arthritis Research UK, 2010). This severe and potentially fatal form of JIA includes children who have arthritis associated with marked systemic features. Systemic arthritis can be identified by a fever which persists daily for at least two weeks either at the onset or prior to the arthritis. One or more of the subsequent systemic features must also occur, these are a rash, generalised lymphadenopathy, liver or spleen enlargement and serositis (inflammation of the serous tissue, which lines the major organs including the heart and lungs.) Every child is different. Some children will fully recover after one bout of systemic arthritis. Others could have symptoms that come and go for several years and a number of children go on to develop polyarthritis but have no further fever attacks. (Arthritis Research UK, 2010) Psoriatic arthritis affects less than 10% and is most commonly found in girls aged 8 to 9 years. Psoriasis, a skin condition causing a widespread flaky skin rash is prevalent.The rarer form, Enthesitis-related arthritis usually affects boys aged eight and over. The main symptoms are arthritis in several joints at once, often located at the sacroiliac joint. Enthesitis-related arthritis has a genetic risk factor with children carrying, the HLA-B27 gene. This gene is an indicator common with some adult forms of arthritis. However affected children don’t always go on to suffer in adult hood. (Arthritis Research UK 2010) Although Munro et al (2009) reported that there are no specific tests for the diagnosis of JIA. Diagnosis is made on both clinical findings and investigations. A literature review, by Munro et al (2009), reports that past research recommends documenting the range of motion in all joints, the extent of joint swelling, the presence of bony overgrowth and whether affected joints are affected by muscle atrophy and weakness. Significant trauma, fever, in particular if it is persistent for 10 days or without clear cause or coupled with a rash also need to be evident.. Rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antigen screening tests should be conducted although children with an infection or current pathology may have positive findings, and the tests should not be used as a definite diagnosis of JIA. Inflammation, identified with a raised white cell or platelet count,may also be identified by during a full blood screening. T-lymphocytes play an essential role in the pathophysiology of JIA. They release pro-inflammatory cytokines and favour a type-1 helper T-lymphocyte response. An abnormal interaction between type 1 and type 2 T-helper cells has been hypothesized. Research into T-cell receptor expression; confirm recruitment of T-lymphocytes specific for synovial antigens. Evidence of a disorder in the humoral immune system is identified by the increased presence of autoantibodies, increased serum immunoglobulins, existence of circulating immune complexes or complement activation. Chronic inflammation of the synovium is characterized by B-lymphocyte infiltration and expansion. Macrophages and T-cell invasion are linked with the release of cytokines, which induce synoviocyte proliferation. (Rabinovich 2010) JIA, if badly managed, can have a number of consequences such as growth failure, leg length discrepancy, contractures, scoliosis, blindness (secondary to untreated chronic anterior uveitis), Macrophage activation syndrome, disability and many more. Psychosocial problems are also evident. JIA sufferers are predominantly affected by pain. When treating children in pain, doctors and parents must first understand the physiology of pain and why children have different reactions. The International Association for the Study of Pain (2007) defines pain as â€Å"An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience which we primarily associate with tissue damage or describe in terms of such damage, or both.† This definition recognises that pain is a perception and not a sensation as many believe. Pain can be categorised into nociceptive, or neuropathic. Sustained activation of the nociceptive system caused by tissue injury results in pain described as nociceptive . While neuroplastic changes are evidently involved, nociceptive pain is alleged to arise as a result of the normal activation of the sensory system by noxious stimuli, a process that utilises transduction, transmission, modulation and perception. Direct injury or dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system results in Neuropathic pain. The injury could be to either neural or non-neural tissues. (American Medical Association, 2010) There has been several pain mechanism theories proposed over the last 50 years. The specificity theory, described in 1664 by Rene Descartes, proposes that pain impulses travelled along a dedicated pathway from receptors in the periphery to a specialised pain centre in the brain, resulting in a mechanical behavioural response. Descartes described each nerve as having a specific function, with free nerve endings being called pain receptors. (Thomas 1998, pg 6) It suggests that the greater the damage or injury then the more sever the pain. (Brannon and Feist , 2000) This theory can be supported to the extent that there are some specialised nerves in the human body however others can have numerous functions or detect several types of stimuli. On the other hand this theory does not explain the variable nature of pain. Furthermore no pain centre has ever been identified; current research suggest multiple areas of the brain detect and respond to the pain stimuli. (David and Waterfield 199 9) In 1962, Weddel (cited by Thomas 1998) states that there is no separate system for perceiving pain, rather that pain is due to intense peripheral stimulation of non-specific receptors. This in turn produces a pattern of nerve impulses, which is interpreted centrally as pain. The pattern theory proposed that strong and mild stimuli produced different patterns of impulses. (Thomas 1998, pg 6) This theory ignores the specialism of some receptors and does not account for conditions in which a gentle touch can trigger episodes of neuralgia (David and Waterfeild 1999) The best explanation to date is the pain gate theory, proposed by Mezack and Wall in 1965. (David and Lloyd 1999, pg28) The theory suggests that stimulation of nerve endings evokes nervous impulses that are transmitted by three systems located in the spinal cord. The substania gelatinosa in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the dorsal column fibres and the central transmission cells act to stimulate or inhibit nocioceptive impulses. The transmission of impulses from the afferent fibres to the spinal cord transmission cells is modulated by the spinal gating mechanism in the dorsal horn. The gating mechanism is influenced by the amount of activity in the larger-diameter fibres. Larger diameter fibres are thought to be inhibiter, thus closing the pain gate, the opposite occurs when smaller fibres are stimulated: pain is transmitted and the gate opens.(Melzack and Wall, 1996) In addition descending control from various structures in the brain can also inhibit the relay and close the g ate. On reaching the brain, the impulses are further modified and integrated with other sensory input. On arrival at the brain the impulses are felt as pain. It is important to understand that those afferent fibres do not have a fixed response but are subject to modification even before they reach the pain gate and after they reach the brain. (David and Lloyd 1999, pg 28) The pain gate theory was the first to appreciate that pain can be affected bypsychological factors. A person may be able to control pain be altering their state of mind. For example if a person is able to distract themselves from the pain then less impulses are sent to the brain therefore not enough stimuli are present to open the gate. (Salvano and Willems 1996, pg 15) In summary experiences of pain are influenced by many physical and psychological factors such as beliefs, prior experience, motivation, emotional aspects, anxiety and depression can increase pain by affecting the central control system in the brain. The specificity theory and the pattern theory suggests that pain occurs only due to damage to body tissue while the gate control theory claims that pain may be experienced without any physical injury and individuals interpret pain differently even though the extent of injury is the same. The gate control theory also suggests that pain can be controlled by the mind. The author’s understanding is that Juvenile idiopathic arthritis produces nociceptive pain, through recurrent inflammation of the joints. Inflammation releases chemicals such as histamine and bradykanin, which are detected by nociceptors which then activate noxious impulses to the dorsal horn. Once enough impulses are generated to â€Å"open the gate† neural areas responsible for perception and response activate. The perception and level of response is influenced by the state of mind. Pain impacts on the lives of children, with arthritis, by limiting activities, disrupting school attendance, and contributing to psychosocial distress (Kimura and Walco 2006). A study by Schanberg et al (2003) investigated levels of pain in 41 children with arthritis by the daily completion of pain diaries. They found that 70% of the children had significant amounts of pain, on 60% of the days, with 38% having pain daily. Children often describe the pain associated with JIA as â€Å"aching,† â€Å"sharp,† â€Å"burning,† and â€Å"uncomfortable† (Antony and Schanberg 2003). Research also suggests that children with JIA have a lower pain threshold than their healthy counterparts. (Hogeweg et al 1995) This could be due to the children’s brains, were pain is processed, changing due to long exposure to noxious impulses. The perception of pain in children with JIA could also be influence by the cognitive capabilities and age. Beales et al (1987, cited i n Antony and Schanberg 2003) suggest that cognitive development impacts pain perception due to the association and understanding of the child’s condition. For example all the children , despite their age, described the pain as â€Å"aching† but younger children did not associate it with anything unpleasant , older children, however,are more likely to relate their joint feeling to their arthritis-related disability. Therefore with cognitive maturation, children become capable of connecting internal sensations with internal pathology and the potentially serious consequences. Hence, older children with arthritis may become more distressed by the sensation, resulting in increased reported pain intensities as the child’s age increases. (Antony and Schanberg 2003). There is a mounting body of research indicating to the importance of psychosocial variables in the pain incidence of children with JIA, consisting of emotional distress, stress, and mood. Also significant is the child’s perception and coping strategy with their pain. Moreover, a number of studies have described the role of parental and familial factors in child pain, specifically parental psychological health, parental pain history, and the nature of the way in which family members interact with one another. Addressing these issues while managing the condition may help to reduce pain, elevate mood, and improve overall quality of life for children with arthritis. (Antony and Schanberg 2003). A child’s pain needs to be assessed at each appointment, whether by a doctor or physiotherapist. Pain can be assessed both subjectively and objectively. It is important to gain a good description of areas affected, the intensity, type and severity of the pain. A more objective measurement is a Visual analogue scale, completed by the child and a VAS global assessment of disease and function completed by the parents. (Pounty 2007) A multidisciplinary approach, to the management of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, is considered best practice. Treatment is aimed at controlling inflammation and minimising its effects on the joints. For the best outcome, awareness of complications of both disease and therapy and the psychosocial effects of the illness on both the child and family is essential. (Davidson 2000) Treating the pain can sometimes be the only intervention during a physiotherapy session. Both pharmalogical and non-pharmalogical methods are used to treat pain in JIA.Guidelines for the management of childhood arthritis,The British Paediatric Rheumatology Group (2001), are available and new research is continuing to improve treatments. Most JIA children are Initial treatments include intra-articular long-acting corticosteroid injections and NSAIDs. NSAIDs control pain and inflammation and are usually given for 4 to 8 weeks before starting treatment with a second-line agent. Naproxen, tolmentin, diclofenac, and ibuprofen are commonly used and are usually well tolerated with little gastrointestinal discomfort. The choice of NSAID may be based on the taste of the medication and the convenience of the dosing regimen. Naproxen is prescribed most frequently. Indomethacin is a potent anti-inflammatory medication commonly used to treat ERA and SOJIA, however side effects include headaches, difficulty in concentrating, and gastrointestinal upset. These can be counter acted with other medications. (Weiss and Ilowite 2005) A literature review (Hashkes and Laxer 2005, Cited by Munro et al 2009) looked at the affects of NSAIDS on JIA. These were inconclusive as the participants receiving all forms and doses of NSAIDs achieved significant improvements in the outcome measures and no individual NSAID was shown to have a clear advantage over others. The immune system can be suppressed and the progress of arthritis slowed down, as well reducing the inflammation, by the use of diseases modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (National Rheumatology Society 2008) Methotrexate is most commonly used for JIA. Random controlled placebo trials and dose finding trials have shown that DMARDs can be effective in polyarticular and oligoarticular arthritis although not in systemic arthritis. (Prince et al 2010) Both physiotherapy and occupational therapy can reduce the impact of JIA, on the daily lives of children. Physiotherapy has a number of treatments that can be utilised to reduce pain. Physical therapy and exercise programs have been shown to be helpful in reducing pain in children with arthritis and should therefore be encouraged, especially since children with arthritis tend to be less physically active and may have become de-conditioned (Kimuru and Walco 2006). Exercise can have an analgesic effect. If using the Pain gate theory, movement can help to close the gate by providing a distraction. Exercise is also good for the healing process. Satallite cells, which can only be activated through exercise, are important for muscle growth and repair. They can be stimulared to either replace damaged muscle cells or add muscle cells. (Poutney 2007, pg 234) A literature review, by Long and Rouster-Stevens (2010), highlighted the importance of exercise in the treatment of JIA. Current studies show that inactivity can lead to deconditioning, disability, decreased bone mass, and reduced quality of life. While progress in pharmacology has improved the lives of patients with JIA, management should also consist of a moderate, regular exercise program or more active lifestyle. The literature suggests physical activity may improve exercise capacity, reduce disability in adulthood, improve quality of life and, in some patients, lessen disease restrictions. . There is however limited evidence of the effect of strength training in children with JIA. Fisher et al (2001) monitored the effects of resistance exercise, via isokinetic equipment, in 19 children with JIA. Children were given an 8 week, personalised progressive programme.Participants demonstrated significant improvement in quadriceps and hamstring strength and endurance, contraction speed of the hamstrings, functional status, disability and performance of timed tasks. Despite the limited evidence, it is recommended that a programme of strength training may be beneficial with JIA. Recommendations for healthy children can be used as a guide. The American Academy of Paediatrics (2001, cited by Maillard 2010) recommends that to increase strength and fitness, low resistance for 15 repetitions is ideal for children. They suggest twenty to thirty minute sessions, two to three times weekly. There is evidence that there is no benefit to increasing the amount of sessions. (Maillard 2010) Hydrotherapy is also advocated for JIA. The effects of hydrotherapy are gained with the combined effect of the warmth, the buoyancy and the fun element of the treatment. Hydrotherapy aims to reduce pain and muscle spasms, increase joint range of movement, and increase muscle strength. Epps et al (2005) found that following two months of hydrotherapy combined with land based exercise there was an increased quality of life and reductions in the impact of the disease in 47% of children with active juvenile arthritis. Pain relief from the heat generated from the pool could be replicated using heat pads or a hot bath. Heat relaxes your muscles and stimulates blood circulation. In relation to the pain gate theory thermal receptors may detect a raise in temperature, impulses are generated which help to close the gate in the dorsal horn, reducing the amount of noxious impulse to the perception area therefore providing relief Conversely cold packs could be used to reduce inflammation and therefore reduce the amount of impulses generated by chemorecepters. (Arthritis Foundation 2011) Alternative therapies are often used to aid pain relief (Feldman et al 2004). Massage is found to be effective on depression, anxiety, mood, and pain (Walach et al 2003). Field et al (1997) investigated the use of massage on children with JIA. Parents massaged their child for 15 minutes per day, for 30 days. They found that the self assessed pain scales decreased as well as cortisol levels lowering, reducing their stress and anxiety. It is possible that the touch from massage helps to reduce pain by closing the gate in the dorsal horn. In conclusion, juvenile arthritis is a painful condition that affects a child’s social, educational and physical life. Pain is a major contributor to the lowered quality of life experienced by these children. Relief can be found in many interventions. A multidisciplinary approach is best practice. The evidence suggests that a combined programme of physiotherapy and medication can help to reduce pain and improve function in these children References American Medical Association.(2010) ‘Pathophysiology of Pain and Pain Assessment.’ Chicago [online]. Available at:http://jhuleah.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/dr-moore-reading-1-ama_painmgmt.pdf (Accessed on 10th March 2011) Anthony.K, Schanberg. L, (2003) ‘Pain in children with arthritis: A review of the current literature’ Arthritis Care Research, 49(2), pages 272–279[online] available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com(Accessed on 14th March 2011) Arthritis Foundation (2011) ‘using heat and cold’ [online] Available at: http://www.arthritis.org/use-heat-cold.php (Accessed on 14th March 2011) Arthritis Research UK (2010) ‘Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, arthritis in childhood)’ . Available at: http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org(Accessed on 14th March 2011) British Paediatric Rheumatology Group (2001) ‘Guidelines for the Management of Childhood Arthritis’. Rheumatology, 40(11), pp1309-1312, [Online]. Available at: http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org (accessed on: 16th March 2011) Brannon, L. Feist, J.(2000), Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behaviour and Health ,4th ed , USA: Brooks/Cole, David.C, Lloyd.J (1999) ‘Rheumatology Physiotherapy’. London: Mosby International limited Davidson.J.(2000) ’Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: a clinical overview European Journal of Radiology, 33( 2), pp 128-134,[Online]. Available at: www. Sciencedirect.com (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Epps.H, Ginnelly.L, Utley.M, Southwood.T, Gallivan.S, Sculpher.M, Woo P.(2005) ‘Is hydrotherapy cost-effectiveA randomised controlled trial of combined hydrotherapy programmes compared with physiotherapy land techniques in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.’ Health Technol Assess. 9(39), pp1-59, [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Feldman.D, Duffy.C, De Civita.M, Malleson.P, Philibert.L, Gibbon.M, Ortiz-Alvarez.O, Dobkin.P (2004) ‘factors associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine in juvenile idiopathic arthritis’ Arthritis Care Research, 51(4), pages 527–532,[online]. Available at: (Accessed on 10th March 2011) Fisher NM, Venkatraman JT, O’Neil KM, (2001) ‘The effects of resistance exercises on muscle and immune function in juvenile arthritis.’ Arthritis Rheum, 44(9), pp276, [Online]. Available at:www.medscape.com(Accessed on 12th March 2011) Hinks A, Ke X, Barton A, et al. (2009) ‘Association of the IL2RA/CD25 gene with juvenile idiopathic arthritis’. Arthritis Rheum, 60(1), pp251-7, [Online]. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com(Accessed on 10th March 2011) Hogeweg.J, Kuis.W, Oostendorp.A, Helder.R, (1995) ‘General and segmental reduced pain thresholds in juvenile chronic arthritis’ Pain, 62(1), pp11-17, [Online]. Available at: www.sciencedirect.com (accessed on 10th March 2011) Hull.RG, (2001). ‘Management guidelines for arthritis in children.’ Rheumatology, 40, pg1308, [online]. Available at: http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org (Accessed on 12th March 2011) International Association for the Study of Pain (2007) ‘IASP Pain Terminology’[Online]. Available at: http://www.iasp-pain.org(Accessed on 12th March 2011) International League of Associations for Rheumatology, Petty RE, Southwood TR, Manners P, Baum J, Glass DN, Goldenberg J, He X, Maldonado-Cocco J, Orozco-Alcala J, Prieur AM, Suarez-Almazor ME, Woo P. (2004) ‘International League of Associations for Rheumatology classification of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: second revision, Edmonton, 2001.’Rheumatology,31(2), pp390-2, [Online]. Available at: http://www.jrheum.org (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Kimura.Y, Walco.G, (2006) ‘Pain in children with rheumatic diseases’ Current Rheumatology Reports , 8(6), pg480-488, [online] Available at: www.springerlink.com. (Accessed on 11th march 2011). Long,.A, Rouster-Stevens.R, Kelly. A (2010) ‘The role of exercise therapy in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis’ Current Opinion in Rheumatology , 22( 2), p 213–217, [Online]. Available at: http://journals.lww.com/co-rheumatology (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Maillard.S(2010) ‘Physiotherapy for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis’ [lecture] Great Ormond Street Hospital, London [online] available at:www.vadlo.com (accessed on: 12th March 2011) Melzack.R, Wall.D (1996) ‘The challenge of pain’ 2nd ed.London: Penguin, Munro.J, Haesler.K, Rada.J, Jasper.A, (2009) ‘Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a literature review of recent evidence’ NHMRC,[online] available at: http://www.racgp.org.au (Accessed on 10th March 2011) National Rheumatology Society (2008) ‘Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis’ [Online] available at:http://www.nras.org.uk (Accessed on 10th March 2011) Petty.R, Cheang.M, Malleson.P, Oen.K, Cabrel..N, Rosenberg.A (2004) ‘Predictors of pain in children with established juvenile rheumatoid’. Arthritis Care Research, 51(2), pp222-227, [Online]. Available at: : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com (Accessed on 14th March 2011) Poutney.T (2007) ’Physiotherapy for Children’. Philadelphia: Elvieser Prince.F, Otten.M, van Suijlekom-Smit.L, (2010) ‘Diagnosis and management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.’ BMJ,341,c6434, [Online]. Availbel at: www.bmj.com (accessed on: 16th march 2011) Rabinovich (2010) ‘Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis’ Available at: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1007276-overview(Accessed on 14th March 2011) Schanberg L, Anthony KK, Gil KM, Maurin EC(2003) ‘Daily pain and symptoms in children with polyarticular arthritis.’ Arthritis Rheum, 48, pp1390–1397, [Online]. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com( Accessed on 14th March 2011) Thomas.V, (1998) ‘Pain : its nature and management ‘ London : Bailliere Tindall Walach H, Guthlin C, Konig M. (2003) Efficacy of massage therapy in chronic pain: a pragmatic randomized trial. J Altern Complement Med.; Vol 9: pg 837-846. [online] available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (accessed on 16th March 2010) Weiss.JE, Ilowite.(2005) ‘Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis’ Paediatric.clin north america52,pp413-442,[online] available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (Accessed on 10th March 2011) How to cite Critial Investigation of the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Essay examples

Colony Report free essay sample

After the Virginia Company of London was chartered to collect profit from the sales of silver and gold, they knew that a colony was needed. With one hundred forty four colonists on board, the first settlers left England on December 20th, 1606, with one goal on their mind: to find land where they would be concealed from the Spanish, seeing as they were a competitive threat to the British. After arriving, Jamestown was established as the capital of Virginia. After creating a system of government, the colony replaced it’s council with a governor in 1609. The following year, Thomas Gates, acting as the first governor in the new world, issued the divine, moral, and martial laws, which ordered all colonial men and women to attend church twice daily, even on work days, to never tell a lie, and to observe other basic rules. In the year 1611, tobacco was introduced to Virginia, which would soon become one of the main exports from the colony. The tobacco industry began when John Rolfe, a famous colonist, imported tobacco plants from Trinidad. The following year, he exported the first tobacco crop from Virginia. Tobacco soon became a leading cash crop in the colony. As much as Virginia seemed to flourish, there were many problems with the land. When all of the colonists arrived in Jamestown, they found the location to be bad for farming, and filled with disease. Once everyone was settled, the colonists united in order to make the best of the land, but still, an ordinary colonist lived in fear of illness, and Native American attack. Land ownership and farming was crucial to colonial Virginia. The colonists relied on the workers of the farm, thus beginning the growth of slavery in Virginia. This gave the wealthy farmers a way to make even more money. By the middle of the 17th century, slavery had begun. Virginia made slavery legal in 1662. Slaves were mistreated on the plantations. Slaves did the most difficult jobs like planting, weeding, and harvesting tobacco, with minimal breaks. The colonial Virginia government was created in favor of the wealthy men. The legalization of slavery is one thing that demonstrates the government’s support of the wealthy landowners. The wealthy farmers and landowners lived an easy life. Growing cash crops to supply the colony as well as many places around the world, may not have been an easy task, but only the slaves had to do the difficult part and were unpaid. Because of the General Assembly (created in 1619), men on the council were selected from the gentry. The men of the gentry were mostly the wealthy land speculators, who bought land, and sold it for a higher price. The men of the assembly used their power to vote themselves large salaries and raise the taxes on the small farmers. This made the lives of the small farmers and landowners miserable. The poor farmers had the land on the frontier. This land was basically on top of the border that divided the land of the Natives from Virginia. Like the wealthy plantation owners, small landowners were spaced far apart from their neighbors. The 1670’s brought dispute between the gentry and the freedmen. Since the farms were on the frontier, this also brought dispute with the Natives and they began to raid the frontier. Because the wealthy farmers set up their farms behind the frontier, their land remained intact, but the land of the poor farmers was ruined. Since most of the farmers practiced subsistence farming and relied on the farm to live, this was a big problem. In the year 1670, the people who lived on the frontier asked the governor William Berkeley to send a military officer to protect their land, but he denied their request. This made the rest of the farmers furious, including a member of the council named Nathaniel Bacon. Bacon owned a large plantation on the frontier. He strongly believed that â€Å"all Indians in general were all enemies. † Bacon was infuriated, so he stepped forward to lead them when Berkeley refused. He would not take no as an answer. Most colonists agreed with Bacon, and in September of 1676, Bacon and his followers marched to Jamestown. Berkeley fled, and Bacon burned the town down, killing all Natives that came in their way. His followers robbed the plantations. Berkeley charged Bacon and the followers with treasons, which is a crime of betraying one’s country or hometown; a crime punishable by death. Bacon led his group to the land outside Jamestown, where he issued a Declaration of the People, against Berkeley and his government. Bacon demanded tax reductions and improved land for freedmen. The 18th century was still limited for Virginia. In 1699, Williamsburg was established as the capital of Virginia. In the year 1711, skills were developed in order to thrive on the frontier. Soon the tidewater region became densely settled. The land was vastly expanding. In 1716, Governor Alexander Spotswood and friends discovered fertile land in the Blue Ridge mountains. The land was soon turned into farming. Twice a year, Virginians who had something to discuss with the government left their plantations to Williamsburg for an event called â€Å"Publick Times. † These times were not easy for the merchants and poor farmworkers. They were ordered to remain working for the wealthy men and their families. Years after Bacon died, his legacy lived on. He wished for the poor and the wealthy farmers to be treated equally, and receive the same land rights. His act of rebellion inspired many small farmers affected by the selfish acts of the government. As stated before, the poor farmers lived a difficult life. They took the frontier, and were used as a shield for the wealthy. They weren’t able to be part of the gentry, and were not allowed to speak their minds to the government, which was biased to the wealthy men. Nathaniel Bacon stood for the poor farmers, because he believed that the government did not care about them, since Berkeley refused to help them. The Virginia government was in favor of the wealthy men who had all of the power, as demonstrated by numerous historical events.

Performance Appraisal System Essay Example

Performance Appraisal System Essay â€Å"A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM† DONE FOR â€Å"BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED† PROJECT REPORT Submitted in the partial fulfillment for the award of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Submitted By SOFIYA TARRANNUM (Roll No- 2128-11-672-018) Under the guidance of ASHARA ANJUM HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G. COLLEGE (Affiliated to Osmania University Hyderabad, and approved by AICTE. DECLARATION I here by declare that the project work entitled â€Å"A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM†, submitted by me under the supervision of, ASHARA ANJUM, Department of MBA, HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G COLLEGE. HYDERABAD submitted for the requirement for the award of the Master of Business Administration of OSMANIA UNIVERSITY and it is entirely original and has not been submitted earlier by any one for any Degree or Diploma. PLACE: HYDERABAD DATE: (SOFIYA TARRANNUM) ROLL NO : 2128-11-672-018 CERTIFICATE This is certify that the project work entitled â€Å"A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM† is bonafide work done and submitted by SOFIYA TARRANNUM, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of â€Å"MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION† in â€Å"HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G COLLEGE† (Affiliated to Osmania University, Hyderabad and approved by AICTE, during the year 2012-2013. ASHARA ANJUM ARSHAD UR REHMAN Project Guid Head of Department Hyderabad Presidency P. G College Hyderabad Presidency P. G College Hyderabad-500089. Hyderabad -500089. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I think almighty god who has blessed me all through my life. I wish to express my sincere indebtedness to our principal, prof. ARSHAD UR RAHMAN. HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY COLLEGE. My profound thanks and deep sense of gratitude of , Head of the Department, HPC for his valuable support and encouragement . I express my sincere thanks to my guide, ASHARA ANJUM, associate professor for their valuable guidance and suggestions and being instrumental in having shape to my project work. I would like to thank entire faculty members in Hyderabad Presidency p. g college. for their support and inspiration for successful completion of the project they were the most caring and the best critics during the course of y project and enabled me to be creative and multi-dimensional in my approach. I will remain always debited to them. Last but not the least, I wish to acknowledge with gratitude for the support and encouragement extended by my family members for the successful completion of the project. (SOFIYA TARRANNUM) EXECUTIVE SYNOPSIS HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G COLLEGE A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL DONE FOR BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITE D. NAME: SOFIYA TARRANNUM UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF ROLL NO -2128-11-672-018 ASHARA ANJUM TABLE OF CONTENT We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Appraisal System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Appraisal System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Appraisal System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer TOPICSPAGE NO. CHAPTER-1 †¢INTRODUCTION 9-16 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY17-19 CHAPTER-2 †¢LITERATURE REVIEW14-25 CHAPTER-3 †¢THE COMPANY/ ORGANIZATION/ SYSTEM26-43 CHAPTER-4 DATA ANALYSIS44-68 CHAPTER-5 FINDINGS,SUGGESTION CONCLUSION 69-74 BIBLIOGRAPHY76 QUESTIONARE 77 LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPH Sl No. FiguresPage No 1. Project Goals are different from functional Goal45 2. Position on the basis of performance46 3. Scope of using the innovating skills in making Decesion47 4. Percentage of Target matching with Goal48 5. Discuss personal problem with superior49 6. Superior contribute to see their goal50 7. Methods of appraisal51 8. Interpersonal team Relationship 52 9. Employee appreciation53 10. Feedback given by appraiser54 11. Employee opinion about frequency of appraisal system55 12. Opinion on performance linked performance policy56 13. Training needs57 14. Employee opinion on appraisal system58 15. Appraisal System59 16. Rating system60 17. Planning61 18. Value of employee in the organization62 19. Improvement in Job performance63 20. Self appraisal64 21. Effectiveness of Appraisal65 22. Employee Satisfiction66 LIST OF CHARTS Sl No. FiguresPage No 1. Process Flow Chart of Appraisal24 2. Service at Bajaj Finserv Limited25 3. Performance Rating against individual item 27 4. Summary detail of portfolio32 5. Organization Structure of Bajaj Finserv35 6. Appraisal by first Assessor37 7. Appraisal by second Assessor38 CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION RESEARCH METODOLOGY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Research design : Descriptive in nature Research instrument : A well structured questionnaire Population size : 275 Sample size : 100 Sampling unit : Technical Sample procedure : convenience sampling Sources of data : Primary Secondary data Primary data : Primary data is collected from the respondents through Questionnaire interacting with the associates. Secondary data : Secondary data is collected from the various text books On performance appraisal, Company reports, company Broachers and company websites. ww. bajajfinserv. com Statistical tool : weighted average method and simple percentage method. This chapter deals with the Title of the study, the Need of the study i. e. for what purpose the study is actually carried out, the Scope of the study, the Objectives of the study, the Various sources of data collection, the Study instruments used for conducting survey like Questionnaire, Interview etc, the way the data is analyzed, the Presentation of the study and finally the limitation involved in the study. TITLE OF THE STUDY: The Title of the study is â€Å"STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM† At â€Å"BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED †, Hyderabad, and Andhra Pradesh. NEED FOR THE STUDY: ?Performance appraisal has been considered as a most significant and dispensable tool for an organization. It is highly useful in making decisions regarding various personal aspects. Performance appraisal developing criteria for promotion and career development. ?It provide a synthetic feed back to the employees regarding there performance with in a limited period of time. It prevent grievances and increases the analytical abilities of the supervisors The overall objectives of performance appraisal is to improve the efficiency of an enterprise by attempting to mobilize the best possible effort from individuals employed SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The scope of the study has been confined to the associates of Bajaj Finserv limited. It includes associates of various departments with different cadres only top-level executives are excluded from the study. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: ?To study the existing performance appraisal system at B F L. ?To evaluate the effectiveness of appraisal system. To offer suggestion for improvement in performance appraisal system. RESEARCH DESIGN: Descriptive study â€Å"A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure†. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT: Making researches have a choice of two main research instrumen ts in collecting primary data. They are questionnaire and mechanical devices. Hear the research instrument used in a structure questionnaire, which is carefully and well designed. It includes both open and close ended questions. The questionnaire is personally administered to the respondents and clarify the doubts if any , and the responses were solicited. SAMPLING DESIGN: POPULATION: In statistical uses the term population is any finite or infinite collection of individuals. The populations of this study are associates of the technical department of the company. Population size: Population size constitutes 275 associates Sample size: A sample size is 100 Sample unit: A sample unit is service department. SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION Data for the present study is collected through two sources i. e. through primary data and secondary data. Primary Data: The primary data is collected through Questionnaires and interacting with the associates. Secondary Data: For the study on performance Appraisal System the secondary Sources used are various Textbooks on Performance Appraisal, company reports, company policies, brochures and various websites. STUDY INSTRUMENTS: The questionnaire is framed to find out the effectiveness of Performance Appraisal of Bajaj Finserv Limited. It contains 24 questions. It is distributed into four sections. †¢Setting Of Goals †¢Role Of Superior †¢Feedback and Evaluation †¢Organizational Effectiveness ANALYSIS OF DATA: The collected data is tabulated and then analyzed by simple percentage, weighted average and represented by different types of graphs and charts. The analysis of data is on the basis of the questionnaire collected from the associates. CHAPTER-2 LITERATURE REVIEW CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK DEFINITION OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL To define the concept of performance appraisal the management gurus have taken certain common parameters and on the basis of that they have defined the term. The terminology of the definitions may differ but the overall meaning of the definition remains same. Some of the leading definitions are given below ?Performance appraisal is a systematic review of a person’s work and achievements over a recent period, usually leading to plans for the future. ?In, its most basic form, performance appraisal includes documenting achieve results (Hopefully, by also including use of examples to clarify documentation) and indicating if standards were met or not. ?The appraisal usually includes some form of development plan to address insufficient performance. ?The evaluation of an individual’s work performance in order to arrive at objective personnel decisions. PURPOSE OF TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS Performance appraisal for evaluation using a traditional approach has served the following purposes: ?Promotion, separation, and transfer decisions. ?Feedback to the employee regarding how to organization viewed the employee’s performance. ?Evaluation of relative contributions made by individuals and departments in achieving higher organization goals. ?Criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of selection and placement decisions, including the relevance of the information used in the decisions within the organization. Reward decisions, including merit increases promotions and other rewards. ?Ascertaining and diagnosing, training and development decisions. ?Criteria for evaluating the success of training and development decisions. INSIGHT INTO APPRAISAL THEORY Organizations in their day-to-day activities working handle loads of activities. The employees working in the organizations carry on these activities. Organization activities done by the employees are termed as â€Å"performance† the buzzword that is all time in the heads of the management. â€Å"The success of the organization depends upon the performance of its employees† Earlier organizations did not have any kind of specific methodology to handle the issues relating to measuring of performance because they did not had an understanding that the performance of the employees plays an significant role in the overall functioning and meeting goals and objectives of the organizations. Performance is measured basically on the basis of the goals by an individual, which contribute to the overall organizational goals. The main focus is on meeting the overall goals and objectives of the organization in the specific time span. In doing so the organization must also see that the individual self-development and personal goals are also fulfilled. When the individual is able to synchronize his personal goals with that of the organizational goals then the working of the system will be apt. PREFACE OF THE APPRAISAL SYSTEMS The appraisal is both inevitable and universal. In the absence of carefully structured system of appraisal, people tend to judge the work performance of others ,including subordinates, naturally, informally and arbitrarily. Without a structured appraisal system there is a little chance of ensuring that the judgments made will be lawful, fair, defensible and accurate. The history of performance appraisal is quite brief. Its roots in the early 20th century can be traced to Taylor’s pioneering time and motion studies. But this is not very helpful, for the same may be said about almost everything in the field of modern human resource management. The practice of appraisal is an ancient art. In the scale of things historical , it might well lay claim that appraisal is the world’ second oldest profession. Performance appraisal systems began as simple methods of income justification. That is, appraisal was used to decide whether or not the salary or wage of an individual employee Was justified. Little consideration, if any, was given to the developmental possibilities of appraisal. It was felt that a cut in a pay, or a rise, should provide the only required impetus for an employee to either improve or continue to perform well. Pay rates were important, yes; but they were not only the element that had an impact on employee performance. It was found that other issues, such as morale and self-esteem, could also have a major influence. APPRAISALS IN TODAY’S CORPORATE WORLD The modern system of performance appraisal is defined as a structured formal interaction between a subordinate and supervisor, that usually takes the form of a periodic interview (annual or semi-annual), in which the work performance of the subordinate is examined and discussed, with a view to identifying weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvements and skill development. In many organizations – but not all – appraisal results are used, either directly or indirectly, to help determine reward outcomes. That is, the appraisal results are used to identify the better performing employees who should get the majority of available merit pay increases, bonuses and promotions. By the same token, appraisal results are used to identify the poorer performers who may require some form of counseling, or in some cases demotion, dismissal or decreases in pay. (Organizations need to be aware of laws in their country that might restrict their capacity to dismiss employees or decrease pay. FLAW EXIST IN TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM oWork scheduling plans oBudgeting oHuman Resource planning MOSTLY USED METHODS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL RATING SCALES: The rating scale method offers a high degree of structure for appraisals. Each employee trait or characteristics is rated on the bipolar scale that usually has several points ranging from â€Å"poor † to â€Å"excellent â€Å". The traits assessed on these scales include: ? Cooperation ?Communication ability ?Initiative ?Punctuality ?Technical competence The nature and scope of the traits selected for inclusion is limited only by the imagination of the scale’s designer or by the organization’s need. BEHAVIORAL ANCHORED RATING SCALES The term used to describe a performance rating that focused on specific behaviors or sets as indicators of effective or ineffective performance, rather than on broadly stated adjectives such as â€Å" average, above average, or below average â€Å". GRAPHIC RATING SCALES The term used to define the oldest and the most widely used performance appraisal method. The evaluator are given a graph and asked to rate the employees on each of the characteristics. The number of characteristics varies from one to hundred. The rating can be a matrix of boxes for the evaluator to check off or a bar graph where the evaluator checked off a location relative to evaluators rating. CHECKLIST The term used to define a set of adjectives or descriptive statements. If the rater believed the employee possessed a trait listed, the rater checked the item; if not, the rater left the item blank. The rating score from the checklist equaled the number of checks. WEIGHTED CHECKLIST The term is used to describe an alternative method of performance appraisal where the supervisor or personal specialists familiar with the job being evaluated prepare a large list of descriptive statements about effective and ineffective behavior of jobs. RANKING METHOD The term ranking has been used to describe an alternative method of performance appraisal where the supervisor has been asked to order his or her employees in terms of performance from highest to lowest. CRITICAL INCIDENT METHOD The term is used to define a method of appraisal that made lists of statements very effective and very ineffective behavior for employees. The lists have been combined into categories, which vary with the job. Once these categories are developed and a statement of effective and ineffective behavior has been provided, the evaluator recorded examples of critical behaviors, and the log has been used to evaluate the employees at the end of evaluation period. NARRATIVE OR ESSAY EVALUATION This method requires the evaluator to write a short essay describing each employee’s performance during the raring period. This format emphasizes evaluation of overall performance, based on the strengths and weaknesses of an employee performance. Some companies still use this method exclusively, whereas in others, the method has been combined with the graphic rating scale. MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES The management by objectives performance appraisal method has the supervisor and the employee get together to set objectives in quantifiable terms. The appraisal method has worked to eliminate communication problems by the establishments of regular meetings, emphasizing results, and by being an ongoing process. Cascading of organizational objectives oSetting up of subordinate objectives oReviewing and evaluating the performance oFeedback and rewards oSetting up of new MBO. 360 DEGREE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance Appraisal by all the parties like supervisors, peers, subordinates, employees themselves, users of service and consultants is called 360 degree Performance Appraisal. The appraiser should be capabl e of determining what is more important and what is less important. He should prepare reports and make judgments without any bias. SELF APPRAISAL If individuals understand the objectives they are expected to achieve and the standards by which they are to be evaluated, they are to a great extent in the best position to appraise their own performance. Also, since employee development means self-development employee who appraises his or her own performance may become highly motivated. MERITS OF AN APPRAISAL SYSTEM Perhaps the most significant benefit of appraisal is that, in the rush and bustle of daily working life, it offers a rare chance for a supervisor and subordinate to have â€Å" time out â€Å" for a one-on-one discussion of important work issues that might not otherwise be addressed. Almost universally, where performance appraisal is conducted properly, both supervisors and subordinates have reported the experience as beneficial and positive. Appraisal offers a valuable opportunity to focus on work activities and goals, to identify and correct the existing problems, and to encourage better future performance. Thus the performance of the whole organization is enhanced. The value of this intense and purposeful interaction between a supervisor and subordinate should not be underestimated. Motivation and Satisfaction Performance appraisal can have a profound effect on levels of employee motivation and satisfaction. It provides employees with recognition as an incentive has been long noted. In fact, there is evidence that human beings will even prefer negative recognition in preference to no recognition at all. Training and Development Performance Appraisal offers an excellent opportunity – perhaps the best that will ever occur – for a supervisor and subordinate to recognize and agree upon individual training and development needs. Recruitment and induction Appraisal data can be used to monitor the success of the organization’s recruitment and induction practices. For example, how well are the employees performing who were hired in the past two years? Appraisal data can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of changes in recruitment strategies. By following the yearly data related to new hires it is possible to assess whether the general quality of work force is improving, staying steady, or declining. Employee Evaluation Though often understated or even denied, evaluation is a legitimate and major objective of performance appraisal. But the need to evaluate is also an ongoing source of tension, since evaluative and developmental priorities appear to frequently clash. Yet at its most basic level, performance appraisal is the process of examining and evaluating the performance of an individual. It is been said by some that appraisal cannot serve the needs of evaluation and development at the same time; it must one or other. EXPECTATIONS FROM MANAGER IN DOING PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL †¢Translate organizational goals into individual job objectives †¢Communicate management expectations regarding employee performance. Provide feedback to the employee about the job performance in light of management’s objectives. †¢Coach the employee on how to achieve job objectives/requirements. †¢Diagnose the employee’s strengths and weaknesses. †¢Determine what kind of development activities might help the employee better utilize his or her skills to improve performance on the current job. CRITERI A OF A SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE Specific; What specifically is to be achieved? Not just what actions are to be performed, but what results are to be achieved through these actions? Keeping objectives simple ensures they are clear and specific. This also reduces the chance for disputes or confusion come performance appraisal time. Measurable How will you know how well an objective has been achieved? Although it may not be readily apparent, every object can be measured. Some measures can be measured quantitatively; others must be measured qualitatively. Accountable Accountability for performance objectives must be crystal clear and specifically state who is accountable. The more detail the better. A clear definition of what he or she is specifically accountable for will help reduce confusion cum performance appraisal time. Defining accountability will ensure a sense of urgency and purpose on the part of the employee. Realistic For an objective to be meaningful, it must be realistic and reasonable. A well-written performance objective focuses on the goals and objectives required to meet the objective. In highly efficient organizations, performance objectives ultimately link back to the company’s overall strategy and business plan. Objectives should challenge employees towards continuous improvement, but should not be unrealistic or unattainable. Time based An achievable time frame must be set for reaching the objectives. Consider assigning specific target dates not only for the performance objective itself, but also each lesser milestone linking the entire goal. Remember to be specific towards achieving results and guide action in a results oriented ways towards the objective. PROCESS FLOW CHART OF APPRAISAL GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS The performance rating against individual item in the appraisal is to be done on a 1-5 point scale as follows: RATINGEXPLANATION 5OUTSTANDING- Exceeds requirements significantly and consistently in all critical work aspects. Showed tremendous initiative and is very proactive . 5EXCELLENT- Performance at the highest standards. possesses and effectively utilized where needed, the knowledge in areas beyond those required for the discharge of critical responsibilities. Exceed requirements in most critical areas. Plans and executes well 4VERY GOOD- Demonstrates effective skills in most and essential responsibilities. Some skill areas still need improvement in order to excel at the job. 3. 5GOOD- Demonstrates skills in some essential areas. There is scope for improvement in some critical responsibility areas. Shows initiative. ABOVE AVERAGE- Demonstrates skills in some of the essential responsibilities. Performance is adequate for the current review period. Supervision is required to execute tasks in many areas. 2AVERAGE- Demonstrates average skills in most of the essential responsibilities. Meets targets with continuous supervision. Intensive training is required, 1 BELOW AVERAGE- Demonstrates Level of skills that has been unsatisfactory and inadequate for the discharge of the essential responsibilities. Consistently fall short of requirements. High level of supervision is required. Assessments duly completed in all respects, are to be forwarded to HR, in sealed envelopes. CHAPTER-3 The Company/ Organization/ System COMPANY PROFILE AN INTRODUCTION TO BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED INTRODUCTION  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬INTRODUCTION: Bajaj FinServ will strive to be one of the top financial services businesses in India focused on delivering superior customer experience through competitive products and class leading services while providing consistent and superior returns to our shareholders and maintaining the high levels of integrity of Bajaj. Company profile: Bajaj Finserv Limited (Bajaj Finserv) is a holding company. Bajaj Finserv is the financial services arm of the Bajaj group. Its financial services businesses include lending, protection, and financial advisory and wealth management. The Company operates in four segments: Insurance, Windmill, Retail Financing and Investments others. It does lending business Under Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL). Its protection business consists of life insurance, under the Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company (BALIC), and general insurance, under the Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company (BAGIC). The Company’s Financial Advisory and Wealth Management business consists of Bajaj Financial Solutions Limited (Bajaj Finsol), which offers financial products and advises clients on financial and wealth management. In addition, as of March 31, 2012, Bajaj Finserv had wind-farm assets, incorporating 138 windmills in Maharashtra with an installed capacity of 65. 2 megawatt. Bajaj Finserv endeavors to become a full fledged financial services company and be the financial partner to the Indian consumer and help him across his financial needs throughout his lifecycle. Bajaj Finserv is a consumer focused company with emphasis on profitable growth and operational efficiency to deliver best results to all its stakeholders. Bajaj Finserv Group companies share common values of Reliability, Innovation and Efficiency and provide customers with high quality products and services. Key focus areas for Bajaj Finserv are Lending, Investment, Protection and Advisory. Bajaj Finserv also has interests in Wind farms with 138 windmills and a total installed capacity of 65. 2 MW BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED VISION: Bajaj Finserv has a vision to become a full fledged financial services company and be the financial partner to the Indian consumer and help him across his financial needs, whether for finance, for investment management, for protection or for post retirement support, throughout his lifecycle. Bajaj Finserv is a consumer focused company with emphasis on profitable growth and operational efficiency to deliver best results to all its stakeholders. MISSION: â€Å"Bajaj Finserv is a consumer focused company with emphasis on profitable growth and operational efficiency to deliver best results to all its stakeholders. COREVALUES: ?Trust ?Integrity ?Commitment ?Respect for people ?Innovation OBJECTIVE: â€Å"To create value and delight for our stake holders† QUALITY POLICY: â€Å"To excel in providing Financial services that meets or Exceeds customer requirements through continual improvements† NATURE OF ACTIVITY ?Our Products Services: ?Loans Against Property ? Personal Loans ? Business Loans ? Home Loans ? Infrastructure Equipment Finance ? Loans Against Securities ? Consumer Durable Loans As a value-added service we also provide insurance services like ‘Group Term Policy’ and ‘Group Term Suraksha’ bundled with our products. VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS ?Operations ?Human resources ?Finance ?Networking and systems ?Quality ?Corporate services ?Collection ?Sales ?Product ?Marketing PEOPLE: considered as â€Å"Associates† BAJAJ FINSERV believes â€Å"our people are our strength,† this is the very reason why Bajaj term them as â€Å"Associates† rather than employees. The work culture is people oriented, where individual aspirations are matched with organizational Objectives. Our associates exemplify our customer-oriented work style. The employees at BFL are comfortable working across cultures and across contexts; their consistency and dependability lies in their emphasis on creating solutions that are problem-focused, high on quality and quick in terms of time-to-market. Bajaj Group. Its insurance joint ventures with Allianz SE, Germany namely Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited are engaged in life and general insurance business respectively. Its subsidiary Bajaj Finance Limited is a Non Banking Finance Company engaged in consumer finance, SME finance and commercial lending. Bajaj Financial Solutions Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv Limited is engaged in wealth advisory business. SERVICES AT BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED Bajaj Finance Limited We are the most diversifed non-bank in the country, the largest financier of consumer durables in India and one of the most profitable firms in the category. Hereunder are summary details of our portfolio of businesses, with a brief description on each. Consumer FinanceConsumer Durables Finance Lifestyle Finance EMI Card Personal Loans Cross Sell Co-branded Credit Cards Two and three wheeler Finance Salaried Personal Loans SME FinanceMortgage Business Loans Commercial LendingConstruction Equipment Finance Infrastructure Finance Vendor Financing Awards and Accomplishments The recognition that matters the most to us is the one we receive from our customers. That was how it was when we started. That will be even when we have a treasure trove of Industry Recognition and awards Awards: Recently, we won the CIO 100 Innovation award for two of our innovations – countries such as Canada, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hungary and India, the CIO 100 Awards is a truly global recognition. It is an acknowledged mark of excellence in enterprise IT. Management Profile Sanjiv Bajaj: Managing Director Kevin D’Sa: CFO and President Business development Ranjit Gupta: President (Insurance) S. Sreenivasan: President (Finance) V. Rajagopalan: President (Legal) Sonal R Tiwari: Company Secretary OFF SHORE POLICIES PERSONAL BENEFITS ?Leave ?Onsite return leave policy ?Personal leave policy ?Loans for house rental deposit ?Home pc ?Telephone at residence ?Facilities to the associates TRAVEL RELATED ?International travel ?Domestic travel ?Conveyance reimbursement ?Car hire Relocation policy ?Relocation allowance WORK PLACE BASIS ?Working hour ?Dress code ?Identity card ?Business card ?Late/holiday working ?Work ethics ?Shift allowance OTHER POLICIES ?Reward and recognition ?Staff welfare allowance ?Associate referral ?Work ethics ?Higher education BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED OFFERINGS Organisation Structure Performance Appraisal System at Bajaj Finserv Ltd: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: APPRAISAL PROCEDURE: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FOR ASSOCIATES OF HOD LEVEL: PURPOSE: To appraise the performance of all the associates at HOD level in BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED PROCEDURE: General: Annual appraisal is done during the month of April, every year for all the confirmed associates who are on the rolls as on 31st December of the previous year. †¢Distribution of Appraisal Forms: for annual appraisal, the HR will distribute the appraisal forms to the CEO for further distribution to the concerned appraisers. †¢Self-Documentation: At the start of the appraisal process, every assessee will fill a self-documentation form and give it to the concerned Appraiser. †¢Appraisal by Assessor: The Assessor will perform the assessment upon receiving the self Appraisal Form from the assessee. The forms to be used for appraisal is as given in the table below: Sl. NoTitle of the formUsed for Appraisal of 1Self Documentation formAll Associates at HOD Level 2Performance Appraisal Form(HOD)All Associates at HOD level †¢Acceptance of Appraisal: The Assessor will discuss the assessment results with the assessee. If the assessee agrees to the assessment, then the assessee and the concerned assessor will sign on the Performance Appraisal Form and the first assessor (CEO) will also give his final authorization. The appraisal form, complete in all respects is received from the CEO. †¢Follow-up of Appraisal: The HOD (HR) will issue the revised salary/ promotion letters to the assesse based on the performance Appraisal form and discussions with the concerned first assessor. HR informs the revised salary/ promotion details of an assessee to finance for processing the same by updating the Associate database. †¢Appraisal Records: the HOD (HR) will maintain the performance appraisal records in the personal file of each associate. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FOR ASSOCIATES BELOW HOD LEVEL: PURPOSE: To appraise the performance of all the associates below HOD level in BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED. PROCEDURE: †¢General: Annual appraisal is done during the month of April, every year for all the confirmed associates who are on the rolls as on 31st December of the previous year. †¢Distribution of Appraisal Forms: For annual appraisal, the HR will distribute the appraisal forms to the HOD for further distribution to the concerned appraisers. †¢Self-Documentation: At the start of the appraisal process, every assessee will fill a self-documentation form and give it to the concerned Appraiser. Appraisal by Assessor: the Appraiser first assessor) will perform the assessment upon receiving the self Appraisal Form from the assessee and forward the performance appraisal form to the reviewer (second assessor). The forms to be used for appraisal is as given in the table below: Sl noTitle of the formUsed for appraisal of 1Self Documentation form – technicalAll technical Associates below HOD Level 2Self Documentation form – Non technicalAll non- technical Associates below HOD Level 3Performance Appraisal Form (PL/PM)All associates at designer and above level but below HOD Performance Appraisal Form (Team members)All Associates at Team member (Manager/asst manager) level 5Performance Appraisal Form (Non Technical)All Associates below HOD Level in non- technical Dept The level of the associate to be appraised in areas other than technical is as per the policy Guidelines . †¢Appraisal by second Assessor: The reviewer (second Assessor) will review the assessment upon receiving the performance appraisal form from the appraiser (first assessor). During annual appraisal, the first/ second assessor will give the performance rating based on joint assessment. Acceptance of Appraisal: The appraiser (first assessor) will discuss the assessment results with the assessee. If the assessee agrees to the assessment, then the assessee and the concerned a ppraiser (first assessor) will sign on the performance appraisal form and the form will be forwarded to the second assessor/ HOD for final authorization. In case of conflict, the appraisal form will be referred to the concerned reviewer (second assessor). The second assessor will be responsible for further action on the same. For all cases of conflict and where no second assessor exists, concerned HODs will act as the second assessor. The appraisal form, complete in all respects is received by HR form the respective head of the department. †¢Follow-up of Appraisal: The HOD (HR) will issue the revised salary/ promotion letters through reporting managers to the assesses based on the performance Appraisal form and discussions with the concerned head of the department. HR informs the revised salary/ promotion a detail of an assessee to finance for processing the same by updating the Associate database. Appraisal Records: the HOD (HR) will maintain the performance appraisal records in the personal file of each associate. APPRAISAL FORMAT: SELF DOCUMENT FORM: †¢The self-document form mainly includes all those contents, which are needed for the evaluation of performance appraisal. †¢The employees through the online facility fill this document form. †¢This includes the general information like the associate id, name, designation, department, role/level, qualification, and date of joining, location, and relevant experience. †¢This form also includes the assessee remarks that have evaluated the form. The various areas like the employees achievement, area where the employee have not performed up to the expectation, assessee’s strengths, areas of improvement are also included. These areas are evaluated both by the Assessee, Assessor 1 and Assessor 2. †¢The training programs attended and which the employee would like to attend is also included. †¢The career aspiration of the employee is also a part of the self-document form . GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FORTECHNICAL ASSOCIATES The Self-documentation form should be complete in all respects. 1. What do you see as your major achievements for the period under review? . What Factor(s) enabled you in your achievement? 3. Constraints, which affected your overall performance. List your own efforts to exploit the opport unities and overcome the difficulties? (Include your strategies and tactics) 4. Your initiatives and contributions to the organization during the review period e. g. Cost savings, revenues, profits, technology enhancements, process improvements etc 5. Project related data for the periodic review, which includes name of the project, role played by you in each of the project and number of hours put in. 6. What have you gained from the training programmes you have attended and where you have applied the learning? 7. Your key result areas for next review period. One of the key result areas should be for self-development. GENERAL INSURANCE FOR NON TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES The Self-documentation form should be complete in all respects. I. What do you see as your major achievements for the period under review? II. What Factor(s) enabled you in your achievement? III. Constraints, which affected your overall performance. List your own efforts to exploit the opportunities and overcome the difficulties? Include your strategies and tactics) IV. Your initiatives and contributions to the organization during the review period e. g. Cost savings, revenues, profits, technology enhancements, process improvements etc V. What have you gained from the training programmes you have attended and where you have applied the learning? VI. Your key result areas for next review period. One of the key result areas s hould be for self-development. CRITERIA OF APRRAISAL RELATED AREAS Task related areas: Achievement of results Output of work Quality of work Quality system Conceptual skills: Total perspective Integrated skills Proactive skills Analytical and Planning skills Human skills Leadership Ability to inspire and motivate Interpersonal relationship Tact and cooperation Training and development of subordinates Communication Resolution of conflict Functional skills: Job knowledge Planning and organizing Decision-making Personality attributes: Openness Empathy and sensitivity Integrity (intellectual and moral) Flexibility/Adaptability/Positive outlook Perseverance Creativity/Innovativeness Capacity to withstand stress Discipline Dependability Loyalty and Commitment Self-confidence Appearance and Bearing. CHAPTER-4 DATA ANALYSIS INFERENCES Section -I : Regarding Setting Goals 1. Project goals are different from functional goals a)Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 1 OptionsNo of respondentsWeightsTotal score Strongly agree9218 Agree61161 Strongly disagree7-2-14 Disagree23-1-23 GRAPH 2. 1 Inference:Majority of the respondents opined that project goals and functional goals are one and the same with a mean of 0. 42. 2. If I can perform consistently it will see me in higher position sooner than later a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree22+244 Agree54+154 Strongly disagree12-2-24 Disagree12-1-12 GRAPH 2. 2 Inference: Majority of the respondents are agreeing that they can expect themselves in higher position if they perform consistently with a weighted average of 0. 62. 3. My job presents scope for using my innovating skills in making my Decisions a) Strongly agree b) agree c) str ongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 3 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree22+244 Agree13+113 Strongly disagree11-2-22 Disagree51-1-51 GRAPH 2. 3 Inference: Majority of the respondents opined their job does not showing present scope for using their innovating skills in making decisions with a mean of 0. 16. 4. Percent of target matching with goals in 2008 09 a) 80%-100% b) 60%-80% c) 40%-60% d) 20%-40% TABLE 2. 4 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage 80%-100%3333% 60%-80%2929% 40%-60%3131% 20%-40%77% GRAPH 2. 4 Inference: 33% of respondents 80%-100%, 31% of respondents 40%-60%, 29% of respondents 60%-80% and 7% of respondents 20%-40%. The analysis shows that only few employees can meet their target on time. Section B: About the role of superior 5. I don’t hesitate to discuss any of my personal problems with my Superior a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 5 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree14+228 Agree61+161 Strongly disagree5-2-10 Disagree20-1-20 GRAPH 2. 5 Inference: Majority of the respondents agree that they do not hesitate to discuss their personal problems with their superior with a weighted score of 0. 6. 6. My superior acknowledging and contributing to set the goals a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. Options No of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree9+218 Agree 77+177 Strongly disagree5-2-10 Disagree 9-1-9 GRAPH 2. 6 Inference :Majority of the respondents agree that their superiors acknowledge and contribute to set their goals with a weighted average of 0. 76. 7. My immediate superior frequently motivates me a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 7 Options No of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree15+230 Agree 67+167 Strongly disagree6-2-12 Disagree 12-1-12 GRAPH 2. 7 Inference: Most of the respondents agree that their immediate superior frequently otivates them with a mean of 0. 73. 8. I want my appraisal to be a) Confidential b) open TABLE 2. 8 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Confidential6666% Open3434% Total100100 GRAPH 2. 8 Inference: 66% of employees desire that their Performance Appraisal must be confidential and remaining 34% accept it to be open. 9. My interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and subordinates a) Very good b) good c) adequate d) inadequate TABLE 2. 9 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree29+258 Agree59+159 Strongly disagree12-2-24 Disagree0-10 GRAPH 2. 9 Inference: Majority of the respondents have a positive opinion towards the interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and sub- ordinates is good with a mean of 0. 93 . 10. I feel proud and motivated when my superior appreciates my work a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 10 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree35+242 Agree57+162 Strongly disagree4-2-18 Disagree4-1-8 GRAPH 2. 10 Inference: Majority of the respondents feel proud and get motivated when their superior appreciates their work with weighted average of 1. 15. Section c: feedback and evaluation: 1. Iam open to the feedback given by the appraiser a) Always b) sometimes c) rarely TABLE 2. 11 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Always6464% Some times3030% Rarely66% GRAPH 2. 11 Inference: 64% of the respondents always, 30% of the respondents sometimes, 6% of the respondents rarely. Majority of the respondents are open to their feedback â€Å"always†. 12. Employee opinion about frequency of appraisal system a) Annually b) half-yearly c) quarterly TABLE 2. 12 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Annually2828% Half-yearly5858% Quarterly1414% GRAPH 2. 12 Inference: 8% of the respondent’s half-yearly. 28% of the respondents annually, 14% of the respondents quarterly. The analyst gives a clear picture that most of the associates like to get appraisal â€Å"half-yearly†. 13. Opinion on performance linked promotional policy a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 13 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree21+242 Agree62+162 Strongly disagree9-2-18 Disagree8-1-8 GRAPH 2. 13 Inference: Majority of the respondents agree that the promotions are based on the rating derived from performance appraisal with weighted average of 0. 8. 14. The HRD department follows up the training needs Identified using appraisal seriously a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 14 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree7+214 Agree21+121 Strongly disagree18-2-36 Disagree54-1 -54 GRAPH 2. 14 Inference: Majority of the respondents are moderately agreed that the HRD dept follows the training needs identify the appraisal with a mean of 0. 55. 15. According to my opinion the following system is useful for our organization a) Team appraisal b) 360 degree appraisal c) self appraisal TABLE 2. 15 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Team appraisal2929% 360 degree appraisal3636% Self appraisal3535% GRAPH 2. 15 Inference: 36% of respondents 360 degree appraisal, 35 % of the respondents self appraisal , 29% of the respondents team appraisal, majority of the respondents opined that the 360 degree appraisal is suitable for their organization. 16. Team work is considered as a factor in appraising employee performance a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 16 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree24+248 Agree58+158 Strongly disagree8-2-16 Disagree10-1 10 GRAPH 2. 16 Inference: Most of the respondents agree that team work is considered as a factor in appraising their employee performance with a mean of 0. 8. 17. My opinion on present rating system a) Very good b) good c) fair d) poor TABLE 2. 17 OptionsNo of respondentsWeightsTotal score Very good13339 Good562112 Fair18118 Poor13-1-13 GRAPH 2. 17 Inference: Most of the responden ts are opined that their present rating system is good with a weight age score of 1. 56 Section D: organization effectiveness: 18. At BFL the appraisal system provides for an open discussion between the Appraiser and appraise ) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 18 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree18+236 Agree67+167 Strongly disagree8-2-14 Disagree7-1 -7 GRAPH 2. 18 Inference: Majority of the respondents are agree that at BFL the appraisal system provides for a open discussion between the appraiser and appraise with a mean of 0. 82. 19. The appraisal system at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected Of him next year a) Very true b) true c) partly true d) not true TABLE 2. 19 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Very true15345 True532106 Partly true22122 Not true10-1-10 GRAPH 2. 19 Inference: Majority of the respondents opined that A. S at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected of him next year with a weighted average of 1. 63 20. Up to what extent do the higher authority implement the Suggestions provide By employee a) All times b) some times c) none TABLE 2. 20 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage All times1818 Some times6767 None1515 GRAPH 2. 20 Inference: 67% of the respondents sometimes, 18% of the respondents all times, 15% of the respondents none. Majority of the respondents agreeing that the higher authority implement the suggestion provide by employee â€Å"sometimes†. 21. Management support to improve the job performance a) strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 21 OptionsNo of respondentsWeightsTotal score Strongly agree20+240 Agree67+167 Strongly disagree5-2-10 Disagree8-1 -8 GRAPH 2. 21 Inference: Majority of the respondents are agree that the management supports to improve their job performance of employees with a mean of 0. 89. 22. Performance appraisal helps me to know my strengths and weakness after the Appraisal ) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 22 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree17+234 Agree61+161 Strongly disagree11-2-22 Disagree11-1 -11 GRAPH 2. 22 Inference: Majority of the respondents opined performance appraisal helps to know their strengths and weakness after the appraisal with a mean of 0. 62. 23. The performance app raisal is based on the real records and facts but not on Impressions a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 23 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree14+228 Agree66+166 Strongly disagree9-2-18 Disagree11-1-11 GRAPH 2. 23 Inference: Most of the respondents agree that performance appraisal is based on the real records and facts but not an impressions with a weighted of 0. 65. 24. Iam paid worth my contribution a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 24 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree10+220 Agree66+166 Strongly disagree13-2-26 Disagree11-1-11 GRAPH 2. 24 Inference: Most of the respondents are moderately accepting they paid worth their contribution with a weighted average of 0. 49. CHAPTER-6 Findings, Suggestions Conclusion Findings 1 Majority of the respondents opined that project goals and functional goals are one and the same with a mean of 0. 42. 2. Majority of the respondents are agree that they can expect themselves in higher position if they perform consistently with a weighted average of 0. 62. 3. Majority of the respondents opined their job does not showing present scope for using their innovating skills in making decisions with a mean of 0. 16. 4. 33% of respondents 80%-100%, 31% of respondents 40%-60%, 29% of respondents 60%-80% and 7% of respondents 20%-40%. The analysis shows that only few employees can meet their target on time. 5. Majority of the respondents agree that they do not hesitate to discuss their personal problems with their superior with a weighted score of 0. 6. 6. Majority of the respondents agree that their superiors acknowledge and contribute to set their goals with a weighted average of 0. 76. 7. Most of the respondents agree that their immediate superior frequently motivates them with a mean of 0. 73. 8. 66% of employees desire that their Performance Appraisal must be confidential and remaining 34% accept it to be open. . Majority of the respondents have a positive opinion towards the interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and sub- ordinates is good with a mean of 0. 93 . 10. Majority of the respondents feels proud and get motivated when their superior appreciates their work with weighted average of 1. 15. 11. 64% of the respondents always, 30% of the respondents sometimes, 6% of the respondents rarely. Majority of the respondents are open to their feedback â€Å"always†. 12. 58% of the respondent’s half-yearly. 28% of the respondents annually, 14% of the respondents quarterly. The analyst gives a clear picture that most of the associates like to get appraisal â€Å"half-yearly†. 13. Majority of the respondents agree that the promotions are based on the rating derived from performance appraisal with weighted average of 0. 78. 14. Majority of the respondents are moderately agree that the HRD dept follows the training needs identify the appraisal with a mean of 0. 55. 15. 36% of respondents 360 degree appraisal, 35 % of the respondents self appraisal, 29% of the respondents team appraisal, majority of the respondents opined that the 360 degree appraisal is suitable for their organisation. 6. Most of the respondents agree that team work is considered as a factor in appraising their employee performance with a mean of 0. 8. 17. Most of the respondents are opined that their present rating system is good with a weight avg score of 1. 56 18. Majority of the respondents is agree that at BFL the appraisal system provides for an open discussion between the app raiser and appraise with a mean of 0. 82. 19. Majority of the respondents opined that A. S at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected of him next year with a weighted average of 1. 3. 20. 67% of the respondents sometimes, 18% of the respondents all times, 15% of the respondents none. Majority of the respondents agreeing that the higher authority implement the suggestion provide by employee â€Å"sometimes†. 21. Majority of the respondents are agreeing that the management supports to improve their job performance of employees with a mean of 0. 89. 22. Majority of the respondents opined performance appraisal helps to know their strengths and weakness after the appraisal with a mean of 0. 62. 23. Most of the respondents agree that performance appraisal is based on the real records and facts but not an impressions with a weighted of 0. 65. 24. Most of the respondents are moderately accepting they paid worth their contribution with a weighted average of 0. 49. SUGGESTIONS 1. Implementation of innovative ideas in decision making may be encouraged by the management. 2. The management may design the performance linked promotions. 3. The involvement of HRD department may be considered by management in assessing the training needs of employees based performance appraisal system. 4. The superiors should be more approachable when the employees come to them with improvement technique. On the whole the Performance Appraisal system at Bajaj Finserv Limited is Satisfactory. There are few areas which need due attention. The rating must be based purely on the performance. CONCLUSION: The conclusions that emerged from the study of Performance Appraisal System at Bajaj Finserv Limited are that the sampled associates prefer that some change should be brought down in the existing system. The associates feel that the best source of motivation is encouragement by superiors. A 360-degree appraisal system has been recommended by some of the associates. Training needs to be identified based on the ratings and effective training programs must be conducted where in the associates can fulfill self development needs as well as organizational needs. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY: ?Options expressed by the employee in the questionnaire may not be very genuine. ?What the associates actually feel may not be truly expressed and hence there is the conclusion drawn from them need not apply to the whole organization. Could reach to a limited number of documents of different insurance companies in regard to the management and other policies and resultant figures so as to identify the exact cause of their lag in performance. ?Non-Proficiency in technical aspects of insurance companies might have hindered the best analysis of the findings. . Bibliography WEBSITES: www. bajajfinserv. com www. answers. com www. performanceappraisal. com www. google. com www. yahoo. com NEWSPAPER S AND MAGAZINE: The Hindu Personnel management Business today ICFAI magazines BOOKS: Personnel Management – Edwin Flippo Human Resources and Personnel Management-k. Ashwathappa Essential of Human Resource Management-P. SubbaRao Personnel Management-C. Memoria Performance Management and Coaching-Prem Chadda Appendices Questionnaire Section -I : Regarding Setting Goals 1. Project goals are different from functional goals a)Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 2. If I can perform consistently it will see me in higher position sooner than later a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 3. My job presents scope for using my innovating skills in making my Decisions ) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 4. Percent of target matching with goals in 2007 08 a) 80%-100% b) 60%-80% c) 40%-60% d) 20%-40% Section-II: About the role of Superior 5. I don’t hesitate to discuss any of my personal problems with my Superior a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 6. My superior acknowledging and contributing to set the goals a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 7. My immediate superior frequently motivates me a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 8. I want my appraisal to be a) Confidential b) open 9. My interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and subordinates a) Very good b) good c) adequate d) inadequate 10. I feel proud and motivated when my superior appreciates my work a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 11. Iam open to the feedback given by the appraiser a) Always b) sometimes c) rarely Section-III: Regarding Feedback and Evaluation 11. Iam open to the feedback given by the appraiser a) Always b) sometimes c) rarely 12. Employee opinion about frequency of appraisal system ) Annually b) half-yearly c) quarterly 13. Opinion on performance linked promotional policy a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 14. The HRD department follows up the training needs Identified using appraisal seriously a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree 15. According to my opinion the following system is useful for our organization a) Team appraisal b) 360 degree appraisal c) self app raisal 16. Team work is considered as a factor in appraising employee performance a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 17. My opinion on present rating system a) Very good b) good c) fair d) poor Section –IV organization effectiveness 18. At BFL the appraisal system provides for an open discussion between the Appraiser and appraise a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 19. The appraisal system at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected Of him next year a) Very true b) true c) partly true d) not true 20. Up to what extent do the higher authority implement the Suggestions provide By employee a) All times b) some times c) none 1. Management support to improve the job performance a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree .22. Performance appraisal helps me to know my strengths and weakness after the Appraisal a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 23. The performance appraisal is based on the real records and facts but not on Impressions a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 24. Iam paid worth my contributio n a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree

How to Write an ISE Essay Topic

How to Write an ISE Essay TopicWriting an ISE essay should not be a difficult task if you know what to write. Each topic requires an ISE essay topic for it to be completely complete. Here are some tips for writing each topic so that it will be easier for you.First, you will want to know which ISE essay topics you are going to write. You will be given hundreds of choices, which may not seem like a lot at first. But when you get to the later topics, it will be much more difficult. So, it would be smart to narrow down the topics to those that are most important.Next, do not rush through writing your ISE essay topics. This will make it much harder for you to go back and correct any mistakes you have made. If you find any mistakes, it will be far more difficult to fix them. Also, do not forget to list your topic in its proper order so that you can see which one is the first and which one is the last. This will also help you with being organized.Finally, the topics you are going to write m ust be well researched. Since it is an ISE essay, you should look at the guidelines to do research. It is highly recommended that you spend a good amount of time researching for each topic. Doing this will help you understand what exactly your topic is and what makes it different from other essays. In doing this, you will be able to come up with a well-written topic and then write in a way that it will be easy for you to know the facts.After researching your essay topic, it is time to start writing. Again, do not rush through this step. Take a few minutes to consider what you are going to write. Think about the facts about the topic, the topics that others have written about it, and also think about your own opinion on the topic. Once you are happy with what you have written, you will want to get some writing done.With the topic and the topics written, it is time to edit and proofread them. This may sound like a complicated process, but when you do it once, you will learn that it is really not as difficult as it may seem. Be sure to focus on the parts that need editing or that could use a little bit of editing.When you are finished with all of the essay topics, you will want to submit them. By submitting your essay to an editor, you can help it to be perfect. Being perfect is not something that is expected, but the best way to ensure that it is is to ask an editor to do this for you.

How To Start A Niche Blog (And Why You Should)

How To Start A Niche Blog (And Why You Should) You can divide all blogs into two categories: lifestyle blogs and niche blogs. These categories represent two conscious decisions that bloggers can make: Im going to write about everything, or Im going to write about one thing.   Bloggers have 2 choices: Write about everything, or write about one thing. #NicheBloggingNiche blogs are when you write about one thing, and one thing only. They are a blog with a one-track mind, having one purpose, one goal. Why in the world would you ever consider something as unfun as a niche blog?  Because niche blogging is where real traction and traffic happen for a blog. Why You Should Start A Niche Blog As a blog reader I like variety, but when it comes time to save a blogs RSS feed in Feedly for reading and sharing later, I much prefer niche blogs. Niche blogs save me time.  They fit into a specific category and I know that when I want to read on a certain topic, the posts will stay true to the category. I will find content on the topic Im looking for and nothing else. For lifestyle blogs, I end up dumping them into a category I call Random Interesting (yes, I really call it that) and I only venture in there when I have time to kill. Its not that I dont enjoy reading those blogs (I actually do), but when I am pressed for time I dont always have the option to sift through content to find something that might be useful in the moment. I turn to categories that I know will give me what Im looking for. In other words, when it comes time to share content, niche blogs are the workhorse readers turn to. Variety, within boundaries, works. Variety, without boundaries, can be a mess. #NicheBloggingThats great that niche blogs give me, the content curator, an easier day. But what benefits do you, the blogger, get from a niche blog? 1. Niche Blogs Keep You On Track Focus is hard enough when you blog. This is especially true on days when you dont have ideas and are tempted to write about your favorite sports team just this one time. When you have a defined niche, its pretty easy to say no, the NFL doesnt have anything to do with my pastry blog. By knowing the specific topic you are writing about, you actually have more tools available to help get you out of an idea rut. Techniques to break writers block, like brainstorming or a headline storm, are easier when you have boundaries that define where you should operate. Lets consider an example of how the two compare. I have a lifestyle blog and I cant think of anything to write about. Has anything interesting happened to me lately? Have I observed anything interesting about life in general I think people might like to hear about? Have I read anything lately that caught my attention that I could write about for my readers? I have a niche blog about shoes, and I cant think of anything to write about. I can go to my RSS reader and get ideas on my niche topic that are trending right now. I can see which of my old posts are most popular and repurpose them. I can do Google keyword research on shoe-related phrases. I can set up a Google Alert on different shoe-related topics. Neither the lifestyle blog or niche blog is better, but a niche blog has more concrete methods of finding ideas because the topic is restricted. Narrow boundaries keep you from weaving all over the place. Niche blogs make idea and headline generation easier. Boundaries are good.2. Niche Blogs Give You A Reliable Audience I have several personal blogs; a few are niche and a few are without boundaries whatsoever. My main blog is mainly personal, and Ill write on any topic that strikes my fancy. My core readers are those who connect with my personality and as an individual, and not with a specific topic. While that is valid, it isnt a reliable audience that you can build a huge email list or serious traffic on (unless youre already famous). The average blogger isnt generally going to be a mini-star with a huge following that clings to them no matter what they write. A great example is a viral blog post I had recently. The topic of the post was on food and health, and I picked up a lot of email subscribers who were interested in that topic. The next weeks email came out and most of those subscribers went away. Why? Because they thought I was a food blog, and thats what they wanted. A niche blog will give you an audience that you understand, and that understands you. They are less prone to churn. Niche blogs give you an audience that you understand, and that understands you.3. Niche Blogs Make It Easier To Monetize Your Blog Perhaps youve decided youll use advertising on your blog to earn income. Once again, niche blogs for the win. If youre blog is about everything, what ads will you sell? Itll be hit and miss to guess what ads will actually be the most successful. You dont know which topic makes your audience show up and read and therefore, you dont know which ads will interest them. Its also a hard sell to advertisers. They want to know what your blog is about. How do you sell an ad when your blog is about me? The same can be said for ebooks, training, and other items that people use to make money through a blog. How will you choose a topic for an ebook, or training, and know that your readers will buy it, if youre not writing a niche blog? You have no idea what theyd spend money on or like to learn. All you know is that they are willing to come to your blog to hear your random thoughts on all kinds of topics for free. 4. Niche Blogs Expand Your Own Knowledge Blogs that arent niche blogs dont generally do in-depth coverage on a particular topic. Their lifeblood is the variety, and sometimes topic coverage is a bit like skipping stones. Each post glances at the surface of the topic and then moves on to the next topic. Niche blogs, however, encourage in-depth coverage of topics. They have to. Youre only writing about one specific topic and youll naturally dig in deeper and cover details as much as you can because there isnt another topic to bounce on to. For example, if you have a food blog, you wouldnt write just one blog post about whether you should use cold or room temp butter for making a cake and call it done, never to revisit butter temperature again. Instead, you might do a series on how to properly use butter, and that might lead you to do features on more individual ingredients and how they affect your baking. With niche blogs, you dont have to come up with 1000 new ideas. You can start with three and approach them from every angle possible before moving on. A niche blog allows you to do that, but on a general lifestyle blog, youre just going to be seen as strangely obsessive about butter. You dont need 1000 new ideas on a #NicheBlog. A few, from all angles, will do.How To Start A Niche Blog The difference between starting a niche blog and any other blog isnt particularly magical or unusual. It involves research and planning before you jump in and start writing. It involves more than just the decision to start a blog. It requires you to decide to start a blog about ___.  If youre looking for your niche blog to bring in money, youll want to be even more conscientious in your selection of a niche topic. 1. Know Your Passion If you hate vegetables, deciding to write a niche blog about vegetables is a terrible idea. Even if you like vegetables well enough, it still might not be enough. Remember, you are going to be writing heavily about a very focused topic. Thats going to be difficult enough. At least make it easy on yourself and have a serious passionate and interest in your niche. Otherwise, its going to be a very short-lived blog. 2. Decide On Short Or Long Term Trend niche blogs wont last, but they can be profitable for a while. For example, your niche blog might capitalize on a TV show or movie. Once the show is no longer on the air, or the movie buzz has faded, your blog wont be the traffic horse it once was. But that doesnt mean you shouldnt do it. As long as you know, going in, that youre going to be in a bit of a pressure cooker to build traffic quickly, and are ready to capitalize on absolutely every last drop of it before it fades, go ahead. Its the way your entire blog exists by capitalizing on a trend. 3. Decide If And How Youll Monetize Your Site Perhaps youre writing your niche blog for the absolute love of the topic and dont care about bringing in money. Fair enough.  Most people create a niche blog in the hopes of bringing in money, because niche blogs are uniquely able to handle advertising and affiliate marketing very well. Lets say you do want to use affiliate marketing. You will need to pick a niche topic where good affiliate marketing programs and products are available, and youll get paid a decent commission. Youll need to research available affiliate programs and find a reputable one that fits what you need best. Or maybe you want to use advertising. Again, youll need a blog whose topic attracts a specific audience that has advertisers eager to market to them. And, youll need to build up traffic to a certain level before some advertising programs will even consider your blog. Remember to comply with the FTC and disclose on your blog if you decide to use affiliate marketing or paid reviews. Niche blogs are uniquely set up to bring in advertising and affiliate marketing money.4. Find Your Keyword Niche Youve decided youll write about coffee for your niche blog. But coffee is still pretty broad–are you talking about growing coffee? roasting coffee? brewing coffee? fair trade coffee? coffee culture? buying coffee? cooking with coffee? You need to find specific keywords if you want your niche blog to bring in money and traffic. Googles Keyword Planner is the most popular tool, and even though there is no shortage of blog posts telling you how to find the best keywords, you might consider Googles own instructions  on using Keyword Planner, too. Which site will be easier to target with affiliate marketing, advertising, and keywords: A niche blog about photography, or a niche blog about Nikon cameras? Sometimes the extreme niche blog is the way to go when you are looking to monetize your site and find precise keywords that do the heavy lifting. When it comes to traffic and monetizing your blog, the more focused your audience is, the better. 5. Tighten Up Your Current Blog Maybe your current blog went off track and became a blog about everything. How do you turn your blog into a niche blog? Look at your categories. Youll notice that a blog off track often has category and tag bloat. Which category do you seem to write in the most? Thats a good hint at where your passion and interest for blogging lies. Look at your stats. Which of your posts tend to get the most traffic? This is an indicator of why people come to your blog, and it is also an indicator of a post that has done well in search. Dissect the post. Whats the topic? How did you write it? What brings the search engines? Make more posts like this on the most popular topic. Do some pruning. You might consider removing posts that are completely off-topic. If you absolutely must write on more than one topic, why not start a personal blog elsewhere and rehab your current blog into a niche blog? If your blog has been around a while, build on that traffic and following while you regain focus as a niche. Resist that spontaneous post. If you catch yourself feeling like you just have to post a photo and story about your dog and the cute thing he did today, stop. Dont put it on your blog. That is more appropriate for social media, or your personal lifestyle blog. Again, if you must have this outlet, create a personal blog to do it on. Keep your niche blog purely on topic, always. Dont give up on a wayward blog. Even if you havent stayed on topic over the years, its not too late to start. Decide today that you will have a niche blog, and get that mindset in place.

British South Africa Company (BSAC)

British South Africa Company (BSAC) The British South Africa Company (BSAC) was a mercantile company incorporated on 29 October 1889 by a royal charter given by Lord Salisbury, the British prime minister, to Cecil Rhodes. The company was modeled on the East India Company and was expected to annex and then administer territory in south-central Africa, to act as a police force, and develop settlements for European settlers. The charter was initially granted for 25 years, and was extended for another 10 in 1915. It was intended that the BSAC would develop the region without significant cost to the British tax payer. It was therefore given the right to create its own political administration supported by a paramilitary force for protection of settlers against local peoples. Profits form the company, in terms of diamond and gold interests were reinvested in the company to allow it to expand its area of influence. African labor was exploited partially through the application of hut taxes, which required Africans to look for wages. Mashonaland was invaded by a Pioneer Column in 1830, then the Ndebele in Matabeleland. This formed the proto-colony of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). They were stopped from spreading further to the north west by King Leopolds holdings in Katanga. Instead they appropriated lands which formed Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). (There were failed attempts to also incorporate Botswana and Mozambique.) The BSAC was involved in the Jamison Raid of December 1895, and they faced a rebellion by the Ndebele in 1896 which required the aid of British to quell. A further rising of Ngoni people in Northern Rhodesia was suppressed in 1897-98. Mineral resources failed to be as large as implied to settlers, and farming was encouraged. The charter was renewed in 1914 on the condition that settlers be given greater political rights in the colony. Towards the end of the last extension of the charter, the company looked towards South Africa, which was interested in incorporating Southern Rhodesia into the Union. A referendum of the settlers voted for self-government instead. When the charter came to an end in 1923, white settlers were allowed to take control of the local government as a self-governing colony in Southern Rhodesia and as a protectorate in Northern Rhodesia. The British Colonial Office stepped in 1924 and took over. The company continued on after its charter lapsed, but was unable to generate sufficient profits for shareholders. Mineral rights in Southern Rhodesia were sold to the colonys government in 1933. Mineral rights in Northern Rhodesia were retained until 1964 when they were forced to hand them over to the government of Zambia.